Hola All:
We left La Paz via Aerosur to Cuzco and because of the time change arrived before we left. Aerosur is probably the best option for flights around Peru, but for the one between Lima and Cuzco it prices itself out of the market. The cost is about double, so we switched to Star Peru for the second leg. We were able to get an earlier flight (although a little Bae 146) and were in the Hotel España by early afternoon. The 2 days we have in Lima are intented for relaxation, catching the band at the presidential palace at noon, and filling up on Churras and Cervaza. And it has worked out that way with Joy throwing in some shopping. If she gets it all back it will go down in aviation history with my taking 50 Quinoa bars back for Ivar Mendez to test (another story for later). The band performances here every noon at the changing of the guard are interesting and free. The music is great, but the riot police keep you away from the fence so the photos are ¨crap¨. Churras are pudding wrapped in a ¨beavertail¨for those familiar with the Ottawa treat. They are not good for you, but are very good!
Well, we have checked out and will be on our way out of SA in less than 12 hours. Sad to leave, and will try to be back.
Jim
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
La Paz (some more)
Hola:
Just after I posted yesterday, the rain came. Because it is still the ¨rainy season¨, the forecast for La Paz calls for rain everyday. Most days, there might be a little shower, but many days there is nothing and we have found after three trips here during the season that the rain really isn´t that bad and doesn´t interfere with plans. However, twice on this trip there have been absolute down-pours, once in Aucapata in the morning when the street turned to a river and yesterday afternoon when I was posting to the blog and Joy was out painting. There was some thunder and lightening, but it was the amount of water that impressed. The flow on the busy street in front of the internet place was getting so deep that I fully expected the cars to start floating by. Even the hail wasn´t too bad, but the wading back to the hostal on flooded sidewalks was uncomfortable. La Paz is built in a canyon and earlier this year a portion of the hillside collapsed during this kind of storm. When you watch big chunks of construction material rolling down the streets propelled by water flow and gravity, you can understand why.
I did manage to get back to the officina of IMIF for our wind-up meeting and after the staff took us out for dinner. It was a tearful fairwell with Lucy, Ernest, Amparo, Yumey, Ivonne and Danilo. They presented us with 2 beautiful silver gifts that you will see this summer in the gallery. They are wonderful people and you should drop in to say ¨hello¨if you are in La Paz or Aucapata.
Today was our chance to get rid of left-over Bolivianos and do some shopping. We walked over to Calle Sagarnaga, the home of the ¨Witches Market¨a must for tourists, to do some shopping. I won´t tell you what we bought, but I have no idea how Joy is going to get it all in her pack. She says that she is going to throw out all her clothes, and I think that that might be a start. My pack is filled with ëxperimental Quinua bars for Ivar Mendez to run tests on. I am not certain how I will explain them should I be asked. I have some in my carry-on as they are really good! Tomorrow we leave the hostal at 7:30am and hope that our tickets purchased a month ago at Huarez get us to Lima where we booked in at the Hostal Espana for a few days of R&R before heading home on Tuesday night late.
Jim
Just after I posted yesterday, the rain came. Because it is still the ¨rainy season¨, the forecast for La Paz calls for rain everyday. Most days, there might be a little shower, but many days there is nothing and we have found after three trips here during the season that the rain really isn´t that bad and doesn´t interfere with plans. However, twice on this trip there have been absolute down-pours, once in Aucapata in the morning when the street turned to a river and yesterday afternoon when I was posting to the blog and Joy was out painting. There was some thunder and lightening, but it was the amount of water that impressed. The flow on the busy street in front of the internet place was getting so deep that I fully expected the cars to start floating by. Even the hail wasn´t too bad, but the wading back to the hostal on flooded sidewalks was uncomfortable. La Paz is built in a canyon and earlier this year a portion of the hillside collapsed during this kind of storm. When you watch big chunks of construction material rolling down the streets propelled by water flow and gravity, you can understand why.
I did manage to get back to the officina of IMIF for our wind-up meeting and after the staff took us out for dinner. It was a tearful fairwell with Lucy, Ernest, Amparo, Yumey, Ivonne and Danilo. They presented us with 2 beautiful silver gifts that you will see this summer in the gallery. They are wonderful people and you should drop in to say ¨hello¨if you are in La Paz or Aucapata.
Today was our chance to get rid of left-over Bolivianos and do some shopping. We walked over to Calle Sagarnaga, the home of the ¨Witches Market¨a must for tourists, to do some shopping. I won´t tell you what we bought, but I have no idea how Joy is going to get it all in her pack. She says that she is going to throw out all her clothes, and I think that that might be a start. My pack is filled with ëxperimental Quinua bars for Ivar Mendez to run tests on. I am not certain how I will explain them should I be asked. I have some in my carry-on as they are really good! Tomorrow we leave the hostal at 7:30am and hope that our tickets purchased a month ago at Huarez get us to Lima where we booked in at the Hostal Espana for a few days of R&R before heading home on Tuesday night late.
Jim
Friday, March 30, 2012
La Paz
Now that we are safely down from our late night adventure in El Alto, we are in a different hostal than the usual Hotel Torino. The Torino is in an old building near the Plaza Murillo, where the Presidential and Legislature Palacios are located. This plaza is where all the political action takes place and ther are always some group protesting (this includes blasting caps). This week it is the doctors (this is true). This was also close to the good ice cream.
We are now in Sopacachi, an up-scale area just down the road from the Canadian Consulate. The IMIF has a planned schedule for us, but the first day is spent doing laundry and finding where things are. Tuesday was our first visit to CATI, a sort of drop-in place for children and families ät risk¨. Joy taught art for a few hours. That evening we had a wonderful visit with Javier Fernandez, a great Bolivian water-colourist and a thoroughly charming gentleman. Artists just love comparing notes and , fortunately, for those of us that don´t understand them in either language, there was wine and munchies. By the time we left Joy and Javier were planning a joint show and Joy was re-thinking dry brush technique (whatever that is). On Wednesday Joy went back to CATI for another class. Thursday we met with Mario Conde Cruz, another water colourist and a teacher at the Academia Nationale de Bellas Artes. We had Mario four years ago and Joy was asked to teach his water colour course that evening. She did and it was a resounding success. She gave each student a large sheet and asked them to fill it in one hour. This is one of her favorite exercises and really stretches students.
Today Joy took Ivonne (a dentist who works with the Foundation) and Lucy out to paint in the plaza, while Ernesto and I went shopping for shoes for Anahi of Aucapata. We also visited the Witches Market, a tourist must.
Jim
We are now in Sopacachi, an up-scale area just down the road from the Canadian Consulate. The IMIF has a planned schedule for us, but the first day is spent doing laundry and finding where things are. Tuesday was our first visit to CATI, a sort of drop-in place for children and families ät risk¨. Joy taught art for a few hours. That evening we had a wonderful visit with Javier Fernandez, a great Bolivian water-colourist and a thoroughly charming gentleman. Artists just love comparing notes and , fortunately, for those of us that don´t understand them in either language, there was wine and munchies. By the time we left Joy and Javier were planning a joint show and Joy was re-thinking dry brush technique (whatever that is). On Wednesday Joy went back to CATI for another class. Thursday we met with Mario Conde Cruz, another water colourist and a teacher at the Academia Nationale de Bellas Artes. We had Mario four years ago and Joy was asked to teach his water colour course that evening. She did and it was a resounding success. She gave each student a large sheet and asked them to fill it in one hour. This is one of her favorite exercises and really stretches students.
Today Joy took Ivonne (a dentist who works with the Foundation) and Lucy out to paint in the plaza, while Ernesto and I went shopping for shoes for Anahi of Aucapata. We also visited the Witches Market, a tourist must.
Jim
Leftovers from the Land That Flat Forgot
Hola:
I love this title as it is one of my lasting memories of Aucapata, Cosnipata and Charaj. There is no flat only up or down. The scenery defies description but is always there despite the clouds which always work to change the scene. High clouds (4000 metres) hug the tops of the mountains, while the low ones ooze up from the valleys and over the sides of the hills to quickly blanket the villages in a cold fog. Then it disappears as quickly. Ivar Mendez told us that we would see an unbelievable country-side and he was completely correct.
The people of the three communities welcomed us and valued the lessons in creativity that Joy brought to their children. We loved all the children. They possess a long attention-span, uncluttered by the internet, computers, or TV. They create their own fun with what is available to them. For example one of the favourite games involves strapping empty plastic pop bottles to their feet and having another pull them down the grass slopes beside the plaza. Sort of like water skiing without water or a boat. A crash and laughter always result.
