Hola! from Costa Rica

Hola everyone! It’s that time of year again… 

I have received a lot of blank looks this time about where Costa Rica is situated within world geography. So let me start with a short introduction to the country before getting into the actual trip update.

Costa Rica is located in the southern part of Central America, the narrow isthmus that joins North and South America. To the north is Nicaragua; to the south Panama (if you’ve heard of the Panama Canal, this is just north of that). The east coast collides with the Caribbean Sea whereas the west coast encounters the Pacific Ocean.

Even at around 635 miles long, 135 miles across and just 51,000sq km this small country has a lot to offer; dozens of habitats are squeezed into this tiny area: from rainforest and cloud forest to tropical dry forest, mangroves to mountains and volcanos, Costa Rica is packed with biodiversity. It has 615 species per 10,000 sq. km, the world’s largest number, greater than Rwanda’s wildlife rich 596 and the USAs poor 104. Due to its location, species from different continents have been comingling here for millennia. However, numerous species are declining or in danger of extinction due to habitat destruction, hunting and harvesting of eggs.

In 2009, the then President set a goal that Costa Rica would become carbon neutral by 2021, the first in the world. For its overall environmental performance, Costa Rica was ranked in the top five nations in a 2012 study produced by Yale and Columbia Universities. Costa Rica so we were informed, now uses 100% renewable energy – 85% hydroelectric, 10% geothermal and 5% solar/wind.

Costa Rica is also a neutral country with no standing army; it was abolished in 1949. At the same time the country was desegregated and women and blacks were given the right to vote. With no money to spend on military, the money is ploughed back into the country and today 50% of Costa Rica is protected. ‘Protected’ is a bit ambiguous as there is still corruption and if someone offers enough money, the protected areas can be unprotected; deforestation is a continuing problem as a result. Large areas are also swallowed up by Palm plantations.

Another of Costa Rica’s main danger comes from tourists and maintaining the delicate balance of bringing in tourist dollars to help maintain and protect more without the numbers of tourists being so great that it destroys the very thing they’ve come to see! The ethos of the company we’ve chosen to travel with is to tread lightly on the country with as much of an ethical and sustainable trip as is possible; such as using a variety of (local) transport, hiring local guides and staying in small locally/family owned accommodation (with sustainability credentials hopefully such as recycling, energy saving, use of natural light in rooms as a minimum).

San Jose was quiet; we’d picked a Sunday and a public holiday to visit. All the museums, central market and other public buildings were closed. We did get to wander around the town which was fairly easy to navigate, watch a parade, enjoy some of the plazas (squares), see Parroquia Nuestra Senora de la Soledad (ornate church) and visit the Artisan market which was open. Then in the evening we met our group: 5 other Brits, 2 Canadians, 1 Aussie and 1 Swiss. Introductions and trip preparation over, we went out for dinner together. Our first hotel was exceptionally good on sustainability by also using rainwater for flushing toilets and a solar system for heating water as well as those other things mentioned above.

Manuel Antonio National Park on the central Pacific coast is a dry tropical forest (still a rainforest but with slightly less rain, around 3.9m annually – yes that’s metres) consisting of both primary and secondary forest, mangroves and marine resources. Created in 1972 it is the country’s smallest national park even after it was enlarged to 1983 land hectares in 2000 and also comprises a 55,100 hectare marine area protecting islets of nesting seabirds. On a guided trek we saw lots of wildlife including White-faced Capuchin monkeys, Mantled Howler Monkeys, endangered Squirrel Monkeys (known locally as Mono Titi), Two-toed Sloths, Three-toed Sloths, Raccoons, Agoutis (like giant guinea pigs), lizards, birds, butterflies and a fleeting glimpse of an Ocelot (type of medium sized wild cat, bearing a resemblance to a leopard).

On another tour to seek out Scarlet Macaws (reduced pockets of distribution due to trapping, poaching, habitat destruction and increased use of pesticides), we saw more Squirrel Monkeys, Toucans, Crested Caracaras, Sloths and other birds as well as several Scarlet Macaws on the trip.

The weather was 34’c and an energy zapping 80% humidity, with torrential rainstorms including a spectacular thunder and lightning storm.

Santa Elena and Reserva Biologica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde in north-western Costa Rica are areas of virginal tropical cloud forest. These are very rich ecosystems; reputedly having 20% of the world plant diversity and 16% of the world vertebrate diversity. Established in 1972, the 4000 hectare Monteverde Cloud Forest apparently has 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles and 3000 species of plants including 878 species of epiphytes (live on trees but do not harm them; merely using them as a means to get nutrients from the floating mist through exposed roots) of which there are over 500 species of orchids. The climate was cooler (28’C / 65% humidity despite the cloud/mist so still warm by British standards) as we were at an elevation of 860-1840m above sea level at the pinnacle of Costa Rica’s continental divide where warm trade winds from the Caribbean in the east meet those from the Pacific in the West cooling and condensing into clouds. The most famous resident is the Resplendent Quetzal, a bird considered divine by pre-Columbian cultures of Central America and sought after for its long iridescent-green tail feathers which adorned their royal headdresses, and rare to spot even today. But on our guided tour, spot a few we did; males in nests, their long tail feathers sticking out and one in the cloud. Also their ‘cousin’, an Orange-bellied Trogon along with hummingbirds, Costa Rican Robins and Wrens, Toucans, Toucanets and the young of the interestingly named Tawny-throated Leaftosser.

