Fear, Anxiety and Altitude...
We left Nazca for Cuzco two days ago, caught a 14 hour night bus through the mountains. I had the most anxious afternoon leading up to that bus ride.
Firstly we went on a plane ride over the Nazca lines in the morning. It was quite interesting to watch those mysterious lines cast in the desert, but I did feel somewhat queasy afterwards. Luckily I postphoned breakfast till afterwards, as I'm sure it would have come back out otherwise.
After the flight, the tour guide took us to a bus company to buy tickets to our next destination. Originally I had decided against taking the direct route from Nazca to Cuzco, and wanted to go to Arequipa first, and from there either catch another bus to Cuzco or take a flight. Reason being I read a post on the Lonely Planet online forum describing the horrors of that bus ride: very windy roads, everyone throwing up, one girl looking as if she's going to die.. I decided that there is no way I was going to put myself through that torture. So it was strange when I found myself convinced by the ticket seller that the bus ride is really not that bad, and bought the tickets. Thinking back, maybe I was still dizzy from the plane ride and couldn't think carefully.
So I spent the rest of the afternoon worrying. Went for a late lunch with my friend after we checked 0ut of the hostel, and this time my friend made the mistake of drinking a whole glass of sugary water that came with our cheap meal. All the guidebooks recommend against drinking non-bottled water in most of South America, so it was his turn to panic afterwards.
To further increase my anxiety, Cuzco is one of the highest cities in South America, with an altitude of 3326m above sea level. I've heard several first hand accounts of people feeling very ill and throwing up continuously upon arrival (some in Cuzco and some in La Paz, which is even higher), so my fears about the bus ride and the arrival were not exactly unfounded.
Anyway, later that afternoon, after we have purchased the ticket, I heard from the other friend (the chatty one, who left us briefly to fast track to Peru last week and beat us to Cuzco by one day) that his bus ride was bumpy but he was okay. He said that for the 14 hours he was thrown from one side of his seat to the other.. almost non-stopfor most of the trip... (yeah.. more comforting thoughts..)
So, like everything in life, you have to face your fears when there's no way out.. ( well, apart from buying another bus and plane ticket, which, for my shoestring budget is not really an option) So, at 7:20pm, we gingerly went back to the hotel to get a taxi to the Cruz De Sur bus terminal. I asked the reception guy how much it will cost and he said 3 soles, but I managed to bargain down to 2 soles because I remembered that on the way here it only costed 1 sole, even though it was a different bus terminal (it´s a small town, so it can´t be that far away I gathered). So the reception guy asked the guy next to him to drive us, and we put our luggage in the car, got in, told the driver to go to Cruz De Sur. He started the car, drove about 15 metres, turned around the corner, drove another 15 metres, and asked "bus to Cuzco?", we said "yes", and then he stopped the car. We looked outside, saw the sign and that's when we realised the bus terminal was only 3 minutes walk away from the hotel. Ha... Speechless as we were, we paid the driver, who was a little embarrassed as well, and decided to check our maps more carefully next time and to add this to our list of funny incidents..
We got to the terminal before 7:30pm, as advised by the booking agent, for the 8pm bus. From previous experiences they ask you to arrive early for to check in the luggage and to slowly get into the bus. (Once we were body searched by two police officers before getting on the bus from Ecuador to Peru, another time we were finger printed and filmed on video tape) However this time we got to the bus stop and there were no sign of the bus, or any other passenger. Only the ticketing officer is there. With our poor Spanish and her little English, she assured us to wait and the bus will come. We foolishly thought everyone else heard or saw the same internet reports and decided not to take the route, and we were the only ones booked on the bus. However, at 8:00 on the dot, a Cruz De Sur bus appeared around the street corner and turned into the terminal. Arrhh.. so the bus actually came all the way from Lima, and everyone else on the bus had already been through an 8 hour journey. The bus was fully packed, except for the two seats for two of us, and although it was supposed to be a semi sleeper (semi-cama) bus, it looked more like an ordinary bus with not that much leg room and the seats only go back a little bit further. My friend and I were both a little dissappointed as we've grown accustomed to some very comfy semi sleeper and sleeper buses already, and had expected more. Cruz De Sur is widely recognised as the best bus company in Peru, and our ticket has been the most expensive bus ticket we have bought so far ($40US).
