Return to Civilization

Well folks, I have officially completed the 2010 field season in Central Chile.

I spent a full month holed up in the mountains of the Andes (not complaining) with no internet access, so I kept up with a word document to chronicle my stay in one of the most incredible places I will ever see in my life. I will likely not have time to edit and get the posts up until after Christmas day to complete the post, pics included.

I am very ready to go home. It has been six months and eight days since I arrived in this country last June. My flight leaves Wednesday night and I will finally be in the arms of my loved ones Thursday morning. I truly look forward to being on familiar soil and in loving arms.

Today, I did some last minute shopping for my family. (Lizzy, I bought you something absolutely beautiful. You'll just love it.) Tomorrow, I clean and return equipment to it's proper owners, prep all the samples with DMSO and confirm all the paperwork to travel with on the plane ride home is good to go.

I'll meet with Dr. Mauricio Soto-Gamboa to discuss data analysis, and then take everyone who assisted me in my research this past month to Tiramisu Pizzarea (http://www.tiramisu.cl/) around 8 pm. Tuesday, I hope to finish up with all my obligations and pack everything so that on Wednesday I can relax before I take a taxi to the Santiago airport at around 6 pm- giving me plenty of time to get through security and maybe grab a bite to eat- before my plane leaves just after 22:00 (it is an overnight flight to Atlanta that looks packed! What fun...). Hopefully customs won't give me too much trouble about the samples and I can pass them off to Rachel who will take them to Berkeley for me on her way home to California.

Once I get home, work will get put on the back burner until school starts again in January. Yay for vacations.

The 11th Hour

Late snowfall last week. Unpredictable weather may create problems...no bueno.

Well, tomorrow is the big day! I have been waiting for this day since September. It is only now that it has become safe to explore the option of studying coruros in the Andes. There are still so many unanswered questions I have, but tomorrow is the first step. Alternatively, Plan B would send me to Los Molles, near the coast 2 hours from Santiago. There is a field station being used by the Catolica team studying a unique rodent found there. They have invited me to join them, as there are coruros abundant there. It has the potential to be just as successful. So, no worries..right? Plan A or Plan B. We shall see.

It is hard to imagine that I will have just barely five weeks, though. I don't feel it is enough time, but I am also anxious to complete this study and return home. I've made my dollars stretch...along with my nerves. Living alone now in Santiago, and not having fully mastered Spanish, I find some days harder to get through than others. I have really enjoyed the company of the people in the lab, as they are patient with my broken Spanglish. But interacting with people in the stores and on the street is still sometimes wearing.

Hostel living is exciting and a little wearing, itself, as well. I have met so many interesting people! But that also is the problem. There are always so many strangers around you every day. And some snore pretty loudly at night. I certainly did not pack to be as a backpacker either, and so moving about is quite challenging. Soon, this will be just another few weeks to reflect on. It will certainly not be the last time I find myself touring the hostels of a country.

Ironically, the more time I have spent away from home, the more news savvy I have become. I listen to NPR and the BBC every day. It helps me to not feel so isolated if I hear English every day. I took some Spanish classes during the last few months, when not traveling about, and feel far more confident than I arrived in June, but there is still much I need to work on. Pronunciation being one of them.

Consuelo was the best profesora ever! (I was sick that day..:( ..)

I hope that this experience will make me a capable and independent biologist and researcher. I know that I have grown as a person in these last months. I have seen so many things and learned about different ways of living that I could not imagine without making this journey. I will take these memories away with and cherish them for the rest of my life, no matter what the future holds.

Santiago living..

Checking in

After suffering a pretty nasty 'gripe', or flu, I feel I should reconnect with the world.

First, an apology. I do not know where these last weeks have gone. I have been in a stressful dialogue with my colleagues trying to organize the right time, place and resources. We are making progress, but it is slow. I have high hopes.

We said goodbye to Tina last Sunday, and Rachel and I went our separate ways. I have been bouncing from apartment to hostel to apartment. It is amazing that 5 months have already passed!

I will tell you about my trip to Valdivia to start analyzing my data and the beautiful experiences I had, but not now. I have to go answer some more e-mails, go buy supplies, and look at my data again.

