Errand day

Lima drivers make ample use of their car horns.  Most streets here in the Miraflores district are one way streets and while there are lights at major intersections there are many side street crossings that require a beep beep beep to let people coming the other way know you are coming through, at speed.  As I write this I am watching the evening commute out of the area to the cacophonous serenade of the horns which, when taken all together, still resemble the sound of annoyed drivers everywhere.
This post is not about anything specific but instead will likely be a rambling assortment of details, observations and opinions formed over the past week of being here in Lima.  All of this while I sit here watching the world go by, eating peas and drinking beer (that is me, not the world, eating the peas and drinking the beer).

I should probably start with the beer that Nancy and I acquired on our foray into the local supermarket.  Very modern by the way, with a surprising assortment of just about everything you might need.  In our case, bread, cheese, ham, bananas, peas, olives and of course, beer.  Eating food from grocery stores makes some healthy economical sense when traveling for extended periods, especially when just a nutritious snack is all that is wanted.  While not particularly glamorous, it is cheaper and does expose you to a variety of foods that you might not see in a restaurant.  Our friends Laura and Joe were kind enough to take us on a small tour of their local market where we learned about the purple corn they have here as well as the regular corn that has GIANT kernels compared to what you see in the U.S.. Already I digress, guess I need to get back into the habit of writing. More on Laura and Joe and the amazing Sunday organic food market they took us to in their neighborhood later.  But now back to grocery store.

On our walk back, bags in hand, Nancy commented that shopping at the grocery store, carrying bags back to our hotel, made her feel like we live here.  It’s not surprising really when you consider we are quite comfortable in new places even not understanding the language (and we understand more here than we ever did in Taipei).  For that matter we are homeless and so for all intents and purposes wherever we currently are is home.  Twice already I have referred to our room in this hotel/hostel/lodge as home to Nancy, much to her amusement.  Lima could easily be home.  So far it has shown us its modernity in ways Salvador could not manage in the two years we lived there.  I am sure Lima also has its less than favorable sides but so far, apart from one fairly major flaw, it is a very livable and attractive city from any standpoint, not even just a South American one.  Flaw you say?  Flaw I say.  Today was glorious, the sun came out around noon and chased the clouds away until none remained to be seen.  It warmed up to 72 according to Yahoo Weather but it felt warmer so garbed in shorts and flip-flops we basked in it as we gazed out at the Pacific, drinking our DC’s and snacking on one of our favorite Brazilian food, Sticksies (that’s pretzels to all you non-Brazilians).

Flaw you say?  Flaw I say.  This is the first day since we arrived a week ago that has proven to us that that brilliant ball of gas in the sky really does exist.  Lima, apparently in the winter, (that’s now) almost always has overcast skies for almost 6 months of the year.  It’s like sea fog in a way although it is above the city and not at street level.  It makes it difficult to tell what time it is, the light doesn’t  change. (that’s what a watch is for you say, that’s a different story I say).  Average temps here have been  in the 64’s which is really pretty refreshing after the nearly continuous 82 degree days we had in Salvador. I do have to say that I like sun. Most locals here are outfitted for winter, some even resorting to scarves and gloves.  Flip-flops, shorts and t-shirts receive occasional sidelong glances. We explain we are in the polar bear club. (or just from near Boston).  It’s not really all that different.
We have heard talk of an el Nina this year, apparently Lima has been experiencing a warmer than usual winter.  What the impact will be on the rest of our travels, only time will tell.  Although our Yahoo Weather app tells us La Paz is in the 40’s most mornings and evenings. Brr. Plan on seeing pics of Nancy dressed in shorts and T-shirts grinning like the Nanouk of the North she is, next to a gringo dressed like an alpaca.  The alpaca will probably be wearing a very colorful hat.

Working back in time, we bought our Peru-Hop tickets today and are very excited.  We leave on the next leg (why is it called a leg?) of our trip on Wednesday, early. That post is Nancy’s so I’ll let her tell you our plans and about the Hop, a very cool idea that just might revolutionize travel on this continent (for better or worse, which might have to be another blog after we have experienced Bolivia).

