A few quick notes: Apparently people can ¨follow¨ my blog, which I didn´t know until my buddy Adam just did about a week ago. As of now I see no added benefit to this other than making me feel good about myself, but I put a link on there anyway in case you want to. New photos are up, a smattering of bolivia and peru. Still have some more Bolivia pics yet to make it up due to extenuating circumstances (unavoidably detained). Lastly, trying a shorter format, hope you like it.
I also forgot one of the more important parts of Bolivia:

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR LLAMA FETUS?
Cause in Bolivia, apparently the correct answer is ¨dried.¨ Interesting fact about Llamas: they abort their first three children. Im pretty such its out of social protest but some claim science has something to do with it too. The coca leaves must have been extra strong when they came up with this tradition because I don´t really understand it. Apparently you take the dried llama fetus and place it on top of what I like to call a ¨random crap burrito¨ consisting of paper shavings and various other trinkets. You roll it up and place it in the corner of the house and repeat four times, one for each corner. This is supposed to ward of bad spirits but I feel like it doesnt work. Perhaps burying the Llama fetus might be a better idea? At least then you may get a llama fetus tree, or who knows, maybe even a whole llama will grow. Im willing to bet its the overly powerful dried llama fetus llama that is keeping this tradition alive.


Something tells me this is going to be the Tickle Me Elmo of 2009



WELCOME TO CUZCO
After my 12 hour bus ride into the city all I wanted was a beer and bed. I got the former but the latter just wasnt in the cards. As I was flossing my teeth a girl comes out of the bathroom and our conversation is as follows (please note this takes place over several hours and is condensed):

Aussie Girl: You´re flossing, thats lame
Daniel: Sorry
AG: Thats ok, I just threw up lasagna. Where are you sleeping?
Daniel: The room next door
AG: Me too! (dragging me into the room) This is my bed, this is my best friend nat´s bed, this is my brother chris´s bed, and you´re sleeping above stinky bitch.
Daniel: Stinky bitch?
AG: yeah, shes a stinky old bitch (she actually was stinky, though not old, and I was unable to tell if she was a bitch or not). you should come out with us!
Daniel: no thanks, really tired.
AG: Want a vicaden?
Daniel: Ill be alright, thanks
AG: You want some lasagna?
Daniel: (not sure the source of the lasagna) ill pass
(friend walks in) AG to friend: do you have any heroin
Nat: yeah
AG: and coke?
Nat: yeah
AG: Great, lets go out
(RETURN AT 3 AM)
AG: Daniel wake up, I brought you something (shoving a mcdonalds cup filled with ketchup packets in my face). HAHAHA! Just kidding! those are for breakfast tomorrow. You going to come out with us tomorrow night?
Daniel: Maybe
AG: You better, and you better get fucked up! If not I´m going to slip a vicaden in your drink! (the girls proceed to talk about the last person they did that to as ball up in the fetal position and rock myself to sleep).

some guys have all the luck.

POOR MR MARBLES
Said name can really be substituted for any pet you had in your childhood. One of the Peruvian national dishes is Guinea Pig. Before our big day we decided to partake in such a decadent dish and visited a restaurant specializing in such.

Turns out this place was a tourist trap as the food really wasnt great, but we got out money´s worth in jokes that haunted our childhood memories.

We samples the Buffalo Guinea Wings. I guess the restaurant would have also worked well for those who hate italians as they could get away with slurs all night.

We also managed to have a good time around town. Generally I shy away from ghastly american behavior like making fun of other cultures, but sometimes Peru just made it too easy:


Lee and Brynn have decided on a career change and are practicing up

THE INCA TRAIL
Enough about Cuzco though, lets get down to the good stuff. A group of six of us went. Two friends from college, Julie and Lee. One friend from LA, Chris. And two of Julie´s friends. The trail itself lasted four days and was absolutely one of the most incredible things Ive ever done.

Day 1
Was considered the easy day, so we knew we were in for trouble. It didnt help that I was lugging about 30lbs on my back. We started in the Sacred Valley at 2400 meters and worked our way all the way up to 3200 meters, stopping off to see ruins built into the mountainside. We setup camp around 5pm and there were some locals selling luke warm beer that wasnt that good to begin with. It cost about $2 and would have taken the worlds strongest man to pry that beer from my Kungfu grip.


A Man selling drinks along the way. Julie tested his credit card ad and was denied. Law suit currently pending.


Some of the ruins built into the mountainside

Day 2
This was supposed to be the Tough Day, so we knew we were in trouble since the soreness really kicked in after a nights rest. This day is 18km, climbing 800m, then descending 600 (much harder than it sounds), climbing another 300 and descending 500 more. Its such a challenge that there are extra mountain folk around willing to carrying peoples packs for them so they can walk it without weight. Some members of our group opted for this route, though I wont mention whom. As tough as it was, Im glad I kept my pack with me. The altitude has such an effect that Im sure I would have been struggling anyways, thus would have felt like an uber-wimp.


Dead Womans Pass was the heighest the trail gets, 4200m, and apparently such an accomplishment that its picture worthy.

Day 3
The majority of the hard work is out of the way on the first two days, which is nice because you can enjoy the last two much more. We hiked through mountains, jungles, and forests, and it never got old. I knew I was really living in the moment when I realized I hadnt thought about anything to do with computers for the past three days. Unfortunately some of the most amazing things we saw (clouds coming in over the landscapes etc), the camera does no justice to. I, however, am under the impression that that is the way it should be. There are some things that only belong as a memory in your head, thats what makes them unique and unable to replicate.


A Sampling of some of the trail we traversed

Day 4
We woke up at 4 AM to try to beat the crowds into Machu Picchu, our final destination. Unfortunately, after 1.5 hours of hiking, my camera decides to break right as we reach the lost Incan city. Our group is sharing pictures so I should have some soon...I apologize for any delays and emotional scarring this may have caused.
Once we made it into the city we headed toward Wacchamamma, the adjoining mountain because apparently in our new found masochism we hadnt had enough hiking. The situation turned a bit crazy and we ended up having to rush our hike, which is always good when climbing hundreds of meters with no guard rails. Glad I made the climb, though the weather was too cloudy for good views of P City (its following in P Diddys footsteps. Ancient lost cities these days, what are you going to do?) This was followed by a tour of the city. Scholars maintain that the translation was lost thousands of years ago, but really, no one has any idea why this city was built into the mountainside. Their best guess: university. My best guess: precursor to Neverland ranch.