Thank you thank you thank you

We're baaa-aack! Cheers to good ol' USA, what a grand country! We love it here, and a year away has made that even more clear. Coming home has also meant the end of a great journey- something that will only happen once in our lives and something that will stay with us throughout. I have spent endless hours thinking about our trip: so many images, people, tastes, smells, vistas. So many distinct memories, emotions, discoveries. Here, back home with family we are learning to sum up our thoughts and our favorite stories with all the great questions we are being asked. It is a strange feeling to come home, like we are remembering old habits. It feels so easy and clean and convenient here. We revel in the simple things.... I put my first pair of jeans on in a year!

Here are some summaries of my thoughts I am having about our trip...

Top Ten Experiences (not necessarily in order):

1. Teaching in different schools with the Global Library Project, seeing the kids excitement and learning about their lives (especially with Kelly and Skyler).
   
2. Riding bikes to remote villages in Laos, meeting a group of women and laughing with them despite the language barrier.
   
3. Seeing the alpenglow sunrise on Cerro Torre and Mount Fitzroy in Patagonia.
   
4. Waking up in a bungalow on a white sand beach in Thailand, eating fresh fruit on our porch overlooking the sea.
   
5. Machu Picchu.
   
6. Climbing to 16,000 feet in the Langtang region of the Himalaya, seeing 360 degrees of mountain views.
   
7. Steak and Malbec in Argentina.
   
8. Angkor Wat with Ben and Casey.
   
9. Scuba diving in Koh Tao, Thailand.
   
10. New Zealand mountains, and our time with Aly.

Top ten things I won't miss:

1. Wearing the same clothes EVERYDAY.
   
2. Not being able to flush toilet paper
   
3. Being wary of ALL food ALL the time
   
4. Getting sick from the food your dared to eat
   
5. 30 hour bus rides with screaming babies
   
6. Lager beer
   
7. Tourists from Texas (just kidding, but you know what I mean)
   
8. Living out of a backpack
   
9. Doing laundry in the sink
   
10. Instant coffee

Okay, now I realize I have so many more things then 10, but how can you sum up a trip like this one? This year has given us new perspective on the world and in our own lives for that matter. I have learned so much. I have learned that I am most happy when hiking in the mountains with Drew at my side, anywhere in the world. I have learned that life can be so simple. Sure it is boring to wear the same clothes everyday, but living with less, you realize how very little you need. The US is a country of excess, we have so much of everything. It is convenient, but we have to fight to keep from accumulating too much and to keep life simple. Less really is more! I have learned how important it is to spend time with family and how precious that time is (I knew this before, but being away has emphasized it). I have learned that happiness is a choice. Some people have nothing and are truly happy, others have it all, and are not. And I realize how very lucky I am: for my family and friends and Drew, for my career, for being American and having the opportunities in life we do, for my health and the ability to do a trip like this.

I also want to give a shout out to everyone who has been involved in our travels and helped us along the way. Your generosity has added so much to our trip...

To our families, who have opened their homes to us on both sides of the trip. They fed us well, shared many stories, and loved us along the way.

To Mari and Michelle, for taking care of my mail and my car... and for giving it back after a year of getting used to having two cars.

To Jen Talagrand for sharing her garage with us and taking care of most of our belongings in Boulder.

To Christina at Thorne for taking responsibility for Project BEAR during my hiatus from work and her commitment to all the students we serve. To all the staff at Thorne for fighting for my position there and your undying support.

To the Maho Bay crew in St. John, who shared many bottles of rum and midnight swims in the ocean.

To Jim and Katie in Kauai, who took care of us like family and let us camp on their land.

To Ganesh in Nepal, who guided us in Annapurna and whose family shared a meal with us in their home. And to Andy the Englishman, whose community is paying for Mindo to be in an orphanage and have an education.

To Ben and Casey in Malaysia (now Colorado), for giving us the royal treatment when we needed it most, a long term bedroom, and for all the memories together.

