The World
South America
Bolivia - Peru - Ecuador
Also by this author:
Egypt 1995
Mexico 1995
Australia 1997
Italy 1997
Kenya & Tanzania 1998
Greece 1999
Turkey 1999
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The World South America Bolivia - Peru - Ecuador Also by this author: Egypt 1995 Mexico 1995 Australia 1997 Italy 1997 Kenya & Tanzania 1998 Greece 1999 Turkey 1999 |
At long last, I finally scheduled a Trip to South America. Having Started with the Intention of covering as many Countries as Possible (in a 2-3 Month long Trip), I winnowed the list to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. The First two to observe the Indian Cultures (Aymara & Quechua Speaking Incas) and the last to follow the footsteps of Charles Darwin (after 160+ years) and visit the Galapagos Islands. I booked the INCA EMPIRE tour through GAP Adventures based in Toronto, Canada. (http://www.gap.ca (or) 800-465-5600) which would start in La Paz, Bolivia and end in Lima, Peru. I had booked a week long cruise of the Galapagos Islands from Galasam Tours (http://www.galasam.com.ec/) through their USA based agent, Safari Centre. (Safari Centre was the company that helped me with my African Safari last year and I was quite happy with their Service). (http://www.safaricenter.com/) I would have to arrange International flights on my own. The Internal flights were Included in the Tour Cost.
The cost for the Inca Empire (from Bolivia to Lima, Peru) was US$ 1302, which included an optional night, at Macchu Picchu Ruinas and also the Airfare between Cusco and Lima. The cost for the 1-week Galapagos Cruise was US$ 1309, which included the Airfare from Quito to Baltra, Galapagos. All meals were included on the Galapagos Cruise.
I had planned to do this Trip in the Month of May when the rainy season would have ended in Bolivia. This Trip was Unique, since I had decided to QUIT my Job and do some full-time Travelling without the nauseating thought of returning to work after my Vacation. South America was to be the First Leg of my extended Travel during which I would also Visit Europe and Asia. Hope it works out ! (And I get a Job after wandering around the Various Continents)
With the Exception of Bolivia, the Peruvian and Ecuadorean Visas were easy to Obtain. In the Case of Bolivia, my Visa had to be approved at La Paz before being stamped in Atlanta. I left Memphis during the last week of April and headed to Atlanta. The Bolivian Authorities had approved my Visa and the Consulate in Atlanta stamped my Passport and the Trip was set.
My Adventure began even before I set foot in La Paz. I was to Board a Flight from Atlanta to Miami and then connect there to La Paz, Bolivia. On reaching the Airport (in Atlanta), and subsequently checking in, I was informed that my Flight would be delayed by 90 Minutes. Since I was sure to miss my Connection to La Paz, if I continued on this Flight, I asked the American Airlines Representative to look for Other Airlines departing to Miami around the Originally Scheduled time. There was a United Airlines flight departing to Miami about 50 Minutes after the American Airlines Flight (as Per the Original Schedule). It was Scheduled to Depart on time and its arrival in Miami would give me around 50 Minutes to Catch my Flight to La Paz. As it was half-empty, I obtained the endorsement from American and booked myself on the United Flight to Miami. Now I had to find a way to get my Checked in Baggage from the American Airlines flight onto United Airlines and Inform United of my Connecting Flight in Miami, so that they would transfer it back to American Airlines in Miami. (I was scheduled to fly American all the way - from Atlanta to La Paz)
I went back to the American Airlines ticketing Counter and explained the Situation. The Representative took my United Flight Number and the Subsequent American Flight Number (to La Paz). She then radioed the Baggage Handling Area to have someone Pull my Bag (I had to mention the Color / Shape of the Bag) and transfer it to United Airlines. After a wait of 15 Minutes, she informed me that the transfer had been done and since my Bag contained the Tag for La Paz (with the American flight Number), United Airlines would transfer it in Miami to the La Paz bound flight. I confirmed the same with the United Airlines Agents before boarding the flight in Atlanta and after landing in Miami.
Though I was told that it would happen that way, I can be sure only when I see my Bag in La Paz. The Flight to Bolivia departed on time. I managed to get as much sleep as possible during the 6-hour flight.
We landed at La Paz about 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. The Bolivian Authorities give all tourists a Green Colour Card that is to be given back to the Immigration Authorities when leaving the Country. Similar to the I-94 form given (by the US Immigration Service) to all tourists entering the USA.
Customs clearance was quick. Then I waited for the moment of Truth (at the Baggage Carousel). Was quite pleased to see my Bag arrive. After exchanging $60 (@ 5.6 Bolivianos to a Dollar), I had a Cab take me to my Hotel (Residential Rosario, Casilla 442, La Paz. Phone: 591 2 325 348 - Includes the International Dialing Code). The Cab driver wanted 50 Bolivianos. Not knowing the usual fare, I did not want to haggle with him at 5 in the Morning. I agreed and we set off. The Hotel and the City and 20 Minutes drive away from the Airport. The Airport is located in El Alto, which is 400 Metres (1250 Feet) above the City of La Paz.
Though the Guide Book (South American Handbook) mentions that the Best views of the snow covered Mountains around La Paz are obtained from a Descending Airplane, I did not get to see it since it was quite dark when we landed. But the drive from the Airport to La Paz was quite a Welcome. It seemed as if the clouds were concealing the City Below. As we continued to descend, the City gradually appeared into view.
On reaching the Hotel, I was given a twin-bedded room after announcing that I was a member of a GAP Group. I had the room to myself until my roommate arrived. Since it was to be an extended vacation, I had decided to save some money by opting for Shared accommodations, rather than pay the Single Supplement. After a shower, headed to the Hotel restaurant for a Continental Breakfast (B$ 19 - 19 Bolivianos). One of the Cures for Altitude Sickness is to have Tea made from Cocoa Leaves. I wonder whether it Cures Sickness due to High Altitude or helps you get Higher !
Since they were observing May Day today, almost all establishments were closed. Picking up a Mini-Map of the City (from the Hotel Desk), I started my Self-Guided walking tour. After walking for 10 Minutes, I was made to realize that this is Indeed the Highest Capital City. I started with the Cathedral of San Francisco. It is more than 400 years old and the exterior reflected the age. The Interior was grand. The Enormous Altar was covered with Gold Carving / Plating. Since there was a Service going on at the time of my Visit, I did not spend much time taking pictures of the Interior. I headed towards the Plaza del Estudiante.
After a brisk 20-minute walk, I found out that the Tourist Information Office was closed as well. Since I spotted the Snow Covered Peaks of Mount Illimani towering (6000 Metres / 20000 Feet) over the City, I decided to walk a bit more to get a clearer view. After another 20 Minutes Walk, I reached the American Bridge. (Purely by Accident) The View from here was Spectacular. The Mountain Ranges were clearly visible and the view of the City was quite good as well. The Houses seem to start far below the Bridge (where I was Standing) and continued up the mountainside, until I could see houses far above me.
After taking some Pictures, I headed back to the City Center. When I reached the Plaza del Estudiante, I was completely out of breath. To my rescue comes an Internet Café. The Charge for an hour of usage was B$15 (Approx. US$3) Sent Messages to family and friends during the hour. Since the time was around Noon, I headed back to the Hotel for a brief rest before setting out to cover some more parts of the City. I had my Lunch at Gloria's restaurant located in (where else) Hotel Gloria. Since this was quite close to my Hotel, I did not have to walk much. The fact that this is a Vegetarian restaurant suited me perfectly. Did not like what was on offer, though. After picking at my food for an hour, I set out to Plaza Murillo, which happens to be the Center of La Paz.
Plaza Murillo is a short walk from Gloria's. The Main buildings are a Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the Legislature Building (Palacio Legislativo). I was not admitted into any of the Buildings. The Presidential Palace and the Palacio Legislativo are quite Impressive Buildings conforming to the Spanish Colonial Architecture.
The Clear Blue Sky filled with Intermittent White Clouds Provided the Perfect Backdrop for many of my Pictures. Never seen another Place quite like it. Did not have to use the Polarizing filter on my Camera (to enhance Blueness of the sky). From Plaza Murillo, I walked to Plaza Posnasky. This is supposedly an Archaeological site, but from what I observed, all the Statues here are re-constructions of the Originals. Maybe the Originals have been destroyed (or) have been Stashed away someplace (Perhaps in a Museum (or) a Private Collection).
As I was more Interested in observing the Native people (especially the Colourfully dressed Incan Descendants), I decided to skip the Museums. Since there was not much else to do, I decided to take a long walk back to my Hotel that would take me past the Central Bus & Train Stations of La Paz. This turned out to be a Good Move. As I walked along Calle Yungas, I was able to get a clear view of the Snow Covered Mountains by turning back from time to time. However, the BEST view of the Snow Covered Peaks came as I walked along Avenida Montes. This was more an accident. At a Traffic Crossing, I looked back to see if any Traffic was headed my way, before crossing the road. This was the best View of the Snow Covered Peaks (as a Backdrop to the City of La Paz) I have had all day long.
At the end of Avenida Montes, I decided to take Calle Echeverria to see the Train Station. This was probably the Steepest Walk I had all day long and I thought my Lungs were going to burst with all the Heavy Breathing I was doing. Any one of you reading this and visiting La Paz later should try this. I eventually did make it to the Train Station (another fine example of Spanish Colonial Architecture) and then to the Hotel. I met my roommate (an Australian) who was split-up from his girlfriend for the night because of some screw-up in the allocation of rooms.
Caught a little bit of Sleep. Wrote some diary before heading to the lobby around 7:15 PM for a meeting of the Tour Group. Met our Tour Leader Barbara (a Swiss National who has decided to live in these parts and support herself by being a Tour Leader for GAP) and had a meeting with the entire Group. There were 11 People in the Group. Looks like I may wind-up with a Single room to myself. Since every restaurant in the city was closed, we decided to have dinner at the Hotel restaurant. Chatted with other members of the Group comprising of Australians / English / Canadians / American and Moi. A motley group (at first sight, anyway) but we seemed to get along well. We leave tomorrow at 8:30 AM for a tour of one of the ruins near La Paz.
After breakfast, we headed out to Tihuanaco (Tiwakanu) where an ancient Civilization flourished between 1500 B.C. and 1100 A.D. We had a Mini Bus and a Local Guide accompanied us. We Climbed from La Paz to El Alto and continued further on. We stopped at the highest point (that is navigable by road) to take in the view of the Splendid Mountain Range. This was at an Altitude of 4200 Metres (13000 Feet). Continuing on, we passed the Village of Laja, a small yet picturesque village, which was the Original Site of La Paz. We reached Tiwakanu around 10 AM. We set off to visit the ruins. The Entry fee was B$ 15. These are neither fully excavated nor restored. They are 5 Main Areas Scattered around. The Akapana, which the Sign Says is a Pyramid, is merely a small hill. There is a Sun Temple and another Structure called the PumaPuku. These are partially reconstructed. All of the Statues here are Originals. Quite Impressive. These People placed great Importance on the Jaguar and the Snake. (Similar to the Mayan People). Most of the Statues are adorned with these two creatures. After spending close to 90 minutes here, we moved on to visit the Archaeological Museum. Without the guide, I would have probably spent around 45 minutes here. As I was leaving the ruins, a local lady showed me some Statuettes that were good. Since I bought one for B$ 5, she gave me an even smaller one as a Gift !
The Museum Contains a lot of Artifacts that are a must see. On Display are Elongated Skulls. These were Skulls deliberately shaped conical on a baby born into a high-class family. Most Priests / Kings were expected to have long skulls (and hence more Intelligence) since they were the ruling class. It was an awesome sight. There was also a Mummy inside a woven casket. This was in a fetal position. The explanation was since we are in a fetal position before birth, we have to be in a fetal position after death, so that we may be born again. Sounds logical ! (Especially if you believe in rebirth) The Museum also contains tools and pottery used by these people.
