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
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
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!
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!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
¨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!
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
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
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
Sunday, July 11, 2010
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
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
Friday, July 2, 2010
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
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
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