Final Words

Lessons learned re. what to do and what not to do in Peru:

• Do wear DEET on any area of your body where bites are remotely possible. (They are the gifts that keeps on giving. Had to go to the dermo for one of mine once home.)
• Do wear sunscreen on your hands, feet and ears.
• Do give proper respect to the power of your surroundings, the sun in particular.
• Do learn some Spanish phrases before you get there. They go a long way toward promoting friendships.
• Do not wear hairspray in the jungle (gooey, sticky).
• Do not rub your eyes after applying DEET.
• Do leave behind any sense of entitlement you've mistakenly embraced. You're a guest here.
• Do give thanks for the great people and places you've encountered in Peru and remember how lucky you are for all you've been given.

Leaving La Amatista

My hero awakens me at 4:30 A.M. so that I'll have time to dress and pack my toiletries before the luggage is collected. Breakfast is consumed with dispatch since we must depart at 6 A.M. Back on the bus to Iquitos and a torturous wait in line at the LAN counter - well over an hour - which is followed by a blessedly short flight to Lima. We go to Pura Peru for a huge ass buffet and score a pisco sour. Yikes - those things can lay you low on an empty stomach. To our rooms at the Swissotel where we are getting to know the staff a little too well. At 10 P.M. we head for the airport - our 6th and final time. A bit before 2 A.M. we fly homeward. There's nothing like it!

The Best Laid Plans

October 16 We didn't leave the La Amatista until 9 A.M. this morning, headed to the private Amazon Natural Park for a hike on terra firma, a canoe ride and lunch in the forrest. Lovely day, slightly overcast for which we're grateful. We motor down a small serene tributary of the Amazon and arrive at the preserve. We walk through a butterfly enclosure before crossing a long wooden bridge en route to a lake and our awaiting canoes. A few of the occupants do the paddling for the rest of us. We are in 2 canoes lashed together which seem very tip proof in this still water. It's beautiful as we glide along. We land and climb to terra firma (the naturalist's term for higher ground) for our hike in the jungle. There is a path so fairly easy going. Most of us don't bother with our rain gear since the canopy provides a serviceable umbrella. We enter a permanent encampment used by scientific groups and eat our hot lunch (complete with grilled meat) inside an unlit dining room. It's damn near dark - no sun, thick canopy, and no electricity. Great natural ambience however, since we're in a screen building. Now it's time to make our way down to another lake for the boat ride back. Upon arrival, there are no boats save a leaky rowboat that George, after failing to raise anyone to come get us, bails out and jumps in to paddle downstream. I am sure it never occured to George to tell Robinson, the assistant naturalist, to wait with the group until he returned with the boats. After about 10 mintues at the dock, Robinson takes a notion and starts leading the 20-person group through the jungle, not a trail to be had. Shortcut, anyone? One of the young crew from the boat takes the point to blaze a trail and to hack vines with what looks like a pen knife. Ron comes to the rescue with a better, sharper knife but God knows it's a far cry from a machete. Did I mention it's now raining rather steadily and that the soil and slopes (of which there are many) are very slippery? We are going up and down hills, it's bloddy hot, and we've all got steam rising from our bodies. We try to retain a sense of humor, but when we crest the last hill and spot our lunch building, we are deflated. We've gone in a large circle. Jack (our Canadian friend) and I spend a long time conjecturing what will befall Robinson as a result of this futile and, frankly, unsafe fiasco. Note: It was never mentioned again by anyone in authority so there you go. We now start walking back the same way we'd taken before lunch. Retracing steps does seem wise at this point. And poor George is in the wind. We do find out that the boatmen came to collect us and, seeing the dock unpopulated, made their way back from whence they'd come. We trudge on to a familiar crossroads but now what? Robinson, who'd earlier tried to console us with a frog (get that thing OUT of here!) seems to have totally lost confidence and has a bit of a hand-wring looking from one side to another. Fernando takes charge and points the way. We climb up a number of exceedingly slippery steps and spy La Amatista sitting placidly at anchor. We cheer and try to race each other to our rooms, knowing that every single one of us will be taking a shower. This could have been one of those really memorable times when a shower is absolutely the best, but our warm trickles of water didn't quite allow it to enter that category. I am serious about the trickle. Later on deck, we discuss all the animals, plants, and insects we've seen during the week. Our on board musicians perform before dinner. Tonight it's the RRRRRiver RRRRRats, rolling those r's with mucho gusto. We meet the captain and crew and when I say. "Muchas gracias, Capitan", he responds with a rapid volley of Spanish that I am sure translates into something very lovely. All the crew are very gracious and proud of their work, as they should be.

All is Well

October 15 Woke up while we were still docked near last night's village which offered another shopping opportunity for my hero when the villagers came aboard with their wares. I am darn near recovered which is more than I can say for various shipmates, the poor bastards. I must say, this place ain't for sissies. My body has been through the wringer - high altitude sickness, long-lasting and numerous insect bites, Inca's revenge, dehydration, and the faint. Like a phoenix, I rise triumphant from the ashes, the better to enjoy this morning's fishing expedition. Yes, my friends, we seek piranha! And I caught uno, dos, tres, plus baiting my own hook with raw meat which some were not willing to attempt. Man up, I say. Later we had them for lunch. Very good but lots of bones. This afternoon, our International Expeditions guide, Nando, gives an informative talk about the recent political history of Peru including the migration to the cities beginning in the 1950's, the rise of the Golden Path (Mao-inspired terrorists), and the last several presidencies. There will be an election (voting is mandatory in theory, at least) in 18 months when he fears that a Bolivian-influenced candidate may prevail. He considers this evil an that is spreading around South America. With so much illiteracy and poverty, Peru has a lot of issues with which to contend. Our afternoon outing is a pleasure - from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. on a small tribuatry, complete with a lightening storm (but no rain on us). The erosion on the river bank is remarkable and, apparently, has also been so although it has been hastened by the river people populating and farming the banks. In some places, the banks erode 100 feet annually, felling very large and very old trees. The soil from one bank is deposited on the opposite shore and then that side builds up. You can imagine how the course of these rivers alter in a short time. Actually, the course of the Amazon is not all that easy to pinpoint. Many rivers flow here and we spend our time on at least 4 of them, including, only briefly, the Amazon. We see some of the bank give way today as we float by. We liken it to the glaciers calving in Alaska. I give thanks that I am well today and it feels great to be in the jungle!

