Memories from Machu Picchu

So guys - this is it! The last blog post of our trip. I'm actually in Kingston sitting in my bed typing this and even though its been amazing to be able to drink water from the tap, shower without being afraid of getting water in my mouth, ask for directions in english and eat fresh veggies and chocolate chip cookies I would trade it all to be back in South America for a couple more weeks!

First I'll update you on Steph. If you remember I left off last week just before we dropped Steph off at the airport for her to catch an emergency flight home after being bit by a dog. Apparently she got home safe and sound and has gotten the vaccinations she needed so all is well on her end! After saying goodbye to Steph, we spent the rest of the day getting ready to start the Salkantay trek the following morning at 4 am (they love the early wake up calls here in Peru) and our prep basically consisted of putting together massive bags of trail mix in case the food wasn't up to our standards!

From Cusco we took a bus about 2 hours away to the town of Mollepata where we ate breakfast, sorted our gear and began to walk. It was there that we were divided into groups and introduced to the other people in our trek. We had signed up with the French boys and that meant there were 5 other people on our trek that we didn't know but boy did we luck out! We had the most amazing group to walk with. Everyone was a speedy walker and they were all great fun to be around for the 5 days and 4 nights of trekking!

The first day of trekking was mostly uphill but not terribly steep except for moments where our guide thought it was a good idea to take "shortcuts" and abandon the switchbacks. At this point Allison really wasn't feeling well, having not eaten very much of anything for about 3 days she was pretty weak and was finding it frustrating to be struggling. After a good nights sleep at 3900 m in our deluxe down sleeping bags she was feeling better but still pretty weak. The second day was the hardest and longest as we climbed to 4700 m before descending to 2900m. She was a trooper though and after taking a horse up to the pass she managed to walk the rest of the way and as her appetite returned so did her strength!

The third day we had a 6 hour walk in the morning before taking a bus to Santa Theresa where we discovered the natural hot springs! We spent a LONG time in the baths soaking our soar muscles and scrubbing our dirty feet before heading back to the campsite for dins. Every afternoon we would also have snack time (our fave) where we would get hot chocolate and salty salty popcorn. It was amazing. The rest of the food was actually pretty great as well although all the boys on the trip would argue that the portion sizes were too small. That night the place we were camping at had a speaker system and out of the darkness music started to play and a dance floor was started. After hours of dancing and a LONG time limboing we tucked ourselves in for the night. Each morning we would be woken up by the guides standing outside of our tents shouting "Coca tea amigos!? Coca tea?!" but this morning was extra special as we got served warm freshly baked cake for breakfast! AMAZING! The last day of walking before reaching Aguas Calientes (the town underneath Machu Picchu) was long and hot as we had descended from the mountains and were now in jungle territory. The night we spent in Aguas Calientes we actually got to stay at a hostel which was amazing (as was the shower!).



The morning of Machu Picchu was a funny one. You get up at 4 in order to be waiting at a check point just outside of the city where they open the doors at 5 am and let the line up of people through. You hike up a gazilion stairs and the first 400 people to the actual of entrance of Machu Picchu get granted tickets to go up Wayna Picchu (the neighbouring mountain) as well. It was a sweaty sweaty walk in the darkness of the night but we held a steady pace and got our Wayna Picchu tickets! The morning was spent with our guide who walked us around and showed us most of the highlights. After he left we had a massive photo shoot and killed some more time before we were allowed to hike up to Wayna Picchu at 10 am. It was a STIFF climb and our legs were still sore from the morning climb but it was well worth it! The views were amazing from the top and we spent a lot of time lounging at the top. From there we headed down all the way to Aguas Calientes before having a late lunch and killing the afternoon playing cards at a cafe.

At 7 we took a train to Ollaytantambo before catching a bus to Cusco. It was a long mission home and everyone was pretty tired from the amazing day we had had BUT when we got back to our hostel (just after midnight) we mustered up the energy to spend one last day partying before our flight the next day. We danced the night away and on very little sleep met up with our entire group for breakfast the following morning. After a borderline teary goodbye - especially to the French boys who we had been travelling with on and off for almost a month we packed it in and headed for the airport. Leslie is staying in South America to take a spanish course in Mendoza but she was flying to Santiago, Chile first. She managed to get on the same flight from Cusco to Lima as Allison and I and then we all had about 9 hours to kill in the Lima airport before finally parting ways. It was so sad to say goodbye but we know she will have an excellent time in Argentina!!

