Salkantay Trek : Day 3

 

We woke up early, again, and I was starting to feel better but still not 100%. From our campsite we hiked pretty much downhill the whole way to La Playa, our lunch spot. Here 4 of our group headed for more hiking and then Machupicchu the next day, the rest of us still had another day of hiking and then we were on to Machupicchu (their tour was 4 days/3 nights).

I love waterfalls and we were able to see many this day. Day 3 was a lot more downhill.

We walked along the Urubamba River and were basically in the high jungle. We needed to wear our mosquito spray!

Rich doing his best impression of a mountain...or just being silly...no one will ever know ;-)

We made it to our campsite, set up our tents and got ready to head to Santa Theresa to relax in the natural hot springs. We got there and ordered drinks, relaxed, bathed and had a great time!

While the boys finished their drinks, Liz and I headed down to the hot springs. The attendant let us go down to the warm-water waterfalls and then told us the order in which you enter the pools, you start with the cooler pool first and make your way to the warmer pools. Liz and I had made our way into the first pool when we saw the guys coming down. They were stopped by the attendant and made to take cold showers before they entered the pool area. We were laughing so hard because they did not make us take a cold shower first. We think it was because we were girls and he didn’t want to make us take the cold shower first. HA!

After the hot springs we went back to the campsite and got ready for dinner. At this campsite there were lots of drink options, for purchase. A bunch of the guys split a bottle of Havana Club (rum) and bought a big bottle of coke – A Cuba Libre. The rest of the night was a blur while our group danced around a huge bonfire to the YMCA (x2), the Macarena and some Peruvian music on loop. We danced Salsa, laughed and agree to zip line the next day. The other groups that were there were watching from afar, and we think were jealous, of the fun we were having! We were up way to late and had a little too much fun!

Salkantay Trek : Day 2

 

We woke to hot tea and moonlight. We got dressed in our tent – Rich told me a neat trick about camping in the cold: put the clothes you are going to wear the next day in your sleeping bag to keep them warm because the last thing you want to do is put cold clothes on in the morning. Genius! I knew I married him for a reason ;-P

After breakfast we were on our way. The 2nd day was the hardest day for trekking so we all wanted to get on the move to get it over with.

We were getting close...but not quite to the top.

While on the hike we got to talk to almost everyone and really start to get to know them. Every person on our hike was so kind, friendly and open. It really made our trip so much better! We are still talking about how awesome the trek was!

We finally made it! We summited Salkantay which is at over 4500 meters – close to if not over 15,000 feet! That is the highest that both Rich and I had ever been. It was windy and very cold, but the views were totally worth it! I was so proud of my accomplishment (especially for still not feeling 100%) At the top we performed a ceremony to Salkantay, took a few pictures and made on our way to our lunch spot.

We ate lunch at a nice little old womans house (she apparently has the best Cuy (Guinea Pig in the Andes, we didn’t try it, unfortunately)) and while we ate it started to pour down rain. And then it hailed. So we all got our rain gear on and continued on our way.

Like I said, all of my outdoor gear is a different shade of blue...even my rain jacket...

We made it to the campsite for the 2nd night right before dark. We all got beers, had dinner and stayed up late chatting, laughing and learning about each other and all of our different cultures.

There were a lot of dogs running around this campsite so we had to make sure that all of our stuff was inside our tent and nothing was run away with!

Baseball, a BBQ and a Birthday

 

This weekend I turned 26! It was a warm weekend celebrated with family and friends, a couple of baseball games and lots of food and drinks!

We went to 2 baseball games, had a big and fun party, ate, drank and had the best weekend!

On Friday, I spent the day with my mom getting everything ready for the party on Saturday night. Rich called and told me our friends had found awesome ticket prices for a Giants game the night. We couldn’t pass it up, so we headed to SF and watched an almost perfect game (sorry Giants, I didn’t know the rule…), drank beers, ate huge bratwursts and enjoyed the uncharacteristically warm temperature for San Francisco!

 

On Saturday we woke up early and headed to a small picnic that one of Rich’s professors hosted in Tilden Park. It was beautiful outside and it was great to meet everyone in Rich’s small mod (a small group of students who take classes together). We had to leave early because my parents had already organized going to an Oakland A’s game.We got there right as the game begun. It was hot hot hot but fortunately enough our seats were in the shade, so we weren’t too exposed – the A’s won! The announcer for the A’s loves the high school in my hometown and my parents were able to buy tickets to watch some of the game from the announcer’s box. It was really neat! They also wished me a happy birthday from the jumbo screen! I’m a loved gal!

After the game we headed back to my parents house to get ready for the party. We had a pretty amazing spread of food and decided that the drink for the night would be a mojito. It was delicious! We ate, drank and chatted all night! I had such a great time! I have been blessed with amazing people in my life!

On Sunday Rich and I went for coffee and a pastry, I dropped him off at school for a training and to study and I headed back to my parents house to spend the day with my mom. We brought out the spread from the night before and ate and drank and laughed and chatted. One of my best friend also joined us in making a dent in all of the food!