I will be certain to beef up this blog once I return to the United States, after Christmas of course, with pictures and more details. When I am in the mountains, it is unlikely I will have access to the internet, but I will attempt to make small posts, so I don't feel overwhelmed. I think that is why I have been ignoring my poor blog.

Ok, well, I need some food, so I need to go fidget with the apartment door to make sure I can reopen it when I return..the hazards of adjusting to a new apartment. Don't ask.

My visit to Valdivia, Chile

Firstly, Valdivia is gorgeous. There, I put that out there. It had to be said. Here is proof:

A house near the botanical gardens.

On the river near the university.

The bay near the NGO reserve.

Just outside the fort at Niebla.

Ok, now that that is clear, and you obviously agree with me, I can start from the beginning.

I took a very comfortable bus ride down to Valdivia from Santiago in late October, from about the 16th to the 26th. I would certainly recommend this company to anybody. The prices seemed very reasonable to me. I think it certainly helped that I had a stunning view the whole way down, sitting in the front row on the second floor of this bus. At first is was much like a roller coaster ride, because of how far from the ground I felt and the fact that I could not actually see the front of the bus. But I watched for nearly 12 hrs.(the length of the bus ride) as the landscape and ecology changed around me. And always in view were the Andes.

Here is a link: http://www.turbus.cl/commerce/inicio.jsp

You can easily get to the bus station by taking the metro to University of Santiago, passing through the metro terminal to the bus station. Super fácil.

Arriving pretty late, my professor from the Austral University, Mauricio Soto-Gamboa came to pick me up from the bus station. We spent Sunday at their beautiful home just outside Valdivia. Carmen, a grad student and long-time polola of Mauricio's was so wonderful the whole time, making amazing meals for us to share. They were so kind. I could not remember when I had felt so at home in a place.

On Monday, the real work started. We discussed the data and I began the analysis, working for 3 straight days, solid. On Thursday, I finally came out of the zone with enough analyzed data to discover.... nothing really. We ran the data through Statistica and found that the preliminary results were not going to give us much insight. I would need to continue to analyze other elements and characteristics of the data, include the ecological data and run the analysis again. My professor also reminded me, that no results are also results.

Mind you, I did have several breaks from staring at a computer screen. When the weather turned from rainy and dull to bright and sunny, we went into town to have a lunch of fresh fish and salad. I was also invited to several guest lectures, which was very interesting.

Thursday night, we went to several carretes, all included delicious grilled foods, which all the grad students, of course, gathered around. People were so friendly and accommodating that I couldn't believe I was still in Chile! These parties went long into the night, and I was really glad when on Friday I was given the option to work from the house.

On the weekend, I did the tourist thing, wandering about the city. Entertaining myself at the fish market, and watching the gathered wildlife waiting for handouts:


One-stop shopping at the faria


Tiuque ataque!!!

Chimango Caracara also known as Tiuque (Milvago chimango) is a species of bird of prey in the Falconidae family. (from Wikipedia)

Gulls, comorants, vultures, and sea lions, oh my!

Comorant hanging out near the action.

Big lobos marinos resting on a dock.

Look at that face!

From the all the action of the market, I decided to take a bus to Niebla, a town nearby that sported fort preserved from colonial times. On the way, I was so taken by the views, I got off the bus as we entered town to take photos.

As I wandered further into town, I practically stumbled into the fort. It was a lovely place, the views were stunning, and the museum inside the what I can only imagine were the barracks was very informative.

My adventures continued as I returned to the city of Valdivia. I spent a few hours getting lost in the city's botanical gardens, and afterword found myself investigating into the whereabouts of of a place where everyone in the main plaza had stopped to get delicious looking ice cream. I used my investigative skills and followed the trail of very happy people to a chocolateria! It was the most enjoyable ice cream I had had since Imporio La Rosa in Santiago. I took in the sites and sounds of the city as the day came to a close.

Church=site.

The last and final day of my visit, Dr. Soto-Gamboa took me along to go recover some data loggers from a field site located in the stunning Valdivian forests. It was exhilarating to be wandering through such a lovely place on such a perfect day, as the weather was cooperating. After collecting all the data loggers, and pausing on several occasions to listen to and observe some of the wildlife, we returned to the field truck. Mauricio said that we had some time, and so I bolted down the the nearby cay to explore the beach. Always a child at heart. But can you blame me:

I left that night to return to Santiago, eternally grateful, to my Chilean adviser. I learned so much in that short week, and saw some pretty amazing things. I can't imagine doing anything else in my life than being where I am and doing what I am doing right now!!

