Last Updated: 07/22/03

Click underlined countries/regions to link directly to corresponding journal entries

April 23, 2002:  The Floating Islands

 This part under construction...

April 24, 2002:  Around Arequipa

Arequipa is a beautiful town center.  If we had more time, we think we could have stayed here for a while -  maybe even taken Spanish classes here � but we need to make it to Lima in two days to meet Karen�s Mom.  So, today will have to be it for exploring Arequipa.  First we walked around the center and plaza de Armas.  The city is in the middle of a restoration project to repair earthquake damage to their huge cathedral on the square.  The construction site is amazing � they have fenced off an open area right in front of the cathedral for masons to work on carving and shaping huge blocks of white used.  The finish work to create smooth edges, round surfaces, corners, etc is all done by hand. It is really neat idea to have the craftsman work where the public can watch because it must give their citizens a great sense of pride to watch the progress and we�re sure it makes them feel a part of the project.  We thought it was great!  After visiting the plaza, we walked just outside town to a view point and church listed in our guild book.  It was a nice walk and gave us a pretty good view of Arequipa.  From there we decided to take LP�s (Lonely Planet) suggestion for a typical Peruvian food of a nearby suburban restaurant.  We assumed it would be inexpensive place as LP really geared for the budget back-packer types; but we were surprised to find this place was very upscale with table cloths and prices to match.  The upside was that the food was really good and we did try the local food (Rotca Rellena and Acopa Arequipa)�although we did pass on the guinea pig (a local favorite).  After lunch, we walked back in town and visited Monasterio de Santa Catalina.  Once inside, we hired a guild and spent the next 2 hours touring the monastery and learning about life there from the 16^th century all the way up to today.  It was listed in LP as �the most fascinating colonial religious building in Peru� and the place is absolutely beautiful.  The architecture is stunning and it has been meticulously maintained.  Our guild did a great job � and we would highly recommend people repeat this experience themselves if they are in the area.

April 25, 2002:  Colca Canyon

This morning we left at 9am for a two day trip/tour to Colca Canyon � the deepest canyon in the world and where some condors make their home.  Before the mini-van could pick us up at our hostal, it had to wait for the procession of school children (mostly girls) to pass through the streets.  As Karen went outside to watch them pass, she found that the kids were watching her more than she was watching them.  A few of the kids even got in trouble or at least needed a reminder to keep looking straight ahead.  Not sure what the event was about or why the kids thought Karen was so interesting � but it was a nice procession and passed pretty quickly.  Turns out that we were the 2^nd to last people picked up for the tour and had to split up to find seats -- Karen in the front and John in the back.  John definitely got a bad deal� but met a nice English couple, Siad and Janet, who where also sitting in the back seat.  Along with us were also a couple of girls from the Bay Area and another few people from England.  It was a good and fun group.  We spent most of the day in the min-van driving and enjoying the scenery � stopping to take pictures of snow capped mountains as well as llamas, alpacas and vicunas when we could.  We reached our destination, the small town of Chivay, where we stayed the night and enjoyed the local hot thermal springs.

April 26, 2002:  Colca Canyon & The Condors

This morning we were off to see what we came for � the canyon and the infamous condors!  Up around 5:30am, packed and breakfast at 6am; on the road by 6:30 in order to reach the canyon by mid-morning when the condors begin to fly.  We got to the canyon and struggled to find a place to stand or sit to enjoy the view and watch for the birds.  There were so many tourists there all in the same spot that at first it was a little disappointing or frustrating because a sense of nature or outdoors was lost with so many people.  But we soon found a good spot and settled in with our binoculars glued to our eyes.  When the condors began to fly � all the people seemed to disappear as everyone was silent in their presence.  The condors are incredibly huge and flew over our heads over and over again.  We had no idea we would be able to see them that clearly.  Every time they flew by � we would try to snap a picture (and we think we got a couple of good shots) or just watched them glide with ease.  After a couple of hours we reluctantly climbed back in the van for the 6 hour trip back to Arequipa.  We arranged for the tour company to drop us off directly at the airport so we could catch our evening flight to Lima.  After the flight and a long taxi ride (almost an hour), we arrived at Karen�s cousins � the Stalla�s � around 9:30pm.  Long day� but lots of fun!