Laid Low

October 14 Woke up around 4 A.M. with an urgent need to use the facilities. Heavy sigh. Dry toast, tea and banana for breakfast with a little Imodium thrown in for insurance. (Ron and I are both advocates of the big "I".) I rallied for a walk through the village that was a stone's throw from La Amatista and was heartened by the promise of a bit of shopping after the visit. Alas, the end of the tour did not come soon enough and I found myself with knees buckling, eyes closing, and absolutely nothing I could do about any of it. I remember nothing of how I went from standing up to lying down. Apparently, Ron and our friend Jack doubled teamed me to insure a soft landing and Ron reported that it was probably 20 seconds before I came to. I later found out that several of the passengers had been felled by intestinal issues and were confined to their rooms, nursing their stomachs. I overestimated myself and underestimated the jungle. When I was finally able to open my eyes, I saw the whole group staring down at me including some of the villagers. Make it go away, already! The passengers included several doctors, a nurse and and an EMT so at least I collapsed in good company. Lucky. They started pouring water on my head - nice look, that - and in awhile, I collected myself, got to my feet, and headed back to the boat with George. Some gross liquid to restore my electrolytes, a nice nap, and I was able to join the group for the 5 P.M. trip to another village where we had a session with the 70 year-old healer. He explained the plants and barks he uses to treat his patients and at the end, blew tobacco smoke on us (no nicotine), waved what looked like a little whisk broom over each person, and recited some words to cleanse us. God knows I needed all the cleansing I could get. Home to my cabin, a round of Cipro, dinner, and to bed.

I Love the Smell of DEET in the Morning

October 13 It's a 7:30 A.M. departure today so that we can get 50 miles upstream in our open boats to an area in the Reserve simply called "The Second Ranger Station". We stop for animal sightings en route and when we arrive, there is a substantial building with an inside loo. Heaven. We are truly hot, but we're going to spend an hour walking in the jungle so we don our leather shin guards (yes, the gators are to protect against snakes), gear up, and off we go. The guides explain the medicinal uses of several trees and we then encounter the hugest ficus I have ever seen. Many creature sightings including howler monkeys. Back for a picnic lunch, a short respite, and our return to La Amatista. En route, we put on our rain ponchos (think plastic sauna) except for my hero who stands in the stern and gets wet, enjoying the cool. With the return of the sun, we feel like raw eggs frying. Back on board, our lovely down time is complete with the serenade of driving rain. Great naps in those air conditioned cabins. For the cocktail hour, we are entertained by Nando and the River Rats - different name same players - and have a great time before dinner. We see a nice powerpoint presentation on the role of the Reserve we've been visiting but I have a hard time squaring the conservation efforts with what I think happens to the sewage from our ship. No hot shower since we left Lima, but that likely helps with water conservation. Washing time is as brief as possible, reminiscent of the showers we gave the kids in Juvenile Hall. Get wet, water off. Soap up, water on. Rinse, water off. Finito!

Put to the Test

October 12, 2009 Early start at 6:30 A.M. when we take off on our skiffs to see more wildlife (sloths and more bird and monkey species.) We picnic with our boats pulled up to the river's shore. The women even have an outdoor bano for our ease and comfort. After lunch we visit a river village and wait while the guides ask the mayor's permission to enter. That granted, we walk to the elementary school which is attended by all the village's primary age children (around 40 kids). It's a single classroom, government-built, and taught by a teacher recruited and paid for by the government. A school in every river village was a project started by the now-disgraced President Fujimori in the 1990's. Many of the children bravely approach us and one little girl holds our hands. The children sing for us, and we for them. We teach them to count to 10 in English. We are all having a great time. On our way out, the villagers have set up a little market place to sell their hand-made goods so we enjoy looking and buying. The afternoon excursion leaves La Amatista around 4 P.M. for the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve and, after a sweaty 45-minute wait, we commence into the reserve but only after the captain himself has motored over to talk to the ranger. What is more pervasive than bureaucracy? More animal sightings and then much hubbub along the river bank. A group of people working in the preserve have 2 anacondas, a juvenile and a 100-pound adult, which they kindly display. We get out of the boats for closer observation. It turns out that they are keeping the snakes at their encampment until the rainy season starts and the waters rise. The snakes will be released in a few months when their chances to hide themselves and escape being killed by poachers improve. Some hold the snakes while the rest take photos. There is also a large project here to incubate turtle eggs. Once hatched, the babies remain in the compound until they grow a bit and are then released into the river. Important to increase the species since they have been hunted almost to extinction here. Hard to think kindly of the poachers, many of whom work for outfits that sell the bounty to foreign markets. So these bastards exploit both the hands-on poachers who do the dirty work (trying to feed their families) and rape the ecosystem for profit. The way of it. Darkness falls and the stars are wonderful. Our guide is otherworldy in spotting nocturnal creatures. True, we have 2 big spotlights to shine onto the banks, but at one point he actually leaps from the boat to retrieve a large month lounging in a tree away from shore. He also brings us 2 different frogs, each about as big as a fingertip. The grand prize was a juvenile cayman - part of the crocodilian family - which he leaned over to pluck from the black water. I admit to some misery during the return trip. No new bites thanks to a generous coating of DEET, but much grief from my old crop. Bites and bladder = I've got issues. Can we speed this thing up a little?