To cousin Johnny and wife Pim in Thailand, who took us to dinners and gave us tours of Phuket.

To all the teachers in Nepal, Thailand, Laos, and Peru who gave us the opportunity to do the Global Library ebooks in their schools.

To Aly for making the trip to New Zealand, for two weeks of time with a familiar friend, and for the resupply.

To Norma and her family. For her parents, Ana and Justino, and sister, Veronica and Renzo and for their hospitality and generosity to two strangers in Bolivia and Peru. You really went above and beyond and we'd love to repay the favor if any of you come to the U.S. Thanks so much!

To Claudine and Wes in La Paz for sharing your apartment and giving us the tour of the ruins at Tiahuanaku. You also went above and beyond! We owe you one.

To our host family and teacher in Peru, for teaching us Spanish.

To Kelly and Skyler for coming all the way to Peru and for Kelly's work on the Global Library Project.

To Libby and Benjamin in Musho, for letting me sleep on your floor, and for making the ebook project happen.

And to everyone that read our blog, kept us laughing with your comments, and gave us support along the way. THANK YOU! It has meant so much to us to stay connected during this time. You were our link to our lives at home!

___________________________________________

Drew here. Just want to add a few thoughts to what Erin has said as well as give a few more thank you's.

In general, my sentiments about returning home are similar to hers. The transition from a distant third-world country to home in the US is certainly an easy one. I can't get over how plush and easy life here is. Great food, warm and wonderful homes, clean drinking water, hot and consistent showers, clean and comfortable beds, quiet neighborhoods (no roosters!), no litter, clean air, road traffic that follows lights and lanes and driving laws, Yankees games on TV, oh and the best beer in the world, too. Yes, it is an easy transition indeed. I am much more appreciative and cognizant of every little thing and how the quality of life in the US is really unbelievable. All Americans should be very thankful for what they have, and I feel I appreciate and understand that more than ever right now.

I am also super thankful for the fact that our trip went off smoothly and safely. No major illness or injuries, no big ripoffs, no stolen cameras or wallets or passports, no calamaties. Unbelievable really. Of course I wouldn't tell my mom this, but I was expecting something would happen! The trip really was a dream come true. It's a fulfillment of a major dream that I had and fostered for over ten years. I am proud to have done what we did, and I feel fulfilled and better off for having done it. More than anything, I am thankful for the opportunity to do it and for the fact that it went so well.

With my adorable nephew Braeden
(Excuse the Red Sox shirt. He knows not what he wears.)

And of course, it has been just fabulous to see and spend time with our families and friends now that we're back home. It's great to reconnect with people with whom you have a deep and long-term relationship. It's wonderful meeting new and interesting people from all over the world while traveling, but ultimately the relationships and conversation are only so deep. Seeing and talking with my family is incredible because they know me so well and have a genuine interest in who I am and what I have been up to. Not surprisingly, we've had the warmest welcomes and the best food wherever we have gone.

• fresh fruits and vegetables - Jersey corn which is unsurpassed, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, homegrown tomatoes and sweet peas, and more
  
• barbecues of steak, burgers, dogs, chicken, veggies, and salmon

Kurt doing some textbook BBQing
(No excuse for that Red Sox shirt. We see where the little man gets it.)

• all-you-can-eat sushi
  
• breakfasts such as blueberry waffles, dutch babies, fried eggs, and real coffee!
  
• and desserts of homemade chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie bars, ice cream, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and soon-to-be peach slump (a new one for me, too!)

Kurt's homemade chocolate cake

The Fam in CT

As you can see, it's been pleasant. I think I'm starting to put back on those 15 pounds I lost on the trip. Real fast. But more importantly, it's been great to spend time with my parents and sister and her family and some friends. We arrived back in NYC last Monday after a long night from Lima, then rendezvoused with my parents for a trip to visit my sister Kelly and brother-in-law Kurt and their son Braeden in Connecticut. After a relaxing few days, we returned to New Jersey where my parents were in the midst of moving to Virginia. We spent a few working days packing their stuff and getting them set to head to VA. Now we're in Seattle visiting Erin's family and friends for a few weeks before driving back to CO mid-August. So we're not quite home and settled yet and I am still longing for my own space and bed and routine and - dare I say - job even. But we are almost there.

