A few days after returning from Normandy, we took another side trip to Oradour-sur-Glane. We would’t have known about the place had we not seen a Facebook post from our friend Tim Martini who has a TV show called “Exploring the Obscure” – a documentary about the existence and history of some of the worlds most unusual places. To link to his show, goto: https://youtu.be/LyEpaiVULds
While I’d planned on learning some new things on this trip, I wasn’t quite sure what the curriculum would be. Turns out that I’ve been enjoying learning how to cook! We took our first cooking class in Lima, Peru where we learned to make Cerviche and Pisco Sours. The class was cool and it was fun learning how to make new things but I didn’t really learn that much about cooking.
While visiting Brazil, we discovered that Brazilian cuisine was really tasty so we signed up for another cooking class offered by Cook in Rio: http://www.cookinrio.com but, this time, we learned a whole lot more about “cookin” than just how to make a dish.
First of all, the teacher (Simone) was super energetic and hilarious! She’s a native Brazilian full of carioca spirit who’d began her career in broadcasting and has lived in Germany, Cuba, the United States, and Brazil with about as many different husbands. When in Germany, she wasn’t able to work in broadcasting so she took a culinary class and discovered her real passion and vows that the main ingredient in any of her dishes is “love”.
During the 4-hour class, we made two types of Caipirinha’s (the national drink of Brazil) – one with passion fruit and the other with the traditional mix of lime, sugar, and rum. We also made a complete Brazilian meal including an appetizer of Caprese (a mix of sausage, onions, and hot pimiento peppers) and fried cassava sticks (a Brazilian cheese with flavor and texture similar to Wisconsin cheese curds). The main course was Brazilian Garlic Rice, Fish Moqueca, and Toasted Cassava Flour with Banana Forafa. Needless to say, we were quite full after eating the incredibly awesome food that we had prepared – the most unique and tasty was the Banana Forafa which was an unusual mix of a special kind of banana fried with onions, olive oil, and brown flour! Who would’ve thunk?
While Simone was entertaining and I’m glad to know how to cook a fine Brazilian meal, I most enjoyed learning some things about of the science behind cooking and nutrition. For example, I’d always thought “flambe” was just a fancy food service technique to impress people but I now know that it enhances and “seals in” the natural flavor of the ingredients and, now, I know how to do it without burning down the kitchen! I learned that you should always serve something spicy as an appetizer because the spice enhances the senses of taste and smell such that you have a greater appreciation for the food you’re eating and I also learned that you should serve something acidic to go with something that contains higher levels of fat as the acid counteracts the fat – I interpret that as: “I can eat all of the bacon and sausage I want to as long as I have an orange with it”!!!!
Brenda & I have found ourselves in the land of Foz for the past week. It’s my second time here and I’d been looking forward to sharing the experience with Brenda. “Foz” is the short nickname for the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguacu which, in Portuguese, means “Mouth of the Iguacu”. Foz has a population of about 350k people and is home to not just one but two of the seven wonders of the world. First of all, Foz is on the tri-country border of Paraguay, Agrentina, and Brazil and is adjacent to Iguazu Falls which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is, by far, one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever been. Secondly, Brazil & Paraguay share Itaipu Binational – a hydro electric plant on the Parana River between the two countries which was named as one of the seven modern wonders of the world and is the world’s largest generator of renewable clean energy providing power to around 30 million Brazilian residents (15% of Brazil’s population) and 5 million Paraguayan residents (75% of Paraguay’s population).
I’ve always liked the name “Santiago” for a city but didn’t know much about it. Now that we’ve been here for a few days, it doesn’t seem foreign at all except for the fact that even fewer people here speak English than in Peru but life in the city is so similar to North American cities that we almost feel at home.
Airbnb has become a favored option for us when traveling. It’s kind of a hybrid mix of Couchsurfing and VRBO. Basically, people rent either their entire home or a room in their home at a cost typically much less than a hotel but the real benefit is that you feel like a local when you’re in Airbnb accommodations. While neither Brenda or I are typically very keen on spending much time in big cities, both of us were raised in small communities and we’ve always wondered what it might feel like to live in a high rise apartment in the heart of a big city – voila! For the last few days, we’ve had our own small apartment on the 15th floor of a 16 story building just a few blocks from city center in a traditional residential neighborhood about 1mile away from tourist central. Fortunately, the balcony faces N/W and is sunny most of the day!
