Day 2. Challenge. On the map, this should have been in a bold font or at the very least, underlined a few times. It was challenging, somehow entertaining and a day we both would probably never forget. Pictured below, fearful, confident and completely unaware of where the trail would take us.
By the second day, I realized that it only takes a day for me to feel really truly comfortable around others. These 11 strangers were now our hiking friends which gave me the go ahead to just be myself. And that's just what I did. During lunch on day 2, we kept dry and ate as much food as our chef, Jesus, would provide. That's right Jesus walks. And he cooks. Without a fire nonetheless. Jesus probably made some of the best meals in Peru. It's because he's Jesus, right?
Well after every meal, we'd share some small talk over tea. Some of us had cocoa leaf tea to fight the altitude while others enjoyed chamomile and green tea. Comfortable in my surroundings, I reverted back to my clumsy ways and decided that the best way to warm up in the rainy season was to accidentally spill hot tea alllllll over my waterproof pants.
Oops I tea-ed my pants.
I later found out that my zip-off-at-the-knee waterproof pants were not so waterproof. I guess that's what you get when you borrow Alisa/Maggie's pants. These pants are from 2001, when my sister and her friend Maggie lived in Bolivia. Fortunately for Jill, her pants were new and waterproof. That didn't matter though. To stick with the theme of the day, Mother Nature decided to step it up and really make it a challenge. The rain was incessant and the only thing dry was the humor of our situation.
We laughed that we unknowingly signed up for this 4 day trek during rainy season. There's a reason why people book this trip a year in advance - it fills up during the busy dry season of June-August. While it was still stressful trying to secure trek dates in December, we were later grateful that we went during the off season. There was less of a crowd, it was easier to book and the rain actually felt refreshing compared to hiking in the heat.
Scattered colorful ponchos painted the route. It was the only thing to see amidst the fog and the rain. There were times were the rain showered us and then drenched us. And showered. And drenched. I thought on numerous occasions that Jill was going to throw me off the mountain. This was not like our other trips. This was not wine tasting in Sonoma or partying in Vegas.
The rain consumed my thoughts. Was this really on my bucket list? To be honest, I didn't know what to expect and that it would take four long days to get to take the token Machu Picchu photo. Either way, I knew I was going to get there at some point in my twenties and now was the time, with my fingers frozen to the shape of the walking stick. It helped my balance but the grip was a reminder of just how cold I was.
But we got each other through it. It was an uphill battle and I couldn't have done it without Jill, every step of the way. Stay bitten ;)
There's a scene in (500) Days of Summer that's split up into expectations and reality. The main character has great hopes for his evening and the screen is split into two screens- showing the audience the contrast between the two. On the first day of our trek, we saw our friend Ben's group pass us by. Initially, his group was my great expectation, a bunch of fit attractive blonde men hiking. In my head, they were all Australian adventurers, with accents as sharp as their wit. I turned to Jill and faced our reality. Luckily, our reality surprised us. Our first impressions of an unfriendly bunch, changed soon enough. It turned out to far exceed my greatest of expectations. No, we did not hike the Inca Trail with Manchester United or those vampire actors that everyone's crazy for. We ended up in a group with 11 others - of different ages, backgrounds, from all over the world, each one bringing something special and different to the trek. As for us, we were the working girls from Nueva York and we did our best to represent "American the Beautiful" in our parkas.
The day before our trek, we received a colorful map from Peru Treks covered in pictures with names of places we couldn't pronounce. We didn't know where we were headed or what to expect. Jill and I were nervous because everyone we met seemed to exaggerate the circumstances- except for 3 people. 1- The guy from the after-school program we donated to. He already proved himself to be a modern day Superman. On top of impacting the lives of local Peruvian children, he does the trail at least once a year. 2- Our waitress at Witches Garden. She also shrugged off the hike, no big deal, she went rafting with level 5 rapids during her lunch break. 3- My sister. According to her, she wore sneakers and Lauren, the Inca Trail is a bunch of stairs. Ask me how many times, Jill and I cursed my sister's name, muttering to ourselves that it wasn't just a bunch of stairs. The trail (according to our colorful map) was divided into 4 sections (days). The first, Easy. The second, Challenge. The third, Unforgettable. The last, Unique.The first day was not Easy. There should be an asterisk next to that word on the map. In comparison to the other days, it was much easier. But for us, it was not easy. Within the first hour, Jill and I could not catch our breath. We would see people of different ages and sizes pass us by and it made us question ourselves. What we found was that we needed more time to adjust to the altitude. Our lungs couldn't keep up with our feet. The unfit were flying past us as they had been in South America for an extended period of time.So we went at our own pace and took in this experience step by step. Tortoise and the hare, right?
Here's our guide Will, giving the first of many explanations.
