Monday August 31, 2009:
Brian McKendrick´s anniversary today, so happy anniversary Alyson.
Today we pack up and then have some time before our flight out of Cusco late this afternoon. I know several of the boys and adults will be doing some last minute shopping for gifts.
It´s hard to believe that we have been away for over two weeks now. The time has just flown by. This will be our last post on the blog. Perhaps one of the boys will upload a few pictures now that we finally figured out how to do it on this computer.
Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow when we arrive in Vancouver. Our flight, Alaska 703, is supposed to land in Vancouver at 3:45 pm on Tuesday September 1. Hope everyone remembers to pick us up.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Free Day
Sunday August 30, 2009:
Today was the first free day since we left Lima. The boys slept in a bit, but due to the many early days we have had, they do not sleep in as much as they do at home.
We organized a hike up to a local archaeological site at Sacsaywaman. We found it was a bit too pricey to go into the site ($25) so we just hiked around the edge of it and found a great viewpoint for pictures of Cusco. Cusco is actually over half a million people, so it is a big town.
After the hike, the group split up into those who wanted to do a bit of shopping, those who wanted lunch or those who just wanted to hang around at the hostel.
Sunday is parade day in Peru. As a result, the main square, Plaza des Armes, is closed to cars. There were marching bands, groups of teachers and nurses marching around the square, and school kids dressed in their uniforms everywhere. The festivities start just after mass at the local cathedral. Lots of music and even firecrackers.
The town is noticably less busy on Sunday. Some of the stores are closed and even the number of tourists is lower. This made for very pleasant strolling the streets and markets. Several of us strolled through a huge local market where many Cusco residents buy their food. You can find beef, pork, chicken, guinea pig, vegetables, fruit and anything else you need. There is very little refrigeration, so I don´t think we would ever shop there.
A couple of the kids have stomach problems that will hopefully resolve themselves before we leave for home on Monday afternoon.
Today was the first free day since we left Lima. The boys slept in a bit, but due to the many early days we have had, they do not sleep in as much as they do at home.
We organized a hike up to a local archaeological site at Sacsaywaman. We found it was a bit too pricey to go into the site ($25) so we just hiked around the edge of it and found a great viewpoint for pictures of Cusco. Cusco is actually over half a million people, so it is a big town.
After the hike, the group split up into those who wanted to do a bit of shopping, those who wanted lunch or those who just wanted to hang around at the hostel.
Sunday is parade day in Peru. As a result, the main square, Plaza des Armes, is closed to cars. There were marching bands, groups of teachers and nurses marching around the square, and school kids dressed in their uniforms everywhere. The festivities start just after mass at the local cathedral. Lots of music and even firecrackers.
The town is noticably less busy on Sunday. Some of the stores are closed and even the number of tourists is lower. This made for very pleasant strolling the streets and markets. Several of us strolled through a huge local market where many Cusco residents buy their food. You can find beef, pork, chicken, guinea pig, vegetables, fruit and anything else you need. There is very little refrigeration, so I don´t think we would ever shop there.
A couple of the kids have stomach problems that will hopefully resolve themselves before we leave for home on Monday afternoon.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Final Day - Quillahuata
Saturday, august 29, 2009:
Woke up to today with a whole lot to do. We finished the shelves for the chicken coop, finished the roof, hung and painted the doors on the coop and run and did a general clean-up.
The 47th Cusco Scouts showed up early today and joined in with the boys. It is quite interesting in that this scout group is all girls just slightly younger than our boys. There was an awful lot of giggling all day long. None of the girls had ever worked on a project like this or knew much about farming, so they matched our boys in that that regard.
Just before noon we finished the chicken coop and everyone went off to get the chickens. Well this was a real hoot. The kids had a hard time catching the chickens in an enclosed room and when Scott managed to catch his chicken it peed all over him. This of course caused a lot of laughing and jokes at his expense.
Lunch was a traditional Peruvian barbeque cooked in a rock pit. We had chicken, potatoes, green beans, yams and other things I can´t name. It was fantastic!
After lunch we had the ceremonies to wrap-up the project. We then proceeded into some ice-breaker games led by the Peruvian Scouts, again with a lot of giggling and a short soccer game.
It was then time to go. As we left on the bus, one of the Venturer´s said "I think that we have really done something good for this community". This was great to hear.
Back in Cusco we enjoyed a night of freedom on the town.
Woke up to today with a whole lot to do. We finished the shelves for the chicken coop, finished the roof, hung and painted the doors on the coop and run and did a general clean-up.
The 47th Cusco Scouts showed up early today and joined in with the boys. It is quite interesting in that this scout group is all girls just slightly younger than our boys. There was an awful lot of giggling all day long. None of the girls had ever worked on a project like this or knew much about farming, so they matched our boys in that that regard.
Just before noon we finished the chicken coop and everyone went off to get the chickens. Well this was a real hoot. The kids had a hard time catching the chickens in an enclosed room and when Scott managed to catch his chicken it peed all over him. This of course caused a lot of laughing and jokes at his expense.
Lunch was a traditional Peruvian barbeque cooked in a rock pit. We had chicken, potatoes, green beans, yams and other things I can´t name. It was fantastic!
After lunch we had the ceremonies to wrap-up the project. We then proceeded into some ice-breaker games led by the Peruvian Scouts, again with a lot of giggling and a short soccer game.