Continue reading Santiago-In Search of High Places and Open Spaces
Peru is a vast country full of beauty, rich cultures, and pride. I continue to be amazed by the variety of landscapes and lifestyles of the people from this country. The cultures of the different regions are about as diverse as the landscapes. We’re only on our 3rd week in Peru and we’ve already visited the lush highlands around Machu Picchu, the urban jungle of Lima, and the fertile lowlands of the Amazon. Now we’re in Arequipa which is referred to as “the White City” and is surrounded by barren desert and enormous snow capped volcanos. The architecture of Arequipa is much different than any we’ve seen so far in Peru. Many buildings in the city have a Spanish Colonial style and many are constructed of the white limestone that is mined in the area but it’s nickname “the White City” has nothing to do with the color of the buildings and everything to do with the color of it’s people. We learned that Arequipa was the first European settlement in all of South America. Turns out that when Europeans first arrived on the coasts of South America, the heat of the coastal regions near the equator was unbearable so they flocked to the highlands and settled there. Much like the colonization of North America, the early settlers in South America started building settlements where they would bring their religion and wealth and, also much like North America, some of the natives accepted the new way of life while others still hold strong resentments.
Since childhood I’ve had an interest in the Inca culture and have been drawn to the beauty of the Andes Mountains. In February 2010, I was in Peru with plans of trekking the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu but, sadly, the region had devastating mudslides about a week before I arrived which destroyed the infrastructure of the towns and transport systems throughout the Sacred Valley. The entire region was being evacuated so, unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Machu Picchu and left with hopes of returning again.
Brenda & I made plans to return earlier this Spring but our plans were deferred again because of my paragliding accident last December. Although I’m still recovering, we left Colorado Springs on March 25th en route to Peru. We arrived in Cusco two days later where we met our friends Pat & Kathi who were joining us for the adventure. While many visitors to Machu Picchu travel by train to get there, we enjoy the wilderness and wanted to experience the beauty of the Andes and history of the ancient Incas by trekking on one of several original Inca trails so we chose to trek a variation of the Salkantay Trail. While we would’ve enjoyed trekking the entire 34 miles, neither time nor my recently broken foot permitted so we chose to complete just the last 10 mile segment from Lucmabamba to Aguas Callientes over Patallacta Pass.
The Trek
We left our hostel in Santa Theresa around 5am and got a ride from the hostel owner to Lucmabamba. We arrived around 6am and started the trek. Shortly after we began, we passed the beautiful Lucma Lodge and came upon our first “Andean Starbucks” – a coffee plantation where we enjoyed a cup of coffee freshly roasted from the coffee beans growing right above the bistro table. It was, by far, the best coffee I believe I’ve ever had!
We continued hiking upwards towards the summit of Patallacta Pass nearly 2500’ in elevation above our starting point. Shortly after cresting the summit, we came to a clearing and saw the Llactapata Ruins. It was still a bit cloudy but a short break in the clouds gave us a glimpse of Machu Picchu. 
We continued to descend to the Llactapata Lodge where we enjoyed a terrific 3 course Andean lunch of avocado salad, trout, and caramelized plantains. By this time, the skies had cleared and we enjoyed a stunning view of Huayana Picchu Mountain and the Citadel off in the distance. From here we continued our decent down the steep and muddy terrain. While I’m accustomed to trekking long distances at a relatively fast pace, the furthest I’d been since I’d broken my foot a few months earlier had been about 4 miles and this 10 mile journey had been quite taxing. By the time we reached the river valley and arrived at Hidro Electrica, my foot was extremely swollen and throbbing – I hate to admit that it brought me to tears – not so much because of my pain but my sadness for the kind of pain my mom experienced her whole life as a result of her arthritic disability and the pain my dad has experienced from his lifetime of injuries. Both of my parents had nerves of steel and the stamina to accomplish great things in spite of their physical pain – truly an example of courage!
While some visitors walk the last 6 miles from Hidro Electrica to Aguas Callientes, we opted to hop the train. We’d been trekking for nearly 9 hours so the comfy bed at the Rupa Wasi Lodge was quite inviting. We had an early dinner and settled in for the night so we could get an early start and make it to Machu Picchu before sunrise the next morning.
