Shall we go to McDonalds today, or.rather Burger King...äähhh, Burger Ricky I mean :-)
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Welcome to the jungle
ahhhhh...back to the world of mobile network, internet, warm water, infrastructure (...) after spending about a week or so in the middle of the jungle without all these things. But have we missed them too much? I would say it depends...surfing the internet or checking your phone would have been nice sometimes, however, what we got in return for "resigning" of all this was priceless!
Arriving to Manaus, a large city (about 1,3 mio inhabitants) in the middle of the jungle was quite impressive. All the way there when you looked out of the window of the plane...only green. Trees everywhere! And in the middle of this a huge city with everything a huge city has to offer...but that not why we came to this place...we wanted to have jungle...and we got it.
After being picked up from our hotel, it was a 2h ride out of the city...left and right side of the street only palms, trees, gras...green everywhere.
We finally arrived at a small harbor...well, the street ended where the water started and some smaller fisher boats were waiting there...being picked up by one of them, we had 45min drive on the boat and finally arrived, in the middle of nowhere, in our lodge.
Welcomed with a fresh juice, we checked our bungalow:
Shortly after, the food bell was ringing...it was delicious! 3 times a day we had fantastic homecooked food, lots of fish, fruits, rice, Manioc fries and always a great desert. Some pics we will upload on the plate de jour tab.
Shortly after lunch, but not before having a relaxing siesta at the hammock...
The next days, we did many more exciting activities.
The two most exciting for sure were fishing and "searching" for alligators.
Fishing...putting some vegetables on the hook and waiting for hours? Not when you fish for piranhas! You exchange the vegies with some chicken pieces, simulate with the fishing pole that "something is falling to the water" by hitting it with the pole, and off we go! The only thing is to find the places with piranhas...they like to swim close to the trees (remember the flooded rainforest) in the shade, but once you found a swarm, its only about to pull the pole at the right time and the result is this:
The other day then we left in the afternoon to visit a local family to learn about their way of surviving and basically living only by what they can grow/hunt.
On of the most popular plants they use is the so called Manioc Tree. The roots can be used to get nice sauces, but also the manioc flour which is then be used to make a sort of "french fries" but also some sort of pancake:
And no, it was not easy to convince her to hold the alligator, but it certainly helped that the entire boat was shouting Karina, Karina, Karina :-)...the nice picture is a lasting memory anyways.
Arriving to Manaus, a large city (about 1,3 mio inhabitants) in the middle of the jungle was quite impressive. All the way there when you looked out of the window of the plane...only green. Trees everywhere! And in the middle of this a huge city with everything a huge city has to offer...but that not why we came to this place...we wanted to have jungle...and we got it.
After being picked up from our hotel, it was a 2h ride out of the city...left and right side of the street only palms, trees, gras...green everywhere.
We finally arrived at a small harbor...well, the street ended where the water started and some smaller fisher boats were waiting there...being picked up by one of them, we had 45min drive on the boat and finally arrived, in the middle of nowhere, in our lodge.
Welcomed with a fresh juice, we checked our bungalow:
Shortly after, the food bell was ringing...it was delicious! 3 times a day we had fantastic homecooked food, lots of fish, fruits, rice, Manioc fries and always a great desert. Some pics we will upload on the plate de jour tab.
Shortly after lunch, but not before having a relaxing siesta at the hammock...
...we had our first trip to see Rio Negro, one of the rivers which flows to the Amazon River. To get there, we of course went by boat...and through the flooded rain forest. This was very impressive, as we navigated our boat through trees, of which you could only see the top sticking out of the water...
This status is kept during 6months of the year...its quite fascinating, that the plants/trees can survive this time half under water. During the dry season however there is rarely water on the tracks we were driving with the boat...but mud all over. Beside the green view from our boat, we heard so many animals, monkeys, birds, all kinds of insects...but to see them thats an art (as most of them are quite shy).
As we arrived at Rio Negro, the whether changed slightly (yes, we were aware of the rainy season) but it gave the scenery a certain charm!
The next days, we did many more exciting activities.
The two most exciting for sure were fishing and "searching" for alligators.
Fishing...putting some vegetables on the hook and waiting for hours? Not when you fish for piranhas! You exchange the vegies with some chicken pieces, simulate with the fishing pole that "something is falling to the water" by hitting it with the pole, and off we go! The only thing is to find the places with piranhas...they like to swim close to the trees (remember the flooded rainforest) in the shade, but once you found a swarm, its only about to pull the pole at the right time and the result is this:
The other day then we left in the afternoon to visit a local family to learn about their way of surviving and basically living only by what they can grow/hunt.