April 27, 2002  -->  May 11, 2002

Small lapse here... under construction...

May 12, 2002: Jungle Adventure

The waiting is finally over and we are on our way to the jungle.  We all climb aboard a heavy duty truck that has been outfitted with some seats for passengers (seats 18 � 16 tourists and 2 guilds) and get underway.  The ride is better described as �adventurous� - as any other descriptor.  Basic dirt/rock roads, small bridges when streams are big and no bridges when streams are small; as well as long-long switch backs to cross the mountains and canyons which finally bring us to the cloud forest about 10 hours later.  Along the way we stopped for lunch in a small definitely �non-tourist� town (Pilco-Pata).  For one of the first times it seemed that we, "the gringos", were the attraction instead of the ruins, scenery, or indigenous people themselves.  It was kind of fun - we all got tons of looks or really stares from the locals and a few of the women tried talking to us (or were saying something to us) - but they spoke only Quechua - so communication was out as neither Spanish or English worked.  Lunch was fantastic - fried rice and chicken - if that is an indication of the food quality for the week - we are all going to be very happy!  Once back in the jungle truck, we finished our 10+ hour ride to our open-air lodge in the cloud forest.  It was a great set up!  Big platform with a palm roof - and on the platform were 16 beds with mosquito netting.  They had another building for eating; hope it�s this good every night!

May 13, 2002:  Cock-of-the-rock

Cock-of-the-rock is the national bird of Peru.  It is brightly colored red with black wings.  Its head has a huge crest or extended forehead making it very unique.  Every morning at dawn these birds meet at a few places in the cloud forest to �dance� for each other -- or rather the males showoff and make a lot of noise, ruffle their feathers and hop around a lot trying to get the attention of the females.  We awoke before dawn to get to the location and get set up in a viewing blind (camouflaged area to observe wildlife) before the show.  And what a show - the blind was positioned perfectly across from a few trees which held a few dozen birds doing their morning dance.  We really didn�t think it would be that close but it was.  The only problem was for pictures. The light level in the forest is very low - and we could not use a flash or we would disturb the birds - so we are not too hopeful that we captured much on film�and we already know that we were not successful on the digital front.  So-- we just enjoyed with our eyes and binoculars.  After bird watching we went back to camp for breakfast and then packed up and back in the jungle truck still on our way to the lowlands.  We were only in the truck a few minutes when the guides spotted some wholly monkeys in the trees.  We all ran out of the truck and were treated to an even better show than the cock-of-the-rocks.  The monkeys stayed around for quiet a while trying to scare us away.  They shook the branches making lots of howling noises and the biggest one even walked out on a branch pretty close to us in order to stare us down.  When they finally got the idea that we weren�t leaving they took of themselves.  It was all very exciting and a good lesson to keep both cameras and binoculars at the ready at all times.  Back in the jungle truck for a few hours and we arrived to a place on the river where we could do some rafting.  Easy class 2/3 rapids � but Karen had never been before so was excited none the less.  We broke into two groups of eight for the rafting and rafted to our next camp site.  The journey was split between rafting in the rapids for a couple of hours before lunch, and then simply floating in calmer water for another 2+ hours after lunch.  During the stretch after lunch we spotted a couple of southern river otters which was fun.  We also stopped at a site where one of our guides Oliver (a.k.a. jungle-man) - is building a house and garden for himself to live.  We are not yet in the reserve zone of Manu - so people can still buy land from the government and create a place for themselves....if they can stand the heat, humidity, bugs, not to mention the lack of any infrastructure: water, electricity, etc  But it is the perfect place if you are jungle guide.  Back on the rafts we make it to our camp site � which is actually a lodge this time with cabins...and it�s just getting dark.