Final days in my childhood home with Mom and Dad

Mom on the move

A few additional trip highlights:

• Snorkeling every day in the pristine waters and reefs of St. John
  
• Hiking and meeting the locals on the Na Pali coast in Kauai


• The delicious food, fish, and fruits of Thailand - best on the whole trip


• Hanging with Ben and Casey


• Climbing Mount Pisco in Peru


• The generosity of the people throughout Peru and Bolivia who opened their homes to us

And my additions to Erin's list of won't-be-missed-not-even-for-a-second.

• Long bus rides - I think we had something like 15 bus rides of more than eight hours in S America. Yikes!


• Frequent stomach illness (read: constant diarrhea)


• Crowing roosters at all hours of the day and night


• Out-of-control horn honking in S America and Asia


• Mangy stray dogs


• Litter everywhere


• Asian toilets


• Flushing a toilet and just hoping it would not get clogged - again!


• Cramming my 6' 4" fame into the tiniest seats on planes, trains, buses, taxis, minivans, you name it. The world is not designed for big American men like me.

And most importantly, some more well-deserved and overdue thank you's to add to her list.

• To my parents for their love and support and hosting us on both ends of the trip. Enjoy your new lives in VA!
  
• To my sister Kelly and Kurt and Braeden. Thanks for the warm reception upon our return and especially for taking care of my business and mail and taxes and all that good stuff while I was gone. A huge help!


• To my brother Jim and Liz and Bridget. Thanks for hosting us before we left and for storing some of our stuff while we were gone. Can't wait to see you guys soon!


• To Erin's parents and sister Mari and Michelle and family. Thanks so much for hosting us on both ends of the trip and all the support while we were gone.
  
• To Ben and Casey, I know Erin thanked you, too, but I had to thank you myself. Was just awesome to stay with and travel with you guys in Southeast Asia. Thanks for opening your place in KL to us and making us feel at home. We really needed a place to crash and recover for a while and your place was perfect. See you back in the CO.
  
• To our friend Jen who is storing a garageful of our stuff in CO while we are gone. Thanks a million and hope the grizzlies were good company in the meantime.


• To Pat and Heather and Larry and Kasie for storing some stuff while we were gone. YITB.


• To Kelty for being very generous in supporting us in this endeavor - for one-of-a-kind lightweight daypacks up front and for resupplying us with a new tent and sleeping bag down in New Zealand. The support was invaluable for us to manage our gear loads. It also allowed us the opportunity to donate a tent to a well-deserving conservation organization in Hawaii and a down sleeping bag/comforter to the needy family of four of our mountain guide living in Kathmandu, Nepal. Good stuff.


• Special thanks to Kenny at Kelty for your kind help in making the above possible.


• Thanks to Peter at Kelty for his help drumming up some additional gear support in the industry. You're the man!


• Thanks to Gail at Kelty for the helping with the development and production of the daypacks. You're the woman!


• Thanks to my friends Andy and Martin for hooking us up with two puffy down jackets to keep us warm at the bottom of the world in Patagonia and on top of the world in Peru.
  
• Thanks to Marc and Allie and the folks at Sierra trading Post for the writing gig on your blog site. Added a great dimension to the trip!
  
• Thanks to Vasque for the best pair of backpacking boots I've ever worn - the Vasque Kota Mid GTX - really light yet supportive and comfortable and waterproof. Perfect for this trip.
  
• Thanks to Katadyn for the excellent water filter. Totally reliable, gave us clean water worldwide, also perfect for this trip.
  
• Thanks to Optimus for the camp stove. Bomber.
  
• Thanks to my friend Sheena for the scoop on her adopted home of New Zealand and adopted hometown of Wanaka.
  
