Heading into the Jungles of Bolivia

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am heading into very shaky internet regions of Bolivia. We leave La Paz in the next 10 minutes and I am still putting the finishing touchs on the La Paz entries (which was a great time). For the next few weeks I am going to attempt to transpose my personal journal in the blog as much as possible. Also, I do not have high hopes for photos until we get back to the major cities.

Next stop: La Pampas in Rurranbaque, Bolivia

After that: Parque Ambue Ari Game Reserve

Peace out,

Dave

Lake Titicaca: Puno, Peru and Copacabana, Bolivia

Lake Titicaca (Photo Credit: Some person from the internet that I stole it from)


Our bus got into Puno at 4am on the dot, and we were immediately accosted by all kinds of locals offering rooms for rent and tours. This tends to happen quite frequently, and has both good and bad ramifications. Its great that you do not have to wander aimlessly into remote foreign cities trying to figure things out on the fly, and its bad that you are prone to be consistently ripped off by seedy locals. If only I did not look like the biggest gringo on planet earth. The magnanimous target on my back can be spotted two miles away.

So, we went with this guy that looked legit to his hotel and booked a tour to the "mysterious floating islands" of Lake Titicaca. We managed to get a solid two hours of sleep before the guy was banging on the door to get us up. Groggily, we woke and got on a bus for the islands. Puno, lived up to its reputation as a complete shit hole.

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Locals Waiting for us to Dock on the Floating Islands


The Floating Islands were pretty weird. Furthermore, they are the stereotypical tourist trap that you constantly look out for. Nonetheless, we did not regret out visit and found it pretty interesting. Basically, in the 1800's a group of people from the local community wanted to escape the local government of Peru, so they made islands out of reed type things, and lived there in the middle of Lake Titicaca. They still live there with no electricity, and tourism as their only means of income. Surprisingly, most of the women on the island are extremely fat.



Kash eating local bamboo sort of stuff that the locals use for everything.

Me with local little island girl....

We are beginning to start to enter areas that are inhabited by South American Indians. They make up 90 percent of the population. The floating islands have been one of my first culture shock moments. I have a feeling there will be many more to come.


On the islands with local kids. We had to pay them a Boliviano to take the picture with us.

Boats the locals make to travel between the islands.

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After the tour, the same day, we hauled ass out of Puno as fast as we could and headed straight for the Bolivian Border. I had a mild scare as we heard news at lunch that the Bolivian President, Ava Morales, is requiring US travelers to get Visas due to strict immigration policy from the US towards Bolivians. Ava Morales is a nutcase (more on him and his politics later). Anyway, we all got through the border with no trouble at all. In fact, I think you could have driven a nuclear warhead through the border and the guards would not have even noticed.

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When we finally got to Copacabana we realized just how beautiful Lake Titicaca really is. Orla, Martin, Kash and I took a three hour boat cruise across the lake to Isle del Sol (The Incas thought that the Sun was born on this island). We concluded after a brief visit that the Incas were pretty stupid to think this. However, there were many spitting llamas on the island.


The Crew (Kash, Orla, Martin, and I) on Isle Del Sol (Island of the Sun)

On the way back from Isla Del Sol I sat on the top deck of "the slowest boat ever created" and took in the scenery. Lake Titicaca is the highest Lake in the world at 3800 meters. It is surrounded by mountains, and has a deep crystal blue color. The weather was perfect. This sort of situation is where I usually find myself in deep thought, working things out in my head. It was a pretty fantastic feeling to find that I do not really have anything to work out in my head. Im at peace with anything and everything in my life. Any sort of issues that I had with my recent past (before I started traveling) are not even in the rear view window any more. They are long gone. I find myself focused on learning as much as I can, having a good time, and relaying my travels through the blog. So, in summary, I am big fan of Lake Titicaca. big beautiful natural things are good for the soul.



My view of Lake Titicaca from the deck of the boat

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Notes:

> Copacabana is a huge Hippie Town. Martin and Kash both thoroughly despise hippies. On the other hand, I am a pretty big fan of Hippies (Minus the female armpit hair and body odor). The vibe on the lakeside town was really chill, and we actually got a few good meals in.

