Day 26
La Paz to Oruro to Uyuni
Yes...today will be a travel day starting in a few hours and ending at 2am. The next day we get in a Jeep with a driver for a five day tour of Southern Bolivia. Today means another scary bus ride....I will be happy when these are Over! At least its a warm beautiful day here in La Paz. The sun is shinning and it might hit 75 degrees!
Its funny...after all I have said about La Paz...its actually hard to leave. You see, I have traveled quite a bit before...but never without an "exact" home to go back to. I think because we are truely wanderers right now, each place we stay, if even for a day or two, becomes "Home."
As much as I am excited for each new place, each new adventure....it gets hard to continuously leave the familiar no matter what it is.
I told Bryce we were going to the Salt Flats for five days and he said "Five days in one place!!!!??" I explained that..no...only one night at each hotel...but five days in the same car!
That seemed to make more sense to him.
Last night we went to what is probably one of the nicest restaurants in Bolivia. Its one of those at the top of a skyscrapper with an incredible view all the way to the snowcaps. They serve things like beef and potatos and desserts such as Bananas Flambe and Creps Suizett. I told Rich that it reminded me of the fancy restaurants of my grandparents generation. He made a good comment "We have not just traveled in miles, it is as if we traveled back in time." Its really true...things are "older" here.
Today I mailed packages...note to travelers: To mail anything in Bolivia you need two copies of your passport (although they have no photocopiers here) and a roll of tape. They will NOT mail a package unless you give them a roll of tape! I did not know this, but luckily some Israelis took pitty on me and gave me one of their rolls.
Christmas presents are on the way thanks to the State of Israel!
B, B, and R

Finally! Pictures of Bryce´s Birthday Party!

Proving to be real Bostonians....Rich and Bryce take a dip in the freezing waters of Lake Titicaca...9 degrees C!
The locals laughed their heads off.

Isla Del Sol

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Our first Boarder Crossing! Welcome to Bolivia

DAY 25
La Paz, Bolivia
Well...it turns out La Paz is a nice city....if you stay inside your five star hotel. Yesterday Rich took Bryce to the science museum while I headed out around town to find the best trip to the Solar Uyuni.
Rich´s Afternoon:
The museum was closed.....when does it open...who knows! No set schedule...just when the town can afford to pay a doorman. But, thats Ok because there is a carnival down the street...we´ll go there. OK...all the rides at the carnivale are broken....but he might be able to fix them in 10 minutes if we pay....no thanks!
What to do???? There is a set of 100 stairs.....DESPERATE PARENTING! Come on Bryce...lets climb them!
Luckily at the top was a pretty awesome playground. But, thank goodness Mommy was not here because the metal playthings were about 20 years old and the slide has no sides!
Betsy´s Afternoon:
Wandering around the city trying to find an honest and decent travel agent....
Here is how I can describe La Paz...take New York....take away all the money....cut the sidewalks down to a 1/4 of their size and cut the street in half...but leave the same number of people and cars! Its insanity! Its dirty and you can barely walk on the sidewalk, but if you stick so much as a toe in the street you´ll loose it. After finally finding a travel agent who could help me I walked to the Plaza to try to find lunch....but after the protesters started firing guns into the air...I decided to eat at the hotel......I have not wanted to leave since!
And you know me....I am a city girl! I´ll walk the streets of NY at night alone without a second thought. I´ll hang out in bars on the South Side of Chicago. I´ll hitchhike in Namibia! But, this city freaks me out.
Anyhow...we leave tomorrow for The Salt Flats and I am very excited. One of the most desolate and least visited places on earth. Its suppose to be a wonder unlike any other and we are getting to go! Can´t wait!
I will leave you with some of my favorite recent quotes:
When I woman on the bus mentioned she had a headach, Bryce responded with "Don´t worry...its just the Alf-ti-tude."
Last night, looking for a decent place to have dinner....Mr. We are backpackers...we have to save money (yes..thats Rich) said "Dear God...isn´t there a Four Seasons La Paz or something!"
Lots of Love,
Betsy, Rich, and Bryce

Dear Goodness....Just did an entry (Nov. 23rd) and I forgot to say Happy Turkey Day to everyone in the US!
To be honest....until yesterday when I checked email...we forgot all about Thanksgiving. I don´t think anyone here will be having turkey for dinner.....maybe llama meat???
Have a great day and love to our family and friends.
STEVE...our budy from Cusco...good to see a note ont eh blog from you....but it did not have your email address. If you read this...send us one....and glad to hear you are safe back in England. SA will miss you.
Betsy

