My view from Corico hostel.  I didn´t want to leave!

 La Paz.  Goodbye beautiful city!!!

 In la pampas tour.  Had boots that reached just below my knee and water than reached to where my shorts are folded up. Looking for anacondas :)  Didn´t see any but did eat some very minty termites.  By the way, for those who doubted dolphin evilness, doubt no more.  There were pink (very pink) river dolphins we swam with and they bite.  A girl got some pretty good scratches on her toe and was bleeding.  Good thing there aren´t too many piranha!

The rest of these pictures won´t show up for me.  Hopefully they will when sent!!

Good god....this is what it feels like to cook from the inside out!

Well, things have been interesting!  Corico was beautiful.  Great, wonderful, green, amazing views right from my little dark room.  As soon as I walked outside my room I was starring into a canoyn with birds and butterflies galore!  I took some hikes (well to the store was one) and kept a low profile.  Really enjoyed the town.  I decided to come over to Rurrenabaque for a papmas (jungle type) tour.  Haven´t booked it yet but I may just be suckered into doing one from my hostel out of pure lazyness. The ride here was, well, something.  Aside from the screaming babies or the 6 kids with what seemed to be 47 hands grasping at everything right behind me, it was an awe inspiring trip.  Bus was about 3 hours late so I got a good layer of sweat from waiting then added grime from the dust cloud surrounding our bus for the first hour!  BUT after everything settled down it was breathtaking.  Crazy 100ft drops inches from our tires ending at a beautiful sometimes blue, sometimes green river.  Mountains climbing another 100 feet up on the other side of the bank filled with every color or green in vines and trees.  Giant or colorful birds (not both :) A storm was raging and although there was some rain I think we avoided most of it.  What was mesmorizing about it was the lightning.  It continued all night. Complete darkness until a bolt spread like fingers across the sky.  Only then you could see the difference between the mountain tops, sky, and cloud formations.  It was hard not to try and sleep with one eye open.  We got stoped at a few police check points, at which point I was fondled by one of the cops posing to look for marijuana.  Good times.  Actually no, f u buddy, f u.  I know one day a condor will poo in your eye, maybe both, while walking near a cliff. And that makes me happy.
So, now I am here, in ´Rurre¨and sweating like a pig.  Unconditionally!  The hostal I am staying at is right along the river, has hammocks both in the room and underneath the hanging :)  I can see myself with a book, beer, hammock, dog and maybe one of these chickens running around very soon.  Well, before I turn into a puddle of sweat!  The people who run it are very sweet and enderring.  Not sure how long I can afford to stay here, I have about 3 months worth of things I want to do in Bolivia and it is alread the 18th!  Very glad Bolivia is such a small country :)
Hope you are all doing well and miss you!!!!
No pics this time, sorry, forgot the connection.  Close your eyes and imagine beauty. There! You´re here!

Huayna Potosi, you are the devil

 Llama anyone??  Really gets your appetite going.  Right? Who´s with me?

 Huayna Potosi from base camp.  Glacier looks beautiful....from a distance.

 This is the best pic I got from my guide.  The last fall I could muster and told him I was done, time to go back down!

 There is a trail in there somewhere!

I´m in the back with the full face helmet!  Yay for Luigi (the guide) playing favorites!!

Yes, the devil.  Biking was amazing.  I  rode hard, was first for the majority, even got a flat that I am taking as a badge of awesomeness!   Needless to say, I was feeling good and confident from the ride. Then the mountain came.  The taxi ride was beautiful.  I was full of excitement and awe of the mountain in front of me.  There was quite a bit more snow than I thought but that just made it ever more beautiful!  It turned out just to be the guide and myself climbing up to base camp so on we went.  No porter so carried all the equipment needed for the few days.  Climbing up, I started to get a little nervous.  I was not doing so hot.  I never asked for altitude but we were somewhere around the 5000 meter mark.  It took me a very long time to reach base camp.  My guide, Mario, was already at the top once I made it and I took my bag off and layed on a rock.  I wouldn´t have minded being there till next week.  My stomach hurt, tired more than I can explain, and a little more worried than before.  At the camp there was a great group of people (7) that had already made it to the top and in their sleeping bags resting.  I followed and collapsed upstairs.  We all made jokes about how much harder it was than we thought to climb the initial bit. We were a little worried about the next day but laughed through it. 

