El Mighty Volcán

What. an. epic. day!


The ascent took about 6 hours and the descent 3 more, the guides said it was -15 degrees (celsius which is 5 Fahrenheit), smoke billowed out from active volcanic crater at the top, and the mountain provided some of the most fantastic vistas i have ever seen...

I packed 2 large bars of chocolate, 3 bananas, 2 sanwiches, 1 bag of peanuts and 2 bottles of water. well, thats a funny thing...because eating in such extreme weather is quite interesting!

second stop up the mountain im feeling great, not cold at all and wondering where the power of the mountain is. i enjoy chomping on my chocolate and gazing out over the valley. meanwhile, the two brazilians who are doing the trek with me are keeping up just fine and we are all enjoying talking in our broken spanish.

fast forward about 45 minutes and the brazilian couple is split with the girl lagging far behind, we stop again to eat only this time i open my pack up and rip open the banana eating it in record time im sure, i stuffed the whole thing in my mouth as fast as i could so that my hand could return to cover! my sunglasses were covered in snot and my strength, though aplent, was waning. i mentioned to the guide my fear of descending and he said if i was afraid that we couldn`t go to the very top. woops! i mean, sir, im good to go, vamos!

next stop...utter misery. my hands beat against my chest to keep from going numb, my feet already there. the reason? we stopped for a quick snack break, me drinking ice cold water, and then 5 minutes later again to put on the cramp.pns. thus, my body suffered for these consecutive stops. anyways, cramp-ons on (kinda like a pick axe on my feet) and suddenly my fear of ascending up the mountain in ice vanishes...

summit. wow o wow. we are above the clouds, wreather in vapor fleeing maddeningly from the volcano opening. the vistas are indescribable but the cold is overwhelming. it is impossible to really appreciate the views though, as it is just too cold. really that kinda sums up the trip, that is, the mountain provided incredible views, beautiful expanses but it was more about my individual effort, overcoming my fears, trusting in my body and pushing on when i thought i couldnt.

at the end of the day, upon returning to villarrica and staring at the massive piece of rock, i felt a great sense of accomplishment in summitting this beast, im eager for my next mountain....but not too eager!

love

Pictures!

I have posted pictures from Villarrica in facebook and anyone without facebook can look at them by clicking on the links to the right! Look here for more future pictures from ecuador, peru, and the rest....

love

Villarrica

as the name implies, this really is a rich ville. it is a tourist haven...but apparently only in the summer as i am pretty much the only gringo ive seen south of santiago. but i can see why. the lakes that border the edge of town are massive, with beautiful, towering mountains to top their skyline. they provide lots of warm beach space and water sporting activities. speaking of the mountain, its called Volcan, or volcanoe, and its quite active. and i do mean puffing smoke at all hours of the day! i´ll be climbing it to the summit tomorrow!!!

ahhhh but its a beauty. it towers over the town like a watchtower and is seen in the skyline from nearly everywhere in the city and the surrounding countryside. the smoke that billows out is fantastic. i cant wait to see it close up!

some interestings:

-i´ve been to 3 parties so far (lots of food and adult beverages) and none of them have ended before 1 am. 2 lasted until 5 am! One of them, a party for feña´s pop, also named fernando but called nano for the sake of clarity, was a smashing hit!
-i saw sea lions and medieveal artillery used in the war against spain yesterday on the coast.
-it snowed here for the first time in 15 years, what luck! (or bad luck as it turns out, im sick of the cold!)
-chilean spanish is much harder to understand than peruvian or ecuadorian spanish. either that or my brain is tiring.
-i watch on average 1 futbol game a day, is this heaven?
-i went to some hot baths, i mean hot! they are like our jacuzzi´s only they are swimming pools filled with hot water. anyway, i went with feña, his two sisters andrea and carla and andrea´s boyfriend, rodrigo. they were the only 2 girls there and felt quite awkward getting in the water with 20 men gawking!
-i went to feña´s english class and got hit on by 17 year old chileans.
-i got lost 1 block away from the house.
-i got whooped in ping-pong by every chilean at the party on friday, and i thought i wasn´t bad!
-i went horseback riding at rodrigo´s country estate and found a lost, baby sheep, which, if it survives they are naming dan in honor of its rescuer!
-i drafted a Fantasy Football team with my friends from bluegrassmagic and got Ladainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Andre Johnson, and Adam Vinatieri...quite hopeful i think!
-i sleep about 10 hours a day.....

love

finishing the trek, impressions of Villarrica

ok, well im only going to write a bit and then add more later.

juan, 27, is ok i guess. he should be back in spain by now i reckon. we never saw him. we tried for 2 straight days to find him in cuzco, at hospitals and such, and just missed him before he flew to lima. we kept going to places we heard he was and it kep turning out that he had just left... it was like carmen freakin sandiego!