While a lot of time could be spent talking about the problems of nutrition, sanitation, access to services, etc, but there are also many positives. The pigs and horses roaming the streets negate any need for a power mower to cut the grass beside the plaza. The children walk for miles just to get to school and I can assure you that much of that is extremely steeply up-hill. A comparison with a similar sized group of N. American kids would be interesting, but would have to be done before the influence of computers and the internet.
Chaio
Jim
I love this title as it is one of my lasting memories of Aucapata, Cosnipata and Charaj. There is no flat only up or down. The scenery defies description but is always there despite the clouds which always work to change the scene. High clouds (4000 metres) hug the tops of the mountains, while the low ones ooze up from the valleys and over the sides of the hills to quickly blanket the villages in a cold fog. Then it disappears as quickly. Ivar Mendez told us that we would see an unbelievable country-side and he was completely correct.
The people of the three communities welcomed us and valued the lessons in creativity that Joy brought to their children. We loved all the children. They possess a long attention-span, uncluttered by the internet, computers, or TV. They create their own fun with what is available to them. For example one of the favourite games involves strapping empty plastic pop bottles to their feet and having another pull them down the grass slopes beside the plaza. Sort of like water skiing without water or a boat. A crash and laughter always result.
While a lot of time could be spent talking about the problems of nutrition, sanitation, access to services, etc, but there are also many positives. The pigs and horses roaming the streets negate any need for a power mower to cut the grass beside the plaza. The children walk for miles just to get to school and I can assure you that much of that is extremely steeply up-hill. A comparison with a similar sized group of N. American kids would be interesting, but would have to be done before the influence of computers and the internet.
Chaio
Jim
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Aucapata Week 3 (March 19 to March 25th)
Hi All:
To my surprise, when we got to the school in Aucapata, the Father´s Day celebrations were under way. Yes, this year I get 2 Father´s Days! The Bolivian one was very special as Fathers were invited to school and were entertained by dances and poetry performances. All the Fathers, including yours truly, were seated up front in the school yard. I was especially touched by little Anhi´s dance with 2 other little girls. She was so serious and dancing her heart out in her special gold dancing skirt................but, with the same broken sandals that she wears everyday. The Fathers were also part of the entertainment as reluctant volunteers first took part in an eating competition, then musical chairs and then potato peeling. I finally volunteered for the later and finished a dignified (and 10 fingered) last. Winners of the competitions got a big bottle of pop and were sprinkled with confetti. Joy did 2 classes on Monday and had the school principal and two teachers for the late afternoon class.
Tuesday we had an early thunderstorm, the first of our stay and the road in front of the house flowed like a river. But, as is usual here, the walk to Cosnipata was virtually rain-free. Dr. Amparo and the Director of the IMIF, Yumey, both arrived on the ¨Rojo¨bus at 5:30 and Yumey brought all sorts of goodies for the wrap up parties.
On Wednesday, our last official day at Aucapata school, Joy did a demonstration for the older kids while we set up the room that we had been using. By 12pm we had everything hung and the parents and teachers came to see what the kids had done and for cookies, Quinohua bars and yogurt. The school had a civic ceremony, at which, we were able to say a few words of thanks and present the students with some art supplies. Turn-out of parents was very good.
Thursday had us back in Charaj in a 4X4 driven by one of the miners. We had to leave at 6:30am and he drove a little fast for my liking. You must realize that on these roads, if you go off the one-lane road on the down-hill side, you can go a long way (at least 500metres) down before you stop! Our great plans of providing everyone with sandwiches still didn´t dissuade the women of Charaj from feeding us a hot meal, this time including Joy´s favourite................Guinea Pig! She loves those little faces with the teeth looking up from her plate! So if anyone back home wants to be a hit with Joy. Joy was still teaching when we heard the horn of Juan Carlos´bus up the hill. We had to pack and leave in a big hurry and sprint(??) up the hill. Fortunately Yumey was able to get in contact and Juan Carlos slowed down for us.
Friday was our last visit to Cosnipata.At least 4 parents stayed for the day, and we decorated the rooms with the kids art and then there were speaches and food. It was altogether a successful end to our time in Cosnipata and everyone appeared happy. Ernesto arrived with the truck that distributes breakfast food to 25 schools every month and a half. The rest of the day was spent making improvements to the house: ie a lock and window in the bathroom and replacing the refridgerator box in the kitchen with real working surfaces.
Saterday the miners (¨mineros¨) had a big meeting so there were 4X4s all over town. Unfortunately we couldn´t get one to take breakfast food down to Rosario. Joy had some students in the early afternoon and then, with the house decorated with a Nova Scotia flag and balloons, we had the last formal function, an open house. The place was filled for 3 hours with kids and adults. Joys 15 paintings were hung on the wall along with the work of her evening classes. After, when we were relaxing two of the kids, Jose and his sister Anhellica, came to the door to let us know that someone was selling avocados. After a number of purchases, they stayed for a sandwich. In a very touching moment, Joy gave Anhellica one of Danica´s necklaces, at which point, Jose jumped up at mid-bite, and raced away. He came back with a hand-carved wooden sling-shot which he gave to Joy. It was obviously prized!
Sunday we left in a 4X4 thanks to Don Manuel for La Paz. As we left at 2pm, we got to see the marvelous high country between Aucapata and the shores of Lake Titicaca. Unfortunately there was a dispute about whether or not the driver would go down into La Paz or just drop us in El Alto. That started a drama which ended with him possibly running out of gas in El Alto at about 1am. El Alto is not aplace that you want to be at night, but we were rescued by cel phones and Paz the best driver in La Paz.
Jim
To my surprise, when we got to the school in Aucapata, the Father´s Day celebrations were under way. Yes, this year I get 2 Father´s Days! The Bolivian one was very special as Fathers were invited to school and were entertained by dances and poetry performances. All the Fathers, including yours truly, were seated up front in the school yard. I was especially touched by little Anhi´s dance with 2 other little girls. She was so serious and dancing her heart out in her special gold dancing skirt................but, with the same broken sandals that she wears everyday. The Fathers were also part of the entertainment as reluctant volunteers first took part in an eating competition, then musical chairs and then potato peeling. I finally volunteered for the later and finished a dignified (and 10 fingered) last. Winners of the competitions got a big bottle of pop and were sprinkled with confetti. Joy did 2 classes on Monday and had the school principal and two teachers for the late afternoon class.
Tuesday we had an early thunderstorm, the first of our stay and the road in front of the house flowed like a river. But, as is usual here, the walk to Cosnipata was virtually rain-free. Dr. Amparo and the Director of the IMIF, Yumey, both arrived on the ¨Rojo¨bus at 5:30 and Yumey brought all sorts of goodies for the wrap up parties.
On Wednesday, our last official day at Aucapata school, Joy did a demonstration for the older kids while we set up the room that we had been using. By 12pm we had everything hung and the parents and teachers came to see what the kids had done and for cookies, Quinohua bars and yogurt. The school had a civic ceremony, at which, we were able to say a few words of thanks and present the students with some art supplies. Turn-out of parents was very good.
Thursday had us back in Charaj in a 4X4 driven by one of the miners. We had to leave at 6:30am and he drove a little fast for my liking. You must realize that on these roads, if you go off the one-lane road on the down-hill side, you can go a long way (at least 500metres) down before you stop! Our great plans of providing everyone with sandwiches still didn´t dissuade the women of Charaj from feeding us a hot meal, this time including Joy´s favourite................Guinea Pig! She loves those little faces with the teeth looking up from her plate! So if anyone back home wants to be a hit with Joy. Joy was still teaching when we heard the horn of Juan Carlos´bus up the hill. We had to pack and leave in a big hurry and sprint(??) up the hill. Fortunately Yumey was able to get in contact and Juan Carlos slowed down for us.
Friday was our last visit to Cosnipata.At least 4 parents stayed for the day, and we decorated the rooms with the kids art and then there were speaches and food. It was altogether a successful end to our time in Cosnipata and everyone appeared happy. Ernesto arrived with the truck that distributes breakfast food to 25 schools every month and a half. The rest of the day was spent making improvements to the house: ie a lock and window in the bathroom and replacing the refridgerator box in the kitchen with real working surfaces.
Saterday the miners (¨mineros¨) had a big meeting so there were 4X4s all over town. Unfortunately we couldn´t get one to take breakfast food down to Rosario. Joy had some students in the early afternoon and then, with the house decorated with a Nova Scotia flag and balloons, we had the last formal function, an open house. The place was filled for 3 hours with kids and adults. Joys 15 paintings were hung on the wall along with the work of her evening classes. After, when we were relaxing two of the kids, Jose and his sister Anhellica, came to the door to let us know that someone was selling avocados. After a number of purchases, they stayed for a sandwich. In a very touching moment, Joy gave Anhellica one of Danica´s necklaces, at which point, Jose jumped up at mid-bite, and raced away. He came back with a hand-carved wooden sling-shot which he gave to Joy. It was obviously prized!