The Jury's Out

Sunday October 11 I'm keeping an open mind because it's a handy thing to have. Our Machu Picchu group was so wonderful - perfect size and a good vibe. The 25-person Amazon group contains 10 friends who came together and who are my philosophical polar opposites. What an opportunity to practice tolerance, mi amigos! Soon we shall bond over the place and its wonders, I think. We went out in George's boat this morning (highly recommended by our MP crew as a superior naturalist) spotting several pink dolphins, a hawk, turkey buzzard, iguanas and numerous birds. It's amazing how our naturalists can spot small animals on shore and in the foliage from a moving boat. Our afternoon excursion was incredible. We saw toucans tiny monkeys, gray and pink dolphins, macaws, storks, and several species of hawks. Near the end of our outing, we came upon a river family moving toward Iquitos to market a thousand catfish that were part of their "houseboat". The fish were contained in front of their living platform in a large fenced contrivance that enclosed by an underwater net that appeared to extend several feet under water. Both of the excursion boats pulled up to the fence, one on each side while we watched the father jump into the fenced pen and retrieve 15 catfish from the depths. He relayed these to his son who then tossed the beasties into the front of our boat. You know what we will be eating tomorrow. Pretty incredible. Add to that one spectacular sunset and you have paradise, my friends. We have live entertainment before dinner and two of the young crew guys ask me to dance. We are all old enough to be their mothers but they are good sports in keeping the passengers entertained. I am happy to oblige and for the chance to move around a bit but end up paying dearly for the festivities because I came DEETless to the party. The resulting welts itch like a mother. Everyone wants to sit near me on the boats, because I summon all the insects and they are unmolested. My friend Ellen says, "Take one for the team, Jane!" Ron calls me the Swedish smorgasbord for the Amazon insects.

Lima to Iquitos

Saturday 10/10 This morning in Lima, we have a tour of the colonial city and see a majestic square containing the Supreme court building, the Presidential palace and the largest catherdral in the city. Very beautiful, all. Religion and government are joined at the hip. We tour the home of an important Spaniard who came to Lima with Piazrro and who´s descendents have lived in the home for all subsequent generations. We go through a Franciscan abbey and, at one point, descent into the catacombs to see the thigh bones and occasional skulls of thousands of Limans who, in exchange for their monetary support of the abbey, were buried directly under the church´s altar area. We so wanted photos, but they were forbidden. Some observations: there is a definite unease, I think, between Lima and Cusco, the Andean people and the Limans who seem, except for the recent wave of immigrants from the country, to identify more with the Spanish. Also, Cusco was the capital before the Spanish conquest when the Spanish changed it to Lima for purposes of efficient export of the country´s riches to Spain. Cusco people show more pride and recognition of their Incan cultue, the native peoples and the old religion. The Quechuan language is still strong in the Andes and the people still practice the ancient religion, often joining it to catholicism. The lifestyles, food and elevation distinguish the city dwellers from the mountain peoples. So now we leave both Lima and the Andes and fly to Iquitos and the river people of the Amazon. We stay only long enough to collect our luggage, sweat a little in our Lima clothes, and board the "best bus in Iquitos" - the only one with air conditioning - for a 90-minute ride to our boat on the newly completed road between Iquitos and Nauta. This saves many miles of navigation in the dry season when the river is low, so we will have time for more excursions during our week on the ship. The bus comes equipped with a guard who does little to inspire confidence since he seems to doze most of the way. We eventually unfold ourselves, exit the bus, and board our skiffs to the awaiting La Amatista. All aboard!

Alone in Lima

Ron´s intestinal issues appear to be abating after a long night´s sleep. I, too, benefit from a few extra hours. After we collect ourselves, we walk, we shop, we walk, we get lost, we backtrack, we buy a map (muy soles) and we finally take a cab to the beach. We walk, we shop, we talk to many people in fractured Spanish and, finally, without hesitation, we walk about an hour and a half back to our hotel with nary a misstep. Tomorrow, the Amazon and no more Internet until we return to Lima. Adios, amigos!

Cusco to Lima

A good night´s sleep although Ron is ailing. Imodiam may do the trick. Ah, the challenges of travel. After breakfast (un poquito, por favor) we tour what was the religious center of Cusco. The Spaniards removed all the gold and silver and tore down what walls they could, building a church atop what remained. Retribution occured in the 1950´s when a large earthquake revealed a huge outer wall of the former temple. That part of the building and an adjacent garden remain today as the Incan temple, but the place is owned by the Catholics who maintain a church, quarters for nuns and priests and a girls´ school run by the nuns. Then on to the ariport in Cusco where we bid a fond farewell - hugs all around - to our dear guides, Angel and Percy. In Lima, we meet our city guide and are off to the Archeological Museum for a tour. We are not at our best plus we have been spoiled by Angel and Percy and their tender care. Finally, it´s over (Ron waits outside) and we go to lunch and then to our hotel where we say more good byes to our friends from the tour. To our room and later to bed. Bueños notches.

Happy Birthday to Me

Up this morning to pack and eat breakfast before the slow and hot train trip up from M.P. to Cusco at 11,152 feet. No wonder that altitude laid me low. M.P. was a veritable breeze at 9,000 feet. We leave the rain and board our deliciously cool bus at Ollantaytambo and arrive after 1 1/2 hours at Sacsaywuman which Angel has helpfully named Sexy Woman for us Anglos. It´s a fabulous spiritual celebratory area consisting of a huge flat field built for viewing pageants, round hills (symbolizing butterflies) and 3 terraced areas comprised of monster granite boulders. It´s Incan and is estimated to have been 50 years in construction. The lower terrace has the highest walls (much olbiterated by the Spanish) with the heaviest boulder at over 100 tons. And how did an ancient people obtain such a boulder and then move it into position? A marvel for you. Back in the bus, Gus, to Cusco proper with lunch on the town´s main square followed by a tour of the main catherdral. No hats, no photos, please, and no name, it´s simply called the Basilica Cathedral. It is insanely huge and literally the most elaborate and ornate place of worship I´ve ever seen. Apparently, the Spaniards built a large number of churches in Cusco, . The better to conquer and since the country is almost completely Catholic, they did a good job. We land at our hotel, all spent, and rest until dinner. Ron is unwell, but rises from the ashes to attend our farewell dinner. Yet another round of fine dining. When dessert is served, the lights go off and I am presented a birthday cake followed by a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday". Gereat way to end our time in the Sacred Valley.

