Midnight Trek to Machu Picchu!

wow!! one of my best night treks!! Forget about the Inca trail.. this was so much more fun.. my trail definitely beats it..
(heh and I got to camp out @ Machu Piccu too and later connected to the Inca trail as well.. The Inca trail is closed during Feb. but I wouldn't let it stop me. I just did it on my own.. w/o doing the required guide.. and paying their exorbitant trail fees of $250.. and had the freedom to discover whatever I wished..)

mud bath to Machu

I was all clean.. rested.. refreshed.. I had just spent 2 nights sleeping indoors.. Sunday morning.. I showered and put on a nice clean t-shirt.. it was actually too nice for backpacking trips.. but I just threw it in..anways.. to feel good.. It was going to be a great week - G-d willing..

I just got off the bus @ Ollatatambu.. Carnival was going on.. and the kids were pouring buckets of water.. on passerbyers.. I was trying to dodge the water.. I got even worse..
A mud bath!!!
I was splattered with mud entirely!!


(my t-shirt was supposed to last for a few days :( and I had jsut showered and washed my hair...)

yeh.. bring on the water! but of course.. no one splashed me with water then.. I tried to wash up a bit.. and then headed to the train station. I was heading to Machu Piccu! I got to the station but there were no tickets left for that day or the next... they would not sell the tourists .. local tickets.. only tourist tickets which had been sold out..
So I was hanging around.. sitting on the bench..

Someone sits down next to me.. a local Peruvian.. now living in Florida.. "We've got an extra train ticket.. our friend was going to join us but he can't... do you want it?"

Shabbos in Cuzco

B"H I found a lovely room. (15 soles - $5/night)
For Shabbos I am particular.. It should be a nice, clean, well maintained place, with nice surrounding views, yet quite, and hopefully not too many people staying there that night.. pref. a room not a dorm.. a good price.. (and of course a good shower) It's hard to find all those criteria... so it took me a while.. but Thank G-d I found a great place..

I had major plans for Shabbos meals.. I was hoping to make grilled veggies.. and even pitas.. But I lost my way back to the hostel.. It didn't help much that there were at least 10 hostels with the same name. I just barely had enough time to got to the market get fruits.. the sweetest melon.. yummiest papaya.. some more veggies and grapes to make delicious grape juice L'koved Shabbos!

I liked Cuzco.. it's a fun place..

The night that would never end..

I hiked 16 hours in the rain.. I first planned
to stay @ the Canyon for the night.. but 16 hours of rain was enough
and wanted a dry spot.. I didn't bother schlepping a tent and sleeping
bag on this trip.. so now I was to suffer..There were no dry spots to be
found..
and no vehicles passed by.. I walked for hours...I was surprised that
there were no other campers.. anywhere.. No sheds.. or roofs anywhere..
I finally saw from far.. something that looked like a bridge.. I was a
bit excited.. but it was no bridge.. it was just a pipe with max
diameter of 10 inch.. not too much coverage from the rain... I removed
the plastic liner from my backpack and I crawled into my 60% waterproof
bubble I created.. I was totally wet and freezing.. It was snowing on
the surrounding mountains.. My body was burning up with fever to keep
my body warmth.. I was sort of miserable.. My throat was so so dry..
but my bottle of water was out of
my bubble and did not want to get
any wetter in the heavy rain pour. I was also afraid that I might not
manage again to fit into the bubble and then I would be out in the
rain.. every few minutes I peaked out..
to see whether it was getting any lighter outside.. but it was not
happening..

but then the sun came out.. and it was worth it..

I was at the most beautiful spot! The views were magnificent..

I started hiking back to the Canyon... maybe I'd get to see it in full sunlight.. but the Canyon was cloudy that day too..

Colca Canyon

Miss kookoo ri ko

I spent a lovely Shabbos with Chabad of Lima..

Motzei Shabbos I headed to the bus station.. On the way I met some musicians and we jammed a bit.. The next bus to Arequipa would only be in the morning.. so I spent the night camping out at Miraflores park overlooking the ocean.. It was really nice..