On of the most popular plants they use is the so called Manioc Tree. The roots can be used to get nice sauces, but also the manioc flour which is then be used to make a sort of "french fries" but also some sort of pancake:
...and yes, in the background there are other tourists sitting...but seriously the only other tourists - besides the one which lived in the lodge - which we have seen during these days.
After that and seeing a Boa chilling on the floor, we finally went to my personal highlight of the days...watching the sunset in the Amazonas and after that visiting the alligators. The pictures speak for themselves:
Maybe a little explanation regarding the last two pictures. You might have asked yourself, what the guy is doing in the middle of the night in the water...well, if you check his left hand you can see, that he was hunting...for what? Just check what Karina has fearlessly in her hands...then you get the answer :-). And yes, we thought as well that its pretty crazy to just jump in the water (around it was full of alligators, and not only the small once but lets say its parents and grand parents) and Karinas first thought was that we found the guy being in the water and we help him (ok, he changed his t-shirt before he jumped in the water, but besides, he was with us on the boat the entire way already :-) )...but after a few seconds the mystery got also solved for her :-).
The other day then we went on a 2h "hike" to the rainforest...no picture was made during that time. Why? Because we were really busy with getting rid of all the mosquitoes trying to get our blood, even though we used plenty...and I really mean plenty of repellent. For me, it was fascinating on the one side, as we`ve seen natural gum, learned where to get water from, seen all sorts of different plants etc, but on the other side it was "just green". No nice flowers or similar things...but very muddy ways so that we got back with our shows fully brown.
Besides, we enjoyed the silence of the lodge very much...the hammocks and the nice wind made us sleep for some minutes in the afternoon and created a very chilled out atmosphere.
If you are interested in doing such kind of thing (and we can recommend it to everyone!!), here is the homepage of the lodge where we`ve been:
http://www.taririamazonlodge.com.br/eng/index.php
Its been a special experience during our traveling so far...not only the the place, but also our hosts were really great and we had a fantastic time there!! To be repeated at some time.
Machu Picchu - the temple of Tourism
Another Wonder of the World
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres above the sea level.The Incas built the estate around 1450, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham.
Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Ancient ruins
The site is built on and around mountains that hold high religious importance in the Inca culture and in the previous culture that occupied the land. At the highest point of the mountain in which Machu Picchu was named after, there are “artificial platforms and these had a religious function, as is clear from the Inca ritual offerings found buried under them.View today:
View in 1911 before restoration:
Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Intihuatana (Hitching post of the Sun), the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.
The Temple of the Sun is a curved and tapering tower. It appears to be used for astronomical purposes.
Hiram Bingham theorized that the complex was the traditional birthplace of the Incan "Virgins of the Suns". the site was selected because of its position relative to sacred landscape features such as its mountains which are purported to be in alignment with key astronomical events important to the Incas.
The Intihuatana ("hitching post of the sun") is believed to have been designed as an astronomic clock or calendar by the Inca astronomers. They were able to predict the solstices using the angles of the pillar.
The sculpture carved out from the rock bottom of the sun temple is interpreted as "Water mirrors for observing the sky"
As part of their road system, the Incas built a road to the Machu Picchu region. Today, tens of thousands of tourists walk the Inca Trail to visit Machu Picchu each year. They congregate at Cusco before starting on the two-, four- or five-day journey on foot from Kilometer 82 or Kilometer 104 (two-day trip) near the town of Ollantaytambo in the Urubamba valley, walking up through the Andes mountain range to the isolated city.
Sacred geography
Machu Picchu is situated 80 kilometres northwest of Cusco, in the valley of the Urubamba River. Archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of Inca civilization.The city sits in a saddle between the two mountains Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, with a commanding view down two valleys and a nearly impassable mountain at its back. It has a water supply from springs that cannot be blocked easily, and enough land to grow food for about four times as many people as ever lived there.
The hillsides leading to it have been terraced, not only to provide more farmland to grow crops, but to steepen the slopes which invaders would have to ascend. The terraces reduced soil erosion and protected against landslides.Two high-altitude routes from Machu Picchu go across the mountains back to Cusco, one through the sun gate, and the other across the Inca bridge. Regardless of its original purpose, it is strategically located and readily defended.
residential section
Inca's architects accuracy - trapezoidal windows
Puzzle-style stonework:
Practical advices
This trip isn't the cheapest, so you want to plan ahead to get your money's worth. So, to start off, this trip will cost you about $250 to $300 per person once you get to Cusco Peru. All of your ticket purchases and some others will ask for your passport or at least the number. Have it handy.