Sunday we left in a 4X4 thanks to Don Manuel for La Paz. As we left at 2pm, we got to see the marvelous high country between Aucapata and the shores of Lake Titicaca. Unfortunately there was a dispute about whether or not the driver would go down into La Paz or just drop us in El Alto. That started a drama which ended with him possibly running out of gas in El Alto at about 1am. El Alto is not aplace that you want to be at night, but we were rescued by cel phones and Paz the best driver in La Paz.
Jim
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Aucapata (week 2)
We are slowly starting to settle into a pattern of life here. The power came on late on Monday, but no school as the teachers were not back from La Paz yet. Joy has art classes for everyone in the house when there is a chance. The teahers arrived back by bus on Tuesday and we got back into our schedule by going to Cosnipata on Wednesday. This time we took our dentist, Amparo, with us and combined dental health and art. Every child gets a basket with a towel and toothbrush of their own and we managed to hang these on a decorated ¨dental wall¨in each school. The teaher was issued toothpaste and encouraged to have the children brush as a group each day, usually after the breakfast that the IMIF provides. In some of the remote villages like Cosnipata and Charaj there is a language problem as well. Many of the children and parents do not speak Spanish, but only Quechua, an indigineous language. In Cosnipata this is complicated as both the teachers speak Aymara (another indigeous language) and Spanish. Imagine having to know three languages!
On Thursday we finally got to Charaj and what a spot it is. Don Manuel drove us there and the plan was to catch the bus (Juan Carlos´blue bus) back to Aucapata. Oh yes, before we left, we discovered that the water was off to the whole village. Charaj school is perched on the hillside looking over most of the houses that make up Charaj. It is a very unique place with the clouds coming up from the river far below and rain falling from blue skies and a rainbow over the top of the mountain above and all at the same time. Women communicate by talking in a normal voice from house to house when the winds are just right. The lone teaher who lives at the school blows a wistle over the valley to call the children to school. And what a kind, gentle man he is almost acting as a surrogate Father to the little ones in his care. There was a parents meeting when we arrived so school was late. Amparo got the honour of raising the flag during the singing of the national anthem. Some of the parents stayed and enjoyed the art classes and Joy loved having the women in traditional clothing in her class. Before we left, women brought us a hot meal of rice, egg, potato and salsa. They had to bring it from houses far away and we were all touched by their generosity. We hiked up to the road to wait for the bus and when it hadn´t arrived by 4pm, we decided to set off walking to make sure that we were home before dark. Nice walk as this road is mostly flat to downhill. We arrive about an hour before the bus.
By Friday we had water and power again and spent the day at the Aucapata school. Joy was quite surprised by a pig in the schoolyard, but I had been here long enough to not want to bother with the picture. Afterall, Joy´s first class at the house had as many pigs as kids in attendance.
On Saturday there was a big meeting of the Aucapata district and there were losts of folk in all sorts of outfits in Aucapata for the event. At the end of the meeting, the delegates were greeted by Joy and her class who were painting in the plaza.
On Sunday, our power line was fixed by the owner of the house and this fix seemed to have worked. Joy and I hiked up the hill behind Aucapata toward the cross on the top. The afternoon was spent with Joy painting and me watching the bus activity in the plaza. Bus arrivals and departures are announced by a loud blowing of the bus´horn and these old buses are loud! Unfortunately, even departures at 2am (quite usual) are announced the same way!
Jim
On Thursday we finally got to Charaj and what a spot it is. Don Manuel drove us there and the plan was to catch the bus (Juan Carlos´blue bus) back to Aucapata. Oh yes, before we left, we discovered that the water was off to the whole village. Charaj school is perched on the hillside looking over most of the houses that make up Charaj. It is a very unique place with the clouds coming up from the river far below and rain falling from blue skies and a rainbow over the top of the mountain above and all at the same time. Women communicate by talking in a normal voice from house to house when the winds are just right. The lone teaher who lives at the school blows a wistle over the valley to call the children to school. And what a kind, gentle man he is almost acting as a surrogate Father to the little ones in his care. There was a parents meeting when we arrived so school was late. Amparo got the honour of raising the flag during the singing of the national anthem. Some of the parents stayed and enjoyed the art classes and Joy loved having the women in traditional clothing in her class. Before we left, women brought us a hot meal of rice, egg, potato and salsa. They had to bring it from houses far away and we were all touched by their generosity. We hiked up to the road to wait for the bus and when it hadn´t arrived by 4pm, we decided to set off walking to make sure that we were home before dark. Nice walk as this road is mostly flat to downhill. We arrive about an hour before the bus.
By Friday we had water and power again and spent the day at the Aucapata school. Joy was quite surprised by a pig in the schoolyard, but I had been here long enough to not want to bother with the picture. Afterall, Joy´s first class at the house had as many pigs as kids in attendance.
On Saturday there was a big meeting of the Aucapata district and there were losts of folk in all sorts of outfits in Aucapata for the event. At the end of the meeting, the delegates were greeted by Joy and her class who were painting in the plaza.
On Sunday, our power line was fixed by the owner of the house and this fix seemed to have worked. Joy and I hiked up the hill behind Aucapata toward the cross on the top. The afternoon was spent with Joy painting and me watching the bus activity in the plaza. Bus arrivals and departures are announced by a loud blowing of the bus´horn and these old buses are loud! Unfortunately, even departures at 2am (quite usual) are announced the same way!
Jim
Aucapata (the weekend)
Joy had classes at the house today (Saturday) for much of the day. Power went off today, but line doesn´t seem broken. Seems like it is off for the entire village.
On Sunday we all loaded into Don Manuel´s truck for the trip to the ruins of Iskanwaya. This is described as the heart of Mollo culture although Don Manuel prefers to call it Iskanwayan culture. We left the truck for the last 300 metres (down) to the site which is the ruins of settlement about the same size as Macchu Picchu. The site is spectacular as it is towards the bottom of the valley but still hundreds of metres above the river in which the gold miners work. It has a commanding view of the approaches up the valley. Unfortunately, other than a metal fence, around which people walk, there has not been much done to try to stabilize or promote the site. During the 3 weeks we were in Aucapata there were 6 tourists; 3 Austrians, 2 Czechs, and 1 Argentinian, and not all had been to Iskanwaya. Used candle-lite in the house.
Jim
On Sunday we all loaded into Don Manuel´s truck for the trip to the ruins of Iskanwaya. This is described as the heart of Mollo culture although Don Manuel prefers to call it Iskanwayan culture. We left the truck for the last 300 metres (down) to the site which is the ruins of settlement about the same size as Macchu Picchu. The site is spectacular as it is towards the bottom of the valley but still hundreds of metres above the river in which the gold miners work. It has a commanding view of the approaches up the valley. Unfortunately, other than a metal fence, around which people walk, there has not been much done to try to stabilize or promote the site. During the 3 weeks we were in Aucapata there were 6 tourists; 3 Austrians, 2 Czechs, and 1 Argentinian, and not all had been to Iskanwaya. Used candle-lite in the house.
Jim
Aucapata
Hi Again:
Plans changed again. Originally, we were to walk to Charaj on Wednesday of the first week, but Joy decided, wisely, that she would not go that first week until Thursday and even then, maybe the rest of us would pre-position supplies there and she would go the following week. This was agreed to, and then we discussed possible transport options: donkey, horse, Don Manuel (our next door neighbour), bus back, etc. Turned out that that was cancelled as there was no school in Charaj. This was our first clue that something big was afoot.
Anyway we had three hours of school in Aucapata, and Joy was getting used to what was working with the kids and what was not. She also started a 2 hour after school class at the casa, aimed at reaching some of the older kids. I have started the habit of carrying a shiny new (?) set of Canadian coins with me, although Joy doesn´t see the purpose. Last trip I gave a set to the woman who guided us through the mint at Potosi. As the 5 Boliviana coin is now minted in Canada (bi-metalic like the toonie), it seemed appropriate. I showed this year´s set to the principal at Aucapata and he was so interested that he started to trace them. So I saved him the trouble and gave them to him after spending quite a while convincing him that he could keep them.
Next day, as school was cancelled at Charaj, we went back to Cosnipata. We had found out that all the teachers in the area were headed to La Paz for meetings and a protest on Friday, so there would be no school anywhere on Friday and probably Monday. We are getting used to the hike and with the scenery, it is becoming quite enjoyable. Joy did 3 hours in the class. I am not bored at all as there is plenty of ässisting¨to do.