DAY 23
Copacabana to La Paz, Bolivia

The night the lights went out in Copa! Last night after a lovely day we saw the storm heading in about 7pm ( they seem to have huge storms over Lake Titicaca every night)...so we hurried off to dinner. Just like the night before the rain started just as we were about to arrive at the restaurant. But, unlike the night before we were suddenly cast in pitch darkness! I am talking BLACKNESS. No lights for over 300 miles and the stars and moon covered in dark clouds. You could not see your hand in front of your face!
Having no other option we "felt" our way into the restaurant where they were starting to light the fire and place candels on the tables. They assured us they could make us a small dinner. "Nachos?" they asked. Sure! That sounded good! Turns out Nachos in Bolivia are burnt Dorito chips covered in goatsmilk cheese with a side of Guacamole....but what the hell....you can´t expect miracles without electricity. The restaurant kept assuring us the electric would come back on, but after a couple hours the streets were still cast in blackness. We decided we had to go home anyway. The first part of our journey down the street was not so bad as our voices seemed to carry down the empty cobblestone path and kindly locals would come to their doorways to hold out flashlights to guide our way. But, then we hit the beach. It was like walking in a tunnel with no end. Having walked the beach earlier we knew there were many obstacles....large sewer drains, pitted holes, concrete pillons and large rocks. It was also a bit spooky not having any idea if someone was in back or in front of you. But, Rich pulled out the camera and started taking flash pictures every few minutes so that at least we could have a one second view of what was ahead.
Finally after shivering and fumbling our way Bryce yelled "I see the gates!" Yes, the charming and much appreciated gates of our hacienda! As we pulled open the massive iron gates a bellboy came running with a flashlight and guided our way into the candlelit hotel. Instead of being upset...all three of us had a sudden sense of elation! What a funny and bizar little adventure in the dark! We decided instead of returning to our room we would celebrate with drinks and dessert in the hotel restaurant.
We then headed to our room with our old fashioned candelabras in hand and loaded up the pre-charged DVD to watch Vegas Vacation in the dark. We giggled and laughed. When we went to bed at 10:30...it was the latest we had stayed up the entire trip!
This morning...no luck...still no power in the entire region...so we hopped on a mini bus to LaPaz!
I won´t tell you about the bus ride too much because I cried in fear of my life and the life of my child the entire way! Pouring rain on tiny mountain roads edged by shear cliffs and two way traffic despite the one lane! Dear God am I glad that is over!
It did not help that yesterday I met a girl who´s bus from Puno to Copacabana crashed! Her ear had to be stiched back on, her fingers were broken and her wrist and knee also had stiches that looked like they were becoming infected. She said the police barely cared because they said it happens all the time.....GREAT! And no seat belts to be found ANYWHERE in Peru or Bolivia. Yes...I am that idiot mother who carrys the car seat everywhere despite the fact there is noway to belt it in! The Bolivians think I am wacky.
Anyhow...we are here and to reward myself for surviving the "Death Road" we are at a five star hotel (I talked them down from $100 a night to $50 per night) :). We have an indoor pool, cable TV, and not just a hot shower....but a TUB! A Jacuzzi tub! I have not seen anything but a tiny shower stall since getting off the plane in Lima! Dear Lord....I might get to shave my legs!
Best of all.....TOILET PAPER! Two Rolls of toilet paper and you are even allowed to flush it! Our last hotel provided one small roll with the promise we would not dispose of any down the pipes...yes its gross!
Otherwise La Paz is just a big dirty city....but who cares...I might just spend two days in the room with my DOWN PILLOW! No popcorn...thank you!
OK...La Paz is a bit interesting other than TP and TV....imagine this...its a city with 1.5 million people smack at the top of the Andes Mountains. The altitude here is nearly 15,000 feet! To put that into prospective its about half the normal crusising altitude of a 747!
Luckily, I think we are finally adjusted to the altitude from Cusco and Copa. We are only now 1000 feet higher...so I don´t think we will feel it too much. I hope not because although the original headachs Rich got are gone, he still can´t sleep at night. Living up in the clouds gives you VERY weird dreams. Those I won´t share!
Well.....off to take a Jacuzzi!
B, B, and R

Day 21 and 22
COPACABANA, BOLIVIA

Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl.....At the Copa, COPACABANA!
Alright...my dear friend Barry....there are no showgirls and to mention it...we are NOT North of Havana...but none the less...we love this little town. And best of all....our first boarder crossing went off without a hitch!
Copa is the first place we have been that is nothing like what I expected. I knew that it was not a high life town...but sleepy does not even begin to describe this place. Getting off the bus yesterday it felt like we had arrived in no mans land. The streets were practically deserted...no people, no shops, no taxis! But, with the help of a couple of local guys, we and our stuff, found our way to our hotel and it is LOVELY! A hacienda style place where every room has spectacular views of Lake Titicaca. Its called Hotel Rosario Del Lago. After putting our stuff in our room with the help of very friendly staff, we went wandering down to the Lakefront and found the main drag...okay...the only drag. Its a hilly street lined with cafes with outdoor seating and market stands selling all sorts of colorful wares. Its funny...its like the town once was something more, or maybe at one time aspired to BE something more. There is a lovely boardwalk along the lake made of cement and decorated with pebble tiles. Along the boardwalk is a defunct mini'kids carnival, and storefronts, and hotels....but they are all long since vacant. Did they try and never suceed...or never try...I wonder.
We had a great dinner last night next to a fireplace, a four course meal for three for $17US. Despite the glorious sunshine we had all day, at night there was a massive storm! Hail, thunder, lightening, rain.....it pounded so loud on the roof of the restaurant we could not even talk to each other! We decided to walk home the shortcut...due to the storm. Its a pathway along the beach. It was dark and quiet...no lights, no people....but you just feel so safe here. And I really believe you are.
Today we took a boat to Isla Del Sol...one of the Lake Islands. This one was more modern than Taquille. I.E. they had electricity and a bathroom. We went for a gorgeous hike up the mountain seeing pigs, cows, and mud houses as we went. We also saw the Sun Dial the pre'incas built to praise their God. They have found artifacts on the island from 300BC. There is so much history here, so much power and presence! The boat back was not for another couple of hours after we finished the hike and a snack....but we joined a couple from Ireland and a couple from Switzerland and hired a private boat to take us the two hours back to Copa. I know...big spenders...it cost $15!
OK...I know I keep talking prices, but that is because its incredible. Its all anyone here talks about because its almost unreal how cheap it is! You feel bad....but at the same time, you cant stop getting excited everytime you pay for something.
Now..lets talk something important...I wanted to get back early so that I could go shopping! And shop I did...for two hours up and down the street. I had four shopping bags and spent about $25US!!!!
Gorgeous sweaters for $4, gloves and hats made of Llama fur for $2, hand sewn purses for $5! I swear...if we were not already carrying WAY too much stuff, I would have filled a suitcase, brought it home and given away everything to my friends....or sold it and made a fortune!
Ummmm...I think there is a business idea here! Kristen...are you reading...you have good taste and buying experience!
Anyhow...must get going.
Love you all!
B, B, and R
P.S....turns out Rich had food poisoning...but he ate three plates for dinner last night...so I think he will survive!
P.P.S...no pictures...another land of no downloading!

