After an exciting start in La Paz, Andrea and I made our way to Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It was everything we had hoped for. A heavenly hotsel overlooking the town and the lakeshore, sunset hikes up the hillside, sunshine and great company. Along with three Brits we picked up in a restaurant our 5-some took off on a day long hike and then a tiny motorboat ride out to La Isla Del Sol, where the Inca Sun God was born. More hiking, a crazy festival, and a chilly night before trekking on back to Copacabana.
From Copacabana we began our real adventure... getting into Peru. Where to begin... It took some investigating for us to figure out why, all of a sudden, bus companies were telling us we couldn't get all the way to Cusco when the day before it had been possible. Protests are the norm in Peru, but we didn't realize that we were heading into protests that were, well, a bit beyond the norm. We were told that if we took a bus to Sicuani, Peru, we would have to get out and walk through a road block, but that we would have a bus waiting on the other side for us. At that point we didn't even know what the protest was about let alone the fact that it was growing by the minute. The government is trying to privatize water in the Amazon (at least that's what we think is going on). Can't really blame people for protesting.
2 bus changes and we made it to Secuani. Got out, walked over the road block/barbed wire with protestors yelling "gringos go home, you climb Machu Picchu while we work like mulse" (or something along those lines) while holding their noses as we passed. Interesting. 30 minutes speed-walking alongside a long line of lorries lined up, stalled by the blockades. We found our bus as it was getting dark, but the driver refused to go. Too dangerous. Rock throwers. Road blocks and protests in all of the 6 districts between Secuani and Cusco. GREAT. Long story short, after hiding out on the bus trying to figure out our options the bus made a go for it. Around 11 the long line of lorrise generally gave it a go in the hopes that the rock throwers would have started to fall asleep. So the bus filled up and we took off. Made it through the first 5 districts and got stuck at the 6th. Eventually it became clear that the protests were getting worse instead of better and if we didn't try walking across the last road block to get a bus on the other side, then we might have a 6 hour walk in the opposite direction in the mornin. 2am and we went for it. A bus was on the other side. Salvation. We made it to Cusco by 5 am. Our 8 hour journey turned into a 22 hour one. Talk about a bonding experience for the 5 of us. One of my favorite moments was during our 2am sprint across the roadblock after being told not to talk and to take hats off so we didn't look like tourists... we see the bus ahead and Andrea hugs me and says "I'm so glad we're friends". Meeeee too :)
The experience was fascinating. I don't think that any of us felt threatened by the protestors... more so by the fact that the hold ups were an opportune moment for robbers, which thankfully, never found us. Thank goodness we got across when we did, as the protests have escalated since then. My cousin Emily, a few days later, ended up having to walk/jump on random transportation for over 12 hours during the night. Other roads have now been shut down. The military had to fend off protestors at the Cusco airport the day before we were able to fly out. Protestors got control of the railroad lines and shut down Machu Picchu the day after we made it there. The entire central region of Peru seems to be becoming increasingly cut off. It was fascinating to be very much in the midst of a strong populous movement.
One thing is for sure - people in South America act on their beliefs. This particular wave of protests must be getting a strong point across to the government by almost entirely cutting off access to the region. Who knows. I don't know nearly enough. Exciting. We were excited to get to Ecuador successfully as I have a feeling it may have become more and more difficult and it seemed like we were continually a day ahead of disaster.
That was, of course, after 4 great days in Cusco and a 5 day trek through the Andes to reach Machu Picchu. The trek was incredible and Machu Picchu... Breathtaking.
Quito, Ecuador has been a blast. Great food, incredible company as usual, incredible views of the expansive city, and now a night in the Marriot courtesy of Andrea's parents. Not that we've been roughing it all that much, but man it's great to have a big comfy bed!
Off to the Amazon in the morning. Loving every minute.
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