Trek to Macchu Picchu

There are about 1,000 ways to go from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Options range from a one day trip using all trains and buses, up to 5 to 7 day hikes. We opted for the 4 day trip with one day of mountain biking (turned out to be more like downhill road biking) and 3 days of hiking. After a 2 to 3 hour drive from Cusco to the top of a mountain surrounded by snow capped peaks, we bombed all downhill on bikes for a few hours. There are rivers crossing the roads at some points, making it challenge to stay dry. We went from freezing cold temperatures into humid juble in about 3 hours. The views from the roads were exciting, as was dodging buses and cars coming up the road.

The following day we began our hike in the rain, and merged onto a portion of the Inca Trail. Hanging to the side of a cliff, this might have been one of the more amazing trails I've ever hiked on. The views of the river continued to change as we wound up the valley. We stopped at some houses along the way where locals make a living off of hikers buying food and water. One family had a pet monkey named Martin that Zack practiced his motherly instincts by feeding it milk from a bottle. We got rained on multiple times everyday, apparently the Rainy Season has proven to be quite true to its name. I got destroyed by the bugs, while Zack stayed relatively untouched. He claims the bugs are attracted to feta and hummus, while I hold the opposite argument that they are repulsed by smelly Russians who wreak of potato and vodka. The jury is still out on that one. The trek wore on into the town of Aguas Calientes, where we stayed the night and prepared for an early wake up to Machu Picchu.

We had heard that Waynapicchu, the tall peak often seen behind the ruins of Machu Picchu was well worth hiking, but was limited to 400 people a day and was first come first served. Our guide told us that if we wanted to make it there ahead of the crowds, we would have to get up at 3 am and begin the hike by 330, hike for 90 mins or so, before the park opens at 6. We hiked in the dark and the rain at 330 am sharp, got to the top at 450 am, to realize we were the first ones there. We waited for an hour in the cold, were the first ones to get our stamps for Waynapicchu, which of course required me to run back along the line of 300 people holding up the number one sign. Obnoxious American, maybe... but hey, we were #1, right??

Despite being exhausted, we continued to explore the ruins for about another 8 hours. We were exhausted and soaked, but decided to wait for the clouds to clear for the epic postcard shot. I think we may have gotten a few. It was an epic day, starting at 3 am and ending back in Cuzco at 10 after a hectic bus ride home. It was worth the sore legs, bug bites, early wake ups, and utter exhaustion but we did it the right way. No buses to or from the top, and it made it all that much more rewarding. I kept thinking of the times over a year ago, while still deciding if we were going to make this trip when Zack would send pictures of Machu Picchu and a question mark. Well, we did it and its done... now onto the next.

We need to be in La Paz in 2 weeks for a flight, and are considering going south into Chile briefly then west into the Salar de Uyini, some crazy salt flats in the desert seen by Jeep tour. We then have to go back up to La Paz via bus, which will undoubtedly suck, but its all part of the game. Its almost March, the trip is starting to fly by. Also some sad news, I came into the room this morning and saw what looked like a hairless child rummaging through some luggage. Apparently, Zack caved in and shaved his beard. Mine has gone from itchy to bushy, and I have decided I'm in it for the long haul.

We are really looking forward to seeing those of you who have committed to joining us in the next few weeks. In the short term we are not exctly sure where we'll be next, but as Mike Tyson said... "I'm gonna knock him into Bolivian".

The Battle of Cuzco (video!!)

It all started with Zack getting nailed in the back with a water balloon, then running away and almost falling on the wet cobblestone... then escalated into a full blown war. We learned very quickly that the children of Cuzco are celebrating Carnaval on this sunny Sunday afternoon by ambushing unsuspecting tourists with squirt guns and water balloons. The Dangerous ones have water cannons and buckets of water. People are driving around in pickup trucks soaking tourists, even the old ladies taking pictures of the church. One girl in particular was owning the street with a water cannon. After she soaked me pretty bad, I decided to have my revenge. I bought a can of this shaving cream like spray, which was also being used against us. After she had discharged her weapon, I went in for the kill. I must say, I got her pretty good. The crowd of locals cheered, as their streets were now safe again. You can see the revenge in video here, and my victory lap here. BINDER WINS.