However, I will admit that I am homesick. I miss everyone back home, but I know that time will pass quickly and Christmas will be here before you know it!

The Last Push: Arriving at Machu Picchu

Sunrise view at Machu Picchu

The next morning we arose at 4:30 to reach the gates of the Inca trail. We were blessed with clear skies. Nearly 200 people stood milling about at the gate. As they opened it, there was a blind rush up the mountainside, stair after stair, I was caught up in the flurry. Soon, I had had enough of the fast pace and felt like I might progress further if I crawled up the stairs. My knees were screaming and my butt was throbbing, as I had fallen in the slippery shower the night before. Panting, I finally reached the top, the last glorious step, praying that the sun would stay behind the mountains just a little longer. I finally reached the gate to the park itself where my companions were waiting. I completed the Inca Steps in 53 minutes, and I was damn proud of myself. My just reward was the most spectacular view of the Lost City I could possibly imagine.

We learned about the sacred city from our tour guide, but most of what was known was speculation. It was still fascinating to hear of an advanced ancient culture that practice science through the stars and in their agriculture. The Incas observed constellations by looking at the dark space between stars. The city was stunning. As we climbed the terraces in the city toward the afternoon, my pants tore around the bottom, and I decided that Wiana Picchu would be too much for me. Anna and I returned to Augas Calientes as the day became unbearably hot. I spent the rest of my day moving about the tourist town looking at souvenirs and nesting myself in a restaurant to people-watch and write postcards. I took the train back to Cuzco that night, exhausted and ready for a reprieve. The next day I wandered through the Temple of the Sun and the artisanal markets, mostly dazed and still in awe, before nearly missing my flight back to Lima as I rushed back to Santiago, Chile.

You do not recover quickly from the Salkantay Trek. I was back to work in the field the week of my return, but the rest of my time was spent in bed, sleeping. And sleeping some more, between organizing my collected data on the ecology of Rinconada.

Pictures:

The sacred Lost City of of the Incas

Llama taking in the view on the terraces

Temple of the Tree Windows...?

Temple of the Condor

This as an alter for tributes to the surrounding mountains.

Though a little archaic now, I really enjoyed reading Lost City of the Incas, by Hiram Bingham as a prequel to my trip. Read and enjoy.

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-City-Incas-Phoenix-Press/dp/1842125850/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1287586265&sr=8-1

The Salkantay Trek: Day 4

More rain.

Day 4: This was by far the easiest day. Though we were all exhausted by now, including the tour guide, who had begun to lose interest in us, spending more time with his colleagues and leaving us behind for several paces or falling back to other groups, we muddled our way farther into the valley. At one point, Ana, the Scotswoman whom I befriended, and I got lost on an adjoining trail that dead ended. Losing 30 minutes, we fell behind, but corrected our path and soon found our tour guide waiting for us with his ‘buddies’ down at the bank of the Vilcabamba. Irritated, we continued on, but he told us as we approached a conspicuous looking set of mountains that they were in fact Machu Picchu and Wianah Picchu. I was ecstatic.

Rio Vilcabamba

First sighting

After lunch, we said goodbye to our cook, who had consistently made us very palatable meals given the rustic conditions, and continued on our way, now following the train tracks to Augas Calientes. The rain started again, but I was undeterred. I was in paradise. I took in the sights, smells, sounds as I continued walking, running on a good lunch and sheer will. I described to Ana a little about the biology, but at that time she had grown impatient and irritable with the weather and the distance we had yet to travel. I witnessed a raccoon-sized mammal cross the tracks and grew excited. I looked it up later to discover it was an agoati.

As night drew in, we approached the city. The mist moved like ancient ghosts across the vegetated mountainsides. I caught glimpses of the sacred city to my right before we headed into the city. We stayed in comfortable hostels that night and ate well at a local restaurant.

The Salkantay Trek: Days 2 &3

Days 2 & 3: It was absolutely dreadful getting out of bed. To my much displeasure, I realized that my knees were incredibly sore from bearing the weight of my backpack and the uphill overexertion. Today was to be the worst, however, so I ate breakfast and drank my coca tea with fervor. We set off shortly after awaking, as we had a 10 hour hike ahead of us. I barely got so far as ½ mile before I was sick from the altitude. Unable to breathe deeply enough and sick to my stomach, I had to stop. We all stopped.