It was then time to go. As we left on the bus, one of the Venturer´s said "I think that we have really done something good for this community". This was great to hear.
Back in Cusco we enjoyed a night of freedom on the town.
Day 4 - Quillahuata
Firday, August 28, 2009:
Breakfast was a real hit today - bacon and eggs, very much like at home.
Today was a very productive day on the project. We finished off the walls for the chicken coop, constructed several of the nesting platforms for the chickens, leveled the floor and finished the fence. Tomorrow, the scout group from Cusco will be coming to work with us to finish the project.
Two more home visits today - kids heard about spousal abuse, illness, alcoholism, poor food, bad sanitation and large families living in small spacess. We had a good chat about this around the dinner table tonight.
The group concluded that perhaps we should do some ongoing fundraising for Peru´s Challenge to help deal with these matters. We will discuss this further at our first Venturer meeting this fall.
Several of the kids had upset stomachs and other gastro-intestinal problems today. The worst of the trip so far, though they seem to recover within 24 hours given Gravol, antibiotics and Tylenol.
Final soccer game against the locals today and we tied 1-1.
Breakfast was a real hit today - bacon and eggs, very much like at home.
Today was a very productive day on the project. We finished off the walls for the chicken coop, constructed several of the nesting platforms for the chickens, leveled the floor and finished the fence. Tomorrow, the scout group from Cusco will be coming to work with us to finish the project.
Two more home visits today - kids heard about spousal abuse, illness, alcoholism, poor food, bad sanitation and large families living in small spacess. We had a good chat about this around the dinner table tonight.
The group concluded that perhaps we should do some ongoing fundraising for Peru´s Challenge to help deal with these matters. We will discuss this further at our first Venturer meeting this fall.
Several of the kids had upset stomachs and other gastro-intestinal problems today. The worst of the trip so far, though they seem to recover within 24 hours given Gravol, antibiotics and Tylenol.
Final soccer game against the locals today and we tied 1-1.
Day 3 Quillahuata:
Thursday August 27, 2009:
Up again with the roosters and donkeys. Why the donkey has to get involved, and very loudly at that, is a major issue with everyone.
Today we worked on the walls of the chicken coop, prepared the roofing materials (beams, strapping), dug the holes for the fence posts for the chicken run and helped to locate some plumbing so that a new line could be added to the new bathroom being built at the school by Peru´s Challenge.
Some of the kids went on a home visit with Peru´s Challenge and a social worker. What they saw was very eye-opening. The home they visited was a single room for a mother and six kids. There was only one bed, dirt floors and a cooking fire with very little ventilation. There was virtually no food in the house and the mother was quite ill with seizures likely caused by a fungal infection of the brain. Dr. Roy Purcell with our group met with her separately to look into her treatment.
We had another soccer game with the town today and lost quite badly. They seemed to bring in some ringers from another nearby town.
the weather in Quillahuata has been great. The mornings are sunny and warm. In the afternoons, the wind kicks up and some clouds have rolled in now and then. Evenings are down to about freezing. During the soccer game on the first day we had a short thunderstorm and rain that lasted about 20 minutes, but that is all the rain we have had on the trip.
Up again with the roosters and donkeys. Why the donkey has to get involved, and very loudly at that, is a major issue with everyone.
Today we worked on the walls of the chicken coop, prepared the roofing materials (beams, strapping), dug the holes for the fence posts for the chicken run and helped to locate some plumbing so that a new line could be added to the new bathroom being built at the school by Peru´s Challenge.
Some of the kids went on a home visit with Peru´s Challenge and a social worker. What they saw was very eye-opening. The home they visited was a single room for a mother and six kids. There was only one bed, dirt floors and a cooking fire with very little ventilation. There was virtually no food in the house and the mother was quite ill with seizures likely caused by a fungal infection of the brain. Dr. Roy Purcell with our group met with her separately to look into her treatment.
We had another soccer game with the town today and lost quite badly. They seemed to bring in some ringers from another nearby town.
the weather in Quillahuata has been great. The mornings are sunny and warm. In the afternoons, the wind kicks up and some clouds have rolled in now and then. Evenings are down to about freezing. During the soccer game on the first day we had a short thunderstorm and rain that lasted about 20 minutes, but that is all the rain we have had on the trip.
Day 2 Quillahuata
Wednesday August 26, 2009:
We were up with the donkeys, roosters and dogs and just about anything else that can or will make a noise once the sun comes up. This is around 6:00 am.
We laid the foundations today. The foundations consist of large pieces of granite brought in by truck along with mud. By the end of the day, we were awfully dirty from the mud.
The kids also cleared the soccer field of garbage, rocks and sheep dung. The field is used to graze a couple of sheep every day, hence it never needs to be mosed. The kids also managed to find a little store in the town of about 40 sq ft that sells Coke and Inca Cola, so they were fine for the rest of the week. There was also a short trip to see the local farmers ploughing the fields with cattle.
Rolfino and Juan, the local construction experts hired by Peru´s Challenge, are great to work with despite the fact that they do not know a word of English. We have developed an understanding of what is required as well as some basic construction words in both Spanish and English that seem to work. In any case they keep us hopping.
We were up with the donkeys, roosters and dogs and just about anything else that can or will make a noise once the sun comes up. This is around 6:00 am.
We laid the foundations today. The foundations consist of large pieces of granite brought in by truck along with mud. By the end of the day, we were awfully dirty from the mud.