A lot of life in the cloud forest is at canopy level – some 30-60m up – difficult to see from ground level. Several companies offer canopy tours which is a series of zip lines through the trees with the lines getting increasingly longer, faster and higher up through the canopy with the final lines coming out above canopy level and the last two offering you the opportunity to fly like Superman over the canopy; a great way to see above the trees.

Another way to see the reserve is on a night walk where all sorts of creatures can be seen including frogs, sleeping birds, snakes, armadillos, honey bears (aka kinkajou, a small arboreal mammal related to the raccoon but looks more like a cross between a cat and a monkey), spiders, moths, beetles, fireflies, glow worms etc.

Our final encounter with Monteverde was a 3km Treetops walk on a trail linked by 8 bridges which went through and over the canopy. It demonstrated quite nicely why the Cloud Forest gets its name as we spent the entire walk engulfed in cloud and fog!!! However, it proved to be incredibly atmospheric, also bringing to mind images of the film Jurassic Park at times!

So from there we continued onto the northern lowlands that will be continued in the next instalment.

Adios,

Kath & Andy

Sri Lanka 2015 Final Instalment

We’ve seen some interesting stuff in the last few days, predominantly wildlife orientated. I’ve just picked out the main highlights for this email but we’ve packed a lot in again.

The first of these was the Elephant Transit Home (ETH). This was established for the rehabilitation of orphaned wild baby elephants. Natural and anthropogenic pressures leave dozens of elephant calves orphaned and/or injured every year, but at the ETH these young survivors are given a secure place to develop physically and socially. The calves are fed every three hours and receive medical attention. Since it was created, the ETH has rescued, rehabilitated and re-introduced into the wild more than 90 elephants. It currently has over 30 elephants.

Then it was glamping in Yala National Park – at least it was posh camping compared to last year’s safari. The semi-permanent campsite was next to a lake with lots of birdlife including wild peacocks. We enjoyed an evening barbeque and campfire next to the lake then woke the next morning to a champagne breakfast.

We had a couple of nights stop in Unawatuna. From there it was a stone’s throw to UNESCO World Heritage Site Galle Fort. In 1505 a Portuguese fleet was blown off course and took shelter here. Apparently Galle was either named after the Sinhala word gala meaning rock or Portuguese word galo meaning cockerel as that’s what they heard crowing while sheltering here. In 1640 the Dutch took Galle and then in 1796 it passed into British hands. The Boxing Day tsunami hit this area quite badly but the fort withstood it with the solid walls limiting the damage as opposed to the new quarter which was badly hit. According to our guide, a couple of hundred buses were swept out to sea and 10,000 people lost their lives.
During our time in Unawatuna, we were subjected to tropical storms and torrential downpours which we later learnt were due to a cyclone out in the Bay of Bengal. Our first evening, at least, was nice and we strolled along the Fort walls just before sunset to see the historic buildings before settling down to watch a spectacular sunset. Our evening meal was in one of the many restaurants that are in the renovated Old Dutch Hospital.

After all the strenuous exercise – trekking, climbing steps, cycling, and swimming - I treated myself to a 1hr+ Ayurveda body massage. The legs were still sore from the trek up Adam’s Peak and the massage was bliss.

Yesterday we enjoyed a boat cruise along the Madu River before visiting the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Sanctuary & Research Centre. Five of the seven species of sea turtle lay their eggs along the coast of Sri Lanka (Green, Leatherback, Loggerhead, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley). Unfortunately human egg-poachers take the eggs to satisfy the demand for turtle omelettes and therefore they never hatch. Those that do hatch run the gauntlet of birds, fish and other predators as they make the perilous journey to the beach. The research centre pays more than the black market value for the eggs and incubates them in a hatchery. They are then kept in a tank for 3 days where they are then released into the wild under the cover of darkness. There are pros and cons for this type of conservation. In other parts of Sri Lanka, the beaches are patrolled and the eggs protected in the sand. The centre claims that the survival rate is increased from 1% to 25% by their intervention. It is also a hospital for injured turtles and a sanctuary for any disabled ones. We did see 1, 2 and 3-day old turtles as well as some of the injured and disabled ones.

On the way back to Negombo we had a city tour of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s Commercial & Administrative Capital.

After a final farewell dinner (a final Sri Lankan rice and curry, something we’ve eaten a lot of over the last two weeks), our group have started going our separate ways. We are enjoying a last (relaxing) day in Negombo before we too make tracks for home….

So, until the next time we go wandering off round the globe……

Farewell from Sri Lanka,

Kath

Sri Lanka 2015 Part 2

So it’s the second instalment of the Sri Lankan adventure and we’ve packed more in. It feels even more like a real workout, but we’re enjoying plenty of good food and on the whole the weather has been good.

