Machu Picchu

Here's the continuing story of our trip, finally seeing the ancient city! Pics at the end may help, but they don't do it justice. Again, taken from journal entries...

I thought yesterday was rather amazing, but I had no idea what was in store. Machu Picchu is truly a place of a lifetime. Words will do it no justice, and what could I add to the wealth of prose already in print? I can only say that I have never been anywhere so jaw-droppingly incredible, and I probably never will. The day started early with a very steep 1-hour hike to the top (alone, as everyone else preferred the more logical bus-ride), through a path in the forest. Ruins aside, the landscape itself is ridiculous - sheer tree-covered mountain faces dropping into lush valleys - the scale almost too much to take in. One can't help but notice the dramatic colors - green peaks with occasional red rocks showing, reaching into white clouds with blue sky poking through. The idea that we would try to scale these mountains seems outrageous, even less in a bus. But somehow we climb, clinging to the edge of the cliff, trying to forget the depths below. Add to this the thought that the Incas decided to build a city at the top, and you start to imagine why this is a wonder of the world. I'm very glad I walked. The ruins themselves are huge, much bigger than I had imagined, and literally hang on a mountain ledge, with several-thousand-foot dropoffs on either side. The city is brilliantly constructed, including vast agricultural terraces, perfectly cut rocks, and windows aligned for solstices, to keep an accurate calendar. A marvel of engineering, especially for a "primitive" 15th century culture. Next to Machu Picchu is a huge peak (the one in all the pictures) that rises over 600 feet almost straight up above the city - named Waynapicchu. What else would you do with a mountain like that, but carve a path into the side and build more at the top? So they did, and we followed, climbing an impossibly steep trail to get a view from above. It doesn't look climbable, and they don't exactly provide a system of safety rails. Our hearts stopped a few times both ascending and descending as we peered over the terrace edges. Did they really live and carry out daily activities here? The view was worth every agonizing step. Dad and Laura and I all made the trip up, and talked about the obvious questions the whole complex begs - how on earth did they do this? And why? I suppose people have been researching and speculating on that for years. After the hike, we spent the rest of the day exploring the city and its surroundings. I walked through all the rooms, overheard some tours explaining the significance of certain parts, but for me it was enough just to be there, to sit and soak in the beauty and history. We all agreed that it hardly seemed real, it was just too much for the senses. To top it all off, just before I left (a bit later than everybody else), a slight drizzle left a beautiful rainbow arching across the valley. I'm all out of superlatives, but I can simply say that we departed in absolute awe of Machu Picchu.

Inside the City

The path up to Waynapicchu

View from above Machu Picchu

Sacred Valley Pictures

Here are several pics that correspond to that long description. (Still haven't gotten to Machu Picchu!)

On the way to the Valley

The beginning of the Sacred Valley

Here's our hotel - quite nice!

I realize this picture was in the video, but it's just so cute!

Piglets at the festival across the street (don't ask)

Starting off on our hike

The train to Machu Picchu

Incredible scenery!

Arriving in Aguas Calientes

Aguas Calientes

We're Alright

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are okay here. The earthquake that you may have read about was farther north, on the coast near Ica. It was felt here, but not by us. Noel checked in on us afterward, and we didn't even know it had happened. Unfortunately it was quite devastating up north, though, and our prayers are with those affected.

Earlier today, we watched the year's biggest celebration in Arequipa - August 15 is the anniversary of the city's founding in 1540. All month there have been activities to celebrate, but today almost everything was closed (including our institute) and most of the city comes out to watch the huge parade, lasting from 11am to 6pm. We went out to join the crowds for a while, and then took the rest of the day to rest. It's hard to believe we only have about 6 weeks left here!

Markets

Full day today! Men's Breakfast at church, then we went with a Peruvian friend to the biggest market in the city - Avelino. We hadn't been before and kept hearing stories of both pickpockets and great prices. I don't know if we were in the safest part, but we didn't bring much. The market was astounding; we finally saw what happens to all of our American junk. There were mountains of clothes that were clearly cast-offs from U.S. thrift stores - some even had tags to prove it! Toys, books, sweaters from The Limited, baby pajamas from Carters university shirts, much in great condition, nothing more than a couple dollars. The kicker was Beanie-Babies (remember the kind people were shelling out hundreds for?), in piles, going for about 65 cents. Certainly makes you think about all the things we buy.
We then had our teacher, Karen, and her family over for lunch, and played the postponed football game in the afternoon.