After all the anxieties, the worries and expectations, the bus ride became a bit of an anti-climax :) Luckily. For the whole 14 hours we were continuously turning corners and mostly ascending upwards, so it was no wonder that many people got sick doing the same route. We were very lucky to have two very cautious bus drivers who drove extremely slowly for the entire time, making careful turns around each corner so that although I could see each turn from my window and felt it a little bit, it was in no way as bad as it could have been, or how I had feared. We also didn´t get thrown from one side of our seat to the other as described by our friend. But I still didn't feel that well, even though the turns were done gently, the continous motion still made me a bit car sick so I resolved to sleep as much as possible. It turned out okay, I was still in one piece after the trip, just slightly queasy. My friend thought the whole trip was fine and he had worried for nothing. Oh forgot to mention, the landscape along the way was amazing.. in the start of the trip at night we were slowly going up these mountains and you can see the silhoute of all the surrounding mountains pretty close by and changing after each turn, lit up by the moonlight. It was somewhat surreal and I felt like we are driving along a moonscape. Sometimes we were driving really close to the cliffs, and other times buses or trucks drove narrowly past us on the narrow roads. It was quite a memorable trip, unfortunately too dark to capture on camera...
Upon arriving in Cuzco, I spent about a day and half sleeping and getting over the altitude sickness. It made me dizzy, at times wanting to throw up, and feeling especially worse after a meal. Climbing a set of stairs set my heart pumping like mad.. but today I felt much better, and hopefully will be in a good form to do a day tour around the Sacret Valley tomorrow. Lots of market shopping awaits!
The Mysteries of Nazca Lines
After a 16 hour bus ride from Trujillo, we finally arrived at Nazca, home of the famous Nazca lines. There are many theories attempting to explain the existence of those mysterious figures cast in the desert, and why they were created in such a way that the figures are only identifiable when viewed from air. Some believe that the lines were created by Alien spacecraft which were following a certain route and its proximity to the ground blew away the sand (or rocks) below. A more likely theory was that the Nazca people created those shapes to appease God and pray for the rain they needed to survive in the harsh enviroment. Yet others believe that the animal shapes were representitive of the mental images that occur to the people when they were on a high ( part of an Ancient cultural ritual).
Whatever the explanation, it was interesting for me to see those lines in person, from high above air on a tiny aircraft. I have read from Lonely Planet that people prone to motion sickness may suffer on the flight, so was relieved when I found an empty bag behind each seat. As soon as I got settled in the seat I opened the bag and prepare it so it's ready if needed. Then I looked up and saw the pilot looking at me and smiling, shaking his head. Well, just in case anyway. The aircraft followed a fixed path and the pilot point out each figure in the sand as we come close. It´s not hard to see why people would get sick, because the aircraft literally circle each figure for people on one side, and then the other. And it is amazing the the figures were found in the first place, because they are pretty small compared to the vast desert on which they are drawn on. My friend were more impressed by the geometric lines on the sand, which were also made by the same people, but pretty big in scale.
We will be catching a 14 hour bus ride to Cuzco tonight. And from what I´ve heard on the internet, I am fearing for my life.. just kidding.. but I am worried that I will feel as sick as the many others who went before me, either from the treacherous mountain road or from the high altitude. Definitely not looking forward to it! Let's just hope that Cuzco lives up to the hype and that Machu Picchu is worth 4 days of hiking without shower. :)
One more thing, I lost my bank card today :( Will attempt to live off my travel companions for as long as they will let me. Fingers crossed I will survive till my replacement card arrives...
Vilcabamba - The Valley of Longivity
We´re just about to leave Ecuador for Peru.. currently waiting at the bus terminal for the bus that will leave in an hour, and thought I´ll write again :)
Had the most amazing and relaxing time in Vilcabamba.. It´s another town set amongst the mountains, it´s also known as the Valley of Longivity because many inhabitants live pass 100 years. We found a brochure about a hostel there while in Cuenca, and it promised an idyllic getaway where you can chill out and watch the time go by. I was intrigued and decided to go.. and we weren´t dissappointed. Along the way we met an Australian girl who started her round the world trip last year, and in time met a man in Tsansunia (Africa), happily got pregnant and is planning to move to Africa and settle there. She joined us in the hostel Izhcayluma and off we went on our biking adventure, using the free hostel bikes with dodgey brakes that meant we can only ride uphill and had to push the bike down hill. We went on another short hike which again ended in bush bashing through unmarked trails, with barbed wires and mooing cows. In Ecuador we can see stars from both the Southern and Northern hemispheres, and I won the challenge from the hostel owner who couldn´t find the Southern Cross, and promised a free coctail to us if we could. My friend was grateful for the free coctail, and I in turn enjoyed a facial and massage by the hostel massues.
In the mornings we stuff our faces with yummy breakfasts (crepe or homemade bread and juice), lay idylly on the hammocks and walk around the delicate gardens..
