Ausangate

Ausangate. Holy Smokes. This was the most epic and gorgeous trip I have ever taken. On a whim and invitation by my group of volunteer friends in Ollanta - and with generous donations of warm clothing, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat from others here so I wouldn't die - I decided to join in on this adventure. We took off on a Wednesday afternoon to hit up the Urubumba market, then headed to Cuzco for the evening to repack and get ready. Thursday morning, we found down the bus that drove us three hours to Tinke to meet our trustee guide and horses. We were hiking at around 15,000 to 16,000 every day, crossed three passes - the tallest of which was 17,200, and got caught in two snow storms. It was so incredible I'll try and let he picture speak for themselves since words won't do it justice. Well... with a little comentary of course.

Here's the group on the morning of the second day. We finally go to see the mountain that was covered in clouds the whole way to our first campsite.

My tent in front of Ausangate. Campsite #1.

We walked through endless fields of Llamas and Alpacas all trip long. They're so cute!

Day 2: Mountian lakes and glacier on the west side of the mountain.

This was my low point at the top of the first pass day 2. We kept thinking the snow storm would pass... but it didn't. I didn't have my warm hat or my raincoat handy, so just after this picture was taken, our guide Miguel gave me an awesome woven blanket to wrap over my head and shoulders until we found our campsite. I had images of getting lost on Mount Everest and my parents never knowing what happened to me. Again. This was definitely my lowest point.

Morning day 3. Appropriately clothed and ready to take on snowy pass #2 - 17, 200 ft!

Our second campsite. Morning after storm number one.

The ladies celebrating reaching 17,200 ft with star jumps on day 3!

On the other side second pass. More high desert headed towards pass number three.

These alpacas were dressed up all fancy!

Campsite number three. The snow stopped just as we set up camp. but then started again in the middle of the night along with raging winds.... But beautiful, no?

Day 4: Here's hoping storm number three doesn't hit before we get over the last pass

The Promised Land! No more snow!

Celebrating surviving the worst of it in some hot springs at the end of day 4

Day 5: Back in Tinke waiting for the bus back to Cuzco after 5 days of awesomeness. Our guide Miguel and his son helped send us off.

So these are only a few of the amazing photos and stories I have. But this is all that trying to upload pictures 5 days in a row using Peruvian internet will allow.

Sunrise at Macchu Picchu

Two weeks ago, my classmates who are working in Lima this summer made it out to the Sacred Valley to visit me. When I met them in Ollanta's Plaza de Armas, Ben's first words to me were "Josh's eyes are going to get tired this weekend from him rolling them at you. This place is rediculous." Ridiculously AWESOME. I know. I'm so so grateful that I get to spend my summer in Ollanta and pretty happy that I got to share it with some friends. So our main agenda for the Sacred Valley weekend was to visit Macchu Picchu. I've done it once before when I was here 5 years ago with my mom, but the boys wanted to do it "right": at sunrise. After a little tour of town, and introduction to the host family and host animals, including family cow Chiara, we grabbed a drink then hopped on the train to Aguas Calientes for a few hours of sleep before our epic sunrise adventure. 

It was incredible. I'll let some of the photos speak for themselves, but it was so sureal to see the ancient city take on a whole new life after the tranguility of the dark and cool morning. Once the sun hit we climed Huaynapicchu for yet another view of the ruins.  We took our time on the top for a mid morning snack and nap on what felt like the top of the world. Then ventured down and across to the other side of the citadel to the Sungate, where the Inca Trail enters Macchu Picchu.  Gorgeous.

Exhausted by 1 after being up since 4:45, we trained back to Ollanta, grabbed dinner with my volunteer friends, and took some Cuzqueña beers to the ruins for some star gazing to finish off the night... or so we thought. The small Ollanta disco tec still doesn't know what hit it.

I Love Food

As you all know I love food. Which is great because my host mom is a great cook and loves to talk about food. Food words are often the hardest - so I only know what ingredients she's using half the time, but I'm learning. She also has wonderful herb garden that she harvests. She walked me through it the other day pointing out different things she's used to cook and having me smell them. Here's some of the stuff I've gotten to eat:

Watia - For father's day we make a traditional Andean meal called Watia or Pachamanka depending on what you're cooking. It's essentially the creation of an stone/earth oven by building a dome of stones over a fire. You heat  the stones for an hour or so until they're good and hot, then you throw potatoes inside and slowly collaps the stones, adding food layered as you go.  Then the whole thing is covered with Paja - or straw, then a sheet of plastic, then covered in dirt. It sits there for another half an hour to an hour, then the whole thing is covered, the food removed, and you eat (you always peal the potatoes by hand after they cook). Best sweet potatoes I've ever had. For us it was served with Cuy - stuffed with something essentially like spinach. along with a sauce called aji. It was incredible!!!

Palta - So much Avocado. I'm in heaven

Patita de Paula - Paula is my family's old cow. I ate her feet - or hooves I guess. Some piece still had hair on them. It was weird, but hey -  I'll try anything once. I know Lengua de Paula is gonna show up sometime…

Mazamora - Often for dinner I get essentially rice pudding. Sometimes it's made with ground corn and it is SOOO GOOD. But it's like dessert for dinner. And I can't say no when they ask if I want more. So I might have diabetes when I get home. Holy Carbohydrates!

Grenadilla - this is a strange fruit that has a hard shell you have to hit agains the table or something hard to crack, then pick it away piece by piece. then you see the fruit inside that looks kind of like frog eggs. And you slurp out these little juice packets and their seeds to eat them. So sweet and tasty.

Vicera de Cuy -  yup. Guinnea pig innards: heart, liver, intestines, the whole gammet.  Fried up and served withe peas, carrots, fava beans, corn, and french fries on rice. Awesom

Boiled Banana -  has a special name that I forget already. But really sweet and yummy. Bananas will never be the same in the states

Jugo - I recently discovered the juice lady in the market. For 4 soles (less than $2) you get a small pitcher of any juice combination you want. Today: beets, carrots, orange and ginger; then round two was beets, carrots, pinneapple, papaya, orange, banana and ALOE. Not to mention the fresh orange, banana, and papaya juice my host mom makes for breakfast almost every day...

I'm hoping to bring some of these recipes home (except all things cuy related) for whoever wants to try them ...