• Thanks to our new friend Andrew Milne in NZ for coffee and beta on all the good free camping and backcountry hiking spots down under.
  
• Thanks to my friend Lucho in Caraz for helping to arrange and knock out a big climb in the Cordillera Blanca.
  

I hope we haven't forgotten anyone, but if we did give us a holler and we'll gladly give you your due thanks. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Drew

____________________________________

Okay back to me, just to show some pictures from Seattle. We spent the first couple of nights with Mari and Michelle and had a wonderful meal of steak and wine. I think I have drank wine every evening since we got to the US! Then we had a wonderful day and evening with my friends Lynnelle and Brian who are expecting their first baby in September. And finally a few nights with my parents, with long walks, all-you-can-eat sushi (my favorite!), and mom's homemade cooking: salmon, corn on the cob, and blueberry pancakes for breakfast. We are getting completely spoiled here!

Lynnelle and Brian

Seattle Sunset from the O'Neill's deck

The O'Neills

The Extended O'Neill Clan

The Santa Cruz Trek and ebook in Pariantana

Valley on Santa Cruz Trek

Once we made it out of Huaraz, we headed towards the big peaks we kept seeing looming over the city. We began the Santa Cruz Trek, which is a four day loop, circling the most massive and impressive mountains in the Cordillera Blanca. Drew had done his research, but I was blown away by these mountains of Peru. They are sheer, snowy, glacier endowed peaks, and they are jaw dropping gorgeous. The first day was spent walking through a valley, but after months of sitting on buses and being physically dormant in cities I found myself huffing and puffing up a rather easy grade. I also blame it on our packs which were ridiculously heavy with more food than we could possibly eat (we ended up bringing nearly half of it home). The Santa Cruz Trek is a great trek but is a bit of a dichotomy- naturally beautiful but scarred by humans. We got to our first camp site, and found it littered with human waste and other garbage. Again we are reminded of how lucky we are in the US, where people understand "leave no trace" principles and our wilderness is still pretty wild. Our campsite was also a pasture for a family's livestock, and throughout the night and morning, we had all types of farm animals greeting us. It was like Old McDonald's farm with donkeys, cows, dogs, chickens.... a moo moo here and a bawk bawk there...

Farm Camp

The next day was cloudy but peaceful. We took our time, enjoyed the scenery, tried to eat as much food as possible, and made our way to camp 2. A memory I have of that day is crossing a long open field and seeing a herd of horses running together. It seemed like an old western movie, with wild horses running for the sheer pleasure of it, one even bucking and kicking. We got some rain that afternoon but a bit after setting up camp, it started to clear. All day we could only see the base of a big peak in front of us, but the clouds slowly parted and finally we understood just how good our camp site really was.

Views from Campsite

On day three we climbed to a pass at about 15,000 ft. It was a clear warm day and my body finally felt like it remembered how to walk outside like this. It was really beautiful, and those hours of walking always give me time to put my thoughts in order. I thought of our trip, of home, of work, of the future, and it all seems to fit together so nicely. It is like meditation for me, walking in nature, seeing the lupine in full bloom, the butterflies warming their wings in the sun... here everything just makes sense.

On the top of the Pass

We made our way down the other side of the pass and got to our camp 3, tired. There was no one there and it was a big open field. Just to make sure we had some space, Drew found a perfect spot on the other side of the river. We set up the tent, got in, and it started to pour. It was perfect timing (we weren't screwed by nature) and we didn't get wet at all. But it rained and rained and rained, and we had to eat a cold meal in the comfort of our warm sleeping bags for fear of getting wet(this didn't help our food situation). Then, as we were enclosed in our little polyester world, we heard grunts outside. Sure enough there was a donkey and a man setting up camp 5 feet from our tent... and we thought we found our own little spot. Drew tried to convince the guide in Spanish that it was too close, but no amount of polite pressure could get this man to change his mind... so instead we had neighbors for the night. It is just one of the many times we have to shrug our shoulders and chalk it up to cultural differences.

