Paracas  

A string of circumstances (some under my control and others out of my control) landed me in Paracas on the coast of Peru.  I´m glad that I made it there.  Ceviche was plentiful and I took advantage, eating it at least for three different meals.  I went to Isla Ballesta and a national reserve that was really close.  Being on the coast and being used to the heat of Guayaquil, I was shocked at how cool it was.  I never wore a t-shirt, it was much too cool.  The island that I visited was pretty cool.  There were tons of birds, some sea lions, and some Humboldt penguins.    It was a really quick trip.  In the afternoon, I went to the reserve.  The wind, which Paracas is famous for, was really strong.  It was interesting to see the desert falling off into the ocean.  I´m now in Lima.  Tomorrow is the big day.  My friends make it here in the afternoon, and the others in the evening.  Can´t wait to see them . . .  Machu Picchu here we come!!!!  Here ares some pics of Paracas:

On the way to the island.
On the way to the islands, a figure formed similar to the Nasca lines but not made by the Nasca people.


Tons and tons of birds.
Hood up, ready to dodge any bird bombs.

Sea lions
Humboldt Penguins
Playa Roja-the only red beach in Peru.



















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Lago Titicaca, Arequipa, and Cañon del Colca  


Wow!  Where to begin?  Last time that I posted was on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.  From there, I visited the Peruvian side.  I went on a two day, over-night, tour of thee three main islands.  First we went to Islas Flotantes or Uros.  They are islands that are made out of reeds that grow in the shallows of the lake.  It was really cool to see and depressing at the same time.  It was cool to see how the indigenous population lived, but it was depressing to see how tourism has exploited and ruined much of their culture.  To exaggerate it a bit, it was almost like a people zoo or museum.  I felt pretty bad about it, but at the same time it is how they earn a living now.  It is bound to get worse yet.  The other two islands were less effected by tourism.  They still have tons of visitors that come through, but their traditions and culture remains the same (particularly in Isla Taquile).  We stayed the night on Isla Amantani with a family.  I was with two other people who put a damper on the situation.  I was with an elderly man from Spain and a girl from the states.  Juan, the Spaniard, was always making jokes and laughing at situations which I think the family took offense to.  Cynthia, the American, had a very strong personality.  It was a bit unfortunate, but it was out of my hands.  The family spoke Spanish, but their main language was Quechua.  Towards evening, we hiked to two temples that are in use today.  One was for Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the other for Pachatata (Father Earth).  Both were very beautiful and spiritual.  The sunset was amazing and the amount of stars and the brightness of them was astounding.  I´m now in Arequipa and have been for a few days.  Yesterday I returned from a 3 day trek of Cañon del Colca.  It is the second deepest canyon in the world, the deepest being another canyon in Peru.  It is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.  We started at the top and hiked over 3,000 feet down to the floor of the canyon.  The next day, we hiked to another town that had cabins and natural water swimming pools.  Finally, the third day we hiked up and out.  The guide had told me that the record for the third day´s climb is one hour and 45 minutes (it is supposed to take three hours).  I´m sure it was just a number that he made up, but I went ahead of the group and made it in one hour and 55 minutes.  The only bad thing was that I had to wait for an hour and a half for the others to come.  The views of the canyon and the surroundings were amazing.  The little towns were fascinating as well.  The majority of the people spoke Spanish as their second language and Quechua as their first, with some having Aymara as their native tongue.  Today was a day of monasteries and museums.  The most interesting was going to a museum to see the frozen body of Juanita.  She was a child that was discovered not long ago frozen at the top of one of the mountains.  She is 12 or 13 and was sacrificed to the Gods by the Incas.  It was really interesting the whole history and the discovery of the body.  The culmination led to a viewing of the actual body that is well preserved in a glass case and remains frozen.  She died by a single blow to the head.  Up and down the Andes, they have discovered over five other bodies that were sacrificed in a similar way, all being children.  It is crazy to think that I saw a body of a child who was Incan and lived over 500 years ago.  What an amazing history.  Now, I am getting really excited to see my friends in a few days.  We meet up in Lima on the 17th.  I haven´t seen them in a year, so it is really exciting.  I am really grateful that they are adventurous enough to come visit.  Here are some of my MANY pictures:


Islas Flotantes

 Islas Flotantes
 Isla Amantani - Waiting to see who I´d be staying with.
 My pad.  There was no electricity, but I´ve stayed in much worse.
Templo de Pachamama - Isla Amantani
Sun starting to set on the island.
One of the most beautiful sunsets that I´ve seen . . . the pictures don´t do it justice!
  
 
 

Isla Taquile looking towards the Bolivian side of the lake.
Isla Taquile looking towards the Peruvian side of the lake.
Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral - Arequipa
Cathedral - Arequipa
Church in Cayma, a suburb of Arequipa.
The plaza in Cayma with El Misti in the background.
Cayma
 
Hiking down - Cañon del Colca

A church in one of the small towns that we hiked through.



 
 My room.  Thank goodness for the sleeping bag.  The temperature dropped pretty quickly.
Hanging out at the bottom of the canyon.
Relaxing and taking in the view.
Looks like I´m in pain.
After the final hike up.

Alpacas and some llamas on the way back to Arequipa.
 
Monasterio de Santa Catalina


Much love and take care!







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Dear Bolivia  

Dear Bolivia,
 
  Thank you for the time that we have spent together.  You have taught me so much and made me realize that I know so little.  Some of the many important lessons that you have taught me include:

1.  A good sleeping bag is worth every penny that you have paid for it.  I questioned myself a year ago when I bought a good sleeping bag before coming down to the oppressive heat of Guayaquil.  I´m now so happy with the purchase.

2.  Traveling light is nice, but two pairs of pants for seven weeks is a bit unrealistic.  What happens when both pairs are really dirty and you want to wash both of them???  I ended up breaking down and buying some jeans in the Black Market in La Paz which was a funny experience in itself.  It is just stalls and stalls lined up on the street.  The ¨fitting room¨ consisted of the woman standing on the back side of me and holding up a curtain in front of me and changing on the street.  We both had a good laugh!

3.  There are places on Earth that seem to be settings on other planets.  Gracias Pachamama!

4.  Never let perceptions keep you from special places.  Of course many people think that Bolivia holds alot of anti-American sentiment.  I found the Bolivian people extremely friendly, kind, and helpful.  The only negative point is the $135 visa that is required only of Americans.  But that is a political thing that has no reflection on the people themselves.

5.  It is easy to feel like a 300 pound 60 year old man at high altitude.  It has been a humbling lesson.

6.  It is nice to be by yourself when traveling.  However, finding people who share your same interests and are able to appreciate shared experiences is priceless.

7.  A small heater in a small room goes a long way!

8.  You get what you pay for.  There is a big difference between a $3.50 hostal and a $12 hostal.

9.  You can tell how long a traveler has been on his or her own by how much they talk.  I met a New Zealander the other day and did a hike with him on Isla del Sol.  The hike was 2 and a half hours . . .  he talked for 2 hours and 25 minutes and I was able to squeeze in five minutes.  Maybe I´m an exception since I don´t talk much anyway.

10.  Football is a universal topic, especially during the World Cup.

11.  Kindness and sincerity goes a LONG way!!

Thank you for all these lessons.  Trust me that I have learned many, many more.

Much love,
Jeremiah Jacob Mathis

Here a few photos of yesterday´s trip to Isla del Sol:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hope everyone had a good Fourth of July!!!
 
 

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