We met the bus at 4:30pm as it carried our dentist, Amparo. Given that the house now has 5 person, Joy decided to invite Juan Carlos, the bus driver, and his family (wife and 2 kids) to dinner. Although I never did get the bus schedule down, the arrival at 4 - 6pm seemed usual, with a departure for La Paz at 2am the following morning. Anyway we had 9 for dinner that evening and chairs for 4.
Day 6 started with hot water changing to cold (very cold) as the power line fractured again! Today was a day for Joy to paint and relax so she organized a class at the house for all-comers, which was well-attended. We took advantage of the day by seeing the museum in town. We found some sources of clay near Aucapata and Ernesto and Lucy brought some in shortly after. Ernesto got the wires patched and power on, although it is obvious that the wire needs to be replaced.
One of the issues that we are having trouble with is the North American habit of eating at 12, noon, and at 5-6pm. Her they eat at about 2pm and 8pm. Given our age, Joy and I are in bed reading by 9pm, especially with all the fresh air, altitude and exercise.
Jim
Plans changed again. Originally, we were to walk to Charaj on Wednesday of the first week, but Joy decided, wisely, that she would not go that first week until Thursday and even then, maybe the rest of us would pre-position supplies there and she would go the following week. This was agreed to, and then we discussed possible transport options: donkey, horse, Don Manuel (our next door neighbour), bus back, etc. Turned out that that was cancelled as there was no school in Charaj. This was our first clue that something big was afoot.
Anyway we had three hours of school in Aucapata, and Joy was getting used to what was working with the kids and what was not. She also started a 2 hour after school class at the casa, aimed at reaching some of the older kids. I have started the habit of carrying a shiny new (?) set of Canadian coins with me, although Joy doesn´t see the purpose. Last trip I gave a set to the woman who guided us through the mint at Potosi. As the 5 Boliviana coin is now minted in Canada (bi-metalic like the toonie), it seemed appropriate. I showed this year´s set to the principal at Aucapata and he was so interested that he started to trace them. So I saved him the trouble and gave them to him after spending quite a while convincing him that he could keep them.
Next day, as school was cancelled at Charaj, we went back to Cosnipata. We had found out that all the teachers in the area were headed to La Paz for meetings and a protest on Friday, so there would be no school anywhere on Friday and probably Monday. We are getting used to the hike and with the scenery, it is becoming quite enjoyable. Joy did 3 hours in the class. I am not bored at all as there is plenty of ässisting¨to do.
We met the bus at 4:30pm as it carried our dentist, Amparo. Given that the house now has 5 person, Joy decided to invite Juan Carlos, the bus driver, and his family (wife and 2 kids) to dinner. Although I never did get the bus schedule down, the arrival at 4 - 6pm seemed usual, with a departure for La Paz at 2am the following morning. Anyway we had 9 for dinner that evening and chairs for 4.
Day 6 started with hot water changing to cold (very cold) as the power line fractured again! Today was a day for Joy to paint and relax so she organized a class at the house for all-comers, which was well-attended. We took advantage of the day by seeing the museum in town. We found some sources of clay near Aucapata and Ernesto and Lucy brought some in shortly after. Ernesto got the wires patched and power on, although it is obvious that the wire needs to be replaced.
One of the issues that we are having trouble with is the North American habit of eating at 12, noon, and at 5-6pm. Her they eat at about 2pm and 8pm. Given our age, Joy and I are in bed reading by 9pm, especially with all the fresh air, altitude and exercise.
Jim
Aucapata
Hi Again:
Trying to catch up on the past three weeks in Aucapata is proving to be a difficult chore. The first day of actual inter-action with the niños started with a very cold shower. It also started with a change of plans, a phenomenon to which we became used. The time for Joy´s first class was now 11 -2pm. We arrived at school at 10am to discover that there were opening ceremonies in our honour, which were very elaborate and welcoming. While the children sand the Bolivian national anthem with great gusto, Joy raised the flag with military precision (although she did need some hints from the sidelines). We (Joy, Lucy, and me) had seats of honour at the front while numerous adults spoke and selected students made what I would call dramatic readings (poetry). After we went from class to class saying hola and giving out Canada and Nova Scotia pins.
We found out that Joy had about 24 of the youngest students, but Joy showed great flexibility and we all had three hours of great fun and made a great mess. Paper mache is not too neat with kids this age! Ernesto stayed with us and was a great help with the clean-up. By the way, he also managed to get hot water for the shower at the house that the IMIF has just obtained in Aucapata.
The next day was our first trip to Cosnipata, a nearby (1 hour walk) village. When we awoke there was no electricty (the wire to the next house upon which we relied for our connection had broken) and pouring rain. But this is Aucapata and you can rely on the weather changing minute by minute. By the time Joy and I hit the trail, with my big pack filled with supplies, the sun was coming out. We left earlier than Ernesto and Lucy, but they knew the short-cut and met us within a few minutes, with a nice man who wante my pack to carry. Of course, I declined, but after Ernesto insisted I gave it up (I can hear you laughing Fred!). He was much smaller than me, but had no trouble at all with the pack. When you see the loads that these people carry and the hills that they climb, you would understand. The trip was mostly down-hill except for the last 1/4 which is steeply up-hill. Cosnipata is a small school with 2 teachers and about 17 kids. Joy did three hours with them and we left supplies there to make the loads lighter on future trips. The hike back was the reverse and we were pretty tired by the time we got back. I would be terribly remiss if I didn´t rave about the scenery on the walk. Like all of the roads here, the road to Cosnipata hugs the side of the mountain hundreds and hundreds of metres (think yards for those stuck in the öld¨system) above the river and the ruins of Iskanwaya. You don´t go off the road if you are driving here, because the next stop is............... way down!
Jim
Trying to catch up on the past three weeks in Aucapata is proving to be a difficult chore. The first day of actual inter-action with the niños started with a very cold shower. It also started with a change of plans, a phenomenon to which we became used. The time for Joy´s first class was now 11 -2pm. We arrived at school at 10am to discover that there were opening ceremonies in our honour, which were very elaborate and welcoming. While the children sand the Bolivian national anthem with great gusto, Joy raised the flag with military precision (although she did need some hints from the sidelines). We (Joy, Lucy, and me) had seats of honour at the front while numerous adults spoke and selected students made what I would call dramatic readings (poetry). After we went from class to class saying hola and giving out Canada and Nova Scotia pins.
We found out that Joy had about 24 of the youngest students, but Joy showed great flexibility and we all had three hours of great fun and made a great mess. Paper mache is not too neat with kids this age! Ernesto stayed with us and was a great help with the clean-up. By the way, he also managed to get hot water for the shower at the house that the IMIF has just obtained in Aucapata.
The next day was our first trip to Cosnipata, a nearby (1 hour walk) village. When we awoke there was no electricty (the wire to the next house upon which we relied for our connection had broken) and pouring rain. But this is Aucapata and you can rely on the weather changing minute by minute. By the time Joy and I hit the trail, with my big pack filled with supplies, the sun was coming out. We left earlier than Ernesto and Lucy, but they knew the short-cut and met us within a few minutes, with a nice man who wante my pack to carry. Of course, I declined, but after Ernesto insisted I gave it up (I can hear you laughing Fred!). He was much smaller than me, but had no trouble at all with the pack. When you see the loads that these people carry and the hills that they climb, you would understand. The trip was mostly down-hill except for the last 1/4 which is steeply up-hill. Cosnipata is a small school with 2 teachers and about 17 kids. Joy did three hours with them and we left supplies there to make the loads lighter on future trips. The hike back was the reverse and we were pretty tired by the time we got back. I would be terribly remiss if I didn´t rave about the scenery on the walk. Like all of the roads here, the road to Cosnipata hugs the side of the mountain hundreds and hundreds of metres (think yards for those stuck in the öld¨system) above the river and the ruins of Iskanwaya. You don´t go off the road if you are driving here, because the next stop is............... way down!
Jim
Monday, March 26, 2012
Aucapata, March 3rd and 4th
Hi Folks:
After 3 weeks (22 days actually) without internet, it is time to catch up. After the week in La Paz, buying art supplies, groceries and meeting the people at the Ivar Mendez International Foundation, we met the bus at the office to load beds, refridgerator, stove, groceries, et al. We had spent the morning lazing around the Plaza Murillo and watching the people feed the hundreds of pidgeons that hang out there.