Machu Picchu

The ruins were "discovered" by Hiram Bingham, a Yale professor, in 1911. A local man told him about MC when he was in the area, so he followed up and there you go. You are not shocked to hear that Yale has been in possession of thousands of artifacts from the site for years and, although they´ve promised to return some 350 relics this year, none has yet arrived. For Christmas, perhaps? Ron and I, along with our friends Sunny and Young Kim, opt for a 5:50 A.M. departure from the hotel in order to see sunrise from M.P. "Guardhouse". Alas, we are too late for sunrise but do witness the beautiful light and quite a bit of solitude. After some discussion, I decide to continue climbing another 1,000 feet to the Sun Gate. I go with Percy, our assistant guide who´s finishing his studies in tourism at the university in Cusco. We see many hikers going down to M.P., completing a 4-day walk on the Inca trail. And a fragrant bunch they are. To the showers with ye! The hike definitely kicks ass, but after an hour´s climb, we have our reward. Very great to see the new and the old Inca trails converge in one spot and to enjoy the vistas laid us before us, most prominently Machu Picchu. Heavenly. After a 40-minute descent, Percy and I explore the other side of the ruins - the town area. When we wait for the bus an hour later, my feet are throbbing a little, but it is with a great feeling of accomplishment. My hat is off to my friends Sally and Cindy who did the Inca trail walk. You guys are strong! Before dinner we have a most interesting ceremony to honor and thank Pachimama (not sure of spelling) the earth mother goddess of the Quechuan people and the Incas. An Andean priest performs the ceremony with all of us sitting on square stools in a semicircle with the priest in the middle. He displays numerous totems and bowls of seeds, minerals, grains and the sacred coca leaves (which he chews throughout) all on a large and beautiful handmade blanket. Angel explains that the coca leaf is to cocaine as grapes are to wine with neither the leaf nor the grape mind-altering. Some of the doctors in our group are dubious. The numbers two (yin and yan) and three (akin to the trinity but in this case ancestors below, us at the mid and the afterlife at the high) are sacred to the Quechuan. Each of us receives 3 coca leaves on which we exhale three times, give to the priest along with our names, and and watch as he also exhales on our leaves and utters incantations for our well-being. Very kind of him. He also comes both in front and behind each of us with what looked like a palm to chant more blessings for us. At the closing, we join hands, the priest prays and we raise our hands for three shouts of joy using a Quechuan word. The ceremony is complete as we all exchanged hugs. As good as church!

Urubamba to Machu Picchu

Up early, carefully selecting what will be in my small day pack and overnight bag since we send the main luggage back to Cusco with our driver, Jose. I feel fairly well and so happy that my gross headache has departed. My arms still tingle, but so what? A bit of breakfast, and a precautionary lie-down which turns into savasana, yoga corpse pose, with legs up the wall. Bliss! Then to the bus for the train station in Ollantaytambo, named for a Quechan warrior who aspired to marry the Inca´s daughter and finally suceeded after a battle, of course. We go to the home of local people who show us their one room complete with a gaggle, cache, warren or is it herd of guinea pigs which occupy a corner of the home. These are raised for the family´s consumption on very special occasions. They are considered a delicacy. One pig per person, please, as they are very expensive if ordered in a restaurant. To make up for a dearth of buying yesterday, I purchase some post cards from a street vendor and a few gifts from the woman at her home. We dine al fresco today for lunch with a musician playing a variety of Peruvian intstruments and later kick ourselves for not buying his C.D. Quickly to the train station and on to our hotel. We check in, take 5 minutes and hasten to the lobby for our bus to Machu Picchu. We make the most of our time there with Angel showing us the significant religious aspects of the city and seeing vistas impressive beyond imagining. I think the Quechuans were right to believe that the mountains were sacred and they certainly built a city deserving of the setting. It´s a marvel of engineering, astronomy, physics and city planning. How they constructed windows to perfectly reflect their openings onto the ground exactly on the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice remains a true mysetery. It is hard to imagine such a people with not writing. Many speculate that this was destroyed by the Spanish along with much of the Quechuan culture when they came to capture Peru. We left MP near sundown, coming down those switchbacks at a speed daunting in the fading light. Just time to shower before our Pisco Sour making deomonstration in the bar. Okay, it´s Peru´s national drink. I had to try one. Three shots of pisco, plus other good stuff and I was damn near on my ass. Could not finish the thing as I do appreciate being coherent when I try to converse. Off to our room to nurse our enlarging and heat radiation no-see-ém bites which prefectly illuminate all those areas where we´d failed to apply DEET.

Near Misses

Today we meet our group (all good) and the 13 of us fly to Cusco, elevation 11,152 feet. At the airport in Lima , we proceed to our gate and then all head outside to board a jitney that will take us to our small plane. For some reason, I look inside my carry-on to see a sickening black hole that should have contained my purse. Upon telling my hero, he shouts, "Go!" I sprint back to the terminal offering the briefest of explanations to the guards and gate personnel. I dash to where I thought we´d been sitting, only to spot my beloved handbag abandonned on a bank of seats. Oh thank you to the angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven! We land in Cusco, where, in spite of the high altitude meds, I start to feel compromised almost immediately. Ron is fine. We meet our guides, Angel and Percy (both adorable) and our driver, Jose. Because it´s a bit crowded on Sunday, we take an alternate route which brings us through a poor area of Cusco where the houses are built on the mountain side and there is only one road that continues out of town. Since few of the residents have cars, there is one way up and one way down into Cusco - a series of steep staircases by which the children go to school, the women to market, and the men to work. It´s nearly vertical and it´s a long way. Awesome! We drive through Urubamba, the Sacred Valley, I with a pounding headache, bouts of tingling limbs, and some occasional dizziness. I fall into a stupor on the bus, dozing as we go. We stop in Chincero for a demonstration of spinning wool and alpaca (on a hand-held spindle that looks like a top), dyeing (using plants and minerals), and weaving (using a contrivance that fits around the weaver´s back and attaches in front to a pole, door, etc., so that the weaver´s feet stretch out in front of her.) The men wear what looks like ski caps with long sides to cover their ears which they knit themselves. I am feeling too compromised to shop for anything after the demonstation. We drive on to lunch for which I rally briefly. Once at our very luxurious hotel in Urubamba, I sink into bed despite the beauty of the grounds which deserve exploration. I sleep until Angel´s Inca lecture at 7 P.M. BTW, the word Inca refers only to the king. His subjects are the Quechuan people. We go to dinner but after the pumpkin soup, I must go back to the room and leave the others to enjoy dinner while I bathe, pack my small overnight back for Aguas Caliente and go to bed, praying that my symptoms will abate. Good news: We have several doctors in our group so there is no limit to the assistance I can muster, should that be needed.