> Kash had a pretty big lost camera scare. Martin ended up finding it under the the table of the restaurant we ate at earlier. He had over 500 pix from 4 months of travel throughout South America, and Easter Island with NO BACKUP. We were all really relieved that he found it. Much talk ensued about whether the stupid hippies stole it. I maintained that hippies do not steal, they love.

> Kash travels with his Guitar and we had a late night jam session at our hotel in Copacabana that included some vicious freestyling by yours truly. Yes, it was captured on video. No, the people running the the hotel did not endorse our late night musical adventure. Apparently Bolivians do not appreciate white people skilled with the art of putting rhymes together. If thats the case, I say SCREW THE BOLIVIANS. Just kidding Bolivians.... I know some of you have taste.

> Martin and I have taken to drinking scotch to kill all of the food poisoning germs that might attempt to invade our bodies. We have also taken to frequently quoting Ron Burgandy's line in Anchorman "Scotch, Scotch, Scotch", "I love Scotch", " Down in my belly". I think thats how it goes, but I am the worst person at quoting movies alive.
Orla, on the other hand, has a photographic memory and can quote anything. Much like Chris (from our Machu Picchu adventures).

In Route to Lake Titicaca

Cramped on one of the worst buses I have been on yet...

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We are currently riding on the bus to Puno, Peru.... I do not know much about this place except the fact that its supposedly a huge shit hole, with spectacular views of the floating islands of Lake Titicaca. What are the floating islands of Lake Titicaca you might be asking yourself? Well the plain and simple answer is that I do not have a fricking clue. The only reason we are stopping here is because its on the way to Bolivia. We are supposed to arrive at 4am in the morning.

Lake Titicaca is supposed to beautiful. Also, I am very excited to get to Bolivia to see what all the fuss is about. It should be a really good time. I am rolling with a good crew.

Travelers Profiles-

Kash Khattak (24)- Birmingham, England





I think I can sum up Kashs personality with a simple story that he told us. Apparently, when traveling a few years ago in Brisbane Australia he ended up at the same bar as a US Navy unit on their return home from the Middle East. They were in full uniform, and in search for females of any shape and form. One of the sailors, extremely drunk, and extremely southern asked Kash where all of the girls were. Kash proceeded to go on a detailed diatribe about the best club in Brisbane, which actually had their best night of the week on Tuesday (it just so happened to be Tuesday). The sailor then loudly yelled in his deep southern accent, " Boys, we are going down to the Valley"_and they headed immediately out of the door. The next night Kash happened to be watching the evening news.... The lead story was all about the huge brawl that ensued between the US Navy and a large number of the Australian Homosexual community at "Brisbanes most popular Gay Bar".

Kash will return to England this summer after a few months in South Africa. He works in Corporate finance. Kash is also more obsessed with Soccer-The Premier Leauge-The Spurs (His team), then anyone I have ever met. Kash heads off to South Africa in a few weeks for three weeks, then back to England to work at KPMG.

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Martin McCoy (22) and Orla Gannon (23)- Dublin, Ireland



Martin, Orla and I met up for the first time at Loki in Lima a few weeks back. We were all heading to Cusco, and all heading for the Inca trail. When we met up again at the Point in Cusco we continued to hit it off and hang out. Martin is taking a break before he start working at Price Waterhouse, and Orla will return to Ireland to go to Law School. They are traveling for 7 months together and our Bolivian agenda matches up perfectly. We all want to volunteer at a wildlife refuge together for a few weeks and work with the local community and animals. They are the first couple that I have traveled with. They get along really well, and are very easy to travel with.

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We have decided to take on titles to help define our traveling roles.

Orla- Is "El Presidente" - She takes charge and makes things happen. She is also doubling as my fashion adviser. I am still trying to figure out what to do with my newfound Afro.

Martin is " Resident Monkey" - Im not sure what exactly this means, but we will further define his role as we go. I think we had a few glasses of scotch before coming up with Martins role.

Kash is - "The Sarcastic Englishman"- This role defines itself.

