It’s obviously been a while but I thought I should continue the story as I haven’t even begun to get to the interesting parts.

One of the many churches of Cusco.

May 22nd

Buenos dias. It’s early afternoon on Saturday and time for a break. A few hours of walking around the city and constantly being asked to buy something, or eat at such and such a restaurant, or if I want a message was about all we could handle.

Tangent: Honestly, there are so many women asking if I want a message (“massage friend?”) that I have a hard time believing at least some of them don’t come with a happy ending.

Now it’s time for a break (mostly because we’re not used to the altitude and even the slightest hill is difficult).  Just a chance to sit, write a little, read a little, pontificate a little, and just disconnect from it all.

The disconnecting part is a little harder than I thought it’d be. We’re in an urban center with all the amenities one would have at home. Besides the internet cafes and bars with tv’s showing english programs I also have my cell phone.

In order to keep in touch with the Missus and let her know how I’m doing periodically I contacted my service provider and made sure my phone would work in Peru for a nominal fee and fairly decent rates.

But the relief and comfort of being able to chat with the Missus has left me open to receiving calls and texts from others (Scott, I got your text and will not be going to the pub to watch the hockey game as I am in Peru. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but the $0.50 for the text didn’t seem worth it).

Peruvian flats

The next four days will be different, however. There is no cell phone reception or internet on the Inca trail and I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited about focusing solely on the task at hand and on the beautiful scenery around me.

But that’s mañana. For another 16 hours it’s traffic and crowds and dogs barking and noise. That’s still part of the experience, though, I suppose.

Hasta luego.

May 23rd

It has begun. Though, they definitely don’t rush you into it. After picking us up just before 7am we drove around Cusco picking up other travelers and the all-important porters (henceforth, I will refer to them as sherpas despite it being geographically and linguistically incorrect).

We then drove for almost two hours along narrow and winding roads till we reached the town of Ollantaytambo. There, we grabbed a light breakfast, bought some water and a wooden walking stick (a broom handle that had been painted and had designs carved in it).

Feeling incredibly like a gringo we then continued driving for another 30 minutes before stopping and unloading in what appeared to be a soccer field. From here on we will be walking.

Walking down the road about a kilometer we reached Km 82 and the entrance to the Inca trail. It also happens to be where the train station is for the less adventurous types (there are no roads to Machu Picchu).

The first couple of hours we covered is an area that is known as ‘Peruvian flats.’ Back home we’d call it gently rolling hills. All in all, it was a very pleasant stroll.

Raymond and I had sherpas to carry most of our gear (we’re on vacation and trying to support the local economy), which amounts to about 15kg of stuff (31.5 lbs for the metrically challenged).

The ruins of Llaqtapata.

Beyond this the sherpas also carry all the tents, cooking gear (including propane tank), food for 9 people for 4 days, and emergency supplies. Each of them carries around 25 kg on their backs.

Lunch was spent in a dining tent set up on a soccer field that tilted at a very unfortunate angle for whoever was the team on the downhill side. Lunch was comprised of asparagus soup, garlic bread, chicken, rice, potatoes, avocado, and coca tea (coca tea will be a staple for duration of the trip as it helps with altitude sickness and gives energy).

After lunch we continued up the trail with a couple of steeper sections but nothing too bad. We stopped for a short break on a cliff over-looking the ruins of Llaqtapata, which was a farming community along the river.

Our guide gave us a a brief overview of Inca spiritual beliefs that can be viewed in their architecture, as well as explaining the functional uses of the buildings.

Sun setting on our first day.

From there it was two more hours; through mountain brush and a little mountain forest, through a narrow valley along a rushing stream until we reached our campsite in Wayllabamba.  A couple of small buildings for the locals to call home and a couple of flat sections to pitch our tents.

We’ve made camp  and dinner should be ready soon. With the sun almost completely down I’m mostly relying on moonlight to write.

Dinners ready, time to run.

~Kbshea

The hills surrounding Cusco through an alley.

I recently spent some time in Cusco, Peru and hiking along the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. If you haven’t been, go. 

May 20th.

 It’s been just over a year since my Nicaragua adventure with Raymond and it’s time we went on another. This time it’s off to Peru.

 More specifically, we’re heading to Cusco to hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Four days of strolling through the Andes and high-lighted by climbing over Dead Woman’s Pass.

 The conclusion of our efforts will be to arrive first thing in the morning at Machu Picchu, a religious and agricultural center of the Inca empire nestled high in the mountains.

But a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Or in this case, with the first of three flights.

Like any trip, I’m excited for the adventure, for being outside of  my box and being unplugged from all the usual emails, phone calls, and ads that are forced upon us in a steady stream of information (most of which is useless).

Sometimes it’s nice to just unplug and recharge. But before any of that can happen I have about 17 hours of travel time ahead of me.

I think it’s time for a nap.

The Plaza de Armas in Cusco.

May 21st.

Buenos noche. I made it. It took a while but I’m here in Cusco, Peru and, to be honest, I’m exhausted.   

