Peru and the Galápagos
On June 28th, just five days after my paying job as a high school teacher finished for the summer, my partner, C, and I boarded a plane headed to Lima, Peru. We had a few days to explore Lima and Arequipa before we joined the bicycle tour. Our van supported tour covered a southern loop of Peru that began in Arequipa and ended in Cusco. For my first cycling tour, the van support made a huge difference. Cycling at 16,000 feet altitude is no joke, and when I was not able to ride up a 1 km hill, I hopped into the van. We were also able to cover more distance in a shorter period of time. The only time we spent a lot of time in the van was between Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca.
As on every trip I have ever taken, I learned much about myself, my abilities, my weaknesses and how I move through the world. This marks the first time I have traveled with a partner- in over two decades of traveling solo, one of those as a sober person. I would be a liar if I said it was easy. I am so accustomed to always making decisions on my own, and not having to negotiate or compromise with another person while on the road. On the other hand, it is comforting to be with a familiar face and to share beautiful moments as well as disasters. I know that travel can be amazing but also frustrating when things go wrong- and they always do. It is one thing to know your own threshold for when the *shit hits the fan* and dealing with uncomfortable situations, but it isn't easy when you are traveling with another person. There are so many times when I wished my little sis was with me to experience something magnificent, but then I realized she would hate me and the situation. We are all built differently and being on the road for over a month can be exhausting and wear on a person.
There were moments when I felt frustrated with C, for no other reason than: we were mostly together 24/7 for three weeks. It is really important to take time away from each other when traveling, whether you are with a friend a lover or family member, we need breaks and alone time. For me, time alone is super important to keep my mental disorders in check and keep my (addiction) recovery strong.
On this tour, I learned what physical limits to push while cycling, but also happily trotted along last during my adjustment to the altitude. Hills, so many hills... I am content now that I forced myself to ride completely up those (at times) never-ending hills. (I did not however, feel any shame calling it quits and jumping in the van to get up two ferocious hills.). I learned how to better ride downhill- by standing up and shifting my weight backward over the back wheel. I am a better cyclist, and I feel more confident about solo riding.
Highlights of this trip include: cycling the countryside around Arequipa, cycling into Colca Canyon, seeing the condors, cycling down the Patapampa Pass, Ollyantaytambo, hiking into Aguas Calientes, visiting Maccu Piccu at sunrise, and the gastronomy tour.
C and I had a few more days in Cusco to explore and rest. After Cusco I headed into the Peruvian Amazon, through the port town of Puerto Maldonato. At first, Puerto wasn't likable, but once I found the French cafe, the mercado (open air market), motobike taxis and an AA meeting, I fell in love. I easily explored town and the millions of tour agencies and booked a jungle trip at a reasonable price. The jungle excursion involved many activities like zip-lining through the canopy of the jungle, walking over scary sky-high rope bridges, kayaking in the river, and fishing. In this section of Amazon, I saw caymans, tarantulas, giant river otters, monkeys, macaws, parrots and parakeets. After the jungle, I returned to Puerto for a few days to rest and get myself reorganized. The huge hostel I stayed in allowed me to do some writing, meet people, take care of a few things (like my smelly jungle laundry), as well as 'Whats app' phone my sis.
While on the bicycle tour, Louise and I chatted about the Galapagos. Louise mentioned an airfare sale... This is how I ended up, last minute booking a trip to the Galapagos. The perfect ending to a five and a half week trip=Galapagos. Although I would have loved somebody else to do the thinking for me by this time, I got on just fine. Getting to the Galapagos was not too difficult. I arrived in Baltra Airport after spending the night in Quito. From Baltra, after paying the national park entrance fees of $120.00, I caught the free bus waiting outside. The short bus ride dropped me at the ferry, which for $1 took me across to the island of Santa Cruz. After grabbing my bag from the top of the ferry I caught another bus into the main town of Puerto Ayora (for $2). The bus dumps everyone at the port. Fortunately, I easily walked the few blocks my hostel. Puerto Ayora is probably the busiest of towns on the islands and can be overwhelming, because of the number of tour agencies and tour options: day trips, overnight excursions, snorkel trips, SCUBA diving, and ferry options to the other inhabited islands. There are tons of eateries. The possibilities for free activities abound. I booked my diving trip and a day excursion and wanted to wait and explore before spending any more money. After a few days of activities, talking to other travelers and solo exploration I decided to book a last minute cruise. I think it is definitely the way to go in the Galapagos. I had a hard time parting with $900.00 cash money, but it was well worth it. The islands are spread out and you have to go by boat to visit each different one. You can only DIY and ferry to four of the islands. Other than the inhabited islands, you must book tours to visit. I was able to visit the far-flung island of Genovesa by yacht, which I would not have been able to do otherwise. I lucked out because I had a cool group of people on my cruise. Things I did not expect: the ocean to be so cold, to tip the crew and tour guide on the cruise ship, the meals to be so spread out, to spend many hours on the boat the last day of the cruise, and the rock-and roll of the boat in the currents. The crew were good guys, and the captain showed me how to steer the yacht- I ended up steering for over an hour one day! (It is not as easy as it looks!) Galapagos the trip of a lifetime and well worth it.