And that folks is all she wrote. I know we would ALLLLLL recommend going to both Ecuador and Peru - they were AMAZING countries with SOOO much to see and do. Even though we spent a month in each country there were a lot of things we didn't have time to do our see but what we did manage to squeeze in was unbelievable! Thanks for reading our blog (and commenting - we love the comments) and I will send along Leslie's new blog address as soon as I have it!!

Love love love
HALS xoxoxxo

(Sort of Major) Crisis in Cusco

Hey Guys.

SO! I have some bad news to report and I might as well start with that and then tell you about the rest of our time in Cusco. Yesterday Allison wasn´t feeling well (another minor crisis in itself) so post breakfast Steph, Les and I went on a walk by ourselves. We were trying to head up above the city where there is a giant statue of Jesus but we didn´t really know where we were going so we were just wondering through some of less touristy streets in Cusco. As we were trudging up this hill a bunch of dogs started barking at us (which isn´t actually that unusual - there are tons of dogs every where and most are really docile). Unfortunately this time, unprovoked, a large white pitbull started chasing us and VERY unfortunately Steph got bit in the leg. We managed to scare the dog off by picking up rocks and trying to air kick at it and then run around the corner where we could inspect the damage. Needless to say we were all in a bit of shock and an examination of Steph´s calf showed two bite holes with blood trickling down her leg and some other scratches. NOT GOOD. The only thing we had was hand sanitizer so we washed it off and immediately went to an internet cafe where she was able to phone her insurance, confirm her coverage and head to an english speaking doctor. LUCKILY Steph had bit the bullet and got amazing insurance but unfortunately she hadn´t gotten the rabies vaccine which was what we were all worried about. After talking to the doctor and realizing the peruvian regime of postexposure vaccinations was one shot for the next 5 days (no Machu Picchu then) plus the fact that our vacation was over in one weeks time Steph has made the hard but totally reasonable decision to go home. She´s OK and in pretty good spirits but it was definitely one of the scarrier moments of any of our lives and I think going back to Canada is exactly what the doctor ordered!! Send your love her way OK?! She heads out on her mission home in an hour and then we leave for Machu Picchu tomorrow morning.

Other than that very scary and isolated incident we have really enjoyed Cusco! There is a LOT of good food with menus that actually say ¨we wash our vegetables with bottled water¨- the temptation for fresh veggies was too much for me and I caved and ate a couple of salads. We have spent a LOT of time just reading in the sun and shopping. Since this is the last stop we have loaded up on woven goodies and have filled our bags to the brim. The french boys have decided to hike the Salkantay trail with us to Machu Picchu and it will surely be a great trip. Both Allison and Leslie have been hit with another bout of TD but we are hoping the drugs will be fast acting and they will be just fine for the trek.

Since not much can top that first paragraph I´ll just end the post here. We are SOO sad to see Steph go but we all think that its the best solution. SIGH! Anyways keep her in your thoughts and she starts the long journey home!!

Lots of love!!!!

HALS! xoxoxo

Condors in the Canyon!

Hola Chicos!!

We´ve been busy the last few days so let me tell you about it! We got to Arequipa on an overnight bus from Ica (our last overnight trek...or so we thought) and stumbled sleepily to our hostel in the center of the city. It was a WONDERFUL place and the lady was so nice. She let us have breakfast and get into our rooms even though it was only 8 in the morning and well fed we felt MUCH better. Steph napped while the rest of us spent the morning reading and updating facebook pictures. In the afternoon we decided to brave our FIRST and ONLY museum of the trip! It was winner though. We visited Juanita the ice princess. A 500 year old incan mummy who was almost perfectly preserved on top of Ampato Volcano. She was as 14 girl sacrificed to the Incan Gods in the hope for better weather. The museum admission of 5 bucks included a 20 minute movie and then an english tour of the artifacts. It was all pretty cool and the frozen mummy body of the little girl was haunting but NEAT!

That night we went out for AMAZING turkish food! YUM! and headed back to the hostel to watch Miss Congeniality and call it an early night. After a major sleep we met up with the French boys to plan our next few days. We were going to go trekking in the Colca Canyon and after comparing prices it looked like going with a guide was a pretty good deal. After discussing details over lunch at a french cafe we booked our trip and then parted ways in order to prepare for our THREE AM pick up. YIKES.