It’s about 7:30pm local time and even adjusting for the change in time zones there is no way that I should be this tired. Raymond and I even took a two hour nap this afternoon.   

But, if you figure in the 20+ hours of travel, the three hours of combined sleep I managed to get while flying and the 3,400m change in elevation then it starts to make sense.   

We still managed a bit of walking around and grabbed a bite in a couple of touristy places, including an Irish pub.Our reasoning is that with our hike starting at 6am the day after tomorrow it would probably be in our best interest if we kept the early to bed, early to rise routine going.   

The plan tomorrow is to take it easy. Maybe check out some of the sights that are close by and pick up a few odds and ends that we’ll need for the trek.   

So far, the altitude sickness that I’ve been anxious about for the past month seems to have manifested itself in a couple of hours of light-headedness, fatigue and a bit of shortness of breath when walking uphill.   

I figure another day and a good night sleep and we’ll be ready to tackle the Andes. Not that we have a choice.   

Time for bed.   

~Kbshea

A few weeks ago Charlie got a bath.  The Missus used our new camcorder to record the moment but when I posted about it I didn’t have the technology to share the video.

I’m happy to say that I’ve now joined the youtube nation and can now offer you our first home video for public consumption. Enjoy.

~Kbshea

Rain by the Bay usually means snow in the mountains. As I mentioned before, it’s been raining a lot.Last Saturday a few friends and I decided to hop on the Bay Area Ski Bus and head up to Alpine Meadows on the north side of Lake Tahoe. 

I rarely use the word ‘epic.’ In fact, I’ve campaigned against its overuse and firmly believe there should be a fine for mis-using it. 

Note: A sign that something is indeed epic is if it has been made into a movie or a best-selling book. Therefore, your weekend in Vegas was not epic unless it inspired the movie, ‘The Hangover,” in which case you may use the word ‘epic’ and should be applauded. 

But I got really close to using it this past weekend. In the five days leading up to our ski adventure it dumped 100 inches of snow on our mountain resort. Over 8 feet of fresh powder! It was truly amazing and our timing couldn’t have been better (we planned the trip about a month before). 

When we got there it was still snowing and would continue to do so intermittently throughout the day.  

Skiing through the trees

 There was so much snow that the ‘groomed’ runs had 4 inches of powder covering them. There was pow-pow everywhere and I was giddy as  I stood at the top of mountain looking at the winter playground below my feet.  

Rest time at the ice bar on the back side

 What were usually knee-jerking, bone-rattling moguls were now soft, fluffy pillows of bouncy goodness. There was no fear because falling was almost fun (like playing in a foam pit). The only drawback was the serious potential for losing equipment in the 3 feet of snow.  

Buddy looking for his ski in 2' of snow

 Then, for a few minutes, the clouds lifted and the world opened up around us to reveal a spectacular winter scene of the mountains and Lake Tahoe in the distance. One of those days that make me appreciate my fortune in life. 

 ~Kbshea  

Lake Tahoe in the distance

For the past week or so northern California has been inundated with precipitation. In the mountainous regions around Lake Tahoe this has meant snow, and lots of it. Up to 8 feet in some places in the last week.

But here in the city by the bay this has meant rain, lots of it. So much in fact that there have been legitimate concerns of flooding in some areas.

I feel permanently damp and cold. But as the Irish say, ‘There’s no bad weather, only the wrong clothing.’ So, armed with an umbrella, a raincoat, and rain appropriate shoes I make my way through the sodden city. Spending as little time outside as possible as I go.

Charlie, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same options. Everyday the good people at On the Go Pet Care pick Charlie up for an hour of leash-free frolicking in the fields, parks, and beaches around the city.  And he loves every minute of it.

For one glorious hour (plus travel time) he gets to carouse with his chums (about 5 or 6 other dogs in the group), chase dogs chasing tennis balls (Charlie doesn’t do the fetch thing), and feel the wind through his floppy ears as he bounds through the tall grass and sandy beaches.

Note: Charlie actually resembles a rabbit when he runs.  Or a teeter-totter. When the head is up, the bum is down and vice versa.

These walks happen rain or shine and, as I mentioned, it’s been mostly rain lately.

Tangent: Last Monday there was so much rain that the gophers had been flooded out of their holes and onto the open field where the dogs went. Once off-leash the dogs quickly abandoned their tennis balls for more unpredictable and lively toys.  It took the poor walker the next 45 minutes to get all the dogs back on leash (no gophers were harmed in the making of this post).

So, for the past week Charlie has gotten wet. Really wet. Being 2 inches off of the ground does not lend itself to staying dry in pretty much any weather condition.

You know how your towel in the bathroom will start to smell a bit like mildew if you don’t let it dry completely or use it for too long before washing? Well, that’s the way Charlie now smells.

It’s not so much the wet dog smell as it is the mildew smell. Thank goodness he’s not a longhair.

The long and the short of it, it’s time for a bath because Charlie stinks.

~Kbshea

(Note: I actually have a video of this but I’m too cheap to pay for the ability to upload videos so you’re out of luck. So instead, here’s a pic of Charlie and me napping just because it’s my favourite time of day.)