Iquitos

My final trip of my semester abroad was to Iquitos and it couldn't have been a more perfect back to end my journey. As promised by my host dad, Iquitos would be nothing like the rest of Perú but I had no idea just how different it would be. My experience in Iquitos was like none other, not only in Perú, but in my entire life! Here's a sneak preview of what I'm talking about...

The very same day that we got back from Arequipa my good friend Natalie and I hopped on a plane to Iquitos. When we got there we met up with two more friends who were just finishing out their trip. It was so nice to see them, especially my housemate Erin. Over the semester I have gotten so close with my housemates and it's been really hard to say goodbye to them when people began to go home or travel in different directions. It was really nice to have one last hurrah!

The four of us only had one day together but it was action packed. First we went to Belén market where we encountered a wide variety of local cuisine ranging from turtles :( to fat grubs like they eat in the lion king... That was one delicacy that I was not volunteering to try any time soon. Our next stop was a manatee reserve where we were able to pet, feed, and play with baby manatees!! It was beyond cool!

After the manatee reserve we went to an animal refuge that was started by an Austrian woman. One of the first little critters I met was a red faced monkey!

We then continued on to the butterfly farm. That in itself felt like another world with the hundreds of butterflies gracefully flying around.

Do you see the butterfly on the top right hand corner?

After leaving the butterfly area we went on to meet sloths, parrots, monkeys, and a jaguar. The refuge has saved all of these animals from inhuman situations. The most common situation being when the animals are treated as pets, but their owners don’t really know how to care for them properly. 

On the boat ride back to Iquitos we saw some gray dolphins splashing around in the water. And as we approached them the “line” between the Amazon and Nanay rivers became visible. It’s actually possible to see the boundary between the rivers based on their colors. The Amazon River is at the top of the picture and lighter brown whereas the Nanay River is on the bottom and darker.

The next morning we said goodbye to Laura and Erin and headed into the jungle. Before our boat took off a very pleasant Finish couple joined Natalie and me. They would accompany us for our three-day jungle excursion. On the way to our lodge we made one stop in a little village where they had a crocodile farm and 5 of the largest fish I've even seen in my life, the piache fish. 

After continuing on the boat ride we finally arrived at our lodge in the jungle. And it was everything you’d expect when you think “jungle lodge.”

Once we had settled into our rooms we went out on our first adventure: pink dolphin spotting. Unfortunately I didn’t get any photos of the rare dolphins because they don’t often rise too high out of the water (because they weigh a ton!) and when they did I didn’t have my camera on. It's too bad, because that was one of my favorite moments on the trip! I did however, capture the charm of our next adventure, a nearby city, on camera. As we approached we saw kids playing (and back-flipping) in the water...

All of the houses are built on stilts because the water level rises so drastically during the rainy season. I wonder where the goats stay when that happens…

The following day we went to a location where we could hold monkeys, snakes, birds, and sloths. I passed on holding the snake, but here’s a picture of  my friend Nat working a large snake accessory…

I on the other hand made friends with the monkeys…

After working up a sweat from playing with the monkeys we decided to go swimming in the Amazon River… It definitely took me a while to stop worrying about piranhas, but once I did it was very enjoyable. We even gave ourselves mud baths! Laying in the shallow water and letting the waves wash away the mud was another one of my favorite moments of the trip.  

  

Later that day we went for a hike through the jungle and our guide told us all about some natural remedies made from all sorts of things found in the jungle. Some interesting ones included: squashed termites as mosquito repellent, "milk" (white colored sap) from a tree that cures an upset stomach, and another acidic fruit that can be used an repellent. Here's a picture of Natalie cutting into the tree with a machete to get us a taste of the "milk". It was pretty good actually. 

Another concoction from the jungle that we learned about is semi-permanent tattoos made from the juice of a local fruit. Below our guide is extracting the juice from the green fruit.

