The Amazon

Let me just start by saying that Peru is an outstanding and gorgeous country.  The last two weeks have been like a dream.  I’ve been to the mountains and the jungle.  It’s hard to explain the feeling from being here.  The culture, the scenery and the people are just amazing.  I just got back from the amazon and it was really beautiful and humbling.  So different from the mountains and the sacred valley.  The jungle covers 60% of the country and as soon as I landed I could smell the green and the humidity.  I really felt like a visitor in its kingdom.  There are things happening everywhere all the time and even with a guide, I only saw a little piece of it but I saw a lot!   It was a wonderful experience.  Charlie from Green House Tambopata planned my whole trip and made sure that I was well taken care of.  Here are some things that I got to do this week: 

• I ate many types of citrus, fresh cocoa beans, other fruits I can’t even recall and termites
• I zip lined, walked onto a 6-inch plank for 70 meters above 30 meters off the ground and climbed onto a canopy in the trees
• I floated onto two rivers (Madre de Dios and Tambopata) and one lake (Sandoval)
• I walked in the jungle at night and saw many bugs, snakes, spiders and monkeys
• I danced lambada to the moonlight
• I talked to the monkeys at night
• I made new friends from France, Australia and Peru
• I swam in the lake next to the butterflies
• I saw caymans, turtles, butterflies, squirrels, birds, giant guinea pig-looking animals and giant rats too, tapir and lizards
• The sounds of the jungle at night are out of this world and the mornings are foggy and gorgeous on the river
• I got hit on by so many short Peruvian men, it is kind of funny..
• I rode on a scooter twice
• I drank chicha fuerte (corn cider)
• I took cold showers the whole week
• I never watched tv and checked the internet only once as I was in town for a couple of hours
• At sunset, the mosquitos are out and they bit me even though I had protection.  I got bit by an ant too and I’m sure other bugs I don’t even know
• I drank crappy Peruvian wine by the river and enjoyed every bit of it
• I swung in a hammock a couple times, resting and thinking how lucky I am

So go visit Charlie, he will take good take of you.  Stay for a while, it is rustic but you will be safe and blown away.   Make sure to stay for the night or get up early and listen to the jungle.  It makes you feel so small and it is fascinating!!

Machu Picchu and more

On Friday morning, I got up at 4:30am to get in line at 5:30am to get on the bus to Machu Picchu.  I had arrived the night before from Ollantaytambo by train after visiting that city during the day.  The line was long already and after an hour in the dark, the sun came up and we climb up the mountain to the world-famous site.  I hired a guide and walked around with him for 2 1/2 hours.  It was just majestic.  The clouds started to lift up and by 9 am we were done and the views were even more gorgeous and clear.  Machu Picchu is situated at the end of the Sacred Valley and at the beginning of the Amazon forest so it is more humid there and the vegetation changes a bit.  After the end of my tour with the guide, I took a small break and then proceeded to climb up to the sun gate.  The views from there were outstanding as well.

I took so many pictures, it is kind of ridiculous!  But I guess I have taken so many during this trip because everywhere I go is just so beautiful.  Sometimes it doesn’t even feel real and it can be overwhelming.  I have no one to pinch me and I have to stop, breathe and remind myself that I am having a trip of a lifetime.  And then, I get tired!  Because there are so much to see and do.  So the rest of the afternoon, I came back to Agua Calientes, had a nice lunch by the river, took a quick nap, a shower and a got a massage.  I had dinner and I was done for the day.

On Saturday, I took the train back to Ollantaytambo.  This time I used Peru Rail instead of Inca Rail.  I wanted to try both and I liked Peru Rail better.  Also I got so lucky because I was sitting at the beginning of the train and I had a huge window with an unobstructed view.  I got picked up and driven to Cusco and got blessed with another beautiful rainbow and gorgeous views.

Today, was my first day in Cusco and I took a taxi up the mountain to visit 3 Inca sites: Tambomachay, Puka Pukara and Saqsaywaman.  I am always impressed by the size of the rocks, the way they are put together and the water engineering.  They had no wheels or horses to carry anything and just walking around all these sites with the altitude is exhausting!  I can’t even imagine building all these fortresses and temples!

I took a stroll back down to the city.  Because it is Sunday, there was a lot of parades at the Plaza de Armas. I found a quiet spot at the Palacio Hotel and had a nice lunch.  I grabbed dessert at the Valeriana and came back to my bed and crashed for the rest of the afternoon.

I have one more day tomorrow in Cusco.  I could go visit more ruins down the valley but I think I am done with all the ruins.  There are many beautiful churches and museums in Cusco and I think I’ll just take it easy tomorrow and do that.

One word of advice if you decide to visit Machu Picchu and other Inca ruins, get acclimated with the altitude and be in really good shape! Don’t be afraid of steps and stairs because there are a lot of them!!  And at an average of 11000 ft, they will kick your butt!

You say potato, Peru says papas...

... and a lot of different ones too! As well as tons of different maizes.  On Wednesday, in Urubamba where I am staying, they have a huge farmers market.  As in farmers come to town to sell their goods.  I had a blast walking around and looking at all the varietals of tubers, vegetables, fruits, spices, cheeses,...