The kids also cleared the soccer field of garbage, rocks and sheep dung. The field is used to graze a couple of sheep every day, hence it never needs to be mosed. The kids also managed to find a little store in the town of about 40 sq ft that sells Coke and Inca Cola, so they were fine for the rest of the week. There was also a short trip to see the local farmers ploughing the fields with cattle.
Rolfino and Juan, the local construction experts hired by Peru´s Challenge, are great to work with despite the fact that they do not know a word of English. We have developed an understanding of what is required as well as some basic construction words in both Spanish and English that seem to work. In any case they keep us hopping.
The Project in Quillahuata
Tuesday August 25 2009:
Everyone got to sleep in a little today. None of the typical early starts. We were picked up by Peru´s Challenge at about 10:30 and arrived in Quillahuata at about 11:15. The town is only about 5 km as the crow flies from the outskirts of Cusco, but you would think you were in the middle of nowhere. The town in about 500 people all living in adobe brick structures, surrounded by what looks to be reasonably good farmland. In some ways it is reminiscent of the Cariboo due to the contours of the hills and the colours. However, we are nearly 13,000 ft above sea level.
Upon our arrival we were greeted by the students of the local school with songs and hugs. Our accommodation is one of the two classrooms in the school. Two other classrooms have almost been completed by Peru´s Challenge and should open later this year. Right now the school only has kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2. This should expand over the next 2 to 3 years to cover K - 6.
We immediately got to work digging a foundation for the new chicken coop and moving the adobe bricks from up the road. A wheelbarrow can only carry 4 bricks due to their weight and we had to move about 600. Once school was out, the kids all wanted to be carried in the wheelbarrows back to the site to pick up more bricks. Brad appeared to be the most popular driver.
The chicken coop project is good for the school as it will provide eggs to the children that attend school as well as excess product that can be sold for other food and school supplies. Many of the children in the town only get coca tea for breakfast and then some sort of soup for dinner. Not a lot of nutrition, hence many are very small with pòor teeth and other health issues.
We ended the day with a soccer game against the local townspeople. Canada held it´s own and tied the game 3-3, though the play was a little lopsided with the townspeople having superior soccer skills.
The food is great. We think that they have hired a chef from one of the trekking companies to prepare all our food this week.
Everyone got to sleep in a little today. None of the typical early starts. We were picked up by Peru´s Challenge at about 10:30 and arrived in Quillahuata at about 11:15. The town is only about 5 km as the crow flies from the outskirts of Cusco, but you would think you were in the middle of nowhere. The town in about 500 people all living in adobe brick structures, surrounded by what looks to be reasonably good farmland. In some ways it is reminiscent of the Cariboo due to the contours of the hills and the colours. However, we are nearly 13,000 ft above sea level.
Upon our arrival we were greeted by the students of the local school with songs and hugs. Our accommodation is one of the two classrooms in the school. Two other classrooms have almost been completed by Peru´s Challenge and should open later this year. Right now the school only has kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2. This should expand over the next 2 to 3 years to cover K - 6.
We immediately got to work digging a foundation for the new chicken coop and moving the adobe bricks from up the road. A wheelbarrow can only carry 4 bricks due to their weight and we had to move about 600. Once school was out, the kids all wanted to be carried in the wheelbarrows back to the site to pick up more bricks. Brad appeared to be the most popular driver.
The chicken coop project is good for the school as it will provide eggs to the children that attend school as well as excess product that can be sold for other food and school supplies. Many of the children in the town only get coca tea for breakfast and then some sort of soup for dinner. Not a lot of nutrition, hence many are very small with pòor teeth and other health issues.
We ended the day with a soccer game against the local townspeople. Canada held it´s own and tied the game 3-3, though the play was a little lopsided with the townspeople having superior soccer skills.
The food is great. We think that they have hired a chef from one of the trekking companies to prepare all our food this week.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
On to Machu Picchu
Monday august 24, 2009:
We got up today at 3:00 am to have a quick breakfast and head off to Machu Picchu. This early start allows the porters to get the gear to the end of the trail and catch a special porter´s train back to their homes. The hiking is a bit treacherous as we are going downhill, often on small steps for most of the time we are hiking in the dark. Everyone is hiking together for safety with their headlamps on.
We stopped for a break after a couple of hours and watched the sun rise in the Andes - this was really neat. Again it is a very warm day.
Af about 7:00 we reached the last campsite before Machu Pichu and visited the ruins at Winay Wayna. This is a large agricultural complex that many scientists think was used to determine the best altitudes for growing certain crops.
We then headed off for the Sun Gate, the entrance for the Inca nobles to Machu Picchu. There was quite a crowd when we arrived. This is first location that you can see Machu Picchu. At this point we have hiked down from about 12,000 feet to 8,700 feet, so our legs were feeling all of the hard work.
We dropped our packs off at a storage facility and then proceeded on a guided tour with Miguel providing a great commentary about the ruins. We looked at the various temples, housing and other features of Machu Picchu. You do not realize how big the site is until you start wandering around.
After the tour, we took the bus down to Agua Calientes to have some lunch. This is a small town whose only purpose is to serve the tourists that visit Machu Picchu. Lots of restaurants, internet cafes, craft shops and the like. Prices are much higher than elsewhere so nobody bought anything. We had a great lunch of pizza, pasta, burgers and omelets. I think that everyone was craving something other than Peruvian food.
