I have started my endeavor of trying Ceviche in every country I encounter from now on. Ceviche is pickled fish, whereby the raw fish is marinated in an acid-mixture of lime or lemon juice and several spices. The one I had today was spicy hot with chili peppers and naturally sour. Very fresh and tasty, just the right dish for the hot Peruvian coast weather. Best enjoyed with a ice cold Pisco sour topped off with whipped egg-white.
When savored in one of the fancy restaurant of the Miraflores district with a view of the fine colonial architecture (yes, the Spanish got some things alright) in Lima it is not just a fiesta for the pallet but also for all other senses. I must admit, even though Lima may have its dark corners of poverty and crime ridden neighborhoods, but if you have money in Peru- and your travel wallet makes you one of the wealthier individuals down here- it is a place that can be enjoyed tremendously…
It is very hard to find a Carnival in Lima. It seems that the only real Carnival place in the country is in the north east, called Cajamarca. I did not plan to go there and hence was forced to attempt to get some fun in Lima. We found a place where the local youth was dancing to drum beats and was throwing water bombs at each other. One internationally common theme seems to be alcohol consumption though. Logically one can always feel at home just concentrating on this cultural similarity.
Nevertheless, me and some guys I had met at the hostel decided to check out the nightly party scene in town. We found some bars that had some heavy partying and girls who are very proactive in initiating contact, but less active in finding cloth that resemble much more than a bikini. We were rather forgiving about it though… Nevertheless, the fun ended early for us, as most bars close at three in the morning at which time bizarrely enough the nightclubs do not let more people in anymore.
carnival street party, Lima
There was only the strip club option left the cab driver insisted, but naturally that was not an option at all. I am not a big fan of the idea to be paying loads of money for beer while money-craving females annoy the hell out of me by trying to get you into their pants in order to get money out of your pants…
Maybe next time we plan better. Hence that would be my advice to you: if in Lima, hit the dance floor before three, or else you reduce the risk of hangover the next day dramatically, which on the other hand is not the worst per se…
The dessert fields of Nasca, close to the Peruvian coast, have amazed people ever since their modern rediscovery. While some see them as an offering to the Gods in a ritual designed to persuade the Gods to let it rain on this godforsaken place, others believe that they were landing strips for alien visitors.
The Nasca lines are simple etchings into the dessert ground. Since the ground is covered with little gravel stones this special form of pertoglyphs is based on the absence of stones recognizable as drawings. The drawings themselves range from simple triangular shapes to monkeys, spiders, hummingbirds and so forth. One figure is interpreted as an alien with a space suit by some.
These nut-cases unfortunately decided some years ago to invade the dessert and cruise around with very earthly vehicles in order to achieve…well, that is the question!? Whatever these aliens had in mind (not too much, else you do not come up with stupid alien ideas) they destroyed many of the figures. Congrats! Another victory for stupidity!
After an early rise before sunrise we made it up to the top of Machu Picchu. We cheated however, we took the bus. If you are not keen on just walking up a ridiculous amount of stairs that is what I would recommend. The walk up to the actual ruins of Machu Picchu is as close to a natural experience as Heinecken is to beer- kinda not at all.
Once up there one cannot help but being impressed with the skills of the builders of the place and the size of it all. To build something like this place that high up in the mountains must have required tremendous determination and efforts.
After an informative tour which again highlighted the fact which big A-holes the Spaniards were when they made it here, we were left to our own devices in order to risk our lives by trying to climb one of the mountains around in order to get a better view from a bird eye perspective.
Wayna Picchu is the smaller mountain to be conquered while hardly anyone climbs the higher Machu Picchu. But once there why not get my behind up there I thought. Right. If you are about to do it be sure to take it easy. At least in the raining season the 500 years old and slippery stairs seem to be the mountains way to tell you to stay the hell of his back.
I fell of at a place where plants stopped my flight. Else you could find yourself a couple of hundred meters in free fall, just to be found in pieces. However, the view is stunning and being able to say that you climbed Machu Picchu should be worth something in itself too, right?
Verdict: great place. A shame so many other people have noticed that too…
The last day of the trek had us experience the reason this time of the year is called raining season. It poured down on us for most of the trek especially on the last part. But with some of the walls of Machu Picchu peaking over the edge of the plateau we were in the best mood despite being soaked. It seems normal rain-gear is not made for this type of rain…
Strictly speaking Machu Picchu is the mountain towering over the plateau where the fortress of Machu Picchu was erected. Machu Picchu was never finished since the Spanish arrived when it was being built. Hearing about the cruelty with which the Spanish had made a name for themselves the inhabitants of the Machu Picchu fortress abandoned it. The place was forgotten and never found again until the 19th century.
We arrived into the worst possible hotel at the place. While Aguas Calientes is not really a cosy place at the foot of the mountains to Machu Picchu, it has some nice hotels. We did not get one of them. Contrary to what we had been promised there was neither hot water, nor a window, nor a double room, but only triples, but instead there was a constantly running tap and mold on the walls and our sheets.