Our final day was easy and took us through quaint villages. The first two boys who approached us with their herd of sheep, surprised us by asking for pasta (not a Spanish word). I gave them some cookies, but realized quickly the trend. Every single person we passed asked for pasta or galletas (cookies) and we knew right away they are used to trekkers and their leftover food. We have learned not to give things to people when they beg, because it just just promotes more begging. In these places, they have enough food (they are farmers), they just get used to the tourists giving treats and that is what they see in you. We would rather leave kind smiles and words and hope that not every foreign face represents pasta.

Views on the Last Day

When we finished the trek we found a van to take us back down to the cities. The ride was almost as spectacular as anything we saw on the trek, and took us over a pass surrounded by high peaks. The only problem was the van itself- it sounded like the shocks were giving out and we would soon discover why. The road itself is dirt, and full of holes and rocks. The driver didn't seem to mind and went full speed ahead over anything and everything, giving us a adrenaline rush and picking us off our seats at times. Then the back wheel started to sound worse - making grinding noises and clunking every time we turned a corner. And this was not a road where you would want to miss a corner, it was steep with drop offs into an abyss. Once we were through the worst of it, the wheel finally gave up and seemed to fall apart. The driver stopped, pulled out a string from the front seat, and went under the van to fix it. I don't know what he did with that little piece of string but it got us down the hill and to another mode of transportation. Whatever it was, it was a miracle from my point of view.

Road to Civilization

We spent a few days in the lovely town of Caraz to rest and relax. We found a great hostel with big gardens and trekking information for Drew. It was perfect because Drew ended up climbing Pisco with the owner himself. The staff only looked at us kind of funny when we ate every meal around a camp stove, trying to finish our mounds of leftover trekking food.

Then, Drew and I spent our first few days apart after a year of traveling together. It was interesting to be alone, but it made me even more appreciate of having Drew as a traveling companion through this crazy world of ours. After the Santa Cruz trek, Drew stayed in Caraz to climb Pisco and I made my way to a small village at the base of the biggest mountain in the area, Huascarán. The town is called Musho and through a fellow traveler, I made friends with two Peace Corp Volunteers that have been working there for 2 years. Their names are Benjamin and Libby and they are a great couple who invited me to stay with them in their one-room apartment without even knowing me. They have a great life in Musho and the people adore them there. They are like superstars and the kids run after them just to give them a hug. To get to their house I just told the taxi driver their names and he dropped me off right there. It is that kind of place- a small village where everyone knows each other and everyone cares, or at least has an opinion of everyone else.

Benjamin and Libby

The reason I went to Musho was to do one last ebook project before heading home. When Kelly was here in Peru we worked with two schools in the city, but we were hoping for a third in the campo to round out the experience. The school was in an even smaller village than Musho, called Pariantana, with a total of only 23 students. When we got to the school, we were greeted with hugs and high-fives from all the students. I could tell right away they have a special fondness for Ben and Libby and I got to soak it up as well.

School in Pariantana

The school was small and a bit run down, but I was happy to see a small garden growing and the kids studying live plants when we arrived. Ben did most of the talking and when the kids found out that we were writing books, they were so thrilled they could hardly contain themselves. It was hilarious because our first few questions were answered by their screaming voices all at once- they were just so darn excited. Their answers were great and I felt lucky to get an inside view into their lives. They talked about their rural lives and when asked what they do for fun, they answered that they work in the field, taking care of the plants and animals. It is quite different than the average American child's idea of fun, I would say. Also when asked about the environment they said, "For every tree we cut down we should plant a new one." This came from reading the Lorax with Ben and Libby months ago.

Teaching...

After asking all of our questions, the students took us around the village for photos. It was like letting bulls out of their cages, they wanted to run and jump and play. The other problem was if you pointed at something you wanted to take a picture of, 23 students would run full speed towards whatever it was, to be part of the picture. It is okay if it is a house or car, but imagine the startled eyes of the donkey when a group of kids came charging at it full of energy. A couple of pigs suffered when we decided to take their pictures and the students all tried to pick them up. If you could only hear the squealing! But it was fun and silly and the kids had pride in their eyes showing us their homes. For me as an outsider, it was a powerful experience.

