Reflections on my Brazil Trip and the Eco Resort

If you ever want to go on vacation to an exotic place and have tons of cash to spare check out the Eco Resort at Praia Do Forte (home of the Sea Turtles- yes, Aline´s paradise). La playa de Forte es un lugar de playa y relaxation. El Eco Resort es un Hotel de maravia! Tiene de todo... playa, piscinas, barcos, restaurantes, Spas, tiendas, teatro y todo lo que se puede imaginar... cancha de futbol, tennis, y lugares para que juegen los ninos. We were definitely spoiled at the Eco Resort the night and one day we were there. I mean we had Spa, jacuzzi, pools, beaches, coral reefs, and even free coconuts when we checked in. So NICE! It was cool seeing the sea turtle preserve too but we were mostly taken away by the luxury that was the Praia Do Forte Eco Resort! At least I was... it really felt like I was on vacation when I was there. So nice! We lounged by the infinity pool with all the beautiful people, ate the succulent (and included) buffet at dinner and breakfast, and used the Saunas, Jacuzzis and healing pools that were included in our stay. The bathrooms had separate rooms for separate things - showers, toilet, and sink & bathtub. Arlene and Aline were teaching me to swin in the pool but I was too scared so I just learned to play dead (as Aline calls it) and then I kinda swam for a little bit but it was nice to be in the infinity pool nonetheless.

Fin a Brazil

Hello all. I don´t think that I have my Brazil fotos uploaded yet so I am posting more pics from my adventures in Peru. As soon as I can I will put down the Brazil fotos that you know are rocking. We just finished a 24hour bus ride from Rio de Janeiro to Foz Do Iguazu. Let me tell you a 24 hour bus ride is no fun! I mean you get to recline your seats all the way but it is still bumpy and hot when the driver cranks the heat. It rained in Brazil the whole time we were on the bus. It was as though Brazil was mourning our departure! We had fantastic weather the week that we were in Rio at both the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches and when we went to Salvador it was great too! As soon as we got to the airport in de Janeiro from Salvador it was raining! Eek!

Las fotos son de nuestra prueba de Chicha y de mis pensamientos sobre la roca en el primer dia del Camino Inka! Chicha es una bebida hecha de Elote fermentado y puesto en el sol despues es lavado con agua y molido y heirbido y puesto sobre una oya de barra donde fermenta y saca un jugo que despues se bebe. A mi no me gusto pero fue algo interesante que probar!

Foz Do Iguazu

Estoy en Foz Do Iguazu alistandome para ver las cascadas de Iguazu en el lado de Brazil y estoy acordandome de El Peru y nuestras aventuras. So he puesto una foto de Saqsaywaman para recordar. Ya casi es tiempo de regresar a casa!

Pelo

Ciao Amigos! Pelo is a small town in Salvador, Brazil. It is a tourist town mostly but there is music playing somewhere all the time and there are always Capoeira shows on the streets. There are so many things to see and there are always vendors hounding you to buy their merchandise. You can´t get iced coffee here unless you ask for Espresso Gelado then they will bring you something similar to an iced late. Pelo is rich with culture but like everything in Brazil it is expensive! OOOH but everything is so good. The food is good, the clothes, the merchant jewlery. I love it all. I am totally running out of money and time. I don´t want to go back to work and we only have two more days in Brazil. I choose the Bahia for a honeymoon spot since it is so romantic everywhere you go. The irony is that this used to be a town full of Masters and Slaves so there are slave spirits roaming the area and you can even see the Slave quarters vs the manor houses. Bahia is definitely poorer than Rio and you can see it in Cidade Barra where they tell tourists not to go! But I would definitely reccomend that people come to Bahia when they come to Brasil. I am working on getting more fotos uploaded so please be patient. Ciao for now.

