chill-ean desert

laurel says:

luxury at last!

part sedona, part santa fe, all heavenly.  san pedro is a true oasis ensconced in the psychedelic vistas of the atacama desert.  if you are planning a trip to chile, put this desert resort at the top of your list.  from sunbathing to sand boarding, 5 star resorts to hostels, this place has it all.  and the tiny town of just 5000 retains much of its original charm despite the influx of tourism.  there are no paved streets and it feels as though a tumbleweed could blow thru the main drag at any given moment.  this is the wild west of chile and a must see for your south american vacation.

main street, san pedro 

local architecture 

humpty dumpty sat on a wall 

mr sandman

mrs sandman

death valley

valley of the moon at sunset

emil telling me "just one more step back..."

volcano at dusk

missing erik renander

emil says:
we have passed through numerous quirky, and at times downright depressing, smaller towns in our stomp through south america, but san pedro, chile is one stupendously genuine find.  i don't know what the alamo looked like 100 years ago but this just might be it. simple dirt roads, clay style adobe huts line the streets which upon further inspection are merely the facade to a dazzling array of organic restaurants and artistic boutiques. the residents: grungy hippies meet x-gamers in the high desert. sandboarding (using a snowboard to ride down sand dunes), mountain biking trails through moab-like sandstone, and hot springs to soak in post monster ride- this little town is a fun adrenaline playground.  

lake titicaca

emil says:

this was one odd place to visit. arriving in the port town of puno on the peruvian side of lake titicaca is like rolling in to bombed out sarajevo in the 90s. the industrial port, bus terminal, and what looks like a garbage dump take up most of the town’s waterfront. we took a one day boat tour of the lake and visited 2 islands. the first stop was visiting the ‘ancient floating island’ civilization of lake titicaca. the inhabitants tie what seem like a zillion reeds to each other and then live upon these small floating haystacks. all seemed marginally genuine until our departure when the local women all belt out in chorus ‘hasta la vista, baby”.  just odd. (though we did visit a truly isolated island civilization later in the day). the lake itself feels rather strange as well. at 12.5k feet of elevation it’s the highest navigable lake in the world, with waves, currents and water temp that resemble an ocean more than a lake.  but the odd thing here is the true lack of wildlife. at this elevation little algae grows, and hence the food chain just isn’t much of one. one doesn’t see fishing boats.  one doesn’t see much of anything on the 5500 square miles of water. it’s serene and beautifully surrounded by the andean mountain range but its almost eerie spooky quiet out there.  

the floating islands

reed boats are the primary form of transit

hasta la vista, baby!

taquile island

princess of taquile 

terrace farming on taquile

lake looking out to bolivia

laurel says:

lake titicaca is a tough one to figure out.  puno is the primary town for exploring the peruvian side of the lake and they are sitting on a goldmine, but have not yet figured out how to tap into the enormous tourism potential of lake titicaca.  to say the town is rough around the edges would be an understatement.  but alas, we were not here for the town, it is the beautiful azure lake that is the draw.  lake titicaca is enormous.  our little “speed” boat puttered nearly 3 hours out on the lake just to get us out of the bay.  however, the view of crystal blue waters and snow-capped andes never got old.  the highlight of our trip was our visit to taquile island, a unesco world heritage sight where the 2000 inhabitants live a life that is frozen in time.  no running water, electricity or cars.  the main pastime is keeping up their world-renowned handicrafts tradition.  the men learn to knit and women learn to weave as children and become masters at their craft over the course of their lives.  the hats they produce are true works of art.   they live collectively and honor the inca code: do not lie, do not steal, do not be lazy.  overall, i am happy we visited but i would only recommend making the trip to lake titicaca if you have extra time on your hands.   next stop, chile!

trekking machupicchu

laurel says:

part of this trip is about pushing yourself to try things you normally would not at home.  this was exemplified to perfection by our trek to machu picchu.  in the usa, emil could not promise me enough lv handbags to go on a multiday hike that involved camping.  in the andes, i was the first to sign up.  trekking at 14,000 feet above sea level is no easy feat.  especially in tennis shoes.  our trek took us over 3 mountain passes.  the elevation was so intense that our guide carried oxygen for us, though we never used it.  on our first day, we left shortly after sunrise at 7am and did not arrive at our camp site until nearly sundown at 6pm.  we thought we were heroes just for making it, but the real champions were our porters who made the trek faster then us while carrying huge 50-pound bags filled with all our belongings, camping supplies and food...and had time to set up our tents and whip up a 3 course meal by the time we arrived.  very impressive.

camping in an ancient inca site in the middle of the andes is an enchanting experience and a fitting way to get to machu picchu given that inca messengers used to travel these vary trails to relay information between machu picchu and the capital of the inca empire, cuzco in the 1400's. 