Dinner was at 5pm, then bed.  We were to start climbing at 11:30pm that night.  We had until 7am to make it to the top or we would need to turn back due to the ice melting.  I ended up being paired with the fastest of the group.  Why that happened I have no idea.  He was very nice about my worries that I was so slow and said as long as we make it to the top.  Didn´t make me feel better.  That night was the craziest storm I have ever heard.  First snow, lots of it.  Then wind, lots and lots of scary wind.  Then the two together.  I was developing a nasty headache. I however, did get some sleep while many got none.  Morning comes and we suit up.  I was feeling worse than earlier in the day but I wanted to try, at least.  Coming outside the moonlight was incredible. Star constellations I have no idea what they were J In the distance there was a spectacular lighting show being put on.  Huge bolts in the sky making the horizon glow most of the time.  Amazing.  We got everything on and started.

I didn´t make it long J  And, snow is not so pretty when you need to blaze your own trail and if you take a wrong step you will sink to your waist.  Not pretty at all. Walk 5 steps, stop, breath.....breath more.  Try again, fall. Get stuck in the snow. Swear. I went as far as I could before deciding that I was not having fun.  The guy I was grouped (tied to for safety) with and I both convinced the guide to either let him or I go solo so he could actually make it to the top.  I wanted to continue but knew I was not going to make it all the way and didn´t want to ruin his trip cause of my inability.  Thankfully, he let the other guy off the rope.  I continued for a bit more and called it at around 5400 meters (out of 6088).  Later, on the way down I fell off the side of our homemade snow path and slid for a bit.  The guide caught me on the rope and I learned how to use my ice pick quickly, hacking at the snow! I was eternally greatful that the guide decided to stay with me rather than the other guy! I was tired, felt sick, and hated the snow at that point. Made it down in one piece.  After getting sick outside I went back to my bed and passed out.  Later I heard another come in.  And another. And another.  At least they had made it further than me but not quite all the way.  I am bummed that I didn´t make it but don´t think I regret turning around when I did.  The slower I went the colder it got.  It was amazingly beautiful though.  Don´t have too many pics, mainly cause I was concentrating on living :) I heard that it was a great view from the top, something the others were very proud of and something none of them ever wanted to do again :)  Not sure how much more hiking in the boonies I want to do, make day-trips.  Well, until I forget how miserable I was and want to actually get to the top!  Good times :)  Just another story :)

Bolivia

Cracking thunder is a daily sound.  Dried, shrunken, baby alpaca is a normal item for sale. La Paz is highter than Huraz but I can breathe here. I bought some coca leaves from the ¨Witches Market¨and it made my mouth numb. They are still used in Coca Cola. Straight from Bolivia. The market reminded me of the depths of Thailand. Fresh fruit, flowers, herbs, and potatoes every color you can think of.  Covered by umbrellas and watchful eyes on all foreigners (far and few between).  The would be great pictures if it wern´t frowned upon. Even when asked, most said no. 
Juice stands with strawberries, papaya, banana, oranges, and carrots and a blender ready for an order for 4 Bolivianos, less than 50 cents. Tonight I am going to go see Cholitias fighting.  Think of Luche Libre with the traditional Andean women fighing in a ring WWF style.  Tomorrow is a bike ride down ¨the world´s most dangerious road.¨  No worries, I don´t go that crazy when ridding a bicycle :) After that is Huayna Potosi  trek.  Including ice picks, clamp-ons, altitude pills, sachel of coca leaves and 6088meters to conquer!


My camera won´t connect so I´m stealing this picture to all stun and capture you all with Huayna Potosi!

¡Bolivia Bound!

1st pic/video...Bugs.  They are fun and fighting to the death.  Poor spider...

2nd is of Lake Titicaca..pretty.  Didn{t make it to many tourist events. Don{t mind that at all :)

3rd is hairless, ugly, ugly dogs.  They have a higher body temp so they are sometimes used for body warmth or medicinally (well, like helping with arthritice)

Tomorrow is Bolivia!!!!  Can{t explain how excited I am!!

Two no shows, and one sick Triceratops...Could´ve been worse

Imagine being the first one to put up a retaining wall...One bad step and it will be your last. This place is nestled between towering granite mountains.  Amazing 

A tiny window between the fog, clouds, and rain. Behind is Wayna Picchu mountain

Ever seen a rainbow below you? 