Day 20
Lake Titicaca

OK....today completely obliderated yesterday from my thoughts. Spectacular! Lake Titicaca is magnificent. That is pronounced "Titi-HaHa" The locals do not appreciate it being called "TitiCaCa"...as CaCa means something unpublishable in the local Quecha language!
Anyhow we left for the lake early this morning and it was freezing cold...but as the day went on the sun came out and the lake turned a spectacular azul.
First we stopped to meet the people of the Uros Islands. These are actual floating islands built by the people over 1000 years ago and constantly upkept and rebuilt by the tribes who live on them. They graciously fed us fried bread and showed us around the church, school, and homes. Its just incredible. The ground is all squishy under your feet....you feel like you could fall right through, but this is their home where they live, work, pray, eat......There are no bathrooms. If you have to go you get in a small boat, go out a ways and plop over the side. This is how these people live everyday of their lives. it blows the mind to imagine the existence. But they are friendly and smiling....singing us off as our large reed boat carried us from Island to island. There are over 1000 people living on these 35 islands and they are gorgeous.
We then took a power boat two hours to the center of the lake to visit Taquille a solid island of 2000 people. When you arrive the first thing you have to do is climb two hours to the top of the island. This is where all the people live. Strange in the US we love our waterfront...but these people live as far from the waters edge as possible. They have to make the two hour climb up and down to bath in the water. There is no electricity or running water on the island....but somehow they cooked us a fabulous lunch. And the climb is worth it because the views....my god the views are beyond spectacular. You can see the whole lake right to Bolivia. But, you can not legally cross seeing as the boarder posts on the lake were discontinued in the 1980´s. Hence you have to come back to Puno and then go to Bolivia by land. Of course...a boat will take you, but if you enter Bolvia illegally....you may never leave!
Anyhow....Taquille is facinating. The men have to do all the knitting and sewing there. They wear these adorable knit hats that would perfectly suit an elf...but the hats are marked. White for single...red for off limits! I.E married. Very helpful for the local ladies I am sure.
After hiking and lunch we had our three hour ride back to Puno on the lake. Bryce bounced around the entire time! Even after climbing up and down a mountain! They let you sit on top of the roof which he loved and again, the views are beyond lovely.

Carrie asked on the blog...where is Rich. True...he is not the writer in this family and I have done all the blog entries. However, he has been with us...until today.
Unfortunately, Rich has taken very ill and has not been able to leave the hotel room. I hated to desert him today, but its easier for him to just be alone to sleep. We have medication and he is dilligent about taking it. He claims to be feeling better tonight. Wish him well!

Day 20
Lake Titicaca

OK....today completely obliderated yesterday from my thoughts. Spectacular! Lake Titicaca is magnificent. That is pronounced "Titi-HaHa" The locals do not appreciate it being called "TitiCaCa"...as CaCa means something unpublishable in the local Quecha language!
Anyhow we left for the lake early this morning and it was freezing cold...but as the day went on the sun came out and the lake turned a spectacular azul.
First we stopped to meet the people of the Uros Islands. These are actual floating islands built by the people over 1000 years ago and constantly upkept and rebuilt by the tribes who live on them. They graciously fed us fried bread and showed us around the church, school, and homes. Its just incredible. The ground is all squishy under your feet....you feel like you could fall right through, but this is their home where they live, work, pray, eat......There are no bathrooms. If you have to go you get in a small boat, go out a ways and plop over the side. This is how these people live everyday of their lives. it blows the mind to imagine the existence. But they are friendly and smiling....singing us off as our large reed boat carried us from Island to island. There are over 1000 people living on these 35 islands and they are gorgeous.
We then took a power boat two hours to the center of the lake to visit Taquille a solid island of 2000 people. When you arrive the first thing you have to do is climb two hours to the top of the island. This is where all the people live. Strange in the US we love our waterfront...but these people live as far from the waters edge as possible. They have to make the two hour climb up and down to bath in the water. There is no electricity or running water on the island....but somehow they cooked us a fabulous lunch. And the climb is worth it because the views....my god the views are beyond spectacular. You can see the whole lake right to Bolivia. But, you can not legally cross seeing as the boarder posts on the lake were discontinued in the 1980´s. Hence you have to come back to Puno and then go to Bolivia by land. Of course...a boat will take you, but if you enter Bolvia illegally....you may never leave!
Anyhow....Taquille is facinating. The men have to do all the knitting and sewing there. They wear these adorable knit hats that would perfectly suit an elf...but the hats are marked. White for single...red for off limits! I.E married. Very helpful for the local ladies I am sure.
After hiking and lunch we had our three hour ride back to Puno on the lake. Bryce bounced around the entire time! Even after climbing up and down a mountain! They let you sit on top of the roof which he loved and again, the views are beyond lovely.