The bus was the usual Mercedes Benz of unknown vintage driven by Juan Carlos accompanied by his wife and son and daughter. I figured that from what I knew of the road to Aucapata, it was good to have a driver who took along his family. Should make him pretty prudent and in Juan Carlos´case it seems true. We were off at about 4pm and after a bit of confusion finding the old route up to El Alto, we arrived at the top. For those who don´t know, La Paz is built in a deep canyon along a river, and El Alto is a city that has built up on the high prairie. It was created by folks resettling from the country, and now is larger than La Paz itself. The airport is in El Alto. The main road through El Alto is under-going some major re-construction and so it was another hour before we cleared that city. By the time we passed Lake Titicaca it was getting dark and we climbed in the dark. The bus was drafty and very cold so that Joy and I had on every stich of clothes that we had. I even had on my Balaklava and gloves. Sleeping was fitfull and I awoke on a number of occasions to see a rock wall filling the windsheild before a sudden turn left or right.
At about 2:30am we arrived at a village square, whereupon Ernesto Landivar, our only accompanying person from IMIF, took off from the bus. As we were to take about 15 - 16 hours to reach Aucapata, we weren´t certain what was going on as Juan Carlos navigated the bus through a narrow space between a dumptruck and a wall. I finally dawned on me that this was Aucapata and Juan Carlos had managed to get us there in about 10 hours. We found the house and Ernesto had obtained the key. We spent the next 2 hours or so unloading the bus and finding mattresses to sleep on. The next morning (Sunday, March 4th) while Joy managed to get some sleep, Ernesto and I carried and put together beds and set up the appliances, and put away food.
When I awoke at 7am, I had my first introduction to the beauty that is the Aucapata area. I watched the clouds rise from the valley many hundreds of metres below. Although the sky was clear, by 8am the entire village was covered in cloud as thick as any Nova Scotia fog. Joy immediately had me cutting up chicken wire into squares for the first art class the next day. Ernesto took me on a tour of the village while Joy was sleeping which included going to the ¨Mirador¨where I had a view of the valley which would be so much a part of our life over the next 3 weeks. One of the main events in Aucapata is the arrival of one of the scheduled buses, but this Sunday the bus broke down about 2 hours and 500 metres in altitude away, so Lucy, another co-worker had to hike to Aucapata in the cold. Even though it is the equivalent of late summer, early Fall, at these heights it can get quite cold, particularly at night. By the time we got to sleep at 9pm we were beat.
After 3 weeks (22 days actually) without internet, it is time to catch up. After the week in La Paz, buying art supplies, groceries and meeting the people at the Ivar Mendez International Foundation, we met the bus at the office to load beds, refridgerator, stove, groceries, et al. We had spent the morning lazing around the Plaza Murillo and watching the people feed the hundreds of pidgeons that hang out there.
The bus was the usual Mercedes Benz of unknown vintage driven by Juan Carlos accompanied by his wife and son and daughter. I figured that from what I knew of the road to Aucapata, it was good to have a driver who took along his family. Should make him pretty prudent and in Juan Carlos´case it seems true. We were off at about 4pm and after a bit of confusion finding the old route up to El Alto, we arrived at the top. For those who don´t know, La Paz is built in a deep canyon along a river, and El Alto is a city that has built up on the high prairie. It was created by folks resettling from the country, and now is larger than La Paz itself. The airport is in El Alto. The main road through El Alto is under-going some major re-construction and so it was another hour before we cleared that city. By the time we passed Lake Titicaca it was getting dark and we climbed in the dark. The bus was drafty and very cold so that Joy and I had on every stich of clothes that we had. I even had on my Balaklava and gloves. Sleeping was fitfull and I awoke on a number of occasions to see a rock wall filling the windsheild before a sudden turn left or right.
At about 2:30am we arrived at a village square, whereupon Ernesto Landivar, our only accompanying person from IMIF, took off from the bus. As we were to take about 15 - 16 hours to reach Aucapata, we weren´t certain what was going on as Juan Carlos navigated the bus through a narrow space between a dumptruck and a wall. I finally dawned on me that this was Aucapata and Juan Carlos had managed to get us there in about 10 hours. We found the house and Ernesto had obtained the key. We spent the next 2 hours or so unloading the bus and finding mattresses to sleep on. The next morning (Sunday, March 4th) while Joy managed to get some sleep, Ernesto and I carried and put together beds and set up the appliances, and put away food.
When I awoke at 7am, I had my first introduction to the beauty that is the Aucapata area. I watched the clouds rise from the valley many hundreds of metres below. Although the sky was clear, by 8am the entire village was covered in cloud as thick as any Nova Scotia fog. Joy immediately had me cutting up chicken wire into squares for the first art class the next day. Ernesto took me on a tour of the village while Joy was sleeping which included going to the ¨Mirador¨where I had a view of the valley which would be so much a part of our life over the next 3 weeks. One of the main events in Aucapata is the arrival of one of the scheduled buses, but this Sunday the bus broke down about 2 hours and 500 metres in altitude away, so Lucy, another co-worker had to hike to Aucapata in the cold. Even though it is the equivalent of late summer, early Fall, at these heights it can get quite cold, particularly at night. By the time we got to sleep at 9pm we were beat.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
On Our Way
We have spent the past week shopping for art supplies, and groceries for 3 weeks in Aucapata. For those who may not be aware, Joy and I are heading to a remote (15 - 16 hours depending on the roads) Andean village called Aucapata. The best way to get an idea of the landscape is to check the ¨Google Maps¨satellite shot. While we will have a cel phone and there is service and there is a health centre with a nurse, and the Ivar Mendez International Foundation has a house there, there will be no internet access, soI will not be able to up-date this blog until we return.
Joy will be teaching art with a dental slant, in three schools in 3 villages within walking distance. The walks may be slow because of the altitude, but I think that we are becoming aclimatized to the 3800 metres here in La Paz. Joy is very excited and has developed a fun program and will be ably assisted by Lucy, an art student who ran a program in Aucapata last year. The IMIF has a dental health program in the same area and we will have a dentist joining us on Tuesday. She speaks some English, but Lucy does not nor does Ernesto who will also be sharing the bus ride. Language will be an issue, but this week Joy had an opportunity to work her magic with a group of children at an institution here in La Paz and language was no issue.
My job is to provide the muscle, a little Spanish, and a complete HD video record of the event. I may also be required to talk a little about Canada and Nova Scotia, if a teacher wants such an event. I have NS and Canada pins, as well as a NS flag and a complete set of Canadian coins to illustrate a talk. I recommend anyone travelling to go and see their local MP and MLA for a supply of these. They come in handy. I forget where it was, but we were sitting next to a birthday party for a young girl. She became upset over something and started crying, so as we left I presented her with a NS pin and the crying quickly stopped. It is amazing the power of those little pins!
Well we are off!
Joy will be teaching art with a dental slant, in three schools in 3 villages within walking distance. The walks may be slow because of the altitude, but I think that we are becoming aclimatized to the 3800 metres here in La Paz. Joy is very excited and has developed a fun program and will be ably assisted by Lucy, an art student who ran a program in Aucapata last year. The IMIF has a dental health program in the same area and we will have a dentist joining us on Tuesday. She speaks some English, but Lucy does not nor does Ernesto who will also be sharing the bus ride. Language will be an issue, but this week Joy had an opportunity to work her magic with a group of children at an institution here in La Paz and language was no issue.
My job is to provide the muscle, a little Spanish, and a complete HD video record of the event. I may also be required to talk a little about Canada and Nova Scotia, if a teacher wants such an event. I have NS and Canada pins, as well as a NS flag and a complete set of Canadian coins to illustrate a talk. I recommend anyone travelling to go and see their local MP and MLA for a supply of these. They come in handy. I forget where it was, but we were sitting next to a birthday party for a young girl. She became upset over something and started crying, so as we left I presented her with a NS pin and the crying quickly stopped. It is amazing the power of those little pins!
Well we are off!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Odds and ends
Lima: The Aeroclub del Peru, which we found by accident last trip, seems to have moved, as we could not find it this time.
La Paz: Most will know that I have a taste for rum or ¨ron¨in Spanish. Well it goes beyond the liquid to ice cream. The best ¨pasas y ron¨(rum and raison) ice cream that I have ever tasted seems to only exist in Bolivia and maybe only in La Paz. Now that I am here for a while, I am trying to get as much as possible!
The last 2 days have been a whirlwind of meeting new people and gathering art supplies for us to take to Aucapata for the art project. Yesterday finished with a search for chicken wire, house paint, and masonite.
Jim
La Paz: Most will know that I have a taste for rum or ¨ron¨in Spanish. Well it goes beyond the liquid to ice cream. The best ¨pasas y ron¨(rum and raison) ice cream that I have ever tasted seems to only exist in Bolivia and maybe only in La Paz. Now that I am here for a while, I am trying to get as much as possible!