We had lunch at a local restaurant before moving on. We were to return to La Paz, before proceeding to the Valley de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). We reached La Paz an hour after leaving the restaurant and stopped at a point from where we had excellent view of the City (with Mount Illimani in the Background). We drove through the city moving from the poor to the richer neighbourhoods before climbing up the mountain on the other side of La Paz. From here, the Valley of the Moon was a 10-Minute ride. These are conical shaped rock formations, close to one another, giving the impression of a lunar landscape. I wouldn't know. I have never been to the Moon ! From here we could see a golf course, apparently the highest in the world. An Impressive sight is the fact that the road to the Valley de la Luna runs through a cave dug from a Luna structure itself. After spending around 20 minutes here, we boarded the bus and returned to the hotel.
We got back around 4 PM. After a 10-Minute break, a couple of girls and myself went out to get some Cash. Since the exchange bureau at Hotel Gloria did not have any small bills, we went to another one a bit further away. On the way back, we decided to do some shopping. We just could not locate the local artisans Market (despite seeing it on the Map). Our poor knowledge of Spanish did not help either. We wandered around for a while and I decided to venture into a Hat Shop. I tried one and the Girls thought it looked absolutely terrific on me. Got to go with the popular opinion. The lady at the shop wanted B$30. After a bit of bargaining, I finally got it for B$26 (Approx. US$ 5) One of the girls bought a pair of blankets for B$77 (at $13, it was a steal). I was tempted to get one as well, but the thought of lugging it around (to the Galapagos and then to Europe & Asia) was not a good proposition. I passed.
After a brief rest at the hotel, we went to a local restaurant for dinner (Pena Huari, 339 Calle Sagarnaga. Phone: 316 225). This restaurant has a cultural show every night. There was a cover charge of B$20. 7 of us from the group along with the tour leader went for this option. It turned out to be time well spent. From the time we ordered dinner, (around 9 PM) till the time we left (a little after 11 PM), we were treated to a Cultural extravaganza. Three different groups performed. One was a Trio of Dancers, while the other two were musical groups comprising 5/6 members each. As is customary in many of these dances, the audience is requested to participate with the performers. As luck would have it, I got pulled to the dancing area 4 times. (It was helped by the fact that our Group had just 2 men, while the Majority of Dancers were women). Being an individual who cannot dance if his life depended on it, I must have cut a sorry figure.
Took a lot of Pictures of these performers and their performances. In all, a very enjoyable evening. I am quite contented with my stay in La Paz. We leave for Copacabana tomorrow Morning. I have been chewing Cocoa leaves even though I have not had any problems with the altitude. I was doing it for other reasons ! (Even though I was told by my tour leader that it takes a large quantity of Cocoa - 2 Tons Approx. - to get a few grams of Cocaine) Other members of the group who experienced altitude sickness told me that the chewing of Cocoa leaves had helped them.
We departed for Copacabana around 8:30 AM. This was to be a 4-hour Journey by Bus. After 3 hours we reached a place called Tiquina. We (the Passengers and the Bus) were to Cross Lake Titicaca by ferry and continue our journey from the other side of Lake Titicaca. The Sight of the highest navigable lake in the world was Spectacular. The Passengers crossed the Lake on 2 ferries and the Bus crossed the Lake on a Separate Ferry. Took quite a few pictures around this time. On the other side, a Bolivian Security officer was doing a Passport / Visa Check of everyone disembarking from the ferry. All my fellow trip members were carrying their Passports around their neck and hence were able to produce it. I deliberately stayed at the very end of the line. When it was my turn, I explained to the officer in bad Spanglish that my Passport was in my bag on the tour bus. I offered my US driver's license as a form of picture Identification, though ! The officer wanted to know whether I was returning to La Paz or continuing on to Peru. When I told him that I was continuing on to Peru, he informed me that I have to produce my passport at the Border. I dutifully agreed and promised to have it ready at the Bolivian / Peruvian Border. Quite a nice guy.
From Tiquina, we climbed the mountains. It looked Like Lake Titicaca was everywhere. Got some Great Pictures (hope they come out well) of the Lake from the top of these Mountains. Around Noon we descended in to Copacabana. After dropping us off in a side street along with our baggage, the bus left. Barbara (the tour leader) then informed us that it was a short hike to the hotel where we were to spend the night. Little did I realize, that it would be a Steep hike. Carrying my Camera bag and my duffel bag almost blew my lungs and killed me. Barbara's comment that we should only bring what we could carry wasn't exactly helpful. I was all revved up to chew her head off, when I came upon the hotel (Hotel Cupula, Calle Michel Perez 1-3. Phone: 0862-2029. Includes area code for Copacabana) and was Presented with a Magnificent view of the harbour and Lake Titicaca. I was mollified. Since I was the lone single male in the group, I got a room to myself. Not bad, if you consider that I did not pay any single supplement.
We decided to rent a private boat for B$300 (10 Persons Max.) to take us to the Island of the sun and the Island of the moon. It worked out to B$30 per person (US$ 6) and the boat was to depart from the harbour at 1:30 PM. We had lunch at the hotel restaurant (which claims itself to be a vegetarian restaurant) and due to the paucity of time, I ordered a Cheese Sandwich and a Soda. They fry the cheese out here. It is different. After Lunch we headed to the harbour and boarded our Private Boat ! Took some more pictures of Lake Titicaca and Copacabana. The ride to these Islands turned out to be a long ride (2 ¼ Hours) that had some members of the group getting impatient. On reaching the island, we were told that we would have to pay B$5 for a guided tour of the Museum and a visit to the ruins. We agreed and the guide (who lives on the island) opened the museum for us. Most of the members of the group were impatient and they started their walk to the ruins. However, Barbara, one of the Australian girls and myself decided to take the guided tour of the museum. The local guide (who spoke only Spanish) was quite knowledgeable. I was amazed at the amount of information he provided us during the tour of the museum. After spending around 15 minutes at the Museum, we hit the trail to the ruins. The local guide informed us that it would take us an hour to reach the ruins and an hour to get back. This was not the Time span we had planned on.
There was some grumbling about how this was not stated in the Itinerary and this & that. It seemed to me that some members of the group were big time whiners. Take them out of their usual environment and they tend to get upset. True, Barbara (whose English was not prefect) may not have provided adequate information. But what these members of the group failed to realize was that, this was her first tour Group as a GAP tour leader. Therefore, she may not have a lot of familiarity (or) information on some of the things that GAP does. The biggest Crybabies are the Yanks. Most of them expect the same amenities (Hot shower / Flush toilets / Porters etc.) that they can get in their home cities. They fail to realize that they are in a different land with a different Culture.
Some members of the group were even complaining about how the ruins at Tiwakanu are not as impressive as the Mayan ruins in Mexico or the Pyramids of Egypt. I did not know whether to laugh or cry. I really empathized with Barbara. If you want something like Egypt, go to Egypt. Don't land at Macchu Picchu and complain that it is not as good as the Acropolis in Athens (or) the Pyramids at Giza. This is NOT an assembly line job, where one ruin can be identical to another. What's more galling is that these comments come from Yanks & Australians whose entire history as a nation State is almost negligible in the grand scheme of things. As for those who want amenities a simple word of advice: Stay at home and vicariously enjoy the various places around the world by watching National Geographic Programmes on Television or by reading the Magazine !
The walk to the ruins did take an hour. I was quite awed by the sheer beauty of it all. Lake Titicaca, the mountains and the ruins simply mesmerized me that words fail me in describing the transcendent beauty. Even the people who had complained earlier agreed that this long hike (and the even longer boat journey) had been rewarded. On the way back, we were treated to clear views of Mount Illimani towering Over Lake Titicaca. My cup of contentment runneth over. (For the day, anyway) As we departed the Island of the Sun, the setting sun cast a red glow over the snowy peaks of Mount Illimani and an orange hue over Lake Titicaca. I had to remind myself that this IS real. An excellent trip that is well worth the money and the effort. Since the night air was quite chill, most of the folks shivered all the way during the ride back to Copacabana. Take a warm Jacket with you.
We returned to Copacabana around 8:30 PM and set out to find a restaurant. We found a small family run restaurant that served both Vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. We had a good leisurely dinner before returning to our hotel around 10:30 PM. It has been a good day. We leave for Taquile Island tomorrow.
Did not sleep well last night. After breakfast, we departed for Taquile Island around 9 AM. It was a 40-minute ride to the Peruvian Border. Realized that I did not require a VISA to enter Peru. Maybe the Consulate in D.C. wanted to make some money and hence they forced me to take a VISA. At the border, I exchanged almost all of my Bolivianos into Peruvian Soles. The exchange rate was 2 Bolivianos to a Peruvian Sole. (Approx. 3 Peruvian Soles for US$ 1). We crossed the Border into a Peruvian town called Yunguyo. Stopped there for 20 Minutes to get some essentials. I obtained bottled water and Chocolates. While the rest of the group was at it, Barbara and me managed a ride around the Town Square in a Tri-cycle. Left Yunguyo to meet our ferry for Taquile Island. After a ride of 2 Hours we reached the Ferry Landing. Met the local guide, Edgar. He was young, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Before we boarded the ferry, we took only the overnight bag required for our Stay in Taquile Island. The other Bag(s) were to be left in the Bus, which would take them to Puno and leave them at our Hotel. (We were to spend the night in Taquile Island before heading to Puno tomorrow)
The ferry ride to Taquile Island was around 2 hours. The entire ride was on Lake Titicaca. It was even more spectacular. I'll forever cherish the memories of boating on the highest navigable lake in the world. On reaching Taquile Island, we started the climb to the Top. 505 Steps. Probably the most grueling thing I have ever done in my life. Had to stop at least half-a-dozen times to catch my breath. Took an hour to reach the top. We then went in search of the house where we were to stay for the night. We were to stay with a local family. When we finally found the place, Barbara made the arrangements where the 3 men (in our group) were to stay in a large room, while the ladies were split up into 2 different rooms. After half an hour, we departed for a late lunch. Had some soup and salad. Some souvenir hunting, in a local artisan market followed this. I bought a waistband, worn by most Peruvian men. We visited the local school, where we observed the children partaking in the various activities, before heading to the smaller ruins on the Island. The Climb was not as difficult as the one in the morning. We went to the western edge of the Island to view the sunset and break open a bottle of wine to honour PachaMama (Mother Earth).
We spent around 45 minutes here before returning to the guesthouse. Dinner for me comprised of boiled potatoes and Salad ! Being a vegetarian is a tough act in these places. We started playing hearts around 9 PM. In addition to our group members, a Frenchman who was travelling with his parents joined us. We had a great time and played till 11:30 PM, before turning in for the night. Before turning in, we went out to take a look. Lake Titicaca looked spectacular, under the half-moon light. Even though it was not Cold (despite the altitude), I did not sleep well.
Woke up at 6:45 AM and finished breakfast by 7:30 AM. We departed for the Major ruins around 8 AM. Edgar paced the climb quite well, that we hardly felt the stress. I have fallen completely in love with Titicaca. It was, as always, Spectacular. Edgar gave a detailed explanation of the Pre-Inca Practices / Culture. We returned to the guesthouse around 10:30 AM and we started the climb down to the ferry landing, around 11 AM. It took us around 30 minutes to reach the ferry landing. We departed from Taquile Island around Noon and headed to UROS, the Reed Island. We reached UROS around 2 PM. This island is made from reeds that float on water. Hence it is also known as the floating island. When you step off the ferry onto the island, you can feel the ground (reeds) sinking beneath one's feet. It has been deemed a National Site by the Peruvian Authorities. Around 4 or 5 families live on an Island. Their revenue comes from selling small handcrafted items to the tourists. With a view to helping them, I bought some souvenirs. We spent around 45 minutes here. Overall, it was a nice experience. We reached the dock at PUNO around 3 PM.