After a measly amount of sleep we rolled into a balling mercedes mini bus and promptly fell back asleep until we reached the Cruz del Condor viewpoint at 8 am!!! For some unknown reason I was VERY excited about this stop and I was NOT disappointed. It is one of only two places in South America where you can reliably see condors everyday all day. Apparently they like the updraft created by the canyon walls and wind conditions and these majestic birds were everywhere! After a short stop there we headed to Cabanaconde, Peru which was the starting point for our trek. After a pretty mediocre lunch we headed down into the canyon dropping over 1 vertical kilometer and arrived in the tiny village of San Juan. Many games of Asshole and Eucre ensued and after dressing in EVERY layer of clothing we had brought on the trek we fell asleep in our little bungalow. The next morning we had a leisurely start as we headed along the canyon´s bottom to the Oasis Sangalle an idillic little village with AMAZING swimming pools and HOT HOT weather! Along the way we stopped at a little church and the cutest little museum (I guess I lied about Juanita the ice princess being the only museum stop off) where an local woman showed us how they make flour out of wheat and corn and how they make their remarkable tapestries and clothing. Our guide told us that the cost of the outfits worn by these locals is about 10000 soles or 3000 dollars. They are SOOOO intriquate and I wish I had a picture to show you but I don´t. ANYWAY after the museum it was just a short jaunt to the Oasis and we spent the rest of the day suntanning and swimming in the pool. AMAZING. We also got into a very competitive volleyball game against some of the peruvian guides and managed to squeak out a win!

The next morning it was another EARLY start. We woke up at 5 am and were hiking by 5:30 on the stiff and steep trail out of the canyon. We made good time though and it was nice to hike out of the sun. After making it to the top we walked another couple klicks to Cabanaconde were we ate breakfast and waited for our bus. On the way back to Arequipa we stopped at the hot springs in Chivay. It was a pretty neat place with 6 different pools each with different temperatures we stretched our aching muscles in the hot water! A long bus ride home got us to Arequipa at 6:30 where we split ways with the Frenchies and went back to the same Turkish restaurant for food and raced to the bus station to catch our overnight bus to Cusco. We had splurged for the business class section of the bus (a difference of 10 bucks) and were all excited for seats that reclined 160 degrees. It was pretty great but nothing beats sleeping in a bed! We were able to check in to our hostel at 6:30 in the morning (AMAZING) so we promptly took a nap and have just now got up to do some exploring and scope our the different options for our trek to Machu Piccu. We´ll let you know how it all goes soon!!!

sandboarding at sunset!

I think I may have finally figured out how to upload a picture along with the blog! Not much new to report - I really just wanted to see if I could add pics but I can tell you we had an amazing day yesterday sandboarding in Huachachina. I must say it was one of the coolest things I think I´ve ever done! We got about 5 rides in and after each run this maniac dune buggy would pick you up and take you to another slope. Our driver´s name was Jesus and although that was some what comforting his driving was still insane! We are still finding sand behind our ears etc. one shower and 12 hours later but it was well worth it! We´ve safely arrived in Arequipa and will let you know how it is in a few days!

lots of love! HALS

Lounging in Lima

And I´m back!!

Now to update you completely. We arrived from Huaraz at about 6 pm on a LONG and windy bus but successfully navigated to our hostel in Miraflores without too much of a hassle! That night we went out for a nice dinner at this tacky Mexican restaurant. It was lonely planet recommended but we were the ONLY ones in the joint. Sketchy but actually pretty tasty. The next morning we awoke too a perpetually cloudy Lima but we were all VERY impressed with how clean and modern Miraflores was. It was like a vacation from a vacation! There were Starbucks´, McDonalds and Chili´s all over the place! The morning of our second day we toured around and did some shopping, bought a latte at Starbucks and generally just enjoyed being back in the 21st century. At 5pm we met up with Matt and 5 other of my med school croonies who are volunteering in Lima for August! It was amazing to see all of them and Carolyn (who you may remember from Quito trivia lore) had organized a big dinner at the SWANKIEST restaurant! It was sooooooo nice and the food was amazing but all in all (drinks, apps and dessert included) cost about 25$ american dollars each. NOT BAD!

