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!

Just so good

Beach life is just so Good. The wind keeps it from being too hot to lie in the sun, and gives you a liittle bit of wave. I borrowed Victors board to try a little bit, and I really don`t have the muscles for it anymore. At least the water is nice. He`s become really sick, again, so I`m off to buy him some Ritz and oregano(oregano and hot water is supposed to be a remedy). The food is still good. Parihuela for instance. Just stay away from churrasco, as it`s fried and dry fish. Yesterday I was informed about a guitarplayer-singer that I should hook up with to play some songs, and we entertained in the resort for a bit.
I`m staying in another hotel now, as I found a place to bargain down 10 soles. I keep hanging out at Loki`s though, as all my friends stay there. I got to speak spanish with locals yesterday, but the locals here react differently to me, as they`re used to gringos getting wasted and not speaking to them. Such a shame.
I also visited the little fruit market and got a mango smoothie for one sol(that`s less than 5kr).

It was strange to leave Mancora, as it felt like I just got there. I never had time to get bored for a second. I entertained with another guitarist, as the bartender had assigned himself to become my manager, changed the oil, slept in the sun, walked the beach at sunset, cut Ocean, my californian friend`s hair, got a massage for payment, had some more ceviche, tried the best seafood restaurant in town(which is the lonely planet rec one), and had a goodbye dinner at La Sirena, which is very fancy cuisine. A lot of us are meeting up in Lima, so it was only goodbye to Mancora. For tips: there is also a very good heladeria that people don`t know about, to the left of Loki, on the beach. So I left Mancora at dawn, to stay at the next, a little bigger and less touristy beach: Huancacho.

Mancora, Peru

3. 12. 2010


I was sceptical to the idea of staying at a party hostel, but Loki has other qualities too.
http://www.lokihostel.com/en/mancora
Most hostels are expensive in Mancora, but here you get to stay at this big resort with a swimming pool, beachvolleyball court, pingpong, pooltable, a big bar, free computers, different events every day, hammocks, free coffee, tea and a pettish breakfast. There are so many people to meet and get to know here, and I also ran into a few that I knew from before. Like the swedish girl that I sent my bag with from Medellin to Quito, and her boyfriend. My british friend from Latacunga. Some friends from Baños and a couple from Vilcabamba, that are really staying at another hostel, but visit here. The first person I met when I came here was a good friend I made in Vilcabamba that was at one point considering riding down here with me. Considering the dry offroad I crossed, I`m pretty glad he didn`t. It would`ve been suicidal.

It was amazing to walk ten meters from the hostel and be right at the beautiful beach, and the sunset later on was terrificly pink. Suddenly it was like being back at Kuta beach, Bali, sitting down on the sand, hugging my knees with a smile on my face. And oh, the food! I love the ceviche. Its just the seafood, fruit and All of the other food too. So good and cheap! It`s more expensive here in Mancora, as it is touristy, but for what you get... wow. We have so many restaurants to check out, and I`m liking the thought of spending a week here. After dinner with my Vilcabamba friends: which involves a californian bloke(that I know is reading this), a finnish girl and her danish boyfriend, there was karaoke night at Loki`s. We all rocked it, and after singing "what a feeling", me and my finnish friend got a free drink. Wasn`t really drinking, but the word free is just irresistible to a sunnmoring. It was great fun!

I`m not too bothered by noice when going to sleep, but it can wake you up. That`s the price of staying at a hostel like this. Might move to the one next to this that`s a little bit cheaper, and rather hang out at Loki`s.
This morning, I was as usual the only one getting up at time, and went for a yoga session right by the beach(8 o clock), that fixed my exhausted back. The yoga session is run by a great american woman and you pay by donation. Then I went to go try if my credit card works here in Peru, and Hipp hipp hurray if it doesn`t! So good to have money again and be independent! No more blowing off money to Western Union.
I went straight to haggle and shop the missing swimwear and sunglasses before chilling out on the beach. It`s windy and nice. The water is just right, but it`s been flat for a while. Surfing was quite difficult, but the paddling was great excercise. Everyone`s waiting for the waves to pick up on sunday. It better! The beachvolleyball here isn`t much. - The only disappointment. I`m happy.