The Bus, which dropped us at the ferry landing yesterday, was waiting for us at the dock. After a 30-minute ride, we reached the hotel in PUNO (Hotel Pukara, Jr. libertad No. 328, Phone: 368488. E-mail: pukara@computextos.net) around 3:45 PM. ME and another member of the group agreed to pay an extra $20 to Edgar to take us to a Pre-Inca Site called Sillustani. After exchanging some cash and grabbing some snacks, we departed for Sillustani around 4 PM. We reached the site around 5 PM. This was a Pre-Inca and Inca Cemetery. Edgar explained the differences between the various tombs there. More often that not, the Inca merely built on top of an existing structure. When the outer layers were removed, the pre-Inca structure was revealed. It was quite Windy and it was COLD. It was a good trip.
On the way back, Edgar stopped at the miniature market in Puno. We strolled around for 30 minutes before returning to the hotel around 7:30 PM. After a good hot shower, I left for dinner around 8 PM. We went to a local Italian restaurant. We spent around 2 hours over dinner before turning in. We depart for Cusco tomorrow. The Train departs at 8 AM.
While surfing the TV, I came across a Detroit (Red Wings) / Colorado (Avalanche) hockey game. Even though this was time delayed, I decided to watch it since I did not know the result and since this was a play-off game. After a single overtime, Detroit (the team I was rooting for) won 3-2. Went to sleep at 2 AM. Disco music from a nearby club was wafting through the early morning air.
I did manage to wake up at 6 AM and was ready by 7:15 AM. We departed for the Train Station around 7:20 AM. It was a 5-minute ride to the station. We managed to get 12 seats together, in the last coach of the train. Despite the dire warnings, that locals would be all over the train, our coach was filled with backpackers. The train departed on time. (8 AM) We reached Juliaca after 90-Minutes. An extra Coach was added to our train there. It was a unique experience. At times, I thought that the train was surely coming off the rails. It is a bumpy ride. We went in economy class. This was paid included in the trip cost. The Inca class costs an additional $24. It's and air-conditioned coach. There is also a pantry car attached to the train from where we ordered lunch.
We played hearts from 8 AM till Noon ! Following a brief siesta after Lunch, we played hearts for another couple of hours. Some in our group chose to read books. One of the advantages of travelling in a group is that one can always find a few people for any group activity. This is especially required during a 10 ½ - Hour Train Journey. After the Mid-way point of our journey, the train passes between the Occidental and the Oriental mountain ranges. The Mountain range on the left is green, while the mountain range on the right is snow capped. It was truly magnificent. As I mentioned earlier, this is a unique experience and one should NOT miss it.
The train reached Cusco on time. We took a cab to the hotel, (La Casona de San Augustin, Calle San Augustin 371. Phone: 252633.) Which was a 5-minute ride away. The Cost was S/- 2 (2 Peruvian Soles). After checking into the rooms, we gathered in the lobby, where we were introduced to the Inca Trail guide, Mauro. He briefed us for 20 minutes. Most of it did not apply to me, since I was not doing the hike to Macchu Picchu, but was taking the train. We left for dinner around 8 PM. We went to the Town Square first (to exchange some money) before going to a vegetarian restaurant. (La Waka de Cristal, Choqhechaca 132. Phone: 246175) It was a small restaurant and the food was good. I was famished and I did justice to whatever I ordered. We got back around 10 PM. We leave for Pisac Market & Ruins and Ollantaytambo tomorrow morning.
Woke up around 7:30 AM and was ready by 8:30 AM. Dump my essentials for the overnight stay at Ollantaytambo into a small bag and left my larger bag in the hotel luggage room. After breakfast, I gave around 3 Kilos of Clothes for washing. The Charge for washing in these parts is based on weight. The Hotel was charging S/- 5 per kilo, which worked out to S/- 15 (US $5) for me. Met Mauro and Barbara and went over the finer details of my return to Cusco on my own tomorrow morning and the subsequent Train / Bus trip to Macchu Picchu, on May 12, 1999. I was told that someone from Mauro's Tour Company would pick me up from the hotel on Wednesday (May 12) morning and transport me to the station. I would be given the bus and train tickets at that time. Sounded good to me.
We left the hotel around 10 AM. Mauro knew what tourists like me wanted. He told us that we would stop for Photo Opportunities along the way and we could request any Photo Stops as well. We climbed out of the city of Cusco and headed towards Pisac. Along the way, Mauro pointed out some of the ruins that I was planning to visit during my 2-day stay in Cusco. Our initial views of the Cusco valley were excellent. Needless to say, a Photo Stop was done at each point. After approximately an hour of travelling, we left the Cusco Valley and entered the Sacred Valley, where the Urubamba River runs.
This has to be seen to be believed. Just kept clicking away. Had never seen anything quite like it. Though I had read a bit about the beauty of the Sacred Valley, what I encountered was beyond my wildest expectations. (Or maybe, I had NO expectations !) Even nature cooperated with us. It was a beautiful day. After 90-Minutes of driving we reach the ruins at Pisac. These were set amidst mountains with terraced sides. These terraces were apparently used for farming. We were each given a Tourist Pass costing US$10 that would allow us to see around a dozen ruins. Pisac, some ruins around Cusco and Ollantaytambo were among those Included. A great deal, even if you are visiting only half-dozen ruins.
The walk to the ruins is along a 4-feet wide path, cut along the side of the mountain. Sometimes there are steps cut into the rock as well. This is not as strenuous as the hike to Taquile Island. The ruins are wonderful. For the Incas to construct these structures must have required a major effort. Some of these stone blocks probably weigh a Ton. Unlike the stone blocks in Egypt (used to build the Pyramids in Egypt) that were carried on the river Nile the Incas had to carry these up the mountains. That must have required a lot of planning and effort. A lot of these Structures are not completed (or) have been destroyed. One can thank the Barbarians (read Spanish Conquistadors) for that. How those bastards can destroy a culture / civilization / people, in the name of Catholicism is beyond me.
White Colonialists have killed more people, than any evil ruler one can think of. The British and the French in Asia & Africa, the Spaniards / Portuguese in South America and the 'Settlers' in North America and Australia have killed and destroyed more peoples / Cultures, than Hitler, Mussolini and a few other dictators combined. Sorry to digress. It always riles me when I come across magnificent places like this, only to find out that the culture is no longer surviving due to some colonial quest.
After spending an hour at the Pisac ruins, we got back to the bus. The way down to the ruins was worse for me. Since I was wearing sneakers and was not sure of the grip I was getting on the ground, I baby-stepped my way down from the ruins. We reached the Pisac market around 1:30 PM. Mauro led us to a place where we had an Empanada (Bread stuffed with Cheese & Onions). It was so delicious, that I had a second one. To wash it down, I had an Inca Cola. It was quite good. Mauro gave us around 30-Minutes to roam the Market and do any shopping.
I spotted some colourful wall hangings. The women here actually use them as shawls. I guess my degree of "Westernization" forces me to call it a Wall Hanging / Decoration ! I was interested in 2 of these. One was of a softer fabric than the other. From an initial price of S/- 60, I finally paid S/- 45 (US$ 14). I would have loved to buy many more things. But the fact that I was currently homeless and had to depend on the good graces of friends to store my belongings, restricted my purchase to items I could carry with me on my Travels.
We left Pisac market around 3 PM and headed towards Urubamba. We were to have Lunch (!) at Urubamba. We reached Urubamba around 3:30 PM. Except for a lone member of our group none of us were hungry. I had some Ice cream for Lunch. We left Urubamba around 4:45 PM and headed towards Ollantaytambo. En route, Mauro explained how the locals use Cable Cars to cross the Urubamba River. We stopped at one of these Cable car crossings, and some of us experienced this kind of crossing, first hand. Based on manpower, literally ! If you want to cross from Side A to Side B, you yell out until somebody arrives on Side B. You can then get on to the Cable Car, while the Person on Side B, starts to pull the Cable. This process is done, until you reach Side B. You repeat the process in reverse, to get back to Side A. A nice experience.
We reached Ollantaytambo around 5:15 PM and headed directly to the ruins. These were Stone terraces cut into the mountainside. The ruins were on Top. Mauro explained the story behind Ollantaytambo. (Which means 'Resting Place of Ollanta') This is still an Inca town. The Walls and the Irrigation System still exist from those times. As the Sun was setting, I did not get great shots of the ruins. Barbara was right. The Sunrise should be excellent tomorrow morning. We spent around 45 minutes at the ruins, before heading to our Hostel for the night.
I got myself a room with 4 Beds ! Guess the hotel did not have any guests apart from our Group. This is a Charming hostel. (Hostal las Orquideas, Ollantaytambo. Phone: 084-204032) Even though the bath and toilets are shared, they are impeccable. I spent an hour writing my Travelogue, before realizing that someone was knocking on my door. It turned out to be Barbara. Apparently everyone had left for dinner ! We decided to join them in the restaurant. Barbara had brought her dog, Pukhi along with her. It was doing the Inca Trail as well ! (I am STILL sticking to my plan and heading back to Cusco tomorrow !)
We caught up with the others at the restaurant and ordered our dinner. During our dinner chat, some of the other group members were receptive to my idea of leaving the Hostel around 6:15 AM tomorrow to visit the ruins and observe the Sunrise. We would return back to hostel in time for breakfast. (Around 8 AM) That way, I'll be able to leave for Cusco around 9 AM, while the rest of the group starts on the Inca Trail around the same time.
We got back to the Hostel around 9:30 PM and I turned in after a bit.
Did not sleep much last night. Got up at 5:30 AM and was ready by 6 AM. Surprisingly, so were some of the other members of the group. We set off to the ruins at 6:15 AM. It looked to be a cloudy morning. Guess I will not be able to observe the Magnificent Sunrise over the ruins that Barbara had talked about.
The Village of Ollantaytambo was just waking up. We made our way to the ruins. There was no one there to check our tickets. We made our way to the top. We chatted for a bit, while waiting for the clouds to clear up and for the Sun to show-up. Around 6:45 AM, the girls decided to head back to the Hostel. I waited for another 15-Mintes before working my way down from the top. On reaching the bottom, I walked around a little bit and came across some Irrigation systems. (Probably dating back to the Inca Period). In all, I spent close to an hour here and shot an entire roll of film.
Got back to the Hostel and headed straight for breakfast. The rest of the group was already there. After breakfast, Barbara gave me specific instructions on how to get back to Cusco. The Bus (taking the rest of the group to the start of the Inca trail) arrived at 8 AM. After bestowing my good luck on everyone doing the trail, I headed to the village square / bus station. Found a bus heading to Urubamba and got in next to the driver. The fare was S/- 1 (30 Cents). The "bus" is a Minivan. We left Ollanaytambo around 8:30 AM and reached Urubamba around 9 AM, dropping and picking people along the way. On reaching Urubamba, I noticed a person screaming "Cusco, Cusco". After confirming that it was taking the shorter and picturesque route through Chincero, I ran to the ticket window to get a ticket. I was assigned a specific seat on the bus. The fare was S/- 2.50 (Approx. 80 Cents).
The bus departed around 9:20 AM and within a few minutes was climbing the hills of the sacred valley. Much as I wanted to appreciate the beauty, two things kept me from doing so. The Cloud cover and my constant dozing. This was a Mini-Bus and it kept dropping and picking people along the way. We reached Cusco a little after 11 AM. I decided to walk to the hotel rather than take a cab. Thanks to some wrong turns, I turned a 5-minute walk in to a 15-minute walk.