The following day Matt was able to get the day off so he spent it with us walking around Miraflores and shopping (much like the day before). We went to the movies in the afternoon and then hit up Chili´s for dinner. Again it was SO nice to just hang out and lounge as if we were back in Canada.

Yesterday was our last full day in Lima and we decided to break out of our shell and head to central Lima which we were all pretty impressed with in the end. We started at Plaza San Martin where there is a statue of a lady that was commissioned to have a crown of flames. Apparently in Spanish the word for flames is ¨llama¨ the same as the word for the animal and without verifying which llama they were asking for, the sculptors built her with a crown of llama animals instead. (I thought it was funny).

We toured the Plaza des Armas and walked along a nice pedestrian street before calling it a day and heading back to our beloved Miraflores. We again trolled the streets and killed some time eating amazing gelato and drinking Starbucks. ahaha Our french friends has arrived that morning so we met up with them in the evening and headed out for a delish dinner before coming back to the hostel for PISCO SOUR NIGHT. We all sampled the local drink which was actually pretty good despite the egg whites and called it a night.

We are off to Huachachina today to go sandboarding in the dessert and I think we are all pretty excited for that! I promise to update you again soon!

Lots of love!
HALS!

Happenings in Huaraz

Oh hey there!

Sorry its been so long since the last post but I promise to fill you in on our happenings! So we left off in Trujillo where we successfully navigted to Huaraz from. We took a night bus so arrived at about 9am in Huaraz but our hostess was ready and waiting for us at the station! Maruja took us back to her casa and fed us breakfast. After a quick power nap we were somewhat ready to go so we headed in to town to explore and try and plan out our next few days. Huaraz was almost completely destroyed in an earthquake in 1970 so it isnt the quaintest town but it lies beside the Cordillera Blancas so it has that going for it. We wandered into a cute restaurant called California Cafe that served up some delicious food and feeling refueled we headed to Galexia Tours to scope out our adventure options. We decided to go ice climbing the following day and then hit the Santa Cruz trail the day after for 3 days of trekking. Excited, we had a delish dinner and headed to bed early for our crack of dawn adventure the next day.

Ice climbing was pretty unreal. We were picked up from our hostel and drove for about 2 hours up a bumpy road until about 4500m. It was a 40 min walk from the car park to the edge of a glacier which is where we set up shop and climbed the midday way. I think I can speak for the whole group in saying the ice climbing was like rock climbing but more awkward and different in that you spend a lot less time looking for holds and a lot more time making your own with your ice axe. We all really liked it though and walked away feeling like little mountaineers. Unfortunately both Steph and I took a major turn for the worse that day. (I officially declare it the low point of my trip) and we quickly decided that trekking for 3 days was not going to be in the cards. Unfortuntely we had already paid for the trek and so we spent the drive home from climbing coming up with a strategy on how to break the bad news to Galaxia. Needless to say they were not impressed and we argued with them for quite a while before finally agreeing to half our money back and a day trek to Laguna 69. We left feeling a bit cheated and a bit relieved that we got anything back.

The next day we took a personal day and lounged around, read our books and added facebook pics. In the afternoon we headed into Huaraz to lounge some more and then we met up with our French friends from Vilcabamba for dinner! They were headed off to hike the Santa Cruz trek the following day and though jealous we agreed it just wasnt meant to be for us. SO! The next day we headed out to Laguna 69 instead! We drove to 3900m and then hiked about 3 hours to the lake at 4500m. AGAIN Steph and I took a turn for the worse and it was a hard slog upwards. We were with a couple of very nice Danish girls though and they kept our spirits high! I was feeling pretty good on the way down but poor Steph was still hurting and I know she was wishing for the hike to be over. Unfortunately for her though as we walked off the trail into the car park it became apparent that our driver had forgotten us. SIGH! 3 hours from home by car we started walking towards the highway. After another hour we managed to flag down 1 cab for the 7 of us and Allison, Les and I huddled in the trunk. At the next town we ended up splitting up in the two taxis for the rest of the journey which was more comfortable at least! We rolled into Huaraz 14 hours after leaving that morning exhausted and a little angry at Galaxia. HOWEVER! there is a silver lining! That night we went out for the GREATEST meal Ive had on the trip - a fruited indian curry and thus the day was saved!

The next day we were off to Lima and I will update you on that soooooon!!! Love and miss you guys!!

HALS

Trapped in Trujillo!

Hi!

