Back from the mountains

To start this off randomly, six days in the highland has made me look like an idiot. I blame that on the strong sun, but I also feel different.

I dropped Huayna Potosi to go with some guys from the hostel, for six days of trekking in the Las Cordilleras. Unfortunatly for us, Kings Cross is supposed to be better. The trip was then delayed one day, where I bought "Marching Powder"; the incredibly interesting book about the english guy who started making the San Pedro prison into a tourist attraction.
This prison is like nowhere else in the world, and for a bribe, you could earlier get in quite easy. Nowadays, they`re cracking down, so its very hard. I settled with reading the book in the nice park outside of it.

The San Pedro prison works its own political, economical and social system, where you pay an entrance fee, for an apartment(where you can have whatever you want) in a security and wealth divided zone system. Within these zones, you`ll find families living together, restaurants, markets, shops, and in the heavyer areas: a cocain factory that produces some of the purest stuff you can get hold off. The tourist usually sniff this stuff together with the tour guide, as the police never enters this zone, where you`ll be receiving the tour.
How this prison system, where you can bribe yourself to a day off, with escort, works on money, and the rest of Bolivia, is shocklingly described in this great book. It was pretty strange to read it, looking at the place where things were still going on.

But back to the trip!
My travel companions and me made up a quite nice team. There were two Israelis, who taught me a bit of Hebrew, and a New Zealander that unfortunatly had a worsening mouth infection from Huayna Potosi. He had come to La Paz by motorcycle, too, so I could get some useful input. We were all gonna build a raft and raft the river Tuichi to Rurrenabaque, in ten days. Due to the rivers alarming strenght now in the rainy season, and the fact that I`d rather squeeze in some horseback-time in Tupiza, I had to be the chicken and bail out.
Our bolivian guide, Fernando, who we all grew very close to on this trip, has convinced us all to go to the big carneval in Oruro, and then the Amazon, as there is flooding going on. He started off as a serious tour guide, and ended up as a teasing little baby, who just loves his glacier caves.

It took us ten hours by bus to get to a deserted little town, where we spent the night in a non-isolated house with dusty and rocky floors. We then woke up to find snowcovered llamas outside, we simply thought: ooh boy...
The first trek to our camping spot lasted a few hours, and the weather kept changing(probably the most annoying part, as you have to change clothes all of the time). We passed 5000moh at the most. Always when you`re trekking in altitude, its kind of like yoga, as you have to focus a lot on your breath. I don`t like walking slow, so I always stayed in the head of the group, and waited for the rest, instead. The guide was pleased that we walked so fast. He brought delicious snacks, and I was soon to be named the cookie monster, as I constantly was covered in crumbles.
We crossed a river an hour before setting up camp by a lake. That was cold, but not as bad as the morning we were returning. We were wet and cold when we reached camp, but after changing and chilling a bit, the good mood came creeping. That disappeared in the night, when the tents were damp and freezing. Me and one of the israelis clunched together and at the worst, I promised him a sunny day. He pretty much squeeked out: really? you think so?

I was right. We had a beautiful day. I mean seriously beautiful! Fernando also got to visit his caves. He would enter each one, and urge us to follow. It was quite spectacular, and destructive for my rain pants, who were completely destroyed by the day. I looked like a poor miner. We fell asleep twice in the sun. Lovely.. But the New Zealander was struggling with altitude, and didn`t follow us, as I was dead keen on going up an intimidatingly steep mountain(5700). We had already walked all day, had no more food, and the others grinned that I just wouldn`t give up. Still we had to return before dark, and stopped 200m before. I think the old me might have quit, but I`m definatly not.. the same, as I was. I needed to prove this to myself.

We were not as lucky the next afternoon. We couldn`t go where we were supposed to, and I preferred drying my feet instead of going for a walk on the glaciers. That just isn`t worth the risk, and I was right again. Coming early back to camp, changing, listening to music and reading my book, just kickstarted a great mood, just in time for the snow to stop and stars to appear. In Fernando`s tent, the cooker made it warm enough to sit down. We called it "the sauna". The food was still good(everything is good on treks where you need your calories), and we devoured a great deal of cookies and chai tea, as well. Naturally.
The rest of the nights in the tent, hadn`t been that cold, althought its impossible to sleep deeply in that altitude.

