Our trip through South America has been all Andes save for the occasional visit to our old friend, the Pacific Ocean.  Despite our suspension airbag deterioration, we decided a stopover in the Amazon Rainforest, via the Manu Road, was in order.

Months ago, when crossing into Peru at the furthest east border crossing, we were in the Amazon Basin, but there was no forest to be seen.  Manu National Park, because of it’s past isolation and more recently it’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, now boasts the title: worlds most biodiverse area.  This small protected chunk of the rainforest is home to a host of yet-to-be discovered species and un-contacted tribes.

We approached the park from Cusco, crossing   Continue reading →

It is market day in Ollantaytambo, Peru and Logan has decided he will not accompany me this time around.  Unable to ascertain my reasons for the pinprick of anxiety over the prospect of this solo venture, I respond indifferently, “That’s fine, I’ll be right back.” I toss the cloth sack over my shoulder with strained nonchalance.

Seasoned travelers often encouraged us to seek out town markets in Central America, proclaiming their superior quality and economic benefits. We didn’t yet understand the draw of the municipal market. There were supermarkets with posted prices and thrice washed bagged lettuce to be had beneath the comfort of fluorescent lighting. Venture into the musty shadows of the municipal market? You must be   Continue reading →

Round One: We arrived in Cusco after three days in the desert.  From the desert to the fertile valley, it’s easy to see why they call this place “sacred“. The sprawling, tourist-ready town was just what we needed.  Jeff and Connie in tow, we arrived at our apartment and attacked all the town had to offer.

We dropped the overland façade and joined the legions of tourists haggling for fake Ray Bans in the plaza.  We were handing over a sole for an opportunistic photo with a campesino and her strategically placed baby lamb.  We took tour buses everywhere and even walked into a restaurant without looking at the prices first.

We arrived in Cusco with a feeling of renewal, a giddy excitement for the road reminiscent of  our first days on Mex 200. The road to Cusco had been inspiring in so many ways. Scrambling after our guide at Machu Picchu a few days later, catching the first glimpse of the  ruins and the majesty of the surroundings felt radically appropriate.

Nowadays we throw around the word ‘sublime’ to describe gooey deserts or overpriced handbags. In Immanuel Kant’s epistemology, it meant something limitless, an aesthetically pleasing entity so huge that it made the perceiver’s head hurt. Machu Picchu isn’t just beautiful, it’s sublime.
— Mark Adams Turn Right at Machu Picchu

There is a great deal of   Continue reading →

It’s 3:30 AM and I’m wondering what the hell I’m doing up here.  Our 3-man rope team is huffing it in order to keep warm on the ice-cold glacier.  We’ve been marching for nearly two hours now, single-file, exactly 30ft apart.

The first technical pitch of Tocllaraju comes into view.  The pitch is about 60 degrees for 275 feet.  I stop at the base and look up waiting for our guide, Raphael, to gather our protection pieces and explain some technique.  In place of the anticipated lesson, the rope goes taught and I spot Raphael effortlessly bounding 20 feet up the pitch.  This is the first pitch of snow/ice climbing my partner and I have ever attempted, suddenly we are   Continue reading →