Carrie asked on the blog...where is Rich. True...he is not the writer in this family and I have done all the blog entries. However, he has been with us...until today.
Unfortunately, Rich has taken very ill and has not been able to leave the hotel room. I hated to desert him today, but its easier for him to just be alone to sleep. We have medication and he is dilligent about taking it. He claims to be feeling better tonight. Wish him well!

DAY 19
PUNO, PERU

OK....you knew there had to be one.....today was not really a fun day. Puno is dirty, smelly, and just all around C-R-A-P-P-Y. Not to mention....so is our hotel. The beds have popcorn pillow, there is mold on the walls, and the palce smells as bad as the town. The water is either Scoarching hot or freezing cold and I really needed to shave my legs!
For you travelers out there...we are staying at the Colon Inn....and its not even cheap! $60 per night! Around here that price should buy you the Four Seasons.
Anyhow, we slept badly last night and Bryce was cranky all day. Luckily he does not know its his birthday. We told him it was Friday....that was more fun.
Also....why no fabulous pictures of Bryce´s party??? We are in the land of "can not download photos".
We did do a nice visit today to a local family and that was incredibly interesting and nice...but I think by that time we were so pissed about everything else, we almost could´nt enjoy anything.
Off to dinner in smelly land....pray for us!

DAY 18
CUSCO TO PUNO, PERU

What fun last night was! Bryce´s birthday party in Peru. We invited 25 people and 35 showed up! Bryce seems to know people in Cusco I had never even seen before! But, they know him....some even brought gifts. It was so sweet. We had "American" pizza (which costs $50 dollars instead of $3) and drinks, and the biggest, best chocolate cake you have ever seen. The salsa instructor came and did dancing and the teachers at the school had decorated the whole place in balloons that said "Bryce Herald turns Five in Peru". Some of the street kids came to eat cake and play. Truely after only one week in Cusco, it was like having family there. We will never forget how sweet everyone at the Machu Picchu school was to us. P.S You can now see Bryce on their website!
But, then UP and READY bright and early for our 8am train to Puno. What a wonderful experience! 10 hours on a train did not sound that great, especially since we booked the cheap backpacker ($40 for three instead of 1st class $350 for three) and at that price I expected a cattle call! But NO WAY! This train was wonderful. Big seats with tables in the middle while a tux clad waiter served us a gourmet breakfast, lunch and dinner with a huge menu of choices (excellent veggie options) and even a wine list! Mariachi Bands played and there was afternoon tea...I gotta say this is much better than Amtrak. But, of course the best part is the views. Soaring through fields of green with baby llamas by the hundreds running and playing, crossing the tips of the Andes so close you felt as if you could lick the snow at their peaks, and charming colorful towns with mud huts and children waiving and smiling as we went by. And of course, the finale...just 1/2 an hours before the train ride ends you turn a corner and there it is.....Lake Titicaca. The highest navigable lake int he world. The birthplace of the sun god. It is spectacular. I really must say one of the most enjoyable 10 hours of my life! I highly recommend!

DAY 17
CUSCO, PERU

To explain the photo..Bryce had been waking up every morning at 5AM! So what do you do with a kid who won´t sleep???? Take him out late night to the Discoteque! We had a great time. Of course, we are those crazy Americans who show up at the Disco at 8pm in our hiking gear!!! But, its Ok....they love Americans here and they just think its funny to have us around. It worked like a charm...we had a great time...just good family fun. The kind of stuff we never seemed to have time for in Boston. And the next morning, Bryce slept till 6:30....Its progress!

Sorry for the three days of no entries....we seem to have gotten very busy here! Life in Cusco has definately grown on us and it is starting to feel like home. We know the streets, we have our favorite cafes and we have made friends here. Yesterday I had the enjoyable experience of walking down the street and having someone yell..."Hey Betsy!" Its a good feeling to know people when you are so far from everything to are accustomed to.
The things we love most here are... our new daily tradition of after school the three of us go and spend about three hours sitting in one of the open air cafes, having lunch, drinking tea and fruit juice, and playing games. You just dont have those opportunities of time when you are living real life. Its so relaxing and so special for all of us.
We also love our Spanish classes and I almost hesitate to say it...but I think we are getting better. Last night we went to a party and actually had CONVERSATIONS! The Sangria helps too. :)
We love the views of the mountains and the smiles on the faces of all the people. Always in cafes people stike up conversations and want to know all about us. Bryce has taken to playing with the local kids who sell puppets and drawings in the street and it is so charming to watch them speak in Spanish while he speaks in English and none of them seem to care. Kids are jut kids...they like to play.
Of course, not everything is perfect....we miss:
Toilet paper...Charmine could make a fortune here
Quiet mornings....for a peaceful person I really might kill those roosters outside our window.
The language can be difficult, but we are getting by.....
And my final word to the wise....don´t try to plan inter-country travel here! I am surprised the Peruvians even know where Bolivia is and they certainly dont want to talk about you traveling to Chile (bad feelings over some war 100 years ago). So..plan ahead....trying to accomplish things here can be a bit tedious to say the least.
I better sign off....I have a birthday party to plan! And I will have to go to 12 stores since each one only sells one thing!
All our love....tomorrow is our 10 hour train ride to Puno....so I will be out of touch.
B, B & R

