A Journey Around The World

Machu Picchu

perkele — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 08:18:00 GMT

Today we are going to Machu Picchu ! First we have to go to Santa Maria by bus (5hours). From Santa Maria we take a taxi to Santa Tereza (2hours) and then an other taxi to Hydroelectrica (30 mins). We arrive at Hydroelectrica at 4h30, now we have to walk for 2 hours and a half, the train is too expensive (20$ for 30 mins), so we just follow the rail. After 2 hours we see a little store in the middle of nowhere. The man there told us that the entrance of the Machu Picchu is just at 3 mins from his store so we ask him to put on his property. We buy few avocados, breads, water, talk a bit with the guy and then its time to go to bed ! The guy is a half shaman who has worked at Machu Picchu for 32 years, he is really nice, he offer us to do a ritual at his temple tomorrow, sounds interesting ! 4H30 AM...

Cuzco

perkele — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:50:00 GMT

We leave Ayacucho at 8AM. We have 22 hours to make today. The landscape is beautiful but its impossible to sleep in the bus, the roads are so bad. We arrive at Cuzco at 4:30 AM, we wait until 6 before to leave the bus station. We left the bus station and someone offer us a free ride to his hostel ! We are so lucky. Cuzco is a pretty little city but everything is so expensive, and there is really too many gringos everywhere I dont feel anymore like in Peru...

Photos: La Selva

perkele — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:27:00 GMT

Holy Week in Ayacucho

perkele — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:52:00 GMT

It's midnight, the driver want to drop us somewhere on the street in Ayacucho. All the hostel around are full. It's normal cos Ayacucho is like THE PLACE to be during the Holy week. We finally go back in the van, and try to find a place to sleep after our adventure on the Narkos road. After 6-7 hostel we finally found one who wants to make us a little place on their floor. We dont have any bed, bathroom or shower, but some matresses on the floor and warm blankets. Just enought for us ! After a good night of sleep, its time to go see the festivity ! There is a festival in a field, with an amusement park and few shops. We drink some Pisco sour, then I go in the big wheel. An old big wheel, running manuely with chains, complety rusty and decaying, with scotch tape holding some pieces. The first step in this circular coffin and the floor break under my weight ! That was the 5 longest minutes of my life Ive ever spent in a big wheel, screaming like a little girl. Everybody was making for of me, they might dont understand why, for them its normal ! At night we go to the show, latin music, people dancing and drinking. We meet people and drink drink drink. We leave the festival to go downtown, we start to walk and stop a car on the road and ask them if they go downtown, they tell us that they give us a ride for free ! They are not really nice and annyoing, we arrive downtown and we escape and find a bar to finish the night ! Tomorrow its the departure to Cusco !

Bye Bye Jungle

perkele — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:58:00 GMT

The boat is at 6 this morning. We see it the other side of the Ene, its a commercial boat, which usually never stop, we yell and wave they finally see us and make a ''U Turn'' on the river to pick up us. We are not as lucky as the first time, the driver doesnt know how to drive. We got stuck in the middle of the river cos there was not enought water ! Guys have had to jump in the water to push the boat, we finally leave again, and then 5 mins after oupss stuck again ! We finally made it, but not at the good destination. This boat didnt go further than Pichari. We have to take a taxi to an other city than we transfer to an other taxi to an other city and then we find something else from there to go to Ayacucho. One hour and a half on the crappy dirt roads, I am wondering if we will make it to the first city, I feel the rocks knocking under the car and the car goes so slow. On our way, I realize we are not in a good place, when I see all the coca field around me. Yup, Yup, I am really in the narko-traficant zone and I still have 12 hours to spend here. We made it to the second city, we take a small combi for the next hour and half. We can see that people are not use to see gringos here. Everybody look at us weirdly, probably wondering what the hell are we doing there ! We made it to the third city, we look for a night bus, but finally take an other combi, the next one leave at 3:30. We still have 2 hours to kill. We go for a walk, buy some food for the road, bread and avocados, the next trip will be 8 hours. There is big trucks full of people with guns passing on the street everywhere, people still look at us weirdly. We finally leave, the road is so small we got stuck at night, a big van and a car were face to face, not able to move anymore. After half an hour they find a solution and can keep going again. We should stop too often, at night there is often assault and terrorist attack on this road that a gild is talking with the driver. They stop you car with chain or big trucks and come with their guns to steal all you stuff...and who knows what else can happen...The road is pretty dangerous, I dont want to look outside the window, because of the ravine...I prefere trying to sleep. I wake up when the car stop, I look around we are in a village, their is people all around the car and two guy in front of the car holding a rope to stop us. I dont really understand why...I dont want to ask, lets just say that we are in the red zone...They let us go fortunately, its happen twice again during the night in other villages but with chains instead of rope. Luckily nothing bad happen. Eleven O'clock, I can see the light from the city far far away, we are now on a paved road, makes me feel better. We made it to Ayacucho without problems !