I am - "Vice Chancellor"- This basically means that I come up with incredibly pertinent and great ideas to present to the group. This also means that I get frequently reminded of how much I am apparently beginning to look like "Will Ferrell". God, I love Will Ferrell. I am hoping that the Bolivian diet (food poisoning) will help shed a few pounds, and the comparison.

To Quote Ricky Bobby from Talladega Nights: "I wake up every morning and piss excellence"

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Notes:

> I suspect that it is a local custom of native Peruvians to have farting contests on long bus rides. Ahhhh, nothing like the mix of 20 Peruvian dudes gasious extracts mixing on a bus where the windows do not open. Also, a very fat Peruvian women attempted to lock me into the bathroom.

> After really loving Atlas Shrugged, I have started to read Ayn Rands first book, "The Fountainhead". I am loving it as well.

> Due to the lack of any other sport to follow, I am actually starting to understand and enjoy international soccer.

>As expected, its been a challenge to find viable internet in Bolivia. So, so I have to post a weeks worth of posts in one day. Thank you Cafe Sol y luna in La Paz for actually having a wireless connection. I am shocked and pleased.

The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu

Photo Credit:Sir Donald Startt
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Im currently sitting in the point (our hostel), relaxing, recovering, and letting the last few weeks sink in. It has been a whirlwind since Don and Chris arrived in Lima. Cusco has been crazy, the trail was spectacular, and Machu Picchu (just realized that I have spelled Machu Picchu incorrectly for about the last month) blew all of our heads clean off of our bodies. I have never seen anything like it.

I do not really know where to begin. So much has happened, in the last few weeks. I could write a novel.

So....We left off the night before Chris, Don, and I were ready to set off on the Inca Trail, a 4 day, 3 night trek through the Andes ending at Machu Picchu. Somehow, we managed to take it easy the night before we took off for the trek. It turned out to be an extremely good idea, as none of us knew exactly what we were getting into. I had Torres Del Paine (5 day trek I did in Chile in Feb) as a frame of reference. All I had heard from other travelers is that the Inca Trail was easier. It turned out to be far from a cakewalk. Don and Chris had never backpacked before and did not know what to expect. I think they were both surprised at how physically taxing the trek ended up being.

Sidenote: Don and Chris threatened to kill me if I brought up Torres Del Paine again after the first day. However, I think I could take them both at the same time with my Kung Fu skills.

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Day 1....


Me, Chris (the only backpacker with a tiedyed Jimi Hendrix Tshirt), and Don before the trek. We all wore stupid looking hats. I would to say that my hat looked the most stupid and I will argue it to the death.

Don, Chris, Myself, Celso (our local guide), Sonny, and Carena (married couple on a 6 month honeymoon from New York) set off at about 8am in the morning and hit the ground running. We had 9 porters for the trek who ran their asses off the entire time (some wearing sandals). These guys were unbelievable and pretty much live on the trail.



Celso pointing to the map....Notice the giant peak (thats Day 2)



The first day turned out to be beautiful. The weather was great, we saw a bunch of Inca Sites, and got to meet everyone in the group. We hit it off with Sonny and Carena right off of the bat. They were really cool (Carena produces TV documentaries and Sonny programs Airplanes). They also were bright enough to hire porters to carry their stuff. On the contrary, the three of us carried everything ourselves. At lunch on the first day we found out just how tasty the food would be. Our cook, Wilbur, was outstanding. For lunch and dinner we would have three courses. El Soupa es bueno!



Lunch with the boys, Sonny, and Carena We ate meals in this tent every day.



Sidenote: On the night of day 1 Carena wanted me to point out the Southern Cross. So, being the constellation expert that I am, I walk out of our common dining tent and point to the sky toward the constellation that depicts the direction of the south pole. It was pitch black, and I proceed to wildly tumble off a 4 foot retaining wall. The porters found this extremely funny. Thankfully, I was not hurt at all. Nonetheless, I earned a new nickname with the Porters (all of whom are native South Americans speaking the local language of Quechua). For the rest of the trek I was referred to simply as "Big Man Fall Down".


The Southern Cross
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Day 2...





