Well, after spending 3 days in the chilly mountains with no electricity and no showers and three days in the jungle with no electricity and only cold showers, I must say that I´m happy to be back in Cusco with no clean clothes but at least I got a hot shower this moring. Now for the details you´ve all be waiting for.
Last Friday we all boarded the Inferno at 9:00 to begin our journey to Salkáwasi. It was a long drive high up into the mountains. Once we reached 15,000 feet we stopped to provide some necessary fertilization to what appeared to be a Christmas tree farm for which I´m sure all of the children in Peru will be appreciative of our efforts come December. After a quick, but delicious lunch, we finally arrived in Salkáwasi, our home for the next three nights. Upon our arrival all of the women and children of the village rushed to meet the Inferno for the opportunity to carry all our bags down about 1/4 mile to the power and shower free villa where we would be staying. As if it was not embarassing enough to have them carry our bags (most were older and shorter than me), they all passed us along the way.
When I awoke on Saturday, I discovered that the mattress I was sleeping on had an indention so deep I practically needed a rope to climb my way out of bed. Fortunately, I did not have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, because I never would have made it in time. After breakfast we met with Don Americo in the garden where we worked on becoming one with our mystic side. At one point he had us partner up so that we could spar. Actually we were supposedly sending filiments back and forth, but it seemed more like fighting, or perhaps, dancing. Later in the evening Donna Maria performed a ritual with us to rid us of the evil winds. I felt pretty much the same afterwards as I did before the ceremony so my only conclusion is that I must instinctually close my mouth when the evil winds come a-blowing. But at least I got a nice massage out of it.
I feel as though I´m rambling, so I will try to keep it brief.
Sunday, all of the townspeople performed for us. After each group danced, they would grab one of us to dance the next song with them. After about the sixth dance, I was starting to get a little tired, but at least I´m finally burning off some of the potatoes I´ve been eating. Did I mention that we eat potatoes at every meal? They have over 300 varieties and apparently want us to try all 300.
After one last cold night, Monday, we began our trek to the jungle. If you have never driven in a large bus down a mountain via windy, one lane, dirt road before, consider yourself lucky. There were many beautiful waterfalls along the way, but they typically went right across the road which left the road with many large ditches. Fortunately, the Inferno comes with it´s own bridge. Whenever the ditch was too deep, a couple of the helpers would jump out of the bus and pull a large board out of the trunk and lay it in front of the tires. And if that wasn´t bad enough, if you come head to head with another car or truck,
one of you had to back up the windy, dirt road until it was wide enough to pass. After 10 hours in the bus, we all had to board a boat and head downstream about 2 hours into the heart of the jungle, in the dark. When we finally arrived at our lodge, we were so happy to learn that they had showers, that we forgave the fact that they were cold (that ran out real fast).
I woke the first morning in the jungle to the sounds of birds chirping and bugs buzzing which is much like the sounds I went to sleep to. My only hope was that the bugs would be content with their singing and leave me alone, and if that doesn´t work, I brough DEET. I won´t bore you with more stories of meditation and working with the filiments. Instead, I thought I should provide you with an important lesson. The jungle is filled with a lot of beautiful plants, butterflies and birds, but it also has lots of hungry bugs, jaguars, and humidity. So, if you want to visit the jungle, bring lots of bug spray and then go home.
The river was so low that we had to get out at one point and walk in order to lighten up the boat so it could make it back to the bus. We had been in the boat for a few hours so at first it seemed like a good idea to walk (and maybe do our part to elevate the waters of the river). But it wasn´t long before I found myself ankle deep in quicksand wearing my only pair of pants. When I finally pulled my foot free, it was no longer wearing the flip flop it entered the quicksand with. Barbara, one of the others on the tour dug and dug into the sand, but the shoe was nowhere to be found. The lesson: if the pacha mama (the mother earth) wants your shoe, the pacha mama gets your shoe. At least I have more room in my bags for all the shopping I´ve been doing.
If you´ve made it this far into the email, you must be really bored, or you´re afraid I might quiz you. You´ll be happy to know, I´m almost done... today.
The drive back out of the jungle was just as treacherous as the drive in. About half way to the cloud forest where we would be spending the night, I finally realized how to describe to the Disneyland fans reading this what the drive was like. Have you ever ridden Mr. Toad´s Wild Ride? Well, it´s quite jerky, has a lot of turns and you think you just might fly out of the car. It´s just like that except without the music and Disney characters. Although I was happy to make it to the cloud forest hostal, I was also a bit sad since Mr. Toad´s Wild Ride was not over and we had one more day to go before getting back to Cuzco.
After breakfast in the cloud forest we had our final circle (think the women´s group in the movie Jerry McGuire). And then back into the Inferno. We decided to continue the tradition of having a fashion show on the return of any long trip in Peru (remember the train ride back from Machu Picchu). I was the emcee and Cindy, Jan, Renatta, and Tony were the models. It was a bit silly, but it helped us forger that at any moment the Inferno my flip and turn into a true inferno. I guess I shouldn´t have been surprised that the Inferno overheated just after we entered the Cuzco city limits. But after giving her a rest and a little water, she got us safely back to our hotel. It was a long week (did I mention we had no power in any of these places?!) but I did get back safely. You´ll have to wait til the next email for the conclusion of my Peruvian adventure. As they say in Jurassic Park... "hold on to your butts!"