It is no wonder people in Vilcabamba live past 100. We were a little sad to leave the tranquil town, and beautiful hostel behind. However the scenery should always still in my mind.. :)
The Amazing Ecuador...
We've been in Ecuador for about a week and half now, and really love it here. Ecuador is alot more relaxed than Chile, people are friendlier, everything is cheaper and there are lots of greenery all around. We spent about 5 days relaxing and exploring around their capital Quito, which is set in a high Andean valley 2850m above the sea level and its historical centre (the Old Town) is full of beautiful old colonial buildings and plazas, which reminded me of Italy or Prague. From there we went on a day trip to Otavalo, famous for its craft market and indigeneous culture and their weavings, and also saw some nice mountain scenery, including a volcano that were mostly hidden behind clouds, along the way. On another day we visited the Mitad del Mundo monument, which marks the Equator, and learnt that the name Quito means the centre of the world. A nearby museum called Museo Solar Inti Nan further demonstrated that they are in fact the real equator, using the GPS... From there we saw that waters run straight down the drain (instead of circling clockwise or anticlockwise), it was easier to balance an egg on a nailhead because there were no net gravitational forces (though none of us managed that..), and also we weighed less along the line of the equator.. ,There were also some fascinating history about how the Incas use their knowledge of astromony to build churches and monuments along a star pattern originating from the real centre of the world, where there is also an indigeneous monument. We spent the last day in Quito walking around the Old Town, and walked up the towers of the Bascillica cathederal on the outskirt of the town, which had an awesome view of the city. It was a little scary because at the very top level, the floor was replaced by wire mesh that caved as you walked..
From Quito we went to the town of Banos, famous for its hotsprings and lush, mountainside scenery. The world Banos means bathroom, though we often interpret as toilet during our stay in South America as all the toilets use that Label. So I thought we were going to a Toilet-Town.. not knowing what to expect or why people would chose that name for their town.. Luckily there was nothing smelly about the town, and we enjoyed the most amazing scenery on the bus ride there from Quito, as the bus gradually wind its way down the huge mountains into Banos. However I was a little dissapointed to have chosen to sit at the wrong side, and missed all those photo opportunities. We lived like kings and queens in Banos, with beautiful mountain views right outside our window.. At night we played chinese checkers and in the morning we ate delicious breakfasts at the rooftop cafe, which had 360 degree view of the town and the mountains.
We decided to make the most of our time in Banos by doing an 'easy' trek not far from town. I found the trek information through a book on treking in Equador and brought a photocopy to the hike. An American girl joined us, which was very lucky in hindsight because she spoke perfect spanish and was a pretty good navigator. It was only an 8km hike, and we started around midday. It was very easy at first, the photocopy proved useful as it has everything down to the tiniest detail. The trek was called Valley of the Waterfalls, and we were walking on a well trodden trail with the mountain to our right, and another mountain to our left, separated by a big river. Sometimes you can see the waterfalls in the distant mountain. It was a cool, cloudy day, which was perfect for hiking, and about 2 hours into the hike we saw a local coming from the opposite side. When he informed us that it's only another hour and half to the waterfall and cable car ride, I was almost dissappointed by how easy and short it was... I had hoped to use this as an another opportunity to prepare for the daunting Inca Trail. I needn't have worried.. Almost as soon as he's gone the sun came up, and the trail turned into a windy and steep zig-zagged path. We huffed, puffed and sweated for the next 50 minutes or so, until we finally reached near the top of the mountain. Then it started to rain. At the same time we lost sight of a clear path ahead. According to the photocopy we needed to find a narrow, downhill road near a house. We found the house, but not the path.. Fortunately the owner of the house saw us, came out and guided us through his back garden, which was steep, slippery and muddy, and totally unmarked. It was then the adventure started. From there and for the next 40 minutes or so, we descended through unchartered terroritory, trying not to slip or trod on the many cow, dog and donkey dung on the path. My friend who was wearing sandles had the most fun, and was grateful for the opportunity to indulge his feet in the theraputic materials underneath. To cut the very long story short, the hike seemed to have lasted forever, and after the downhill path we were lost many more times because we couldn't find any clear signs or trails... we have encountered many dogs barking theateningly at us, and then climbed at least 4 sets of barbed wires, before finally finding the final waterfall. The hike ended with us catching a cable car in the heavy rain while holding up a table cloth for shelter, and then standing under a little sugarcane booth and trying to flag down a taxi or a car to get us back to town. The last bit took at least another 40 minutes. The American girl and I both agreed it was an amazing experience, but not my sandle-clad friend..