May 14, 2002:  On the River

Today, we settled in to our new mode of transportation for the rest of our jungle trip.  We plan to travel extensively by river going forward since there are no longer any roads (even for something like our jungle truck).  We are now in a large canoe outfitted with a roof for shade and an outboard motor to make upriver travel possible and down river travel much faster.  We pretty much spent all day in the boat motoring along...but the journey is part of the fun as we scanned the river shorelines and trees for animals/birds.  Having never been all that interested in birds before - it was surprising to find how much fun we actually had spotting the different birds and marking them off our animal check list that the guilds gave us at the beginning of the trip.  The binoculars were definitely a must so we were glad we each brought a pair along!  Once we arrived at camp in the late afternoon � this time tents on an open platform with a thatched palm roof for rain cover - we went out for a small nature hike in the jungle for about an hour.  On the trails around camp, our guilds explained different plants and special adaptations evolved for the jungle.  We also stopped and learned about many insects including termites - which you can eat should you get lost in the jungle - as well as plenty of spiders and ants...from leaf-cutters to army ants to the largest varieties of ant over an inch long!  After dinner, we went out in the dark for a night-time �catamaran�.  A jungle catamaran is really just wooden boards nailed across two wooden canoes.  We were in search of caiman - alligator family.  We spotted them by shinning a flashlight on to the lake and looking for their eyes to reflect back.  Once the two red dots were spotted in the dark, we (Oliver) silently paddled over to get a closer look.  In one case, our jungle man, Oliver was able to reach in and grab a baby caiman and bring it on board the catamaran for closer inspection.  The little guy was really neat and we felt like we were on animal planet with the crocodile hunter!  After we had all taken some pictures, Oliver put the little guy back where we found him and we were off.  The funny thing was on the way back to the dock site - we got lost in the dark and we couldn�t find the dock and small trail back to camp (and there is only thick jungle otherwise so no alternatives).  We paddled up and down the lake shoreline for quite a while (45 mins) and teased our guilds endlessly.  All ended well as we finally found our spot and headed back to camp.

May 15, 2002:  Wednesday

Up this morning before dawn again to get to a special place in the jungle where 1st green parrots and then later huge red & blue macaws come in numbers to perch and eat the clay dirt on a steep wall � which helps their digestion.  They come to this �clay lick� as it is called, every day in the morning much as the cock-of-the-rock came to dance in the cloud forest.  Our tour company had built another blind in this location so we could observe the birds without disturbing or frightening them.  The only problem was -- they never came!!  We sat there for hours hoping a few would show - but none did.  Even our conservative guild were surprised that none came -- but that�s nature (we suppose); unpredictable.  Note: our guild book did warn us that this was not a good time of the year to see the birds - although no one knows why.  Anyway, we go away a little discouraged, but ready to find what the rest of the day holds.  Back on the boats after breakfast, we make several stops throughout the day at small villages and even a super small airport (Boca Manu Airport - dirt runway) which to our great fortune - has a bar with cold beers too!  We stop for a drink and do some walking around the jungle trails there and saw some tiny squirrel monkeys that seemed almost tame as the owner of the airport tried to feed them some bananas.  Back on the boat we see a hawk that had just caught a pretty big snake (~5 feet long!).  He (assumption) was dragging the snake up the river shore and then gave us a great surprise/view as he jumped in the air and flew with the snake right out in front of our boat.  He then landed in a nearby tree and waited for us to leave before feeding.  �National Geographics� right in front of us!  We soon get to our camp site - and it is �on the beach� of the river we have been running; very scenic.

May 16, 2002:  The Reserve Zone

Camping on the beach was fun - but the amount of mosquitoes we must have had in our tent judging by Karen�s backside was not fun.  We are � well everyone is getting eaten alive down here, despite the amount/strength of �deet� being used.  We have this extra strength 100% stuff that you are not suppose to keep on your skin for long periods of time and it seems we are now bathing in it without much relief.  Thank goodness we don�t have to worry about malaria in this area!  After breakfast on the beach, we jump back in the boats and finally enter the Manu Reserve zone.  On the way, we passed a place on the river where a bunch of green parakeets had gathered to eat the clay dirt of the river bank.  It wasn�t the red macaws, but we were happy to see them at this �lick� from the boat.  There were so many of them at first glance you could have mistaken them for leaves... but through the binoculars there was no question.  A little while later in the day were lucky enough to see a peccary slogging through the muddy shore.  A peccary looks a lot like a wild boar...and our guild Jasmine says makes a mighty fine meal.  Later in the day, we arrived at our final destination in the reserve.  We have tents again on platforms - but our tents here are bigger.  The only drawback is that in our tent we find 5 big ugly cockroaches.  The tents were bigger - but not big enough for 5 additional inhabitants - they had to go (not a fun job)