machu picchu was absolutely amazing. we started off from the nearby town at 430 in the morn, my travelling companion, leah, was deathly sick (thought she is fine now i believe), so we lagged behind the group and arrived at the summit at about 630 i believe. i didnt mind arriving late though as it was an arduous trek up the hillside for my good friend leah and i needed the company as well. plus machu picchu wasnt going anywhere afterall...so the summit. there really isnt a way to describe it but ima give it a go.

the first thing one notices atop the old mountain (the meaning of machu picchu in quechua--the andeans believe smaller mountains are older) are the neighboring mountains. they shoot up fom the winding valley like tall, majestic spires wreathed in the morning mist. i think i stared ahead at the opposite mountain for about 15 minutes, so awed was i, and we were waiting for the rest of the group...

upon entering the outer gate you see an ancient stone city, each building made with incredible precision and insight, though there are no roofs as they wanted to be that much closer to nature. it is staggering how it was built, its immense size and beauty and architectural genius. the surrounding mountains and crisp air must have provided a much different ¨city atmosphere¨than what we´re used to in the west, more in tune with the land and the blessings of the earth. we toured the grounds of machu picchu and learned about the condor which represents vision, about the puma which represents strength and war, and about the snake which represents the afterlife and the underground. all doors and walls are trapezoidally shaped to provide a stronger foundation--since peru is known to have earthquakes. there was a large bowl filled with water with which one could look at the sun (since looking at the sun, which was their chief god, unaided was prohibited) and the stars. also they had an ancient clock which took the sunshine and, with a rock spire, deflected the shadow pointing to a time.

we climbed waynu picchu (young mountain) and stood atop what seemed like the tallest mountain in the valley. waynu picchu is what is seen behind machu picchu in all the famous pictures. from here machu picchu seemed small, yet one could picture it in the midst of these great mountain ranges and appreciate it all the more. seeing machu picchu was unforgettable, it is one of the highlights of my life, and is truly deserving of the title ¨one of the new 7 wonders of the world!¨

the trip to villarrica was looong (3 straight days on bus) but well worth it. im having a great time with feña and his family and feel so welcomed and honored. more on this...in the next blog.

love

day 4: sadness descends....

Things were going just so well up to this point on the trip....

Juan, my new friend from spain, woke up with quite a different look on his face. he felt nauseous and just plain terrible...i thought he would soon get over it though, as it seemed like everyone was getting sick at one time or another on our trip.

about 15 minutes into our trek, just after we crossed over a rushing river in a crate with a cable line (pictures to come!) juan got sick. so he turned back with out guide miguel to get some rest and hopefully feel better. the rest of us continued on, though in quite a somber mood. we felt like our team, our family was breaking, and it was...

the day was hot and i think everyone just wanted to get to aguas calientes, the sending off point for machu picchu. trudging along in relative silence we got to our destination at about 5 in the afternoon. not much to say except that walking along train tracks for 3 hours straight is quite depressing. u must look down to avoid a misstep, which means u miss all the gorgeous scenery, and the rocks punish sore feet if a misstep occurs. ugh.

relieved and exhausted we arrived in aguas calientes to hotels with hot showers and actual beds (what is this?) weird for us, a bit like cheapening it, but a welcoming situation nonetheless...we meet up for dinner and learn terrible news.

juan got considerably worse, in fact he had the beginnings of a heart attack. he is made to stay where he is due to the severity of his condition, and will only be brought to cuzco when he gets better. paul, who has been travelling a bit with juan, informs us that juan had a heart condition that never manifested before...what a horrible time! we all groan down our dinners and wonder what could befall our friend. next time: more on juan and the wonders of machu picchu!


love

day 3 (and the 3-day trip to Chile)

I am trying to write about the past, when so much has happened in between. forgive me, here goes....

i recall the 3rd day being an absolute blast. i woke up feeling much better from whatever body cold was attacking me. i remember dunking my head in a steaming hot waterfall, and i remember playing soccer for like an hour with a cruddy ball, a difficult field, and a tired team...it was pretty much the best soccer game of my life! so much fun! it was me, 2 english guys, an aussie guy, and an isreali vs. 2 peruvians, 1 spaniard, 1 frenchie, and 1 american. we tied 4-4.

the rest of the day was pretty chill. we walked for a few more hours to this tiny town called La Playa (the beach, although it was anything but). after lunching we piled into a bus (if you can call it that) and drove for about an hour and a half over and through some of the most terrifying terrain, cliffs, sheer faces to another small town Santa Theresa. We witnessed the slaughtering of a cow, quite the thing, before heading off to what has to be one of the most beautiful and relaxing places on earth.