Lima on our Own

The transfer from the airport to the Swissotel was the most painless part of the journey. Very efficient so long as you kept your eyes averted from the road. As in China, stop lights and street signs appear to be suggestions amd no one likes to have more than a few inches between them and and car in front of them, never mind if there are only a few people on the road. I slept in, thanking the universe for the extra day in Lima before starting the tour. My soggy head awakened me, as well as a rather powerful need for caffeine. I am truly a slave to the stuff. Ron´s already downed a couple of cups which meant that I completed a hasty toilette in anticipation of coffee at the breakfast that awaited. After eating, we set out for a walk, armed with a street map of our district called Miraflores. We floundered a bit at the onset, but got our bearings and spent quite awhile walking in Bosque El Olivar (Olive Grove Park). Ron admired a charcoal drawing of the trees by one of several students on assignment in the park. After we`d walked another five or ten minutes, the boy ran up to us to give Ron another drawing he had in his portfolio. A lovely gift and representative of the kindness with which we were treated throughout the day. Many policemen on bicycles and guards outside the foreign embassies approached us to try a few words in English or to speak to us in rapid fire Spanish. My few phrases en Español got a workout although I did understand quite a bit. Ron was impressed, the dear man. Between a morning and an afternoon outing, yes, siesta in between, we walked almost 8 miles. Oh, I found a Starbucks during our afternoon walk. That latte was damn near equisite. We`re joining the tour tomorrow at 7 A.M., right after breakfast. We`ll be rested and ready.

LA to Lima

there will be precious little punctuation here, gang, so just go with it. the keyboard is en español. so, we leave home and our friend terry provides a smooth trip to lax where we debark on the curb outside the tom bradley international terminal, or what i affectionately call the bowels of hell. not so bad today. it`s bright and sunny and we wait in line by a window. the personnel at lan are organized and professional and they need every bit of it to hold back the hoardes. as usual, luggage is piled high and teeters atop various conveyances. it`s about an hour to get through to our gate where we set up shop. ron pays $8 for a cup of mediocre coffee so after he finds out we get 2 meals on the plane, i eat my apple and decide to wait. we have 2 seats to ourselves on the plane and our trip is marred only by the guy in front of ron keeping his seat fully reclined for the entire trip. i feel like he`s in the row with us. also, i have increased appreciation for immigrants because it becomes quite annoying to not understand anything the staff says until they get around to the translation, which does little to improve our understanding. i never did get the the second dinner choice but it could have been a pasta dish. i stuck with the chicken. we land after midnight and are still facing baggage claim, customs, finding our tour guide and getting to the hotel and, at last, our room.

They Pay People to Live Here

Yes they do. It's the oil money. Any person over the age of 1 who lives in Alaska from January to January receives a monetary award. 2008 was a banner year with each resident receiving $3K. They expect considerably less for 2009 because of the dismal state of the economy. I do understand the reward for living in Alaska. It's an extreme environment not particularly friendly to 2-legged creatures. Let's take Fairbanks, the interesting place only 150 miles from the Arctic Circle. That really made me want to hire the airplane to fly there. Wouldn't that have been so cool? Perhaps if I ever go back, it will be to and from Fairbanks so that I could go to the Arctic Circle and drive to Denali, maybe staying there until the peak reveales itself and certainly driving the full length of the park's single road. This would obviously have to be done during the summer months so that car travel is possible and to have all of that lovely daylight. Then there's the near 24 hours of daylight as the summer solstice approaches. And you know what happens in dark December. The flip side results in basically no light for many weeks. That would be the very hardest. You won't be surprised to learn that the state is always looking for teachers for the small towns in the northern parts of the state. Who could do it, I ask you? It's often in the 80's in Fairbanks in the summer. That would be fairly okay (the humidity is high) but with the warm weather, you get mosquitos that are truly the largest I've ever seen. They literally appeared on the scene overnight but, luckily, not until the last day we were in Alaska. I killed several in our room that night and came home with a few bites. In winter, it can plunge to 60 below zero. A local explained that the kids cannot make snowballs because there is no moisture in the air AT ALL so the snow never sticks together. So, rough to live there but it is a place that everyone should see. So wild, so beautiful, such magnificant animals, the mountains, the snow, the ocean. You've got it all. Just sure sure you travel between May and September.

The Reluctant Tourists

Our last day in Alaska and had we but known.... We queue for our bus mid-morning and drive out of town for a view of the Alaskan pipeline. What an endeavor - it's pretty interesting. Then off to pan for gold. We pull into a parking lot and count 11 other tour buses. Be still my heart, it's going to be rough. We all board a little train with a singing conductor who's shown on a small TV in the front of each train car. The good news? It's rather mild and sunny. A good day to be out-of-doors. More herding when we get to the sluice area where Yukon (that's what I called her since I could never remember her name and still can't) demonstrates the correct panning technique. She is wearing gold pieces too numerous to count with nuggets that have been made into necklaces, rings, you name it. She tells us she loves gold. Doh. Next, we receive our bag of dirt and start to sluice. We all get into it. You don't know what you'll find! Ron is very proficient and I can't get rid of any of my dirt for fear I'll toss out the gold along with it. Ron helps and soon enough my treasure is revealed. Jackie and Larry must get new dirt since their first allottment contains only one or two gold - what shall I call them? - flecks. When the reckoning arrives, Ron and I have $6 each (which they announce but for which they do not pay you) and Jackie and Larry score with almost $30. She gets a pretty locket containing their flakes but I have enough gold for one locket only and, with 2 daughters, I take my flakes and leave. Our bus takes us to downtown Fairbanks for lunch. The staff suggest some eateries, but Larry's spotted a place en route to our stop where the parking lot is full of locals. We walk over there for lunch and amuse ourselves for too long until the bus reappears. Hard to find parking for all the tour buses so they have to move off once we've been unloaded. The afternoon activity is a trip downriver on a paddle boat. If possible, this parking lot contains EVEN MORE tour buses than did the last place. There are 2 gangways onto the boat and literally hundreds of tourists that plan to get on and get a good seat. We have lost heart and let everyone else on first. Still we manage to secure a spot standing outside, and we're off. The boat owners have set up the landing and take off of a sea plane and a stop where we see a sled dog demonstration. If you're on the wrong side of the boat (we were) there's always the TV monitors. Futher down river, they announce that we'll be debarking into a native village for demonstrations by young native women. I can hardly believe that 2,000 people (the boat's capacity) will be getting off and on again. Ron and Larry stay on the boat but Jackie and I brave it. Jackie rebels after the first lecture so we strike out on our own, look around, check out the book store and return, laughing, to the boat. The book store was just that. It contained several copies of one book by the sled dog owner. We were glad to get back to our lodging where we had dinner and went early to our cabins to prepare for departure. Almost unbelievably, we had to present ourselves at the lodge at 4 A.M. for our trip to the airport since our plane was leaving at 6.