Last Friday we all boarded the Inferno at 9:00 to begin our journey to Salkáwasi. It was a long drive high up into the mountains. Once we reached 15,000 feet we stopped to provide some necessary fertilization to what appeared to be a Christmas tree farm for which I´m sure all of the children in Peru will be appreciative of our efforts come December. After a quick, but delicious lunch, we finally arrived in Salkáwasi, our home for the next three nights. Upon our arrival all of the women and children of the village rushed to meet the Inferno for the opportunity to carry all our bags down about 1/4 mile to the power and shower free villa where we would be staying. As if it was not embarassing enough to have them carry our bags (most were older and shorter than me), they all passed us along the way.When I awoke on Saturday, I discovered that the mattress I was sleeping on had an indention so deep I practically needed a rope to climb my way out of bed. Fortunately, I did not have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, because I never would have made it in time. After breakfast we met with Don Americo in the garden where we worked on becoming one with our mystic side. At one point he had us partner up so that we could spar. Actually we were supposedly sending filiments back and forth, but it seemed more like fighting, or perhaps, dancing. Later in the evening Donna Maria performed a ritual with us to rid us of the evil winds. I felt pretty much the same afterwards as I did before the ceremony so my only conclusion is that I must instinctually close my mouth when the evil winds come a-blowing. But at least I got a nice massage out of it.
I feel as though I´m rambling, so I will try to keep it brief.
Sunday, all of the townspeople performed for us. After each group danced, they would grab one of us to dance the next song with them. After about the sixth dance, I was starting to get a little tired, but at least I´m finally burning off some of the potatoes I´ve been eating. Did I mention that we eat potatoes at every meal? They have over 300 varieties and apparently want us to try all 300.After one last cold night, Monday, we began our trek to the jungle. If you have never driven in a large bus down a mountain via windy, one lane, dirt road before, consider yourself lucky. There were many beautiful waterfalls along the way, but they typically went right across the road which left the road with many large ditches. Fortunately, the Inferno comes with it´s own bridge. Whenever the ditch was too deep, a couple of the helpers would jump out of the bus and pull a large board out of the trunk and lay it in front of the tires. And if that wasn´t bad enough, if you come head to head with another car or truck,
one of you had to back up the windy, dirt road until it was wide enough to pass. After 10 hours in the bus, we all had to board a boat and head downstream about 2 hours into the heart of the jungle, in the dark. When we finally arrived at our lodge, we were so happy to learn that they had showers, that we forgave the fact that they were cold (that ran out real fast).I woke the first morning in the jungle to the sounds of birds chirping and bugs buzzing which is much like the sounds I went to sleep to. My only hope was that the bugs would be content with their singing and leave me alone, and if that doesn´t work, I brough DEET. I won´t bore you with more stories of meditation and working with the filiments. Instead, I thought I should provide you with an important lesson. The jungle is filled with a lot of beautiful plants, butterflies and birds, but it also has lots of hungry bugs, jaguars, and humidity. So, if you want to visit the jungle, bring lots of bug spray and then go home.
The river was so low that we had to get out at one point and walk in order to lighten up the boat so it could make it back to the bus. We had been in the boat for a few hours so at first it seemed like a good idea to walk (and maybe do our part to elevate the waters of the river). But it wasn´t long before I found myself ankle deep in quicksand wearing my only pair of pants. When I finally pulled my foot free, it was no longer wearing the flip flop it entered the quicksand with. Barbara, one of the others on the tour dug and dug into the sand, but the shoe was nowhere to be found. The lesson: if the pacha mama (the mother earth) wants your shoe, the pacha mama gets your shoe. At least I have more room in my bags for all the shopping I´ve been doing.
If you´ve made it this far into the email, you must be really bored, or you´re afraid I might quiz you. You´ll be happy to know, I´m almost done... today.
The drive back out of the jungle was just as treacherous as the drive in. About half way to the cloud forest where we would be spending the night, I finally realized how to describe to the Disneyland fans reading this what the drive was like. Have you ever ridden Mr. Toad´s Wild Ride? Well, it´s quite jerky, has a lot of turns and you think you just might fly out of the car. It´s just like that except without the music and Disney characters. Although I was happy to make it to the cloud forest hostal, I was also a bit sad since Mr. Toad´s Wild Ride was not over and we had one more day to go before getting back to Cuzco.
After breakfast in the cloud forest we had our final circle (think the women´s group in the movie Jerry McGuire). And then back into the Inferno. We decided to continue the tradition of having a fashion show on the return of any long trip in Peru (remember the train ride back from Machu Picchu). I was the emcee and Cindy, Jan, Renatta, and Tony were the models. It was a bit silly, but it helped us forger that at any moment the Inferno my flip and turn into a true inferno. I guess I shouldn´t have been surprised that the Inferno overheated just after we entered the Cuzco city limits. But after giving her a rest and a little water, she got us safely back to our hotel. It was a long week (did I mention we had no power in any of these places?!) but I did get back safely. You´ll have to wait til the next email for the conclusion of my Peruvian adventure. As they say in Jurassic Park... "hold on to your butts!"
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