At 5:00 pm we boarded a train back to Cusco. The Backpackers Special was full of rather smelly and dirty campers. Several people nodded off because of the early start to the day. Interesting scenery along the way. We even saw our starting point for the hike. The service is quite civilized with snack and drink service and a fully functional bathroom. Many of the facilities along the trail were fairly basic.
Got back to the hotel about 9:00 and everyone was in bed fairly early.
We got up today at 3:00 am to have a quick breakfast and head off to Machu Picchu. This early start allows the porters to get the gear to the end of the trail and catch a special porter´s train back to their homes. The hiking is a bit treacherous as we are going downhill, often on small steps for most of the time we are hiking in the dark. Everyone is hiking together for safety with their headlamps on.
We stopped for a break after a couple of hours and watched the sun rise in the Andes - this was really neat. Again it is a very warm day.
Af about 7:00 we reached the last campsite before Machu Pichu and visited the ruins at Winay Wayna. This is a large agricultural complex that many scientists think was used to determine the best altitudes for growing certain crops.
We then headed off for the Sun Gate, the entrance for the Inca nobles to Machu Picchu. There was quite a crowd when we arrived. This is first location that you can see Machu Picchu. At this point we have hiked down from about 12,000 feet to 8,700 feet, so our legs were feeling all of the hard work.
We dropped our packs off at a storage facility and then proceeded on a guided tour with Miguel providing a great commentary about the ruins. We looked at the various temples, housing and other features of Machu Picchu. You do not realize how big the site is until you start wandering around.
After the tour, we took the bus down to Agua Calientes to have some lunch. This is a small town whose only purpose is to serve the tourists that visit Machu Picchu. Lots of restaurants, internet cafes, craft shops and the like. Prices are much higher than elsewhere so nobody bought anything. We had a great lunch of pizza, pasta, burgers and omelets. I think that everyone was craving something other than Peruvian food.
At 5:00 pm we boarded a train back to Cusco. The Backpackers Special was full of rather smelly and dirty campers. Several people nodded off because of the early start to the day. Interesting scenery along the way. We even saw our starting point for the hike. The service is quite civilized with snack and drink service and a fully functional bathroom. Many of the facilities along the trail were fairly basic.
Got back to the hotel about 9:00 and everyone was in bed fairly early.
Day Three - Another High Pass
Sunday August 23, 2009:
Today we set out for the second pass at 13,000 feet. The climb was only 2,000 feet and we knocked it off fairly quickly. We saw the ruins at Sayacmarka and Chaquicocha (located at our final destination today). Much of the trail was through wonderful cloud forest today with wild orchids and other plants blooming all over the place. We hiked along or near a ridge for most of the time once we were over the second pass. This section was called Peruvian flats which basically means you go up or down about 100 feet at most but most of the trail is fairly flat.
Ou guide Miguel keeps telling us that the next stop for a snack, lunch or the camp is going to be 2 hours. We then reach it in 90 minutes. We think this is part of his strategy to keep us happy. We had a chat with him about Peruvian minutes compared to North American minutes and had a good laugh about it.
Our camp today at Chaquicocha is on top of a mountain ridge. We could see peaks around us that were up to 20,000 feet high. Ours was the only group at the campsite so things were quite quiet. A couple of the guys went down to explore the ruins which still had a working water system to supply the small community.
Early to bed because of an early hike tomorrow.
Great meals again
Today we set out for the second pass at 13,000 feet. The climb was only 2,000 feet and we knocked it off fairly quickly. We saw the ruins at Sayacmarka and Chaquicocha (located at our final destination today). Much of the trail was through wonderful cloud forest today with wild orchids and other plants blooming all over the place. We hiked along or near a ridge for most of the time once we were over the second pass. This section was called Peruvian flats which basically means you go up or down about 100 feet at most but most of the trail is fairly flat.
Ou guide Miguel keeps telling us that the next stop for a snack, lunch or the camp is going to be 2 hours. We then reach it in 90 minutes. We think this is part of his strategy to keep us happy. We had a chat with him about Peruvian minutes compared to North American minutes and had a good laugh about it.
Our camp today at Chaquicocha is on top of a mountain ridge. We could see peaks around us that were up to 20,000 feet high. Ours was the only group at the campsite so things were quite quiet. A couple of the guys went down to explore the ruins which still had a working water system to supply the small community.
Early to bed because of an early hike tomorrow.
Great meals again
Over Dead Womans Pass
Saturday August 22, 2009:
Today we face the biggest challenge of the trip - climbing the 4,000 ft over Warmi Manuska (Dead Woman´s Pass). This took us about 5 hours of straight slogging up hill. The group tended to split up a bit due to differing levels of fitness. One guide tended to forge ahead with the most intrepid hikers (Scott, Brad, Matthew, Brett and Hugh) with the rest of the boys in the middle group. Dr. Roy followed the group just in case their were any accidents or the like.
We hiked through a short section of cloud forest today with some very lush vegetation and flowers. Again there were some small villages and rest stops for the boys to buy water and drinks.
At the end of the uphill portion, three of the boys charged up the last of the hill to even beat the guide. The view from the pass was great, we could even see the starting point for our hike today and where this evenings camp will be located. There was a fair bit of wind on top to we had to add a layer.
After the pass it was downhill to our camp. Everything was set up when we arrived and the porters all clapped when each camper arrived. The porters are a lot of fun and like to fool around a bit.