May 17, 2002:  Giant Otters

No boat travel today, but we were up early at 5am to get out on the nearby lake (part of the river changed in previous years to an isolated �S� shaped lake) so we could see the giant otters.  This time we were lucky - within 10-15 mins we saw a whole group of them fishing and eating next to the shore.   They would stick their heads up out of the water to take a look at us and then go back to their fishing which seemed pretty easy for them at the rate they�d come up with a fish to eat along the shore or on a fallen tree in the lake (all of it was very cute!).  We watched the otters until some monkey�s (Howler) high in the trees lining the lake caught our attention - there were at least 5 of them sitting on the same branch all in a row - looked pretty funny.  It was still very early in the morning (~6am) and the monkeys must have just been getting up because they weren�t very active.  Karen�s sure that they were not �morning monkeys�.  The rest of the morning was filled with more day hike/nature walks.  In the afternoon we also went for a swim in the river.  We had a blast as the swim actually turned into a mud bath.  Oliver, our guild had disappeared for a while and came back covered head to toe in mud.  Soon after, we all ran for the mud banks along the river and dived in.  We wish we had a camera as you can imagine how funny it was to see a bunch of adults rolling around and playing in the mud.  Oliver even started to pretend he was a caiman and slithered from the mud in to the nearby river; it was hilarious.  Then we all headed back to camp.  Before dinner, we visited a tiny village or tribe that is living in the reserve.  There were only 4 families.  They were selling some necklaces made with seeds for beads and occasionally some animal teeth or bones for pendants or special interest.  They also had bows and arrows made from the surrounding trees and bark that were very beautiful.  Wish we could have figured out how to bring one of these sets home - but figured we�d never get them on a plane and sending them through the mail would have been just as difficult.  Instead, we got a necklace with a huge tusk from a peccary on it.  This was the pig like animal we saw by the river shore.  Maybe we can hang it somewhere in the house.  Tonight�s dinner was the last for us as we leave tomorrow; so to wrap up the evening, the group reviewed the animal check-list together.

May 18, 2002:  Small plane out of the jungle

Our plane left today from the small airstrip about 31/2 hours from camp - so we were all up and on the boat early to make it in time for the 12:30pm departure.  Only half the group decided to take the small plane back to Cuzco - the others will return via boat and jungle truck which will take another day and a half.  When we arrived at the airstrip, it takes everyone a good 15 mins to say goodbye to those who were flying.  After a week together, you�d be surprised how much you feel like you know each other & saying goodbye was difficult.  As the plane takes off, we are very happy we decided to fly because it turns in to an adventure itself.  The plane seats 12 people (4 rows of 3 seats); we all squeeze in and taxi down the grass/dirt airstrip in order to get enough distance to take off.  Take off through the grass field while the rest of the group waves below was really fun/memorable.  From the plane/altitude, we also gained a new perspective on how great-huge-expansive an area the jungle covers - and this was just the smallest portion of the Amazon basin.  The trees fit so closely together, from the top it looked like broccoli.  The flight lasted about an hour and then we were back in Cuzco; we had a great time - but we were glad to be back.  Now was a time of rest before we head off on the Inca trail.  We decided to get a special hotel room together with Mette at the Loretta hotel where the back wall of the room is an original Inca wall.  We get settled and quickly organize a laundry run for our VERY stinky clothes; nothing seems to every dry in the jungle.  We go to dinner with some other fellow Manu travelers that flew back on the plane with us at a nice restaurant called Blueberry Lounge - very funky place�and then we called it a day.