Be aware that the agencies in Cusco are amongst the worst that tourists can encounter. They will tell you anything to sell and keep very little of their promises. I hazzled them and promised to come back with the tourist police if I would not get a financial compensation. I got a nice amount of money back. It is not guaranteed that paying a higher price gets you better comfort. We were not lucky with it. But ask around if you can before you book since in my experience neither the look of the place nor the price are any guideline.
However, our guide José, from the forests around Cusco was a treasure. He was not just a gentle soul but also a good source for all kinds of information about things on the way…
We were lucky with the weather since we had sun all day despite the fact that we are in the middle of the raining season in Pe4ru right now. The Inka trails are paths through the mountains which connected the mountainous parts of the proud Inka empire. Many small trails lead into the mountains and walking many of them is a neck breaking endeavor! At many places you are sperated from several hundred meters of free fall by just a few centimeters of gravel paths.
It is impressive how these people organized their cities and their trade with simple methods. They also had a communication system in place utilizing the trails. Runners would bridge up to 20 kilometers running, pass on the message to the next runner and so forth. Thereby messages were transmitted over far distances crossing seemingly nonnegotiable terrain.
The end of the day was spend in thermal spring water in this fantastic landscape. Surrounded by waterfalls and visited by butterflies did we recover from a long day walking. Living like god in Peru…
After some struggle with agencies we finally booked a trip that led us to the top of a mountain north of Cusco from where you can enjoy a tremendous view. We were handed some mountain bikes and started our journey downhill all the way to the valley. We were a mixed group of Chileans, one US American (yes, Peter, US American, because the term American alone includes also South Americans ) and Hans-Christian from Norway and myself.
It was wild and fun to ride down the steep mountains, through water streaming down the mountain and passing oncoming trucks just barely. Probably good we were told afterwards that people had been killed by doing what we had just done. Wet but happy did we check in our very basic hostel in the middle of the forest. While the girls spend the evening mostly screaming while searching for the big spiders in or around our accommodation (a task guaranteed to be comparably successful as searching for sand in the dessert) I and some guys spend the time sampling the local beer varieties.
It was early to bed for a long hike on the Inka trail the next morning…
After we had an extra day at our disposal alter being ripped of by a tour operator, we decided to go to the Inca ruins at Moray, near Cusco. The trip in the local bus was an adventure in itself. People in Peru seem not ever to be taller than 1.60 meters it seems. But nevertheless, the trip was very atmospheric (whatever that means?). The landscape around here is fantastic, with the rolling hills, sprinkled with flowers, the snow-capped Andes as a backdrop…
Moray itself was fascinating. The Moray ruins are comprised of several huge structures whose purpose is still disputed. There are several enormous terraced circular depressions that were perhaps used to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops. The depth of the pits (the largest is about 30 m deep) creates a temperature gradient of as much as 15° C between the top and the bottom.
As with many other Inca sites, it also has a very sophisticated irrigation system for providing the plants with water. Hence it has been suggested that the terraces were used to slowly acclimatize plants the Incas had taken from the rain forests in order to use them agriculturally. A fascinating idea, the Moray structures would therefore have been a gigantic agricultural laboratory to experiment with plants.
No I am joking, haha; it really was a landing site for extraterrestrials! Obviously…
Another attempt to book the perfect tour, another failure. I start to remember why I used to stay away from organized tours. However, in Cusco you are almost forced to take one as the restrictions are large to do things alone. In terms of protecting the ancient ruins it makes sense, in terms of finances and quality it does not always.
We booked a tour with a company called Quechuas expeditions, called the Salakantay trek to machupicchu. When we came to the briefing the evening before the tour was supposed to start they told us that two people had canceled and therefore they would not do the tour. Obviously they thought they could not make enough money with it that way, despite the fact that there information promises tours to take place when two people book (which we were). Quechuas expeditions therefore decided to cancel our tour entirely. More than just inconvenient for us. I might now skip this trek altogether.
Details are too boring to be mentioned here. But just be warned if you attempt to book a tour in Cusco. For most operators it merely is a quick way to make money. Ask around, if you can talk to people who just took a tour. Get a detailed contract, even if it feels weired, it pays off if there is any problem. Get them to write down exactly what the tour includes and what not. We did all that, but as I learned now, also make sure that you know what happens in case of cancellation from their side.
In the worst case there is a tourist office helping out with issues like this one. We got our money back and a asked for a small financial compensation which we got. However, there may be more possibilities if you ask the tourist office. We are too much in a rush unfortunately and hence decided to book another operator.
My advice: stay away at least from Quechuas expeditions in Cusco!
“W” is not an entirely new movie anymore and were it not for the fact that Oliver Stone has directed it it may have gotten even less attention than it got. However, I am not aware of any presidency before George W. Bush´s that was reflected in a movie right at its end. But sure this president has been something special. And the world he created is a special one for sure.