Machu Picchu
We arrived at the Citadel at the first sign of light and managed to hike up to the Sun Gate as the sun crested the surrounding peaks and shed its light upon the Citadel. Neither words or pictures give it justice – it was, by far, one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen! 
The Citadel was built for the Inca Emperor and was constructed high upon a hill overlooking the Urubamba River which flows into the mighty Amazon and provides hydro electric power to much of Peru. After witnessing the incredible sunrise, we went to the trail that leads to the summit of Machu Picchu Mountain and began the steep climb. We’d hoped to reach the summit but, unfortunately, the terrain became a bit too steep and difficult for my injured and swollen foot so we settled for the view from about half way up as I knew that coming down would be an even greater challenge. Our friends Pat & Kathi went on to the summit.
After taking a few pictures, Brenda & I slowly descended back to the Citadel and took an easy walk to the Inca Bridge. Again, pix won’t describe what we saw. A portion of one of the many Inca trails was created along the shear face of a deep canyon wall. The stones that were placed to retain the earth for the narrow trail had been placed by hand but I have no idea how! It looked as they came from thin air. While public safety is not as much of a concern in Peru as it is in the US, even this section of trail was blocked off – it appeared to be less than 18” wide and there must have been at least 500’ of shear cliff face below it. In addition to amazing construction skills, the ancient Incas must have had nerves of steel!
Pat & Kathi made it down from the summit of the mountain about an hour later so we all spent the afternoon walking through the ruins of the Citadel admiring the craftsmanship and skill of the Incas. The construction of the temple and the rest of the citadel was remarkable – stones had been carved in unique geometric shapes and carefully placed without the use of any mortar to create solid foundations that have remained in place for more than 500 years and withstood the forces of torrential rains and earthquakes – an incredible feat of engineering with no degree required – just common sense! Makes me wonder why we have to get engineering reviews to construct a simple house today???
Sadly, our day at Machu Picchu came to an end. We returned to Aguas Callientes and boarded the train to Ollantaytambo where we would stay for the next few days.
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a quaint town along the Urubamba river in the heart of Sacred Valley between Cusco & Machu Picchu. Our hostel was located a few blocks from the plaza away from the light and noise. It was dark when we arrived and the stars in the sky were as brilliant as they are on a clear night in Colorado but the perspective was a bit different in the Southern Hemisphere and the planet Mars glowed of orange & red. The building was old & rustic, constructed of adobe mud blocks with a clay tile roof and a small central courtyard. We shared a room with friends Pat & Kathi and a few fuzzy 8 legged creatures – one that crawled out of our bed to make room for us to get in!
After 2 long days of trekking, climbing, and exploring Machu Picchu, we were all ready for a day of relaxation so we opted for an easy stroll through the market and along the narrow cobblestone streets until we came upon a great little place for lunch. Brenda & I shared the typical Peruvian lunch of sopa y arroz con pollo (soup & rice w/chicken) which cost about $5 soles (US $1.50) and the quantity was plenty for us to share. In the afternoon, we relaxed in the hammocks at our hostel admiring the clear sky and steep peaks around us then found our way to the Sacred Valley Brewing Company for happy hour later in afternoon. Turns out that someone from Portland, Oregon has relocated to the Sacred Valley and teamed up with locals to introduce good beer to the Incas but, sadly, I don’t think the Incas like it or can afford it as most of the clientele appeared to be tourists.
After a day of rest & relaxation, we were all ready for some more activity so we ventured a short distance to the ruins on the hillside overlooking the town and again, were amazed by the incredible skill and obvious stamina of the Incas in constructing their villages.
Back in Cusco
Cusco is an amazing city with a population of nearly 1/2 million people that sits at an elevation of 11,200’ above sea level. The city lies near the Urubamba River Valley and was the historic capital of the ancient Inca Empire from the 13th to the 16th centuries and most of the buildings in the city are built upon foundations remaining from the ancient Inca ruins. 
Life in the city evolves around Plaza de Armas and spreads into the hillsides above. It’s a lively town filled with street markets and festivals. Cusco is the gateway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu so the city is bustling with more than 2 million tourists each year from around the world as most all visitors spend some time in the city before or after their journey to Machu Picchu.