Below, and with more to come, I've started the tale of our Machu Picchu trip.

Journey Into the Sacred Valley

Though it's quite overdue and possibly irrelevant by now, I nevertheless would like to take at least a couple posts to chronicle our trip with Dad and Mom to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Cusco. It was just so fantastic that to not include it in our blog would seem odd. I'll be taking from my journal, so it will read from the perspective of that day. Sorry it's long.

Friday, July 27 (our second day)
How does one start to explain a day like today, after seeing, non-stop, some of the most spectacular scenery on earth? I can't believe it was only yesterday that we left Arequipa - it feels like a week. Yesterday we took a 5:50am flight out to Cusco, lasting only 30 minutes. When we landed, the driver from our hotel took us on a mini-tour of the city before setting of for the valley. Depending on who you talk to, Cusco sits somewhere above 11,000 ft., so Mom and Dad preferred not to spend a great deal of time there. But I am looking forward to taking the better part of a week in the city. Immediately we felt a different vibe there - it seems more remote, more rural, more Inca. The mountains are more dramatic, more colorful, have more vegetation. The climate is more variable, so they actually get rain, and the mountains are snowier at lower altitudes. The city buildings are more unified, Spanish-style, yet the streets are less orderly and one is immediately struck by the abundance of hills and dogs. There was something immediately endearing to Cusco. Seems to be more history - not Spanish or modern, but earlier, Inca history (and so there is: it was the capital of their empire). We continued out of the city toward our destination in the Sacred Valley (a 1-hour ride with photo stops), entering some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. Beats the pants off that Colca Canyon trip. We arrived at the little town of Yukay, right next to the more-well-known Urubamba, and settled in to our touristy but very comfortable hotel. I could have spend 3-4 days just hiking in that spot, and we were only beginning to see the grandeur of the valley. The Incas had good reason in considering it sacred. This morning we got up and hiked a bit in the mountains behind the hotel, then set off in a taxi for Ollantaytambo. A beautiful town surrounded by mountains with its own set of Inca ruins, it's also the train's last stop on the way to Machu Picchu. From there we joined a zillion other foreigners and took the most incredible train ride I'll likely ever have the the privilege of taking. Soaring snow-covered peaks, unending valleys, ancient terraces, a raging river, and views around every corner that left passengers gasping and scrambling toward the windows with their cameras. Noah, having taken a nap in his backpack during the morning hike, thoroughly enjoyed the train, and continually reminded us that the river of "agua!" was still following alongside. I didn't want the ride to end, but an hour and a half later, it did, though not before the vegetation changed to jungle and we plunged impossibly between sheer rock faces and tree-covered mountains that seemed to come out of nowhere and reach dizzying heights. The end of the line is a little town called Aguas Calientes. Only accessible by rail, it is the base of Machu Picchu's mountain and home to a booming tourist-shop industry. That did make it a bit tacky, but who can blame them? There wasn't time this afternoon to make a second entrance-fee worth our while, (we have all day tomorrow) but we did all take the bus up the mountain and hike back down. The mountains are almost unreal, and I know our pictures won't capture them sufficiently. It has been a full two days, and I can hardly believe what we've seen so far. Yet tomorrow....

New Video

Happy Friday! Of course we had intentions of many posts this week, but our internet was down for a few days. Enjoy our latest compilation, from the first part of my parents' visit.

Great News!

Huge congratulations to my brother Matthew, who just got engaged!! He popped the question earlier this evening on the beach on Long Island, to his girlfriend of several years, Kerry Houlihan, who we are thrilled to have as part of our family. My brother is getting married!!

Back Home

Well, we didn't get to blog in Cusco, but it was a great time. At this point we're so far behind with pictures and stories, we are going to have to start consolidating. We got back in to Arequipa Friday evening, and actually felt that post-travel relaxation upon arrival - a sign that we are really starting to feel at home here. Noah is very glad to be back in his own bed with all his toys, especially the new ones Grandma and Grandpa brought. We are looking forward to starting classes again tomorrow, and really digging in for these final two months. Stay tuned for many blogs this week!