Plenty of “firsts” fall into Bush´s presidency, like the first time a massive terrorist attack was carried out on the US. The first time a president so blatantly lied to his people in order to go into a war for personal and economical reasons. And probably the first time a president so openly supported torture carried out by the official USA.
The movie on the other hand does deliver a sensitive character study, making us almost feel sympathetic, maybe even sorry with W. The alcoholic who never gets taken seriously by his family. The struggling heir of the family dynasty who seeks refuge in religion. And the W who comes out on top just to end up as the worst president of the USA in history.
While I enjoyed this approach, that at times walks on a narrow path between sarcasm and documentary, I missed a clearer statement about the fallacies of W´s presidency. Certainly Stone intended a somewhat balanced movie. He has managed it, which is proven by the fact that Bush haters as well as supporters (they do still exist, bizarrely enough) disliked the movie. However, I was missing many details that would have given a stronger statement about the failures of this president.
Stone wanted to concentrate on the Iraq war and therefore left out W´s commitment to only support the rich and to entirely ignore the worlds pressing environmental issues. But even so, Stone in my eyes neglects to put more emphasize on the many death in Iraq, the use of torture, the ignorance with which the US treated its allies, the imperialism and totalitarianism that developed under Bush.
All in all this movie makes most sense for highly informed individuals rather than Fox news watchers. People who need not be told what a nut-case Bush is and how bad his decisions were, leading to a more dangerous world than probably ever before. A world which lost eight years in which it could not address some of its most urgent and pressing problems. A world more segregated and in deep economical crisis due to a reckless, mindless and egoistic capitalism. A world so in need of a savior that they believe and hope one man alone- namely Barack Obama- could solve the problems we face. From one extreme to another in my eyes…
However, I like the movie “W” because it does leave one with the feeling that you want to cry with Bush’s failure rather than hate him for them. Maybe the movie’s conclusion is not so far off from the reality- at least I want to believe it- by suggesting that W tried to do good. That he failed due to his own incompetence, his idiotic faith in a higher force and the fact that he was surrounded by individuals with bad intentions who want a new world order that only benefits the USA and there only the rich.
However, it leaves you with the frustrating feeling that as long as little groups of individuals execute this amount of power, as they do as presidency of the USA, as long as the average Joe watches fox news rather than get some genuine info, thereby enabling the outrageous decisions of these small groups of people, and as long as nationalistic interests come first on a scale so gigantic that they risk the very existence of the human species there is not much hope to make the world a better place.
I do think that Stone’s message is: W is not at fault. We all are.
I have started my endeavor of trying Ceviche in every country I encounter from now on. Ceviche is pickled fish, whereby the raw fish is marinated in an acid-mixture of lime or lemon juice and several spices. The one I had today was spicy hot with chili peppers and naturally sour. Very fresh and tasty, just the right dish for the hot Peruvian coast weather. Best enjoyed with a ice cold Pisco sour topped off with whipped egg-white. 
After an early rise before sunrise we made it up to the top of Machu Picchu. We cheated however, we took the bus. If you are not keen on just walking up a ridiculous amount of stairs that is what I would recommend. The walk up to the actual ruins of Machu Picchu is as close to a natural experience as Heinecken is to beer- kinda not at all.
Wayna Picchu is the smaller mountain to be conquered while hardly anyone climbs the higher Machu Picchu. But once there why not get my behind up there I thought. Right. If you are about to do it be sure to take it easy. At least in the raining season the 500 years old and slippery stairs seem to be the mountains way to tell you to stay the hell of his back.
The last day of the trek had us experience the reason this time of the year is called raining season. It poured down on us for most of the trek especially on the last part. But with some of the walls of Machu Picchu peaking over the edge of the plateau we were in the best mood despite being soaked. It seems normal rain-gear is not made for this type of rain…
Be aware that the agencies in Cusco are amongst the worst that tourists can encounter. They will tell you anything to sell and keep very little of their promises. I hazzled them and promised to come back with the tourist police if I would not get a financial compensation. I got a nice amount of money back. It is not guaranteed that paying a higher price gets you better comfort. We were not lucky with it. But ask around if you can before you book since in my experience neither the look of the place nor the price are any guideline.
We were lucky with the weather since we had sun all day despite the fact that we are in the middle of the raining season in Pe4ru right now. The Inka trails are paths through the mountains which connected the mountainous parts of the proud Inka empire. Many small trails lead into the mountains and walking many of them is a neck breaking endeavor! At many places you are sperated from several hundred meters of free fall by just a few centimeters of gravel paths.
After some struggle with agencies we finally booked a trip that led us to the top of a mountain north of Cusco from where you can enjoy a tremendous view. We were handed some mountain bikes and started our journey downhill all the way to the valley. We were a mixed group of Chileans, one US American (yes, Peter, US American, because the term American alone includes also South Americans 