May 19, 2002:  Sunday

Today we just rested and did errands to prepare for the Inca trail tomorrow.  We got in a nap after breakfast/lunch and then picked up all the items we needed in the afternoon.  We started out shopping at all the camping stores around the plaza looking for some light hats with large brims for sun protection as well as other things like extra batteries and rain covers for our small day-packs (just in case).  After a while we decided to head away from the plaza into the local street markets and found everything we wanted...and at about half the price!  We really have to remember to get off the �gringo trail� and away from the tourist spots to do our shopping!  To bed early�

May 20, 2002:  Inca Trail - Day 1

Up at 4am to catch our group bus to kilometer marker 82 (the official start of the Inca trail) at 5am.  Slept on the bus and arrived at the trail-head about 8:30am.  Met our porter who picked up our backpack with 3 sleeping bags, mats and 3 persons clothing (John, Karen, Mette) and put it down shaking his head.  This did not seem to be a good sign - but it turned out that our shared bag weighed in at just over 19kg - we were within our 20kg limit - so the porter (smaller than Karen) picked back up the bag - tied his own stuff to the outside (probably another 5-7kg) and off he went.  The three of us outfitted with day-packs and water supply only - bought walking sticks (highly recommended by others returning from the trail) and headed off with our group about 15 mins later.  We have 14 people in our group with one guild and one assistant guild.  The company then has 16 additional �porters� which includes the cook and crew.  They carry all the tents, cooking supplies/materials, (including burners/gas) and food.  For an additional $30 per 10kg you can hire the porters to carry your personal stuff - including sleeping back, mat, clothes, and toiletries - which is what we did...also recommended by others returning from the trail.  The porters are incredible; they basically fast-walk or even run parts of the trail with 20-30kg roped to themselves (usually no high-tech backpacks with waist-supports/distribution systems).  They get to meal spots (like lunch) set up tents and cook before we arrive...and then after we leave, they tear down the meal tents - pack up and run past us on the trail so they can set up all the tents for sleeping & eating that evening - wow!

May 21, 2002:  Inca Trail - Day 2

The hike up Dead Women�s pass today was incredibly difficult.  It was a very steep trail with lots of stair-steps 3,400 feet in the high altitude between 3,000 meters and 4,200 meter.  Most of the time (and especially as we were reaching the top) you could walk for 10-15 mins and then needed to rest and catch your breath.  This was definitely the most difficult hike Karen ever wants to do!  In fact, in this moment, I (Karen) would not recommend this hike to anyone!  John just told me I can�t write that in the journal and that in a few days I�ll have some better perspective and be glad we did the hike.  That may be true � but my point is...right now I can�t believe I made it.  It�s definitely a challenge and anyone considering this hike should really be in good physical condition and get a mental health-check before starting out as well J  All that said, we did make it up and down today in 7 hours - we�re at the camp site by 2pm and had enough time to rest up for tomorrow.  They say today is the most difficult day of the 4 day hike - so looking forward to tomorrow.

May 22, 2002:  Inca Trail - Day 3

Today is suppose to be the �unforgettable� day of the hike; and it was!  Most of the rail on this day is down through the cloud forest which has beautiful vegetation, flowers, moss, interesting trees, etc.  In addition, most of the trail today is original Inca steps.  It is pretty incredible walking on a path that has existed here for so long.  What they don�t tell you about today is how hard it is on your legs � while yesterday may have been the toughest on your lungs - today is definitely the toughest on the body.  We went down extremely steep steps and descended over 3,000 feet - in some places people were crawling down with their hands as well!  At the end of the day, our legs were shaky and not sure if our ankles will be the same.  The highlight of the day came near the end when we passed a site where some ruins were being reconstructed.  The workers invited our tour group to be part of their ceremony to place the first stone of the reconstruction.  A volunteer from our group - turned out to be Mette - donned gloves and actually put the stone in place.  After stomping the stone down (to set it) they offered coca leaves and a local corn-beer to Pachamama (mother earth).  It was very memorable to be part of the event.