The last 2 days have been a whirlwind of meeting new people and gathering art supplies for us to take to Aucapata for the art project. Yesterday finished with a search for chicken wire, house paint, and masonite.
Jim
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
First Days at IMIF
Well you can imagine how meetings go with 5-6 new people and 2 languages. We met at the offices which are down the street, at 10am and met Ernesto, Lucy, and an old friend Ivonne (a Dentist which we met last trip to La Paz) as well as Yumey. There was a lot of questions and joy had to tell them her vision of the three weeks we were to have in Aucapata. For those that don´t know Aucapata and a number of surrounding villages high in the Andes and many hours by bus or truck from La Paz have been receiving dental care and breakfast program for chidren in schools through the IMIF headquartered in Halifax and Lima. Joy sponsored the idea of sending and art student to the area to teach art in the same schools. Now it is Joy´s turn. She (and I ) will spend the next three weeks in Aucapata trying to mix art and dental health. The first day we didn´t quit until 7pm! This regular working must be for the young!
Jim
Jim
Lima
Folks:
I believe that I left you as we were checking in with the young lady at the Hostel España in Lima. It was nice to see that security for the ceremonial changing of the guard at the Legislative Palace had been reduced. There were 5 very bored riot police, about the same number of guys with automatic weapons, no armored vehicles, and the public was allowed inside the gate. The ceremony has lost some of it´s military significance and format and now is a band and drill display. The last time we saw it the President actually took the salute. This time ¨nada¨. We did manage to find a ¨Churra¨(pudding filled deep-fried good thing) which made my day. We visited a very nice museo in the old national mint. The history of currency was educational. After watching a wedding and having a good night we were up and in a cab for the airport at 0430. Flew to Cusco with one airline (because the others rip off tourists and then changed) and arrived safely at El Alto airport obove La Paz (at 4000meters) to be greeted by Yumey, the executive director of the Ivor Mendez International Foundation (IMIF) and an old friend Paz, a delightful man, and the only safe driver in all of La Paz. They quickly got us bunked down in the Hotel Torino (5 stars minus 4.5 and therefore just our kind of spot). Although we had a chance at our old room (that we had the last 2 times) we decided on a new and better room and it is great!
Security is higher right now as the disabled have been demonstrating for a payment of some sort for about three months. The roads are now blocked by riot police and a metal barricade a block from Plaza Murillo in all directions including the block on which the Torino is found. I got $ from the safest ATM in La Paz as a dozen police watched. I had to ask them to get out of the way (permisso) so that I could get in.
Joy is much better although neither of us are operating at 100% at 3800 meters.
Jim
I believe that I left you as we were checking in with the young lady at the Hostel España in Lima. It was nice to see that security for the ceremonial changing of the guard at the Legislative Palace had been reduced. There were 5 very bored riot police, about the same number of guys with automatic weapons, no armored vehicles, and the public was allowed inside the gate. The ceremony has lost some of it´s military significance and format and now is a band and drill display. The last time we saw it the President actually took the salute. This time ¨nada¨. We did manage to find a ¨Churra¨(pudding filled deep-fried good thing) which made my day. We visited a very nice museo in the old national mint. The history of currency was educational. After watching a wedding and having a good night we were up and in a cab for the airport at 0430. Flew to Cusco with one airline (because the others rip off tourists and then changed) and arrived safely at El Alto airport obove La Paz (at 4000meters) to be greeted by Yumey, the executive director of the Ivor Mendez International Foundation (IMIF) and an old friend Paz, a delightful man, and the only safe driver in all of La Paz. They quickly got us bunked down in the Hotel Torino (5 stars minus 4.5 and therefore just our kind of spot). Although we had a chance at our old room (that we had the last 2 times) we decided on a new and better room and it is great!
Security is higher right now as the disabled have been demonstrating for a payment of some sort for about three months. The roads are now blocked by riot police and a metal barricade a block from Plaza Murillo in all directions including the block on which the Torino is found. I got $ from the safest ATM in La Paz as a dozen police watched. I had to ask them to get out of the way (permisso) so that I could get in.
Joy is much better although neither of us are operating at 100% at 3800 meters.
Jim
Monday, February 27, 2012
Huarez 2
On our last day before taking the bus to Lima, we decided to take a tour to a lake in a national park up in the mountains. As with most tours there are always stops along the way that you have to put up with before getting to the place that you want to see. This resulted in a looooong day tour. The main excitement occurred high in the mountains within the national park, when the road was blocked by a dumptruck being loaded with dirt by a crew of men. Although he was tempted the bus driver did not try to go by and we were off-loaded and had to walk the last 20 minutes (up-hill, Fred). Apparently the driver of the truck had left the vehicle to go to the little restaurente by the lake. I learned some new Spanish words!
One observation of a difference between the coast and the mountains in Peru is the variation in cabs. Along the coast most cabs were moto-taxis or a very short and yellow vehicle (think shortened Ford Festiva). In Huarez, the cabs were almost all white toyota station wagons and much easier to handle for 2 larger folks with packs.
On Friday we took a 0930 bus for Lima. Most of the better buses went at night and we wanted to see the views. And the views were worth it. In the high country there was a desolate landscape with no trees, although very green with a short grass and many cattle and sheep. The down-hill went on for at least and hour and a half switching back and forth with a convoy of five gasoline trucks behind us. There is a real art to passing slower traffic on this kind of road! In Lima, a quick taxi ride got us to our favourite hostal in Lima; Hostal España. Not much has changed from the old art to the skulls from indigeous graves, that meet you in the lobby. What had changed was the lovely 20 something young lady at the desk happily feeding her 2 year old while signing us in.
Jim
One observation of a difference between the coast and the mountains in Peru is the variation in cabs. Along the coast most cabs were moto-taxis or a very short and yellow vehicle (think shortened Ford Festiva). In Huarez, the cabs were almost all white toyota station wagons and much easier to handle for 2 larger folks with packs.
On Friday we took a 0930 bus for Lima. Most of the better buses went at night and we wanted to see the views. And the views were worth it. In the high country there was a desolate landscape with no trees, although very green with a short grass and many cattle and sheep. The down-hill went on for at least and hour and a half switching back and forth with a convoy of five gasoline trucks behind us. There is a real art to passing slower traffic on this kind of road! In Lima, a quick taxi ride got us to our favourite hostal in Lima; Hostal España. Not much has changed from the old art to the skulls from indigeous graves, that meet you in the lobby. What had changed was the lovely 20 something young lady at the desk happily feeding her 2 year old while signing us in.
Jim
Huarez
Definitely a beautiful spot surrounded by snow-topped mountain peaks. Unfortunately Carnavale hadn´t run it´s course yet and our first day was ¨water war Tuesday¨! Mobs of young people, male and female, coursed up and down the streets (even closing the main street) hurling water, either in balloons or without. Although they try to avoid the tourists, the old, and the indigeous folk in traditional outfits, secondary casualties are a result. At the same time fireworks are going off all over. The police, and they had brought in extras, showed a lot of restraint, allowing the hi-jinks to go on. Police here are about 50% women wearing snappy uniforms with big guns. Anyway the fun ended when God decided to enter the event with lightning, thunder and a down pour.
We spent the next few days in Huarez resting so that Joy could get over a cold, we could get a flight to and from La Paz and catching up on blogs. We were successful at all. Few hints for folks: debit cards are the best way to access $ here in SA, and domestic flights cost next to nothing (unless to a tourist destination ie: Galpagos or Cusco) and flights across borders are expensive.
Jim
We spent the next few days in Huarez resting so that Joy could get over a cold, we could get a flight to and from La Paz and catching up on blogs. We were successful at all. Few hints for folks: debit cards are the best way to access $ here in SA, and domestic flights cost next to nothing (unless to a tourist destination ie: Galpagos or Cusco) and flights across borders are expensive.