Another blog post so soon I know! Lucky you guys! SO! I´ll just pick up from where I left off but I´m pretty confident I can catch you up allllll the way! So! From Vilcabamba came a major trek to Peru. We had to back track an hour to a town called Loja and then catch our first overnighter bus to Piura. The seats reclined quite a ways but unfortunately that left you with ZERO leg room. It was about the most cramped quarters I´ve ever had to travel in and I think I would choose leg room over recline anytime. Despite this hardship we managed to get a few hours of shut eye before unloading in Peru and heading back north to Mancora. 16 hours after departing Vilcabamba we made it!

Mancora is a tourist hotspot in Peru. Its only 1 street big but everything there caters towards us gringos. The hostel we stayed at was a Loki - a chain of party hostels in Peru. It had a great patio and pool area but the rooms left a LOT to be desired. We could see little ants crawling all over the beds so out came the sleep sheets for the first time in the trip! The windows of our room also opened directly into the bar which rages day and night! The first night there we were pretty much zombies (blame it on the overnight bus) so we managed to pass out despite the rager next door.

Our days in Mancora consisted mostly of lounging by the pool, walking on the beach, eating and drinking. Its a tough life really. The weather was amazing all four days we were there - about 30 degrees with not a single cloud and a slight breeze! Saturday there was a full moon party at a rival hostel so after going out for dinner with three lovely scottish girls and a crazy irish guy we predrank and headed to that. It was a big night out and hours and hours after dancing to nothing but electronica we headed home!

Sunday morning we made it out for a surf lesson which was really great. It was my first time back on a board since my summer in Tofino and it felt amazing to be back! The water was SOOO nice and warm and we all managed to stand up and ride some waves. I had a really interesting/awkward moment with my surf instructor when he asked my name. I said ¨Heather¨ and he said ¨Eder?¨, ¨close enough and you?¨ I say. ¨Eder¨, he replies. ¨No Im Heather your who?¨. ¨Eder!¨ Anyways after about 5 minutes of this we figured out that his name was Eder and my name was Heather and that they both sounded the same with a thick spanish accent. ahhhhh travelling!

Our last night in Mancora there was a pub quiz at the Loki! We teamed up with the scottish girls and prepared to dominate. We came close to having a perfect trivia streak in South America but were ousted by a couple of old trivia gurus. We were still proud of our silvers though!

Yesterday we left Mancora with the hope of making it to Huaraz by the next morning. It was going to be a marathon day - 9 hours to Trujillo and then 9 hours to Huaraz from there. Unfortunately for us the travel gods had other plans. It didn´t start out well at all. Steph and I had jumped in a tuk tuk to go to the bus station and we saw Allison and Leslie hail one right behind us. After about 5 minutes of waiting at the station and not seeing the other girls we knew something was wrong. 5 minutes later they showed up and it turns out that their tuk tuk had been involved in some kind of EXPLOSION! Allison´s bag was totally damaged. Her one belt strap was completely gone and her one backpack strap was flapping freely having nothing to clip on to. R.I.P Allison´s bag. (We did manage to rebuild a pseudostrap later in the day so thankfully she can still sport the two strap look. Her belt was beyond repair though). At the station we could only book our ticket as far as Trujillo and from there we were going to race to a different bus station and make the night bus an hour after arriving. Unlucky for us though it just happened to be Peruvian Independance day and Trujillo was wild. The streets were plugged with people and by the time we made it to the other bus station there were no more tickets for that night. We did run into our French friends though and will hopefully meet up with them when we make it to Huaraz!

We did manage to find a hostel room though and secure tickets to Huaraz for the following evening so it didn´t work out all that bad. Its giving us a chance to walk around Trujillo and catch up on some chores. We might sneak another movies in this afternoon (don´t judge) and then jump on our bus later this evening! Huaraz is in the middle of the cordillera mountain range and is a trekking meca! Were hoping after a few days of acclimatization to hop on the Santa Cruz trek.

PHEWPH! there you go - officially caught up on our whole vacay! We miss you guys lots and lots but will see most of you soon enough!

xxox HALS

Hi there!!