The folks at the Hotel had no problem recognizing me (as a member of the GAP group) and gave me the same room. Picked up my baggage and had a shower. I was informed that my clothes (given for washing) would be delivered by 6 PM. Went to the Post Office to mail a few cards to friends and relatives. I followed this with an Internet session at a local kiosk, primarily to chat with my brother and to catch up on my mail. The Internet session for an hour cost me S/- 6. (US$ 2) By the time I was done with these, the time was around 2:30 PM. Had some pastries for Lunch !
Returned to the hotel, did some writing before setting out again around 4 PM. Took pictures of the Cathedrals in the Main Plaza. Walked around a bit more in search of a Bookshop carrying English books on the Incas and the ruins. Though I did find 2 books, including the Hiram Bingham book, the price that was being quoted (US $35) prevented me from buying them. I was not looking to spend that kind of money. Got back to the Hotel, picked up my Tripod and headed to an Asian restaurant for dinner. The food was bad and though I hated it, I nevertheless ate as much as I could, since I did not want to Starve. After dinner, I headed to the Central Plaza to take some Pictures of Cuzco by Night. After spending an hour taking pictures, I headed back to the Hotel. I will have to plan a light schedule tomorrow.
Got up around 9 AM and was ready by 10:15 AM. Went to Santo Domingo (located close to the Hotel). This was an Inca Temple to the Sun God. Most of the Original Stonework is preserved. It was excellent. The Entrance fee was S/- 3 (US$ 1). It's well worth it. After spending an hour here, I headed to the Post Office to mail some more cards and continued onto the BIG FOOT (the local operators of GAP Adventures) office. After confirming my Train / Bus trip to Macchu Picchu tomorrow, I booked myself on one of their half-day city tours costing S/- 20 (US$ 6). I had lunch at yet another Vegetarian restaurant and came to the same conclusion. The food was horrible. The folks here simply lack the imagination to COOK some vegetarian dishes. Got back to my hotel by 1:30 PM and waited for the BIG FOOT tour bus to pick me up for the city tour. The Bus arrived on time (2 PM). After spending another 15-20 minutes picking up various other participants of the tour, we headed to our first stop on the tour: Santo Domingo ! Since I had been there, I joined a trio of Norte Americanos and went to the Santo Domingo Museum instead.
The Museum had a good collection of artifacts from the Inca / Pre-Inca period and we spent around 25 minutes there. The tour then headed to the Cathedral (in Plaza de la Armas). No Photography / Video allowed in the Cathedral, period. The guide droned on alternatively in Spanish and English (This was a mixed group) for almost an hour. Needless to say, my attention span was shortening by the minute. I had embarked on this tour, with the notion of learning / observing more about the Inca / Pre-Inca Culture and Civilization. These edifices built by the Genocidal Maniacs (read conquistadors) to propagate their beliefs, hardly interested me.
We left for Saqsaywaman (the first of the 4 Inca ruins we were to visit) around 4 PM. It was a 20-minute drive from the city centre. This is another well-preserved structure that is a must see. Some of the huge stone blocks here weigh more than a ton. Since we were 300 metres (1000 feet) above Cusco, it was a bit cold here. After spending around 45 minutes here, we headed to Q'enqo. It was getting dark and we were hardly able to see anything here. By the time we reached Puca Pucara and Tambomachay, it was pitch dark. We could hardly see anything, let alone take pictures. For the first time during this trip, I was MAD.
I had really wanted to see these ruins more than the Cathedral. If we had switched the route, where we saw the ruins first (before Santo Domingo & the Cathedral), we would have been able to see al these ruins in Daylight. Since all the folks stay in Cusco, even if we did not see the Cathedral and Santo Domingo (as part of this tour), we could have done that on our own, since they are located in the City centre. The $10 tourist pass covers all these ruins and it was punched out. Therefore, I'll have to pay again to see these ruins (which I definitely wanted to do). Will have to complain to Barbara and Bigfoot and see where it gets me.
I decided to have a decent dinner and headed to the Vegetarian restaurant we visited on our first night in Cusco. (La Waca de Cristal) I had some Vegetarian soup and some food. Good, simple food. The folks there recognized me. They wanted me to sign their guest book. After I did so, the cook was none too pleased that I wrote my comments in English. She wanted me to sign it in my mother tongue (Tamil). After racking my brains, for some simple phrase and spending some more time to conjugate the phrase letter-by-letter (it's been a long time since I actually wrote something in Tamil), I finally did it. The Cook is a Hare Krishna devotee and loves India. The cook's assistant loves Israel. The owner is a believer and practitioner of Inca religion and rituals. She is also a yoga practitioner. We had an enjoyable conversation on these things (religion / Yoga / Spirituality etc.) even though they hardly spoke English and my Spanish was poor.
On leaving the restaurant, I struck up a conversation with a pair of girls from California who were dining in the restaurant as well. We chatted for a while about our Itineraries and plans. We traded e-mail addresses and parted. They had completed the Inca Trail and were heading to Puno while I had come from Puno and was heading to Macchu Picchu. Returned to the hotel and requested a wake-up call at 5 AM, packed a small bag for the overnight stay at Macchu Picchu, wrote my diary and went to bed.
The day dawned at 5 AM (for me, anyway). After depositing my large bag in the luggage room at the Hotel, I finished breakfast and was ready by 5:45 AM. I waited at the entrance to my Hotel for my Contact from Big Foot to show up. She finally arrived at 6:10 AM and we reached the Station at 6:20 AM. On reaching the Station, she gave me the Train Ticket (from Cusco to Aguas Calientes) and the Bus Ticket (from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu) and escorted me to my Coach / Seat on the train. While the train ticket was for Today, the bus ticket was dated May 13, 1999. For some reason Margaret had presumed that I would be travelling to Macchu Picchu tomorrow, even though I would be reaching Aguas Calientes (30 Minutes from Macchu Picchu) by 10 AM today. When I informed her that I would be travelling to Macchu Picchu today, she went to consult with the main ticket agent. (Most of these tour operators buy the rail/bus tickets from the principal travel agent, who presumably buys it in bulk) Margaret came back and informed me that the Bus ticket would be valid either today or tomorrow. I'll find out when I get to Aguas Calientes.
The train departed at 6:30 AM. The one-way fare was US $ 17. Breakfast and coffee are included in the ticket price. Since I already had breakfast at the hotel, I skipped the one offered on the train. No vendors are allowed on the train. (Unlike the economy class train from Puno to Cusco) The seats (though cushioned) are NOT very comfortable.
The train climbs out of the city of Cusco in a double Z pattern (imagine two 'Z''s, one above the other). Since there is not enough space for the train to make a U-turn, the train does a pull / push method to climb through the double-Z pattern. To accomplish this, manual changing of the tracks is required and railway men are present to pull the levers to change the path of the train. This process takes about 45 minutes before the train leaves Cusco and descends in to the valley. It was the first time I had seen something like this being done. The ride is quite scenic along the way. The first stop for the train is Ollantaytambo, from where most Inca Trails start. The Natural beauty between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes is nothing short of spectacular. Mountains on either side of the tracks, blue skies and the Urubamba River running alongside can't be beat. We reached Ollantaytambo around 8:30 AM and after a 15-minute halt, continued on to Aguas Calientes. We reached Aguas Calientes around 10 AM.
Got out of the train and followed the line of tourists to the bus stop. (A 5-minute walk) A fleet of buses wait there to take us to Macchu Picchu. A conductor checks the tickets and ensures that the buses are filled to the exact capacity. I got in on the second bus and we set off to the top. (I had no problems with the ticket being dated tomorrow) This is a zigzag drive up a muddy road. Since it was raining lightly, the mud had turned to slush in some places. These Mini-Buses have a speed limit of 40 Mph and for the most part our bus was going at 15-20 Mph. For those of you familiar with the southern part of India, this is akin to travelling to Tirumala (from Tirupati), without the luxury of a well-paved road (or) a separate road for vehicles coming downhill. Vehicles going to and coming from Macchu Picchu use the same road. Make for interesting maneuvers at times. Took some pictures along the way. The scenery was too good to resist. We reached the top around 11 AM. My Hotel (Macchu Picchu Ruinas, Phone: 221-0826 / 440-8043) was a 2-minute walk. On reaching the reception, I presented my Accommodation Voucher (provided by GAP) only to be told that no reservation existed under my name! (This always happens to me) They graciously offered to give me a room anyway, while they tried to check with their Cusco / Lima offices for a reservation under my name. Finally they told me that they need my Credit Card to guarantee payment, until Barbara shows up tomorrow and pays them in cash. The tour companies should co-ordinate these things better. It would certainly not bankrupt them to send a fax (or two) to these folks, requesting a reservation for me.
Since Lunch was about to be served, I decided to have lunch before starting my exploration of Macchu Picchu. It was a buffet and the price was a whopping S/- 54 ! (US$ 17). I promptly charged it to my card and set about trying to get my money's worth. Being a vegetarian, I could hardly do justice. The Soup / Salad / Spaghetti and Garbanzo beans were splendid. After filling myself with fruit salad and coffee, I arose from my table a satisfied man.
The entrance to the ruins is located just outside the hotel dining area. The entry fee was either US$10 (or) S/- 34. I forked out the $10 and entered the ruins around 12:30 PM. The weather was lousy. It was raining lightly and there was a thick cloud cover. I was disappointed. Nevertheless, I continued on into the ruins and started shooting my pictures. After about 20 minutes, the rain stopped and the cloud cover started to lift. I visited the Royal sector first before moving onto the sacred area. The 'South American Handbook' simply sucks, when it comes to describing the ruins in detail. It provides no Maps of the ruins, which is lousy, especially for those interested in Archaeology.
I continued to the sacred area and the main square at my own pace. The rain had completely stopped by now. I was able to get some great views of the valley where I could see the Urubamba River and the train tracks next to it. I did see some 'Pullman' coaches waiting on an unused track. ('Pullman' is the semi-luxury coach that I rode on when I arrived at Aguas Calientes this morning.) I presume these would be used this evening to haul passengers from Aguas Calientes to Cusco. I went to the sacred rock and the gate to Huayna Picchu from where one can get great views of Macchu Picchu (especially during Sunrise). It looked to be an extremely steep hike and I dropped the Idea of going up Huayna Picchu. Continued to the living quarters and spent close to 45 minutes there. The time was around 2 PM and most of the crowd had departed. (Presumably to catch the train leaving for Cusco around 4 PM). I decided to walk all the way up the terraces. It took me around 25 minutest to do that.
On reaching the top, I was thrilled. This was the Image of Macchu Picchu, I had seen in countless pictures. It was an awesome sight. The Royal sector, Sacred area, Main square and living quarters were all visible with Huayna Picchu forming the backdrop. The Photo-Op I had waited for was here. Took multiple shots (as Insurance) and lingered on for a while appreciating the beauty of this place. Since there was nothing much to see, I left the place around 4 PM and made my way down. Just outside the entrance to the ruins, there is a small shop selling souvenirs and food / drinks. Had a soda to quench my thirst before heading back to my room.
The view from my Hotel room (Number 36) of the Hotel Garden, the surrounding Mountains and the clouds was too good to pass up. Took a couple of pictures before heading down to the lobby. The stragglers were coming out of the ruins (It closes at 5 PM) and the last buses of the day were getting ready to head down to Aguas Calientes. There is nothing to do here ! I should have bought a book to read. Wrote my diary till dinnertime (7 PM). If one can arrange accommodation in Aguas Calientes for a day or two and ensure that they can pick up the first bus (6 AM) to the ruins and the last bus out of here (5 PM), it would be a lot cheaper than staying here. At the very least one can walk around the town of Aguas Calientes. 2 days (in my Opinion) would be more than sufficient to explore every nook & cranny in Puentas Ruinas (Macchu Picchu).