May 23, 2002:  Inca Trail - Final Day

Wake up at 3:45am today to get packed-up, breakfast and on the trail by 4:45am.  We start out this early - in the dark with flashlights � in order to reach the �Sun-gate� by sunrise for the perfect view of Machu Picchu.  The group starts out at a blistering pace - in fact we slowed down after the first hour and a half because it felt more like a race to the finish instead of enjoying the last steps of our journey.  About 2 hours later we arrived at the Sun-gate and get our first view of Machu Picchu from the trail.  Unfortunately, we didn�t get too long to rest and savor the moment as we needed to keep going (which wasn�t too bad since the sunrise was effected by thick cloud-cover) in order to reach Machu Picchu before too many other tourists.  Once we got to Machu Picchu (about another 30 min hike), everyone was pretty excited and proud that we all made it without too much trouble.  We take individual and group pictures and then head off on a 2 hour guided tour of the ruins.  Although we had already been on a very similar tour last time we were in Machu Picchu, it was great to do it again; especially because our trail guild was much better Machu Picchu guide than the first person we had lead us around.  In addition, we were able to see new things the second time around and link the different pieces together in to a clearer picture/model.  At the end of the tour, we grabbed some grass under a big shade tree on one of the garden terraces and just �relaxed�; for Karen this meant falling asleep for a short nap.  We headed down to Aguas Caliente (nearby town) for lunch with the rest of the group and our tour wrapped up around 3pm.  Later that night, we took advantage of the natural hot springs and took a quick dip before dinner to sooth some aching muscles.  The water was not as hot as we would have liked - but it was still fun/memorable.

May 24, 2002:  Aguas Calientes

Most people returned back to Cuzco yesterday afternoon, but we decided to spend the night in the small town at the base of Machu Picchu to get showers and relax before taking the 4 hour train ride back.  After 4 days without showers or a proper bed -- this was a good decision.  Although we probably could have picked a better hostal because we had to wait for hot water and the beds were not all that comfortable.  On the plus side, they hostal did have a charming loft/deck with extremely playful/friendly cats that made up for any short-comings.  After a relaxing/slow morning, we walked around town and then showed Mette the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel where we stayed with Karen�s Mom a couple of weeks earlier.  At the reception desk, they were able to call for a massage therapist and give us a room to enjoy a massage - Mette and Karen both took advantage of this, while John had an espresso in the bar.  We found probably the best place to �hang out� in Aguas Calientes while waiting for the train back to Cuzco.

May 25, 2002:  Last Day in Cuzco!

Train ride last night was miserable for Karen - as 12 days of camping, jungle, strenuous hiking, high altitude, etc all caught up with her -and she started to get the flu.  Chills, head-cold, sinuses stuffed up, sour-throat...and she even got sick on the train itself!  So, today, after a good nights sleep, we decide to take it easy - finish up errands and leave for Lima tomorrow instead of trying to get out of town like Mette did today.  Mette was up @ 7:30am to catch a bus to Lack Titicaca, and we didn�t even bother with long goodbyes this time as we are sure to meet up with her again; so far, we figure we have traveled together at least 5 weeks out of the last 16.  We set out to get plane tickets for tomorrow, get our laundry done, and go pick up our hand-made 100% baby alpaca blanket we special ordered before our Manu jungle trip....only to find that they had a major problem making the blanket � something about the way they brush the material after it�s woven.  Anyway we decide to pick an already made blanket in a different color instead of going home without anything.

May  26, 2002:  Back in Lima

Today we were up early again (5am) as we were supposed to be at the airport by 6am for our 8am flight back to Lima.  We have no idea why they want us there 2 hours before the flight at such a small airport, but John read about them closing the flight or gate an hour before the flight - so we thought we should get there early just in case.  We got to the airport around 6:30am and had plenty of time to contemplate why we came so early (no laughing SueG - JP).  Anyway, the flight was good and we arrived back at the Stallas in Lima around 10:30am.  We were by ourselves for a while until they got back from church, so we caught up on current events on CNN while we waited.  Pretty relaxing day as John and Sara looked at pictures and Karen took a nap.  Later that night, Stan made soup and salad for dinner.  We went out to see a movie around 6:30pm but it was sold out when we got there.  Instead we walked around the mall for about15 minutes and then decided to go back home and watch a video.  Pretty regular day - a nice day from travel!

May 27, 2002:  Exercise?

Well, with all the camping, hiking and early flights - our internal clocks have been turned back.  So when Stan asked if we would like to go exercise with him at 5am in the morning - we actually said yes.  We got up at 4:45am and hit the track at Sara and Charlie�s school some time close to 5:00am  The sun wasn�t up and we are out there walking around a track.  Stan has a walking pace that we can�t hope to match (...Karen has observed he has much longer legs), so he quickly moves ahead and then we all set in to our own pace.  After an hour was up Stan had walked his normal 5 miles, Karen 3 miles and John mixed jogging and walking for 4 miles.  Nobody will believe this but we think we'll do it again tomorrow!  Even Karen...up @ 4:45am -- no way!