In the Jungle with the Asháninka people

perkele — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:34:00 GMT

We arrive at the port, we left ou backpacks here cos we have to go meet people to try to get our autorisation. Twenty minutes walking under the sun, in the middle of the jungle field with a two natives from the place. When we arrive at our destination, two men arm with guns welcomed us and bring us to a litte open house. While one watch us the other one bring Marko, ''our guide'' to the village council, they want some explanation about what are we doing here without autorization and what we want exactly. After twenty mins Marko come back, but we still have to wait, they have to discuss about what are they going to do with us, everybody in the village have to be agree. They finally bring us, in front of the council, to listen to us again. We explain that we are here for the nature, the flora, we want to know more about the culture, we dont want anything bad, ect. After 30 mins they finally deicide that we can stay ! We are lucky, usually its only the archeologist, scientist, naturalist, you know...more professional people, who are able to get those papers. If we would have try to get them by the normal way, it would have been decline for sure !

FIRST DAY
We run to the port to pick up our backpacks and we leave with a local in the middle of the juggle. Luckily we have our rubber boots and our machetes, there is mud and branches everywhere. We cross few other village, everything is okay until that we arrive at Tsiapo, after two hours. They dont want to let us cross their village, they say that our papers are not ''official''. We have to spend the night here, its already dark, its time for hunting for most of the felines, because during the day its too hot. While we are waiting for the dinner, we talk a bit with people and dance. They show me their traditional dance, petty basic but funny. I dont like to dance but I dont want to offend them especially with my bad spanish...the dinner save me ! YaY, una sopa de pollo again ! Homemade broth, chicken and manioc. It's not too bad ! After dinner, dodo, Im just totally tired of the past few days...tonight I sleep like a little baby. The moon is shinning bright through the starry sky, a small wind refeshed us from thoses 30 degres we were all day long. At night, grasshopper hiding in the bush sing gently with the wind blowing thought the leaves, this sweet melody from the jungle rocks me slowly to Morpheus country.

DAY 2
Early wake up, it's not possible to sleep with the sun. We want to go take a quick shower before lunch but we've had a little misunderstanding. We ended up to walk 4 hours throught the jungle ! Laetitia without shoes and Vaness only with her underwear, a towel and flip flops ! Even with my rubber boots I had difficulty to walk, no road, a long way with rocks, then into the bush, then an other long way in middle of the river ! Inscects everywhere...giant wasps, giant dangerous ants, venenous spiders, snakes, ray hiding in the sand at the bottom of the river...After more or less two hours we finally see the fruits of our effort...a giant waterfall ! ! ! We can feel the wind from the water falling down, the water is so good, the landscape is just amazing, this muddy, rocky, scary path definitly worth it ! Back to the village, we pack our backpacks and get ready to go back to Cuti. We unfortynately cannot go further...they dont want to let us go. The return is faster, we left later than we were supposed to, we shouldnt be in the jungle at night time...animals are looking for their breakfast and Im pretty sure they would enjoy 6 little gringos, more variety in they menu...French & Canadien bifteck for breakfast, Miam ! People at Cuti are really nice and friendly, they welcome us, show us where to put our tent, give us some food. Then I take a showed under the moonlight, the water is cool, but its so good after a long day running everywhere under the sun and these 30 degres !