Although the entry fee to Macchu Picchu is US$ 10 the first time, it is US$ 5 on the second day of your visit to the ruins, if you can produce your ticket stub from the prior day. I am planning to do that tomorrow. I outdid myself at dinner for a tab of S/- 57 (US$ 18). The food was good and I did not feel bad about the price. A word on the Climb at Macchu Picchu: Unlike the other sites I have visited thus far, Macchu Picchu is a lot easier to climb. Bear in mind, that I am not quite fond of strenuous hikes. Out here, the steps are quite broad and hence the climb is easier and less scary. Will try and spend a couple of hours (more) at the ruins tomorrow morning.
Woke up at 5 AM with the intention of viewing the sunrise from the ruins. A peek out of the window put a damper on my plans, since it was too cloudy. Eventually got up at 6 AM and entered the ruins around 7 AM. On producing my entry stub for the previous day, I was required to pay US $5 towards the entrance fee. I immediately encountered Barbara & Pukhi (her dog). I explained the problem I encountered at the hotel yesterday and we walked back to the hotel to settle my bill. The room rent was a single night was US $ 225!!! (I would not have paid more than $70 for it). Barbara was equally surprised as I was at this price. She did not have the required cash. But she managed to charm the hotel folks and agreed to remit the amount to their Cusco Office the next day. The Hotel folks even returned the Blank Credit Card receipt that I had signed yesterday (before I checked in). I heaved a big sign of relief on getting it back.
We walked back towards the ruins. Met other members of the group and exchanged pleasantries. Mauro (the guide) gave us a guided tour of the ruins lasting around 2 hours. His explanations were good. Following this, I wandered around the ruins (on my own) for an hour and completed yet another roll of film. I walked back to the main gate and chatted with other members of the group who had gathered there. We were told that we had to shell out US $ 3 for the bus ride back to Aguas Calientes. Apparently GAP expects all members to get back to Aguas Calientes by WALK ! We reached Aguas Calientes around 1:15 PM. We had lunch at a Pizzeria. Went for some shopping on the streets of Aguas Calientes. Bought 3 T-shirts for S/- 25 (US $8). We made our way to the train station around 3:45 PM. We did not get Pullman tickets. We had to settle for economy class instead. Initially, I was to travel all the way to Cusco by train, while the rest of the group got off at Ollantaytambo and travelled by a Private Bus. (For an extra charge). Before boarding the train, I decided to get off at Ollantaytambo with the rest of the group and take the charted bus back to Cusco. Some of the tour members forked out US $ 90 to take the helicopter from Aguas Calientes back to Cusco. (A 30-minute journey). I was in no hurry to spend US $90!
Chatted with Barbara along the way. I told her my peeves about the trip and we decided that GAP should be informed of the same. (No sense in picking on her. It's her first experience as a tour leader for GAP). We reached Cusco a little after 7 PM. I got a different room this time at La Casona de San Augustin. This was a better room, which was pretty good. Gave some more clothes for Laundering. We left for dinner to the Asian restaurant around 8:45 PM. I had some vegetarian stuff native to Indonesia. We finished dinner around 10 PM. Norelle wanted to have a drink. Dave, Barbara and myself were game for a little nightlife as well. Barbara took us to a club. Listened to some live music by a local band for around 40 minutes, before disco music took over the sound system. Danced (!) like never before till 1:30 AM. By the time I got back to the hotel, wrote my diary and hit the sack, it was probably around 3:00 AM. We have two (more) free days in Cusco, before heading to Lima on Sunday (May 16, 1999).
Considering the time I went to bed last night (this morning), I got up around 8:30 AM and was ready to hit the road by 10 AM. Met Barbara at the hotel reception and chatted for a bit before heading to an Internet Café and spending an hour there. (This is getting to be pretty addictive) I tried to do some shopping for pullovers / shawls made of Alpaca wool, but the high price tag prevented me from making any purchases. (The Cost was US$90 for a pullover made from baby Alpaca wool. To me that is expensive.) Mailed some postcards and exchanged some money. I had a light lunch comprising Soup / Bread and tea. I bought a book on Cusco (in English) from a local bookstore before heading to the Regional Historical Museum (for the second time in 4 days!). Since I could find anything else to do, I headed back to the hotel for some siesta. Barbara and Mauro (the guide from Bigfoot) planned some sightseeing for the group for tomorrow. We were given a couple of choices and asked to choose. We then headed for dinner to a Peruvian restaurant. A small family operated restaurant run by an old lady. The non-vegetarians chomped away, while I (being a vegetarian) had a subdued dinner. Following this, we visited a couple of Nightclubs. I relaxed, had a good time before heading to the hotel and turning in.
I got up around 9 AM and finished breakfast by 10:15 AM. Barbara and Mauro arrived around 10:30 AM. While Mauro was to lead the group that was interested in visiting the ruins on Horseback, Barbara, Vincent and myself (another Bigfoot guide) were to take a chartered taxi to these ruins. These were the same ruins that I could not see properly during the City tour of Bigfoot. We departed around 10:45 AM and visited Tambo Machay, Puca Pucara, Temple of the Moon, Q'enqo and Sacsaywaman. Vincent was a good, knowledgeable guide. We let go of the taxi at Sacsaywaman and walked back to the city. It was a pleasant downhill walk and it took us around 20 minutes. We went to a quaint little restaurant where I had soup for Lunch. (It was around 3 PM). It was here that I discovered that there are two types of menus. (Probably true for all restaurants). The "Menu Touristico" is what is shown to the tourists all the time. The Guide(s) ask for a menu called "Menu Simpatico". There is a considerable difference in Selection and a substantial difference in price as well. Needless to say, the Menu Simpatico will be in Spanish. If one can identify the basic food items / groups, then I suppose one should ask for a menu Simpatico.
I paid Vincent for the Taxi and his services as a Guide and thanked him. The Cost came to S/- 50 (US$ 16). The Cost was S/- 100, but since Barbara split the cost with me, my share was S/- 50. Barbara and me walked around and had some dessert at a French Bakery (yes, in Cusco). We did some more walking around Cusco, while Barbara did some food shopping. (She lives in Cusco) I got back to the hotel around 5 PM and tried to have a shower. There was no hot water. Since I had been pampered all along, the non-existence of hot water made me unhappy. I left the hotel around 6 PM and checked my mail at a local Internet café. I then headed to the local Archaeological Museum for a Cultural show. The Cost of a ticket was S/- 5 (US$ 1.75) and the show was to start at 7 PM. It eventually started at 7:30 PM. The group was called "ch'umpiwillka" and the show was billed as a "Recital with Music". From what I could make out, it was a folk show. A simple story (4 Men try to woo a single woman. She falls for the hero after some singing and dancing. Wedding preparations and the wedding itself follows this. End of story.) The show went on for an hour and I enjoyed it despite the fact that I did not comprehend most of the words / lyrics of the show.
I returned to the hotel and found a message from Barbara asking me to join her (and the rest of the group) in a local restaurant. I had another soup for dinner, before half the group (me included) decided to hit a couple of Nightclubs. After all the dancing and partying, I got back to the hotel around 3:30 AM. We leave the hotel at 6 AM to take the 7:30 AM flight to LIMA. I did all the packing before trying to have a brief sleep.
I went to bed at 4:15 AM and got up and 5 AM! I was ready with my bags in the lobby by 5:40 AM. Barbara arrived shortly thereafter. She had arranged 4 taxis to transport the entire group and their belongings to Cusco Airport. This was paid for by GAP. We reached the Airport at 6:25 AM. The Check-in counter was terribly slow. After checking in, we had to pay a departure tax of S/- 12. (US $ 4) We had coffee with Barbara and bid adieu. I tipped her and thanked her for the good time that I had during the entire trip. It'll probably be a while before I find another guide like her. It helps that she is in her late twenties, instead of the usual tour guide whose age would normally be somewhere between 40 and 60.
The flight departed at 7:35 AM. I skipped the ham sandwich for breakfast and settled for some peach juice instead. I tried to read all about LIMA from the South American Handbook, during the flight to LIMA. We landed in LIMA at 8:25 AM. It took us another 30 minutes to be united with our bags. There was a tour bus (arranged by GAP) waiting to take the entire group to the hotel in Lima. This Hotel (Hotel Colonial Inn, Avenida Comandante Espinar 310, Miraflores. Phone: 241 7471. http://www.alignet.com/colonialinn/) is situated in the Miraflores section of Lima, which is about 30 minutes from the Airport. The road were good but the traffic was chaotic and the driving reckless. Colonial Inn is a nice hotel befitting its name. I got a single room and was ready (after a shave and shower) by 10:30 AM. Since I was really hungry, I headed to a vegetarian restaurant called Govinda (run by the Hare Krishna people). It was a good 20-minute walk from the hotel. Had lunch while soothing music played in the background. After lunch, I took a cab to Museo Nacional. The Cab fare was S/- 7. The Museum was to open at 2 PM and it was around 1 PM when I reached the museum. I caught a short nap till the museum opened. I noticed Tracey come in around 2 PM and we set out to visit the museum (entry fee S/- 3) together. We spent close to an hour in the museum. For all the wealth of artifacts it possesses, the museum lacked the presentation. (In that aspect, it was similar to the Archaeological Museum in Cairo, Egypt).
We departed and headed to the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum). The entrance fee was prohibitive at S/- 20 (US $7). No Photography of any kind is allowed inside the Museum. In addition to the gold artifact collection, the museum contains artifacts depicting practices (of the Incas and other ancient people of these lands) that would not be on display in a museum in the US (due to the graphic nature of these practices). Tracey and me decided to make light of the displays by assuming these to be acts of Gods. In a way, I felt good that artistic expression (of any kind and from any period) was allowed on display. The Museum is an excellent Museum. It should definitely be on one's list of things to do in Lima and is well worth the US$ 7 entrance fee. We got back and I made some calls to my family before heading out to dinner. This would be our last as a Group. We start to depart our separate ways, starting tomorrow morning. Returned to the hotel, wrote my diary and went to bed.
I woke up at 9 AM, which was later than planned. I had breakfast with the latecomers from my group and bid goodbye to Norelle. Since the hotel wanted to charge a 3 Percent commission to exchange Travellers' Cheques, I went to a nearby bank and exchanged US$ 50. (I practically had no Peruvian Soles left) I took a cab to the Saeta Office to confirm my ticket from Lima to Quito, Ecuador only to be told that I was flying on ACES and not Saeta. For some reason, I had assumed all along that I was flying the Ecuadorian Airline to Quito. Fortunately the Aces office was located a few blocks from my hotel. After requesting a vegetarian breakfast and finding out that my flight was departing 45-minutes later than originally planned, I returned to the hotel. I took some (more) clothes to a nearby laundry for cleaning. The cost here was S/- 4 per kilo. These cleaning services are a godsend to a person like me who is on a month long trip and who is not carrying 30 pairs of clothes. They are quite economical as well.
After a rather hectic morning, I decided to head to the City Centre to see some important attractions in Lima. I took a cab to Plaza de Armas, which cost me S/- 8 (US $ 2.60). The Plaza de Armas has been designated a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO and it was quite attractive. I took a guided tour of the Cathedral. It is quite a nice place that is worth visiting. Francisco Pizzaro is buried here. I saw the Presidential Palace and the City Hall from the Outside. One can visit the presidential palace by taking prior permission. Since I was leaving tomorrow morning for Quito, Ecuador, I did not try that option. The Plaza is really nice. There is abundant police / army presence in that area, so one can feel quite safe walking the streets out here.