Close by they had also a couple of other “mercados” I walked through.  It was a great morning!

As a side note, there are tons of dogs hanging out everywhere...

From there, I took a walk to the cemetery and then proceeded to get lost for a bit and it was lovely...

I took a moto-taxi back to town to have a delicious lunch at Tres Ketos.  Some sort of Peruvian jambalaya with duck.  A glass of Malbec from Peru was the perfect match.

Early in the afternoon, my host arranged for a taxi to pick me up and take me up on the other side of the valley to visit Moray and Salineras de Maras.  The first one is an Inca archeological site displaying how they used to farm.  Actually the entire area around there is still farming land.  It is just gorgeous with the Andes in the background.  Then we went to salt ponds.  There is a natural salt water spring that the families in the area have been cultiviting forever.  The pictures really don’t do them justice.  The white salt ponds against the red clay hills dotted with greenery is just breathtaking.

On the way back, to top it all off,  I even got gifted a beautiful rainbow!  As I am typing this right now, I saw fireworks outside and I’m hearing some drums and music playing.  Actually the music happens every night but I still don’t know what it is...Peru is something else...

From Lima to the Sacred Valley

After a 5-hour flight, I landed safely in Lima.  I like how when the plane touches the ground everyone applauds... we made it.  My hostess from Airbnb arranged for me to be picked up and Tito the driver was there ready to take me to Miraflores.  It is a nice a safe neighborhood and I stayed in a beautiful apartment overlooking the ocean.

The following day, I walked along the path to the Lacomar mall.  From there I jumped on a tour bus to get a feel of the city.  It is big!  And there are a lot of tall buildings.  We stopped at the historic center and were able to enjoy the colonial architecture as well as touring the San Francisco museum.  It is an old convent and also has a gorgeous church and catacombs.

After the tour, I walked to the Barranco district.  It was worth the long walk and I also visited the San Pedro museum.  I took a taxi to the other side of town to explore the Larco museum and have dinner under the gigantic bougainvillea.  I highly recommend the latest if you are interested in Peruvian and Inca ceramics.

Yesterday, I got on a plane to Cusco and I was supposed to be picked up by my host in Urubamba.  Unfortunately the poor old man got confused and forgot about me...  So I found Mauro who drove me down the valley.  We made a couple stops to eat and check out some small shop where they made textiles.  They also sell you things that they claim are made of alpaca but it is more synthetic....  I got tricked but now I know how to tell.  It ended up being a great little afternoon and when I finally made it to my small lodge, my host cooked me a delicious vegetable soup made with his homegrown harvest. I slept like a baby.

This morning, I took a motor taxi and a collectivo to Pisac.  I got to check out the market there and then hire a taxi to take me to the ruins.  I made it back to Urubamba and now I am exhausted!!  The altitude is getting to me too even though I keep on drinking coca mate and took some meds recommended by Tito.  I think I just need to eat and go to bed...

Habana - Cuba

 

I just finished a week in Cuba.   People say they love Cuba or they hate it.  Everyone has a different experience depending on how they travel and what they like and expect.  I was hosted by a family in Habana, or more exactly in Guanabacoa.  It is about a 30-minute drive from Habana Vieja which is the old town and the part most tourists think as “Cuba”.  My experience was way different than most tourist.  I don’t think I saw another foreigner in Guanabacoa in 7 days.  And that’s fine with me.  In this neighborhood, blacks and whites live together as harmoniously as you can live when you don’t own much. 

Maria and Tomas, the couple I stayed with, took very good care of me.  They took time off to be with me, planned my visit and showed me around.  Niurka, Maria’s sister, joined us for a few days to help entertain the tourist in town.  They pulled out all the stops.  They made sure I was well fed, didn’t do a thing,  had a bed and a hot shower, crossed the street safely and learnt some Spanish.  They showered me with gifts and love and took care of me as if I were part of the family.  They showed me the real Cuba.

These are some of the things I’ve seen or experienced in Cuba with them (In no particular order): 

• Habana Vieja, Centro Habana and New Habana.  Havana Vieja is my favorite.  It has some beautiful old architecture.  Unfortunately a lot of it is falling apart and is not being restored to its original glory.  Still it is gorgeous and the city is vibrant with colors, music and old American cars.  I loved the contrast of the old stone buildings and chrome-clad automobiles
• There are a lot of trash everywhere.  Especially in Chinatown.  This is not Orange County anymore...
• A man carrying a rooster.  Another one carrying a pigeon.  A goat leg partially wrapped in paper laying on a street corner (part of a religious ritual)
• The beach in Havana Este is beautiful.  The water from the Atlantic is warm and clean.  The sun is hot.  I took a nap under a large umbrella, wore sunblock and got sunburned anyway
• I danced salsa in the rain outside a restaurant to the music of a 5-piece band
• Big white bougainvilleas 
• I picked mangoes when they fell off the tree and enjoyed one, or a homemade nectar from them, everyday
• I rode a Coco, took the mantecilla (ferry) across the water, walked the malecon in the rain and saw a canon being fired at Morro-Cabana
• I visited the Capitol.  A perfect replica of the one in DC with exquisite art on its 3 front doors and the 3rd largest indoor statue in the world
• I roamed the Bella Artes Museum and looked at some amazing Cuban art
• I got whistled out several times because they thought I was beautiful
• Never once someone tried to grab me in the bus even though it was very crowded
• I ate some amazing delicious home cooked meals made with love by Maria and Tomas and enjoyed ropa Vieja, a grand slam (layers of meat and cheese), scrumptious shrimp, whole grilled fish, artisanale chocolates out in restaurants
• I drank many mojitos to wash it all down