Day 3
Today we go fishing. The weather is too hot, we wait until the end of the day. Before we learn how to make necklace. Anna Maria and an other gild show us how they make their jewels. Everything is made of seed and sewing thread, its just so amazing what we cant do with half nothing. We enjoy our last night in listening to music and dancing, its just so beautiful to see how people can be happy and smilly in living in those living conditions, the world stress doesnt exist here.

On the road to the Asháninkas village

perkele — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:31:00 GMT

We finally leave Lima, 3 days in the city was enought. First stop Satipo ! We arrive at night, after 13 hours in a bus. Luckily there is an hostel and few restaurant still open just next to the bus. stop. We put our bags at the hostel and went eat a little late snack. Some drunk people sleep on the sidewalk, dogs wandering the streets, we can see with the weather that we are in La Selva !

A few hours of sleep, we wake up at 5. Its time to go get some equipement for our trip. We also meet our ''guide'' (a guy that Bes & Vaness met earlier in their trip). So, we need rubber boots, wires & hooks for fishing, machetes for the jungle and some food !

At noon we have a meeting with someone, to get autorisations, for the place where want to go. We explain our intentions, our plan, ect. He tell us to go directly and ask at the community directly.

Time is running, we have 5 mins to pack our backpacks and the taxi is already there ! We quit Satipo to go take the boat at Puerto Ocopa. After three hours by taxi in small dirt roads in the middle of the Selva, we finally arrive, the boat was waiting for us. A small little boat, full of Peruviens people, there is no bus along the Rio Ene, the only way to move from place to place is by the river. There is one person at the end who drives, an other one in the middle who removes the water from inside the boat and a last one at the front who look at the direction and makes sure there is enought water to float with a long tree branch.

The view is beautiful, people very friendly, every things went well, even if at some point we was wondering if the boat was going to capsize because of the wage and the turbulents water. We stop for the night, in a small village, its 7:oo nobody want to cook us dinner. We cook a little something, than I try to sleep, even if the starry sky is magnificient, I still stress to be in the middle of nowhere, lost in the jungle. Especially that there is a ''Jesus party'', at few metres away from our tents, all night long. They sing religious melody and play tamtams. It reminds me some chaotic indigenous music...exorcist or sacrifice melody directly from horror movies...Brief I havent been able to sleep ! Finally nothing happened and we took the boat at 5 AM, direction Cutivireni. 4 more hours in the Ene River and we are finally there !

Photos: Lima

perkele — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 06:53:00 GMT

My trip to Lima. Which was more shopping, food and walk. We cannot expect more from a big city !

Lima

perkele — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:31:00 GMT

First Destination : Lima, Peru.
I left on March 25 at night...twenty five hours flight...And I finally arrived to LIMA, the capital of Peru. Totally exhausted and tired, Laetitia and I look for the taxi driver that I had reserved at the hostel, there is so many people with signs, people stop us every 3 feet to offer us an other taxi, an other hotel, and other hostel. Finally I see my name write in reverse on a paper sheet, reassuring ! But yeah here's our taxi ! Old, small crappy car without seat belt, we almost hit 5 persons on our way, people walk on the middle of the street and drivers are crazy ! We finally arrive at the Cirque Hostel alive, where we meet Craig. Its almost midnight, we deceide to go for a late lunch, we forgot our address and got lost already. But we are in Miraflores on of the most touristic place in Lima, its pretty calm and safe.

Day 1
We meet Carlos. A peruvien metalhead that my friend met on internet, he is really nice ! We go to his place, little but cosy. Vaness and Bes meet us there, two other French people, friend of Laetitia. Afternoon shopping, then dinner at Carlos parents house.

Lima was mostly shopping, everything is so cheap, especially in La Victoria (not a really safe area, but their is so many cheap shop) or the black market.

We stay at Carlos place, its really nice to be with people from the place !