I walked along Call Union to Plaza San Martin onto Palacio de Justicio. It was a nice, long walk. Bought a shirt for S/- 20 along the way. After taking all necessary pictures, I hailed a cab to take me back to my Hotel. The cab was a 20-year old VW beetle whose owner was more than eager to share the pleasures and travails of owning that vehicle. It turned out to be the highlight of the day ! On my return, I did some Internet surfing, picked up my laundry and returned to the Hotel around 6 PM. I met the remaining members of the group in the hotel lobby around 6:30 PM and spent an hour chatting with them. I also met a new GAP group that was starting the same tour as us, except that it was starting in Lima and ending in La Paz, Bolivia. Also met Michael of GAP, who is Barbara's boss.
We went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner where I had plain noodles with hot sauce. The 7 of us were the sole clients in the restaurant. There was even a three-piece band that started playing some music. We felt rather awkward that we were not paying too much attention since they were playing solely for our listening pleasure. We returned to the hotel around 9:30 PM. I bid goodbye to the remaining members of the group before turning in. I requested a wake up call at 3 AM. I have to be at the airport by 4 AM for my 6 AM flight to Quito. I had managed to arrange a cab to pick me up at the hotel around 3:30 AM and take me to the Airport. We agreed on a fare of S/- 30 (US $ 10).
I got my wake up call at 3 AM and was ready at the lobby by 3:25 AM. Vicente was waiting with his taxi. We chatted during the 30-minute ride to the Airport. On reaching the Airport, I paid him the S/-30 and thanked him and proceeded to the check-in counter. After checking-in, I had a coffee while waiting for the Departure-tax collection counter to open. After paying the departure tax of US $ 25 (a rip-off), I cleared Immigration. My request to have my film rolls hand examined was granted. Since I had an hour before boarding my flight to Quito, I read about Ecuador from the South-American Handbook.
The flight path from Lima to Quito is Scenic as the plane flies over mountains some of which are snow-capped. I tried to catch some sleep during the 2:15 duration of the flight. I saw more snow covered peaks as we approached Quito. This is the second highest Capital City after La Paz. I experienced my first shock when I tried to exchange US $ 100 for local currency. I was given 860,000 Sucres (yes, eight hundred and sixty thousand!) I was in a daze trying to handle all the 50000, 20000 and 10000 bills.
A Taxi driver was waiting for me with my Name and the name of the Hotel I was to stay in Quito. I chatted with Fabian during the 30-minute drive to the hotel. The folks at the Hotel (Hotel Casa Sol, Phone: (02)-230 798. www.ecuadorexplorer.com/casasol/home) were pleased to see me. An Otavalan Indian Couple runs this hotel. I paid them for my 2-day stay in Quito. Since there is a surcharge of 20% for using MasterCard (or) Visa, I opted to pay cash. I paid 376,250 Sucres for my 2-day stay (@ US$ 15 / day) and for the cab ride from the Airport to the hotel. (Which was equivalent to US$ 10). I headed to my room, had a shower before heading downstairs for breakfast. Met Marcos Lema (the owner) and explored the various options available for sightseeing.
I finally settled on visiting the Equator (Mita del Mundo), the Otavalo market and the town of Cotacachi. The cost was US$ 66 (since this was a tour by private taxi) and the driver was to be Fabian ! Since I did not have much time to explore Ecuador on my own, I decided to pay the premium price for the express tour by private taxi. On departing from the hotel, I requested a stop at the Galasam Office (The company with whom I am sailing in the Galapagos Islands). The contact person mentioned in my Trip voucher was sitting in Guayaquil (400 Kilometres away). I gave them a photocopy of my trip voucher and told them to get back to me (regarding the status of the trip) immediately.
We departed for Mita del Mundo ("Centre of the World") a little after 11:30 AM. It was a 40-minute drive. There is a tower like structure (quite similar to the one in Greenwich, London, UK) and a yellow line demarcating the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The setting amidst mountains and a deep blue sky sparsely filled with clouds is unique. The entrance fee for visiting the monument was 10000 Sucres! (US $ 1.10). There is also a post office here from where one can send postcards. I did send a couple of postcards franked at the Equator in Ecuador. There is also a planetarium here (which I did not visit). After spending around 40 minutes here, we departed for Otavalo.
I slept most of the way to Otavalo, which was sad, since the scenery is quite good. The 3 AM wakeup was affecting me! We passed through Cayambe and Lake San Pablo, which was quite pretty. We reached Otavalo around 3 PM. After a quick lunch, I explored the local artisan market for an hour. I bought a colourful Poncho (quoted at 75,000 Sucres) after quite some bargaining for 50,000 Sucres (US$ 5.50). We departed for Cotacachi (which was famous for leather products) around 4 PM and reached there after a 30-minute drive. Walked along the main street and explored a number of shops and their product range. I would up buying nothing.
We left Cotacachi around 4:45 PM and headed back to Quito. I tried to stay awake on the return journey. We stopped at a couple of places along the way to take in the scenery and take photographs. We reached Quito around 6:45 PM. Since I had no plans for the evening, I headed to an Internet Café to check and send mail. The Cost for an hour was 12,000 Sucres (US $ 1.40). I went for dinner to a restaurant named Taj Mahal presuming it to be an Indian restaurant. It turned out to be an Iranian restaurant. Had some Falafel and bread. (After the numerous Italian dishes I had during my Bolivian / Peruvian trip, this was definitely a change). The food was good.
I returned to the hotel and spent some time writing my diary. I will have to decide whether it is worth spending another US$ 66 for a trip to Cotopaxi National Park by a Private Taxi (or) spend the day exploring Quito. There were no messages from Galasam. I will have to see the clowns tomorrow at their office to find out the status of my trip to Galapagos.
After breakfast, I headed to Galasam Tours' Office. I was informed that everything was in order and that I had to show up at 6 AM tomorrow (May 20, 1999) at the National Airport in Quito. One of the women at their office thought I was handsome (!!) and I agreed to take her out on a date upon my return to Quito after my Galapagos trip. She hardly spoke any English (her colleague did the Interpretation for me!) and my Spanish is not great. It should be an interesting date, if both of us remember to get together, after I get back from my cruise!
I exchanged some more money and bought a street map of Quito. I asked Marcos to request Fabian to take me to the Airport tomorrow morning. I took a cab to the Old City of Quito, which cost me 20,000 Sucres (US$ 2.30). I was warned by many locals to be careful (since I looked the obvious tourist with my Camera Bag). Since the Presidential Palace is located in the Old City, there is a large contingent of police / Army personnel in this area that made me feel safe. I visited Santo Domingo and Plaza Independencia and a few other sites before heading to the Basilica de la Nacion.
The construction of this Basilica was started at the end of the 19th century and is still going! I met a couple of Tourist Policemen (on training) one of whom took great pains to explain his work and highlight some aspects of the Basilica. I bought an entrance ticket and climbed the stairs all the way to the top of the Basilica. Some sections of the stairs here had no railing and if you happen to trip and fall, you live with the consequences. In a way that's a welcome change from the lawsuit conscious attractions in North America which sometimes take the fun out of everything. I am of the Opinion that Individuals should be responsible for their actions. Blaming someone else for your actions seems to be the pervasive ethos in North America, especially the USA. I digress. The views from the Top of the Basilica of the Old City, the New City and everything in between, are excellent. There is also a cafeteria at the top catering to the weary climber! I spent some time in the Cafeteria catching my breath. On getting down, I took a cab back to the hotel and for the first time during my entire trip, I had a good siesta.
I left the hotel around 3:30 AM and headed to the American Airlines Office (located in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel) to confirm my reservations back to the USA. The representatives were good enough to do the re-confirmation even though I had not carried my ticket to their office. I walked back on Rio Amazonas and tried to do some shopping. I found an excellent Panama hat for 95,000 Sucres (US $ 11). I had read that "Panama" hats are made in Ecuador. (The name PANAMA is a misnomer). Hence I had to get one for myself from the source. On getting back to the hotel, I chatted with Marcos for a while. I was informed that he rents locker space for US$ 1 per day. I dumped all my souvenirs there, including my newly acquired "Panama" hat.
I headed to a Mexican restaurant for dinner where the food was nothing worth mentioning. I seemed to be having a mild fever. Nevertheless, I headed to an Internet café and spent an hour there before heading back to the hotel. I met Marcos' Sister-in-law (who had lived in North America for a while) and we chatted for about 30-minutes. I went to my room, wrote my diary before turning in. I have to get up at 4:30 AM tomorrow.
Woke up at 4:30 AM and was ready by 5:15 AM. Fabian had deputized someone else to pick me up for the Airport and we left around 5:30 AM for the Airport. The ride was shorter than expected (probably due to the early hour) and I was at the Airport by 5:45 AM. Margo from Galasam arrived around 6 AM with my tickets (for Galapagos) and I was all set to depart by 6:20 AM even though the flight was departing at 7:00 AM. We were to proceed to Guayaquil before heading to the Island of Baltra in the Galapagos. (From where most cruises start and end) I had my Camera and films hand inspected, without putting them through the X-ray machine. No one bothered to open even a single can of film! We departed at 7:00 AM sharp. I tried to catch some sleep during the 1-hour ride to Guayaquil. We were to remain on the plane during the 30-minute stop at Guayaquil. The Plane departed Guayaquil at 8:30 AM and we had a 2-½ flight to Baltra. Galapagos in 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador and is an hour behind mainland Ecuador. We arrived at Baltra a little after 9 AM (local time).
For reasons unknown, one has to go through Immigration control here as well. (Even though we are travelling within the same country) After the Immigration control, one has to wait in line and pay the entrance fee for the Galapagos National Park (US$ 100). This fee is Payable only in CASH. Since I had left my wallet containing my money in my checked-in Baggage, I was unable to pay the same immediately. The person at the desk understood my plight and retained my Passport, while I walked out to collect my Baggage and obtain the money for the entrance fee. I always split my cash / TCs and keep a small amount of it in my checked in Baggage. Once the fee is paid, you are given a receipt where you have to fill in your Name and Passport Number. This is to be retained by you at least until you depart the islands.
ALDO from Galasam was waiting outside the baggage area. We then boarded a bus and set out to the quay where our boat was waiting. On reaching the quay I spotted ANTARTIDA, on which we would be cruising the Islands for the next 7 days. It was truly a piece of work. It looked like a dilapidated fishing boat rather than a cruise boat intended to ferry tourists. Three folks from Switzerland were also joining the cruise on the Antartida with me. In addition to the 4 of us, Aldo informed us that there were 6 tourists on the boat who were halfway through their 7-day cruise. There were 5 crewmembers on the boat. It looked like we may wind up sleeping on top of one another to fit in!
A small motorboat (dinghy) set off from Antartida and came to pick us up. On reaching Antartida, Aldo informed us that the 2 women from the Swiss trio would room together, while I would room with the Male member of the Swiss trio. He was the father of one of the Swiss girls and seemed to be a nice guy. The Cabin was quite cramped and was barely enough for the 2 of us. We had bunk beds and a washbasin in the main area. The cabin was equipped with a shower and a toilet as well. We were told that we would have enough water for 1 shower (per person) a day and washing of clothes should be avoided. There was to be absolutely no dumping of Toilet paper in the Toilet bowl. It was to be dumped in a wastebasket next to the toilet bowl. The toilet bowl had a long handle that was to be worked up and down to flush the toilet ! This trip is going to be quite an experience. A unique and memorable one, I hope.