Caxambu

Caxambu is an interesting place and this weekend has been one of the most relaxing weekends that I have had in years. It helps that the town shuts down on Sunday and NOTHING is open. So, we were forced to spend time lounging around and drinking beer, and having snacks. Arlene and I visited the Parque das Aguas this morning and had ourselves a Sulfur Bath which is supposed to be good for the skin. I feel a bit irridescent and yeah my skin is softer. HA! This Parque das Aguas is something else it is like Disneyland but for holy water. You pay to come in and then visit the 12 different fountains that have distinct curative powers. They say that the daughter of Brazil´s last Emperor came to Caxambu when she was unable to get pregnant. She drank the waters that spring here and was able to conceive. Her name was Isabella and she erected a church in the town in gratitude for her child. The church is pretty. It shines with blue lights from the stained glass.
So, of course we had to go around and drink the different waters. The one that I liked (excluding the RADIO ACTIVE water) was the oldest fountain there which had powers to cure stomache ailments and heal bones or something like that. It tasted like soda water but from the ground. We all had a little taste of Isabella´s fertility water so that when the time comes we will have plenty of babies! HA! This town is so chill. If you stand in the Centro long enough you feel sleepy even though there is plenty going on at night with their winter carnivals. Yes, it is winter here and what a lovely winter it is! We also spent a lot of time at this place called the Hotel Gloria (so posh) where Arlene and Aline got a massage and Sauna on our first day here. We snuck in and took naps on their reclining lawn chairs before we took the local train (yes, train on wheels not rails) to Baependi a neighboring town with a statue of Chirst and a little Centro all on thier own. It was a fun ride.
I haven´t been able to upload any pictures yet as the fastest internet connection in town is really slow. I will put up Brazil and Caxambu pics as soon as I can. I miss you all and I will see you on the next blog. Ciao.

Caxambu, Brazil

Hola chicos y chicas! Estoy en Caxambu (pronounced Cashambu) en Brazil. Acabo de llegar a este pequeno pueblo y esta muy lindo. Totally different from Rio de Janeiro. Do not get me wrong, Rio is wonderful but Caxambu is more my style. I loved Rio. I hung out at the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches and even went Samba dancing in Lapa (but I cant really samba) so I was embarassed and sat our most of the dancing. It is fun to watch everyone do it to a live (yes live) band at the Rio Scenarium.
Rio is very expensive and the money here goes by a lot quicker than in Peru and let me tell you Portuguese is NOT like spanish at all. I mean I can get a little here and there pero yo no falo Portuguese. The only word I do speak is Obrigado which means Thank You. HA! And I think that the Brazilians are a little bit stuck up and really look down on you whe you do not at least try to make an effort to speak the language before you ask for English. The food here is amazing. Especially the meat... yummy sausage and carne and more carne y coco y sucos de frutas con Laranja em Banana.
The Hostel that we stayed at in Rio was called the Rio Backpacker y yo ya no estoy para estos trotes (I am not up for this drama anymore). Todo eran jovenes de como 20 anos and it was so hard to keep it real with them. Since the majority of them were in Brazil to parteeee. I am in Brazil for a cultural experience which includes partying but not all the time and I am just too old for a Dorm Style room shared between 10 people. Instead, we moved to private room in the Rio Backpacker in Copacabana which was better. I will include some pics of me at Ipanema and at the Copcabana Beaches. We also snuck into the Copacabana Palace Hotel to see how the other side vacations... it was not so great but we saw famous peoples pics.

Bye, Bye PERU

So, today we bid farewell to Peru and spent our last day en la ciudad blanca, Arequipa. They have some great Roccoto Relleno and some other good food but Arequipa is known as the white City as it is predominantly made of sillar (molten lava) from El Misti Volcano. Spending the day in Arequipa is a fitting end to our adventure in Peru. It is a beautiful place, with beautiful people and great food. I will miss Peru. Next time you hear from me I will be in Brazil!

Taquile, Puno, Peru

So, today I visited the Island of Taquile in Lake Titicaca. You know at first the Lake seems a bit unappealing and green but after a few hours on the boat you see the most blue water and the clearest skies ever. It was beautiful on Lake Titicaca today although I am not as impressed as I had anticipated in seeing Taquile. The smaller floating Islands are only one hour away and they are called Uros. Those are so interesting as they are just floating on mud and layer upon layer of reeds. Today a man from one of the Islands gave us a demostration of the depth the Island holds. It is only 3meters long and the Lake is 288 meters deep or something of the sort. There are actual people that live on these Islands and make their living by selling things to tourists (again the tourist industry shows it self as a factory with no smoke) I have not decided if tourism is bad for Peru and its people but if we are starting where the client is, then I think Peruvians have learned to us tourism to their advantage so that they can house their poor and school their children but that is my theory.

I was so sea sick on the boat towards the end. It was a 3.5 hour boat ride to Taquile and then a climb up and over the island to get to where we were meeting the boat. We got to chat with Island locals and eat Trucha with Papas and some Muna tea. I am a new fan of Muna! Let me just tell you it smells like lemon mint. So good. I was crankly and not prepared for the hike but after the food I was fine. I will try to upload some pic when we get to Arequipa. We leave for Arequipa tonight on a two teir overnight bus. That should be and adventure. As we near the end of the first lap of our adventure I can´t help but to feel sad that we are leaving Peru. I can really say that I left my heart in Peru.