Denali

We stay at McKinley Village Lodge which is new and quite lovely. All the staff are new and, as it turns out, untrained. This becomes a problem at breakfast when our waiter does not really speak English so simply agrees to everything we say. Hence he must return to the table periodically to tell us that they are out of something. We finally get our meals but without the extra beverages we'd ordered. Jackie had ordered tea. From three different people. This includes the manager. I decided to go to the snack counter where the manager was filling in for absent staff, explain the no tea situation. She says, "I've had a hard time getting them to understand 'tea'." I have a hard time understanding that. I ask her for the tea (again). She fills the cup to the very brim with hot water. I look at the cup and then to our table across the dining room. We stand there. I say, "I won't be able to carry it because the cup's too full." I feel like I'm in an alternate universe. We eat our breakfasts but Ron never gets his milk and we are without toast. At one point we'd been offered a variety of bread including "roe" which we decided must be "rye". We'd have settled for any toast but got nothing for a long while. Finally, toast comes but not for Ron, who's ordered roe. He's having bad luck. I ask about Ron's toast and wonder at the same time what's happened to the jelly. Now we are all done eating when the waiter comes with Ron's toast white toast - no roe - and 4 little ramekins of jelly for which we have no use and of which the waiter seems so proud. Larry gently tells the manager that the breakfast had been problematic and that it was obvious the waiter needed help and training. She seems distressed but is without any substantive response. The whole outfit needs a couple of kick-ass County managers to get the staff together and set the place up. We could do a nice job. Putting our frustrations aside, we get on our school bus for a trip into the park proper and a natural history tour that will take 4 to 5 hours. We gear up for large animal sightings and excellent photo ops. Our guide is a laid-back, aging hippy with a great sense of humor who has us all laughing our asses off before we leave the parking lot. En route to the first stop, he begins to talk about the park ecosystem, our obligations to the land, and the culture of Alaska. Fascinating. Among other things, he's a biologist and one who thinks nothing of sacrificing a bit of break pad anytime someone announces an animal sighting. Several, but not all of us, see a caribou aside the road, moose and Dall sheep in the distance and hares (not rabbits) scampering all over the place. It's pretty cool. He keeps us a little on edge with predictions about seeing the mountain - Denali itself. First, it's not very likely, then with some blue sky in the distance, it improves to 50%. In the end, the mountain reamins shrouded behind the clouds, but the 6 million acres of the park more than console us. We have an excellent talk by an older Athabaskan Native and in this area we see a moose and her baby apparently being stalked by a bear. Mercifully, it's at a distance so we cannot really see what is transpiring. Harsh, that. It be great to be on our own in Denali. If you go, I recommend renting a car and driving there yourself. There is basically one road through the park that is 91 miles long. You go to the end, turn around, and come back. In the winter, this is done on snow machines (for some reason they don't call them snow mobiles) or dog sleds. Alas, we leave with only the briefest view of the park since we must board the Wilderness Express car of the Alaskan Railroad for our trip to Fairbanks. Ah, luxury. A wonderful dome car with 2 spacious leather seats (reclining) on each side, a full bar for alcohol and coffee, and a pleasant guide to explain the train as well as the terrain. Wonderful views as we move steadily through the moutains. Most of our car has gone below to the dining area while we lucky ones remain up top. When we go to dinner, we've moved out of the mountains a little and so there is quite a bit less to see. I am sad when we start going through towns and are back on the flat. We arrive at our digs in Fairbanks where we'll be for the last 2 nights of the trip and when we are not thrilled with our room, we get a cabin adjacent to the main lodge. Jackie and Larry get to move, as well. SCORE! We have our own little place with bedroom, front and back porch, little kitchen area and a bathroom. We rock!

Land Ho

We dock at Seward (remember his folly - purchasing Alaska?)after a night at sea. When we started in Vancouver, the sun rose around 5:30 A.M. and set at 9 P.M. Here is Seward it's up at 4:30 A.M. and not down until after 10:30 P.M. I love it and since there are black out curtains, sleep is not disrupted. We debark rather smoothly and head for the tour bus that will be our home for the next 3 days. This is the time that you want to minimize any feelings of annoyance and to make friends with as many people as possible because you'll be spending all of your time with this group. Most are very fine as are the driver and tour guide. Both young, one reared here and the other a transplant, working the tourist season. All these places are boom towns from May through September after which they literally board up the stores and either get the hell out of here or hunker down for a long and arduous winter. It's one long ass day on the bus. We go through Anchorage where we have lunch. The towns are all starting to look the same since we are always steered to the shopping areas and restaurants patronized by the cruise lines. Still, it's great to stretch our legs. We do drive through Wasilla and yes, Alaskans are very proud of Sara Palin. I saw one sign touting her and Obama. Didn't quite know what to make of it. At last, we arrive at Mc Kinley Village, a new complex just outside the National Park where we happily exit the bus and get into our room. Jackie and Larry opted for a trip to a show featuring Jeff King, Iditarod champion, and his Alaskan Huskies. I am not so much a dog lover and voted, instead, for a hike. We got a map from the front desk and proceded on the Triple Lakes Trail - 5 miles round trip. It felt great to be moving and out in those mountains. Almost 2 miles into it, I started to have a sense of unease that grew with each step. I finally admitted to Ron that I was overcome by the feeling that we were going to encounter a bear if we continued. We discussed our strategy and went on for a bit. We got to a clearing and the choice was either to go on to where we'd see the next bit, or turn around and go back. Part of me really regretted not being able to see those lakes and the beaver dam and possible animals, but majority rules and we high tailed it out of there. Had we been with a group, I would have been fine, but I guess I simply felt too vulnerable with the 2 of us. We had dinner in the lodge and went to bed. Big day tomorrow in Denali.