The next morning I headed back to the bus station.

It was a 16 hour bus ride to Arequipa all the way with non stop blasting violent movies and the continuous feasting of all people around me.. Every ten minutes the bus was bombarded by obnoxious food merchants selling all kinds of food.. yelling out their goods and shoving the greasy.. disgusting food into your face.. They'd be selling.. jello,fried fish,chicken, meat, corn,potatos, eggs,cakes, but all were very unclean and unhygienic...sitting in the outside heat for hours.. There were some that even sold fruits.. a banana or apple.. but I would never get anything from them.
I could not.. I'd rather starve.. After being so so annoyed by them.

I opened my windows to let some fresh in come in.. and was going to take a short nap.. I was surprised.. by buckets of water being poured down on us through the window.. Carnival... I got all wet.. my backpack and stuff got wet too..

That would be a constant game the rest of the trip..
..closing the window fast enough before they had a chance to pour buckets of water down on me..

That wasn't all.. We had chickens on our bus too. They made all over the bus.. it smelled bad..

Finally we got to Arequipa.. 2 am..
I took a combi to the main square.. and then in the morning walked around town.. davened.. got a mango, oranges, peas, avocado, tomatoes @ the supermarket and then was going to take a bus to Colca Canyon and camp out their for the night and do some trekking..

The next bus I got on.. the lady sitting next to me.. mentioned roosters..
I speak no Spanish.. so I wasn't sure whether she meant that she had roosters in which case I wasn't going to spend the next few hours with the company of roosters jumping around me.. so I asked her what she meant by roosters?? She didn't get it?

So I say kookoo ri ko?? kooko ri ko? pointing to her big bundle at her feet.. but she just laughed.. henceforth the people on the bus referred to me as Mis Kookoo ri ko..but they weren't so wrong..

A few hours later.. I was the one running around like a chicken with no head..

I have been attacked again by a splitting headache.. The bus was jammed packed.. with no air at all.. I have never been on such a crowded bus..
ok the local buses and trains in India could sometimes be that bad..
but this was a long distance trip.. I guess altitude sickness was a possible cause too..
I was passing out.. and could not breathe.. The locals started screaming.. help.. emergency.. alcohol.. gringo is feeling sick.. They splashed alcohol all over my face..

One of the local Peruvian ladies suggested I wipe my face from sweat from my armpits...(I don't know.. that is what she motioned.. but that didn't work.. because I use deodorant.. )

The alcohol shocked me and felt a bit better.. but after a few minutes it weared off.. and I was passing out again.. and then splashed more alcohol..

Slowly people started getting off the bus.. allowing me more air to breathe..
I was getting acclimated.. and drifted off to sleep.. I remember someone saying vaguely that it was my stop..Colca Canyon.. but the locals told the driver that it wasn't necessary to stop for me.. since I was not up for camping anyways.. I was too wasted to insist either way..

We got to the last stop Cabocanade.. It was pouring rain.. I still felt sick. I just checked into the first hostel I saw.. (10 soles - $3 a room.. went right to bed.. and slept straight to 5:30 AM)

I then took the first bus to Colca Canyon. I wanted to be @ the biggest canyon by sunrise.

עלינו לשבח

They were glued to the TV screens.. digesting with eagerness every single word..

It was blasting full volume.. non stop..

I just wanted to relax and enjoy the bus ride.. enjoy the moment.. look out the window and take in the beautiful landscape outside.. and maybe chat with the locals..

not escape to some virtual reality..

and what kind of virtual reality? of non stop violence, killing, screaming and yelling.. all those negative energies.. how can that be entertaining? I can not understand? I tried to block it out.. it was quite disturbing..

My עלינו took on a different meaning that day..

