Isn´t it funny how Jimmy likes honey?: Travels in the Central Andes

We managed to time our stay in Lima to allow us to catch the once weekly train back into the mountains - a frankly miraculous bit of planning on Petra´s part! The train runs approx 350km from the coast at Lima up and over a pass at more than 4,829m before heading down to Huancayo at 3,244m. All this is completed at a very sedate pace (the journey takes over 12 hours!) but it is the second highest railway in the world! It is an amazing piece of engineering as the train crossed 54 bridges and goes through 68 tunnels. The route is beautiful and added to our picnic made it a special day. The most amusing part is that Peru doesn´t have level crossings, on the very occasoinal route there was a man with a red flag to stop traffic but in most places required the drive to hoot his horn for a good few minutes before reaching the road. I felt sorry for the locals, espcially as the return leg is a night train!

The town of Huancayo is slightly off the tourist route as most people head south down the coast from Lima. Around the town are a series of villages that each have there own special craft. Initially we went to Hualhuas which is famous for weavings, and rightly so. We were shown round a establishment that made some lovely alpaca blankets etc. and all on hand looms. If only there was space in the rucksacks! We then set out on the 1 hour walk to San Jeronimo, which is famous for silver. On the way we met a strange old man with few teeth who was intrigued to discover that post is delivered to people´s houses in the UK. We then met two young girls who wanted to practise there English. They rather sadly said that they were surprised that in England we speak the language of the Americans! Just as we were reaching San Jeronimo, I spotted a honey shop and decided to pop in. We were then invited out back to look at a few hives (only 3 of the 300 they owned) in the courtyard. The bees were kept by a retired school teacher and he was fascinated that my grandfather kept bees and inisisted on dismantling one hive to give us a taste straight from the hive. He then proceeded to talk about Peru and its history all to the accompanyment of his guitar. We spent a happy hour chatting to him before we bought some honey and set off to the silversmiths.

The silversmith was a lady of about 65 crouching over a table and making some stunning pieces of filagree style jewellery. Personally I am not sure how she did it as other than when at work seemed a little crazy and at least twice nearly set light to Petra with a mini, gas powered flame thrower. Anyway, Petra proved that silver jewellery is much easier to fit in a rucksack than an alpaca blanket is!

After Huancayo we hopped on a bus to Ayacucho. It was perhaps our worst bus trip yet with over 200km of bumpy dirt road. However, it was worth it: Ayacucho is a beautiful city with literally bucket loads of churches. It is claimed that there are 33 churches in the city (1 for each year of Christ´s life apparently) but in fact there are quite a few more. It was a cool place to chill out for a day and not do a whole lot.

Next stop Nazca but that is another story.............................

Planes, trains and automobiles

Part of the experience (?!) of life in Peru is getting from A to B. Transport options in this country are many and varied, all bringing with them their various amusements and challenges.

So here goes with a few insights into our exciting world of transport choices...
At the top of the tree come the long distance buses. Large, sleek vehicles with tinted windows and AC if you're lucky, from whose elevated perspective you can survey the motorised mayhem below. Supplied with more bad Jean-Claude Van-Damme movies than you can shake a stick at, these guys have right of way even when the don't have right of way. If you get what I mean.

Next come the local buses, only present in the larger cities, often ex-US school fleets, re-sprayed and adorned with the drivers' own special mix of stickers and paraphenalia. Usually with a stated capacity which allows little for the european concept of personal space. Nevertheless a cheap and regular form of city transport.

Combi's are a South American-invented concept for ferrying around vast quantities of people locally from A to B. These clapped-out mini-buses are characterised by the presence of a 'conductor' whose job it is to invite/cajole/drag as many people as possible onto his combi rather than the identical vehicle following 10m behind! Basically their job isn't done till there is no breathing space left. The only legal requirement being that the door should shut. Its never an effort to find a combi, with the conductors repeated shouts audible at most main roads, and in the true spirit of customer service, both buses and Combis will drop you off at any point along their slightly flexible routes. Regardless of all other traffic movements.

Next in the pecking order come 'collectivos' basically large private cars which will take you to local places (along with several other people - usually more than you would feel comfortable squashing into a car with...) and are much cheaper than taxis. We've generally tried to avoid these whever possible, or else paid extra to haev the car to ourselves!

Taxis in Peru, unfortunately for us with our huge rucksacks, are more often than not diminutive Daewoo Ticos (how do you fit 4 elephants in a mini?). Considering their tiny size, they create more noise pollution than any other vehicles, constantly vying for custom with their 'pimped' mobile phone-esque horns. Arrrgh!

Last but not least come the moto-taxis, similar to an asian tuktuk, and definitley at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to road space. These guys are nippy, but the ride tends to be adustier, louder and scarier alternative to walking!

The Gringo who Ran!

In a fit of typical over enthusiasm, I decided to enter a 10k race in Huaraz. Somehow I convinced myself that 3 months without training wouldn't be a major problem, not to mention the altitude of over 3,000m or the fact that it was a mainly up hill course!