Sorry that this has been so long coming - we´ve been pretty isolated again with not a lot internet access! To pick up where we left off - an all day mission from Banos took us to Cuenca. We really had no idea what to expect from the colonial city but it was a natural stop between Banos and our next destination Vilcabamba. Cuenca was SUCH a pleasant surprise. I think we were all wary of going back to a big city after being so isolated for so long but Cuenca was beautiful. So many old colonial buildings and plazas! The night we got there we met a really nice couple from Ireland and together with them and a couple other people from the hostel went out for a Mexican meal. The following day we headed out in search of breakfast and ended up taking a tour of the city as NOTHING was open! After a delicous brunch we stepped out side and it was raining! Our first really crummy weather of the trip and the executive decision was made to go to the movies. So we went and so the Back Up plan with JLo and it was a great afternoon! That night we went to an amazing restaurant called Cafe Eucalyptus and ran into TWO different couples that we had met earlier on our vacation. Small world!

The next morning it was off to Vilcabamba - I don´t think we really gave Cuenca enough time to appreciate it but we all left feeling like it was a great little city and one that we could spend a while in!

NOW! Vilcabamba is basically my idea of paradise. Hot weather, a pool, a private room and mountains (the other girls would surely add cheap massages to the mix as well!). The hostel we stayed at was run by a German couple so the restaurant specialized in German food! Such a nice change from Mexican and South American cuisine and they still had enough gluten free choices for Les! The hostel was a bit outside of the town and we kept meaning to go into town for dinner but for 5 nights in a row we ate at the German restaurant ahaha - it was just that good.

We spent most of our time in Vilcabamba relaxing and hiking which is a great combo. We hiked up the major mountain in the area called Mandango which is a very cool walk along a very narrow ridge line. Leslie and Allison took advantage of the amazing spa at the hostel where hour long full body massages were 15 bucks! All in all a VERY restful and relaxing place and one I would recommend to ANYONE! We were sad to go as this would be our last stop in Ecuador but Peru was calling! More on that to come!

¨Oooo baby baby its a wild world¨

Jungle FEVER!!

That Cat Steven´s song was playing on our way to the jungle and on the way out so I´ve officially made it our Junlge Theme Song! So Steph has just told you about Banos (which was amazing!) and from there we organized a trip into the Jungle about two hours east of Puyo. We didn´t really know what to expect but we packed our Malrone and DEEP WOODS bug spray and headed out into the unknown! It was torrentially down pouring on the the 3 hour ride in and I was very nervous we had made a serious mistake by signing up. Luckily though the skies cleared as we went deeper and deeper and by the time we made it to our first stop a Kichiwa tribe villiage it was blue skies and sunshine. Edwin our guide was amazing! He was sooo knowledgable and loved to teach us! At the Kichiwa tribe we tried Chicha (fermented corn alcohol that is usually made from human saliva - although Edwin assured us this wasn´t - we chose to believe him) and purchased some local handicrafts - team bracelets!

From there we went to our little jungle bungalows, unloaded our gear, ate lunch and went on the most intense jungle walk. Edwin (who measures approx 5 foot nothing) may be short but he sure could walk fast. We were joined by another group - Tom and Will and their guide (also named Edwin - from here on out I will refer to him as Edwin Sr since he was taller than Edwin Jr - though still only about 5 foot 4). Both were amazing in that they new EVERY plant along the way and how it could be used medicinally, for food or for shelter. They made us each jungle necklaces out of seeds and fibres from leaves and then we pressed on. We eventually made it to a beautiful waterfall where we swam and played around before heading back to camp. We also had a little spa moment where we made ourselves clay facial masks that we were told would be good for our skin! At this point Allison was feeling pretty unwell (the last of us to fall prey to the dreaded TD) and we had a pretty relaxed night hanging out with the British boys and a couple of Americans. The next day both Allison and Steph were down for the count so Leslie and I were the sole reps from the Canadian camp to do another hike to another waterfall. We were with Edwin Sr this time and he again should us sooooo many medicinal plants. My favourite was this flower we chewed that made our tongue numb. Apparently it is used as an anesthetic. They were also big fans of this thing called Dragot´s Blood that is from the sap of a certain tree and can be used to cure upset stomachs and also good for healing wounds and scars. NEAT!

That afternoon we took a canoe ride with all of our stuff to move camps further into the jungle. The rest of the afternoon was spent in hammocks and practicing our skills on the blowgun. After dinner we went on a night walk which was as creepy as it sounds. We saw like 6 alligators and a tarantula which was neat from a distance....I suppose. Post night walk (still in night walk attire - including rubber boots) we found ourselves in a little Jungle Bar practicing our salsa moves with Edwin Sr and Jr. It was hilarious and probably horrendous but we had fun!