To summarize in depth, day two was a bitch. We had to walk 5 hours straight uphill. Don started out of the gate with a reckless abandon, ending up way ahead of Chris and I. Then, somehow I gained the energy (probably due to copious amounts of Coca leaves)to take the lead for a couple of hours. We ended up around 4200 meters high. The altitude was a major factor. I relied heavily on Coca leaves for most of the day, they really help you breathe (Mom, don´t worry Coca no es druga). In the end, we made it to the top of Dead Womens Pass in one piece. Don and Chris were counting out 200 steps and taking incremental breaks. It proved to work a little better than my strategy of stopping and panting every 30 yards. Our porters, carrying 60 pounds a piece on their backs, sprinted past us very early in the day and had everything set up for lunch at our next camp sight hours before we arrived. Again, these porters were maniacs. They break down the tents, and scramble to the next site to set up for the next meal.


The whole crew. Wilbur the chef is on the far left.


We ended up camping above the cloud line and played some cards before bed. The food again was excellent. I think we passed out at around 8:30 PM.



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Day 3...

On Day three We were woken up by the porters who gave us coca tea at 5:30AM in our tents. They also give you a bowl of boiling water and soap every morning to wash up. Over the course of the entire night before, it did not stop raining. We woke up, put on full rain gear, scarfed down some breakfast, and took off. Day 3 is interesting because it takes you through cloud forest, regular forest, and sub tropical jungle. The problem, is that it rained pretty much all day long. Unfortunately, our campsite for day 3 was one of the worst. So, as a group, we decided to hike all the way to Machu Picchu. The total amount of the trek on day 3 would be 22 kilometers (about 16 miles, or almost half of the total trek).

It was a rough day. Although, Don and I were really hurt up, Chris was really in a lot of pain (I got video of him climbing up steps then throwing is hat at me while shouting very bad words). In addition to the 16 miles, we had to walk down 4000 Inca steps. Much cursing of the Incas ensued. Additionally, our guide Celso was giving us inaccurate info about how much further we had to go to get to our lunch spot. Moral got pretty low and Don and Chris became pretty agitated at Celso when we finally reached the site. I think he thought by saying it was not much farther he was helping the situation. It actually just pissed everyone off. Nonetheless, Celso could have beaten the crap out of all three of us in our desperate state. So, we sucked it up and kept on trucking.

The last 2 hours were easy in comparison to the rest of the day, with the exception of a few giant steps we needed to get up at the very, very end. We ended up at the Sun Gate (overlooking Machu Picchu) at around 4:00pm (after almost 10 hours of trekking) and got our first view of the ancient city. Collectively, we were totally spent, but the view was amazing. The fact that the Incas built this city at 2200 meters above the sea level is truly remarkable. This is a Wonder of the World, without a doubt.


Finally reaching Machu Picchu with the boys

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We spent the night in Aquascaliente, a town at the base of Machu Picchu that is there specifically for tourism. Wibur our chef, cooked our dinner in a restaurant in town and the porters slept on the floor of the same restaurant that night. Don, Chris, and I got our first shower (not together), and slept like babies.

Sidenote: Chris woke Don up that night screaming for "Porters" in his dreams that night.

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Day 4...



We got up at 4:30 in the morning to ascend to Machu Picchu once more to explore the city. We caught the sunrise and Celso gave us a two hour tour. The crazy thing about Machu Picchu, is that its a complete mystery. The Incas did not have any written history, and the Spanish never found it as they were ravaging and destroying everything Incan. One of the theories is that it was the equivalent of modern day Camp David and used as a retreat for the Inca Emperors. Another theory is that it was a divine religious site. Whatever it was, it is one of the most impressive feats I have ever witnessed with my own eyes.

Don and I decided to climb Waynapicchu, the mountain directly above Machu Picchu (Chris decided to go for a laydown instead). It was another hour straight up hill. In the end, it was worth the effort as we saw a completely different perspecive of the city.


Don and I with Waynapicchu behind us


Don and Machu Picchu from the top of Waynapicchu

Sidenote: This was weird. On the top of Waynapichu, we met a mother and daughter from Baltimore. They live and work in Perry Hall five minutes from where Don and I grew up. I guess it ¨is¨ a small world after all. The daughter Jen, teaches middle school where I used to play recreation basketball as a kid. Crazy...