Maccu Picchu at Long Last

The Maccu Picchu ruins. Like something out of Indiana Jones and WE made it and saw it and appreciated its glory and the glory of the Andean people who built it for the Inkan Kings.











Another shot to prove we were there (packs and all).













A feast of Cuy (guinea pig) for the weary travelers. No lo vea Tia Blanca.

Dead Woman´s Pass

There was a point on the second day where I walked in solitude through the Inka Trail. Aline and Arlene had left at their pace the guide was in the middle and i was trailing behind. It made me feel eerie... so blair witch style.














Dead woman at Dead Woman´s Pass. I barely made it. I got Soroche and my body was refusing to go on. Knees buckled and lungs were failing but I made it eventually.










On the move for Day 3

On the Inka Trail

As we start off fresh on day two.
















Getting to the lunch site after walking, climbing and more climbing under the Peruvian sun... so exhausted. My cheap USC hat broke and was later fixed but damn their cheap. Where did all my money go? hahaha

INKA TRAIL

When we first arrived at KM82

I am an Inka Trail Survivor

So much has happened since we were in Ollantaytambo that I almost can´t believe that our time in this magical place called Peru is over. We leave fro Brazil on Saturday and I think it will be a welcome change from the below freezing temps we have endured on the Inka Trail and in Puno not to mention the Soroche or Altitude sickness that struck us on the trail and struck Arlene especially. Yuck. Not to worry we took Soroche pills and are feeling better. So, last time I wrote I mentioned political upheaval in the title but did not mention what that meant in the blog. Well, while we visited the Sacred Valley and Pisaq on the 3rd day in Cusco we came upon a porter strike. What you all need to understand is that Cusco is a tourist town. Their economy runs on tourism 95% and they even have a 5 year major at the college called tourism. You can only work as a guide, etc if you have that. Otherwise you can be a merchant, farmer or a porter. A porter helps carry the food, camping equipment and other such things for the 500 people that enter the Inka Trail each day. They were not getting paid fairly and they had a strike by closing off roads that lead into the Trail. I MEAN closing them... with rocks, boulders, burning hay stacks and sometimes even by threatening to throw rock at the tourist buses. So much drama that day since we had to turn around and not go to Ollanta and Chincheros but rather go to the Pisaq ruins so as to avoid anything happening to us. I know. But I was glad to see that things on the revolutionary upheaval side are still strong in Peru. Si se puede.

OH. Then we finally got to the Inka Trail a day later because of the strike and started our pilgramage up the Sacred Apos (mountains) with our very "sporty spice" guide called Marisol. We ate three meals a day and walked 12 hours a day and were exhausted every night of the 4day hike. It does tell you a lot about yourself. We were fortunate to have a private hike so Arlene, Aline and I hike just with our guide and 3 porters that had decided to opt out of the strike.

I was reborn on the Inka Trail. I thought I was going to die on the 2nd and 3rd nights. Sheer will and my guide gave me the aliento to go on. It was a difficult climb. We went up to 4000 meters and crossed dead woman´s pass and as if that weren´t enough we carried our packs on the first and fourth days. Our porters helped us carry the packs on the 2nd and 3rd days or else I wouldn´t have made it at all. It was magnificent. Exhilirating. Excruciating. Painful. Emotional. Fun. Sacred. Holy and it is by my parent´s prayers, God, and the Spirit of the moon and the Apos that I live to tell the tale. I loved it. it is the adventure of your lifetime. And Maccu Picchu was magnificent and even more awe inspiring in person. So, for anyone thinking about doing the Inka Trail... I say do it but prepare to be reborn and cherish the Pachamama for all she gives us.

We rested in Cusco for a day after the Inka Trail then we hopped on a bus to Puno to see Lake Titicaca and the floating Uros or reed islands. Very impressive. We leave for Arequipa tomorrow (our last stop in Peru) and then take a flight out to Brazil.

Things are so different in Peru. This world humbles you and reminds you that God, the Apo or who ever it is you believe in put you on this earth for a purpose that is beyond YOU and the things that YOU have.