Day 13
Cusco, Peru

ROCKING AND ROLLING
Yes...rocking and rolling....Literally! I awoke at 3am this morning to the strange sensation my bed had been moved onto a ship. But as I came fully alert, I realized the problem...EARTHQUAKE! The host mother at our house woke up to check on family members, the dogs, chickens, and various other animals outside began to go crazy....and Rich and Bryce slept right through it!
I guess I am the only one who gets to add earthquake to my Peruvian Experience. There is no TV here to check the scale, but someone here says it was a 5.7. I guess that is not a huge deal in Peru...but it sure freaked me out.
Anyhow....last night we moved in with our host family here in Cusco. The family is quite nice. They have an 8 year old daughter. She and Bryce became instant friends. But, what he likes the most is their 8 week old German Shepherd named Venus. He goes crazy over that puppy. And I have to admit...she is pretty cute!
The house is nice. Standard SA design, cement block. But, I gather it is a bit nicer than the majority here because it is three stories with three bathrooms. However, do not misunderstand....that does not mean hot water. For any chance of that, you have to turn the dial one way and be careful to only touch the rubber or the electrical wires providing the bit of hot water will shock you! No heat....but they do have a maid. Its a very different culture. Strange, what in the US we would consider poverty, I get the feeling is upper middle class in Peru. Different expectations, different access. The family was having a party when we arrived last night....language is definately a struggle, but Rich´s IPOD seemed to be the hit that broke the barrier.
School this morning was good. Bryce went to his class like a champ and Rich and I are alone with our tudor. I can see Rich is frustrated at trying to learn the language, but I keep reminding him....we do not have to have a full on conversation....we just need to get by.
He and Bryce have now gone off to find a playground. Some German guy at our favorite restaurant drew them a map and promised there is one. I am off the the travel agent. On Saturday we hope to leave for Bolivia!
B, B and R

Day 12
Cusco, Peru

GETTING TO KNOW CUSCO.
The sun is shining in Peru! Its a bit of a miracle. In our first 11 days we saw very little sunshine and a lot of Ubia (rain)...yes that is now a Spanish word we know well. Though we can say it...but maybe not spell it.
But, here we are under blue skies and 70 degree temps. A welcome change, I must admit.
Anyhow....we took yesterday and today to get to know this lovely city. It is so charming. Full of shops and cafe´s. Everything looks the way it must have 500 years ago with cobblestone streets and tiny little doorways under granite pillars. But, if you duck into those doorways you will find massages, waxing, travel agents, restaurants run by European transplants, and plenty of cool bars and hotels.
This town is geared toward the backpacker crowd...so there is plenty of excellent vegetarian food. Last night we ate at a French owned bistro called Granja Heidi on San Blas and it was some of the best food of my life. Vegetarian pumpkin soup with bits of cheese, silky crepes filled with fresh fruit and incredible hot leche drinks tinged with local spices. You must try the "Magic Milk". I don´t know what is in it...but its GOOD. The owner makes all her own products at her dairy farm 20 miles outside of town and the freshness was obvious. Our dinner for three with drinks was under $20US!
For breakfast we went to a English owned restaurant called Jacks and had thick toast piled high with cream cheese, avocadodo, capers, and roasted tomatoes. (Rich had sweet beans and bacon on his....). I must admit after 11 days of "Food Typico" these tasty treats were much appreciated. I could live without rice, beans, and vegetables for a while.....and the pizza in Peru is something you don´t want to talk about. :)

Bryce and the Alpaca!

Bryce at market.

Day 11
Cusco
Some of our photos did not post yesterday. Hopefully you can see them now.
Back here in Cusco. Its funny how perspective changes. When we first came here it felt like a tiny Mountain town. Now, after spending a week in The Sacred Valley, it feels like a thriving metro.
I had a cute moment this morning before we left our little house in the country. I was sitting on the patio drinking my tea when a bunch of lambs came running down the pathway. Chasing the lambs was Bryce, chasing Bryce were the dogs....very cute.
As for travel tips:
We loved Ollaytaytambo and Pisco....we did not love Urumbamba. Pisco is charming and wonderful and lively. Ollaytamtambo is quaint and sweet and traditional. Urumbamba is dirty, ugly, noisey, and the fumes from all the trucks made Bryce throw up!
If you want to see the sacred valley....I highly recomend staying in one of the first two towns. They are all close...so you can hop around by taxi easily. Its about $10 from town to town.
Second: I did not want to say until I knew I was better...but I was VERY sick yesterday. Altitude sickness in a bad way. Sick to my stomach, severe headach, I was so tired it took all day to get me out of bed. Then after our outing to find internet, I was even worse. But, I met a guy who grew up in Lima, but now does business on Congress St. in Boston!
He gave me a few tips and I feel great. I highly encourage all Andes travelers to follow them:
1. No coffee and minimal alcohol if any.
2. Drink the TEA! Five cups of coca tea and I felt a million times better! Now I am living on the stuff. Drink it everytime they give it to you (which is all the time).
3. Light meals only. Heavy food is the main cause of altitude sickness. I did not know that!
Anyway....since you should all come here someday...that info should be useful!
Love,
B, B, and R