Next, you will need to buy three separate tickets: first from Cusco to Aguas Calientes by Peru Rail. Currently this part of the trip is in two parts, a bus from Cusco to Urumbamba, 1hr 45 min, where you get the train to Aguas Calientes 1hr 45 min. You can get all the information and purchase the tickets online by Peru Rail at perurail.com. They speak English. When you buy the round trip tickets, don't skimp, this is a beautiful train ride. GET THE VISTADOME! :) Also ask for seats on the side of the train facing the river. A small meal/snack is served both ways on the train and you get a little show on the return trip.
Second ticket is the bus ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, 45 min ride zigzag up the side of the mountain. This ticket can only be purchased at the bus stop and is a round trip ticket. Last ticket that must be purchased IN ADVANCE, is the Machu Picchu park pass that can only be bought from the government of Peru on their website: machupiccu.gob.pe. they do limit the number of entries, so as soon as you know when you are going, buy the tickets.
The best way of doing the Machu Picchu itself in our opinion is to get a guide at the actual entrance to the park, or do some homework ahead of time and enter without a guide and just enjoy yourself without a schedule. If you would like a guide, get a private guide. There are plenty of them at the entrance to the park for 30 to 60 dollars. You can haggle with prices, there are several guides there, so they will be competing against each other for your $.
Our Guide in Machu Picchu
Sources: Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, Wikipedia, our guides.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Time for jungle (lodge)
From now we are gonna spend 1 week in a jungle lodge. We will be hanging up in the hammocks, fishing the piranhas and observing the life of locals. No internet there means - hasta luego, see you next week!
Monday, 29 April 2013
Putre and the Altiplano
Putre - the entrance to Unesco Biosphere site.
We were wondering why it is still so calm and genuine. We have heard some people saying that it is gonna be another San Pedro de Atacama. We do hope it will not be a second "San Pedro". It is so nice not to see tourists anywhere and enjoy these nature wonders on our own.We went to see most of the parks around: Lauca (UNESCO Biosphere); Las Vicunas (here are the viscachas which you can almost touch); Lake Chungará and Cotacotani Lagoon, where there are flamingos and other bird species - also "nandus" (a ostrich-like bird).
Flamingos
Colonial church in Parinacota village (in Aymara: "Parina": flamigo, "cota": lagoon).
No better place to leave behind your troubles.
The Parinacota volcano with the Chungara lake are breathtaking.
The only drawback of this area is that the main road from Putre to the Bolivian has large numbers of roadworks and vehicles.
Fumaroles of active volcano - Acotango. Scientists say that he is gonna die soon because he is smoking too much...
Lauca National Park and prehistoric cave art
Breathtaking altitude
We have spent several days on altitude between 3500 - 5500 above sea level. But not only the altitude left us breathless. Lauca is home to some amazing altiplano scenery, snow-sprinkled volcanoes, sparkling lakes and isolated hot springs. It's also shelters pretty highland villages and a huge variety of wildlife - not least the nimble-footed vicuña and the rabbit-like viscacha.
At that day, we visited northern part of the Park called Plaza Surire (Plaza = place). Thanks to our guide - Flavio (owner of Terrace Lodge in Putre) who designed the map of this region - we were driving to see red "moon landscapes" - volcanic landforms, and then visit several prehistoric caves in the canyon.
Taking rest on Llareta after a cup of Aymara herbal remedy chachacoma :)
Green cushions
Llaretas - are green plants occurring in the Puna grasslands of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, the north of Chile and the west of Argentina at between 3,200 and 4,500 metres altitude. The plant grows 1.5mm/year.
Moon landscape of Suri Plaza
The canyon
Undiscovered cave paintings
Starting from Suri Plaza, we walked along the canyon to see paintings found on caves walls of undetermined historic origin. According to our guide, those are not exposed to a public. The knowledge about it were passed from grandfather to a son and as it's pretty hidden deep in the canyon, not many people know about it. Maybe it's better like this.
After 1 hour walk down the canyon we reached the caves.
We were very impressed by the state of the paintings.
In some caves they are pretty easy accessible - and therefore damaged by erosion. But in this one - they are very well maintained.
In some caves they are pretty easy accessible - and therefore damaged by erosion. But in this one - they are very well maintained.
The exact purpose of the paleolithic cave paintings is not known. Evidence suggests that they were not merely decorations of living areas, since the caves in which they have been found do not have signs of ongoing habitation. They are also often located in areas of caves that are not easily accessible. Some theories hold that cave paintings may have been a way of communicating with others, while other theories ascribe a religious or ceremonial purpose to them. (from Wikipedia).
We are not sure which time exactly does the paintning come from. If it shows llamas/alpacas - it must be younger than around 4,000 B.C. This was when Llamas were domesticated by the Tiwanaku in the higher Andes Mountains near Lake Titicaca. If the paintings show vicunas - it must be much older.
Impressive, isn't it?
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