Today´s dinner was corn soup with vegetables, Alpaca stew, quinoa and vegetables. The cook also prepared a large cake with chocolate icing as today is Bill´s birthday. It was just great. When you look into the cooking tent there are about four people preparing the meals over one or perhaps two two-burner camp stoves. It is just amazing what they can whip up for the hikers and the rest of our troop.
Today we face the biggest challenge of the trip - climbing the 4,000 ft over Warmi Manuska (Dead Woman´s Pass). This took us about 5 hours of straight slogging up hill. The group tended to split up a bit due to differing levels of fitness. One guide tended to forge ahead with the most intrepid hikers (Scott, Brad, Matthew, Brett and Hugh) with the rest of the boys in the middle group. Dr. Roy followed the group just in case their were any accidents or the like.
We hiked through a short section of cloud forest today with some very lush vegetation and flowers. Again there were some small villages and rest stops for the boys to buy water and drinks.
At the end of the uphill portion, three of the boys charged up the last of the hill to even beat the guide. The view from the pass was great, we could even see the starting point for our hike today and where this evenings camp will be located. There was a fair bit of wind on top to we had to add a layer.
After the pass it was downhill to our camp. Everything was set up when we arrived and the porters all clapped when each camper arrived. The porters are a lot of fun and like to fool around a bit.
Today´s dinner was corn soup with vegetables, Alpaca stew, quinoa and vegetables. The cook also prepared a large cake with chocolate icing as today is Bill´s birthday. It was just great. When you look into the cooking tent there are about four people preparing the meals over one or perhaps two two-burner camp stoves. It is just amazing what they can whip up for the hikers and the rest of our troop.
The Start of the Hike
Friday August 21:
Another early start - 5:30 am. We caught the bus to Ollantaytambo to buy any last minute gear for the trail, and then we were off to Piskacucho for the start of the hike. About 500 people start the hike every day. Our group consisted of the 17 Venturers and leaders plus 3 guides, 2 cooks and 21 porters. We looked like a small army on the move. Our head guide is Miguel and his assistants are Tina and Berta. They were great throughout the trip answering questions and dealing with all of the issues.
The porters had their packs weighed as they are not allowed to carry more than 25 kg. Each of us carried a day pack with rain gear, cameras, water, etc which probably weighed about 8 kg. The porters passed us about one hour into the trip - they either run or walk very fast. They get ahead of us so that they can set up the cooking and eating tents for lunch or the whole camp for the end of the day. It is nice to get to camp and have everything set up, including warm wash water.
The first day of hiking follows the Urubamba River for a while and then swings up a side valley. There are some interesting ruins along the way and a few small villages. At each village they sell gatorade and other snacks to hikers, so the boys are never at a loss for something familiar. The further from the start of the trail, the higher the price.
The hiking was generally fairly flat. We covered about 10 km today and gained about 400 metres in elevation - at the end we were at about 10,000 feet. No complaints from the boys. It was quite hot today - probably in the mid to high 70´s.
We camped at Wayllabamba at a campsite located in a farm. We had a nice grassy area with a few chickens wandering about. Had to ensure the tents were kept closed or the chickens would wander in. The food at the camp was just great - today we had corn chowder, rice, potatoes , curried chicken with vegetables and a kind of pudding.
The sun goes down at 6:00 pm, so after dinner the boys retire to their tents to chat, play chess and just talk. The sky is clear so the stars are really bright. We got to see the Southern Cross.
Another early start - 5:30 am. We caught the bus to Ollantaytambo to buy any last minute gear for the trail, and then we were off to Piskacucho for the start of the hike. About 500 people start the hike every day. Our group consisted of the 17 Venturers and leaders plus 3 guides, 2 cooks and 21 porters. We looked like a small army on the move. Our head guide is Miguel and his assistants are Tina and Berta. They were great throughout the trip answering questions and dealing with all of the issues.
The porters had their packs weighed as they are not allowed to carry more than 25 kg. Each of us carried a day pack with rain gear, cameras, water, etc which probably weighed about 8 kg. The porters passed us about one hour into the trip - they either run or walk very fast. They get ahead of us so that they can set up the cooking and eating tents for lunch or the whole camp for the end of the day. It is nice to get to camp and have everything set up, including warm wash water.
The first day of hiking follows the Urubamba River for a while and then swings up a side valley. There are some interesting ruins along the way and a few small villages. At each village they sell gatorade and other snacks to hikers, so the boys are never at a loss for something familiar. The further from the start of the trail, the higher the price.
The hiking was generally fairly flat. We covered about 10 km today and gained about 400 metres in elevation - at the end we were at about 10,000 feet. No complaints from the boys. It was quite hot today - probably in the mid to high 70´s.
We camped at Wayllabamba at a campsite located in a farm. We had a nice grassy area with a few chickens wandering about. Had to ensure the tents were kept closed or the chickens would wander in. The food at the camp was just great - today we had corn chowder, rice, potatoes , curried chicken with vegetables and a kind of pudding.
The sun goes down at 6:00 pm, so after dinner the boys retire to their tents to chat, play chess and just talk. The sky is clear so the stars are really bright. We got to see the Southern Cross.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Hello to Camp Logjam
The Dunbar 25th Venturers would like to say hi to the Beavers attending Camp Logjam. We are off on a trip to Peru to hike in the Andes Mountains and help build a school. Many of the Venturers have previously been to Camp Logjam before and remember it fondly. If you stick with scouting, you could end up doing something similar.
