Call It In The Air

Pilgrim’s Progress

My pack was heavy before I left Lima but now that I am on the road it is much much lighter (and should only get better as soon as I get rid of this hang over).

The bus ride from Lima to Pisco consisted mainly of trying to keep the drinks down from the night before (New Years Eve). Thankfully I still had a charge in my iPod and the soothing melodies of Neil Young to get me through.

Pisco is not much to look at. Graffiti and garbage decorate the streets but at its heart Pisco is a beautiful town. Like most communities in South America, Pisco has a square where the locals meet in the evenings. Here you can see kids playing, old men chatting, lovers strolling, and vendors vending. It´s something special that you would never see back home.

From Pisco I took a day trip to the Ballestas Islands. The islands host over 160 different species of marine birds, including the Humboldt penguins. Sea Lions also share the island with the birds. It was amazing to see but it took me awhile to sort through the dozens of pictures I took.

I was then on my way to Huacachino, a desert oasis. Stopped off on the way at a winery. It was probably pretty similiar to your typical wine tour, except at the end the guide was feeding us full shot glasses of wine. A great thing to have before heading into the desert to go sandboarding.
I was assuming sandboarding would be similiar to snowboarding, it´s not. I was able to stand but you can´t carve sand like you can snow. So basically you just have to go straight for it and pray you don´t bail. It was actually more fun to lay down face first on the board and bomb the hill since you got more speed and distance.
I was digging sand out of various places for atleast the next week.

From there I went to visit the famous Nazca lines. Huge line-art pieces in the desert sand that were created before the creator would have had the ability to even see the creation. They were impresses indeed but still…really….just lines in the sand.

Arequipa is amazing. So much cleaner and so much more character than Lima. I now understand why everyone suggests getting the hell out of Lima as soon as possible. The altitude is rising and I can feel it…but I´m not getting sick. Must be all the cocoa leaves I´m chewing.

From Arequipa I went to visit the Colca Canyon for a few days. This is where I reached the highest altitude of my travels, 4900m above sea level. Just walking from the bus to the bathroom took a lot out of me.

These valleys have a powerful energy and I can see why the Incans worshipped the mountains. They surround me and protect me in this valley. Water runs from them and provides/creates life all around me. It is a beautiful and spiritual place and I am beggining to reastablish my connection with nature that has most certainly been severed since moving from Vancouver Island.
And even though everyone said it probably wouldn´t happen, due to it not being the right season, I did manage to see a condor.

I´ve decided I will upload pictures when I get home (which is coming up fast). Since it should be quite a lengthly process.

Stay tuned for my adventures in Cusco and the trek to Macchu Picchu.

Start At The Beginning

I´ve been in Lima for 6 days. Which is about 4 days too many.

It´s not that Lima isn´t a great city, because it is. But it is just that…a city. Two days would be enough to explore the unique opportunities that Lima has to offer, the rest is just fluff that you would find in any large city around the world. I went to the theatre and watched the new Narnia movie last night, for example.

That´s not to say I have not enjoyed my time here nor do I regret this time spent. It has given me the chance to introduce myself to the culture and ease into my trip (and eat lots of delicious ceviche).

It has also allowed me to meet many fascinating characters. Through the hostel, many other travellers who share their stories with me, allowing me to learn from their mistakes or maybe take in their suggestions of things to do. But it has been the locals that I´ve met that has been truly exciting.

As I walked along the cliffs of Lima I stopped to watch the many surfers. I was soon approached by a man speaking Spanish. I explained to him that I did not understand and he attempted to communicate with me with broken English (which was actually quite understandable). He explained to me these waves were small and only good for exercise, not for true surfing. The real waves are up north, where he is from.