Dambulla Cave Temples are five royal rock (cave) temples hewn into a 160m granite outcrop with numerous statues and images of the Buddha (reputedly around 150). It is one of several UNESCO World Heritage sites in this country that we are visiting on this trip and was the first stop of Day 6.

A visit to a spice garden in Matale included a talk/demonstration about different spices (Vanilla, Cardamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Turmeric, Spice Tea, Chocolate/cocoa bean, Green/Red pepper corns, Ginger and Cinnamon) and where they come from as well as what some of them can be used for in traditional indigenous Ayurvedic medicine. The demonstration included a surprise but rather enjoyable shoulder massage.

Kandy was home to Sri Lanka’s last independent kingdom. It survived two centuries of colonial incursions until it fell to the British. The stay included a visit to the golden-roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha supposedly snatched from the flames of Buddha’s funeral pyre and smuggled into Sri Lanka in the hair of a Princess. During puja (prayers/offerings), the heavily guarded room housing the tooth is open for devotees and tourists but you don’t actually see the tooth as it’s kept in a gold casket. It is rumoured that this is only a replica and the real tooth is hidden somewhere secure. During the reign of the Kings it was a symbol of sovereignty and whoever had custody of the tooth had the right to rule the land.

Whilst in Kandy, we also visited a Batik, Tea Factory, Gem Museum & Lapidary and Wood carving centre as well as taking a walk through a market & bazaar. In the evening we were entertained by a cultural show (10 dances plus fire walking).

At an elevation of 2243m, the mountain in the UNESCO World Heritage Central Highlands area variously known as Adam’s Peak (place where Adam & Eve first set foot on earth after being cast out of the garden of Eden), Sri Pada (sacred footprint of the Buddha – there is a Buddha temple right on the summit), Samanalakande (translates to ‘Butterfly Mountain’; where butterflies go to die) and/or the footprint of Hindu god Shiva has been focus for pilgrimage for over 1000 years. In all it’s about 5200 hard, uneven steps to reach the summit which then have to be retraced back. In theory the sunrise is spectacular and on a clear day Colombo is easily visible 65km away. As dawn illuminates the mountain, the sun casts a perfect shadow of the peak onto the misty clouds down towards the coast. As the sun rises higher the eerie triangular shadow shrinks back towards the mountain and eventually disappears into its base. At least, that’s the theory. The reality for us was a cloud shrouded peak with no hint of sunshine and regular tropical torrential downpours. Still, we’d managed to follow in the steps of the pilgrims and climb the fourth highest mountain in Sri Lanka, which is twice the height of the highest mountain in Britain.

We had an overnight stop in Nuwara Eliya (translates to ‘City of Light’), a small town nicknamed Little England and the Hill Country’s ‘Tea Capital’. It was ‘discovered’ by the British colonial officer John Davey. It feels very British even having the coldest weather of the trip so far - English summer temperatures and rain!

Horton Plains is 2000m high undulating plateau covered by wild grassland (patina) which gives way to montane forest further up the slopes. It used to be inhabited by a herd of Pygmy
Elephants (a subspecies of the Asian Elephant) but they were hunted to extinction by the
colonial hunters. One such hunter was Major Thomas Rogers, a colonial officer who supposedly killed over 1400 elephants. He was struck down by a bolt of lightning, a fate considered by some as a sign of the anger of the gods. His tombstone has also been struck twice by lightning.
We trekked to ‘World’s End’ so called because the plateau comes to sudden end and plunges 870m into the valley below. From the lookout on this stunning escarpment you can see just about see all the way to the sea. We had torrential rain before we started the walk, but
fortunately it had stopped by the time we started walking and brightened up into a hot sunny morning. Later the guide told us that we’d been incredibly lucky; normally the weather is wet and usually the view from World’s End is one of cloud and mist. After missing out on Adam’s Peak, we were pleased to see this.

Then we took a scenic train ride from Ambewela to Ella with a prime standing room only spot by the window and a cool breeze whilst watching the scenery go by…

There’s more to come, so keep posted for the final instalment.

Still wandering,

Kath

Sri Lanka 2015 Part 1

The ‘teardrop’ in the Indian Ocean, the ‘Pearl in the Necklace of India’, Sri Lanka is only 30km from India and a few hundred km north of the Equator. At 435km long and 244km wide, this 66sq km island is one of the planet’s biodiversity hotspots as well as being an island full of culture and history.

Negombo was an interesting little town, our first encounter with Sri Lanka. We wandered around the various markets and street stalls before finding ourselves on the locals beach behind their houses where sadly plastic bags and plastic bottles are strew everywhere, a far cry from the section of beach by our hotel which was virtually immaculate. The following day, which was the first day proper of our tour, we saw the ‘touristy’ stuff. Once a Portuguese and Dutch trading port, the attractions include the Old Dutch Fort, the Dutch Canal, churches and the fish market. Negombo’s lagoon as well as sea trawler fishing boats supplies the market with fresh fish which are auctioned off there. Our group comprises a GP, PA and Electrician from London, a nurse from Bath, 2 travel agents from Australia (Sydney and Gladstone) and an Insurance Broker from Toronto. Brits 6, Aus. 2, Can 1!