Farewell, too fast

We are back in Cusco after three incredible days in the Sacred Valley. I don´t know how I will ever be able to blog about our time there - I´m still trying to comprehend the beauty we saw and process the whole experience. Sadly, Mom and Dad left this afternoon. They have a long trip ahead and would appreciate your prayers. We had such a wonderful time with them, we had forgotten the glitches written about earlier. It really could hardly have been a better visit. It was sad to see them go, and it already feels a little lonelier without them. Noah loved having them here, and it´s hard to think that it will likely be quite a while before we see them again.

We will be spending the next 5 days in Cusco, likely relaxing and taking in the city. We can already sense a very unique atmosphere here (and not just the lack of oxygen at 12,000 ft.). There´s a reason why it´s the most popular destination in Peru. We´ll try to keep updated along the way, but pics and videos of Machu Picchu will have to wait until we return home. Chau...

Off to the mountains

Praise the Lord - on the last possible day, my parents' luggage arrived! Two of their four bags had been left behind by the airline in Florida, and it took them a week to figure out how to get them to Arequipa. But we are very thankful they arrived, as we leave for Cusco on the early side tomorrow (5:50 am flight). We will try our best to post some blogs in the next week, but we'll certainly put up a big update when we return next Friday.

Making Memories

It has been delightful to have Mom and Dad here with us! We now have Dad's passport - a rather incredible story, and are working on getting the last 2 suitcases (Mom has been a trooper not having her things with her). Please pray that they arrive before we leave for Cusco on Thursday.

They are so happy to see where we live and experience our daily routines. Noah is now completely used to them again - he reached for Grandma yesterday after his nap and enjoys playing chase and peek-a-boo with Grandpa. We are taking them to our favorite restaurants and showing them our favorite parts of the city.

After a lovely breakfast at their hotel this morning, we visited El Monasterio de Santa Catalina. It is such a spectacular place to see - we're happy we could go with them again! It's walls are full of history as it was founded in 1580, and remained a fully functioning monestary until 1970. Today there is still a small group of cloistered nuns that live there, but the majority of the property is open to the public and maintained beautifully.

Overlooking the monastery

When we came home, Concho was ready to give us our cooking lesson on how to make my favorite Peruvian dish - Aji de Gallina. It comes from Lima and combines peanuts, shredded chicken, and chili sauces to make a fabulous sauce served over rice or potatoes. It was a treat to have her teach us and give us her special tips on how to make it ¡riquísimo! Mom wrote down the recipe, so maybe we can share it with those of you interested in some authentic Peruivian cooking.

They're here!

My parents arrived safely on Thursday evening. They had a long ordeal which is still not entirely resolved. Maybe I'll put up the details later, but for now we'll just leave it at this - don't EVER fly Spirit Air.

It has been wonderful having them here, and Noah loves showing them all the new things he can do. Yesterday they got to meet our teachers and friends at the Spanish institute, and today Dad even joined the morning soccer game. The institute is on vacation for 2 weeks, so we're going to take them all over the city, then next thursday head out together to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We're looking forward to a very special week.

Fun Weekend

This past weekend we had the pleasure of hosting Erin Houlihan, our new dear friend, on her first trip to Arequipa (though she's a veritable Peru expert). Erin is the twin sister of my brother's girlfriend, in case you were wondering about the initial connection. She is a Special Education teacher in D.C., and was in Lima for an international SpEd conference - apparently a very big deal for Peru. She has spent several summers studying in Lima, so she knows the city quite well, and gave us lots of good tips. We had a fabulous time - seeing the sites of the city, going for a hike, trying to watch Pan's Labyrinth (foiled by a DVD that froze halfway through), playing games with friends, and just enjoying the chance to chat and relax. We had met a few times before, but never had the chance to hang out together, so it was a real treat for us.

The first night she got here, we went out to a Mexican place for dinner - a somewhat rare cuisine here. Seth, who is now in Pucallpa, is behind.
We tried to go back to those waterfalls we visited earlier, but the road was blocked with rocks and glass (courtesy of the strikers), so we headed north of the city instead, up the Rio Chili to a lookout point and a walking trail (of sorts).