The juice starts out green, but eventually turns darker and darker until it’s black. When you paint it on your skin the resulting tattoos last up to a week! Here’s my tattoo…

Later that night we went on another hike where we were hunting for venomous things like tarantulas, scorpions, snakes, and other spiders. Although it wasn’t really my cup of tea I somehow was coxed in to holding a tarantula. Yikes! We didn’t encounter much else though. Phew!

Our final day in the jungle consisted of exploring a nearby city, fishing for piranhas, seeing a snake in the wild (not in a cage, park, etc.) for the first time, and swinging from a vine in the jungle! I am proud to say that I was the first one to catch a piranha… Who cares if in the end it was the smallest one, right?! In fact, you’ll be luckily if you can even spot it in this picture. Nevertheless, it was a fun experience.

We continued our canoe trip along the river and encountered another sloth randomly chilling on a branch overhanging the water. We also saw a lot of parasitic plants taking over trees…

See how it looks like the tree is split into two parts? 

That’s really a parasite sucking the tree clean of nutrients.

Eventually we went back to the lodge to cook lunch and try and eat whatever little meat we could find on our catches of the day! Before we knew it our time in the jungle was up and we were back on the boat to the main city of Iquitos.

So long, Amazon! I had a great time and I can check the third “world” of Perú off of my list! All in all, it's been an unbelievable semester... Perú has definitely captured a piece of my heart. Adios, Perú! Te amo y regresaré pronto! <3

Thanks for reading everyone! See you in the states!!

Hasta luego,

Katie J

Arequipa

After school was finally done with... To be exact, 30 minutes after finishing my final paper for cine class I left for Arequipa with four friends. We spent the night on the night on the bus and before we knew it we had arrived in Arequipa... I've sort of become an expert at killing time on long bus rides so the 15 hours to Arequipa was nothing!

One of the first things we did in Arequipa was go to the main square. Immediately it was clear how the city obtained its nickname the "White City"... All of the buildings around the square are made of a white stone formed from nearby volcanoes. B-E-A-utiful!

Plaza de Armas at night. Ohlala. 

We only spent half a day in Arequipa because our final destination was Colca Canyon for a three day trek. After a long 6 hours of driving, we finally arrived at the entrance to Colca Canyon. For the next three hours we hiked down a slippery gravely path in which I may or may not have fallen down a few times... Let me just say that by the end of the trip, I dreaded the sound of slipping gravel. 

Despite my apparent struggles I still had a lot of fun and we arrived where we would spend our first night. To my surprise, it wasn't a camping site. In fact, we all had little cabins with beds, bathroom, and shower (with hot water)! Here's a picture of some roses outside my room with the dining area behind it.

We arrived with plenty of time to journal, relax, eat dinner, and even tell a few ghost stories around the campfire. The next morning we left around 8 am to hike through the bottom of the canyon to our next resting spot. Along the way we stopped at a little museum where they told us all about the traditions of the people of Colca canyon from what clothes they wear to what food they eat.

Corn of many colors.

Colorful traditional clothes.

We continued on, only having hiked for a 4 hours or so and when we reached our next hostel where I was even more shocked because we had a pool!!

After cooling off in the pool we had lunch and played a game of pick-up soccer. It was a ton of fun, but oddly enough I kept on finding myself being distracted by the scenery! Can you think of a more amazing backdrop for a soccer game?...

The following morning we woke up at 4:30 to start our trek up and out of the canyon by 5. Despite not sleeping very well the night before I was all energized and ready to go after drinking a few cups of coca tea! Unfortunately we found out we weren't going to receive breakfast until we reached the top (which according to our guide could take up to four hours). Luckily, we had some extra granola bars otherwise the steep hike to the top of the canyon would have been significantly harder. Here's a picture from our first pit stop! Only three hours more everyone!...

At first I didn't understand why we had to start the trek so early in the morning (getting up at 4:30 in the morning to zig-zag out of a canyon didn't necessarily thrill me as much as getting up for Machu Picchu did...) However, when I realized that we would be hiking in the shade for the majority of our ascent I was very grateful we woke up at the wee hours of the morning. Especially considering that in the high altitude the rays of the sun are a lot stronger.