Hot springs, or rather, hot springs channeled into big, rock-lined pools of water...warm enough to bathe in yet relaxing enough to just chill. located in the nooks of a mountain side, next to a rushing river, with nearby towering mountains to mesmerize. we watched the sun set in her brialliant pinks, oranges, and yellows on the mountainside...the stars soon graced us and we were in utter blisstown.

at dinner we decided to have a few drinks, so we shared about 4 bottles of wine (between about 6 of us) and got a bit happy and played some awesomely invented games (liquid delight and the new game)...it was a grand time of laughter, joke telling, and story sharing.

as they say in saraguro...stomach full, heart content, mind at ease.

love

Day 2, Salkantay

No one had a decent night´s sleep and to top it off we were greeted by a trio of frenchman singing some awful britney spears.

Forgot to mention, I saw the milky way for the first time. Outside in the frigid cold, in the shadows of the mountains the milky way lit up the sky and blessed us all as we stared in adoration for over 10 minutes. Upon awakening, we are further sustained by naturé´s beauty--the awakening sun lights up the snow-capped mountains and shines brilliantly. On to the hike--the hardest physical challenge of the trip.

The altitude, while not affecting me at all yet, was staggeringly present with me on the first part of the trek. The air was just sooo thin, it felt like it was slicing my lungs and throat apart. we trudge onward and the valley opens up as the sun shines her brilliance into it. aside from the pain i am in, it is a sight that fills me with joy. im worried about not being able to make the 800 meter climb to the top so i start thinking of lord of the rings quotes, and they inspire me onward!

after about 3 hours of straight climbing upward i finally reach the top--4600 meters above sea level (i think over 14000 feet) !!! it is such an exhilirating feeling i am almost in tears. i embrace my travelling companions. we make a traditional offering of coca leaves to the mountain for protecting us and taking us to her pass. speaking of coca leaves, i chewed them throughout the trip as they are a traditional andean way of giving energy and health to those who chew them and swallow the saliva. (coca leaves are a hot topic for the US, since they are used to make coca leaves, but the andeans seem to only use them to aid them in their mountainous life).

the top of the pass is stunning...and cold. we are above clouds, literally. we dont wait long, before beginning the remaining 6 hours and 1800 meter descent. the rest of the day went phenomenally smooth, we were all still so jazzed about the ascent. lunch is in a picturesque valley and the night´s camp is set near a river. we were followed by clouds nearly the whole time...im sick this evening so head to bed early and in a foul mood.

observations. i reflect on the mountain, her beauty and ferocity and thank god for the safe passage. i reflect on the triumphs of the will, which pushed me onward though my mind begged to stop. another day with my travelling mates has opened us all up and we share stories and laughter constantly... the group is a unique blend of international westerners and is a true example of what communication and openness brings about--understanding, friendship, and even love. day 3 coming later...

love

5 days/4 nights

15 people in our group. 3 French brothers-Jeremey, David, Nicholas. 1 couple from Scotland and England-Guy and Ethna. 1 couple from Italy and Austrailia-Sonia and Ken. 1 Australian girl-Evelyn. 1 guy from England-Roman. 1 guy from Ireland-Paul. 1 guy from Isreal-Zohar. 1 guy from Spain-Juan. and 3 Americans-Dale, Leah and I.

So amazing! At any given time we were all communicating in either French, Spanish, or English and we had such great conversation and laughs! There was truly a strong bond created as a result of the difficulties of the trail and the joy of companionship. I hope to meet up with some of them as I continue my travels and I hope also to keep in contact with them through my life, they are some truly remarkable people. It was the best part of my trip, making new friends, which is saying a lot since I saw one of the new 7 wonders of the world!

This blog will be partitioned as it will be so long...

Day 1
We get up at 4 am to catch a 3 hour bus ride to our starting point. From there we hike about 4 hours to our lunch point through picturesque mountain landscapes and river flows from melting snow. At lunch we see our day 2 destination (huge mountain covered in snow) and we kinda groan in expectation of the arduous journey. After lunch we hike another 3 hours to our night camp. It is absolutely freezing in the camp as it is right underneath the 2 towering mountains, umantay and salkantay--i estimate probably about 25-30 degrees F, if that. Yet the beauty of the nearby mountains and the fellowship of the group sustains us enough to not get totally discouraged. In every article of clothing that i brought I tent it up with a 56 year old american from california, we have some good chats about ohio sports before falling into a most uncomfortable sleep (believe it or not my body was warm, but the cold air entering my throat was enough to keep me tossing and turning all night).

observations. our two guides, miguel and juan are really cool. they have a lot of cultural history and background to share as well as a very genuine friendship to offer. additionally, we have a team of about 10 mules carrying all our gear, with 4 porters and 2 cooks in tow. we are quite an entourage. the porters and cooks wear only sandals and a vest in this frigid, uninhabitable climate. wowee. they are hardened to the mountain and her ferocity.

we passed a hotel at the end of our 7 hour trek, a hotel! complete with jacuzzi and more... it was absurd but im sure some westerners would pay the price (i think like $150) but only to miss out on the extraordinary experience of the trek! word has it that cameron diaz stayed there in the end of june... all for now, am heading to chile either tonight or tomorrow morn, will write about the other days asap.

love