Our other accomplishment today was finding a replacement camera for me.  Canon no longer services my ancient camera and my sensor is basically toast.  Not sure why or how this has happened but I do know living next to the ocean this past year has probably not done it any favors.  It did serve me well these past 9 years though so I won’t complain.  We thought it might make more sense to get the same camera (Nancy just bought an Olympus OMD-M1?) but alas, we could find nobody in Lima that sells them, there are however plenty of people that service them.  If I could have done that I probably would have.  Our friend Dustin’s pictures have sold us on this camera and we cannot wait to learn its secrets.  Since I already have a fairly sizable investment in lenses for the Canon, I opted for the 70D since it is the equivalent model to the 30D that it replaces.  Now I just have to say at this point that Nancy should most likely be sainted because although patience is not always her strong point, when it comes to shopping with me she seems to reach way down inside her and keep the snide remarks to a bare minimum.  I deserve them really but old habits are hard to break.  You see, when I shop, I like to look, then look some more, then I like to look over there, even when I have found what it is I have been looking for over here.  Then I look somewhere else.  After I have exhausted places to look, I inevitably return to the first place I looked and found what I was looking for. It had what I needed and now I have found that it also had the best price around.  I should, by now, take on faith that the first find is the best find and although Nancy will no doubt dispute this, I can almost feel myself coming around to her point of view. Almost.  What bothers me most is that Nancy is probably right. Probably. Maybe.  It makes me feel better that I explored all my options, weighed all my choices, carefully considered all variables.  Maybe that makes it worthwhile.  It makes my legs tired that it took me half a day to accomplish this though

Huaca Pucllana

We are off to a slow start in our travels. Sleeping late, long walks, healthier foods, down time and early to bed.

Mike picked today's adventure which was the pre Inca ruins Huaca (pyramid) Pucllana. (http://huacapucllanamiraflores.pe/historia) Located in modern day Miraflores, Lima, Peru. It is located at Calle General Borgono caudra 8, open from 9-5 and comes with a free tour guide who offered Spanish and English tours. Not sure about other languages. Price was 12 sol per person and had discounts for students/teachers and children. It is very easy to get to from Av. Arequipa.

Arturo our guide.

Most people do not expect to see ruins in Lima but there they are.

This ceremonial centre was built by the Lima Culture between 200 and 700 AD (depends on who you to talk toor what you read). "Lima Culture" were the people living in the valley area pre Inca. They were farmers, fisherman, hunters, gatherers, textile weavers and potters. They ate typical foods that were plentiful in the area, corn, beans, squash, potato (3,000 varieties) and guinea pigs. All still consumed today. FYI: Guinea pig is "cuy" on a menu.

They also raised alpaca (brown) and llamas (white) for wool.

In this valley area pottery was of great importance not only for cooking, storing, and decoration but for sacrifice. They painted or sculpted their pieces to include the two headed shark (they liked symmetry and ate shark meat) which represented religious ideas.

This is a representation of a typical piece of pottery. The colors of the two-headed sharks were red, black and white. The man with the rock is going to smash the pottery to honor their gods. The debris becomes part of the next level's foundation.

They also sacrificed females between the age of 12 to 25 for fertility reasons. The holes are where the bodies were found.

This complex was comprised of 2 sections; the administrative area and the ceremonial area. The common people lived on the coast. The admin section was where they prepared and cooked meals, created the bricks and pottery, and dealt with day to day events. 

The bricks were made from the clay earth and shaped by each potter. You can see different sizes in the walls confirming they did not use molds. They would lay the bricks to dry which took a long time in Winter as the sun does not "shine". They layered the bricks in a V formation with small gaps to withstand earthquakes. Pretty intelligent for the time.

The walls are/were 9 meters high.

Indentation of bricks, the mortar layer.

The ceremonial area was where they sacrificed the pottery and woman. The priests and rulers were buried on the top level of the pyramid. There are seven levels, seven tombs found so far. Every 30 years they would need to renovate a section or build a new level. The seven levels denote roughly 300 years of renovations. 

Archaeologists discovered many walls that would have separated rooms and passageways. Some of the rooms have been identified based on what was found in the rooms; storage, preparation, kitchen, etc... 

They also discovered beams, made out of local trees, presumably for roof coverings.