The Galapagos authorities do take their conservation work seriously and any boats that are caught violating the code could be subjected to fines and possibly even a ban on cruising the Galapagos. In addition, the Captain and the crew of the offending boat could get their licenses revoked. It sounded like a sensible plan to conserve the ecological balance of these islands and the waters around them. As Aldo explained to us, the Itineraries of these cruise boats are set by the National Park authorities to avoid certain Islands getting overcrowded with tourists while others hardly get any. They ensure that the tourists are distributed evenly across these islands. The tourist companies have no control over these Itineraries. When Aldo explained our 8-day Itinerary to us, it seemed that we would be covering different parts of the same island! (It was not so) We were also told that we would not be visiting the Island of Isabela, where flightless cormorants abound. Our Itinerary was as follows:
Baltra - Santa Cruz - Sombrero Chino - Rabida - Bartolome / Santiago - Santa Cruz / Calega Tortura Negra - Baltra - Islas Plazas - Sante Fe - Isla Lobos - San Cristobal - Espaniola - Santa Cruz / Puerto Ayora -- North Seymour - Baltra
The 6 other members of the group arrived. There were 2 Americans, 2 Canadians and 2 Swiss. We were introduced and chatted for a bit until our lunch around noon. I spotted sea lions playing near the quay at Baltra. After Lunch (which for me for boiled rice & salad) we set sail for the Island of Santa Cruz. I was finally sailing in the Galapagos and the feeling was good. We reached Santa Cruz around 3 PM. The dinghy took us close to shore but we still had a wet landing. Everyone except me was in shorts and sandals. Aldo took us for a short walk around some sections of the island. I spotted my first ever Marine Iguana. Quite a moment! We came across giant crabs, Pelicans, winged cormorants and even nests of sea turtles. We also spotted a lone flamingo (which is unexciting, if you have ever visited Lake Nakuru (or) Lake Naivasha in Kenya where flamingoes congregate by the millions).
The Blue-green colour of the water will be with me for a long time to come. We were done touring the island by 3:30 PM and Aldo informed us that, the dinghy would be back to pick us up only at 4:30 PM. The rest of the group, promptly stripped and went swimming / snorkeling in the waters. Being the sole individual with no knowledge of swimming, I explored the other areas of the Island for a little while before settling down to ogle at the semi-naked bodies. There were 6 young women in this group of 10, of whom 4 were unattached. (Not that, attachment of any kind, interferes with my Ogling)
The Dinghy picked us up at 4:30 PM and on reaching the boat, we were informed that we could have a shower within the next 15-20 minutes. The next shower would be around the same time tomorrow. After a quick shower, I settled down to write my log for the day, until dinnertime. We were heading towards Sombrero Chino (Chinese hat) close to Santiago Island. Writing my diary along with the rocking movement of the boat is about to give me a headache. It eventually did give me headache. I went outside and caught the Sea breeze for an hour or so, to get back to normal. After dinner, I played cards with some members of the group before turning in for the night.
Woke up at 6:45 AM and had breakfast by 7 AM. We left the boat at 7:30 AM to visit Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat). We reached Sombrero Chino 15 minutes later. We had a wet landing, where we had to wade in knee-deep water. We walked on the Island for 45 minutes, with Aldo giving us an explanation of rock formations on this Island, the Name of the Flora and Fauna. I took a picture of the waves crashing on the rocks and sending up huge sprays of water in the air. As we were heading back to the landing point, I spotted a few Sea Lions playing and sat down as close to the water as possible, without disturbing the Crabs sunning on the rocks. The Sea Lions were in a playful mood and I watched them mesmerized not only by their behavior but also by the fact that I was watching them live in the Galapagos. The thought occurred to me that at this point, I was incommunicado with the rest of the world. It was nice to be Ignorant of the goings on around the world, not having to answer phones or even check e-mail messages. We left the Island around 9:00 AM and boarded the dinghy. It simply refused to start. All it had was a single Oar / Paddle. We managed to row to a point where we were in the sights of Antartida. Once they noticed us hardly making any progress in moving towards them (the single Oar was hardly a match for the waves that kept pushing the dinghy towards the shore), they headed towards us and picked us up. It was an interesting experience.
As our resident engineer and the Captain were servicing the dinghy, the plan to visit another Island to do some snorkeling was shelved. (Not that it made a huge difference to me). After lunch we headed to Rabida Island. This is where one can observe Pelicans nesting. The dinghy was repaired by now and we set off for the Island. We walked around the Island for an hour with Aldo showing us the various Flora and Fauna and the nesting of Pelicans. While the rest of the group went for their obligatory dip in the water, I strolled along the beach. The sand here is red in colour, indicating a lot of iron. I spotted around 10 Sea Lions sunning themselves along the beach. I approached them and sat about 5 to 6 feet away from them and just observed them. There was no one else to disturb OUR tranquility. It was wonderful. On the instances when my Camera Shutter clicked, the sea lions would open their eyes, look at me and then ignore me until I took my next picture. I tried to take as few pictures as possible, to avoid disrupting their siesta.
We got back to the boat around 4 PM and set sail for the Island of Bartolome. It was a rough ride on choppy seas and we were informed that we had to take our showers during this ride, as the boat would not stop until it anchored at Bartolome. The shower was an experience. I was knocked from side to side within the confines of the shower stall and though I felt clean afterwards, I did wind up with another headache. One of the Swiss girls who was seasick on day 1, could not handle it anymore and she openly cried for mercy. As for me, I headed to the rear of the boat on the upper deck and let the sea air do me some good. It worked. If you cannot handle seasickness, pay a couple of hundred dollars more and take a luxury cruise. The boat will be far bigger and therefore will be able to handle choppy seas much better than ANTARTIDA.
After dinner, we chatted for a while, played cards (Hearts - I won), before turning in.
I woke up at 7 AM and was late for breakfast. We left the boat for Santiago Island a little after 8 AM. We walked on volcanic rock for well over an hour. It was a fascinating experience. Aldo explained the formation of this Island and showed us some flora and fauna that thrive on these volcanic rocks. From here we headed to the Island of Bartolome where a Marine Iguana greeted me on the landing steps. Though a wooden stairway has been built all the way to the top of the Island, it was a strenuous hike. The view from the top is magnificent. On our return to the landing, someone told us that a luxury ship passing nearby was carrying some Hollywood stars, including Robert de Niro. Paparazzi watching in the Galapagos! Beat that!!
After a GOOD lunch (my first on this Cruise), I wrote some diary and had a short siesta. We departed at 1:30 PM to visit another section of Bartolome Island. It was a wet landing that wetter than expected (we waded through thigh deep water). We walked over a small hill, to a beach on the other side. We spotted Sharks in the water. These were swimming quite close to the shore (5-10 feet away) and were not large. While the rest of the group departed to the other side of the beach to do the usual (swimming / snorkeling), I stayed back to observe the sharks. It turned out to be rewarding. I spotted a group of stingrays (8-10) swimming close to the shore. I spent around 20 minutes in quiet solitude observing the Sharks and stingrays. On getting back to the other side of the beach, I spent some time chatting with Aldo. Despite being the youngest son, he is the only member supporting his mother and two elder brothers who are jobless. To become a guide in the Galapagos, once has to write an examination where one's knowledge about the flora/fauna is tested, in addition to spoken English and Ecology quotient.
On reaching the boat around 3:30 PM, we were told that we had 15 minutes to take a shower before the boat headed to the Island of Santa Cruz. I allowed my cabin mate to shower first. By the time I started my shower, the boat was heading towards Santa Cruz. The 20-minute shower gave me a headache again. This time around, the Fresh Sea air did not do the trick. I came back to my Cabin and tried to sleep. It turned to be the longest (2-½ hours) siesta, I've had thus far on this trip. (Despite our sailing)
Woke up around 6:45 PM and was ready was our 7 PM dinner. The cook surprised us after dinner with a large cake that he had baked. Since 6 members of our group were leaving tomorrow, this was the cook's way of saying goodbye, I guess. Some of these cooks are amazing. The fact that he can cook, let alone bake a cake with all the movement of the boat, is a feat in itself. (Costa, the cook during my Tanzanian Safari last year was another magician) After dinner Aldo briefed us on the plans for tomorrow before passing an envelope around for tips to the crewmembers. Since we leave at 6 AM tomorrow, I turned in shortly thereafter.
I had set my alarm at 5:15 AM and it did work. The problem was that my Alarm was still set to mainland Ecuador time that was an hour ahead of Galapagos. I tried to doze from 4:15 AM for an hour or so. I was nevertheless ready for departure by 6 AM. We left the boat for Caleta Tortuga to observe Marine turtles. We reached the place in 15 minutes after which the outboard engine was shut off to preserve the morning stillness. We paddled around the area for an hour. Though we spotted half a dozen sharks (no more than 6 feet in length) lying at the bottom of these waters (which are no more than 8 feet in depth), we did not spot any Marine Turtles. Since we were up early, I did get some good pictures of the Sunrise (I usually have a headache during Sunset). We got back to the boat and finished breakfast by 7:30 AM and the dinghy was set to leave at 8 AM to drop the 6 people (who had completed their 8 day / 7 night cruise) at the Airport in Baltra.
Since the 4 of us who were on the cruise for 3 more days had nothing better to do, we boarded the dinghy and set off for the Pier along with the rest. We reached the pier after 15 minutes and waited for a bus to take us to the airport. We got one within the next 5 minutes. Baltra is predominantly a Navy/ Airforce base and the bus was driven by a person in Battle fatigues! We reached the Airport 20 minutes later. While the departing 6 checked in, I wandered around the shops at the Airport. I purchased a decent map of the Islands, along with some stickers of some native animals.
Since we had to wait for the arrival of the Aircraft (which would have 6 new passengers for our boat), we had at least an hour to kill. The Charles Darwin research station has a small office at the Airport. I picked up a pamphlet on their activities (www.galapagos.org). Bought a T-shirt by the World Wildlife fund (WWF) depicting a Giant Tortoise. I felt that I ought to spend some money here, since it helps the island's economy as well as the WWF. The flight arrived and we introduced ourselves to the new members of our cruise. There were 2 Australians, 2 Swedes, an Englishman and a French-Canadian. Except for the French-Canadian, (who spoke only French and Spanish) the rest were quite conversant in English. We got back to the boat around 10:30 AM. I spent a little over an hour writing my diary before having lunch. One of the Australians was a vegetarian as well. Misery needs company! We were to sail to Islas Plazas.
I had a siesta during the 2-hour ride to Islas Plazas. I woke up around 2:30 PM, after we anchored at Islas Plazas. After a 10-minute ride on the dinghy, we reached the island. The landing was a sight in itself. All the steps at the landing were occupied by Sea lions sunning themselves. Aldo had to politely chase them away, before the dinghy could dock and we could climb the steps at the landing. Scores of Sea Lions young and Old were sunning themselves on the rocks. After a couple of steps into the island we spotted our first Land Iguana. The Land Iguana can be identified by the yellow colour of its upper body including its forelegs. The Marine Iguana is black/ gray in colour. The Land Iguana is also much larger than a Marine Iguana. We encountered more Land Iguanas as we continued to walk across the Island. We were able to get within 2 to 3 feet of these creatures.
With a Telephoto /Zoom lens, one can obtain great pictures of these animals. On the far end of the Island where the cliffs drop 20-30 metres down to the water, we spotted Sea Lions. Aldo explained that these creatures had lost out in the battle to gain prime real estate (near the landing area) and have been banished here. Prime real estate is an essential component in wooing members of the opposite sex and to nurture the young offspring. These seals laboriously climb these rocks day after day and lie here for most of the day. Sometimes they just give up and die here. We spotted a rotting carcass of a Sea Lion confirming this theory. It is always sad to see these magnificent / playful creatures die. We spotted Blue-footed Boobies and Masked-Boobies. The Blue-footed boobies are especially magnificent up close. If you cannot afford a fancy camera with a zoom lens, get a binocular before visiting these islands. We spotted more Iguanas and Sea Lions before returning to the boat around 4 PM.