Our last day in the jungle we hiked up to a view point where there was the most amazing rope swing over the trees so we took turns at that and then continued with the blowgun practicing as well as our javilin skills. Needless to say I don´t think I was destined to be a jungle hunter. We left the jungle and stopped at a Monkey Reserve on the way out where did a lot of lookig and very little touching of the monkeys. Cute but probably diseased filled so we stayed a comfortable distance back. That night I took a little turn for the worse - struck by my second bout of illness but Allison and Les ventured to the bar. They had a pretty amazing night out by the sounds of it but were able to pull themselves out of bed in order to catch our bus to Cuenca yesterday!

MORE UPDATES TO COME!! Miss you guys!

Banos - toilet, baths, or town?

So I think Leslie left off at the Black Sheep, from there we had a bit of a journey to get to Banos. It started with catching the local milk truck (aka a truck with a big barrel of milk in the back it). It arrived packed full of locals, but we managed to squish ourselves and our packs into the back of the truck. In doing so however, I fell out of the truck much to the amusement of everyone. Nonetheless, three hours later after having stopped at every property to either pick up their milk (from a not so clean bucket) or to deliver the milk to whom ever was standing on the side of the road with an empty bucket we arrived at the bus station. Three buses, a ride in the back of some random guy´s truck, and a taxi ride later (aka a solid 10 hours later) we had finally covered approximately 200 km and found ourselves at yet another fantastic hostel this time in Banos. After showering and washing away the exhaustion of the day, we hit the town for Leslie´s BIRTHDAY! Much to our amusement, the guys we danced the night away with came up to about our shoulders. We are giants in this country. The following day, we rented bikes and rode ¨La Ruta de las Cascadas¨ (highway of the waterfalls) to Machay stopping all along the way to hike to some of the falls and take a cable car across the valley. At Machay, we ended up swimming at the bottom of the falls before heading back to Banos to relax in the baths. Much like the hot springs in Canada, these baths are heated naturally by the active volcano (Tungurahua) that the town sits at the base of. This perfect day was finished off at an amazing little cafe (Casa Hood) that had the best milkshakes and also happened to be showing the english mountaineering movie Touching the Void just to cap off the evening. All in all, Banos won us over and although we were sad to leave, the Amazon jungle awaited us.

S, H, A, & L

Black Sheep

Heyyy Friends Les here...... Lets just say to begin this adventure was a bit more of a gong show then first anticipated but after the ride in the back of a pick up truck 2 buses and six hours later we have arrived! The black sheep we fell in love with instantly this beautiful rustic hostel where we are surrounded with amazing views.... So we were located in the town of chugchilan which is amazing since we are all feeling 100 times better we have done 2 hikes one down through this canyon and to this very sketchy suspension bridge which we eneded up not crossing just becasue we decided to choose life. We also hiked Quilotoa volcanic-crater lake which is this massived and beautiful crater lake when asking locals how deep this crater lake is they inevitably say bottomless... apperantly geologists say other wise (250m) but minor details and non the less still soo beautiful.......On are final day at the black sheep we decided to face fears all of us being inexperienced and personally i have a bit fo a fear slash 3 of us are allergic but we went horse back riding up to this local cheese factory which factory should be a term use loosely........ This had to have been one of the most hillarous experiences in my life as soon as the horses would pick up any type of speed we would all start laughing hysterically to say the least it was quite a sight to see i am pretty sure that are guide though we were all crazy but none the less we all came out alive!
Any who i think that this is all the updates from the black sheep a little behind on r bloggin as we hvae again been off the grid due to some jungle times but those bloggs are to come! Hope this blogg isnt to hard to follow with the run on sentences and what not but! miss and love all u guys!

HALS XOXOX

Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-altitude!