Cuzco, Peru

We made it back to Bogota for a night before catching our flight out to Peru the next day. We met up with Caleb and Brandon, the guys we had been traveling with in Colombia and they took us to an Electronica party. Yeah, can´t say I´ve been frequenting those at home, so to go to one in Bogota made it that much more interesting. I became fascinated by how fired up everyone was at a DJ holding headphones to his ear. He touched a switch and jumped away like he dunked in some guys face, staring at the record player with a look of triumph. The crowd went wild. It was a cultural experience, I guess. We awoke the next morning and took advantage of our air pass we bought some months ago to make the trip to Cuzco, Peru.

Its been interesting hearing about all the people who bus everywhere, we have been flying mostly due to great deals we got on flights. Apparently the 55 minute flight from Lima to Cuzco is a 24 hour bus ride, more if the roads close due to mudslides and rain. We like flying. We arrived in Cuzco and are staying at a pretty major Hostel, Loki, with about 100 residents. We´ve just hung out and done research on the best way to attack Machu Picchu. There are ton of ways to do it, we settled on the 3 night 4 day jungle trek. It takes you up to the mountains, where you do a half day bike ride down, followed by two days trekking on parts of the Inca Trail. The fourth day you wake up at 4 am to get to the ruins of Machu Picchu for sunrise and to beat the crowds as best you can, because there are crowds galore. We then make it back to our Hostel at 10 that night. This whole trek begins early tomorrow morning, so we should be off the map for a few days. Needless to say, the entry after we return should be of epic nature.

PS... I just read the A´s aren´t going to Fremont, which was awesome. It got a few fist pumps even here in Peru. Hope everyone is well at home, keep the emails and comments coming as they continue to entertain.

A few more Tayrona Pics...

Didn´t have time to upload these before, but as I said Tayrona was pretty sweet... wanted to post a few more. So here ya go...

Taganga and Tayrona National Park, Colombia

We took a 4 hour ride from Cartagena to a small fishing town called Taganga. The drive in is reminiscent of the drive to Stinson, and the town is not much different. Great town with a small beach, we stayed for a few nights at a hostel right on the water. We had the first floor room with a great view, and bars on the deck to keep someone from coming in from the beach. The guy at the front desk told me not to leave anything on the deck, for good reason, as someone managed to steal two tshirts off my clothesline that night, about 5 feet through the bars. I'm okay with it, I had too many anyway and the person must have really liked them to go though the effort of getting a stick and pulling it off the line and through the bars. I'm not even mad, that's amazing. The prize of our Colombian trip awaited us in Tayrona National Park and after a few days in Taganga we were ready to make the venture.

There are a few ways to get to Tayrona, and we elected to take the boat in along the coastsince the seas appeared to be calm. Apparently they are always calm since Taganga is in a protected bay. It was quite an adventure, as the seas were angry that day my friends. We got wet but made it in about an hour, and pulled into the beach stunned at how much it looked like Jurassic Park. Lush and green with huge boulders lining the coast, Tayrona is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. For reals. We swam and climbed the rocks, then spent the night in hammocks under the shelter. We managed to sneak in a bottle of rum, and some ipod speakers and had a great time.

Our time in Colombia is coming to an end. We are flying back to Bogota tomorrow, then off to Cuzco, Peru on Friday to begin Machu Picchu. Its been a month in, the beards are thick and the adventure is getting thicker. The pace is about to pick up as we are going on the move much more. I am debating what to do with the beard, whether to 1) Keep it going 2) Shave it to a 'stache 3) Something crazy. Let's hear the votes. Next stop, PERU!!

Cartagena, Colombia (pt 2)

Cartagena is a great city, much more our style with the beaches and sunny weather. On our third day here, we took a cruise to the Islas del Rosario, 20 something small islands off the coast of Colombia. The boat was absurd, blasting salsa music for each way of the 2 hour journey starting at 9 am. We saw the islands and then made our way to Playa Blanca, known as one of the more beautiful beaches in the area, you can see why. Truly enjoying nature, we rented a jetski and jumped the waves, while in turn almost missing the boat back.

