A Change for Life for the Galapagos
Meeting someone like Daniel Proaña restores my faith in humanity. He is an inspiration and with his vision and family support he has the potential to have a much needed impact on the next generation of Galapageans.
Filed under Ecuador, Galapagos, Service Projects
Runak Kunapak Yachai on Santa Cruz, Galapagos, is a school for indigenous children. Indigenous Ecuadoreans refers to the people from the highlands on the mainland, the people of the Andes. They are considered a minority in the Galapagos. Continue reading
Filed under Galapagos, Service Projects
After a 29 hour bus journey, I arrived in Guayquil, Ecuador. I was nervous crossing the border as I had overstayed. I had checked the Oz website on visas to Ecuador and it said 180 days. However I did not notice I was only given 90 days. I need not have worried – the border people were all friendly. I paid $1US per day past my visa. Actually 90 days should have been plenty but I ended up staying longer and had to literally drag myself away. Peru is amazing, plus I made some wonderful friends who I am really going to miss. I saw a lot and experienced a lot and there is still much to see and do! (I will have to come back!) Continue reading
Oxapampa sounds like a made up place, but it is in fact a beautiful jungle oasis in the centre of Peru. It is quite an unexpected sight after driving for hours through mining towns across the central mountain range of the Andes, where mining companies have raped the land and contaminated the towns. Continue reading
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Filed under Peru, Service Projects
A 6 day climbing expedition in the Andes, beginning with 4 teachers, me, 2 guides and a cook and ending up with just me and the cook! Then a day later I ended up in hospital for 5 days! So what happened?
The aim was to climb Ishinca, then Urus and finally the big one: Tocllaraju, all from the same base camp. Possibly a bit ambitious but Rommel, our guide was convinced we could do it. However the weather was against us. Every afternoon it poured at base camp and that meant snow on the mountain. SO much snow!!
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Filed under ADVENTURES, Peru
During my visit to the shanty town of Comas, in Lima, I felt that any moment my heart would burst. 
I constantly had a lump in my throat from the moment I stepped out of the taxi to meet a bunch of cheerful, excited youngsters aged 4 – 11, eager to take me on a tour of their own personal little gardens. I had come to see an example of Tierra de Niños in action and the experience was very moving. Continue reading
Filed under Lima, Service Projects
Today was amazing! The Castilla family invited me out to see Pisac on a glorious Sunday morning. I had been to Pisac before, a quaint town with a wonderful market. However I was in for a surprise for little did I know what was atop the hill behind the town! Inca Pisac!
The interesting thing about the Pisac ruins is that despite being the largest Inca ruins in the whole Sacred Valley, little is conclusively known about them and much is speculation, therefore I have not even attempted to summarise all I have read. One thing is for sure – the Inca terraces are still in use today. I find this quite amazing as they possible date back to the mid 1400’s.
The ruins themselves are incredible. Juan told me there were two eras at work in the masonry, which was quite evident in the style of the rock work. The skill is quite something and hard to comprehend how they could make the joins in the rock walls so precise in the earlier work. I kept thinking I wished my brother William could be here – he would appreciate it even more!
The buildings and paths were steeply built into the mountain, cleverly incorporating large boulders and the natural shape of the mountain. The views were spectacular and around every corner was something else to marvel at.
Looking across the valley from the ruins are holes scattered through the mountain side. These are tombs; thousands of them. The sad thing about looking at the holes is the knowledge that the Spaniards raided each and every one of them! The Incas believed the dead could take processions with them into the underworld so they would bury their loved ones with treasures.
Here are some of the many photos I took. If I was asked what was a “must see” in Peru then I would have to say Pisac ruins is a very close second to Macchu Piccu! It is simply amazing……
Filed under Cusco, Peru, Places of historical interest