The main afternoon attraction of the day was a 5 hour game drive in Willpattu National Park. Sri Lanka’s largest national park yielded quite a selection of animals including Kingfishers, Serpent Eagles, Hornbills, Asian Elephant, egrets, grey monkeys, crocodiles, ducks, cormorant, peacocks, black-headed ibis, chameleons, monitor lizards, plovers, stilts, white-spotted deer, jackals and rabbits, but no sign of any leopards disappointingly. This was in lieu of the later trip due to be taken to Yala National Park on the itinerary – weather conditions mean that the park is closed.

Anuradhapura is a 4^th century BC monastic complex of both archaeological and architectural ‘wonders’ that is still used for religious purposes. It was the first ancient capital of Sri Lanka and is also home to the ‘Sri Maha Bodhi’, a sapling taken from the tree under which Buddha had his enlightenment. There are a lot of dagobas (shrines) including the ‘Jetavanarama Dagoba’. It was originally believed to have been 120m high and thought to have been the third highest monument in world when it was built (beaten by the two Egyptian pyramids). Now with damage / natural disasters it is partly destroyed and only 70m of it remains.

Polonnaruwa was a thriving commercial and religious centre 800 years ago. This archaeological site of tombs, temples, statues and stupas was Sri Lanka’s second ancient capital. It has the Galpota (Stone Book). This is believed to be the world’s largest stone representation of a book. The stone inscription (longest in Sri Lanka) extols the virtues of the then King, Nissanka Malla. The slab, weighing 25 tonnes, was dragged from Mihintale 100km away (so it says on the inscription anyway). For both Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa we hired bikes to cycle round the sites.

Sigiriya (Lion Rock) is a rocky outcrop that rises 200m above the plains below. Originally on the flat topped summit there was a monastery. This was usurped by a King and developed into a pleasure palace-cum-fortress. A later king then returned this to the monks. This archaeological site can only be visited by climbing 1,300 steps to reach the summit. Part-way up the rock there is an open air spiral stairway from the main path leading to a long sheltered gallery in the rock face. There is a series of painting or frescos of women believed to be of celestial nymphs or concubines of King Kassapa (who built the fortress). Half way up was a large platform on which a pair of Lion’s paws was encountered. It is believed that this is part of the original entrance which included an entire Lion’s Head. Visitors had to pass through the mouth to gain access. It is from this that the rock derived its name. Sigiriya Gardens are amongst the oldest surviving historic gardens in Asia. At the foot of the rock are the terrace gardens and the two great stairways leading to the main entrance. Below the terraced gardens and merging with them are the boulder gardens. Stretching out from them are the three distinct units of the water garden.

So far the visit has also included two visits to local villages for lunches. Today’s visit also included demonstrations on turning rice paddy into rice; grounding millet into flour and how to make a coconut sambol (shredded coconut mixed with a curry/salt/pepper mix) from scratch from getting the husk off the coconut to the finished product.

That’s the main activities though we have seen a lot more other things. The next few days are likely to be more action packed so look out for the next instalment.

Ayubowen,

Kath

Jambo from Africa

Have just spent the last couple of weeks in East Africa (Kenya/Tanzania) on safari. Amazing wildlife viewing including lions,  cheetahs, Vervet Monkeys, Olive Baboons, zillions of Wildebeest & Zebras, numerous species of gazelles, antelopes etc, elephants, 3 species is giraffe, black rhino, white rhino, hippos, warthogs,  hyenas, jackals & loads of different types of birds, too numerous to mention here. The highlight of the trip was most definitely the sunrise Hot Air Balloon ride over & subsequent game drive in the Masai Mara. When the balloon landed we were surrounded by wildebeest & zebras as far as the eye could see. We've been blessed with the number of lions we have seen (at close quarters) including a pride of 18 lions in the Serengeti & lions eating a kill in the Ngorongoro Crater, both with very sweet looking cubs (with not so sweet looking teeth). We travelled with a fabulous group: 7 Aussie's (3 WA, 2 QLD, 1 VIC), 4 Brits from UK, 1 Guyanan who now lives in London, 1 Brit from Iceland with her  Icelandic husband & a Kiwi.  The Kiwi & 1 Aussie were on their honeymoon & 2 of us had Birthdays on the trip (for those that don't know mine was a milestone one - 21 again!!! ;-)). The cook made some brilliant meals on camp esp given limited facilities & often dark (daylight 6-6). Weather has been similar to that we were experiencing in the UK before we left. It's beautiful today but gather there's a heatwave in UK on our return. Kwaheri from Kenya. Globetrotters K&A!

USA Part 2: The North-West Corner of the Pacific North-West

Stan and Kay live on Gooseberry Point overlooking Lummi Bay just north of the city of Bellingham. To the south/left of their view over Lummi Bay is Lummi Island, one of the many San Juan Islands.