When I first visited in Cusco in 2010, I stayed with a Couchsurfing host named Ronnie. He and his brother offered my friend Ian & I a room in their small apartment but, more importantly, their hospitality and friendship. Ronnie had just finished attending University and was working as a tour guide at the time but shared his personal dreams of international travel outside of Peru and his goal of opening his own hostel – both of which he has accomplished since then. The name of his hostel is “Ukukus” which is a word used to describe the blending of the spiritual practices from his Quechua heritage with the traditional Catholicism that came to South American when Europeans started inhabiting the country. http://ukukushostelperu.com Ronnie and I have kept in touch since we met in 2010 and I was fortunate to have followed his progress in the creation of the Ukukus Hostel which I made a very small investment in during the building process. We enjoyed our stay at Ukukus but, unfortunately, Ronnie was in Lima visiting family so we would have to connect in Lima a few days later.
While there are many things to do in Cusco, my favorite is the climb to Cristo Blanco, a statue of Christ with outstretched arms which was donated to the city by the Arabic Palestinians who sought refuge in Cusco after World War II. The statue sits high on a hill overlooking the city. While many tourists opt for a bus ride up and pay the entrance fee to get into the national park where it’s located, we opted for the walk up the “Cusco Incline” (my name for a series of 2000+ steps that begin at Plaza de Armas and go up through the hillside residences overlooking the city and allow for free entrance to the back side of the park. The exercise and the view assimilate that of my favorite activity in Colorado Springs, ie. climbing up the Manitou Incline. While not quite as steep, the distance and number of steps is about the same which became another form of extreme PT on my way to recovery from the broken heel.
Lima – A Stark Contrast to the Sacred Valley
It’s hard to avoid a stay in Lima when visiting Peru or other parts of South America since the airport is a major hub for all domestic and international flights. While Lima was not on our bucket list of places to see, we decided to go ahead and spend a couple of days near the Bohemian district of Barranco and the beaches in Miraflores. In prior visits to Lima, we’d opted for a sleepover in the airport or a cheapie hotel nearby but this time we thought we’d try the urban experience. The cab ride from the airport to the city goes through the port area and some pretty rough looking neighborhoods that made us a bit uncomfortable but as we approached Miraflores, it seemed like we were back in the US. We stayed in a hotel just a few blocks from the beach and series of beautiful small parks overlooking the coast. We enjoyed a walk along the malecon, visited the Artsy Barranco District filled with beautiful Colonial architecture, went to the Museum of Electricity, crossed the Bridge of Sighs, and attended a cooking class where we learned to make Cerviche and Pisco Sours. 
The best part of the visit for me, was connecting with my friend Ronnie from Cusco. We managed to connect twice during our short time in Lima for dinner, drinks, and conversation. Ronnie invited us to join him for the Salkantay Marathon (similar to our Pikes Peak Marathon) and, if I remember correctly after consuming a few beers, Patrick & I agreed to return in the summer of 2017 to participate and bring our friends Tim & Eric with us – hopefully Tim & Eric don’t mind and hopefully my foot will be fully healed by then!
In the Spring of 2010 on a quickie 2 week tour of South America I visited Peru, Argentina, and Brazil with my friend Ian. Although I’d passed through a few local villages in Mexico prior to that trip, I’d never stayed in one of the small villages or visited with the inhabitants other than a brief hello/thanks when ordering a meal. In my first vacations to Mexico, we stayed at the “safe” touristy resorts, sipped coconut drinks, and surrounded ourselves with luxury for a fraction of the cost of a similar vacation in the States but on my visit to Peru, I was lucky to have been hosted by a college student named Ronnie. Ronnie and his brother shared a tiny 3 room apartment on a hillside overlooking the mystical city of Cusco yet offered to share their small space w/ a couple of gringos.
