Huaraz -- Huantar de Chavin 8/21/07 - 8/22/07

In between tourist sites and changing hostels (hot water was our guide), we escaped into a few local bars and eateries, finding some time to relax and unwind. Really relax . . . and really unwind . . . this crazy dude totally deserves this spotlight. A great Brazilian couple from our hostel joined us for some overpriced drinks, foozball, and a bunch of laughs at a local bar "popular with international tourists." (As LP would say it.) They definitely added a lot of color to the night along with nostalgia . . . because Brazil is definitely missed!

Our next stop was the Huantar de Chavin ruins. We booked another bus tour and were on our way. We weren´t in the best shape of course, coughing and sneezing alike, but for a small fee, you can buy a "remedy" from the locals containing all kinds of goodies.

"Hmmm, is there liquor in this? It tastes like cachaça!?" Well yes, there is! A bit of sugarcane rum will get your going in the morning, for sure!!! And we drank it up like champions.

First, we headed to Lake Querococha high in the mountains. A breathtaking view of surrounding ice-capped mountains and endless valleys . . . But windy as all hell, no swimming yet for this one. . . sorrrrry.

Then we stopped briefly at the town of Huantar to see the Plaza and take a romantic shot of the new lovebirds.

Finally, we headed into the most famous ruins of the Chavin era. Just to give you an idea of its grandeur, here is what the Spanish discoverers wrote back in 1616. Chavin was an earlier civilization believed to be developed around 900 B.C. and ended in about 200 B.C. This ruin site is one of the most preserved ruins in existence, surviving earthquake after earthquake . . . and the credit has to go to the absolutely amazing craftsmanship.

The rocks were so perfectly placed, at exactly 90 degree angles, that they didn´t even use mortar in a lot of the construction.

The Chavin culture represents the first widely recognized artistic form in the Andes, depicting their pagan deities such as the the snake, the jaguar and the eagle or hawk . . .

and their use of the cacti San Pedro as a hallucinogen for sacred rituals. Here´s a current representation . . .

The ruins were a vast collection of court yards, sacred halls, and ritual temples . . .

. . . and a lot of what we saw was underground in intricate maze-like hallways and chambers. We had a lot of fun running around and exploring the numerous underground hallways and rooms

and to our surprise, they were all well ventilated thanks to the thousands of air-vents in the walls leading to the outside fresh air. Smart, wouldn´t you say?! And speaking of the outside . . .
It was a glorious day and you know I had to have my moment with my llamas, and here´s a video for all of you who love these beautiful animals as much as me . . .

These pictures are of us clowns posing with the famous Chavin heads . . .

Pondering Head

Happy-Ignorant Head

Business-Oriented Head
You can´t buy that kind of advertisement J.T.!! I think Matty deserves a raise!
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Alright Y´all!! Unfortunatley, that´s it for Huaraz and Huantar.

Cusco and the land of Machu Picchu here we come!!

Huaraz 8/18/07 - 8/20/07

We took the over-night bus to the central Andes of Peru, to a town called Huaraz. What is another 14 hour bus ride through Peru like, in a "few" words? crazy bus driver racing cars on the highway, crazy bus rider racing death on the mountain´s edge, Sasha cursing crazy bus driver as she is hurdled into the 2 square foot bathroom wall for the 5th time as she tries to take her 7th piss of the trip . . . and finally, Sasha finding her special nook and lets Misha sleep for a few hours.

Huaraz has had its share of disasters, the most memorable being the earthquake of 1970 that measured 7.7 on the Richter scale and killed 70,000 people from central Peru (30,000 of them being from Huaraz.) How does an earthquake do that exactly?? Well, when you´re up in the mountains, an earthquake can cause water to cascade down to the valleys below creating a combination of avalanche, waterfall, and landslide!

But what a place! In the mountains, it is common to chew coca leaves or drink coca tea to help with the elevation.

No, it doesn´t get you high (you dope fiend!) Yes, it really helps!

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Upon arriving in Huaraz, we just happened to look out the window of our hostel and noticed ICE CAPPED MOUNTAINS!!

A first for some of us! We immediately decided to do a trek through the mountains, but eventually decided against it since all of us were getting pretty sick at this point. But that doesn´t mean that we can´t have fun! Matty and I left Misha to recuperate while we went on a bus tour through Parque Nacional Huascarán, enjoying distant views of Cordillera Blanca and Negra.

Bus tours are a funny thing, since they shuffle a bunch of people in and out of the bus for about 7 hours, to take pictures and such. . .yet it is a great way to see a bunch of places if you have a time restraint. Most of the guides speak only Spanish so no, you won´t understand much and sure it´s touristy, but you really have to take these things with a grain of salt, and ENJOY . . . you ARE in Peru for crying out loud.

First, the bus shuffled us out in front of a beautiful lake (the lake of seven colors) which had bubbling mineral water . . . explains all those colors! We were shuffled back in until we came upon a valley of the largest flowers in the whole world...

Puya Raimondii. This is one of the most ancient plant species in existence and can only be found in some parts of the Andes of Peru and Bolivia. The plant takes about 100 years to grow (about 10 meters high)at which point it blooms over 20,000 flowers for three months, at which point it comes to its tragic end and dies .Obviously, we missed the months of its magnificence. . . so I had to help it out. Ah, what a sight!

The bus briefly stopped at some cave drawings where I was lucky enough to snap a picture (only the right side of the bus got this privilege!)

(and its reproduction for better view)

Finally, the bus tour let us off near a walkway by some breathtaking views of Nevado Pastoruri, where Matty and I jumped on some donkeys and began the climb to see some glaciers! Matty´s six-legged donkey had a good climb up

Hahaha!!! What! He´s tall as hell!

We enjoyed climbing in, out, and about the glacier. . . even though we weren´t allowed to enter it at all (what a surprise!)

I have to say, Matty was a total natural on the snow . . . hopping to and fro like a gazel, venturing out past the "Danger" signs, enjoying his new found freedom to the maximum. Salut!

Here are some highlights:

You know I had to have a taste! Hmmm, a taste of childhood, yum! I just had to give it a big hug for old times sakes . . .

On the way back, Matty´s donkey got startled and started galloping away! Tiny Peruvians dashing left and right while Matty is almost thrown off . . . you had to laugh! And snap a picture for memories of course . . .

I ventured off into the nearby valley to enjoy some overlooked treasures.
All in all, a wonderful day, a lovely trip, and great memories.