On Race Day, I got myself to the start at the instructed 0730 to find a man with a megaphone and little else. Slowly banners were being put across the road - with the traffic still moving. In typical South American fashion, most others arrived around 0830 when signing in actually started. The number on my carefully completed registration card bore no resembelance to the number I was actually allocated. Shortly before the start they scribbled down who competitor 209 was: Jaime Esmitch!

I had anticipated in the region of 500 competitors and was surprised to see less than 100 other competitors. They all looked like serious runners except for one thing: the footware. The range was stunningly substandard, ranging from plimsoles to walking boots and including the unfamilar brands Niek and Neb Walance! I was very definitely the only white face but seemed to get more comments about my trainers, I just hoped I didn't look to much like and "all the gear no idea" type!

After a confident start the conditions started to hit home and the aim became just to complete the course without stopping (or collapsing). I felt I held my own although was slightly disappointed with a time of 47 mins. Apparently my race position was shouted to me as I crossed the line but I was in no fit state to hear - all was drowned out by the pounding of my heart, all I know I for sure was that I was the 1st Gringo!* The local support was great - lots of "vayate Gringo" (go Gringo) etc. I tried to recognise this which helped get more cheers/laughs. Either way it helped my not stopping aim.

I was rather surprised by the level of attention after the run. Several other runners asked for photos with the novelty factor. I was summoned by the organisers for a quick interview with the local ragbut not sure my Spanish gave them much of a quote! Finally I got to pose with the winner who had come 500 miles (there's a song in there somewhere!) to win the S/. 3,000 (500GBP) top prize in 32 mins. There was mention of a radio interview but I think someone thought better of it when they heard my efforts for the paper.

Anyway, it was a great experience and despite the fact that my legs still hurt, I might have to come back next year!

Huaraz - a place like home!

Huaraz sits alongside the Galapagos as a highlight of this trip so far. The town itself is not especially beautiful, having been largely destroyed by the 1970 earthquake but its location more than makes up for this. Nestled at 3,000m between the Cordillera Negra and Blanca mountain ranges. The later is the 2nd highest mountain range in the world and scattered with snow covered peaks stretching up to the phenomenal twin peaks of Huscaran at 6655m and 6768m. Just looking from the hostel we can see 17 snow covered peaks - the smallest being a mere 5495m!

There is a profusion of treks available around this marvelous landscape - we both feel that we could spend a lifetime exploring the area.

It has been a politically active time since we have been here. There was a 2 day general strike where everything was shut and roads were blocked. In fact, most shops were open but kept their shutters down so as to keep it subtle! There were marches with thousands of participants but rather than feeling threatening the atmosphere was more like a carnival - very strange!

As well as the views, another reason for our love of Huaraz is the hostel - Caroline Lodging. The sign on the door says ¨welcome to our family¨ and it certainly feels like that. In fact I suspect that the owners, Anita and Teo, treat the hostel guests better than their own kids (e.g. they took us out for lunch today and their kids had to be satisfied with doggie bags!). They are ready with advice on treks, make you food if you are feeling poorly, offer lifts to the bus station, take you out to lunch, provide free Pisco Sours in exchange for card games and generally go well beyond the call of duty. All this for 2GBP per person bed and breakfast (and what a breakfast!).

All in all a combination of the scenery, the hostel and general ambience of Huaraz mean we will be sad to move on (especially to the noise and bustle of Peru´s capital, Lima) but Huaraz will remain a special place to us and somewhere we highly recommend to anyone visiting Peru or South America.

The Santa Cruz Trek

One of the most famous treks in the Cordillera Blanca is the Santa Cruz. It is a 4 day trek passing some beautiful peaks and mountain lakes. This time we had some company: Jodie, an Aussie we met at the hostel.

Day 1: It is a long trip from Huaraz to the trail head so we set off at 6am to get a minibus to Caraz and a taxi to the starting village of Cashapampa. We set off on the trek at 9am and saw in the signing in book that 6 French walkers had beaten us to the start. It was a lovely day - just as the Mountain Guides had promised it would be. It was a pleasant walk up a steep, high sided valley up to a campsite by the river. The French group had hired a guide, multiple donkeys, 2 porters and a cook. We arrived at the campsite before them but their tents were being put up for them - including a two big top style social tents. It is a popular trek and there were several other groups at the campsite but nowhere near as busy as we had feared.

Day2: We got up and away early to get the track to ourselves. We walked up past two lakes as the snow capped peaks started to unveil themselves. Unfortunately the Mountain Guides´promise of stable weather for at least the next 3 weeks didn´t hold and Alpamayo (¨The most beautiful mountain in the world¨) was partly shrouded in cloud. We waited to see if it would clear but with no luck and eventually pressed onto camp 2 - due to our early start we arrived before lunch! The rain then came over but we managed to scramble our tent up and sheltered in there. Camp 2 was the pick of the lot. It sat just under the glacier covered peak of Taulliraju and with views of numerous other peaks. Our early arrival meant we could pick the spot with unobstructed views of the mountains. We spent the afternoon chatting to a lovely Czech and Irish couple who were enjoying their 6th date!