When we got to the campsite, we threw our stuff down and went over to the random futbol field, because that was part of my expectations, to have a random futbol match in the middle of Inca Trail. We took in the match, watched the locals dominate the gringos. Shortly thereafter, we had dinner and put our headlamps on to find our way back to the tents. Good thing for those headlamps. We had a big day ahead of us. Tomorrow, we had to wake up to the reality, the hardest day of the trek.Stay bitten ;)
Up until 8 or 9 months ago, I had the privilege of starting almost every day saying good morning to Conan. He was my neighbor. Thanks to schedule coincidences (starting work later than the average person), I would run into him on my way to the subway. His red hair and height made him hard to miss.
At times I thought I lived on a grown-up version of Sesame Street- waving hello and wishing the people on my street a good day, talking about the weather and on rainy days, the whereabouts of my invisible umbrella. But one fine day, Big Red headed out west for a great opportunity, a dream for most, if not all, comedians, to host The Tonight Show. As for the not-so-Big Brunette, well, I went on with my everyday life, saving my hello's for the friendly doormen, construction workers and dogwalkers of the neighborhood. Most days I'm dressed in jeans, converse, a smile and almost always carrying a bag as if I'm going somewhere. Regardless of the outfit, I'm always fit for a hello.
As much as I miss morning run-ins with Conan, I'm going to miss him even more on The Tonight Show. With last night as his last hosting The Tonight Show, he reminded me just why this ordinary guy is so extraordinary. Dear internet, Conan made me laugh last night, and the night before and the night before that...
"Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen."
I'm confident that this is true for me and you and Coco too. Stay bitten ;)
I haven't posted in a couple of days, ok maybe a week. While I've had some Peru posts sitting in my drafts folder, I felt obligated to address the current situation in Haiti. But I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. Every morning, I'd browse through the New York Times and with each photo, a constant reminder of just how frightening it is. I sat at my desk frustrated. While my daily schedule continues, the victims of the earthquake struggle to have the opportunity to carry on. I couldn't help but feel helpless. I volunteer locally and even though donating globally feels very distant, it's important to provide in times of need. If you can't give your time, it seems that at this point, money is the most effective means of bringing the medical support and supplies and safe drinking water to Haiti.
Thanks to facebook, twitter and all the other forms of social media, I can keep up with my friend Alex as he bravely takes on the catastrophe in Haiti. He works for Merlin, an NGO that provides aid and health services to those in need. I admire his courage and selflessness. He's been recently posting recaps of his experience in Haiti - click here to read them. I know I'm not the only one inspired by his efforts. His daily online journal gives us all a glimpse of the situation but it's more personal than a news brief. Just reading that he convinced a local hotel to let his group set up tents on their balcony, keeps me checking each day to see how his efforts have impacted his surroundings.
(photos courtesy of Alex's recent uploads)
Here are some ways to help provide aid and support to Haiti:
Merlin - click here to donate Doctors Without Borders - click here to donate Alexis Bittar will donate 100% of all sales on their website to the Catholic Relief Services With every headhoods purchase this month, Headhoods will donate $5 to Doctors Without Borders
Stay bitten - more uplifting posts on board. In the meantime, pay it forward, come together, help Haiti.
Jill and I loaded up on carbs the night before our trek at Witches Garden, a restaurant we ran into after getting caught in the pouring rain trying to find Pomodoro. Lonely Planet really needs to update their restaurant recommendations- Pomodoro no longer exists in Cusco. We dried off and packed our bags so that we would be ready to leave early the next morning. Peru Treks was picking us up somewhere between 5 and 6am.Jill and I were the last ones to be picked up, we nearly fell asleep at the reception at Ninos Hotel.
We eagerly walked on the bus, waving to everyone. "Hiiiii"
No response.
Jill and I sat down and sulked in our seats. We convinced ourselves that at this hour, without coffee/breakfast, people are a lot less friendly. This was all true. It wasn't just us.We arrived to the starting point and had a breakfast buffet. I nearly choked on my scrambled eggs when I found out where the French guy was from. He currently lives in London, grew up in France but spent the early part of his childhood in my hometown. It's a small world after all, even in Peru.
We finished our small talk and breakfast and repacked our bags (as Jill and I packed one too many granola bars and had to lighten the load). One group photo and we were were on our way.
It's not every Monday that I get to spend two hours with Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber. I caught A View From the Bridge, the remake of the Arthur Miller classic, from the balcony of a filled theater. This was no Knicks game- we were not moving down to the floor. The view from the balcony wasn't as good as that of the bridge but it didn't matter. Liev kept my attention and captivated the audience with his portrayal of Eddie Carbone, Brooklyn accent and all. Opening night is January 24th. The show runs for 14 weeks, so get the view while you can.
7? Already? Alright, here are the 7 things on my radar. Maybe soon they'll be on yours. Maybe not. Let's countdown, we're only a week or so into the new year.
7. Conan O'Brien. Always on my radar. Now if only NBC would stop toying around with him.
6. Slash, the paper exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design. Followed by Madeleine Albright's pin collection.
5. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's. Their song Home on repeat.
4. I feel obligated to include The Jersey Shore because you can't walk by the water cooler without someone referencing a Flintstone toe or a fist pump. To keep things classy, I'll put SNL on the radar for their parody of the show. Take a break from gym, tan, laundry and click here. 3. Momofuku delivers crack pie anywhere in the US!