After lots and lots of zig-zagging, tons of people riding mules up the mountain passing us, and uncountable water breaks we finally reached the top. Here's a shot of my final destination... Almost there!!!

Once I reached the top I decided to take a celebratory 1/3 Kati(e) sandwich picture. We did after all zig-zag up 3,000 feet in elevation in under 3 hours. I was feeling pretty accomplished and also was missing Mari and Kati (my best friends and fellow "Kati(e) sandwich" members) so it just felt right...

Hopefully you noticed the awesome walking stick that our guide, Percy made me. He was hands down the rest guide I've had in Perú. Percy was super encouraging, helpful, and genuinely interested in teaching us about the land he grew up on. He along with my awesome, fun-loving, and card connoisseur companions made this trip absolutely spectacular! 

Here's one last picture of the gang... Thanks for the great time everyone! Besitos! 

Hasta luego,

Katie :)

Puno and Lake Titicaca

After going back to Cusco for a day after Machu Picchu we continued on to Puno and Lake Titicaca. To get there we took a tour bus that made a few stops along the way. Some of the stops included the San Pedro Church or the "Sistine Chapel of the Americas", Raqchi (an ancient storehouse of food for armies and the elite), and La Raya (the highest altitude point on our route: 14,000 feet). Here's a picture of the snow capped mountains at La Raya.

When we arrived in Puno it was already dark so we headed right to our hotel. Despite the dark, the city was anything but asleep while the residents celebrated Puno Week. The next four days would be filled with numerous parades, food festivals, an Inca ceremony reenactment and concerts to celebrate the 343th anniversary of the city, Puno. Having heard that the "real" festivities didn't start until the weekend we decided to head out to the Islands Uros and Taquile on Lake Titicaca first.

We embarked for our four hour journey to Taquile and although the boat dragged along, there was plenty of stunning scenery to keep us entertained.

Within an hour we arrived at Uros where we would take a short break and explore the floating island. Although the island was mostly a tourist site and it's debatable whether people still live on the island or just commuted every day it was still interesting to experience. The islands came about when the Uros population wanted to get away from the sometimes aggressive Incas. They used tons of the ever abundant totora reeds that grow in Lake Titicaca to create the floating islands. Walking around on the island felt like walking around on a water bed. Weird! Here's a model of how they build the islands...

They first tie huge blocks of soil that are dense with roots together, then pile layers of reed in alternating directions until the island becomes compact enough to walk upon. The island is finished off with houses, furniture, boats and decorations all made of reeds as well.

We continued on to the beautiful island of Taquile. The few hours we had were not even close to being enough to explore the whole island. Below is a picture of where we ate the best trout fillet of my life for lunch. The view combined with the slight breeze simply took my breath away.

In fact, the whole thing reminded me a bit of being on the mediterranean sea. Like my host dad always says, there are three completely unique "worlds" in Peru: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and Iquitos. After seeing all three (my blog on Iquitos will come soon) I'd have to agree.

Before we knew it was time to go back to Puno. When we arrived, the celebration was in full swing. The first event we went to was the reenactment of an ancient Inca ceremony. The ceremony was the real deal: Inca king and queen spoke only in quechua, they had thousands of dancers and servants, there was a ceremonial entrance on an intricate boat made of reeds, and the traditional alpaca sacrifice. I didn't realize how seriously they took the ceremony until they actually killed the alpaca. Poor little guy.

Unlike the other dancers who had elaborate feathers adorning their outfits, these dancers seemed to be donning balls of yarn! Perhaps they just didn't have enough time to finish the costumes, but it seemed deliberate. This was just the beginning of colorful costumes. 

Wherever we walked there seemed to be another parade going on. This particular parade was a competition between a few high schools. I wonder what kind of budget they have for these costumes...

All the guys wore boots like this with dozens of bells.

Then some monkeys showed up! What a fun parade!