We learned a wealth of information from Arturo and highly recommend this site.

Wait! Why doesn't it all just wash away if it is clay? We have woken up every day to 64 degree weather and clouds. Looks like rain but has not done so as of yet.  We learned that Lima receives a yearly average of .3 inches of rain a year.

We meandered back to our area, had suppah and wrote this post.

Walking (who knew)

GETTING BACK ON OUR FEET
TURNING SLOTHS INTO CHEETAHS

LIMA ONE DAY AT A TIME

It’s difficult to believe you can forget how to do something you’ve been doing since you were about 1 maybe 2 for those slow starters.  As with most things you want to do well, it’s important to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. When traveling, this expression takes on a quite literal meaning. Yes, I am talking about one of man’s greatest achievements, walking upright, and for extended periods.
Since our first foray overseas, we have had to get used to walking almost everywhere.  No car for us in Egypt meant walking to work, to the store, to the restaurant, to see friends on a daily basis.  Sure we took the occasional taxi but we relied heavily on our feet to get us where we needed to go.  The two years in Colorado that followed saw us purchasing a home with direct access to one of the many walking paths winding their way through the fitness-crazed city. We fit right in and many would see us ambling those nature trails on nights and weekends.  Taiwan provided new insights for us.  We knew the school was located at the bottom of a hilly residential area and that we would most likely be walking most places.  We were bent on getting a place on that hill.  Then we found out most places were walk ups, no elevators.  Good thing we like stairs.  We decided then that flat terrain was also nice.  We went with living flat and decided we would visit our friends on the hill.  We still walked everywhere.

Why are you telling us this I can hear you asking yourselves.  You have to wait a bit more, I promise it's  coming.

For the past two years we have been in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.  We had a car, a necessity for us in this city where our apartment was so far from our work and walking simply not a viable option.  Salvador provided additional irony in that Nancy was now holding down a desk for the first time in…oh…maybe ever.  I at least was on my feet everyday virtually all day pacing around the classroom and doing the occasional squat, although my knees generally frown on that kind of thing these days.  
It seems strange that the body can forget so quickly.  From the first time I can remember hearing or more likely seeing pictures of Machu Pichu, I have wanted to go.  When we first contemplated this trip, I was excited by the prospect of finally being able to hike the Inca Trail.  Nancy was more tentative.  Nancy was more realistic.  We aren’t in the shape we were when we climbed Kilimanjaro.  Yet.

Our first week has seen us exploring the fascinating city of Lima, Peru.  We are struck by the contrasts to Salvador.  That for a different post.  Equally as important this first week, we are learning to walk again.  It may sound strange but there it is.  Our first day we walked to the nearby Parque Kennedy, had breakfast/lunch then ambled down the street until we reached ocean. By then we needed a short break and socks.  Well I needed the socks but we both needed a break.  Then we walked back.  Sounds tiring eh?  We made it back to our hotel under our own power I am happy to report.  We even went back out for dinner later that night.  A successful day for both of us.  Over dinner we discussed what hurt. Hips, feet, thighs, knees, the usual suspects.  Could we be getting old?  Nah…a liter later we were right as rain and again shuffled off to our hotel to recover (from our walk, not the beer).  We have been walking each day since and each day sees us getting sorer and stronger, although the sorer has been more obvious.  Shins, what are those?  Is that supposed to hurt? Could it be flip-flops cause shin pain?

Aside: Nancy is tall here.  This will certainly be the topic of a future post.  I am just waiting for a little old lady to sidle up to her on the street, stand several inches too close, look up at her and comment on it. Can only be a matter of days I am thinking.I am glad Nancy suggested staying in Lima for a week before hitting the road so to speak.  It has given us a chance to get our feet under us, if only partially, before we head off.  Our diet and exercise has improved and as we get used to the fresh food options available here it will continue to do so.  It’s winter here now and only in the mid 60’s.  Perfect exercise weather.  Most of the locals are bundled up which we find mildly amusing, and the skies are apparently perpetually grey this time of year. It makes telling the time quite difficult since the light is the same at 9am as 11am as 3pm as 5 pm.  Each morning we are little less stiff, we are thankful for this.  While we may not turn ourselves into anything nearing the fleet of foot cheetah, we are determined to stop resembling our three-toed friends.

