On The Go: June 2013

Heading across the beautiful Bolivian altiplano

After leaving the Salaar de Uyuni, we bused up to La Paz and then west to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. In true accordance with Bolivian bus standards we arrived at a checkpoint outside of La Paz to be told our bus lacked the appropriate paperwork (that´s not all it was lacking) to proceed. So, we waited for a couple hours while the company sent a replacement to us. Our ¨new¨ bus as it turns out, was also lacking the appropriate paperwork to proceed; this made a few
people extraordinarily upset. Really not quite sure how it was resolved, lots of yelling in Spanish, but we very quickly piled onto the second bus while the border guards were occupied and sped through the checkpoint. I do love Bolivia.

Our bus crossing the lake (12,507ft)

In Copocabana, Bolivia we chilled by the lake, ate fresh trout, and watched Champions League soccer; which according to Bolivians and advertised in bars, everyday was the Final.

We arrived in Cusco late at night and checked into a hostel next to a brewery, whose idea was that! However, the walls were high and fortified, and they wouldn´t let me come in and play.

Church in Copacabana, Bolivia

Getting to Machu Picchu isn´t what it once was. Prices have soared, even in the last 3 years, and the famous Incan ruins are accessible to anyone with a pulse. That being said, we opted for the road slightly less traveled and certainly the cheapest option: an 8 hour micro bus from Cusco through the mountains to Hidroelectrica along a dirt sidewalk that barely clings to a landslide prone mountain side with sheer drops down a ravine into a raging river, and then a 7 mile walk following train tracks into Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu.

That thin line is the ¨road¨ we took through the mountains.


View down from my seat in shotgun

What´s a guard rail?

Walking the tracks


Jenna, checking out the white water below

2 hour delay for landslide repair

Through clouds and over mountains we plugged along the rough and frightening road towards Hidroelectrica; delayed once for a couple hours so road crews could clear a recent landslide. Arriving in Aguas Calientes at dusk, we crashed for the night to wake at dawn the following morning to hike the ancient stairs to Mach Picchu.

Just a few years ago, waking up at dawn to beat the bus crowds was the thing to do for a few moments at the Incan ruins before the crowds of busses showed up. However, now there are 3 times the number of busses and they start rolling at 5AM! So, while still beautiful and well worth the effort, Machu Picchu is quickly becoming very crowded and expensive. Much to my delight, hippies still sit in yoga posses all over the place, amidst hordes of tourists, being one with nature and what have you. We got ugly looks from some curtain clad progressives while executing perfect Machu Picchu ninja shots. We also saw a massive group of Israelis nearly crowd a llama off a cliff, getting all manner of obnoxious photos with the poor creature as it desperately tried to flee the scene. Sort of a shit show, but still an amazing sight.

Machu Picchu

Who is that in the shadows creeping up behind that llama?

BOOM!!


Machu Pichow!!!

After repeating the above mentioned bus ride in reverse we arrived back in Cusco exhausted and ready to head for the coast the following day via two 20 hour bus rides, ouch.

There exists a deadly combination of surf, sun, and lack of responsibilities that coalesces into an unstoppable force, giving me license and motivation to completely over due it in all manner of shenanigans. Everyday we reported to Victor´s on the beach for morning surf and cocktails, followed by afternoon surf and cocktails, and sunset with...cocktails. Victor required me to leave my drivers license for deposit on the surfboards. One morning I was greeted with laughter from him and his band of misfits because they had all been using my ID the night before do distribute cocaine to their faces and Victor thought he´d lost my ID in the process. Gave that a good wash before putting it back in my wallet; don´t need a drug sniffing beagle to target my cocaine clad license, compliments of ole Vic. So, for several days in the blistering coastal desert of northern Peru, we surfed and wore our party pants, the following picture sums up the outcome:

Victor in the black tank top

I may have seen this logo before

Jenna and Heyman, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Vilcabamba is a tiny, sleepy town tucked into the mountains of Southern Ecuador, famed for its long-lived citizens and gorgeous scenery. Water that flows down these verdant mountains into town is reputed to be the fountain of youth for those that consume it daily; it seems everyone in town has a grandparent that is over 100 years old. More importantly, there is a guy in town with a handle bar mustache that has homemade liquor with a coral snake inside. He makes his own hooch out of cane sugar and then captures a snake, marinating it, obviously dying a happy death at this point, for 30 days. Tasted like pure gasoline with burnt hair and serpent scales. I'll take two please.