Needless to say, it was a very eventful week in Puno! And I can check two "worlds" of Peru off my list! Next, is Arequipa and then the final "world"- Iquitos!

Hasta luego,

Katie

Machu Picchu

I don't think it has ever been so easy to wake up at 4:30 in a morning as it was the morning we went to Machu Picchu. In fact, when the alarm clock went off I practically jumped out of bed! Needless to say, going to Machu Picchu has been something that I've been looking forward to for quite some time. So when the day came, I was 100% ready and willing to wake up super early to wait in a long line in order to board a bus at 5 in hopes to be one of the first people (of thousands) to enter Machu Picchu that day.

Apparently, a lot of people had the same idea and we were far from being the first bus to reach the top but it didn't even matter to me. In fact, it almost seemed to be too easy to get there. Not that driving three hours to Ollantaytambo, taking a train to Aguas  Calientes (the only mode of transportation available to get there), and then busing up the mountain was truly simple, but I wish we had had more time to do a hike or something before reaching Machu Picchu. To be honest, having worked harder to reach the top would have made seeing Machu Picchu for the first time even more rewarding. But I guess I know what I'll change if I make it back!

Apart from that minor detail I wouldn't change anything about my day at Machu Picchu. It was even more amazing, magical, and mysterious than I had imagined it! I suppose I should finally show you a picture. This really says it all...

The clouds rolled in and out of the ancient city in an eery but yet majestic way. At times the entire area can be obscured in clouds. That and it's distant location helped it remain the only ancient Inca settlement that wasn't discovered by Spain. This significantly impacted the quality of the remaining ruins, which are the most complete out of any other Inca ruins in Peru because they weren't destroyed by other civilizations. For this reason we were able to view the following essentially how they were in thousands of years ago...

Aqueducts

The elaborate system of rivers that the Incas used by harnessing naturally flowing water is incredible. They are present in nearly every part of Machu Picchu.

Ancient Mirrors

When filled with water, circles such as these supposedly served as mirrors in ancient times.

Stone Models of the Mountains

The Incas didn't record data on paper and therefore had no maps, but this rock served as a model of the formations of the surrounding mountains. This was very useful, because it wasn't very often that all of the peaks could be viewed without obstruction from clouds. 

The Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock

The building at the top of the mountain is where the caretaker of the funerary rock (or the rock they used to mummify nobility) lived. From here is where most people take the "traditional" Machu Picchu picture. Here's mine...

A bit foggy, but it still gets two thumbs up!

The Sun Temple

One of the most pristinely made buildings in Machu Picchu that was used for astronomical observation and studies. 

Spiritual Sound Chambers

Apparently, the Incas used to put their heads in the shelf-like chambers and listen to the vibrations that passed from one chamber to the next. The loud humming sound was said to help the Incas attain a higher level of spiritual consciousness. 

Intihuatana

Not a sundial, but rather a device to help predict the solstices and take advantage of longer summer days for growing crops.

The Inca Bridge

This is how the Incas were to flee the city if enemies invaded. Note the "flying staircases" (aka the two diagonal lines on either side of the bridge). The Incas apparently had really good balance to be able to use the staircases that were just small rocks sticking out of the mountain side.

At this point of the trail to the Inca bridge the path dropped off at least a couple hundred feet... I'm not sure how I managed to smile in this picture, because I'm sure I was thinking about the man who tried to cross the Inca bridge a few years back and fell off the cliff to his death. Luckily they installed a black rope to hang on to, but somehow the fear of falling off the cliff (even though I had no intention of crossing the bridge like the man did) seemed to make me feel unbalanced. Not a good combination. Needless to say, there was absolutely no extra space between me and the side wall while I shimmied my way to and fro the Inca bridge.

After going to the Inca bridge, we ran into Walter's family and took a picture of him and his son, Chan, together. Of course they have matching hats and were just adorable!

To finish out our time at Machu Picchu we sat down for  a while and just really soaked it all it. It was everything I thought it would be and more! All in all it was an absolutely spectacular day!