He was visiting Lima to meet with government officials to try and get a loan for the school he teaches at in the north. The school is for orphans, Sin Papas (without fathers), and he built it 15 years ago. Before he arrived the kids would sniff glue to get high and pass the time. Now he offers them sports and art programs as well as schooling to keep them occupied and happy. He showed me some of their art, it was truly amazing. I kept waiting for him to try and sell me this art or get money from me somehow, but instead he gave me a dictionary, some cocoa leaf tea, and a map the children made, as a gift! When I tried to give him something he refused.

He thanked me for visiting Peru and learning about his culture. When I told him I will be participating in the Ayahuasca ceremonies at the end of my trip he got excited. He told me this was very important. He did Ayahuasca 5 times 15 years ago. This is when he stopped doing drugs, smoking, drinking, and built his school. He explained to me that Ayahuasca is forever and I must use it´s shared knowledge to help my friends back home when they are in need of it. I am more excited than ever to find out with this plant has to teach me.

He gave me his email for if I have any questions during my trip. He also invited me to his school should I return to Peru. If I do make it back here I would love to go north and volunteer for him.

¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?

The next day I went to downtown Lima. A busy place with interesting architecture. I planned a loop to walk that would allow me to see all the main sights. About 30 minutes into my walk I ended up talking with another local. We walked and talked for another 30 minutes or so. Turns out he is an Ayahuasca shaman (I told him I was going to try Ayahuasca and he said this is why our paths crossed, Ayahuasca had brought us together). His wife and daughter are in Vancouver, he was deported back here for staying in Canada too long and can´t return for 2 years.

He told me he was meeting friends at a nearby bar and I should join them. It felt safe enough and I told myself I would leave as soon as I felt at all uncomfortable.

We arrived at the bar and I was met with hugs and smiles by his friends. Two Bolivian musicians who were playing their music in the bars in Peru (Think ex-hippies. They showed me pictures from when they were younger, apparently they were quite successful musicians back in the day). We each ordered a jug of pisco sour and got to drinking and sharing stories. (Our Peruvian friend, Marco, translated for us when we could not understand each other.) They drew maps in my notebook and told me the best places to see. They shared stories from history and taught me some basic Spanish. Like the man I met the day before they shared the excitement for me trying Ayahuasca. They said ¨Uno, dose, tres ojos¨, meaning it will open my third eye.

We ordered some Alpaca meat (which was deliciously prepared) and after this meal I was on my way, fueled by the pisco sours. I did an abridged version of my orginally planned route of the city as it was now getting dark and I was not interested in being downtown come nightfall. I did, however, make it a church called San Fransisco, which was interesting due to the fact that it had catacombs filled with human skeletons. (The library was also amazing).

So yes, Lima has been great. I will have a fantastic New Years here at the hostel but I am excited and anxious to get going with my trip tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to upload some pictures soon.

Until then.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Had a great time last weekend partying at The Rickshaw Theatre on Hastings & Main…now that’s the real Fright Nights.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes played some new songs and debuted some swanky new merch.

The night kicked off with a very energetic and lively Stella which set a good foundation for the mood for the rest of the night.

FAME was incredible. I have heard all about them and was excited to see them. They did not disappoint. They won performance of the night.

Quartered reminded everyone that it was their CD release party by executing a solid performance that wrapped up the night to a large and very rowdy audience.

And now GPB has left to join up with the AP Tour in the States. They’ll be gone until mid November but make sure you check them out when they get back. They put on a party not to be missed.

mmmm….Anton’s…..

I’m excited. Today’s Living Social deal is 50% off at Anton’s Pasta Bar. You may ask yourself “Self, why is this so exciting”? But if you are asking yourself that then you’ve never eaten at Anton’s and your opinion is garbage.                            

     « this is how a real man eats his pasta

They serve you so much pasta for your dinner that there is enough to eat it again for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner the next day. Some people prefer fancy restaurants where they make art out of small garnishes on your plate but I say bring on the food!

If you decide to check out this amazing pasta feast make sure you get there early (they open at 4pm) as the line up is always stretched down the block.

In case you missed it above click here to get in on this half off deal which lasts for another 19 hours. :)