If you look at the map at the bottom of this blog you can see where we have been.
Have a good week.
If you look at the map at the bottom of this blog you can see where we have been.
Have a good week.
Visiting the Sacred Valley
Thursday August 20:
Today we went on a bus trip out to the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley, through which the Urubamba River runs contains many of the major temples, towns and fortresses of the Incas.
Along the way we stopped at an exhibition that was set up by the local farms to showcase the animals from which the products are produced - llamas, alpacas, vicunas and chinchillas. The kids got to feed the animals and feel their fur.
We stopped at the market in Pisac for some lunch. We were led to a great little bakery that served fresh buns filled with cheese, onions and ham - all for about $1.50. It was very hot today with temperatures up over 80F.
We finally stopped at Ollantaytambo where the remains of a great fortress and temple have been opened to the public. The area is huge and the ruins go up a very steep mountain for at least 500 feet. The kids were in awe of the large stones, some more than 80 tons that had been quarried 6 kilometres away and moved up to the top of the fortress for the temple.
We came back through the Peruvian alto plano with some great views of farms, the Andes and great scenery.
Today we went on a bus trip out to the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley, through which the Urubamba River runs contains many of the major temples, towns and fortresses of the Incas.
Along the way we stopped at an exhibition that was set up by the local farms to showcase the animals from which the products are produced - llamas, alpacas, vicunas and chinchillas. The kids got to feed the animals and feel their fur.
We stopped at the market in Pisac for some lunch. We were led to a great little bakery that served fresh buns filled with cheese, onions and ham - all for about $1.50. It was very hot today with temperatures up over 80F.
We finally stopped at Ollantaytambo where the remains of a great fortress and temple have been opened to the public. The area is huge and the ruins go up a very steep mountain for at least 500 feet. The kids were in awe of the large stones, some more than 80 tons that had been quarried 6 kilometres away and moved up to the top of the fortress for the temple.
We came back through the Peruvian alto plano with some great views of farms, the Andes and great scenery.
Off to Cusco
Wednesday August 19th.
Today we loaded on a bus for the six hour trip from Puno to Cusco where we will start the hike on the Inca Trail. As we climbed out of Puno we saw the prison where all of the Shining Path guerillas are now in jail.
The countryside is quite dry with small farms everywhere. We saw some llamas and alpacas at various points along the way. About halfway through the trip, we went over a pass at about 14,500 ft. Stopped for a few photos and snacks. The vendors were selling all sorts of tourist type stuff - alpaca hats, llama rugs, woolen gloves, ponchos, etc.
Once over the pass and into the Cusco province, the scenery changed dramatically. The farms looked very prosperous, there was more water, forests were prominent and there was a lot of greenery.
We arrived in Cusco at about three and our bus managed to run out of gas about 3 kilometres from our hotel. We all piled out onto the median of a busy street with our gear and waited in very hot weather for another bus to come and get us. Termperatures must have been around 25C. We then checked into our hostel - more like a hotel though.
After a quick clean-up we went for a walking tour with our guide of the main areas of the town. Lots of tourists on the street and very safe. We checked out some restaurants and stores and decided on a place for dinner later. We then walked up a hill to see how our bodies were responding to the altitude - not bad. Unfortunately a few of the guys decided to duck into a shop and didn´t notice us moving along. Fortunately we found them later back where we had lost them. They did remember to stay put.
Had a great dinner in a little restaurant while our guide for the Inca Trail provided us some guidance on what to pack, wear and expect. Everyone is allowed to pack 5 kg to be carried by the porters. We also will be taking day packs with water, rain gear, sunscreen, snacks, cameras and the like. All together we will have 23 porters (including 2 cooks), a head guide, two assistant guides and the 17 of us. This is one of the larger groups that they have ever seen and were quite surprised that we knew each other. The porters carry one small bag for each of us, all of the food, kitchen gear, tents, a chemical toilet, small chairs, water and their own gear. The camp will have a kitchen tent, a toilet tent, an eating tent and a tent for every two people in our group.
After dinner, our guide Nilton, persuaded a couple of the adults to go to a bar for a beer. The bar is favorite haunt for local latin dancing afficionados. Rumour has it (no pictures were taken) that Paul and James were up learning to tango with a couple of the local girls.
Today we loaded on a bus for the six hour trip from Puno to Cusco where we will start the hike on the Inca Trail. As we climbed out of Puno we saw the prison where all of the Shining Path guerillas are now in jail.
The countryside is quite dry with small farms everywhere. We saw some llamas and alpacas at various points along the way. About halfway through the trip, we went over a pass at about 14,500 ft. Stopped for a few photos and snacks. The vendors were selling all sorts of tourist type stuff - alpaca hats, llama rugs, woolen gloves, ponchos, etc.
Once over the pass and into the Cusco province, the scenery changed dramatically. The farms looked very prosperous, there was more water, forests were prominent and there was a lot of greenery.
We arrived in Cusco at about three and our bus managed to run out of gas about 3 kilometres from our hotel. We all piled out onto the median of a busy street with our gear and waited in very hot weather for another bus to come and get us. Termperatures must have been around 25C. We then checked into our hostel - more like a hotel though.