Jim
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
My Big Blunder
I must apologize to Joy in public. I had suggested (decided) that our next stop should be Chimbote,farther down the coast. On the map it looked like a good move. Unfortunately in my wisdom, I had not read either of the guidebooks we had with us until we were on the bus. Turns out Chimbote is the place you do not want to stay in Peru. It is the largest fishing port in Peru and smells like it. In addition it is apparently a very dangerous place to stay. After I confessed to Joy (she is still working on forgiveness), she said that we would just take the next bus out of town towards Huarez but probably stopping in Casma. Well we got a rather beat up small Mercedes bus that was going to take us to Huarez via a short-cut over the Corillero Negro to Huarez in the heart of the Cordillero Blanco, the highest mountains in Peru and second highest in South America. The description of the dirt road climbing from Casma to the pass at over 4000 meters was not encouraging,but of we went after agreeing that life had been pretty good to this point. Fortunately the book was out of date and the road was paved 2 lane road except where rock slides had narrowed it to one or less. It is hard to describe to climb into and above the clouds and the vertical drops that just go down forever. Amazingly there were people living up there on the edge of these cliffs. I would have taken video but my eyes were closed most of the way. Thank goodness for night as we rose. Then we saw the lights of Huarez below us when we were still almost 50kms away. The downhill, twisting back and forth on hairpins, went on interminably,but we finally arrived safely in Huarez and got touted into a hostal by Johnny who wanted us to take a tour the next day. I needed a few days rest!
Jim
Jim
Peru vs Ecuador
There are some changes almost as soon as you go over the border. First is an architectural quirk relating to industrial buildings in Peru.All have walls and guard posts allong the wall. Didn't notice any of that in Ecuador. Also there is the sudden appearance of motocycles converted to three wheels to carry paying passengers. They seem to have various names ie mototaxi. Those are fairly harmlessobservations but the other big impression Peru makes and which I had forgotten was the road-side garbage. It makes the little dumps along the West Montrose Road at home look positively spotless.
In Chiclaya,we took a trip out to LLambeque to see a fantastic museo dedicated to a pyramide tomb created 1700 years ago for a leader of the Moche culture (the Mochicas). Housed in a spectacular building with marvelous displays of the finds and how the tomb may have been laid out.A truly great museo that must not be missed. I must be retaining some of the hard-earned Spanish as I understood most of the displays. We went to another museo in the same town but it tried to cover too much and did so without any continuity.
Jim
In Chiclaya,we took a trip out to LLambeque to see a fantastic museo dedicated to a pyramide tomb created 1700 years ago for a leader of the Moche culture (the Mochicas). Housed in a spectacular building with marvelous displays of the finds and how the tomb may have been laid out.A truly great museo that must not be missed. I must be retaining some of the hard-earned Spanish as I understood most of the displays. We went to another museo in the same town but it tried to cover too much and did so without any continuity.
Jim
Peru!
Hi Folks:
Internet has been a little sketchy............... at least that is my excuse and I am stcking to it! After Saraguro, Macara, a little dusty border town was a complete change. Only a near-riot under our window in the middle of the night, and the usual Carnavale hi-jinks to liven the place up. I went looking for a cambio or bank to get some Peruvian Neuevo Soles and asked a bunch of guys at the market using my best Spanish (thanks Nuri) and they pointed to the man with the suitcase in the park across the road. Although I am sure that I got ripped off a little,he was a charmer.He listed of a number of Canadian cities and showed me his US permanent resident card. Said that he was too old to stay there.
At the border we made our obligatory three stops on foot: first getting stamped out at the Ecuadorian side (had to fill out a form and I wonder what would happen if you didn't qualify to get out?).then to immigration in Peru where we had to fill out the same form and I cleverly put in the wrong passport number,then across the road to check in with the police (Joy almost missed this one). Later, quite a few KMs (Canadian miles for Fred and Pat) into Peru the bus got stopped at a police check point and a number of Ecuadorians were rousted for not checking in with police. That left the rest of us in a sweltering bus waiting for the wrangling to get over. Then on to Piura where we planned to stay.When we got there we decided to go further to Chiclaya and settled down with cervaza (get used to it......it's beer) waiting for the bus. Unfortunately, when we got to Chiclaya (about 10pm) all our choice of hostels were full for Carnavale and our taxi guy earned his extra pay driving us all over town to find a hostel. He was eventually successful.
Jim
Internet has been a little sketchy............... at least that is my excuse and I am stcking to it! After Saraguro, Macara, a little dusty border town was a complete change. Only a near-riot under our window in the middle of the night, and the usual Carnavale hi-jinks to liven the place up. I went looking for a cambio or bank to get some Peruvian Neuevo Soles and asked a bunch of guys at the market using my best Spanish (thanks Nuri) and they pointed to the man with the suitcase in the park across the road. Although I am sure that I got ripped off a little,he was a charmer.He listed of a number of Canadian cities and showed me his US permanent resident card. Said that he was too old to stay there.
At the border we made our obligatory three stops on foot: first getting stamped out at the Ecuadorian side (had to fill out a form and I wonder what would happen if you didn't qualify to get out?).then to immigration in Peru where we had to fill out the same form and I cleverly put in the wrong passport number,then across the road to check in with the police (Joy almost missed this one). Later, quite a few KMs (Canadian miles for Fred and Pat) into Peru the bus got stopped at a police check point and a number of Ecuadorians were rousted for not checking in with police. That left the rest of us in a sweltering bus waiting for the wrangling to get over. Then on to Piura where we planned to stay.When we got there we decided to go further to Chiclaya and settled down with cervaza (get used to it......it's beer) waiting for the bus. Unfortunately, when we got to Chiclaya (about 10pm) all our choice of hostels were full for Carnavale and our taxi guy earned his extra pay driving us all over town to find a hostel. He was eventually successful.
Jim
Friday, February 17, 2012
Saraguro
Well folks this was the spot for Joy. She is already talking about a one month visit next year. We only found one other tourist and the people all knew that we were strangers. The traditional garb of the Saraguros was worn relatively consistently and gave the entire town (about 5000) an indigenous flavour. The Ecuadorian government seems to be trying to improve the lot of indigenous people and the efforts were apparent here. The women wore a black shawl over a decorative blouse with lots of neck jewellery. They all had a large straight silver pin to hold the shawl in place. A few wore the traditional Saraguro hat which is a wide brimmed white fely hat with a black spotted design on the underside. The men wore black ¨Bermuda length¨shorts. They are the descendants of the Saraguros who were moved to this area from Lake Titicaca by the Incans. They were warm and friendly and Joy loved the whole experience.
One of the unusual things we have seen in Ecuador is the selling of motor bikes (we would call them dirt bikes) in the same store as tvs, refridgerators, vacuums, etc. They are very useful in the hills around Saraguro as the houses are spotted all around the hills above the village.
Today we left Saraguro by grabbing one of the local buses to Loja and then another bus to Macara on the Peru/Ecuador border. What a spectacular bus ride it was. We seemed to ride the spine of the Andes, occasionally diving into valleys. I guess that we were varying between 2500 metres and 4500 metres and the grades here are not the same as in NA. Fortunately our driver was older and experienced and had lots of religious items for protection. The views downhill as he careened around the corners were unbelievable. Some of the drops had to be 1000 metres!
Now we are in a town where ¨Carnivale¨is starting to take hold so there was a parade for us and lots of music and water balloons. Tomorrow Peru!
One of the unusual things we have seen in Ecuador is the selling of motor bikes (we would call them dirt bikes) in the same store as tvs, refridgerators, vacuums, etc. They are very useful in the hills around Saraguro as the houses are spotted all around the hills above the village.
Today we left Saraguro by grabbing one of the local buses to Loja and then another bus to Macara on the Peru/Ecuador border. What a spectacular bus ride it was. We seemed to ride the spine of the Andes, occasionally diving into valleys. I guess that we were varying between 2500 metres and 4500 metres and the grades here are not the same as in NA. Fortunately our driver was older and experienced and had lots of religious items for protection. The views downhill as he careened around the corners were unbelievable. Some of the drops had to be 1000 metres!
Now we are in a town where ¨Carnivale¨is starting to take hold so there was a parade for us and lots of music and water balloons. Tomorrow Peru!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Saraguro
In an effort to get caught up, I am putting in this entry from Saraguro, itself. We went to the bus depot (terminal terrestre) in Cuenca and found the area where we thought that we might get a bus to Saraguro and were told that the next bus wasn´t until 6pm. We said that we wanted to go now (10am) and were pointed to a bus on the ramp waiting to go. Apparently the bus we approached first was a classy bus and we were now going on the regular bus with the locals. Once again there was great scenery as we went up and down the Andes, through passes and down, down into river valleys. Dropped at Saraguro, we found the hostal in the book (lonely planet and Footprint) and settled in. Not a really high standard but the operators are a friendly family. Joy is feeling a little öff her feed¨so I will save more about this magic place for next time.
Cuenca
Our first stop after Guayaquil (we just went to the bus depot and hopped the first bus) was Cuenca, the thrid largest city in Ecuador and home of 2 universities. The trip was in the evening and with rain and fog there was not too much to see. That was unfortunate as the trip is obviously wonderful climbing from sea level to 2500 metres (and I think that at least one pass had to be 4000 metres). We seemed to be climbing on a 2 lane highway for about 2 hours. It was a good thing the visibility was bad as the driver did not hesitate to pass slower traffic over the solid lines.