But that last morning.. ohhh, that last morning..
I`d say it was the worst morning of my life, and I could do nothing but fight with my own mind, reminding myself of the comforts that were awaiting, and how so many people suffered worse than me.
We woke up to the tent being Deeply covered in snow, and the snow still falling. We needed to wrap up the tent, put on icy socks and shoes, not have breakfast and hope that we would`t get too wet to not survive the next day. My rainpants were already a mess. The no breakfast thing doesn`t work for me, so... well.. the top layer of yesterdays pasta, thrown onto the ground... I couldn`t Just survive on coca pills!
After one hour, we were due to cross the river, which had almost grown to hip height. The river was warmer than my shoes, so that was fine, but it cut off all bloodcirculation in my legs for the following climb. It was a rough climb, and after an hour, I had given up that my feet would stop hurting. It didn`t matter how hot I got elsewhere, and exclaimed that we had to stop before I`d loose them. (such a whimp)
After warming and drying feet and socks, I said; fine, I can live with this. Fernando however, called my feet isicles and told us to wait a bit longer, giving me extra socks that absorbed a lot of the water, so when we started going down, I could remove them and my feet would have circulation once more. Everything after that was amazing because that morning of freezing feet, losing their nerves, starving and being tired from the uphills, didn`t knock me Completely down. I wasn`t cold elsewhere, and the pain would pass. And I`m on a holiday, I thought to myself..

We were supposed to walk further, but honestly.. we were thrilled by the idea of a car lift to the hot springs. We were gonna catch a night bus to La Paz, but there wasn`t one going that night, a bus driver said. In such small villages, if a bus goes or not, depends on rain... You never know if the bus is actually gonna come, or when!
The villagers offered us beds in case it didn`t, but in the end, it showed up at the exact time I had betted, while we were sitting in a friendly mans little shabby shop, drinking tea and jabbering on.
The man was lovely, and was so keen on learning english that he had bought a grammar booklet and everything. The village itself was pretty dead, apart from alpacas trodding around in the streets, and later on, some teenagers drinking beer around a truck.
It was a wonderful sight to see the bus arrive, with seats available. It was a hell of a bumpy ride, but we got back to La Paz in the morning!
I`ve had a loong, fantastic shower, breakfast, a long nap, chilled out and ahh.. Its just so good to get out and back into your comfort zone. Especially when you can get such cheap massages and good food.
The plan is now to go to Valle de Luna with Fernando, tomorrow. Shop some necesseties and then take off for Sucre the next day. I`m catching a bus back up to Oruro and then La Paz, to fly to the Amazon, when its dryer. A ten hour bus ride costs 25kr, which wont get you 15 minutes in my hometown.

Update

Not a whoole lot to say. I cant find my camera memory stick! I`ve done a lot of shopping, went to the coca museum(which involved a whole lot of reading), enjoyed the fact that Tornado is ravishingly clean and working smoother than ever with a new generator and a larger gasoline tube.
So if you need a trustworthy mechanic in La Paz, call Enrique: 7777391. I wanted to pay him extra for the great job they did, but he wouldn`t take it.
I`ve also been reading the incredible Steppenowolf, which I wont finish, as Sander takes it with him when they all go south tonight.
In a famous indian restaurant, I was challenged by the words "finish this spicy place and you`ll get a t-shirt"... irresistible.. my stomach was hurting for 2,5hrs afterwards, though!

Tomorrow morning, I`m doing the Huayna Potosi(6094 m.a.o.s.l) 3 day trek. That will be seriously tough. Bought coca-pastilles. If coca could keep those mine workers in Potosi going, they might just save me too. I`m gonna need some chill time after that, before the Amazon. What a week!

La Pazing the time

Dear God, what a title. Buut but, I can`t help myself!

Yesterday I went to the witches market with two australian girls. I got a good massage that fixed my back, for 50 bolivianos(45min). I thought that was pretty cheap, but I just discovered a massage place inside a swimming pool building, three blocks up from Loki, that charges 25 bolivianos for an hour! Thats like 20 NOK...

I bought some necesseties and nice shoes for 47 bolivianos, met a lot of nice locals that were constantly warning me about keeping my stuff safe, etc. While buying some bike- equipment, I stayed a while, talking to the store owner and his friend, Raoul, who was a cop. Raoul offered me a ride on the back of his bike. He was a really nice guy. Invited me for dinner when he dropped me off, even. It wouldn`t have been dangerous to be n the back, as the traffic is so slow at that hour, that I could`ve jumped off anytime. Was just fun to pass by my friends on the street.

We all hung out at the hostel that night. I really like Loki! Tall ceilings, classic interior design, nice people. Once again, I wasn't able to sleep long. Altitude and my day rythm makes it so hard!
I went to find a mechanic for some repair and update. In the parking house, one of the guys offered to show me where to go. He went with me on the back, pretty high up, to one of his friends who charged too much. I replaced the mirrors myself, and we went to another place where the really nice Enrique charged me half! He fixed my signal light, and we made an appointment for tomorrow morning. Tornado`s going to do so much better with a little force. He keps shutting off.
The same guy who showed me the way(three blocks up from Loki, and to the right), works in that swimming pool place, so he gave me a tour. 22 bolivianos for swimming and sauna. I`m going there for the massage when it opens at 3 pm. My friends are all doing the death road, until 7-8ish, while I`ve got lots of shopping to do in the main market, which is ten minutes away.

