Ausangate Trek

I suppose my turn to write finally came up so Nathan is on vacation for this one. We have made it back in one piece from another trek and this time we're a bit glad we don't have many more to go. Though a few more tempt us, we're not sure how much more energy we have left. We think we can squeeze one more out, though.


The Ausangate circuit, which circles the impressive Ausangate massif, is yet another example of the astounding world we live in. This planet continues to amaze me. Though we'd planned six days we managed to complete the circuit in five. It passes through incredible mountain terrain, complete with glaciers and associated lagoons and churning streams, but even more impressive to me were the settlements we enountered, most probably enduring since pre-Incan times. The mud brick huts and extensive stone fence lines are sturdy and solid, just like their inhabitants. Alpacas and llamas brave the harsh mountain weather all year long, feeding on the often sparse alpine vegetation. The Peruvian Andes harbor hearty creatures.



All the locals we met were very friendly and always eager to chat and exchange greetings (and sell us their wares). Children begged sweets (dame dulces! dame dulces!) which was a bit disappointing, though not surprising given how many western trekkers pass through their villages and probably do give sweets. On our final day we camped in the pueblo of Calachaca and woke to a frost laden tent and two tiny children in thin coats and sandals hovering by our camp waiting for a treat. They never asked, just sat by shyly, enduring my attempts at conversation in Spanish and waiting patiently for us to give them something. Most campesinos who live so remotely speak and understand only Quechua, so I got a lot of nodding and blank stares. But they understood a gift and a few happily walked away with our extra oatmeal, quinoa and raisins, even though they'd hoped for chocolate and jam. I guess we were like those people who give out pencils on Halloween.


As for the trekking itself, we were pretty happy to find that we could hack the altitude and carrying our own packs. Not to say we weren't exhausted. Two passes over 4800 meters and two more over 5100 meters were no cake walk. We did look longingly at others being carried by horses and their gear by mules and are contemplating this method for next time. Nonetheless, the scenery was spectacular and well worth the burning lungs.


Now we're back in Cusco and will head out to Macchu Picchu in a couple days. Though it's expensive as all get out and obviously very touristy, it seems almost obligatory and everyone who has visited has said that even the hordes of people and snapping cameras can't take away from the magic that emanates from the place. We definitely look forward to it and will of course report back.

Confessions of a Loser (of things)

Team morale hit an all-time low back in La Paz, Bolivia about a week ago. I lost the flash drive with all the pictures of the past four months on it. Cue sad face. Fear not, for all is not lost, only most of it. We still have the blog pictures and we put some up on photobucket.com, and I even have a few on Facebook. I think that this unfortunate event may haunt me for eternity. I can picture Beth, old and gray, telling all the grandkids about our exotic adventures and saying something like... "Well I would show you all the pictures but Grandpa lost them all in La Paz." At that point I would hang my head in shame while my own grandkids heckled me for my actions 40 years before. Anyway, we don´t even know for sure that all these digital pictures will even last that long. While we are on the subject, I lost my jacket and the headphone splitter so that we could listen to the Ipod at the same time. I almost lost my other jacket and my passport, but they were successfully recovered.

Let´s move on shall we and talk about adventure and pretty things. Over the last few weeks we have been doing some smaller hikes. Outside La Paz, we did a trek called El Choro which was a gruelling 4 day hike on an old Incan trade route through the mountains. What made it rough was that we began the hike at 4800 meters and descended down to 2200 meters. I have never been so sore in my life from hiking. Our knees were aching. It was a beautiful walk through both high altitude mountains and lush jungle valleys. It passed through towns where people still spoke Quechua and scratched out an existence by farming land that was 1 or 2 days walk from the nearest road.

After escaping the city of La Paz, we headed for Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titikaka. For my entire life, Lake Titikaka was just some lake that made me chuckle in my youth. (I still think that it is kinda funny, but now know it means "Rock of the Puma" in Quechua and Aymara.) It is a spectacular place. The sapphire blue waters are surrounded by mountainous terrain. We spent most of our time on Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun). It is where Incan legend places the beginning of the world. Beth thought that this was her favorite landscape so far. We spent 3 days traversing the island inspecting ruins, finding solitary campsites in empty coves along the lake, and trying to figure out where exactly we were. The locals on the island were exceptionally kind and helpful. Lake Titikaka has a kind of Mediterrenean feel to it and is definitely worth a visit.

We are currently hanging out in Cusco, Peru where we are preparing for another hike. It will be 6-8 days depending on the weather and other logistics. After the hike we will visit Macchu Picchu.

Rancho Montana

We know, we know. We´ve been neglecting the blog a little. I must say, though, it is not because we just didn´t feel like it. We were kinda on vacation. It is difficult living this way. Everything we do turns into an epic journey. Just finding food or an envelope leads to a wild goose chase through the city. I am sure you are thinking something like "cry me a river." We won´t take offense to that. We had a wonderful vacation from our traveling. We spent three weeks an hour north of the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia on Rancho Montana.

Rancho Montana is a two hundred acre farm that belongs to Brent, an ex-pat from Montana who works in the seismic business. Staying with Brent and his family made us feel like we were royalty. The farm is teeming with activity. He has a hundred or so chickens, 20 or so head of cattle, 10 dogs, 3 horses, 2 peacocks, 2 pigs, a handful of geese, and a kitten. Pati and the girls were always preparing delicious food for everyone. Brent grilled steaks on the barbeque and got his smoker going for ribs and steaks from a steer that was butchered while we were there. I am fully commited now to building a smoker like his someday.

We contacted Brent through an organization called WWOOF, which means something like "willing workers on organic farms." The deal is to work on the farm in trade for meals and lodging. The ecology of the area would be something like a savannah. It was hot there, a big difference from the high altitudes where we have been spending most of our time. The temperature was always hovering around 90 degrees Farenheit with 50% humidity. Sticky.

Our main responsibility was to prepare his garden beds for the winter planting. I guess the summer is too wet and too hot to grow there. It is unbeleivable how fast things grow there. We cleared lots of brush and fence rows, we pruned the banana trees, and trimmed hedges. After that was done, we began to turn all of the soil by hand with a heavy duty hoe. It was a great feeling for both of us to actually do something to get our hands dirty. By the time we were getting ready to leave, we had all the gardens turned, tilled, and manured. Beth had planted some seed for their starts.

The worst part about the experience was that I was sick a lot with a stomach bug. I still hadn´t kicked the bug that I had picked up in La Paz. I would feel good for 4 or 5 days and get sick for 3. Eventually they took me into town and helped us navigate the Bolivian healthcare system. We would not have been able to do it on our own. It is very different than what we were used to in the states. Pati made me soups and things to help me feel better. They were really great.

Some of our favorite things while we were there...

...the fresh lemonade made from the lemon tree

...watching the peacocks lurk around the garden eating bugs

...the softball sized tarantula we found while we cleared brush

...the smoked ribs

...the inside scoop on South American politics

...seeing how a steer is butchered

...getting our hands dirty

Thanks to Brent and his family for the wonderful experience!