Cuenca rivals Quito for the most beautiful city in Ecuador and is a UNESCO site as is Quito. We stayed downtown in the colonial city. We toured the old and new cathedrals. One was built in the 1550´s while the other, a truly spectacular structure, was built over many years starting in the 1800s. Being Valentines Day (or the run up to it) the flower market was very busy and heart shaped balloons were everywhere. We managed to find some nice galleries/museos, as well as one archeological site and walked a lot. It was a lot of fun, but we must head South and this was a chance to visit Saraguro on our way to Peru.
Cuenca rivals Quito for the most beautiful city in Ecuador and is a UNESCO site as is Quito. We stayed downtown in the colonial city. We toured the old and new cathedrals. One was built in the 1550´s while the other, a truly spectacular structure, was built over many years starting in the 1800s. Being Valentines Day (or the run up to it) the flower market was very busy and heart shaped balloons were everywhere. We managed to find some nice galleries/museos, as well as one archeological site and walked a lot. It was a lot of fun, but we must head South and this was a chance to visit Saraguro on our way to Peru.
I´m Sorry
Sorry that this has taken so long to get to. We have been without internet for some of the time, but mostly it is laziness on my part.
After running around Quito looking for cash to fund our last minute Galapagos trip, we took off the next day for Puerto Ayora and spent 2 days there before boarding the Archipell for our cruise. During our time in Puerto Ayora we hiked to a near by beach for a swim with the Iguanos. It was hot (30s) and the hike was tough, but between the lava lizards, birds and the only cactus that grows like a tree (has a trunk) we made it. The first beach was not for swimming, because of the undertow, but the surfers loved it. We proceeded on to the smaller beach which had shade. There were many marine iguanos and they seemed to parade along the beach.
During our stay in PA we shared a number of cervazas with Nat and Megan, new friends from Australia who tend bar and cook in the most remote pub in the UK and travel in the off season. I must confess that they were the ones who put us on to the deal with the Archpell.
The Archipell is a beautiful catamaran (powered) with a crew of 9 serving 16 passengers. I cannot speak too highly of the food, service and the quality of the program. Our guide Dario was passionate about his Islands and the balance to be struck between the value of tourism and preservation of the wildlife. We were kept busy snorkelling and hiking both through unbelievable scenery and wildlife. The passengers were an interesting and agreeable group mixing Aussies, Dutch, Americans, Swiss and Canadians. One engagement was announced during the cruise. Good luck to Julie and Jason from the Pacific NW of the US.
Highlights were many including swimming with the sea lions and sea turtles and the many spectacularly coloured fish. We got to interact with land and sea turtles and land and sea iguanos. The low point for me was when I got into a school of miniscule jelly fish, which is similar to getting into a hive of wasps. I had to force myself to get back into the water.
After hugs all around we headed to Guayaquil on the mainland of Ecuador.
After running around Quito looking for cash to fund our last minute Galapagos trip, we took off the next day for Puerto Ayora and spent 2 days there before boarding the Archipell for our cruise. During our time in Puerto Ayora we hiked to a near by beach for a swim with the Iguanos. It was hot (30s) and the hike was tough, but between the lava lizards, birds and the only cactus that grows like a tree (has a trunk) we made it. The first beach was not for swimming, because of the undertow, but the surfers loved it. We proceeded on to the smaller beach which had shade. There were many marine iguanos and they seemed to parade along the beach.
During our stay in PA we shared a number of cervazas with Nat and Megan, new friends from Australia who tend bar and cook in the most remote pub in the UK and travel in the off season. I must confess that they were the ones who put us on to the deal with the Archpell.
The Archipell is a beautiful catamaran (powered) with a crew of 9 serving 16 passengers. I cannot speak too highly of the food, service and the quality of the program. Our guide Dario was passionate about his Islands and the balance to be struck between the value of tourism and preservation of the wildlife. We were kept busy snorkelling and hiking both through unbelievable scenery and wildlife. The passengers were an interesting and agreeable group mixing Aussies, Dutch, Americans, Swiss and Canadians. One engagement was announced during the cruise. Good luck to Julie and Jason from the Pacific NW of the US.
Highlights were many including swimming with the sea lions and sea turtles and the many spectacularly coloured fish. We got to interact with land and sea turtles and land and sea iguanos. The low point for me was when I got into a school of miniscule jelly fish, which is similar to getting into a hive of wasps. I had to force myself to get back into the water.
After hugs all around we headed to Guayaquil on the mainland of Ecuador.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Tough Day in Quito
Folks:
We saw the inside of the banking system here in Quito. It started with the search for the best tour to the Galapagos. We managed to find it in a nice classy catamaran whose prices were beat down to $850 by an Aussie couple before us. Airfare to the Islands is about $850 for the 2 of us and there is a $200 fee to enter the Galapagos so there now was the issue of raising the $1700 for the tour. We try not to carry too much money around as it is more to lose. After we used our VISA for the air tickets, some idiot decided to ignore the call I made last week to tell them that we would be travelling in Ecuador, and stop any further use of it. My Credit Union debit card did not work and the Presidents Choice one did, but there is a daily limit of $600 and we leave in the early morning. The CIBC one did not (it was their Visa too). We sprinted back to our hostal and gathered our travelling cheques and the other (MC)credit card. We were able to get $500 on the credit card and cashed in our travellers cheques (they seem difficult to use and you are charged a commission on them. Bottom line: we share a cab with the Aussies tomorrow at 5:30 and will likely not have internet again until Feb 13, when we return to Quito and work our way South toward Peru and Bolivia.
BTW Joy has done 4 sketches so far.
Jim
We saw the inside of the banking system here in Quito. It started with the search for the best tour to the Galapagos. We managed to find it in a nice classy catamaran whose prices were beat down to $850 by an Aussie couple before us. Airfare to the Islands is about $850 for the 2 of us and there is a $200 fee to enter the Galapagos so there now was the issue of raising the $1700 for the tour. We try not to carry too much money around as it is more to lose. After we used our VISA for the air tickets, some idiot decided to ignore the call I made last week to tell them that we would be travelling in Ecuador, and stop any further use of it. My Credit Union debit card did not work and the Presidents Choice one did, but there is a daily limit of $600 and we leave in the early morning. The CIBC one did not (it was their Visa too). We sprinted back to our hostal and gathered our travelling cheques and the other (MC)credit card. We were able to get $500 on the credit card and cashed in our travellers cheques (they seem difficult to use and you are charged a commission on them. Bottom line: we share a cab with the Aussies tomorrow at 5:30 and will likely not have internet again until Feb 13, when we return to Quito and work our way South toward Peru and Bolivia.
BTW Joy has done 4 sketches so far.
Jim
Sunday, February 5, 2012
We are here!
Hi All: Sorry for the delay in making this, my first blog entry of this trip to South America. We arrived in Quito, on time, at 9:30 pm on Thursday night and were met at the airport by a driver with the usual SnihurWyatt sign. After a wild (there are no other kinds in SA) we were settled in the Colonial Hostal in colonial Quito. Most of Friday was spent exploring the local surroundings, taking 2 hours of Spanish with Jaquelina, and spending time at the local market.
Our room is beautiful, but a little close (it overlooks) the road. But the windows open and Joy loves the street and doesn´t notice the noise at all hours. Now that I am using earplugs, it doesn´t bother me that much either and Joy finds the street magical and that´s fine by me..
We spent yesterday on a tour to the famed market at Otavalo where Joy bought a giant bean pod and ate from it, as did I after she didn´t develop some terrible disease. Check out her blog for the details. Saw beautiful falls and lots of other stuff.
This morning we and Jaqui went down to the market for lunch and we tried some new foods. I had seco de carne, while Joy and Jaqui had a fish dish. We still don´t have a trip to the Galapagos arranged but that is priority for Monday.
Our room is beautiful, but a little close (it overlooks) the road. But the windows open and Joy loves the street and doesn´t notice the noise at all hours. Now that I am using earplugs, it doesn´t bother me that much either and Joy finds the street magical and that´s fine by me..
We spent yesterday on a tour to the famed market at Otavalo where Joy bought a giant bean pod and ate from it, as did I after she didn´t develop some terrible disease. Check out her blog for the details. Saw beautiful falls and lots of other stuff.
This morning we and Jaqui went down to the market for lunch and we tried some new foods. I had seco de carne, while Joy and Jaqui had a fish dish. We still don´t have a trip to the Galapagos arranged but that is priority for Monday.
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