These are pieces of what I learned from my time in this country:

• The middle-class adult earns as much in a month as a kid earns in an hour working at In N’ Out yet if they invite you in their home, they give you every bit of everything they have
• They have two different moneys.  One for the tourist (CUC) and one for the Cubanos (CUP)
• Everything month, Cubanos are allowed a certain amount of basic foods by the government. Above that, it gets expensive for them 
• I used a bucket of water to flush the toilet. Paper goes in the trash, just like in Mexico
• Hot water in the shower happens when you turn on a switch and don’t put your fingers too close to the electric shower head or you will feel the current
• The cars you see in the streets are mainly taxis.  Most people here don’t have a car or a motorbike.  Gas is expensive therefore they are no traffic jams
• Cubanos get around with buses.  There are plenty of them.  They call them “wawa”.  I called them the Fiesta Wawa cause sometimes the music is good and you can swing around like a monkey while people come in and out of the crowded wawa
• Going out to dinner for Cubanos is a luxury.  It only happens for birthdays, special celebrations or when frenchie takes you out
• Healthcare is free.  Hospital are crowded but everyone is respectful of who came first.  Some special services you have to pay but overall, if you’re sick, they take care of you.  I had an ear infection, I took a bus to the hospital and waited just under an hour to be seen without an appointment (which is less time than most scheduled doctors’ visits I had in the states).  My meds, thanks to Tomas and his national money, were about $1.50
• University is free but then you have to work for really cheap for a couple of years
• Cars and buses will not stop for pedestrians.  They honk or yell at you. Just move over, run or wait
• There are different religions and beliefs, especially in Guanabacoa and its important African heritage.  Sometimes someone will wear all white for a year, from head to toe, because it is part of their practice.  At the end, it is a huge party 
• To get on the internet, you go buy a card with a code that you can then use in a park where there is wifi.  Soon there will be wifi in homes but of course, it will be expensive.  In the meantime, you sit outside if you want public wifi.  At least in Guanabacoa
• There are just a few channels on tv but no commercials during movie
• They drink coffee in glasses and just a bit of it. They love fruit juice with dinner
• You can find wine made in Cuba.  Stick with the ron (rum)
• It rains a lot here and when it does things get flooded or just crumble.  The temperature drops a bit which is really nice

Habana is all I saw and a bit of the beach.  There is more to Cuba than this but this was really good.  It’s a big city and there was a lot to see and a deep culture to capture.  I was sad at times to see the conditions these people live in and the condition of the buildings, the roads, the cars,...  My trip to Cuba was humbling.  I feel very blessed and grateful for all the things I’ve had in my life and the clean and pretty places I’ve been lucky enough to live in.  Thank you to Maria, Tomas and Niurka for a very special visit.  And thank you to Angela and her father Felix for hooking me up with their family in Cuba.  They love and appreciate their uncle Felix in California so much for all he does for them...

So if you can, go to Cuba.  It is a place to visit.  Stay for a while and enjoy the Cubano flavors.  I sure did. 

Yucatan

It’s been a very special week in the Yucatan and a hot one too!  I’m at the airport in Merida, waiting for my flight to Cuba so I’ll keep it short.  Rhea, my “Filipino daughter” joined me to visit this Southern region of Mexico.  We didn’t stop!  We spent a day going into squares in Merida (yup it’s a grid), we sweated through Chichen Itza (and it was all worth it, it is kind of magical to be amongst these massive structures), we ate our way through Yucatan specialties, we saw flamingos, egrets and crocodiles.  We starred at pink salt lakes and had a Mayan mud bath to boot. We never found the tour to the cemetery but we got to ride a trolley pulled by a horse through the jungle to swim in 3 beautiful cenotes.  We also got to experience the one cenote right to Chichen Itza and it was so crowded that  we didn’t stay long.  We saw more ruins and a cave on the Ruta Puuc.  We saw a video mapping on a church and a monument on Montego. We watch a game of Poktopok before enjoying a 11-course meal at Kuuk at 10:30pm to end our amazing trip last night!

We had 4 hours of sleep before heading to the airport.  I don’t seem to be able to post any pictures at the moment.... May be later...  (They are ready now....) I’ll be out of touch for a week while i am in Cuba.

Thank you my baby Rhea, you made this trip extra special.  Thank you for driving me around the city and off the beaten path.  I had so much fun!!!