Isla del Sol and La Paz

Copacabana is touristy. There are seriously english signs all over the place, and the locals seem tired of idiot gringos. It is however funny and charming how they dress up their cars with flowers for good luck. I guess they really need that!
I watched the sunset by the beach, as two australians asked me to join them. We went to a nice little place later on and met some other americans. I met those australians again last night for dinner, here in La Paz.
The morning I was taking the very very slow boat to Isla del Sol, I met two great norwegian girls that I hung out with for that whole trip. The start was pretty miserable, as it was raining and Cold!
It did get much better. We went to see the ruins, hung out on a pir while chileans were playing guitar, had a nap, made pasta on a wood-oven(it takes forever in that altitude, and the water doesn't really boil). Iris threw up in the night, possibly because of that. After all this, we went down to the beach, where we enjoyed more chilean guitarplay, a fireplace, moon and the stars. There are a lot of people staying in tents on the beach.
I got up early and went for a quiet walk, did some yoga on top of the hill, chilled on the beach and got on the boat to Copacabana. Unfortunatly, I forgot to give the girls their room key so that they could get their stuff when they`d leave on the next boat... Sorry!

When I came back to Copacabana, the laundry woman who had tried to clean my gasoline smelling clothes, were trying to charge me 50 bolivianos because the next batch of clothes she had washed, smelled too. It was my first fight in spanish. I ended up paying 20 for her misfortune. My bag still stinks.
The ride to La Paz was alright. The floating raft experience was interesting. Thats how you cross the lake. Getting into the city is always a bit of a hassle, and La Paz is steep, so at one point, some guys actually had to push me up a hill. I found Loki in the end, but there`s no parking, so my bike is in a parqueador. I also found the guys staying in the hostel, too. I didn`t go out with them last night because I got a heavy message...:
- I'm too late to take the chemistry exam - thus I can`t study next year! I`ve had a very very slow morning today, trying to realize this and figure out what I want to do. I never knew how ready I really was to start, and now I can't... feel like a mess.
We`re gonna go for some massages now, so I`ll... yeah... update with pictures later. Its good to be somewhere where I can relax for a bit. I really like this traditional looking hostel with a really tall ceiling. I`ll try to find some paz in La Paz.

Que tal, Bolivia?

The border crossing was great: no line, no hassle, no questions about licence.
Getting to the border was worse, or had a rough start, as a bus tried to make a u-turn right in front of me. My reaction was not fear, but actually anger. What the hell was he doing?
So yeah, we went down, you can say.. the driver gave me 20 soles for repairs, apologizing that he didn`t see me. My lightcover fell off and a man came rushing with some superglue. The first reaction you get when you go down is concern for your bike. He is luckily alright... when I was reaching the border, a car drove into my file and I though: Hell no, not again!
Luckily he was just avoiding some holes in the ground, and returned to his side.. I already notice the roads being a great deal worse. You never know whats around the corner.
My gasoline casket did burst out quite a lot of gasoline, so my stuff is in the laundry.

I reached Copacabana; the supertouristy town by the lovely lake Titicaca, and the first ones I met were the guys, who didn`t get why a biker kept honking at them. They`re on their way to La Paz, now. I`m going to Isla del Sol in the morning.

Chivay to Puno

I left, once again, very early. Driving up to 4900 meters above sea level that early was quite cold for my fingers. The engine did fine, until the level of gasoline got a bit low.

Just to be sure, I did some more check ups. It turned out to just be the lack of gasoline, so that I would have to refill or switch on the reserve, every time the engine would stop. The views were more spectacular at first, but it was nicer when it got a bit hotter. I´ve seen so much incredible nature now...

Made it all the way to Puno, where I got pulled over by cops. They immediatly shipped me off as they saw that I was a white woman. What wrong am I gonna do? just ride without a licence. taha. On my way out of Arequipa, I didn´t take any chances and did a loop in a dirty little village to avoid the police check ups.

Seing Lake Titicaca was quite a reward. I should´ve sat down to relax, but I got some great massage tips, and went searching. A woman walked with me for great parts of it, just to help out. Only found overprices places and was exhausted by the end of it. Now I´m all wrapped up in a blanket, ready for the big day tomorrow.

Its my last day in Peru, today, and I´ve been reflecting. I really came to like peruvians as well as their nature. Colombians are different. They have this incredible pulse, while peruvians have a more reserved pride(in a good way), and I´ve talked to so many nice old men that love to talk about their country. There´s a different crowd travelling in Peru, and its amazing how established tourism is here. You´ll find a gringo anywhere!

There´s also an older crowd, very often couples, travelling in Peru. Definately more europeans.