With a population of some 80,000 people, Bellingham is a busy seaport with both working and pleasure boats in abundance. It is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the State of Washington. Situated about 1.75hours north of Seattle and 1hour south of Vancouver it has good access to major metropolitan areas but also the large expanse of the San Juan Islands, an archipelago between the northwest corner of the US mainland and Vancouver Island.

Arriving in Bellingham just before midday, our first afternoon involved lunch at the Boundary Bay Brewery (and a sample of their beer!), a tour round the city and then dinner in the evening with some of the extended family out on the deck.

Saturday started with a tour of the area north of the house up to the Canadian border, visiting other bays and stopping at one or two little fishing places. After a late lunch and a leisurely afternoon soaking up the sun on the deck, we headed to a curious sculpture park nestled in a grove of evergreens above Lake Whatcom; Big Rock Garden Park has 37 permanent works by international and local artists (some good, some weird). The day was finished off enjoying wine and cheese on their boat, a 36ft Grand Banks Yacht, as the sun set over the harbour.

Sunday's itinerary was a drive down the cliff side byway that hugs the base of Chuckanut Mountain and weaves its way through evergreen forests along the rocky shoreline of Chuckanut Bay to the oyster beds and tidal flats of the Samish lowlands. Our first main stop was La Conner, situated on the delta near the mouth of the Skagit River. It was founded in the early 1860's and is Skagit County's oldest community. Deception Pass is a strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island that is spanned by twin bridges (the bridges have been a National Historic Monument since 1982) and the viewpoints offer the dramatic seascape of Puget Sound. Its nearest town is Oak Harbor, now supporting a large naval base. Our final destination of the day was Coupeville, the second oldest town in the State of Washington, where we enjoyed a fantastic seafood dinner including freshly harvested mussels that are farmed in the town.

"Behind" Bellingham is the impressive Mount Baker, still snow topped, about 31 miles due East. It has the second-most thermally active crater in the Cascade Range after Mount Saint Helens and is the second-most heavily glaciated after Mount Rainier. At 10,000 ft., it is the third-highest mountain in Washington State and also one of the snowiest places in the world apparently. This is where we headed the following day to follow one of the trails. The weather was great and we had good views of the peak.

Since Kay and Stan have access to the beach from their garden, Tuesday allowed us the opportunity to take a walk along the beach and a paddle in the sea. We also got introduced to Stan's cinema room in the evening!

After promising a ride in the boat, we finally got out into Bellingham Bay on Wed. Initially hugging the coastline along Chuckanut Bay, Stan then took the boat through to and around the nearest San Juan Islands of Vendovi, Eliza and Lummi. The water was rough as we left harbour and the wind had got up rather a lot. By the time we were returning the wind had dropped, the sun was out and the bay was like a mill pond. The boat is called "Slow Dancer", its max speed is only 10 knots, but that's still faster than my non-existent yacht! ;-)

Thursday, our final day with Kay and Stan, we popped across the border into Canada. In Vancouver we met up with two other people off last year's Peru trip – Gord and Linda. We had lunch together on Granville Island followed by a trip round Stanley Park. Including our visit to Dublin in July where we met up with two lads off our Peru trip, we have now successfully met up with 60% of the group!

So, Friday we returned to Seattle for the final leg of our trip. And that's where I will pick up on the final email.

Until then,

Kath & Andy

---------------------------------------------------------
"Don't ask what the world needs - ask what makes you come alive and then go & do that.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" Howard Martin
---------------------------------------------------------

Unleash the passion, indulge the dream
www.passion4travel.co.uk

---------------------------------------------------------
If you have received this email in error, no longer wish to receive these emails, or would prefer to read the blog, please email me. I will not be offended. Absence of such emails presupposes that you still wish me to send them.

I will never pass your details onto unrelated third-parties.

To stop my emails being seen as spam, please add me to your email account's address book.

If I've missed anyone who would like to read this, feel free to forward it on.

USA Part 1

Our big trip this year has bought us back to the USA. This was prompted by meeting an American couple on the Peru trip last year that resulted in an invite to visit a town called Bellingham in Washington State, part of the US Pacific North West area, close to the Canadian border. As I write this we are currently travelling north from Seattle to Bellingham.

 

On the way we had a stopover in Washington DC on the other side of the country, 5 hours from here by plane. Our first evening was a quick visit to a local pub for snacks and bed. By the time my head hit the pillow we had been awake for 21 hours and needless to say I slept like a log!

 

Our first day was spent exploring the National Mall, an area approx. 2.25 mile long stretching from the Lincoln Memorial in the West to Capitol Hill in the East, with a short leg jutting off to the north. This is where the USA commemorates those who served and were killed in action with numerous war memorials. It is also the place where some of the nation's greatest Presidents are honoured here. Unknown yet familiar, many of the landmarks along here have featured in films and programs so the whole experience was a little surreal.

 

Our first stop, on this northern leg was 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, better known as the White House! A 1.5 miles walk directly south of our hotel led us to the North Lawn, the bit normally seen on the backdrop to news reports emanating from there. Security was tight, Obama due back that day for the 50^th Anniversary of the March for Freedom speech he was to give the following day. It was then that we realised he was not home to invite us in for morning tea so we didn't stay as long as we'd hoped!