Hey friends!!
Allison here - my very first blogging experience! Ok so last we spoke, we were just finishing up a few days in Quito. It was pretty busy, crowded, and the air could have been cleaner - so I think we were ready to move on! We headed to the Secret Garden hostel in Cotopaxi national park. Right near the base of the Cotopaxi volcano (the highest active volcano in the world!), and it was BEAUTIFUL!! When we got there, Heath and I headed out with some other guests for a hike - Leslie´s legs were still recovering from some serious mosquito bites, and Steph´s cold would NOT go away. The hike was amazing! It was basically a walk/scramble/climb up a river, and ended at a waterfall which we jumped off of. The water was SO COLD, but it was so fun!! The next day no one was feeling 100%, so we chilled - reading in hammocks, board games by the fire - not too shabby! The next day, we decided to make the trek up Cotopaxi volcano. We got a ride up to a carpark part way up the volcano, then began the SLOW trek upwards. First we climbed 300m of elevation to a refuge - probably the most difficult 300m of our lives. The altitude was KILLER! I had a headache, Les´s lungs hated her, and Heather´s stomach had seen better days. Slowly but surely we made our way to the refuge which sat at 4920m above sea level, then climbed the remaining 180m to the tip of the Cotopaxi glacier. It felt SO cool to be at 5000m above sea level! For reference, the town of Banff sits at 1380m above sea level, and Temple mountain in the Rockies is 3500m. Then we decided to mountain bike down the volcano, which was UNREAL. You basically let the bike ride you, and hoped for the best. The roads were ALL dirt and rocks, and we were FLYING. When we got to the bottom of Cotopaxi, we decided to bike all the way back to our Hostel - an hour and a half ride mostly downhill they´d told us, no big deal. Oh man. The roads were 90% rocks, and very hilly. Highlights of the ride include a flat tire, a donkey in the middle of the road, and a downpour that started when we were about halfway home. Tired, muddy and victorious we made it back! What a cool experience. The next day we got up to see the sun rise, and had another chill day. All in all, Secret Garden Cotopaxi was INCRED - the food was great, the beds were amazing, and the people were fantastic! I think we´d all recommend it to anyone. Off to the Black Sheep Inn in Chugchilan next, which Les will update you on! Miss you all!

A, H, S & L

Tachypnea

Hi Guys!

Happy Canada Day (yesterday)!!! We have been BUSY since our last report. The day after Otavalo we took another day trip to Mindo in the north of Ecuador and in the CLOUDFOREST! It was beautiful and there was a LOT to do there - unfortunately though we only had about 4 hours to poke around. We spent most of that time ziplining from tree to tree! It was great fun and I really wish I could show you pictures but this computer isn't letting me. We had a pretty lazy night that night and a pretty lazy morning yesterday but at about noon we met up with my friend from med school Carolyn and adventured to the ecuator!! It was pretty touristy and apparently isn't even exactly on the mark but we had some fun taking pictures. After that it was back to the hostel to celebrate CANADA DAY!! The hostel has trivia night every Thursday and we thought that would be a pretty fun way to celebrate the night and we were right! We formed Team Canada with a couple other hostel goers and trivia-d the night away. Our favourite question had to be "If tachycardia is a fast heartrate - what is tachypnea?" woooo med question! Anyway we eneded up winning which was rather exciting beause the prize is a 50 dollar gift certificate to the hostel were heading to next! How convienant!

Anyway with that we are heading off the grid. We are travelling to Cotopaxi National Park where our hostel promises rustic luxury - what that means in Ecuador we will soon find out! Definintely no internet though so stay tuned next week for further updates!

We love you and miss you!
xoxoxo
H,S,L,A

Avocado MANIA!

Hi friends (and family)!

Just wanted to give you a quick update to say that we are alive and well in QUITO! I wish I had more time to tell you what we´ve been getting up to but my minutes are quickly depleting on our internet time! The trek over was interesting! Allison and I had a 5 hours lay over in Washington DC so we made a mad dash to the city and managed to get a quick glimpse of the whitehouse before racing back to the airport (pictures to come!). We were a bit delayed arriving in Quito but so were Steph and Leslie so it worked out pretty well. We stumbled into our hostel at about 2 am before crashing.

SO! Quito is CRAZY! Small sidewalks and LOTS of cars! But some really nice churches that we explored on our own little walking tour and LOTS of avocados and guacomole. DELICIOUS! Today we darted up to Otavalo to shop in the famous market and all bought relatively matching alpaca sweaters with llamas on them. (Yes we are that cool!)

We just had an amazing late dinner on a patio way up high in Quito overlooking the city. Tomorrow we are hoping to get to Mindo to do some ziplining and butterfly watching! Stay tuned for more details.

We love you and miss you guys but are pretty happy in our avocado heaven.
xoxox
Heather, Leslie, Steph and Allison!