on day 3, we arrived to magical machu picchu.  i don’t think either of us was prepared for the sheer magnitude and jaw dropping beauty of the lost city of the incas.  we were blessed with a sunny day during the normally wet rainy season.  we arrived at sunrise, before the hordes of tourist busses take over, and spent the next 6 hours exploring the ancient inca ruins and hiking the infamous inca trail.  it was an almost out of body experience to see such an incredibly beautiful and sophisticated structure, in nearly perfect condition 700 years after its construction.  one cannot help but wonder why -and how- the incas built such a place.  since the incas did not keep written records and the culture was completely destroyed by spanish conquistadors, unfortunately there are more questions than there are answers.  perhaps that is part of the allure of machu picchu, that its very existence is a mystery that even the marvels of modern science cannot unlock. 

the trek begins

smiling at mile 1

tempted to ride the llama

please??

dark & stormy

14,107 feet above sea level

at last

postcard?

the lost city of the incas

the incas mastered the art of terrace farming

a tree grows in machu picchu

our ride home, thankfully

emil says:

recently added to the list of ‘wonders of the world’, and for good reason, machu picchu is a tremendous sight to see.  the astounding craftsmanship, enormous scale, and remote mountain location (went "undiscovered" till 1911) make this inca ruin truly breathtaking.  it takes some grit getting here and despite the fact that trains and buses are available for portions, or the entire trip, the location itself makes for some serious lung smacking pain in order to take in all of machu picchu. for this reason it was impressive to see the 80+ year olds hiking and fighting their way all over machu picchu.  also laurel absolutely crushed this hike. impressive. for what its worth i think the 4 day inca trail hike would make for a sensational group birthday party or some sort of reunion...a great workout coupled with a real sense of accomplishment when reaching this fabulous final destination.  one cannot say enough about the sense of awe one has upon arriving at machu picchu. the amount of effort and the amount of time put in to building something of this scale is beyond my comprehension.  on the flip side:  this inca empire was essentially eradicated by a few guys on horseback and some gunpowder. yes, you guys made some amazing stone structures and you had some tremendous early understanding of the cosmos/astronomy. but it wasn’t enough to hold off the conquistadors. maybe we cannot replicate the inca’s stone craftsmanship but we can make a carbon footprint free skyscraper with flexible solar panels for windows.  all i am saying, since i don’t want to sound ignorant, is that i want to celebrate how far we have come as a civilization as well as celebrating ancient ones.  that said machu picchu is a must visit. 

organic cuzco

emil says:

haight ashbury meets squawlywood. we are supposed to ‘dislike’ touristy towns but this one is hysterical.  japanese tourists decked to the 9’s in the most expensive alpaca fur and mountain hardware gear money can buy.  trekkie’s from all over the world (and of all ages) that are here for one thing and one thing only, to trek to machu picchu, square off against an incredibly vibrant coca chewing, patchouli smelling, hippy scene.  restaurants are all organic, quinoa abounds, and the local markets sell a dizzying variety of produce.  it's touristy, but as a launching point for treks with this caliber of food and nightlife blended with elevation and hippies it sort of makes me feel like this is what a super energized and charismatic everest base camp could be. 

central plaza 

steep cobblestone streets

laurel all smiles pre-trek

local produce

castro meets cuzco

emil disbanding the occupy wall street protest- cuzco edition

plaza by night

laurel says: 

i heart cuzco (and apparently so does every other tourist)!  prior to our visit, i thought this andean gem was just the jumping off point to explore machu picchu.  but cuzco is a fab destination in its own right.  its quaint cobble stone streets, bustling plazas and spanish tile roofs make for a charming city.  blink and you could be in florence.  one key difference- the altitude.  at over 11,000 feet, oxygen is hard to come by.  gourmet food, on the other hand, is abundant.  all of which is local and organic.  the local market makes whole foods look like small change and the restaurant scene is equally killer.  it is easy to see why so many ex-pats have chosen to check out of society and call cuzco home.  the town is crawling with characters, making for some incredible people watching.   all in all, the perfect spot to gear up for our big machu picchu trekking adventure!

loving lima

laurel says:

after the amazon, i was ready to kiss the ground of the first city i encountered.  luckily, that city was lima.  lima has the same feel to it as los angeles but with a sense of history and culture.  massive sprawl, bustling downtown and killer beach towns.  we stayed in barranco, which is the equivalent of manhattan beach.  a stunning boardwalk “malecon” stretches along the coastline for miles allowing you to walk from beach to beach.   it was a much needed change up from the jungle.

for me, the real highlight of lima was the food.  i am a huge fan of it’s star chef, gaston acurio.  we were fortunate enough to dine at two of his restaurants during our stay: the original la mar cevicheria and his flagship restaurant astrid y gaston.  top two meals of the trip, hands down.  la mar takes the cake for me.  we spent a leisurely two hour lunch here enjoying the most incredible ceviche of our lives while watching the who’s who of lima chat and mingle the day away.  very memorable.   lima is an urban oasis that provided the perfect place to recharge post amazon and pre cusco.  i am back! 