 

Actually it is difficult to visit the White House, even for American Citizens and even when they do "you only get to visit about 4 rooms" we were reliably informed, but there is a small informative White House Visitor Centre set up in the Presidential Park on the south side of the Treasury Building. Although the building isn't as impressive as our own Buckingham Palace in size, stature or gardens (we visited very recently), it still boasts 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms and 6 levels in the Residence and the grounds cover just over 18 acres.

 

After passing the South lawn of the White House with a couple more obligatory photos we moved onto the Lincoln Memorial. I remember seeing this in the movie "In the Line of Fire" starring Clint Eastwood. It is an impressive memorial reflecting the design of an ancient Greek temple but with the entrance of the long side. A statue of Lincoln sits facing the Mall. From the memorial you can see right up the Mall over the Reflecting Pool and WWII Memorial to the Washington Monument. From there are the Smithsonian Museums and beyond them, Capitol Hill. Preparations were being made for the 50^th Anniversary Freedom March. It was here 50 years ago that Martin Luther King made the famous "I have a dream" speech.

 

We walked up the Mall past the Reflecting Pool to the WWII Memorial that honours the 16 million Americans who served in the war and the millions who supported the war effort at home. Gold stars revere the 405,000 or so Americans who died in the war. This was only opened surprisingly recently in 2004. The Washington Monument was closed for repairs following earthquake damage in 2011. It is the tallest structure in the city and reputedly the best place to get views over DC. We had to settle for the 2^nd best – the tower of the Old Post Office Building. This we did after sampling a "Chicken Dog" as opposed to a Hot Dog. Didn't really taste of chicken or sausage so I dread to think what was actually in it! I'd probably go for guinea pig again before one of those if ever given the option in future!

 

From the Post Office Tower there are good views down Pennsylvania Avenue towards Capitol Hill including some government and legislative buildings such as the Edgar Hoover FBI Building. It was at Capitol Hill that we finished our day's activities before meeting up with an Aberystywth Uni mate who had moved over here (Ben for those Aber people reading this).

 

The following day was a little quieter. We started with the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Complex. After a not so healthy lunch (McDonald's has the monopoly at that museum) we encountered Barack Obama, though it would be fairer to say we heard him more than we saw him, as we went down to the gathering for the 50^th anniversary freedom march speech - it was heaving. Then it was back to the Smithsonian for a few hours looking round the Natural History Museum – a huge, impressive museum that ideally warrants a full day to do it justice. On display in the Rotunda is an Angolan African Bush Elephant, apparently the largest of its kind on display in the world. At around 13 feet from the forefoot to the top of its shoulder, it is imposingly high! We finished the day having dinner (bison burger) with another DC acquaintance (for those other than family reading this - Mum & Dad had offered a homestay to Elizabeth when she visited our school with other Americans on a People-to-People programme way back in 1986 and continued to offer homestays for four years after that).

 

Our final morning in DC involved a visit to the National Museum of American History and the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, an architecturally striking building worth the look inside.

 

And so eventually we made it to Seattle and then onto Bellingham, that is where I am finishing this mail from. Stan and Kay have a lovely house overlooking a bay that faces out onto the San Juan Islands and the northern Pacific, but this part of the adventure must wait until the next instalment.

 

So until then,

 

Happy globetrotting

 

Kath & Andy
---------------------------------------------------------
"Don't ask what the world needs - ask what makes you come alive and then go & do that.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" Howard Martin
---------------------------------------------------------

Unleash the passion, indulge the dream
www.passion4travel.co.uk

---------------------------------------------------------
If you have received this email in error, no longer wish to receive these emails, or would prefer to read the blog, please email me. I will not be offended. Absence of such emails presupposes that you still wish me to send them.

I will never pass your details onto unrelated third-parties.

To stop my emails being seen as spam, please add me to your email account's address book.

If I've missed anyone who would like to read this, feel free to forward it on.

Peru Pics finally online!!!!

Yes, it's only taken me a year, but finally they are available online for viewing.

The link is http://sdrv.ms/107G6UD

If this is coming to a work email, the photos may be blocked so you will need to forward the link to a private/home email for the link to work.

Apologies, there does also appear to be a glitch on the site which puts portrait photos into landscape orientation annoyingly. I hope that the Skydrive team resolve this soon.

---------------------------------------------------------
"Don't ask what the world needs - ask what makes you come alive and then go & do that.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" Howard Martin---------------------------------------------------------

Unleash the passion, indulge the dream
www.passion4travel.co.uk

---------------------------------------------------------

Hola! from Peru Part 3

The final part of our trip has probably been the best bit of it overall. After a free day wandering round Cusco (where I left off on the last mail), the following day we headed off to the Sacred Valley to explore archaeological sites and get ever-closer to our final destination of Machu Pichu.

 

Our first stop was the Chinchero Inca site which had essentially been a food store and consisted of limestone walled terraces and store houses. Crops like cereals, potatoes and vegetables were stored here by the Inca. Now there is a preserved section and another part where the walls form the foundations of a Catholic Church (Spanish colonial style) and other buildings.