Day 9 and 10
URUMBAMBA and OLLAYTAMBABA
Well....the rental house which the woman at our hotel called "simple" actually turned out to be quite adorable. Its a little two story Adobe style two bedroom with mahogany floors, and a big open clay fireplace in the kitchen. Its surrounded by gardens....and the best part is it came with our two new friends: Run and Okishie. . The biggest dogs I have ever seen in my life! (As you can see in the photo)They say they are our guard dogs...but seeing as they ate Bryce´s MacnCheese and then jumped into bed with us....I am not so sure. For other travelers: The house is called Kuychi Rumi. This town is very remote, but there are ruins here, some shops and cafes and they are trying to make a name for themselves in adventure sports. However, they may be five years away from real tourism...so get here soon!
The one disadvantage to not being in a hotel....no one to tell you what to do...no conceierge or info packets. So...we did what I know best. We called a cab. The driver spoke No English and our spanish is very bad....but we ended up having a great day! First he took us to the Pisac Market which is incredible. The larget Highlands market, they sell food, dye, sweaters, blankets, musical instruments...everything you could think of. They cook Empanades in huge stone ovens and Bryce´s favorite part: they have these elaborate guinea pìg houses everywhere. I swear they must be nicer than some of the people´s homes. We could not bring ourselves to tell Bryce the guinea pigs are for dinner....:)
Next were were off to our driver´s friend´s Alpaca farm high up in the mountain. What an incredible place! The children run around and feed these huge animals, the women sheer them and then sit and weave with the wool. They let Bryce run through the pens, feed them, climb in the hayloft. It was great. But at one point I had to yell "Bryce, no ridding Llamas without a grownup around!" As a mother...I really never thought I would say those words!
Then off to a fish farm where Bryce got to feed the fish and home. We crashed last night at 7pm! I blame the altitude.
Today I have been a little sick..so we took a family rest day and then used the same taxi to travel 30 kilometers to an internet cafe! I must be addicted.
Speaking of....THANK YOU EVERYBODY! All the comments and emails this time were great! We love it!
Take Care,B, B, &R

Day 8
SAYING GOODBYE TO AGUAS CALIENTES

Today we leave Aguas Calientes and head to The Sacred Valley. We will always think foundly upon this wonderful little town and its people. Here are a couple of stories to tell you a bit about the residents of this town:
Yesterday as we walked back to the hotel Bryce dropped his ice cream. In tears, Bryce and I sat down on a rock to wait while Rich ran back to get more ice cream. Many people passed us, all with concerned looks. Then Pablo (the guy who first met us at the train) came running down the street. "What happened?! " he exclaimed. "The ladies in town told me my people were in trouble". I guess gossip spreads fast in a small town!
Then yesterday as Rich and I walked up and down the streets, lost, another man came running up to us "Its Ok" he said. "Go this way." We thought he was trying to sell us something and did the standard "no, no gracias". "No, no" he said. "You are in room 8. Your hotel is this way."
Here, everyone knows you and everyone wants to help.

Day 7
Auguas Calientes
RAIN STORM

It was sunny when we woke up.....but then it always is sunny in the morning here. Noting the nice weather, Rich decided he wanted to climb Huaynapicchu, the mountain beyond the Machu Picchu Historical site. I had seen the trail, it is steep, narrow, and paralled by a sharp decent down the cliff. So, I knew Bryce could not do it. But, in the spirit of knowing that to enjoy the next several months we will have to sometimes split up so that each family member can do what "they" want to do, I agreed to stay lowland with Bryce.
Rich set off under the sunshine for the bus to the top of the mountain where you can access the climb. It was 9am. I expected him back in a couple hours. Around 10am the rain began. Bryce and I holed up at the hotel and waited. 11 turned into 12:00 and then into 1pm. I started to worry. The trek is steep and muddy and in the pouring rain, it is not unheard of to loose ones footing with nothing to keep you on the trail except your own two feet. I tried to entertain Bryce, but he began to worry too and decided to wait at the entrance of the hotel, his feet touching the doorway while he watched the bridge waiting for daddy. I ordered a glass of wine. Then another. Finally, five hours later at 2:00 I heard Bryce yell "Daddy!" and I ran to the door hoping Bryce was not mistaken. But, yes...it was Rich. Muddy, soaking wet and ready for a Cerveza. The buses had stopped arriving to take people down the mountain he explained, due to the bad rains. But, knowing his wife is a panicker....he teamed up with a friendly Australian and they walked down the mountain! Understand, this is a 30 minute bus ride down a sheer cliff. But, Rich walked, so we would not worry.
I have to share a fun phenonmenon that began to occur when we stepped off the bus to get on the train to Aguas Calientes: This was our first arrival into the highlands and immediately we experienced something we had been told we would, but had not realized how great.....Bryce is a superstar! As we first walked down the streets, he literally stopped traffic. Girls jumped from cars to touch his cheeks, pat his head and smile at him. Teenagers tried their English on him, little girls hugged him, and the older ladies dressed in their colorful outfits who normally shy from the prying cameras of the tourists, ran over to us with THEIR cameras and begged us to take THEIR picture with Bryce! "Get 3 solas" yelled the English tourists watching the spectacle. (this is the normal price locals will charge for a picture of them). The people here have never (or possibly very rarely) seen a "bambino blanco". A white baby. They think he is the cutest thing in the world. Unfortunately for them....Bryce won´t give them the time of day! Its so embarrassing. But, fun in a way. We are so enjoying seeing things we have never seen, its nice to have brought something THEY have never seen!
Now Bryce is hanging out with one of his fans from the reception desk and Rich and I are running around town to do errands. Actually....as it turns out, I am doing errands and he is getting a massage.
Oh well.....running around town means running up and down the hills and cobblestone streets of Aguas Calientes, the starting point for Machu Picchu and truely, in my opinion, one of the most overlooked parts of a visit to the 8th wonder of the world. Most tours and tourists come to climb and do not stay. Some stay the night. But, Aguas Calientes is a vacation in itself. The streets are lined with cafes and people selling wares. The food is excellent, the hotels clean and friendly and the coffee is heaven in a terra cotta cup.
Its been an interesting transition. In Lima, it was much like the US. Fast food and familiar fashion. In Cusco, it was as if while traveling up we had also traveled back 25 years. The TVs there play re-runs from the 80´s and therefore the people are dressed in acid wash jeans and flashdance style sweaters. Fastfood has fortunately not reached them, but all the restaurants boast pizza and even maccaroni and cheese.
Then as you decend father into the Andes, into the small towns of the highlands, the televisions disapear and the world goes back 200 years. Here the cafes serve llama, guinea pig, and rice vegetariano. The people dress as they always have. The men in pants and llama wool sweaters with wide brimmed hats, and the women in colorful ponchos and layers of flowing skirts. The children play soccor in the streets and the amplifiers blast music and politico from the belltowers of churches.
It is beautiful here. Each street is lined with granite cobblestones and follows mossy terra cotta rooftops. Water flows everywhere. The streets, the trees, the noisey river on which our hotel is found.
We love our hotel, The Machu Picchu Pueblo. It is designed just like the ruins with mazes of pathways each lined with flowing water and flowering plants. At night they light our way with candels and the lemongrass soap and hot, hot water are alwasy welcome at the end of a day.
BTW: Rich says my spelling and grammar are horrible in the blog. I hope you all understand this is a stream of personal thought...a diary. I told him you all would forgive me for not editing!
All Our Love.