After a quick clean-up we went for a walking tour with our guide of the main areas of the town. Lots of tourists on the street and very safe. We checked out some restaurants and stores and decided on a place for dinner later. We then walked up a hill to see how our bodies were responding to the altitude - not bad. Unfortunately a few of the guys decided to duck into a shop and didn´t notice us moving along. Fortunately we found them later back where we had lost them. They did remember to stay put.
Had a great dinner in a little restaurant while our guide for the Inca Trail provided us some guidance on what to pack, wear and expect. Everyone is allowed to pack 5 kg to be carried by the porters. We also will be taking day packs with water, rain gear, sunscreen, snacks, cameras and the like. All together we will have 23 porters (including 2 cooks), a head guide, two assistant guides and the 17 of us. This is one of the larger groups that they have ever seen and were quite surprised that we knew each other. The porters carry one small bag for each of us, all of the food, kitchen gear, tents, a chemical toilet, small chairs, water and their own gear. The camp will have a kitchen tent, a toilet tent, an eating tent and a tent for every two people in our group.
After dinner, our guide Nilton, persuaded a couple of the adults to go to a bar for a beer. The bar is favorite haunt for local latin dancing afficionados. Rumour has it (no pictures were taken) that Paul and James were up learning to tango with a couple of the local girls.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Leaving Amantani Island
Tuesday:
Had a great send-off from the wharf, with most of our kids wearing their peruvian woolen hats. On the way back we visited the Uros islands, the famous floating reed islands, for a short visit. We stopped at one small village and were given a bit of a history of the Uros people - they moved to the islands to evade the Spaniards.çç
Everything is made of reeds, the house, the boats and the islands. They even eat the stem of the reed, which is very much like celery. Bought a few trinkets and then headed back to Puno.
In Puno, we visited the local food markets to get some supplies for our bus trip tomorrow as well as the local black market. The boys were all quite interested in the way people shopped and the fact that you can choose your live chicken or guinea pig to take home for dinner. A couple actually had guinea pig for lunch today. Several of us had Alpaca with a peach sauce which was just great.
We let the boys go out in the tourist part of town for dinner tonight and a little souvenir shopping no doubt. Everything is very safe and the boys are bigger than just about everyone on the street. The rest of us had a nice quiet dinner with no bothersome teenagers.
That's all for now, time to hit the sack for a 6:00 am wakeup call.
Had a great send-off from the wharf, with most of our kids wearing their peruvian woolen hats. On the way back we visited the Uros islands, the famous floating reed islands, for a short visit. We stopped at one small village and were given a bit of a history of the Uros people - they moved to the islands to evade the Spaniards.çç
Everything is made of reeds, the house, the boats and the islands. They even eat the stem of the reed, which is very much like celery. Bought a few trinkets and then headed back to Puno.
In Puno, we visited the local food markets to get some supplies for our bus trip tomorrow as well as the local black market. The boys were all quite interested in the way people shopped and the fact that you can choose your live chicken or guinea pig to take home for dinner. A couple actually had guinea pig for lunch today. Several of us had Alpaca with a peach sauce which was just great.
We let the boys go out in the tourist part of town for dinner tonight and a little souvenir shopping no doubt. Everything is very safe and the boys are bigger than just about everyone on the street. The rest of us had a nice quiet dinner with no bothersome teenagers.
That's all for now, time to hit the sack for a 6:00 am wakeup call.
Trip to Amantani Island
Monday August 17
Today was a bit of an epic journey. We got the boys out of bed at 2:00 am to get to the airport to catch our flight to Juliaca (near Lake Titicaca). Talk about a bunch of sleepy heads. Surprisingly, the airport was very busy at 3:00 am. The highlight of the flight was we arrived in Puno and went to get our luggage. We found all of the bags but discovered that we were missing one kid. Alex Wiecke had woken up when we arrived but somehow managed to fall back asleep before getting off the plane. We discovered this just as the plane was about to leave. They went and found him, still asleep just in time.
We arrived by bus in Puno just in time to get on our boat for the three hour ride to Amantani Island. The weather was just beautiful and the scenery kind of looks like the dry hills around Kamloops Lake. When we arrived at the Island we were met by a large congregation of local families. We were divided into four groups, with each staying with one family. The accommodations were very spartan, a simple outhouse, rather hard beds with lots of blankets (there is no heat and the temperature at night is close to zero) and the kitchen where most of the cooking is done over a wood fire in a brick and clay oven.
The food was fabulous but simple. Each meal had a hearty soup with potatoes, vegetables, chinois(sp) and vegetables and a rice dish with vegetables. Drinks were coffee and coca tea. The boys all love the tea as it takes away any headaches from being at altitude. AFter lunch we went to watch a soccer game ( we were invited to play, bu the altitude was a bit much for us on our first day at Lake Titicaca (elevation 3600 metres). We then hiked to the top of the Island at about 3750 metres to watch the sunset - it was spectacular.
After a dinner at about 7:00 we were dressed up in local garb (ponchos and hats) and went to the community dance. About 150 people showed up, about half locals and half tourists. Once the music started (Peruvian pan pipes, drums and guitars) everyone was up dancing, initialy in small groups, then in a long line dance type thing. It was quite hilarious to see the boys dancing with some of the ladies and girls from the Island, particularly Bryan Piggott who at 6`4" was about 18 inches taller than the lady that asked him to dance. The stars in the sky were just incredible, the Milky Way was very clear.
Off to bed early to catch up on the sleep we have missed the last three nights.