Noah loved the llamas!



What a beautiful place! We spent some time hiking along the farm terraces and the river, and enjoyed a picnic lunch by the water.

It really was a memorable few days - thanks for visiting, Erin!

Too much

Well, another week gone by without blogging - our apologies. Never a dull moment here, though, with plenty to blog about, but the days seem to pass so quickly and it is often hard enough for us to stay awake to finish our homework each night.

We spent last weekend with a wonderful guest - Erin Houlihan - from which there will be stories and pictures to post. Thanks for visiting, Erin!

The huelgistas (strikers) continued last week and into this week, though they're currently taking a 2-day break to discuss things with the prime minister. Many roads have been blocked with rocks and glass, many tires burned on the street or slashed on a vehicle, and many rousing rallies held in the Plaza. Most students have not been in school for almost a week, and the airport runway in Juliaca (further east) was torn up. The strike has been national, but quite strong here. The worst part is, the people who it's supposed to help, the poorest, have been hurt the most, as they cannot enter the city to work or sell their goods. We pray for peace in Peru.

Lastly, my parents are coming tomorrow! They are flying to Lima on Wednesday, and then coming in to Arequipa on Thursday. We are incredibly excited, and have lots of fun planned. Our 2-week vacation (national holiday) starts next week, and we'll be spending part of it with them, showing off the city and taking a trip up to Cusco and Machu Picchu. Noah's going to have such a blast with his Grandpa and Grandma!

Chau for now...

18 Months

So Noah is 18 months today. It's hard to believe that's possible. He is turning into a little boy before my very eyes. He is such a sponge right now, soaking up new words and growing in independence daily. He's no longer nursing - a recent transition, but he is adjusting well to that and he and I are finding different ways to bond. He loves to play chase, "ring-around-the-rosie," and a shortened form of hide-and-seek. He loves to "surprise" us by running out from behind a wall - he just laughs and laughs EVERY time. He enjoys dancing and clapping to music. When a song ends he claps. He mimics dogs barking. He likes to practice going up and down stairs, always asking for a helping hand before going down. He brushes his teeth with little help (although it's mostly just sucking on the dot of Barney toothpaste). His skills with a spoon are improving, but he has definitely figured out how to use his sleeve to wipe his mouth.

As far as communicating, "Da" usually means he's calling whichever one of us is not in front of him. "Ball" he uses everytime he sees one ANYWHERE. Similarly, he uses "agua" in a variety of ways - to ask for water, but also when he sees it in pools, tubs, or hears the sound of running water in a river like when we were in Colca Canyon. He points to the sky and mimics the sound of a plane when he hears one. He is growing in his comprehension of both English and Spanish. He knows where his tongue, nose, head, ears, and eyes are in both languages when asked.

My favorite part of this age so far is his affection. He loves to give us his strongest neck hugs and sweet little kisses. If he hugs or kisses one of us, he almost always has to share and give the same tenderness to others in the room. Concho taught him how to give un besito volado (blow a kiss/flying kiss) when saying goodbye. He also knows to wave when we say "Chau!"

Yes, I'm boasting about everything he can do and I know this is just the beginning, so I promise I won't do this all the time, but I thought I would catch you up to give you an idea of who he is turning into. We remain to be in love with our little boy and pray daily that God would be working in his heart even now.

Noah was eager to meet the alpacas on our trip to Colca

Independence Day

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. On that day my family almost always did something special. Often times it involved being out on our boat on the Potomac, having a picnic and waterskiing before flying up the river to enjoy the fireworks on the mall from the water alongside every other crazy boater in the metro area. We would listen to the radio as our classical music station would usually broadcast some patriotic tunes while we watched the fireworks.

Well, it wasn't quite the same this year. Our day began with Michael playing the Star-Spangled Banner on the quena. In the afternoon after class he played some of our patriotic music on the computer - it made us think of all those sweet memories of home - hot, muggy D.C. weather this time of year, and we kinda miss it, believe it or not. That evening we got together with many of our American friends (and honorary American friends from Canada and Germany, Aimee and Miriam) and went out to dinner for "Bar-B-Q" - basically, it was a tasty steakhouse. Then we came back to a friend's house to enjoy some apple pie (thank you Stephanie, Todd, and David). Our hosts Bob and Noel joined us for dessert and brought us an unexpected surprise - sparklers! We had tried to purchase fireworks but were informed that they aren't sold (legally) to the public anymore after a couple tragic accidents in recent years. So we were resigned to enjoy the 4th sin fuegos artificiales, but Noel found some that she had tucked away for just such an occasion. Thank you, Noel! Noah wasn't quite sure about them and definitely didn't like the little firecrackers that someone found later!