I am now very much excited about how Bolivia will be! I´ll miss the peruvian roads at one point, probably. The food too. Oh boy..

Colca Canyon

I got up early and made my way towards Colca Canyon; a B-eautiful drive! Pictures will come as soon as I get proper internet connection. There were dirt roads, as I knew. Bumpy, gravely, full of waterholes and a few rivers. You just had to lift your feet up high and give gas, where you couldn`t get past on the sides. There were tourist buses that helped me out in the tunnels, where they could actually light it up. On the way back, I was not that lucky. Just tried my best not to hit a wall.
There were a terrible deal of clouds at Cruz del Condor, so I kept riding down some beautiful roads, to a little village. I visited nearly all of the villages on the way back from Cruz del Condor, which stayed cloudy for a long time. Almost all of the tourists gave up and went back. I knew it would clear up eventually, and got my reward: a magnificent view and spotting my first condor; a old and huge bird that is admired all over South America.
One thing that surprised me about visiting Colca Canyon, was that I was a tourist attraction worth taking their photo with...
And yeah.. Note to self: next time you go offroading, don`t forget a sportsbrah.

Later in the day, I read chemistry in the park, bought my everyday lucuma jet - ice cream from a seven year old ice cream salesgirl... went to the hot springs for a long bath; there I naturally encountered some other gringos, and when I came back, someone had Finally moved into my hotel. I`m meeting the nice argentinians for some cooking and a beer later tonight. One of them is dead keen on riding on the back to Puno, tomorrow morning. If we could ship our stuff with the other argentinian, that Could just work.

As for Tornado, I refilled a little bit of air and oil. The main problem was really the gasoline filter that was dirty and full of water. That`s emptied, but I need to change the filter and the tube in Bolivia. I was just glad that there was something wrong that I could fix! not just altitude.

Arequipa and Chivay

09/02/11

After saying goodbye to the guys, I was on my way to Arequipa for 30 soles. The bus was fine, besides the fact that the speOakers were directly above my head, bursting out the Godfather 2 in spanish. I talked to a nice man from Arequipa, and took a sleeping pill to knock myself out for the whole 11 hours. Worked nicely.
Took a taxi for 5 soles to the center, for The Flying Dog hostel, where my dear Tornado was waiting for me. He has had some upgrades, and I can't wait to ride him tomorrow. I didn´t want to start riding now, when there's so much traffic.
Its a nice hostel with a good breakfast. Just a bit too expensive for me. I´m leaving for Colca Canyon at dawn, and intend to stay at Chivay, before going to Puno.
Arequipa is pretty, but there´s not a lot to do. I´ve walked around, snatched photos, met a guy I knew from Colombia, hung out with some people and really enjoyed watching The Expendables. We´re now going out for a free instrumental concert in the San Francisco church.
Other things to do in Arequipa is fine dining, party and visiting the Santa Catalina monastary.
The evening before I left, I met a german guy on a bike too. Might run into him in Colca Canyon.

I´m now enjoying some newfound music: Devendra Banhart (-freely, escpecially). Thanks Dolan.

Riding to Chivay

What a day!!

Chivay is the little town nearby Colca Canyon, the worlds deepest canyon. To get there, I got up really early and loaded my bike. And hey, my straps are just falling apart, and to not have to wait until traffic commences, I used lots of electrical cables as security! Disturbing.
I was afraid. Seriously afraid to get back on the bike after two months. Riding in such altitudes where the engine keeps tugging, so that you have to remain leveled out in every turn, didn´t help, either. Gradually, I`d get more and more comfortable again.
Travelling is strange. I`m just.. getting to know places now. Exploring. My passion is fresh and stirring. My eye is searching and admiring. My mind is saying I should be more careful.
I did conquer my fears today. Life gave me a nice reward for it. The scenery is once again very admirable. There`s hardly any plant life, but a few animal species; some sort of deer, alpacas and flamingos.
Can`t believe I was walking on my bike that many times to defeat the altitude, still remaining so positive that I was going to make it. I was rolling downhill at one point. The engine just died again and again, after I had passed the highest point, by some snowcapped mountains. Can`t say how worried I am about going back up there, on my way to Puno. Don`t feel like being stuck down here, though Chivay is a lovely town! Taking my bike to a mechanic later.

Everything has tasted great here, people are nice and wearing colorful, traditional clothing, and the dogs are the loveliest I`ve seen. The mountains are spectacular. Sorry, but Norway is just losing this fight...
I found a friendly hotel here for 10 soles, called El Rey. I`ve snatched photos and had a great lunch in a restaurant on the way to the bullfight arena. The landscape in the valley is lovely and there`s flowers all about. Its raining now, so its time to get some chemistry done. In the morning, its due offroading Colca Canyon! Hopefully some thermal baths, too.