Jenna loves horses like I love being served snake soaked liquor from a guy with a handlebar mustache, so we decided on an 8 hour horseback trip into the mountains and waterfalls surrounding Vilcabamba. Our guide, Heyman saw that I was a man who appreciates wearing a machete on horseback and made that happen for me. If that wasn't a sign in itself, my horses name was Engreado, "cocky" in Spanish. Destiny.

We set off in the morning, walking our horses out of town on cobbled streets, greeted by curious locals, perplexed looks at the shirtless gringo with storm trooper boots, a cowboy hat and a huge machete. Crossing rivers, climbing mountains and lush forest, we climbed high into the mountains, horses and humans sweating under the equatorial sun.

Jenna and Taca

We also hiked for a couple hours, giving the steeds a break

Shower time

David Indiana Rambo Chuck Norris Forest

Those boots are made for somethin

Beautiful view

Finished for the day, saying goodbye to Engreado

Heyman and Jenna in Vilcabama

Traditional "cuy" restaurant in Cuenca, Ecuador

North to Cuenca after Vilcabamba, we explored the city and took a two hour walk to a suburb famed for cuy. Cuy is guinea pig, a popular delicacy in Peru and Ecuador. They also have full size pig as seen in above photo. Guinea pig is actually quite good, sort of like a chicken covered in pig skin and stuffed with a rabbit, Cresto you'd fuckin love it! As a welcome present they also carve off a piece of skin from the full size pig before you even sit down. Oh yeah.

Not for vegetarians Jonny

Sorry fellas, wheel spinning days are over

Just a beautiful girl holding a tiny pig's severed head

This dude was seriously putting out the vibe

Beautiful Cuenca, Ecuador

Our next surf stop, Montanita, Ecuador

Every surfer knows the feeling of taking off on a wave that is too big, too powerful, and just plain wrong at that given moment. I charged at a 7+ close out and paid for it, quite literally. After clearing the sand out of my ass and ears I noticed the crack running across the board, through the runner. Previously unmarred, the devastating blow was unmistakably my fault, a hot fart and this board was in two pieces. After an hour long heated discussion with the owner, we settled on $70USD. Bummer! Spent a few days with some rewarding rides, nothing epic, Jenna gaining skill and confidence surfing.

Palonias, another of Jenna's Friends

Scrawny, pathetic, homeless and adorable. I knew we were spending time with this dog as soon as I saw his humble skeleton trot towards Jenna´s open arms. She decided he needed a Spanish name and settled immediately on...Palonias. Because that makes sense. Better yet, Jenna (as we often do) decided to buy some food for ole Palonias. "All dogs love eggs," was the response to my perplexed look when we bought two raw eggs for a dog. When Palonias was equally confused, starving yet completely uninterested, Jenna's question was as follows, "Palonias, why don't you want your egg, I bought it especially for you!" A complicated inquiry for a dog that only understands basic Spanish commands.

Puerto Lopez, Ecuador

Our next stop was the quaint fishing village of Puerto Lopez. An hour and a half away from town by boat is the "poor mans Galapagos," Isla de la Plata. Hiking around the island we saw lots of birds and lizards, including the Blue Footed Boobie, quite the character, and what a name!