The following day we went to check out the big castle, Castilla San Felipe, that overlooks most of Cartagena. Among the good views there is a series of intricate tunnels underneath the castle, poorly lit and damp. I am realizing I have developed an increasingly more severe case of colostrophobia (sp??) over the years and I am now adding tight spaces onto my list of things I can't stand along with olives and pancakes. One tunnel continued on for about 100 yards with no lights, and Zack and our friends trudged on through ankle to knee deep water until they couldn't go any further. I got scared and stayed behind. I think some historical stuff happened at the castle too, not really sure.

Our last night in Cartagena, we were recruited for a Rumba Bus around the city by the Brazilians in our hostel. A crew of about 10 of us boarded an open air bus with about 60 people. With even more salsa music blasting and rum being passed around, we cruised the bays and coasts of the city. We stopped on the large wall that surrounds the city to, well, basically be sold stuff, but to see some dancers. I didn't even see the dancers beacuse I saw a man letting people hold one of God's greatest creatures... THE SLOTH. I want one. (Can someone do some reasearch for me on the vialbility of a sloth as a pet? Thanks.) It moves in slow motion and loves to hug, what else do you need in a pet? You can see more sloth and other pics from the night here.

The next higlight was our friend Caleb really soaking up the culture (and his shirt) by dancing with old Colombian women. I know most of you may not the guy, but this might be one of my top pics of the trip so far. We have quickly found it is all about the crowds at the hostels, hearing about future destinations and having people to go out with. We have been fortunate to have a good crowd, some people who have even continued on to travel with us.

Right now we are in Taganga, a small fishing, diving, and backpacker town outside of Santa Marta. Our hostel is right on the beach and our room is about 3 fee from the water. We plan on diving for a day or two before stocking up for a 2 or 3 night stay in Tayrona National Park. The towns have continued to get smaller (Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, Taganga...) and soon we will be sleeping hammocks on the beach with no one else in sight. I can't wait.

Medellin and Cartagena, Colombia

Moving on from Bogota, we made our way to Medellin, just Northwest of Bogota in the mountains and best known for being the home of the infamous Colombian cocaine trade. Things have cleared up a lot as police wander the streets and Medellin has become a pretty significant party town. We arrived on Saturday to a very social hostel full of many international travellers. Our room only had people from SF in it, one who used to work at Advent at the same time but has been travelling for the last 5 months. We spent the night wandering Parque Lleras, awkwardly and unsuccessfully communicating with the locals. I found out later that Colombians dont do well with foreign accents, and apparently Gringo Spanglish in particular. Im bringing out more and more of my High School spanish everyday, but communication is a constant source of confusion and entertainment. We spent the next day wandering the city, the parks, and checking out the view. Yes, I kept looking for Vincent Chase in a fat suit. Longing for more beach after Belize, we were excited to head to the Carribean Coast town of Cartagena on Monday.
Its about 95 degress in Cartagena and sunny. Our hostel is 2 blocks from the beach, and we spent today enjoying the warm Carribean water and shaded by a tent we paid $2 for. The peddlars are pretty annoying, and we got really good at saying NO in Spanish. However, we did give money to the two dudes who rapped to a Dr Dre beat about how we are Americans who don´t understand what he is saying, and how Zack cant grow facial hair. Worth every Peso. We are going to check out the coral islands on the coast tomorrow, Las Islas del Rosario, and do some snorkling. We really like Cartagena and will stay here for a few more days before moving East along the coast to Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park. Hope all is great back in the states, keep the comments and emails coming.

A Word From Zack

Wow, my very first blog. Its tough to follow an act like Brandon Binder when it comes to describing in detail how this trip is going and how I cannot grow hair on my upper lip. I am reminded almost daily between Binder and Mike Grady about how 7 year old Colombian boys can grow more facial hair than me. Awesome. Other than being immasculated every day, the trip has been amazing. Even though it feels like this trip just begun (because of our brief stop over in the US between Belize and Colombia) we have met some pretty unbelievable people. 

In Belize we had the pleasure of meeting some awesome ex-pats from the US including a couple that was originally from the Bay Area who just had their first child. Jules and Tyler would talk about how difficult it was for them to pick a name and when they thought about what kind of a person he would turn out to be they landed on the name Legend. Just to really drive the point home, they gave him the middle name Cornell so their first born son's name is Legend Cornell. We had the pleasure of meeting the young guy and needless to say, Brandon and I are convinced he WILL live up to his name. 