May 28, 2002:  Tuesday

OK, now we are back to normal - no early exercise today - we whimpped out...but then you have to admit 4:45am is a little extreme.  Instead, we got up around 8:30am and used the day primarily for errands.  We took a taxi into central Lima so we could find the bus stations to get tickets to Ica - our next mini excursion south to see the Nazca lines.  Bus terminals were not in the best part of town, but we seemed to do OK and are planning to leave tomorrow afternoon.  From central, we taxied to Mira Flores to find a place to get our camera cleaned.  We found a professional camera shop listed in LP - and they referred us to a man who does repairs and service.  We found the man's house around the corner and he gave us a consultation; basically a really nice guy since he told us the dirt inside the camera would not effect the picture quality - so no urgent need for a cleaning.  We decide to leave it for a while and save the $30.  Back to the Stalls for dinner & homework (web-site).

May 29, 2002:  Ica

Karen is crazy again and makes it out of bed @ 4:45 and represents Karen & John in the exercise game.  Although once back to the house, she promptly went back to bed.  Up later around 8am - we used the morning to do some computer/finance stuff and pack for our trip to Nazca.  We had lunch at the house before we left - Kraft Macaroni & Cheese; satisfying a small craving from home - but actually left a little to be desired.  We needed the thick-and-creamy style.  Anyway, off to the bus around 1pm.  When we get there, a man asks us if we would like to wait in their VIP room for the bus (...we look like VIPs?) - we said OK and were able to relax in a little more comfort than normal.  The bus ride was about 4 hours to Ica - pretty comfortable ride that even had a video.  Ica is a small non-touristed town.  After being in places like Cuzco with so many tourists - it was a nice change.  Although the streets are not as clean and the buildings not as nice (by a long comparison) it is more a picture of real life down here.  The people were very nice and friendly - several who saw us on the street passing the same corner twice asked if we needed help finding our hotel.  As for dinner...we went to one of the "nicest in town"; and at the end of dinner, we had the pleasure of having a wonderful conversation with the owners and their friend.  First we start by getting information on tours and visiting Nazca; and then the conversation turned to local wines and pisco.  The owner poured us a glass of "the best pure pisco in the world" to try and then we tried one of their pisco sours as well - both were the best we have had to date.

May 30, 2002:  Peruvian wine tasting

After breakfast this morning, we hired a taxi to take us just outside town to a local Peruvian winery - Tacama - wait for us there (about an hour) and then take us back in to town.  We ride out in to the desert passing small farms of corn and cotten as well as more dirt and sand - not believing that someone could grow anything out here much less grapes...but we've been told the climate is just right since they have a fog which produces cold morning & cold nights ...and there is plenty of heat during the day.  Anyway, we are game to try anything.  As we approach the winery, we are glad we have a local taxi to find the way because it is really off the beaten path and it doesn't look like a place you would find alone.  We arrive at a closed security guarded gate that didn't look very friendly/inviting.  As the taxi honked, we didn't have much hope - bout our limited Spanish worked well enough to get us in for a tour and a tasting.  We spent about an hour there with a young girl who should us their facilities and then opened some wine for us to taste.  We ended up buying a couple bottles for Maureen & Stan and then headed back out to the car...to find our taxi driver sleeping in the car. Seemed like a classic scene from a movie with the driver asleep - sorry we had to wake him, but we did and we were back on our way in to town.  Total taxi bill cost $7.25; not bad for a 25 minute ride each way & and hour wait.

Back in town, we decide to take a local bus ("micro" - but pronounced "meek-ro") down to Nazca.  The local bus is about half the cost of a normal greyhound type bus, but has smaller school bus type seats and you have to wait for them to get a full bus before you leave.  We waited about an hour from the time we agreed and got on the bus...to when if finally left (we were told 15 minutes....)  The ride was two hours - not too bad with the tiny bench seats, but any longer and it would have really started to be uncomfortable.  We checked in to an upscale hostal in Nazca for $20 and arranged an early morning flight over the lines and a bus back to Lima immediately after.