And I found this gem at my parents house ;-)

I picked up Rich and we headed for a sushi dinner and then home to watch some Frasier (I am old now) and then straight to bed. With the temperatures as high as they were this weekend and we had been outside for most of the days, I was pooped!

26 will be a great year, probably the best year yet. And I can’t wait to see what comes my way! (Here is a recap of the first 25 years of my life and here is a recap of my most recent birthdays)

Salkantay Trek : Day 1

 

And now for our favorite part of our trip to Peru, the 5 day/4 night Salkantay Trek to Machupicchu.

We woke up at 4am to pack up the rest of our bags and head over to the meeting point for the bus to take us to our first day of hiking. Sadly, I slept terribly and came down with some sort of food poisoning...damn you San Pedro Market! Anyway, even though I wasn’t feeling well, we trekked on and made it to the bus. We took the bus to the first stop, breakfast in Mollepata.

From Mollepata, all 17 of us piled back into the bus and headed on our way to come to a truck in the road that had gone over the edge. Of course, my studly husband hopped out and helped the Peruvians pull the truck out of the ditch. Once the truck was safely back on the road we were told that our bus was too big to make it around another truck that was stuck in the road and we all had to wait for our alternate form of transportation. What was that, you ask? It was an open back pick up truck. Yes you read that right. All 17 of us piled into the back of a pickup truck with our 2 guides, our 2 porters and 3 cooks – oh and all of our stuff too.

Needless to say, my tummy was not happy with this alternate route!

We all laughed and got to know each other, which we likely would have taken much longer than before lunch the first day.

After about 2 hours of standing in the back of a pickup truck we made it to our first stop. We introduced ourselves: names and country of origin and started a 2 hour hike. Of the 17 of us, Rich and I were the only Americans, there was a couple from Finland, 2 gals from Sweeden, 1 guy from France and the rest from Britain.

We hike to our campsite and had lunch. After lunch, all but myself and another gal, Jenny, went on an additional hike to this beautiful lake (the 2 of us that stayed behind weren’t feeling so good, so we jumped in our tents and slept until dinner).

The group, minus Jenny and I.

When the group got back, we had dinner and all went to sleep. On Day 2 we were to summit Salkantay and hike a very long distance so we needed to get up very early in the morning.

Oh and it was FREEZING! Did I mention we visited Peru in their Dry Season which equates to their winter temperatures? That is why we are all bundled up! The first night camping, we almost had a full moon, it was spectacular.

26 Things

I have been on this earth for 26 years. 26 amazing years filled with love, loss, happiness, heartache, friends, family and a zest for life.

26 Things about me on my 26^th Birthday!

26 accomplishments

1. I was blessed with a loving and supportive family.

2. I became a big sister. I watched both of my brothers be born. I gave my youngest brother his first bath in the hospital.

3. I made lifelong friends. I had falling outs with friends.

4. I played sports in High School, made friends and (oh yeah) I studied, I graduated from High School

5. I made bad decisions, and learned from them. And I may have even made the same bad decision more than once.

6. I traveled abroad with my family.

7. I suffered great loss. I am loved by my family.

8. I fell in love. I had my heart broken.

9. I rekindled family relationships. I learned about my family history and heritage.

10. I lived with my grandparents for part of my childhood and I am grateful to them, in part, for the woman I have become. My step-dad is my dad. My half brothers are my brothers and half sister is my sister.period.end.of.story. My sister's family has become my family, and I love them like they are my own.

11. I was the delegate for my Women's Fraternity at our International Convention 

12. I studied abroad in Italy. I traveled alone and met great people along the way

13. I tested my heart strings when I fell in love with a Marine and he deployed, twice. I endured long distant and cross-continent relationships.

14. I wrote love letter. I received love letters. I saved love letters

15. I went to college. I lived on my own. I had roommates. I graduated from college.

16. I moved cities to follow my heart and be with the love of my life.

17. I married the most genuine, sincere, kind and passionate man I have ever met.

18. With my husband, we traveled all over: California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, we traveled to Hawai'i, Switzerland, France and Peru. We have seen the most beautiful places and are constantly looking for new adventures.

19. I had credit card debt. I paid off the credit card debt. It was all worth it - I bought an Italian Red Leather Jacket.

20. I saw friends fall in love and have their hearts broken. I watched my friends get married and was a maid of honor in my mom's wedding and was a bridesmaid in a friends wedding. I watched my friends get pregnant and have babies.

21. I had multiple jobs. I worked my butt off! I moved around. I was promoted.

22. I supported my husband financially, emotionally and mentally through his undergraduate degree and now we are moving onto his law degree
23. I learned how to be a patient and how to allow someone else, besides my mom, to take care of me

24. I read books, watched TV and movies. I played outside and have seen amazing wonders in this world.

25. I became an aunt to the most handsome little boy. I became an honorary aunt.

26. I learned how to love people, and accept them for all that they offer.