 

From there we visited a small community of about 10 families where we met the community leader Daniel & several women. Outside the community enclosure was a valley, lake, eucalyptus woods and terraces where the community grow food. We helped dig & collect "Lisa", a type of small yellow potato-like tuber. These were sorted into tubers for eating, future seeds, tubers for drying and animal feed. The community gave us lunch while we were there – quinoa soup followed by shredded "Lisa" and rice and finished with mint tea. After lunch we were shown how they dye wool for clothes & other items and how they spin and ultimately how they weave the items that they sell.

 

About an hour from there was the Moray Inca Site. This is shaped in concentric terraces that were built into a natural depression in the hillside. Analysis of soils on terraces revealed that this was experimental garden with different microclimates – there was a range of 15'c from top to bottom and it faced east to absorb heat and prevent frost damage.

 

The Sacred Valley (El Valle Sagrado) is a steep sided mountain valley with a flat bottom which was and is used for farming. The main town here is Ollantaytambo (pronounced Oyan-tay-tambo and known to locals as Ollanta), a rustic town with narrow dusty cobbled streets. This is the best surviving example of Inca city planning and the town has apparently been continuously inhabited since 13^th century.

 

The following morning we visited the Ollantaytambo Ruins which consists of huge steep terraces and an unfinished ceremonial centre. This was one of the few places where the Spanish lost a major battle. The site was built (though never finished) as a temple – some fine stonework & well-engineered walls are found at the ceremonial centre at the top of the site. The stone for this was quarried on the adjacent mountain 6km away, across the Rio Urubamba. Moving the blocks to the site was a huge feat and the Incas built ramps down to the river. Rather than crossing the river, the Inca created parallel channels which they drained when they needed to move the blocks over them. The area is at the intersection of three valleys and so was chosen as an important administrative centre for the area.

 

After a few issues with a de-railment causing delays, we took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. Also known as Machu Piccu Pueblo (town), Aguas Calientes is like the Blackpool of Peru. It was very touristy, but the nice bit about it was that there are no cars and a railway line ran down what would be the High St. The hotels and shops on this main street looked like they were poised on the railway platform. Although the town wasn't that exciting, the area in which it was situated was in a deep gorge below the Machu Picchu ruins, where it is enclosed by towering walls of stone cliffs and cloud forest.

 

At 5am the next day, we were up and heading to a very early breakfast so we could catch one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu. It was worth doing as we virtually had the site to ourselves for the first three hours which allowed us to concentrate on the guided tour around it.

 

There are many theories about the reason or reasons that the site was built – as a Royal Retreat (most popular) although from its position it (5 sq. km enclosed by high mountain forests / cloud forests), it is also believed by some to have been a very important economic, social, military, religious and administrative complex. The location provided a defensive location in the case of a surprise attack. Its many cultivation terraces in the agricultural sector would have allowed the growing of crops year round whilst the industrial sector of skilled tradesmen would have been busy producing metallic objects as well as day to day pottery and ornamental ceramics etc. The city was made up of more than 200 houses, squares, granaries, palaces, temples and observatories. Connected by a network of aqueducts and steps, the terraces are 3.5m tall by 3.2m wide. There is much that I can say about the site, but no doubt the ones reading this who have already been will recall these things and everyone else, I recommend reading up on it if you are interested (try visiting http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/machu-picchu-mystery/ and http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/machu-picchu/ for starters).

 

After the tour and to avoid the hordes of visitors descending on the site (about 2,500 people a day for a site that was built for around 500 people!), we did some of the trails around the site. The first was to Puerto Inka (the Inca drawbridge or Inca Bridge) and then we hiked a section of the Inca Trail to Intipunku (the Sun Gate). After 8 hours on site, we headed back to Agua Calientes to catch the train to Ollantaytambo and a bus back to Cusco.

 

Yesterday we visited two museums in Cusco – the Inka Museum and Machu Picchu Museum. The Inka museum was displaying mainly ceramics / pottery from pre-Inca civilisations through to the Inca period & some Spanish displays. The Machu Picchu museum showed us the history of Hiram Bingham's scientific "discovery" of Machu Picchu and what has been determined from the information already available. A lot of the artefacts collected up until 1997 were also on display.

 

Today we had a somewhat eventful journey getting from Cusco to Lima. The flight was delayed and so we didn't get to Lima until mid/late afternoon. We went out with some of the others for a "last supper", as the first two from the group were flying out tonight. Dinner was ceviche with Pisco Sour. Ceviche was very nice but spicy, the Pisco sour helping to sooth it somewhat. Ceviche is a chilled concoction of just fish in my case, but in others fish, shrimp, octopus, squid and possibly other stuff, marinated in lime juice, onions and chilli peppers (which gave it its bite) and served with sweet potato and boiled corned / maize.

 

Tomorrow is souvenir shopping and our flight home.

 

So, until the next exciting adventure.