After it was all said and done, we all felt an extreme feeling of accomplishment. The trail was challenging, but worth the effort and the pain. Machu Picchu, is beyond description. Pictures do not come close to doing it justice. You have to see it for yourself.

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Notes:

> Every two years they have a porter race on the Inca trail. The guy that won it last year did the entire 45 kilometers up and down mountains in 3 hours and 24 minutes. I am sure he was wearing sandals. The prize for the winner is only 300 bucks US!

^ Don and Chris left yesterday. Man Tears ensued. These guys are two of my best friends in the world and I am really glad that made the trip down. I think they both found it to be a rewarding, unique experience. Our last day in Cusco, we collectively bought a ton of stuff to take home. I loaded them up like pack mules with gifts for the family. Both claim that they will work up a "guest blog entry". So, look for a different perspective later this week. Most likely much more will be made of my unfortunate spill on the first night of the trek.

^ In Cusco I have found my new crew to travel with. Kash (English), Martin, Orla (Irish Couple) and I take a bus to Lake Titicaca tonight at 9:30. From there we will enter into Bolivia, probably a month. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America, but the other travelers we have met rave about it. We are all really looking forward to it. Traveler profiles coming soon about my new crew.

^ Yesterday I got the best and worst massage of my life. Yes, I got two massages in one day. The first one was 6 dollars US for an hour, and was horrible. The second was 20 dollars US and was amazing. Martin, Orla, and I, sore from the trail thought it would be a good idea to go for one of the cheap ones. The women would not stop talking to each other throughout the massage. I needed to get the second one to forget and get the first one out of my system. I actually fired my first masseuse in the middle of the massage.

Note to self: If massages are less than 10 bucks, there is a reason they are less than 10 bucks.

^ I ran into Danielle and Leigh, Aussie girls that started traveling the same day as me on January 9th. We initially hung out at Milhouse in Buenos Aires. Its awesome to bump into old friends on your travels. They gave us the lowdown on Bolivia where they had just spent 5 weeks.


^ After 6 years in the Air Force reserves, and 6 years in Corporate America I had never had the chance to grow my hair long. Its become clear, I am working on an amazing Afro (thanks Dad, I look like your pictures from the mid 70´s). I am thinking a thin headband will soon enter the picture, and I am pretty happy about it. I am not being sarcastic. I want a huge Bill Walton Afro.

> Any of the good pictures above were most likely taken by Don. He took close to 350 photos during the trip. I am officially extending him an invitation to join the DaveFordDoesEarth team as ¨photog extrodinaire¨. He just needs to quit his job as a scientist and we are good to go. He could also be the staff scientist.

^ I have either been attacked on the bottom of my right leg by a giant spider or a pack of fleas. At this point I am going to go with the giant spider because it sounds better. Nonetheless, it itches like crazy. Damn those giant spiders, damn them straight to hell.

Cusco... The Night Before the IncaTrail

Playing Chess with my Irish Buddy Martin overlooking the main square in Cusco


It was the night before the Inca Trail, and all through the hostel, people are partying it up and having a blast. Conversely, I think I either have Altitude sickness or another touch of food poisoning. I am really, really not happy about it.

Nonetheless, Don, Chris (both profiled below), and I have been having a blast this past week. (I just realized that I have not posted in a whole week). Sorry about that, but Cusco is crazy. It feels more like what you would expect traditional Peru to be like than Lima, except that the party NEVER stops. People are constantly coming and going to the Inca Trail. Plus, you have to climatize (we are at 4000 meters) for a few days before taking the trek. We are way high up in the Andes. The first couple of days we had trouble breathing after walking a few blocks. The natural remedy to altitude sickness is Coca Leaves. (Yes, its made of the same stuff they make Cocaine from, but its recommended by all of the tour companies and completely legal.) It actually helps quite a bit.