2. Clothing as food. Rachel Zoe's ideal meal? Thanks Erin for sending this my way. 1. Bit by the travel bug but can't go too far from home? The recently expanded Urban Escapes has day trips that will satisfy your adventure craving. Meet new people, get out of the bubble, click here to check out their calendar.
Jill and I spent the remainder of our time before our trek wandering the streets of Cusco. Short of Spanish and short of breath, we attempted to navigate without an inhaler and a translator. With every step around Plaza de Armas, the main square, we were approached by Peruvian women offering a "manicure, pedicure, massage." This one in particular gave us a hard time. We attempted to blend in.
And then took some photos around the main square.
The side streets unfolded a charm to Cusco that made it easy to pass time there. I joked that I had "Peru goggles" on because I was attracted to about 75% of the guys, ok 85. It was like a walking catalog of scruffy, Patagonia models. I have to give Jill a lot of credit. And this is just one of the many reasons as to why she was such a good travel buddy. Jill would strike up conversations with anyone and everyone. What we found was that the people we met, from the Peruvians to world travelers, made us feel comfortable in a country far from home all the while teaching us something new.
Had Jill not asked Ben, the 6'3 Australian, in the local pharmacy about his travel plans, we would have never found the hidden market. Funny thing is we ran into Ben wherever we went- from the streets of Cusco to the campsites on the Inca Trail. His height made him hard to miss. Ben took us to this market in town where we should have bought these hats but instead bought alpaca gloves and hats.
Jill also struck up a conversation with Laurie, a "free spirit" who was staying at our hotel. Laurie recommended, in between her yoga sessions, to check out the Temple of St. Dominic. "You can really feel the energy there."
We ended the day with Jill playing the solar drum. Stay bitten ;)
In October of 2008, I headed up north to visit Jenna in Maine with some campfriends. Yes, we wanted to see her but it was also an excuse to have dinner at Primo, the restaurant where she works at. To this day, it is one of my most memorable meals.As Bourdain put it, "North of New York, that's who you would go to see." He was referring to Primo's Co-owner and Executive Chef, Melissa Kelly.
Pictured here- Bourdain, Kelly and Jenna (better known as Sprenna).
Stay bitten, April 12th, 10pm to see the much anticipated episode of No Reservations.
I write. I travel. I eat. And I'm hungry for more.
Apparently Anthony Bourdain and I are on the same page. Except he's the heading and I'm the fine print on the bottom of the page. Either way, we both have a insatiable hunger for adventure, food and life. While in Cusco, without any reservations, Jill and I attempted to get an authentic taste of Peruvian food.
Before we left New York, my friend Dave asked me if I was going to eat guinea pig. Initially, I said to him "Ew gross, Dave, that's a childhood pet in America." But upon arrival, I reminded myself to step out of my comfort zone because he was right to try something new. In Peru, cuy (guinea pig) is a delicacy and at most restaurants, it was the most expensive dish on the menu. So meal after meal, Jill and I passed up on the cuy in place of other affordable traditional fare. At Pacha Papa, in Plaza San Blas, we decided to finally take the plunge. Google guinea pig dish in Peru. You'll see why we were so hesitant. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us), you have to order to guinea pig a day before at Pacha Papa. So next time...
If you're headed to Cusco in the near future, I'd try the cuy at Pacha Papa but also get the scallops broiled in parmesean. Wash it down with a pisco sour. Another place worth checking out was the local restaurant we went to on our last day in Cusco.
Claude and Vibeke, the Danish couple from our Inca Trail trek, recommended this authentic Andean place just up the street from the Australian favorite, Jack's Cafe. We wandered around looking for 384 Choquechaca, not knowing the name of the restaurant or if 384 was actually the address. When we stumbled in with our friends from the trek, we found that we were surrounded by locals enjoying Sunday brunch. Lucky for us, Francis and Lucy had been taking some Spanish lessons during their South American travels, so they translated the menu. For roughly $6 USD, Jill and I split the Asado de Cordero (the lamb). The portions were comparable to Thanksgiving Day and the flavor would have made Bourdain want to make a reservation. Stay bitten ;)
On our second day in Peru, we decided to go horseback riding. We arranged the excursion through Nino's Hotel. There are 3 Nino's locations - 1 and 2 are just blocks from the main square in Cusco. The third location, Nino's Hacienda, is about a 45 minute drive outside of Cusco. After many punch buggy no punch backs, we finally arrived somewhere in the middle of nowhere. From the busy streets of New York to the somewhat busy streets of Cusco, this was a nice change of pace for us. The staff at the hacienda prepped the horses and in the meantime, brought us Spanish magazines to keep us entertained. We kicked back in the lounge chairs, enjoyed Somos and some sun.
We saddled up and took a ride in the countryside. One happy horseback rider.
Detail on the saddle- a horse on a horse of course.
We returned back to Ninos Hacienda right before the thunderstorm. Minutes before to be exact. Very sore and sunburned, we headed inside for some soda and coca leaf tea.
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