Stay tuned for more on our metamorphosis from sloths to cheetahs.

United Adventures

Still sitting in the Boston airport we realize we are not making it to Lima, Peru today. When we checked into the flight we were delayed 20 minutes. No big deal we have enough layover time in Newark, NJ to make up the difference. Mike's phone dings and it is an alert that the flight has been changed again, Now it is an issue. The flight from Boston to Newark is not scheduled to arrive until after the flight from Newark to Lima departs.  The flight is delayed with no estimated time of departure.

We bee bopped over to the United counter and then stood 3 deep in passengers all with similiar needs. In talking to William we discovered that the flight had mechanical problems and other flights were delayed into Boston due to weather.  He tried very hard to get us to Newark to connect but to no avail. We asked about flights to Bolivia, Equador, or Chile instead. He laughed and said same general area. He worked us onto a flight that was supposed to leave at 8:20am. Did I mention it was now 11:30am? See where this is going.

We mosey over to our new gate and check in with the United chick who is not happy with the delays and tired of miserable passengers being mean to her. I asked if the flight was going to leave at the new scheduled time, she sighed, rolled her eyes and looked at the screen. She brightened a little and said it was good news, the flight actually left its airport and would arrive at 12:15. That left plenty of time to debark, clean. load and takeoff for us to make the connector. We had her move our bags and we went for breakfast.

12:15 came and went with no plane. 12:30 tick tock, tick tock. 12:45 we start to board and I am hopeful. I am also naive. All the people who have been ready to board this flight that was suppose to leave at 8:20 have been hanging out at the bar waiting. They stumble, fall, crash, and beg forgiveness as they take their seats. We take off finally but know we have missed our connector.

Newark of all places, really, is this how the trip starts?

We land and went to the United counter in Newark, and Neela asked us why we missed the flight. I was tempted to stay I slept late, I was moving slow today, or I was having a bad hair day but no I said mechanical issues in Boston with one of my typical exasperated looks.

She said wanted to rebook us on a midnight flight from Newark to Panama (too bad Ted and Michelle are not there yet) with a 5 hour delay, then on to Lima. We would arrive at the same time as if we took a direct flight the next day. I sweetly asked (stop laughing) if we could be put up in a hotel and take the direct flight the next day. She responded with "I can manage that". So off to the Ramada Plaza with complimentary shuttle, free room and 42 dollars for 3 meals. Better than I expected. Would have prefered more food monies though. Oh they also held our luggage at the airport so we did not need to lug it. Always remember to bring emergency clothes and toiletires in your carry on!!

We arrived in Lima safe and sound. Hopped into an over priced taxi (Lexus) and arrived at Hospedahe Dimar Inn in Miraflores 50 minutes later. Carlos the owner is fabulous and we would highly recommend his establishment. He speaks a little English, we speak a little Spanish, it works.

Off for a big adventure tomorrow.

Let the Adventures Begin

Twenty years ago Mike and I decided to give up our jobs and head to Australia. It was one of the best decisions we made. Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. We are unemployed, homeless, and thrilled with both. As I sit at gate B 23 waiting for the United flight to Newark and then on to Lima, Peru I am thinking about the similarities and differences in the 2 trips.

Living in West Gardiner, Maine in the home owned by Mike's parents we discussed the plan to head to Australia the plan was for a year or as long as our money lasted. We started planning in August of 1993 and actually left in November of 95. Mike read travel blogs about what to see and do in the different areas, what to pack, where to stay, how to get from place to place. I simply dreamed about returning to the country I fell in love with during my junior year study abroad semester in 1991. We went to LL Beans for months and tried out their hiking boots, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and other hiking/camping necessities. We bought Frommers and Lonely Planet guides, we bought maps, we took notes.

We packed for weeks. We laid out all of our belongings on the living room floor, stuffed all the critical items into our 50/60 liter packs and went for a hike up the street. We made it about 15 minutes and said "too heavy". We then threw out half the stuff and tried again. This time we made it 30 minutes before it was too heavy. Back to the living room floor we went and reevaluated what to bring. We threw out the extra jeans, sweatshirts, extra toiletries, socks, and all luxury items. Third time we were comfortable with the weight. 