On June 28th, just five days after my paying job as a high school teacher finished for the summer, my partner, C, and I boarded a plane headed to Lima, Peru. We had a few days to explore Lima and Arequipa before we joined the bicycle tour. Our van supported tour covered a southern loop of Peru that began in Arequipa and ended in Cusco. For my first cycling tour, the van support made a huge difference. Cycling at 16,000 feet altitude is no joke, and when I was not able to ride up a 1 km hill, I hopped into the van. We were also able to cover more distance in a shorter period of time. The only time we spent a lot of time in the van was between Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca.
As on every trip I have ever taken, I learned much about myself, my abilities, my weaknesses and how I move through the world. This marks the first time I have traveled with a partner- in over two decades of traveling solo, one of those as a sober person. I would be a liar if I said it was easy. I am so accustomed to always making decisions on my own, and not having to negotiate or compromise with another person while on the road. On the other hand, it is comforting to be with a familiar face and to share beautiful moments as well as disasters. I know that travel can be amazing but also frustrating when things go wrong- and they always do. It is one thing to know your own threshold for when the *shit hits the fan* and dealing with uncomfortable situations, but it isn't easy when you are traveling with another person. There are so many times when I wished my little sis was with me to experience something magnificent, but then I realized she would hate me and the situation. We are all built differently and being on the road for over a month can be exhausting and wear on a person.
There were moments when I felt frustrated with C, for no other reason than: we were mostly together 24/7 for three weeks. It is really important to take time away from each other when traveling, whether you are with a friend a lover or family member, we need breaks and alone time. For me, time alone is super important to keep my mental disorders in check and keep my (addiction) recovery strong.
On this tour, I learned what physical limits to push while cycling, but also happily trotted along last during my adjustment to the altitude. Hills, so many hills... I am content now that I forced myself to ride completely up those (at times) never-ending hills. (I did not however, feel any shame calling it quits and jumping in the van to get up two ferocious hills.). I learned how to better ride downhill- by standing up and shifting my weight backward over the back wheel. I am a better cyclist, and I feel more confident about solo riding.
Highlights of this trip include: cycling the countryside around Arequipa, cycling into Colca Canyon, seeing the condors, cycling down the Patapampa Pass, Ollyantaytambo, hiking into Aguas Calientes, visiting Maccu Piccu at sunrise, and the gastronomy tour.
C and I had a few more days in Cusco to explore and rest. After Cusco I headed into the Peruvian Amazon, through the port town of Puerto Maldonato. At first, Puerto wasn't likable, but once I found the French cafe, the mercado (open air market), motobike taxis and an AA meeting, I fell in love. I easily explored town and the millions of tour agencies and booked a jungle trip at a reasonable price. The jungle excursion involved many activities like zip-lining through the canopy of the jungle, walking over scary sky-high rope bridges, kayaking in the river, and fishing. In this section of Amazon, I saw caymans, tarantulas, giant river otters, monkeys, macaws, parrots and parakeets. After the jungle, I returned to Puerto for a few days to rest and get myself reorganized. The huge hostel I stayed in allowed me to do some writing, meet people, take care of a few things (like my smelly jungle laundry), as well as 'Whats app' phone my sis.
While on the bicycle tour, Louise and I chatted about the Galapagos. Louise mentioned an airfare sale... This is how I ended up, last minute booking a trip to the Galapagos. The perfect ending to a five and a half week trip=Galapagos. Although I would have loved somebody else to do the thinking for me by this time, I got on just fine. Getting to the Galapagos was not too difficult. I arrived in Baltra Airport after spending the night in Quito. From Baltra, after paying the national park entrance fees of $120.00, I caught the free bus waiting outside. The short bus ride dropped me at the ferry, which for $1 took me across to the island of Santa Cruz. After grabbing my bag from the top of the ferry I caught another bus into the main town of Puerto Ayora (for $2). The bus dumps everyone at the port. Fortunately, I easily walked the few blocks my hostel. Puerto Ayora is probably the busiest of towns on the islands and can be overwhelming, because of the number of tour agencies and tour options: day trips, overnight excursions, snorkel trips, SCUBA diving, and ferry options to the other inhabited islands. There are tons of eateries. The possibilities for free activities abound. I booked my diving trip and a day excursion and wanted to wait and explore before spending any more money. After a few days of activities, talking to other travelers and solo exploration I decided to book a last minute cruise. I think it is definitely the way to go in the Galapagos. I had a hard time parting with $900.00 cash money, but it was well worth it. The islands are spread out and you have to go by boat to visit each different one. You can only DIY and ferry to four of the islands. Other than the inhabited islands, you must book tours to visit. I was able to visit the far-flung island of Genovesa by yacht, which I would not have been able to do otherwise. I lucked out because I had a cool group of people on my cruise. Things I did not expect: the ocean to be so cold, to tip the crew and tour guide on the cruise ship, the meals to be so spread out, to spend many hours on the boat the last day of the cruise, and the rock-and roll of the boat in the currents. The crew were good guys, and the captain showed me how to steer the yacht- I ended up steering for over an hour one day! (It is not as easy as it looks!) Galapagos the trip of a lifetime and well worth it.
Check out my blog posts on Peru and the Galapagos for more info. You can click on the Maccu Piccu link below to read about my experience there. Below are some of my youtube videos that are on my youtube channel. Lastly, there is a slideshow of some of the best photos from this journey.
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