The apartment was a fair distance away from the plaza where most tourists stayed and our only mode of transportation was foot or taxi. During my brief 2 day visit with Ronnie, I learned that he was from a large family of native Peruvians who lived in the Sacred Valley between Ollyntaytambo and Macchu Picchu. Although they had some schooling, most of his siblings had never left the valley and continued to work the land. Ronnie and his brother were the first to complete school and Ronnie was about to finish a degree in tourism and hospitality from the local University and was working as a tour guide to pay his way through college. Ronnie shared his aspirations of opening a hostel in Cusco someday and also of his hope to someday travel around the world. Ronnie was an excellent host. At that time he spoke minimal English and I spoke minimal Spanish but communication was good enough to make us feel good about navigating around the city and region as a couple of gringos.
I was extremely appreciative of the hospitality received from Ronnie and his brother. They had little to offer in terms of creature comforts – ie. cold water in an RV-size bathroom, minimal space to sleep, sit, or even lay down a backpack but they offered a HUGE amount of pride in their culture, a zest for life, kindheartedness, hospitality, and a desire to make our visit an awesome experience.
When I returned to my home in Colorado, I actually felt a sense of embarrassment about the luxury I’d built around me. For the first seven years of my life my family of 3 lived in a small 450sf mobile home then we moved to a 1000sf house that seemed big but was in poor condition and needed a ton of work. At an early age I became interested in architecture and the idea of designing and building some really cool homes and have actually built my career around that. Like many people in my generation, my first home was bigger and nicer than the home I was raised in and each subsequent home was bigger and more luxurious. Although I guess I still have an appreciation for good functional design and quality workmanship and will probably want to continue designing and building nice homes, my vision of custom and luxurious has forever changed to a smaller more simplistic footprint and I’ve become interested in the tiny home movement and the concept of eco lodges.
While many of us eventually learn the lessons of placing lower values on material things as we mature, I give credit to Ronnie for helping me learn the lesson of living more happily with less as well as sharing our resources to help others achieve their dreams.
I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world because Brenda and I came to this realization together and took action. Our first step was to get rid of tons of stuff and downsize to a small 600sf cottage. We managed to build a second small home and create a small but adequate income stream and now we’re off to explore dream and discover for a couple of years. We’re excited that one of our first stops will be a visit to my friend Ronnie in Peru who, in just 5 years since we first met, has achieved a couple of his dreams including spending a year in Europe and opening his own Ukukus Hostel in the heart of Cuzco which quickly acquired top rankings on Trip Advisor!
Congratulations Ronnie on reaching your goals and realizing your dreams! We’re looking forward to our visit!
One of the goals I’d hoped to achieve on this trip was to improve my parapente skills. I’d even given some thought to the idea of logging enough hours and experience to possibly teach the sport someday. As most of you know, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I enjoy teaching and being outdoors so the thought had come to mind.
Since arriving in Crucita, I’d completed nearly 40 flights with more than 30 hours of flight time and was loving life but the enjoyment suddenly came to an end. During my 3rd flight on Wednesday 12/23, the winds suddenly increased and changed direction and I was unable to guide myself to a safe landing. The wind carried me backwards over the city and, as much as I tried to steer away from obstacles, I simply couldn’t. As I approached a home, the kite deflated and dropped me nearly 45′ into a drained pool. The PG harness (and a water bottle inside that broke) took the brunt of the backwards hit and, although my back was bruised and is still sore 2 weeks later, I’m considering it a miracle that I’m alive with no evidence of spinal injury. My mom always used to pray that the Angels would protect me. She must still be praying as I believe they did the other day!
My wife Brenda and I started participating in Couchsurfing Link to our Couchsurfing Profile several years ago. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a kind of a “pay it forward hospitality exchange network” where you host travelers or may be hosted when you travel. One of our first guests was a young Frenchman named Guillaume. On his first night in our home, we struck up the dreaded political conversation that you typically avoid with friends and family members for fear of damaging your relationship. In this case, Guillaume was a stranger so the conversation was fair game.
Several years had passed since I’d been “airborne” in free flight but apparently my passion for soaring still exists. About 5 years ago while visiting Brazil, I signed up for a tandem hang gliding flight with Konrad from Rio Hang Gliding. Rio has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world and flying near Sugar Loaf and Corcovado with the Ocean beyond was another of my most cherished experiences. When I returned, I decided that I wanted to take up the sport but quickly found it to be logistically challenging. In addition to a requirement for near perfect air conditions, you had to be able to drive to a launch site which didn’t bode well with me so I quickly discovered that paragliding was a more practical option.