Test Photo

Day 4 and 5

Cusco to Aguas Calientes and Beyond

A BIG DREAM AND A LITTLE NIGHTMARE

Ok....I'll start with day 4 in Cusco. After a wonderful morning and lunch we got together with a friendly couple from Cleveland and a charming gay couple from New York to hire a driver for a tour of the city and the ruins in the hills. All was going along fine until the rain started up in the ruins above the city.
First it rained....then it poured. But, being troopers, we bought plastic ponchos from the local hawkers and continued on. Then the cold set in. Wet, bone chilling cold that touches your head to your toes. Bryce started to cry and being more than a little unhappy myself, I took him back to the van to wait......then it got bad.
Bryce started to complain of a severe headach and nausea. Having done plenty of reading, I immediately began to panic about altitude sickness. It did not help that a local photographer who has also found shelter in our van panicked as well. He ran off to find Rich and the guide and off we all went to 'THE DOCTOR'. We pulled up to a house where they sold Llama goods....but the guide assured me there was a good "witch doctor" here.....WITCH DOCTOR! This is my four year old. However, Bryce was crying and Rich was reminding me they have raised perfectly lovely children in Peru for thousands of years...so with an open mind I gave Bryce over to Peruvian medicine. They gave him a bit of coca resin coated in sugar to make the children like it and then they brought out a bottle of fermented leaves of some sort and had him inhale them over and over. I was so worried...but after five minutes Bryce announced "Mamma...I'm all better" Then they gave Rich and I coca tea to calm our nerves!
Wet and freezing we went back to the hotel and fell asleep before 8pm!

Day 5,
Today I fulfilled a lifelong dream. Today my little family hiked Machu Picchu! It was amazing. Nothing like I expected. There is no temple in the sky....it is a city. A city with neighborhoods and buildings, passageways, and irrigation systems. It is breathtaking and magical and everything one could hope for.
Note to all of us educated by the American systems....it was not built by the Incas....Actually Incas were Kings and there were only `12 of them. The people are Quechas...maybe spelled wrong, and they built this amazing wonder of an ancient city.
To get there we first took an enchantching train ride down the mountain from Cusco and then a hair raising, cliff hugging bus ride up to the site itself. The idea of ridding the bus again tomorrow chills my soul...but my new mantra is "The only thing I fear more than dying...is not living". I know...it makes a good T shirt, but it kept me calm as our muddy bus weaved its way up the mountain side on a one way passage with two way traffic!
I'll tell more tomorrow. Today I am exhausted.
Carrie's weather report, much warmer here! About 70 degrees....but it rains EVERYDAY. So bring the right gear to get wet! Some of those people coming off the Inca Trail looked pretty worse for wear. Some were being carried and all were very muddy and wet. However, they all claim it was the best four days of their lives!
Everyone else...where are my comments!!!!! We need to know the world has not forgotten us already!
Love You all.
P.S. click on that black spot from Day 3 and you will see a photo. We are still working on making them work and will have more when we can sort it.