Tonight we had our briefing from the tour company. We get picked up tomorrow morning at 6:30 in the AM. We should be on the trek for four days and three night ending at Macchu Pichu. We are all really excited. The three of us can not really understand what the name of our guide, so we have decided to call him Salsa. Its pretty cool, we are only going with two other people. So, in total we will have 5 trekkers, 1 guide, 1 cook, and 9 porters (they carry the food, tents, cooking equipment, and other stuff we will need.

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Yesterday we saw a great futbal match between Boca Juniors( Argentinas biggest and best team, I have seen them play twice so far in Mendoza and Mar Del Plata) play Cuscos local team(Cant remember their name). The game turned out to be awesome. We sat with the Cusco fans and they destroyed Boca three to nothing. I bought some local tea at the game that tasted like Bubble Gum, it was far from good and possibly the cause of my current stomach conditions. Nonetheless, the game was great. Boca Juniors is 0-3 when I have seen them play. Therefore, I have decided that I hate them and that they suck. The town was on fire after the game, Boca is a huge South American power in the soccer world and Cusco smoked them.




Not one rainbow....But Two Rainbows


This is what it looked like after the first goal scored.

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Travelers Profile:

The Boys: Chris is the one with Nappy Beard



Chris and Don bought finger puppets from this dude. He has been hustling gringos since we got here. Chris bought a baby monkey and Don bought a Llama. We think this little guy is about 4 years old.



The boys with a lady and her baby llama...Chris and I had a full on argument about this picture. He didnt want to take a picture with a goat. I am pretty sure its a llama. The debate is still on.


Don Startt(28)- Scientist (he works in a lab, wears googles, and possibly blows things up...this is unconfirmed)

Don and I have known each other since we were about 7. We played little league baseball together (there is much debate to this day about who was better). Also, we went through High School and College (Fraternity Brothers) together and were roommates for a few years after school. In summary, hes one of my best friends. We all have a really good time talking about how one of our friends is a scientist. We have reason to believe that his current project involves building a matter transporter like in Star Trek.




Our hostel has sweet hammocks.


Chris Taliano(27)- Does a little bit of this, and a little bit of that

Chris and I went to college together (same Fraternity) and have been roommates right up until I left for my trip in January (about 4 years). He is incredible at laying around and watching TV. His other strong suits include napping, watching basketball, and wearing clothes that his dad stopped wearing in 1982. Chris is the biggest Magnum PI fan I have ever met. He has also been the biggest influence on me in terms of the music I listen to. Chris introduced me to classic rock in college (Afterwards I listened to Pink Floyd for two years straight). Again, he is one of my best friends. Next May, he is getting married to Katie, another one of my best friends. Chris bought her a sweet present you are supposed to give to women before marriage. Lets just say that its awesome and involves fertility.

sidenote: Chris really sucks at Ping Pong.

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The three of us have been taking this town by storm. Our maybe its the other way around, we all feel pretty run down after 3 days here. Our hostel is one of the top two in town, its called "the Point". Its complete madness 24 hours a day. Nonetheless, the energy is really high, the people that work here are great, and its in close proximity to the main square. Two nights ago one of the bartenders (crazy Irish dude) stood on the bar and poured an entire bottle of Irish Whiskey down the throats of everyone at the bar until it was gone.

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Side Notes:

> Don and Chris are going to write a guest blog entry when we get off the trail.

> I have decided to hole myself up in Cusco until I can figure out how to get my video posted. Bolivia is next, and I am expecting internet access to be really spotty.

> We have been buying loads of crap in Cusco. When I say loads, I mean loads and loads... Today I bought a jacket made of Alpaca. Chris bought a flask that apparently already had whiskey in it. Everything is so cheap here.

> So, Im hoping to update next Wednesday when we get off of the trail. I am sure there will be some pretty good stories. We are crossing our fingers about the weather. Its the very end of the rainy season.
> Some blog updates.... I bought daveforddoesearth.com. So, no need for the blogspot anymore in the URL address. On the left hand side at the page you can sign up to have the blog emailed to you when I update. Its pretty easy... Just do it.



Just another update of what it looks like when my gigantic self tries to fit in various modes of transportation here in South America. I am thinking of turning this into a series.