Hubbard Glacier

This place is fabulous! The glaciers and Icy Straight Point were the highlights of the cruise for us, I think. Even I was amazed with the number of pictures I took of ice. Fascinating. The totally fabulous blue color, the chunks of ice floating near the glacier, the sheer walls of ice in front of you, and the loud thunder CRACKS when the ice calves: all is fascinating. The captain was confronted with an ice field as we approached the glacier (again, only one ship at a time may enter the Yakutat Bay) very slowly, pushing a lot of ice out of our way as we went along. It was quite interesting. We got very close to the glacier and spent several minutes with each side of the ship facing the glacier. This allowed us, on the starboard side, to go out onto our little private balconies to marvel and take pictures to our heart's content. Ron ran around to another area and got great pictures of the glacier calving. We were all awestruck and very bummed when the captain turned the ship around, like it was on a dime, and we headed back to the Gulf of Alaska. It was a day at sea and we had a good time. Jackie's luck continued to hold in the casino, and I thought that surely since I found - I am telling the truth - a slot machine called Miss Kitty, I would be on a roll myself! Alas, it was not to be, but I certainly had a good time losing. We did purchase a very neat native piece - wood - that looks great in our living room. Fun to collect things on our travels. We also broke down and uncharacteristically purchased a photo of the four of us taken at dinner one night. We have lots of photos, but none where we're all together. Tomorrow morning we will arrive in Seward and debark for the land portion of our trip. Au revoir to Radiance of the Seas.

Icy Straight Point

One of our travel challenges was to figure out where we were on the planet. I have no small need to know the lay of the land when I travel, and it would have been really good to have purchased a decent map before leaving. I did have the good sense to bring along a book called Alaska's Inside Passage, but the book did not contain a map of the state or its relationship to Canada. I figured out all of the above once we got home. "Yeah, now!" as the old family saying goes. One of the best descriptions I heard about the state was to ball up your right hand into a fist and extend your thumb. That is the basic shape of the state but then you must add on the inside passage which would run along from your elbow toward your shoulder at a nice arc. It's so odd to me that Alaska is not part of Canada and that it's comprised of the main land mass as well as the inside passage that is clearly more reasonably Canadian. Our luck it's in the US, I tell you. Also, when we were on the railroad in Skagway, we could have continued past the White Pass Summit to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. At one point, we were very near the juncture of Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. One of the huge side benefits of travel for me is getting to know the geography of our wonderful world. I wonder why I find it so compelling when I didn't care much as a young student. I do like getting the picture. Our ship left Skagway via the Lynn Canal and headed toward the open ocean, technically the Golf of Alaska. That was the only time that I noticed much movement on the ship, a slight to and fro, but not enought to cause problems. Icy Straight Point is basically a stopping point for the cruise ships which allows a look into the Glacier Bay National Park which is 22 miles north. Ships into the park are extremely limited (I am happy to say) and I don't think the Royal Carribean line is allowed. Only one ship at a time comes in to Icy Straight Point which is also excellent. Five years ago, the cruise line and the Huna Totem Corporation built this little complex at Icy Straight Point which is assessible only by tenders going routinely between ship and shore. The area is home to the village of Hoonah, a Tglingit community of 800. Factoid: The majority of Alaska's natives (comprising 16% of the population) are Indian, Eskimo and Aleut. In this area, most natives are Tglingit Indian. The four of us took a tender to shore to meet our guide for a 2 1/2 hour kayak trip. Our guide was knowledgeable, kind and a total pleasure. His mother is Tglingit (pronounced Klingit) and his father European. He's developed this and several other businesses to keep his family going. The kayaks were above average with a rudder operated by the guy in the back of the two-person kayak and our gear designed to keep any water out of the kayak. Alas, no one said anything about dangling sweatshirt sleeves that acted like a wick for poor Jackie who had to keep routinely wringing out out her sleeves. The guide said the tide must have been going out but then said, "Oops! It's only Jackie's shirt sleeves!" She was a trooper and never complained, even though it must have been pretty darned uncomfortable. The sea was smooth as glass, and, except for a few sprinkles, we had a good go of it. We took off for a small island across the bay and were rewarded with the delightful sight of a bear and her cubs having a romp on the beach. The previous kayaking group followed the bears over as they swam from one island to another. All of us kept a respectful distance because, as you know, bears are very good swimmers and we did not want a race. It was wonderful being outside, working a little bit (oh my - all those extra cruise food calories), seeing bears, enjoying the ocean, and learning about his culture and life from our guide. We'd also gotten to spend a little time hiking around the point of the island, seeing a whale, spotting starfish on the beach waiting for high tide, finding eagles' nests in the tall tress, and seeing them swoop betwen the sea and their nests. A really fine day!

Skagway and a Tiny Tragedy

I am gearing up to write this as I had completed drafts of my entire travelog only to leave it on the plane on the way home. Not only have I lost a clever turn of phrase or two, but also details of the days that I fear may now be LONG GONE from my pea brain. So here is my recollection of our day in Skagway. First a correction: Alaska has a population of around 800,000, not 400,000. Still, it's puny. Today we spent over 3 hours on the White Pass Scenic Railway, turning around on top of a mountain on the border of Alaska and British Columbia, a stone's throw from the Yukon Territory. Couldn't help but think of Preston Foster in his Mountie uniform. The snow cover, ice, and brilliant blue water made me wonder what in the world those gold miners were thinking when they set off to make their claims. Those dreams of gold dust and wealth must have been pretty powerful to propel them into a place that can be so very harsh. Also, they had to have been in possession of some pretty incredible physicality. We had fun being in the caboose on the way up and taking pictures of the front of the train along some pretty awesome curves. Little did we know about the switcheroo at the top when the last became first. Can you say, "Choking on diesel fuel?" We bundled up for the trip. Good thing. Damn cold when the wind blew. Ship antecdote: One day before the trip, Ron caught me in a pose, staring into space with my neck slightly outstretched. He said I looked just like a cat. One thing led to another and I became "Miss Kitty". The story, as well as my new name, was shared with Jackie and Larry who thought it a good one for our cruise. Each night, we had a lovely dinner in the formal dining room. Our waiter, Benedict, was a personable young man from the Phillipines and his assistant,Roman, was a Russian man who was as reserved and proper as Benedict was animated. We all became fond of each other and enjoyed our nightly dinners. One night, Benedict was taking our orders and when he came around to me, he said, "And what can I get for you, Miss Kitty?" I did a big ass double take wondering if I could really have heard that! Of course Ron had put him up to it. Before he agreed to it, he asked Ron if it was "bad", but Ron assured him I'd like it. Welllll... It was pretty funny!