DAY 2

November 4th
Cusco, Peru

I think I figured out how to add photos! Thanks to Carrie and her discovery I could change my blog page to English! This photo is yesterday. This is Bryce in Lima at The monastery.
We are a bit tired today after our 4am wake up call to head back to the airport for our flight to Cusco. But, its our own fault....we stayed up a bit too late last night.
We went to a local Pena (dance club), not a Disco...more like folk dancing club, and it was fabulous! The dancers were incredible. Bryce´s favorite dance was where the couple tie cotton tassels to their backsides and the other lover chances them about the dance floor with sticks of fire trying to light their tassels a blaze, while the other half of the pair tries to wiggle their butt quick enough not to be caught. Bryce was hysterical! At 10pm I finally told Bryce "We need to go" and he begged me "No Mamma! Dos Mas Por Favor!". How could I resist...he was speaking Spanish already! Rich did not want to leave either as he was on his fourth Pisco Sour (the famous local drink). They warn you two of them will leave you unable to walk....one did it for me...but Rich just could not stop because they were sooooo tasty. By 11pm I insisted we leave and as we walked out through the crowd Bryce announced "Mamma that is much better than TV!" You modern mothers out there know how much that warmed my heart!
Today we basically have followed doctors instructions to avoid altitude sickness. (Cusco is at 3200 meters above sea level). We arrived in Cusco, after an easy 45 minute flight, went straight to bed for a long nap, drank lots of water, and ate some carbs for lunch. It seems to be working because even Bryce announced "My lungs can breath good here!"
This afternoon we will hunt around a bit and then its an early night tonight! The train leaves for Macchu Pichu at 5am tomorrow! And they call this vacation!

Weather Report for Carrie: In Lima it was 70 during the day and 60 at night. It is always cloudy there because of their position in the mountains, but we all burned anyway! They say in January it will be 80 during the day and 60 at night.
Cusco is cooler....about 60 during the day and 40 at night, but it is clear and sunny here. In January they say it will rain more...so come prepared.

DAY 1

Lima, Peru

Hola! Today we spent a full day exploring Lima. Its a wonderful city. Coming in from the airport it is exactly what you anticipate of most Latin America countries; Huge colorful Spanish Language billboards towering over cement block stores and crumbling houses lining dirty streets. But, as you pull nearer to the city it becomes quite charming. We are staying in an area called MiraFlores (quite obviously the place to be) and it is great fun. Tons of quite little side streets lined with antique shops, cafes, and silver shops. We spent the morning walking around, had excellent arepas (CORN SANDWICHES) for lunch and most of all enjoyed the best coffee of our lives.
With the the essence of time in mind (we only have one day here)in the afternoon we joined an Australian couple for a city tour which turned out to be excellent. We drove around getting out to view the ocean, the parks, and the colonial style government buildings. We all laughed as our guide pointed out the "expensive" section of town where a two bedroom condo sells as high as $50K US.
By far the highlight was the Convento De Sanfrancisco, a monastary built in the 16th century. We spend about two hours there wandering the halls, stunned by the glorious woodwork, paintings, frescos, golden alters, and tile work. We saw one of the worlds oldest libraries where they retain 20,000 of the original hand painted books drawn by the Monks. We were pleasured most by Bryce´s reaction to it. We thought he would be bored, but instead he stared wide eyed at each and every piece of art with silent and intense appreciation. He loved it! Perhaps the most shocking thing about it all was that all of this is out in the open! The paintings, frescos, books, etc...line open courtyards exposed to the elements. In an American or European Museums they would be garded behind security, glass and protective shields, but here they sit decaying in the humidity. Our guide said they are working to protect them but as we have heard over and over here "The government has no money".
We also went into the Catacumbas. As we decended we were warned the Catacombs held 25,000 bodies. Of course, I expected them to be in coffins, or behind stone markers burried in the walls.....NOT SO! They were right there in piles! Bones and skulls piled in small ditches close enough to fall into! She said one of there main problems is people stealing body parts as surveniers! A bit Freaky.....but Bryce thought it was cool.
Anyhow...tonight dinner and a local folkdancing show.
Tomorrow a 4am wake up call for our trup to Cusco!

Travel Tips;
We are staying at the Farona Grand Hotel. Nice, Holiday Inn style and decent for the money, but not fancy. Good service, incredible coffee, and an excellent location. Its a bit chilly for the outdoor pool, but the roof top deck is nice.
Lunch; We ate at The Columbian Cafe on Av. La Paz. The owner Juan Carlos spreaks excellent English. Service and food were great. When Bryce asked for his grilled cheese on wheat bread instead of corn tortilla...instead of saying no...he just ran to the store to buy bread! Nice people in this city.
P.S. Sorry everyone....we are still trying to figure out how to post photos. All the directions come up in Spanish!!!!!!
Dawn....if you are out there...maybe you could send me some directions.
Thanks Babe!

Day 1

Lima, Peru

Morning All! After 20 some odd hours of travel...we have arrived safetly and spent our first night in South America. Overall travel went well. Bryce was a gem.
There was about 20 minutes when I thought we would not make it, but thankfully Bryce slept through it. About 10pm last night (halfway through our flight from Mexico City to Lima, the plane made a sudden nose dive and then speed up like a lightening bolt and began making vicious right and left turns as it continued to decend. Even three Xanax and two glasses of wine was not enough to stop the fear from spreading through me and taking over my calm. But, after about 20 minutes we setteled, regained our altitude and moved on. The former pilot/turned potato salesman near us explained the plane had encountered a huge storm off the coast of Guyaquil. Big and fast enough to cause the plane serious danger. So he had manuvered the 737 like a fighter jet to avoid the worst of the storm. "Good pilot" I said. "Very good" he said. "I did not think he would be able to control the plane. This is no army jet!"
Always brings me joy to hear that! But, its all worth it now that we are here. Rich and Bryce are showering and I am ready to hit the town and see Lima! I will tell you all about it later.
Love, Kisses and wishing you all well,
Betsy

Yeah.....if you are here....you found our blog! I am spending my final hours in Boston for a long time, running around in circles! Did you know you have to order Peruvian money three weeks in advance to buy it in the US??? I didn't. So..we will be showing up in Lima at midnight with no cash. Wish us luck.....I hope we get better at this.
Love you all!