I had never experienced such a high altitude in my life! Our guide thusly showed us how to chew the coca leaves we had all purchased the day before. Merciful relief! Slowly but surely, we made it up the mountain pass. First, it was through the rain that began to fall, then, as we climbed higher, slush, and finally snow, blowing snow, whipping through my meager RAINcoat and clothing, soaking my backpack and my whole body. I did not sign on for snow. I was in absolute misery. Near the brink of crawling into the fetal position and attempting to breathe deep enough to sob, we reached the top. Stopping long enough to shoot a photo of us at the top of the highest mountain pass I have ever encountered in my life, I left my companions as I bolted down the other side of the mountain. Hands frozen stiff, feet soaked through, and jeans wet and dirtied, I moved quickly down the slope, walking stick in hand for support, out of the snow and into the thick rain. As we reached the camp we were to eat lunch at, I crawled into the tent and attempted to sit my shivering mass of a body on a seat, shortly after falling out of it and nearly taking afternoon tea and the table it sat on with me. The warm food and drink was reviving as we headed back into the uncomfortable weather.

Snow on the Salkantay Pass...And a very unhappy Monica

Toward the latter part of the day, we entered the cloud forest. Here, the rain turned into a thick mist. We began to see flowers and giant humming birds and moths fluttering about. I took the time to appreciate where I was, though exhausted; I reminded myself where I was and was elated to be there.

Myself, Anna and Ryan

Jen, Ryan and Anna

I slept in this tent for 4 nights.

That night, we camped with several other groups traveling the same trail and bedded down for the night. It was very difficult to fall asleep that night as my body had gone into shock, shivering in the near-tropical heat of the night. We had attempted to use the communal fireplace to dry some of our things, but all it did was make the damp things smell like burning wood. So, with our smelly clothes, we ate out tasty breakfast, omelets, bread, something much like watery oatmeal with cinnamon, and juice, and set off. There had been some discussion on which trail to take due to the bad weather. We were likely not to see the ruined lookout at Llactapata, which was very disappointing. I was upset about this but too exhausted to really want to hike another 3 hrs uphill, in the rain. So we decided on the alternative route, which would provide us an opportunity to take advantage of some nearby hot springs. We hiked all day, through dangerous muddy passages. Taking stalk of the beauty as we followed the trail, eating wild strawberries along the way, and catching glimpses of the lovely little birds flitting about we passed the hours singing familiar songs and talking about cultural differences between ourselves. There were some very beautiful spots as we pass the Vilcabamba River throughout the day, descending further and further into the valley. At one rest stop, we encountered a welcoming committee of little piglets. They were so cute! At another, to escape the rain, we were invited into the home of a plantation worker’s family. We were offered passion fruit and a fireplace. As I looked down, there were cuy(guinea pigs) running about the floor. It was hilarious. We observed 6 of them darting about, in and between the feet of people and dogs. It is customary for people in the countryside to keep these guys for food to serve unexpected guest or for a special meal. I suppose you could compare them to chickens. They made nice little vacuum cleaners, too.

We met some friendly little piglets along our way. They loved being scratched behind the ears and fed apples.

We finally arrived to our camp for the evening, quickly changing into our bathing suits. It was still lightly raining, but we eagerly crawled into the crowded pools of the thermals. It was glorious! The Vilcabamba River raged next to thermal pools and as the sun fell below the mountains, it was an strange thought to know that only a short time ago these thermal pools had been destroyed by the overflowing river. I comfortably fell asleep that night.

The Salkantay Trek

Along the Salkantay Trail in Peru

I suppose I have hesitated in writing this blog entry for over a month simply because I never wished for it to end. Also, I am ashamed to say I did not take nearly enough photos. But allow me to validate why those pictures were not taken.

First, I chose to venture the 5 day/ 4 night long Salkantay Trail to the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, for several reasons: 1. The promise of adventure. I wanted to travel as Hiram Bingham had during his pioneering expeditions into the wilderness of Perú, 2. The opportunity to take my time to enjoy the scenery and wildlife of the little traveled hill and valley, 3. And, of course, the desire to camp out-of-doors and learn a little more about ‘roughing it’.