I think everyone has a list of things they want to accomplish, see, or do before meeting the great beyond. I was able to check one off the list in the choppy, semi-clear water around Isla de la Plata. After seeing several turtles, lots of fish and coral, Jenna, our nature enthusiast guide and I were the only people still searching for something elusive, massive and completely beautiful. From the coast of the island we saw in the distance a massive animal breaching. All the tourists shouted, "whale!" Humpbacks migrate here in mid-July, we all thought maybe they were early. Our guide laughed and said, "that was not a whale, that was a Giant Manta Ray." I turned to him with a grave and excited look on my face and said verbatim, "I have always dreamed of swimming with a Giant Manta Ray, I need a snorkel." We had nearly given up, mostly because the rest of the group was getting impatient in the boat, when the captain said he had spotted a big one a hundred yards out. Forward crawl at full speed into deep blue water, a flurry of bubbles followed as I sped away, heart a thrumming crescendo in cadence with methodic breaths. Searching, searching, the water increasingly murky away from the shore under overcast skies and building seas I finally and abruptly was sharing my world with a 16 foot Manta Ray (Captain and guide said he was 5 meters). I immediately shouted for Jenna who sped my way. For an unforgettable moment I was alone with this magnificent animal, swimming next to it in silence, clumsily, while it effortlessly flew through it's aquamarine world, languidly moving its giant wings through the warm liquid medium. The look on Jenna´s face when she arrived was pure joy, a moment together, sharing a deep appreciation for the profound beauty this life saturated world harbors.

Boobie babes love my blue feet

Isla de la Plata

Mermaid

My first thought was Cresto and his boat

Translate, "Cueva del oso."

Surf hut, Canoa, Ecuador

Next beach town in line proved to be the best. Scored a great surf shack a block from the sand and had killer surf. It´s now been 5 years since Nate and I had a wee accident, I had to learn to surf again and on an overcast day in Canoa I had my sweetest rides since before the crash. Alone in the ocean, perfect rights were peeling up and down the beach. The pure elation that pulses through your body when you surf like a demon, unobstructed by crowds, solo with the ocean, is a feeling those that know, know well. Watching that glow on a loved ones face when surfing starts to sink its teeth into your soul is nearly as profound as experiencing it for yourself. I have had the privilege of seeing that look on many loved ones faces and welcomed Jenna´s new found appreciation with a deep feeling of happiness. And I didn't´t break anything this time.

God loves a girl with a surfboard

Good times

Our deck

Best haircut ever

At peace in the hammock

Formerly at peace in the hammock

Baños, Ecuador

Back into the mountains! Baños, so named for the many hotsprings in town from the giant volcano that looms over the city, was one of our favorite stops in Ecuador. We jumped off a bridge, biked 38km past gorges and waterfalls, hiked, and soaked in natural hot springs. Great spot.

Best $15 bucks ever

Bring it!

Me? Nervous?

Puente San Francisco, awesome jump!

Beautiful Baños

Church in the main plaza

That´s a huge leaf! Hiking around Baños

This isn´t coconut taffy!!

Yes Nate, they had a helmet that fit me

Biking along the Waterfall Road

One of many waterfalls in route

The Amazon, Cuyabeno National Park, Ecuador

Jungles have always appealed to me. The green world is a miracle of science and nature. People look for magic in their daily lives, miracles of religious devotion, sub-atomic particles, selfless acts of heroism. I find a profound majesty and utter awe of chlorophyll bearing organisms ability to convert light into sugar, carbon dioxide into oxygen. With hundreds of species of plants and trees per hectare, while most people look for animals, I sit in quiet amazement at the sentient monoliths that all other aerophilic life forms depend on entirely. Immobile, ancient and completely magnificent, they watch over us all defending themselves from the onslaught of eager herbivores, insects, fungi and bacteria with ingeniously clever tactics, often incorporating help from tiny helpers in perfect displays of symbiotic relationships. Inspiration is packed into leaves if you know how to see it.

We spent 4 days in the jungle. Every morning Jenna and I woke for the sunrise viewed from a bird tower. We were the only ones in camp who greeted the sun every morning, a solitude we both deeply appreciated. Witnessing the transition from dark to dawn to daylight in the jungle is a cacophony of sensory overload. Bats retire, tucans, parrots and other tropical birds emerge, while monkeys clatter through tress. The misty morning gives way to another scorching day. At night we watched every sunset while swimming in beautiful lake, bisected by the Equator and hiking, looking for nocturnal animals.

We also visited a shaman and made bread from yucca in a local village. More on that, but I´m growing weary of typing.

After some truly interesting shenanigans in Cali, think a bottle of scotch deep with locals by 2PM, we grabbed our first flight in South America up to the Caribbean.

We´re in Cartagena, Colombia. Scorching day in this beautiful colonial city on the Caribbean. Had a brilliant morning run along the old city wall, off to explore.