ceviche astrid y gaston

enjoying a pisco sour at the original la mar

lima's central plaza

knocking on heaven's door

larcomar cliffside mall

lima at night

the darker side of lima

emil says:

our guidebook had an entire section on lima devoted to ‘dangers and annoyances’ which proceeded to scare the bejesus out of us… “be mindful of the ‘choke and grab’ was particularly disturbing. kids if you need to grow up a thief, a pimp, or a drug dealer that’s all fine by me, just don’t become a ‘choke and grabber’. alas we felt more than safe in lima.

lima was a fantastic surprise. situated some 300 yards on a cliff overlooking the pacific, with 180 degree panoramic beach views, public spaces along the cliffs that were tremendous including a bmx/skateboard park that would make tony hawk applaud. and if you consider yourself a foodie lima is a must see as it has the lock on ceviche and taraditos. we met some good people here and enjoyed our first college football gameday, which was a nice changeup. 

lastly i want to mention the family bonding we saw down here in lima.  little brothers holding hands. fathers with arms around their teenage son. grandparents pushed along in a wheelchair by their granddaughter, teenagers actually being nice to each other…a myriad of family unity and kindness was on display and was a joy to witness. tv, electronics, the apple idad app on iphones and ipads didn’t seem to be needed here, just good old fashion family time. 

a slice of long island in lima- even the grill is gold

amazon glamping

i'm cuter than curious george

the amazon's smallest monkey

it's not easy being green

laurel almost walked into me

we finally get to a clearing

our jungle crew

famous amazon pink dolphins...trust us

our trusted yacht

piranha in picture is larger than it appears

...but mine is bigger

it's good to be at the top of the food chain

me tarzan, you jane

2 feet wide lilly pad

canoeing thru a lilly pad lagoon

emerging from the jungle

el capitan

not my hand

amazon sky

emil says:

the amazon is adult swim only.  i am so proud of my wife for putting on her big boy pants and getting through this portion of our journey (albeit barely).  for a woman who thinks roughing it is anything other than a ritz carlton, this was an episode of fear factor.  and a more impressive feat is laurel’s grandparents bob and betty visiting this place some years ago. galapagos animals are abundant and lack predators and thus lack fear, african animals are chasing or being chased, amazon animals lurk, creep, crawl, and slither, and are elusive.  the jungle is filled with juxtapositions:  one is never dry nor is one wet, only 10% of the suns rays hit the jungle floor but it couldn’t be hotter, with 105% humidity, no breeze can penetrate the canopy, one hears more than one sees and oddly one sees more animals at night.  your mind interferes here. fear percolates. what just made that sound?  are my footsteps as loud as i think they are? how can it be so loud in here yet i can’t see anything? if i keep looking at my feet i won't see the monkeys but if I look up i won't make it 5 feet without stepping upon something i shouldn’t be stepping on. we can’t survive 6 hours out here alone, yet there are a plethora of water sources and edible fruit, if you know how/where to look.  the smallest parrots and tree frogs make the loudest of the shrieks and calls; the largest of the anacondas and jaguars make nary a sound. creepy crawly things are also a lot bigger here: tarantulas the size of one’s face with offspring to boot. i swear i saw a mosquito with a tattoo that read “i eat insect repellant for breakfast”. no swimming with any cuts or open wounds, the piranhas have teeth that movies only marginally exaggerate, and if the bait of choice while fishing is raw red meat you know you aint swimming.  this was a truly thrilling exhilarating and most beautiful hell.

laurel says: 


i imagined my time in the amazon playing out like a scene from one of my favorite movies,  ‘troop beverly hills.’  in reality the only aspect of the trip that even remotely resembled the film was the lifetime nature appreciation patch that i was awarded for surviving 5 days here.  this jungle is not for the faint of heart.  our jungle lodge was much closer to camping than a resort.  sure we had running water and prepared meals, but no electricity, no hot water and more bugs than you can shake a stick at is intense for 5 days.  that paired with 3 hour treks thru virgin jungle- only our jungle guide and his machete blazing the trail, scalding hot sun and killer humidity eventually took its toll.  i emerge from the jungle on heavy doses of antibiotics and rehydration salts.  clearly, i am not cut out for the amazon.  but i would not change the experience.  it was worth it for the once in a lifetime experience of living in the amazonian jungle (plus I lost 3 pounds).  the beauty is difficult to describe and pictures can scarcely do it justice.  the density and scale of the jungle trumps any forest i have ever seen.  even with acute focus you can only take in 1/1000 of the life that is surrounding you.  boating on the amazon is one of the most peaceful experiences one can have, watching the vibrant jungle and magnificent cloud formations drift by.  i never thought i would ever go piranha fishing, trek thru the vast amazon jungle, or canoe up an amazon tributary and i am proud of myself for pushing myself to the limit (and slightly beyond).  now get this girl back to civilization…its time for a serious mani/pedi!