They needed some help moving this boulder at Saqsaywaman, I´m so strong.  Only 20% of the site still remains and there are rocks weighing up to 200 ton.  Try moving that by hand!! (in Cuzco)

Well, what a week!  Machu Piccu was amazing and frusturating all in the same.  I finally make it to Aguas Calientes and am in love with the land surrounding it.  This town was created for tourist going to Machu Picchu, which gives it little historical value.  It is the closest ¨town¨ and if you stay here you can avoid the train full of day-trippers to Machu in the morning. Super toursity but it has lush green mountains towering around all sides of this tiny little town with an unbelivably strong and giant river tossing its way through.  This little town has nothing to offer in terms of traditional people but the enviornment that it is tucked away in is amazing!
The day I arrived was hot and sunny.  Rained that night but it was a warmish rain... rainforest rain, go figure.  The next day, bright and early, I got on the bus and made it to Machu by 7.  Cold, raining, foggy.  Went through and tried to go as fast as I could to get pics without people and later I would appreciate the overwhelming history of the place.  I got to Wayna Picchu and stood in line.  I was under the notion that the first 400 people were permitted to climb this amazing mountain with caves and historic sites.  They said no, the ticket you need as at the enterence.  Ok, maybe I still had a shot.  Went all the way back to the enterence and they said go back to Aguas Calientes to get the ticket.  Fine. It looked like a stupid mountain anyway.  Next, I tried Machu Picchu Mountain.  That sounded like it was included.  No.  Go back to Aguas Calientes.  I may have started to enjoy that there was soo much fog at this point cause people wouldn´t be able to see from the beautiful mountain tops anyways!  Bitter? Maybe.  It was still amazing though.  Parts of the history, the people, what it meant to be apart of that society and what it took to build it.  Not to mention the site wasn´t recorded as an acutal site for over 300 years.  Totally tucked away in the overgrown forest.  No Spanard was ever permittd to enter so when the Inca died out, so did the knowledge of M.P. Beautiful.
Nasty blisters formed so I decided to get an earlier train back rather than do more hiking the next day.  Turns out my ticket wasn´t valid.  I raised a stink and they got me a new one.  Awesome.  Coming home we hit nasty traffic.  Not too sure what the hold up was but it involved a tourist bus and blah blah.  We got out at the right time.  Took an hour to go less than a mile.  People after us were going to be stuck for HOURS. Eww.  The second hold up was an actual accident.  Bus hit a train.  Derailed it. Causualities. Drove by it and it kinda gave us all an appreciation for life.  Then, about a half hour later, trying to make up for lost time the taxi driver hit and killed a dog.  Weird trip. But, safe and sound :)
Just got to Arequipa this morning and not sure if I will make it to midnight.  I know, I´m such a party animal! I want to hike another mountain before going into the second deepest canyon of the world. I don´t think I can make it to the volcano around here, El Misti.  It is way higher than the last (5822 m vs 4760m) and as much as I want to prove I can do it, I´m not going to get crazy here :)  We will see.  Hope you are all doing well and had an amazing Christmas! Happy New Years friends and family!!

Feliz Navidad!!

La Catedral, took 100 years to build..few min from where I am staying :)

Ahhh, Huanchaco

Between Huanchaco and Trujillo, Chan Chan is the largest Pre-Colombian city in the Americas.  Built aroung 1300AD.  It is only partially preserved due to money and you can see crumbling adobe walls for miles that are apart of that same empire on either side of the highway.  The city´s 28 sq km

So, after a very hard decision not to spend the rest of life in Huanchaco, I up and left.  I didn´t even go any further North in fear that I would end up back at the beautiful beaches, home atmosphere, and musical surfers and finish out my days.  It will always be there but I can´t stop so early!  After a 33 hour bus ride with an extra 7 hours in between, I am here in Cusco.  Parents, Todd and Craig will all be very proud of me. I splurged.  I have such a cool room for xmas! I even get free coca tea to help with altitude sickness!  And, get ready: breakfast, towels, TV, AND a space heater!!!!  I know, just smiling thinking about it!
Otherwise, having a very pleasant time : ) A few little odd ball things here that are stereotypical of Peru I did not expect.  First, all the girls wear tight pants.  Not just some or a little bit tight but all women and spandex tight, no matter shape or size.  I was people watching and saw this one girl who wore sort of baggy pants.  I chuckled and figured she just shopped in the men's section.... then I noticed my own pants. Mmm.

Another interesting fact are line cutters here.  One of my pet peeves is when someone cuts in line.  I don´t think I have been in line without this happening, seriously.  The first time was by a woman small enough she should have been scared I would eat her children. She wasn´t, apparently.  I figured it was just that I looked foreign (no) or that this sort of thing is ok here (no) and now I don´t care.  I am going to be the annoying American who thinks that because they are in line the get a spot.  I´m reclaiming my right!  So far it has worked once : ) Also, dogs are everywhere.  But, they are all really, really nice.  I was thinking of adopting one for the road...still thinking.
And, I think that is enough rambling for today!  Patty, I hope you can see what I´m wearing : )