We divided the tent, each had a sleeping pad, plate, cup, fork/spoon/knife, toiletry kit, towel, clothing for 2 weeks, flashlight, camera, maps, guidebooks, and so much other junk I cannot even remember.

We had a calling card from my dad that we could use once a month to keep in touch, we had an address book for postcards, and traveler's checks. We were off to see Australia. 

This time the planning and decision was a little less organized. In October of 2014 we needed to either sign an additional year contract or resign. We talked about the options and decided to resign. We decided to backpack South America. We bought a plane ticket from Boston to Lima and Quito to Boston. We thought no more about the trip.

We finished our jobs in mid June and flew home for 2 weeks. We spent part of the time in Paxton and part in W. Gardiner. We dropped our 7 large (70lbs) bags off at storage. Shopped for a few things.

Saturday before we left on Monday we threw a few things into a bag and said we can buy what we need. We each have a camera, iPhone, and iPad that contains email addresses of friends and families, maps of countries, guides for countries,  Spanish English dictionary, Vonage to call home whenever we want provided we have Wifi, whatsapp to text. That replaces about 20 lbs from the first time. No tent or sleeping bag this time around. Nice hostels for us with private rooms, is the plan. We are prepared. Took us about 20 minutes to pack.

Stuff to pack

New camera

End of Brazil Chapter

There were many good bye dinners and gatherings the last week of school.

A goodbye party for the 20 of us leaving, started at the Public Bar but they had no beer so we moved on to St. George's.

Logan, Ryann, Kelly and Nancy

Here are a few highlight photos from a gathering at our beach house (sounds cool).

Tom and Teresa

Andrea and Philipe 

Michelle, PJ, Ted and Michele's parents

Mike and Nancy 

Nancy and Andrea

Deb, Nancy, Teresa, and Andrea

Deb, Nancy, Teresa, Andrea and Michelle

back row: Philipe, Mike, Tom, Ted

front row: Deb, Andrea, Teresa, Nancy, Michelle

Michelle and Ted

Also had a dinner with "my boys" and their girlfriends.

Left side: Silvia and Santiago, Roberto and Fernanda
Right side: Mike and Nancy, Philipe and Andrea

Roof time party that turned into a birthday surprise for me organized by "my boys": Santiago, Philipe, Nancy and Roberto.They gave me the photo above in an amigos frame with plenty of Pacoquitas underneath. Yummy!! Thank you!

Andrea, our friendly porteiro (doorman), climbing the tree for our fresh aqua de coco (coconut water)

Mike and I left Brazil, our home for 2 years, on June 29th. We will miss many things, friends the most!!

Thanks Salvador, Brazil for a memorable experience.

7 checked bags 70lbs each, 2 carry ons, 2 personal items, one piece of art.

One Week of Work...

What a busy time of year for teachers who are moving on....

Instilling all our knowledge on the students/staff before we leave, inputting comments/grades, end of year checkouts, packing the classroom/office, leaving plans for the replacement, Moving on Ceremonies/Graduation, saying goodbyes.

We have been busy with leaving the country as well...

Closing bank accounts, utilities, filing US taxes, packing the house (ok, beach condo), and saying good byes.

We leave in 15 days. Ohhh yes, we are ready, yes, we are ready!!!

But leaving a chapter of the journey behind is also bitter sweet and we want to hang on to the good. We have left friends behind in every country and we say see you later, soon, to the ones we have met here in Brazil as well.

Teresa, willing to go out of her way, for all of us, all the time, even with a migraine.  Michelle, ever positive. "I am  so mad at him", with a giant smile on her face. Deb, do the laughs ever end? Tom, our Devassa joke telling buddy. Andrea, how can some one be so cheerful and professional ALL the time? Kelly, my book reading recommending friend. Ted, the technology guru and our Settlers competitors. Philipe and Ze, who taught us so much about Brazilian culture."Mr." Andre, our coconut tree climbing porterio who kept us in steady supply of aqua de coco, taught us Portuguese, cared for mom and pop Gorneau, and smiled incessantly.

Thanks for a wonderful 2 years in Salvador, Brazil!!