Today was a bit of an epic journey. We got the boys out of bed at 2:00 am to get to the airport to catch our flight to Juliaca (near Lake Titicaca). Talk about a bunch of sleepy heads. Surprisingly, the airport was very busy at 3:00 am. The highlight of the flight was we arrived in Puno and went to get our luggage. We found all of the bags but discovered that we were missing one kid. Alex Wiecke had woken up when we arrived but somehow managed to fall back asleep before getting off the plane. We discovered this just as the plane was about to leave. They went and found him, still asleep just in time.
We arrived by bus in Puno just in time to get on our boat for the three hour ride to Amantani Island. The weather was just beautiful and the scenery kind of looks like the dry hills around Kamloops Lake. When we arrived at the Island we were met by a large congregation of local families. We were divided into four groups, with each staying with one family. The accommodations were very spartan, a simple outhouse, rather hard beds with lots of blankets (there is no heat and the temperature at night is close to zero) and the kitchen where most of the cooking is done over a wood fire in a brick and clay oven.
The food was fabulous but simple. Each meal had a hearty soup with potatoes, vegetables, chinois(sp) and vegetables and a rice dish with vegetables. Drinks were coffee and coca tea. The boys all love the tea as it takes away any headaches from being at altitude. AFter lunch we went to watch a soccer game ( we were invited to play, bu the altitude was a bit much for us on our first day at Lake Titicaca (elevation 3600 metres). We then hiked to the top of the Island at about 3750 metres to watch the sunset - it was spectacular.
After a dinner at about 7:00 we were dressed up in local garb (ponchos and hats) and went to the community dance. About 150 people showed up, about half locals and half tourists. Once the music started (Peruvian pan pipes, drums and guitars) everyone was up dancing, initialy in small groups, then in a long line dance type thing. It was quite hilarious to see the boys dancing with some of the ladies and girls from the Island, particularly Bryan Piggott who at 6`4" was about 18 inches taller than the lady that asked him to dance. The stars in the sky were just incredible, the Milky Way was very clear.
Off to bed early to catch up on the sleep we have missed the last three nights.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
We Made It
Got up a little before the rest of the crew today to post this blog. It is interesting trying to work with a Spanish keyboard, as many of the non-letter keys are in different locations on the keyboard due to all of the accents that are added to written Spanish and some of the funny characters that they use.
It was a very long day, but we are finally here in Lima. Teenage boys do not do very well getting up at 4:00 am to get to the airport. Some awfully tired looking boys. We managed to get through the very long lines in security and US immigration just in time to get on the plance. Roy and Duncan almost did not make it. Roy´s bag, which had the first aid kit (a very big one - I think he could open a medical clinic in a small town) caused his bag to be overweight. He had to re-pack everything.
The flight left Vancouver at 6:30 am and we finally arrived at our hotel in Lima at around 1:30 am. The flight to Los Angeles was usual North American style - no food and packed to the gills. Our flight with LAN from Los Angeles to Lima was much better. It was a brand new 767 with good seats, in-seat entertainment systems and passable food. Our hotel is in the Miraflores area of Lima which seems to have all of the restaurants and nightclubs. Traffic was terrible and there were people everywhere. Sure a very lively place.
We are off to do a City tour this afternoon. Will probably walk over to the park overlooking the beaches later this morning. Expect a post later today with some pictures once we download from the cameras.
It was a very long day, but we are finally here in Lima. Teenage boys do not do very well getting up at 4:00 am to get to the airport. Some awfully tired looking boys. We managed to get through the very long lines in security and US immigration just in time to get on the plance. Roy and Duncan almost did not make it. Roy´s bag, which had the first aid kit (a very big one - I think he could open a medical clinic in a small town) caused his bag to be overweight. He had to re-pack everything.
The flight left Vancouver at 6:30 am and we finally arrived at our hotel in Lima at around 1:30 am. The flight to Los Angeles was usual North American style - no food and packed to the gills. Our flight with LAN from Los Angeles to Lima was much better. It was a brand new 767 with good seats, in-seat entertainment systems and passable food. Our hotel is in the Miraflores area of Lima which seems to have all of the restaurants and nightclubs. Traffic was terrible and there were people everywhere. Sure a very lively place.
We are off to do a City tour this afternoon. Will probably walk over to the park overlooking the beaches later this morning. Expect a post later today with some pictures once we download from the cameras.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Dunbar 25th Venturers Peru Trip
This is the blog of the Dunbar 25th Venturers from Vancouver. A group of 12 Venturers and 4 adults is going to Peru. Our itinerary includes touring Lima, the Lake Titicaca area and the Sacred Valley near Cusco. We will then hike the Inca Trail for four days ending at Machu Pichu. Our trip then moves on to a little town in the Andes named Quilla Huata where we will be staying for 5 days and helping to build a school out of adobe bricks. Should be interesting. We will also be meeting the 47th Cusco Scout group while we are at this project.
Everyone is getting excited. Had our last group meeting tonight and ensured everyone had their medications, money, packing list and other necessities. Told everyone the bad news that we needed to be at the airport by 5:00 am on Saturday morning. I suspect that we will have a bunch of grumpy teenagers.
Everyone is getting excited. Had our last group meeting tonight and ensured everyone had their medications, money, packing list and other necessities. Told everyone the bad news that we needed to be at the airport by 5:00 am on Saturday morning. I suspect that we will have a bunch of grumpy teenagers.
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