Juneau

No roads in, no roads out, so you arrive here by water or air. And this the capital. Pretty interesting, but not surprising for a state with lesss than 400,000 inhabitants. In area, it could contain California, Texas and Montana, but no one lives here. Harsh, the interior, akin to Australia where all the living takes place along the coast. We docked this morning and boarded our bus for Auke Bay where we started our whale watch. We were lucky and saw several humpbacks and a few babies, one of which was kind enough to breach. Very, very cool. I was struck by the affinity that humans have for whales. We were all so thrilled whenever we saw them. It must be that they are so very huge but so peaceful and just want to go about their business - as should we all. After the whales, we moved on to the Mendenhall Glacier in the Tongass National Forrest. It was wonderful but a little worrisome since 100 years ago you would have been able to touch the glacier from the Visitor's Center and it's now quite a walk and a lake's distance away. It's quite thrilling to see the hunks of ice floating in the lake, espeically when you see those impossibly blue pieces of ice comprising the recent glacial calves. Taking leave of common sense, I started to scramble up a rock hill near the glacier(climbing wall, anyone?) after seeing Larry buzz up without issue. Once committed (couldn't go down), I realized I was stuck. Darned swinging camera! Larry came back for me, took the camera and offered a hand up, the dear man. A friendly enough man looked us over and said, "Well! I live here and I've never seen anyone come up that way!" Indeed. There were several nice walkways and a good hike to an impressive roaring waterfall, but we didn't have enough time on our stop for that one. Back to the ship, lunch, shopping in town, and our evening activities rounded out the day.

Down to the Sea in Ships

After a lovely coffee and scone from Starbucks, we roused ourselves to pack and to catch our little Vancouver tour bus for a jaunt through Stanley Park (Correction: it's BIGGER than Central Park) and several downtown points of interest. Finally, we and countless others lined up Friday afternoon for the 2 hour process of getting aboard the Radiance of the Seas, bound for Alaska's inside passage. Once aboard, we lost no time settling in to our well-appointed stateroom containing all the comforts of home. The best is the sliding glass door with an unobstructed view that opens onto our private balcony complete with deck chairs and small table. Too cold to lounge but really fun to see the ocean, islands, snow-capped mountains and occasional and really cool marine life. I am SO hoping to see whales. Larry and Jackie showed us all around the ship, we had lunch and dinner (but of course) and headed to the theater for live entertainment featuring 2 fine young singers. We sailed through the night and all day Saturday when we continued exploring the ship, playing cards, and feeding the slot machine. Jackie won. There was a really great live show after the formal dinner - okay we stopped short of tuxedos and ball gowns but we did look nice - after which we needed to gamble some more. Up early Sunday morning to see the ship dock at Ketchikan and to be on the dock a bit after 7 A.M. to begin a short bus ride to our little harbor boat. We saw totems, lighthouses and many bald eagles and the eagles' nests. The birds are majestic and wonderful. Did I mention that when the wind whipped, it was damn cold on that boat? I had to break out my Yellowstone in Winter hat and neck tube and still had to seek refuge inside the boat a few times. It has yet to hit 60 degrees, but maybe tomorrow. It was more temperate when we returned to Ketchikan (with a population of 8 thousand it's the third largest city in Alaska) for a little walking tour. We avoided the cruise line-owned tourist shops and hiked to a fast-flowing river, a city park and a fish hatchery. Back on the ship through metal detectors and wands with the resultant human bottleneck. Heavy sigh. Back on board, for too much lunch and the obligatory mile stint around the walking track to make room for dinner. What?? I've taken to eating a lot of vegetarian Indian food in hopes of continuing to be able to zip my pants. We saw "the Diamonds" after dinner this evening. Remember "Silhouettes on the Shade"? I LOVED that song in 8th grade. Those guys still have it going on with wonderful tight harmonies, on pitch, and on the beat. And so to bed for a good night's sleep.

HEY! From Vancouver

Wednesday was a long one. Left home at 5:30 P.M. and got to the hotel at 5:30 P.M. in our rental car. It was a challenge to get from the airport to the hotel, but we made it with only a minor glitch or two. Our hotel, The Sylvia, is in a truly lovely area that is not overly crowded with cars and which butts up to the beach and the wonderful Stanley Park. We quickly changed clothes and took a hike along the sea wall before we walked up a busy street to find dinner. We saw a likely spot with outdoor seating and noticed a fish and chips special for $10 with fresh halibut. Sold! We were seated outside with Ron awaiting a cup of coffee when we looked over the menu and realized this was NOT the place for us. I was contemplating what I would find the least offensive and this for dinners that ran around #30 each. Ron and I discussed it and when the waiter returned, we told him coffee was it and there would be no dinner. He was remarkably kind so we finished our coffee, gave him a nice tip and got the hell out of there! Went up the street to Knight and Days where I had a lovely chicken wrap and Ron something to his liking and the whole thing was $20. There you go. Once back at the hotel, we realized we would not oulast the sun and so settled into our beds for the night. Awoke this morning to the sun already up, just past 5 A.M. with a soft light on the bay. I opened wide the window and leaned out a bit for a photo. My dearest Ron went to Starbucks for coffee and scones and we lounged around, taking stock of the day. We left around 7 A.M. for Lynn Regional Park where we walked several miles, crossing a suspension bridge and following 2 or three trails to see waterfalls, a 30 foot pond, another bridge over a ravine and very beautiful scenes throughout. We met a few hardy souls but were finishing up several hours later as the tour and school buses started to arrive. Congratulating ourselves on our cleverness, we headed back to town, retracing our steps and going again to Stanley Park. It's akin to Central Park in NYC, just scaled down in the number of people and buildings that you see. We walked around Hidden Lagoon in its entirety which took about an hour and saw several nesting swans, a racoon, and countless ducks and other birds. Very wonderful. More from the ship. Jackie and Larry arrive tonight and we take off on a bus tour of the city in the morning.