.

Next Year

We have decided to take a gap year for the 2015-16 academic school year. We leave Salvador July 29 and hit Boston on the 30th. We visit, pack and fly out on July 13th to Lima, Peru. We plan to head to Bolivia via the Peru Hop and the  Bolivia Hop bus service that allows us to hop on and off and site see along the way. Once we knock out Bolivia back to Peru for Cusco, then on to Lima to see Laura and Joe. We will head north to Ecuador (not sure how yet) so we can arrive before Sept. 11 when our Galapagos tour begins. Explore Ecuador and on Oct. 7 we hit Boston again. Plan to be back in the East Coast for a few months, Maggie's birthday and Luke's wedding, and then off again end of Dec. to finish South America with Chile and Argentina.

I added a map page of where we've been and where we're going.

5AM Pousada Piuval

5AM and we met Max in the open area of the pousada to begin our adventures. Dressed from head to toe in long pants which were tucked into socks, long sleeve shirt, hat and bug spray. Camera batteries charged, ganoculars focused, and fashlights on… we were ready to go!

The morning was overcast and misty.

I had 3 cameras to use and still did not manage to take the pictures I wanted to take. Either the lighting was not right, the subject was too close and I had no macro, it was too far and I had no long lens, it moved, blah, blah, blah. Mike had 1 camera that captured the entire trip… no issue with distance, light, subject, etc…. (Not posting his pictures with mine….too depressing!) Mike will post his once he has selected the best ones from his 4000 photos. Camera envy!!!

Ok so maybe it is my photography skills that are lacking!

The Pousada has an area of 7,000 hectares of land (1 hectare  = 10,000 square meters) (17,297 acres).
They are focused on sustaining the environment and have a working farm and vegetable gardens. We wee there during the beginning of the dry season so we could walkabout. During wet season you need to boat around parts of the property.

The fence posts were covered in dew-kissed webs. I spent about 15 minutes trying to use my 2 good cameras to take a photo,  one was borrowed from Philipe. Finally used my iPhone and viola! I have a photo!

The pigs have prominent lodging close to the pousada.
Cattle everywhere. They were curious and would watch us, stand defiantly and refuse to move out of the way, but, reach out your hand to pat them and they bolted.

Where there are cows there is dung, dung creates mushrooms.These particular ones were perfectly white.

No dung beetles though!


We explored the area outside of the pousada for an hour and a half and did not get very far. The varoious flora and fauna that we saw were so abundance, new to use and simply beautiful!

I love pictures of fruit,
flowers,

trees,

butterflies,

holes in the ground,
and other odd sightings.

I took this picture and then realized there were things in the picture other than fruit. Do you see them?


2 Yellow-chevroned Parakeets, fruit eaters.

Ok so now that we know that birds can hide easily in trees….

Do you see anything in this tree?

Neither did I! I liked the way it was leaning.

The strangler fig is found in tropical areas and dark forests. Birds eat the seeds and disperse them in the tops of trees. The seeds then germinate sending their roots down to the ground. They use their host to support their growth. Sometimes the fig completely smoothers the host causing the tree to die. Max called them parasites and did not like them at all.


Dad this one is for you! The picture is not close enough but the bird was beautiful. He was elusive and we tried to get better pictures of him for 10 days.  This is a red crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata) which reminds me of the first bird that my dad taught me about or at least the first bird I remember him teaching me. It has a beautiful, easily recognized song. He liked to play and flit all over the fruit trees. He is not a true cardinal more like a tanager.
The Rufous Honero is the national bird of Argentina (watching the World Cup game as I blog, score 1-0 – Argentina vs. Belgium) and Uruguay.
Horneros are monogamous and build their nests together. The nest looks like a clay oven and some people call this bird the Red Ovenbird because of its color and house.

Southern Crested Carcara, bird of prey in the falcon family. Preys on small mammals (puppies, sheep) hangs out with vultures!

There are songs about the Carcara. This is by Jon Valley in 1965 and played by Maria Bethania. When you translate the song the predominate words are “Handle, kill and eat”. Taken from YouTube:

Buffed neck ibis

Time for breakfast. Max commented that he loves guests like us because we get excited over EVERYTHING!