In Miami we stayed with Brandon's cousin Kristen and I got a good sense for what Maria Binder was like when she was my age. Just like Maria, we were welcomed into her home with comfortable beds and tons of food. The Antonidas' really know how to host family and friends. Between my Uncle Fo in Belize and Brandon's cousin, we have been very lucky to see family in our travels.

Our first stop in Colombia was in Bogota where we spent the last couple of days and nights taking in the sights and size of the city. Colombians dont speak very much English so we have been trying our hardest to communicate with them. We moved to a new hostel last night where we met all walks of life and learned Colombia's favorite drinking game which I cannot pronounce let alone type out in Spanish. We were hanging out with people from Seattle, Colorado, Colombia, Switzerland, Australia and a few others I cannot remember. 

Just to validate that this is an incredibly small world we are staying in a new hostel in Medellin tonight and all 3 of our dorm mates are from San Francisco and one of them lives 3 blocks from where we used to live in Russian Hill...annnnd he used to work for Advent Software where Brandon worked for three years before we left for this trip.

Hope everyone is well and we love reading your emails and comments on the blog so keep them coming.

Zack

  

Bogota, Colombia

I think it is safe to say the real part of the trip has begun. It became apparent, when after a 630 am flight out of Miami on about 2 hours of sleep, we found ourselves aimlessly wandering the streets of Bogota. Carrea 7 is like Market Street during Christmas everyday. And everyone speaks Spanish. And there are no gringos. It was the first of many times in the first 24 hours it really hit us we weren´t in San Francisco anymore. They have these people who have cell phones you can use, instead of payphones, and the yell "LLAMAR LLAMAR LLAMAR!!" (Call!). It got stuck in my head and every 5 mins I would yell it out. Zack said he is going to fine me everytime I yell it, but I don´t think he´ll be able to get a Colombian Peso out of me. Yup, we´re getting along just fine.

We toured the city for the day, still delirious, and have begun to realize how cheap it is down here. We got a full steak dinner for about $12 each, cabs are about $2, beers are about $1. Our hostels range between $7 and $10 per night. Awesome. There is a huge mountain range, I mean huge, just at the edge of the city. We took the cable car to the top, just in time for the clouds to roll in, but the view was still pretty insane and you can see how massive Bogota is. Being such a huge city, we are anxious to move on tomorrow when we depart for Medellin for 2 nights. That should be cool, then we will head up to the coast to Cartagena, Santa Marta, and El Parque Nacional de Tayrona where the jungle meets the Carribean.

Last but not least.... and what you´ve all been waiting for... BEARD WATCH: 3 Weeks. I´m sure some of you have some some comments so let´s see em. It´s been great hearing from everyone. Also, its not too late to join the South America train, we have just gotten the news that a few folks will be joining us. Check out the Agenda posted a few weeks back and take a moment to think about how awesome it would be to see our hairy faces in a foreign country. C´Mon....

LLAMAR LLAMAR LLAMAR!!!!!!

Florida, USA

It's not exactly "South America", but it's America and it's pretty far south. There are about 5 purely logistical reasons why we had to come throug Miami for a few days, involving cheaper flights and some other stuff with the crazy Chilean airline we are flying throughout South America. We are going to get (crossing fingers) Brazilian Visas here in Miami, which has yet to be anything short of a nightmare. If you plan on going to Brazil, just know that they make getting a visa about this much fun.

Anyway, we're here until Thursday when we take off for Colombia. My cousin Kristen lives here and has been a gracious host. We went out in West Palm Beach on Saturday night and had dinner at Opa Tavern, a rowdy Greek restaurant. It was good to see my fellow Grecos dancing on tables and throwing napkins in the air. The rest of the night was spent making stupid faces.

We are going to watch the Super Bowl today, and get our last tastes of American culture for a while. Probably won't have much interesting to say between now and when we get to Colombia on Thursday, so maybe you can check out another one of my favorite blogs in the meantime. Just a few more days until we really get into it, oooooh boy.

Also, here are all the pics from Belize.