עלינו לשבח לאדון הכל, לתת גדולה ליוצר בראשית, שלא עשנו כגויי הארצות, ולא שמנו כמשפחות האדמה, שלא שם חלקנו כהם וגורלנו ככל המונם
. שהם משתחווים להבל וריק ומתפללים אל אל לא יושיע
ואנחנו כורעים ומשתחוים ומודים לפני מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא

How grateful I am that my true passion is the Torah...

Please please G-d let it be so..

ואתם הדבקים בה' חיים כולכם היום

I woke up all smiles..

If only I could be that grateful every moment for being alive.. without being attacked by a migraine attack first... Oh please G-d..


I woke up outside surrounded by the beautiful sand dunes, pool of water and trees..

The night before, I had just gotten off the bus from Lima to Ica feeling terrible.. The sun was beating.. I guess I didn't drink enough either.. and was attacked by a major migraine headache.. I checked out two hostels to stay for the night.. but they were both too noisy.. the music was blasting.. and the place smelled like fried fish and chips.. making me feel even worse.. so I just went to sleep outside.. My head was exploding.. I prayed! I finally fell asleep..

B"H I woke up in the morning.. all in smiles.. so glad to be alive..

I went sandboarding and on sand boogie wild rides in the sand dunes that day. It was so much fun!!! crazy downhills!!



I loved the sand dunes and just stayed there for the next night as well.. singing songs.. and falling asleep by the magical spell of G-d's beautiful world.. the oasis nearby, the expansive sand dunes, beautiful sky, sweet songs, and a cool breeze..

My Peruvian adventure...

It almost did not happen.

I missed my flight.

I was running late.. finishing up some work.. so I can leave knowing that it is completed.. and taken care of....

I could've used another day or so..

I called up Expedia if it's possible to change my ticket but they said I had a "use it or lose it" ticket.. I wrapped things up as fast as I can... grabbed my backpack.. packed in some stuff..

(siddur, shabbos skirt shoes, candles, matches, soap, deodorant, a few t-shirts, flip flops, minidisc recorder in case I come up with some amazing composition and I'd be wishing to record it..flashlight, sheet which served as a blanket too.., bug spray, toothbrush..)

and took the subway to the airport..

I packed so quickly.. I forgot even the most essential item.. nice clean socks.. for hiking.. and an ATM card.. or some guide book.

With No Lonely Planet guide book, no ATM card (only $100 cash that I hid in my backpack for emergency cash) and without reading up or planning anything at all for my Peru trip.. this was going to be some challenging adventure!

My flight was for 5:30 Am. I got to the airport at 5:00..

On my itinerary that I printed out.. it said I needed terminal 2 but that was incorrect.. so I wasted another few precious minutes till I got to the right terminal. I rushed to Tasca's check in counter-- cutting all the lines.. but they said it was too late to get on.. I pleaded.. Didn't work..

so will I lose it? my ticket? Will Peru happen?

The supervisor said I could take the next flight.. and pay a penalty.. (which my thoughts on that was that if I needed to pay I will not go to Peru..) I pleaded again.. to let me get on this flight.. claiming.. I could still make it.. I had nothing to check-in and could run to the gate in seconds.. besides there was a terminal mix up which was not my fault..

He agreed to let me on the next flight.. NYC - San Salvador - Lima

We have to be ready... to get the answers..

I just got a ticket to Peru for Monday 5:30 am G-d willing! May it be a fun safe exciting meaningful trip! and to everyone.. My best wishes for safe and exciting journies.. inwards and out...

(it was sort of funny how it came out... yes the paper did read 'buy now I"YH'.. but that was only after I decided in my mind that I am buying.. and maybe I should not throw this lot today.. For a few hours before that I was thinking that maybe I need to go to some other location or stay here.. so I was trying to feel it out.. googled for tickets elsewhere.. but the other locations were just not calling me... and then Peru just felt right and I decided to buy the ticket..so hopefully with B'ezrat Hashem - G-d's assistance it will be a great trip!)


ה' שומרך ה' צלך על יד ימינך

ה' ישמור צאתך ובואך מעתה ועד עולם

Gut Shabbos! May it be a fruitful and blossoming year to all!