May 31, 2002:  Nazca Lines

Defective rooster started going off @ 3:45am (it was still dark); it was right next door - and so loud, we went right past anger to laughing hilariously.  Then the brothers of the defective rooster started joining in around 4:05am - our humor started to wane.  We get up a little later and head off to the airstrip a little before 8am.  They arrange us in the tiny plane that seats six (you have to have a pilot) balancing the weight accordingly.  John was in the middle with some other guy and Karen sat in the back with someone else.  The flight was pretty crazy with steep/sharp turns and tight circles over the lines/shapes below - but it wasn't as bad as we thought it might have been.  No one got sick, so we called it a success.  The "lines" themselves were really interesting and we could see them a lot better than we thought we would.  There is some mystery about these lines and shapes created in the sand by ancient pre-inca Nazca people.  Many scientist study these lines, shapes and animal figures and have come up with several theories - the most prominent (and reasonable) claim the lines were used in religious ceremonies and possibly signs for the gods they worshipped.  Other theories include claims of extraterrestrial or alien contact that create the shapes and left linear lines from their space ships landing and taking off.  Of course we vote for the alien theories J. 

After the flight over the lines, we head back to the bus station and prepare for the 7-8 hour journey back to the Stalla's.  We get back to Lima to find nobody home, so we went out for dinner and had pizza and when we return there was someone there.

June 1, 2002:  Saturday

Worked on the journal and web-site all day.  That night there was an intense game of Pictionary at the Stalla home.  Stan and John carried the night.

June 2, 2002:  Sunday

Went to church in the morning.  When we came back we had a big brunch while Stan went to his tennis match.  It was a team effort - Sara set the table with all the special treatments for a holiday celebration (table cloth, silver, name cards, fresh flowers, etc) and John, Karen and Charlie made an egg casserole and hash-browns with onions.  After brunch we have Jenny a bath; she tolerated it better than expected and didn't even roll that much in the dirt afterwards.  We finished the day by watching the final game in the western conference for the NBA (Lakers vs Kings) and had a barbeque. 

June 3, 2002:  Monday

Worked on the journal and website all day except for a short movie break in the early afternoon to see the Spiderman movie.  Maureen an Ziede came home this evening from the states.  Now we have a very full house here in Lima.  We need to finish up this we-site soon!

June 4, 2002:  Tuesday

We worked on the journal and website until 2:00pm and then headed off to the Gold and Arms Museum in La Molina about 15 mins away by taxi.  It is by far the weirdest museum we have ever been to (it's privately owned).  The top floor is all weapons and arms from all over the world and all periods.  The have Japenese swords next to 16th century dualing pistals which are next to 40 suits of armor.  The downstairs vault has the gold and ceramic artifacts from all over Peru.  Again the volume is almost overwhelming and it has a feeling of being disorganized.  When we return back to the Stallas, we have pizza for dinner and watch a movie.

June 5, 2002:  Wednesday

June 6, 2002:  Thursday

Another big day at the journal/web-site; but it feels like it is finally getting closer.  Karen spends over 10 hours working on it today - and John takes a quick trip in to Mira Floras to exchange stuff (getting rid of spare sleeping bags) with Mete who has just come in from Le Paz.

June 7, 2002:  Friday

Another big day on the web-site; everything ready to go except for a few open days in the journal.  Karen went with Zeide to the Indian market to do some last minute shopping for stuff we wanted to ship back home.  At 3pm we headed over to Roosevelt school to watch Charlie's basket ball game - it was blow-out with Charlie's team way out ahead.  After the game - Sara, Charlie, Karen and John went over to Jockey Plaza and went out to dinner @ Chilie's....yes, the same one as back in the U.S.  We had a good time and after dinner we dropped Charlie off @ school for a play that was being performed that night - and the rest of us headed home.

June 8, 2002:  Saturday

Today we mailed a big package of souvenirs back to California.  This time we were not surprised at the price (just under $150).  We decide its worth the price not to carry around extra weight.  In the afternoon we went bowling.  The scores were not impressive (most under 100)... but it was still a lot of fun.

June 9, 2002:  Bye, Bye Peru

After over seven weeks in Peru it seems a little strange to say Goodbye... but it is definitely time to leave and get back on the road.  Quito, Ecuador... here we come!

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