Cusco, Political Upheaval and the PachaMama

Saludes de Ollantaytambo! Ollanta was a general in the Inkan army and he fell in love with the Inkn Princess whose name began with Tambo. In the Inkan days there was a cast system that prevented them from fallin in love or from being together. So, the general and the princess went ahead and fell in love and met in secret. When the 9th Inkan King found out, he was so angry that he banished Ollanta and put the Princess in a room where she could not escape. The Princess had a baby and the baby was taken away from her and never told of her origins. As the baby grew she would ask about the woman wailing behind the doors and the King said that she was not important for her to know. The the 9th King died and the 10th King released the banishment on the General and they were allowed to live happily in this place called Ollanta (y) tambo. What a great story and this is where I am spending the night today in order to leave for the Inka trail tomorrow morning. I will try to upload pics after I get back from Macchu Piccu. I am having a wonderful time visiting the ruins and the seeing the Peruvian culture but I am tired and my stomache is not settled. Nothing bad. Just bloated from all the Coca tea... mate de coca yum!
So, I hope you all are enjoying my comments. I am taking risks seeing and trying as much as I can and trying to work together with my buddies so that we can all have a wonderful time. So much more work to do... I will update after I get back from the Inka Trail. WooHoo!

Cusco, la ciudad Imperial de Los Inkas

Estoy poniendo fotos ahorita que tengo tiempo. Porque pasado manana salgo para el Camino Inka y voy a estar fuera de servicio por una semana. No se preocupe mama... Ya aregle para aguardar unas de mis cosas pesadas en un locker en el Hotel donde estamos. You all know I can´t count for the life of me and counting the Sol here in Peru has been a challenge. Ya ni se que les estoy dando. HA! De todas maneras cuando fui a Saksaywama ahora fue una experiencia increible. Les pongo unas fotos de esa aventura para que vean. I am not lying folks. I am in Peru... hanging out with locals and their llamas. As well as getting Inka energy from the sacred and holy places. Did you know Saksay means to get enough in Quechua (the official language of the natives here in Cusco) so Saksaywama means (according to our guide) that the workers or Quechuas would come to Saksaywama to work for the Inkas so they got *enough work* from the Inkan architect Wama (family name). I hope that makes sense. Enjoy the pictures and I will see you all after the Inka Trail.

The three amigas ride again!

Here are Aline, arlene and I at the Mirasol House in the Distrito of Mirasol en Lima. Estamos un poco agotadas pero cn ganas de seguir adelante. La Casa Mirasol fue muy buena. Nos trataron muy bien. La primer foto es de las escaleras de la casa Mirasol. I almost fell like 20 times. We are having a great time and taking lots of risks and doing things outside of our comfort zone. Sure we ger cranky at eachother but LOOK where we are. IN PERU.

El Vuelo Para Cusco

Esto es lo que vimos cuando ibamos en el vuelo de Lima hacia Cusco. Es la gloria de Dios. Que maravilla. Ibamos muy mananiadas porque nos levantaron a las 3am pero llegamos com bien.

Cusco

Hola amigos y familia! Todo esta bien. Estoy en Cusco y manana vamos para el valle sagrado. A Arlene le dio soroche. Pobrecita porque se siente muy mal. Espero que ella se sienta mejor antes de que empesemos el camino Inka. Today we went to visit 6 different sites in Cusco and they were incredible. I am going to try to upload some pics so that you all can follow along on my adventure. We went to this place whose name eludes me at this point where the energy of the Inka is alive an well. It was magical and there were so many ruins to see. There is a lot of pollution ion Cusco... especially right now when I am inhaling exhaust fumes sitting inside the internet place. Arlene is sleeping and Aline is at another computer.

Rima,Peru

El Rio Rima era el rio que corria en Peru cuando los Inkas vivian aqui en paz.Despuesllegaron los espanoles y le prguntaron a los Inkas como se llamaba el lugar.Los Inkas decian, "Rima, Rima" y los Espanoles oyeron, "Lima, Lima" Y asi fue llamado el estado de Lima, Peru. Ahorita estoy en la Casa Mirasol en el distrito de Mirasol en Lima,Peru. Es muy Lindo. Y creo que yo pudiera vivir aqui. I love Peru... the people and the City of Lima have so far been impressive. Of course capitalism and commercialization never fail me as there is, YES, a Starbucks just a block away from here. Quiero un grande late de vallinia con leche descremada y dos extra shots! Seriously! We ate cebiche and tried the Peruvian offical drink...t he Pisque Sour. It was so sweet as a matter of fact everything in Peru is sweet. A mi papa le encataria Peru, verdad papi?! No vayas estar comiendote todo el Ice Cream. Comi camote y sopade pescado y last but not least a mate de coca so i can prepare myself for the 3am departure from Lima to the high altitude State of Cusco. I am still nervous about carrying my 30lb pack but I think I can do it. I already miss my family! But I know it is mamitis aguda and that I will be fine.I love you mom.

For all those of you thinking about visiting Peru. Do it. It is a great place with lots to see and lots to do. I hope you don't mind a cabby honking at you every other minute. Miss you all and send me some comments so that I can fell connected to you.

Much love.

Fenix