Though we missed home, it was a fun memory to make as we celebrated our first 4th of July in Peru. Soon we'll get to celebrate Peru's Independence Day, July 28th!

Colca, Part 2

We set out Sunday morning at 6:00, as there was a limited window for the big finale at the end. As we drove through the small towns along the canyon, the mountains got closer and the cliffs steeper. We stopped periodically to take pictures and admire the scenery.

Noah did so well! We were amazed that he wasn't bothered by the altitude or dust or long car trips (as long as he had snacks). We got him a little Andean sweater, and he stayed good and warm. He really wanted to play with the alpacas and llamas that we saw, but those pics will come later.

This was our favorite view of the valley, before reaching the more precipitous parts. The terracing was amazing, and nearby was a rock, carved by either the Incas or those before, which was an exact replica of the terraces on the opposing side, and even served as a working model of an irrigation system for the mountainside. Just amazing.

Coming into the deeper sections, the picture doesn't do justice to the scale of everything.

We got out and walked the last 45 minutes of the trip along the canyon rim. Most of the time we couldn't see the bottom.

This was our end point, the Cruz del Condor. Andean Condors are among the most beloved birds in this part of the world, featuring in the coat of arms of four South American countries, and with good reason - they are magnificent. There's a particular spot along the cliffs in the Colca Canyon where these scavengers are known to soar, every morning for an hour or so. This was certainly the most touristy spot, as hundreds gathered to watch and snap pictures. I was really missing my zoom lens, but at times they glided so close it wasn't needed. With wingspans up to 11 feet, they are a beautiful sight.

This was also where we met up with the rest of our group. Four other students had taken a 3-day trip, most of it hiking through the deepest parts of the canyon, and ended up at the same spot. We all crammed in the van and returned together in the late afternoon.

Colca is a truly remarkable place, and it's supposed to be even more beautiful in the greener months of January and February. Everything is slower, tan tranquilo, and yet it is an increasingly difficult lifestyle to maintain here. I don't know if we'll return, but I know the more we see of Peru, the more we love it.

Colca, Part 1

¡Hola! Hace mucho tiempo que no escribimos. Sorry for the delay, it has been quite a week. We've both been recovering from various maladies, and working hard for our classes. There is so much to post; our trip was incredible.
Colca is one of the most spectacular places I've ever visited, one where your eyes simply can't quite grasp the scale of what they are seeing. It was also a good lesson in Peruvian history and culture, and a chance to see a more rural lifestyle here. The pictures surely won't do it justice, but here's our trip.

It was a 5-hour ride with several stops through the mountains to get there. At every stop there were women selling handmade clothing, blankets and assorted souvenirs. The highest pass we went over was at 16,000 ft, where you can really feel the lack of oxygen.

These are vicuñas, the rarer and (I think) more beautiful cousin of the alpaca and llama. Their fur is very fine and expensive - thankfully they are shorn and not killed for it.

This sweet little girl and her lamb were selling handicrafts and photo opportunities at an overlook. I bought a little musical instrument called an ocarina from her.

The town of Chivay, gateway to the Colca valley. All tours come through here, so it was a bit overrun. Still, incredibly beautiful. This is the beginning of the canyon. Most of the valley is terraced for agriculture, supposedly done even before the Incas.

We spent the night at a small hotel just outside of Chivay, and in the evening visited la calera, naturally heated baths. Even Noah enjoyed going for a swim. This is our group - the three of us, Aimee and her Canadian friend Andrianne, and David Speyers (not pictured).

The following morning we got up very early and started the drive along the rim of the canyon. This is the first town we came to, Yanque, just as the moon was setting over the mountains. From here the scenery started getting pretty incredible, but that will have to wait for the next blog. Chau for now.