 

Adios,

Kath & Andy

Hola from Peru 2

Taking advantage of another bus journey, this time on a public bus between Puno and Cusco, I am drafting another mail which I hope to send from Cusco. Outside the bus is the stunning scenery of the "Altiplano", a high altitude glacial valley littered with farms and surrounded by mountains. The altitude is somewhere between 3,400m and 4,312m. Puno, which is at an altitude of 3,830m, is behind us. Cusco, our next destination is 3,400m. At these elevations, even simple tasks such as climbing stairs can leave you breathless and out of puff due to the low levels of oxygen.

 

When I left off from the last mail, we were heading to Arequipa. It was, as well as a visit, an acclimatisation stop but that didn't stop most of the group feeling the effects of altitude sickness once we'd reached Puno later. Cusco, fortunately, is a little lower so we should all be getting a bit better soon.

 

Arequipa, nicknamed "The White City" because the off-white/pale volcanic rock which most of the buildings are built of glisten in the sunshine but also because it was originally populated by a lot of Spanish (white) people, had a very nice historic centre, but otherwise it's a massively sprawling, extremely polluted & dusty city. The brown smog hanging over the horizon isn't the best sight to wake up to in an otherwise fairly blue sky and sunny day.

 

We had a busy city tour starting with a lookout over three of the volcanoes that surround the city and a sample of "Queso Helado" (literally translated "Cheese Ice-cream") but actually made from milk, ice, vanilla and cinnamon.

 

We returned to the City Centre to visit one of the Jesuit Churches. This has a chapel with a dome roof covered with murals depicting rainforest plants and animals.

 

The Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Monastery, actually a convent) is a 20,000m2 citadel complex occupying a whole block in Arequipa where we had an hour-long tour. It was founded in 1580 by a rich widow. Unlike most convents where nuns lived a life of poverty, these nuns came from the best Spanish families and had servants and slaves. When they became an apprentice nun, they had their own (fairly large) room, but once they became a fully-fledged nun they had their own apartment. One of the trees in the gardens had a Hummingbird nesting in it.

 

We had a short tour of the Cathedral where we got to go to the top by the bell towers and got a 360' vista over the city, before heading to a Creperie for a late lunch.

 

"Museo Santuarios Andinos" was our afternoon visit. It is now the home of "Juanita (pronounced Wan-e-ta), the ice princess", the frozen body of an Inca teenager (12-14yrs) sacrificed on the summit of Nevado Ampato, a  snow-covered volcano to north-west of Arequipa, more than 500 years ago. A tour of the museum climaxes (if that is the right word) in respectfully viewing the frozen body in a freezer.

 

Finally dinner was at a rooftop eatery overlooking the main square & mountains beyond. I had Alpaca steak with risotto, but it wasn't as nice as the previous night's Alpaca Lomo Saltardo (for anyone thinking of sampling alpaca). 

 

Arequipa to Puno was another reasonably long drive but in a cramped bus on a rough road. It was fairly uneventful apart from the wild vicunas, domesticated alpacas and the dizzying heights of 4,500m where a stop for coca tea was a necessary option.

 

Puno is a melting pot of Aymara and Quechua cultures. Most of the inhabitants speak at least Spanish, Quechua and Aymara, with different levels of English comprehension. It is also the gateway to Lake Titicaca (pronounced Te-te-kar-kar). A boat tour across to Islas de los Uros was an informative trip. These are floating reed islands built from buoyant Totora reeds on which up to half a dozen families live. We had a demonstration on how the islands are built and maintained. The reeds grow abundantly in the shallows of the lake and are used by the Uros people for houses, boats, crafts that they create to sell to tourists and are even partially edible. The Uros began their unusual floating existence in an effort to isolate themselves from other aggressive tribes including the Incas. The visit included two islands (picked on a rotation basis so each island gets their fair share of visitors), the trip from the first to the second on an optional reed boat ride. The islands are fairly basic living standards though some of them now have solar panels and so some of the houses also have a TV and radio!

 

Now we are nearing Cusco, the old Inca capital and gateway to Machu Picchu. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city and was home to the Incas for two centuries before the Spanish conquered and built their capital here.

 

So until the next instalment,

 

Hope you have or have had a nice Jubilee weekend,

 

Adios

 

Kath & Andy

 

PS Cusco has been a very interesting couple of days. After arriving yesterday, we were taken on a city tour round some of the plazas and narrow cobbled streets. There was a stop at a Coca Shop, which sells Andean Coca Teas (coca leaves, lime and sugar). After wandering round for a while, we had dinner in a little restaurant near the main square. Depending on how people were feeling with the altitude (traveller's tummy, dizziness, breathlessness) the group had meals ranging from Andean Chicken Soup up to large meals of duck in some kind of salty sauce with arroz and papas fritas.

Today we have enjoyed a relaxing day just mooching round Cusco, walking to a lookout over the city, meandering round the crowds of the main square and generally just taking it easy after what has already been a very packed itinerary.

 

PPS Due to some technical difficulties, I am actually sending this from Lima, almost a week later. With luck, I should be able to send you the third and final installment of our adventures before I get home (maybe!)