Since the 6 people left in the morning, we (me and my roommate Theo) occupied one of the cabins on the upper deck before the new group arrived. This was accomplished by Theo, who told one of the crewmembers to shift both our belongings from our Old to our new cabin while we were away at the Airport. This was a good cabin. The water from the Shower was really forceful and we had a flush toilet (unlike the lever in the previous cabin). I had a shower before spending time writing my travel log until dinnertime. We were to sail to Espaniola after dinner. This was to be a 9-hour journey and it would be our first all-night sailing.
Aldo informed us during dinner that the captain had fallen sick and required medical attention. This necessitated a change in Itinerary. We would sail tonight to Puerto Ayora where the captain could get some medical assistance on the shore. We would do the activities at Puerto Ayora tomorrow instead of Tuesday (May 25, 1999) as Originally planned. I taught the new members of the group to play hearts and we spent the 2-hour ride to Puerto Ayora doing just that. We reached Puerto Ayora after 10 PM and the Captain was taken to shore by 3 other members of the crew. I turned in for the night.
I woke up at 6:45 AM and taking advantage of the minimal movement of the boat, I proceeded to have s shave. There were no unfortunate incidents during this process. Owing to this additional activity, I was late for breakfast. We left the boat at 8 AM and reached shore about 8 minutes later. We walked to the Charles Darwin research station. It was a 25-minute walk. Aldo took us to see the Giant Tortoises first. We came across 6 Male tortoises. These were rescued by the folks at the research station from people who kept them as pets. One of them had pockmarks on his shell, which Aldo explained as bullet marks fired by the Personnel at the Base who kept him as a pet and used his shell for target practice! I am truly glad to see these animals live after such abuses. We walked around to see 'Lonesome George' who is the last of his species. Since he has neither siblings nor descendants, the species will disappear after his death. Truly Sad.
We saw a whole lot of baby tortoises bred under the station's captive breeding program. The Station's Marine Iguana Captive breeding program is closed to visitors. I purchased yet another Map of the Islands along with a Cap (containing the logo of the Charles Darwin research station) primarily as a show of support to help the research center. They need the money. I spent some time in one of their exhibit halls that explain the formation of these islands, the native species and the introduced species and the effect of the introduced species on the ecosystem. It was quite interesting.
Since the dinghy would not be back to pick us up until noon, I loitered around the harbour wandering into as many shops as possible. All of the items are quite expensive here. They can be purchased in Quito for 60% of the price being quoted here. (Yes, there is certainly a line - however fine it may be - between helping the local economy and being taken for a ride!).
I got back to the boat after noon and had a short siesta after lunch. We left the boat at 1:30 PM for our afternoon visit to Puerto Ayora. A pickup truck was waiting for us at the dock. We boarded the same and travelled inland for 45 minutes before being taken to 2 huge volcanic craters. The Area around these craters is thick with vegetation. We walked around trying to spot birds native to this island. After spending around 30 minutes here, we headed to a place called 'Lava Tunnels of Love' (No, I'm not kidding). These are enormous underground caves / tunnels, through which molten lava flowed millions of years ago. We had to pay an entrance fee of US$ 2. One can rent a flash light (a definite must) for an additional charge of US$ 1. I had my own and hence did not require one. These caves are a must see. They are huge (20 feet across and 20 feet in height) and are filled with volcanic boulders. Walking through these caves from one end to the other (roughly a mile) is quite an experience.
We got back to the port around 4:45 PM and Aldo informed us that the dinghy would pick us up at 6 PM. Some of us sat down at a nearby restaurant and ordered some fries and sodas. Puerto Ayora had a population of 12000 and the place was really alive in the evening. We got back around 6:30 PM and I had a good shower. The drive to see the Volcanic Craters and the Lava tunnels was a dusty ride. One should wear a dirty set of clothes (if possible) while riding to these places. After our dinner, Aldo informed us that we would be sailing to Santa Fe at 4 AM tomorrow. The journey to Sante Fe would take around 2 hours. Aldo also wanted to know if we wanted to go to town. We agreed and decided to leave at 8:30 PM. There are water taxis available at the quay and cost US$ 1 (per person) to drop you back at your boat. Sounded like a good deal to me. We visited a couple of Bars and clubs in Puerto Ayora and partied till 12:30 AM. We took a water taxi back to our boat. There is a good police presence around the Quay area, so it is quite safe even at night.
The boat departed Puerto Ayora around 4 AM for the Island of Santa Fe. The 2 hours was one heck of a roller coaster ride. If I wasn't too careful, I could have easily fallen off the bunk bed. I slept through most of the ride. We reached Sante Fe around 6:30 AM. We left for the island after breakfast. We had a wet landing on a beach filled with Sea Lions. We walked around seeing the flora of the island and also spotted Land Iguanas, which were a marginally different species from their cousins on Islas Plazas. Santa Fe is famous for giant Cactuses that have adapted themselves to the Island and are quite tall. After an hour of walking around the island, most of the group opted to swim / snorkel back to the boat. I took a ride on the dinghy back to the boat.
We departed Sante Fe around 9:15 AM and set sail for Isla Lobos and San Cristobal. The 4-hour ride started on choppy seas. After an hour and a half of sitting on the deck, I went up to my cabin. I promptly fell asleep and woke up around 2 PM. The boat was nearing Isla Lobos. After lunch, Aldo informed us that we would start our visit to Isla lobos around 3:30 PM. During the 45 minute waiting time, I read the recent issue National Geographic. (The only book/Magazine I had bought with me apart from my Travel guide).
We had a dry landing at Isla Lobos around 3:40 PM and had to chase a few Sea Lions before we could climb the steps at the landing. We saw the Galapagos cotton plant and its flower before we spotted Frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. The Male frigate bird has a red sac near his neck, which looks beautiful when inflated (Probably holds true for Males of all Species?). In addition to serving as an attention getting device, the inflated sac also helps scare away lesser predators. When larger predators approach, they are attracted to the Male frigate bird (due to the inflated Red Sac). After gorging themselves on the male frigate bird, they do not feel the need to go after the female frigates or the young frigates. Quite a sacrifice by the male frigate bird to save his companion and their offspring (Probably holds true for the Male Members of all Species?)
We observed the blue-footed boobies up close. Their partnership ritual is quite intriguing. The Male collects branches for a nest and drops them near his feet. If a female were to pick up a branch, she expresses an interest in the male and the 2 live happily ever after. (Am not sure it works for the Species known as Homo sapiens) I took a number of pictures of these birds. We had a wet boarding and reached the boat around 5 PM.
After a shower, I was informed that the boat was heading for San Cristobal, which was 30 minutes away. We would anchor at San Cristobal for the night and depart around 2 AM for the 4-½ hour ride to Espaniola. Another rocky ride, I presume. Aldo's family lives in San Cristobal and he was planning on visiting them. Since the captain would have to pay port fees, we docked about 20 minutes from the port to avoid paying these fees. If we had been willing to pay the money, I guess we could have seen the town of San Cristobal. I was not sure if the others were up to it. After dinner, I played cards till 10:30 PM before turning in.
The journey to Espaniola started around 2 AM and I managed to sleep through most of the rocking and rolling of the boat. We anchored at Espaniola around 6:45 AM. After breakfast we left for the island around 7:30 AM. It was a dry landing at Espaniola. During the 2-hour walk around the Island, we spotted Blue Footed Boobies, Masked Boobies, Sea Lions, Marine Iguanas (of a different Species) and Large Lava lizards. The new species that we observed up close was the Albatross. It is quite a magnificent bird. We returned to the boat around 10 AM and immediately set sail for another part of Espaniola. We reached there a little after 11 AM. This was to be a new type of landing. The dinghy would carry us to a midway point from where we were to swim to land. Aldo called it a 'Swim Landing'! Needless to say, I opted out. I did not even take a ride to the beach since all that was present there were Sea Lions. I have seen so many of them in the past week that it doesn't excite me anymore (I would definitely have not made this statement 7 days ago. What a difference a week makes!).
After lunch we set sail for Sante Fe around 1:15 PM and arrived at Sante Fe around 6:30 PM. We were to set sail from Santa Fe in the wee hour of the morning to North Seymour. After a shower, I had dinner where the Cook baked us a Cake (since 4 of us were leaving the boat tomorrow). We visit North Seymour early tomorrow morning (6 AM) before proceeding to Baltra to take the flight back to Quito.
For some reason we did not reach North Seymour until 7 AM. North Seymour was famous for its Magnificent Frigate Birds. For some reason, were too enthused when we saw these birds. We spent around 45 minutes walking on the Island before returning to the boat. After breakfast, we tipped the Crew (US$ 15) and Aldo (US$ 10). I exchanged e-mail / addresses with the members of the group. We were landing at the same pier from where I started my journey 7 days ago. The captain had radioed earlier and a pickup van took us to the Airport. During the ride, the slip of paper containing all the names / addresses of my fellow passengers, flew out. I cursed my carelessness.
On reaching the Airport, I check in and found out that there were too few passengers going back. It was funny how one sees a lot of familiar faces on these trips. (I noticed a lot of people who had travelled with me from Quito, a week earlier) I sent a note through Aldo to the Australian couple to obtain the names / addresses of the folks on the boat and mail the same to me. The flight arrived at 9:30 AM. The security people obliged me by hand examining my 30+ film rolls. We departed at 10 AM. I declined the breakfast on the plane. We reached Guayaquil around 12:30 PM. After changing planes, we departed for Quito around 1 AM. The ride to Quito from Guayaquil seemed a short one. We reached Quito at 1:40 PM. After bidding farewell to the Swiss trio, I went out of the Airport terminal and was greeted by Fabian. It was a good feeling to see a familiar face. We chatted during the 20-minute ride to the Hotel. I was greeted warmly by Marcos and his family on reaching the hotel.
After checking in, I took a shower, picked up my stuff from the storage locker and packed by bag. On reaching the lobby, I was given a message. It was from Sara (one of my trip mates on the Bolivia / Peru tour) and she was staying at a hotel nearby. On reaching the hotel, I did not find her. After leaving a message for her, I bumped into her on the way out. We caught up on our activities since we departed in Lima 10 days ago. After exchanging some money, I settled my dues at the hotel. Sara and Myself went to a local reptile house where we saw a whole lot of snakes, most of which were native to Ecuador. We followed it up with some souvenir shopping where I wound up buying 4 T-shirts for US$28. The same shirts would have cost me at least US$45 in the Islands.
We went to a cultural performance. It was an Andean Ballet called "Humanizarte". It turned out to be some modernist stuff. I did not like it. We headed to a Tex-Mex restaurant where I had an enjoyable dinner. We bid adieu and I returned to the Hotel. I return to Estados Unidos tomorrow. It has been a Good trip. I am Glad I did it.
The Incas - Empire of Blood and Gold
By Carmen Bernand
Published by Thames & Hudson, London
ISBN: 0 500 300 402
This deals with the Spanish Conquest, life of the Native peoples before and after the Conquest, Hiram Bingham discovery of the ruins etc.
South American Handbook
Edited by Ben Box
Published by Footprint in the UK and by Passport Books in the USA
Though I used this as a 'Guide' book during my month long travel, I would definitely not recommend it. Instead one should explore other books (Notably those published by Moon Publications) to use as a reference during your travels.
Lost City of the Incas
By Hiram Bingham
Written by the Man who discovered the ruins of Macchu Picchu.
The Origin of Species
By Charles Darwin
This is an excellent book. One must have an extraordinary interest in Natural History and an abiding interest in the theory of Evolution to finish this book.