I got all that I asked for….And more.

Day 1: After meeting my tour guide the night before to discuss safety and needed equipment, I had a feeling that our small group of 4 would be in good hands. The wisest decision I made was renting a walking stick for the agency I booked with. The agency was called Nikole Tours, and was not my first choice, but I spent far less then I was expecting to pay (Word of advice: book a trek to Machu Picchu in person and go at the end of the peak season). If you are student, heed this advice because $400-500 US is too much to pay for the Salkantay Trek. Also, expect unforeseen costs at every turn! Bewaaare!

Our day started at 5:00 am by crawling into a van and being driven for 3 hours into the interior of Perú to a small town called Mollepata, named for the plant that grows in the area used for various medicines- tooth ache, abortions, ect. Here we loaded up and ate a light breakfast. We also bought bags of coca leaves (my savior on day 2). I chatted with my travel companions and that there was a couple from San Francisco, CA and a woman from Scotland hiking the trail for a charity. She was starting her Ph.D. in Psychology late fall, so we had much to talk about. Thus, we began the arduous journey. Up!

Our guide was familiar with much of the flora and fauna. We learned the Quechua names for many of the plants and animals in the area. As we hiked out of the city, we stopped at a cactus covered in strange fuzzy white cocoons. We were each handed a cocoon and instructed to squish it in our palm. As we did, the inhabitant of the cocoon burst under the pressure, secreting red goo into our hands. The other two girls were rather disgusted, but I was fascinated, of course. Our guide told how the Indians would use it as a dye for the wool, battle ‘paint’, and sun block. This one was a little far-fetched, but I bought it and spread bug guts across my cheeks. My companions followed suit.

The latest fashion in skin care

I was absolutely exhausted and cold by day’s end, reaching the campsite just before sunset. This was my first and last glimpse of Salkantay mountain. I cleaned up, dressed warmly, and passed out until dinner. When I awoke, I crawled out into the windy night to observe the stars. Gorgeous! Inside our makeshift dwelling, we ate dinner and played cards while we enjoyed the company of dogs and kittens politely begging for scraps and a warm lap. We all turned in early, weary from the excruciatingly long day and the altitude change.

The Sacred Valley: A Whirlwind Tour

Returning to Cusco from Puno in the early morning hours, I took a cab from the bus station.
I found myself at the same hostel as before, Southern Comfort, "circa de Puente Grau", as before and acquired a bed shortly after to pass out for just a while longer before I got my groggy bottom out of bed and onto a tour bus to visit the three famous city-ruins of the Sacred Vallley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. It was non-stop action. Here's this, here's that, ok, back in the bus. Monica!!! We're going to leave you!

Instead of bore you with some facts I scribbled while translating the tour guide's speech into English, I'll just post some nifty pictures and refer you to Wikipedia for facts about these magnificent places: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Valley

The modern city of Pisac's market day-I bought gifts for the family. These are your Christmas presents guys. FYI

A family chillin' with their llama.

Urubamba Valley
That way to Pisac!

Pisac, the terraces and city

The Inca kept cuyes(guinea pigs) which would sleep under the bed. Give a whole new meaning to dust bunnies.
Crafted stones for a door.
Room with a view. The Inca were into cubby holes.

On to Ollantaytambo!

A nice view. And stairs!! Ahhhh!*pant,pant,pant*

The storehouse on the other side of the valley and the face on the side of the mountain carved by Inca predecessors.
Inca structure. Notice there is no mortar between these rocks. And what are these protrusions? I don't know, and neither do they.

Carved stone.

Time is up. Let's go. We need to make it to Chinchero. Monica!! Get on the bus.
Then we were invited to see a demonstration of how the locals dye the wool they use to create lovely alpaca goods: gloves, scarves, blackets, caps, ect.

Dying properties.
The demonstration.
Weaving and the significance of collars used. Each item they create tells a story about their way of life.

End result.

Sacred cross in plaza.

Church on the ruins of Chinchero.
Better view.
Last remaining ruins of Chinchero. Not much is known about this location.

I returned to the bus with the sun light fading and a lightning storm on the horizon. It was a lovely ending to a fascinating and rather exhausting day.