Day 3: We awoke to fog which was a shame but still set off early. The day started with a tough climb up to the 4,750m Punta Union Pass. Views back the way we came were simply stunning. The fog on the other side of the pass was even heavier so those views were not what was hoped for. It was still beautiful and the fog dispersed as we headed down the Hauripampa (Harry Potter) Valley to camp 3. We again met up with the Czech and Irish couple - the date seemed to be going well!

Day 4: This was a short day spent walking through small local communities to the end of the trek at Vaqueria and then the ride home. Actually the bus ride took us over another high pass and offered amazing views of further peaks.

All in all it was a beautiful trek and not spoilt by the number of people. In fact it was great as we walked mainly alone but then spent the evenings being sociable.

We certainly felt smug carrying all our stuff and still setting the pace. The French group certainly did it in style - there were rumours that they had wine but they nevered offered to share any!!

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO PERUVIAN FOOD & DRINK:

Part 1: Inca Kola
The unofficial national drink, you could be forgiven for assuming that this radioactive-looking bubblegum-flavoured beverage was made and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company, so comprehensively is its logo emblazoned across all available advertising space in Peru. And indeed, it outsells its global namesake substantially in this part of the world.

No wonder most Pervians have such bad teeth - 100% pure artificial colourings and preservatives, with a taste to match, a chilled Inca Kola is still a strangely refreshing prospect (in an E-number-tastic kind of way) after a long hot day's trekking around ancient ruins! (Yes, OK, I know it looks from the photo like I´ve had one too many!)

And last but not least...

Ecuador John Deere Tally:

James 6 vs. Petra 2

DOH!

Final thoughts on Ecuador...

So, after just over 2 months in Ecuador, its time to move on to pastures new.

Before we leave here goes with a few comments on the country which we've called home since leaving the UK. Despite its diminutive size, Ecuador is packed with fantasic sights and in particular amazing bioiversity. From its towering volcanoes to the beautiful and unique Galapagos (for both of us unquestionably the highlight of the trip so far) the people have been warm and welcoming. As with any developing country, there is the obvious and jarring disparity between the 2 sections of society - the have's and the have-nots. Of which the latter number greater by far, with around 50% of the population living below the poverty line.

A sad upshot of this is that many of the natural wonders with with the country is blessed are all too susceptible to being destroyed by overexploitation, not only by irresponsible tourists, but also the local population, who understandably are more interested in earning a living by any means possible, than in protecting the natural heritage of their country. And who can blame them for that?

In many cases, intervention by world powers to try and salvage unique areas like the Galapagos from destruction (World Heritage site status) have had limited positive effects, without the stability of a long term government policy in support, (Ecuador has had 6 different presidents in the last 10 years) a reduction in related corruption, and the education of its people. If it can achieve this Holy Grail, then Ecuador has a bright future. Having truly enjoyed our time in this beautiful country, we hope it will remain an equally rewarding destination for visitors for many years to come.

Trek to Ingapirca

As we are in the land of the Incas we decided to follow in their footsteps - literally! We decided to follow an Inca Road for a 3 day trek to the Inca Ruins at Ingapirca - the largest Inca site in Ecuador.

The trek started with a taxi trip up to the village of Achupalas - perhaps one of the scarier taxi rides of my life. We then started the trek in bright sunshine - sadly this didn't last long! It quickly clouded over and started raining. We trudged on and were suitably amused to meet some Ecuadorians doing the trek to arrive at the site for the Celebration of the Sun - how ironic. The rain continued through most of the first day and we had good practice at high paced tent erection! We didn't even venture out to cook tea - lucky we had overcatered on the bread rolls for lunch!

It then rained most of the night and again we decided not to go and light the stove for porridge. Tent came down as quickly as it went up and we set off. The walk quickly headed up onto a ridge with apparently stunning views but by this point it was snowing and very limited visibility! It rained most of the way to campsite 2 which was next to an Inca Ruin of its own. Luckily the rain eased and we sheltered next to the building to have some tea and coffee. We actually got the tent up in a sunny patch!

Day 3 also started off with some promise and we had some porridge for breakfast before setting off but the perpetual rain returned quite quickly. The Inca Road was clearest on sections of this day. It varied from a 7m wide paved area to sections of wide green swathe. It was however a very marshy walk and we were glad to reach the dirt road which would guide us to the finish. Unfortuately this was a false dawn! The road was horrendously muddy and slippy and had numerous landslides across it requiring diversions across fields. In an attempt to cross one of these I sank in up to my knees. Petra also fell in in an attempt to rescue me - I was then left to my own devices!!

We were certainly glad to reach Ingapirca - although it was still raining!! Inti (the Inca God of the Sun) certainly didn't come out for his festival - how rude!! Anyway, we felt very self-righteous as everyone else turned up in their tour buses.

ps - we realise that no-one back in blighty will have much sympathy with our tales of getting rained on - hope the weather improves back home!