Can you hear the pig squealing?

The best part of the project is knowing how it will benefit the kids. They live in a place with hardly any books, and the school is run in an haphazard way. It is hard to imagine a school without books, but it is the reality for many students in rural communities in our world. When told they were each going to get a book, one 6th grader said, "YES! A book of my very own! I have always wanted a book." It is one of his first, which is quite heart breaking in some ways, but it also feels good to know he will have at least one.

The whole school

The whole experience was wonderful and it is hard for me not to idealize their lives. It is a beautiful spot, with rolling hills full of crops, and a backdrop of huge snow capped peaks. The community is friendly and everyone says hello to everyone else. Their food is grown locally and it is quiet and peaceful. But in some ways I know their lives are hard. Benjamin and Libby are working on a big campaign called "Healthy Homes" where they are implementing ways to improve homes and the people's health. A big part of it is building new stoves with chimneys so that people's living places are not full of smoke. In the past, everyone just cooked over a wood fire with a pot on top of three stones, but now they have three burner stoves which can cook much more food while boiling water for drinking. I take for granted the ease of our household equipment and access to clean water. Ben and Libby truly are improving the lives around them and it was my first glimpse into what the Peace Corp is all about.

After my trip to Musho, I had a quiet day by myself in Huaraz. I had time to really think about our trip and everything we have experienced this year... it is hard to express the feelings and thoughts I am having. I also started to get butterflies in my stomach because I am so excited to come home!

In Lima, we are spending two quiet days with our friends, Veronica and Renzo. Our last feast was a parrilla with lots of meats, including intestine, chicken stomachs, and cow heart. We will continue to write about some of our reflections once we have made it to the States so stick with us a bit longer... Hasta luego!

Veronica, Renzo, and us eating Parrilla

We made it home to the good ol' US of A! We'll write soon and give you more updates!

Erin

Culmination

Hey all,

Well, we´re down to 2 days left til we fly back to the U.S. One more long overnight bus ride tonight (thank GOD it´s the last one!), then a night in Lima, and then we´re headed for home and the east coast to visit my family.

Before that, though, the finale in Peru has been incredible. Finally, we returned to the mountains where I feel most alive, excited, and in my element. We´ve spent our last week and a half in the Callejon de Huaylas - a valley at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca - and, of course, in the mountains themselves. After the paro - or strike or work stoppage - that Erin mentioned, we headed off for the four-day Santa Cruz Trek which is a gorgeous hike through two dramatic mountains valleys and the high pass that links them at a height of over 15,600 feet. The Cordillera Blanca is particularly picturesque with aesthetically-shaped peaks, striking faces, and lots of active glaciers. Erin will describe the trek in more detail, but I am most excited to write about another even more exciting adventure since then.

While Erin headed off for her culminating project in a local village about which she is very excited, I ventured off for an adventure of my own which was the perfect culmination to an incredible year. With a Peruvian friend named Lucho, I climbed Mount Pisco whose summit lies at 18,887 feet. It was probably the most challenging and definitely the highest mountain climb of my life so far. Pisco is a beautiful, glacier-clad mountain that sits in the heart of the Cordillera Blanca with a ring of other even mightier and more stunning peaks surrounding it in all directions. The climb itself was generally straightforward but entailed glacier travel and a pitch of more technical climbing on a snow and ice slope to the summit at just under 19,000 feet. It was the perfect level of challenge and reward.

Approaching Pisco

The idea to climb the peak came from a British traveler we´d met in Patagonia who had passed through here a few weeks earlier, climbed the peak, and told me about it on facebook. Then when we stayed at Los Pinos Lodge in the small local town of Caraz, I mentioned I was interested in it to Lucho, the lodge owner and also a trekking guide (but not mountain guide). He was interested as well, and we started making plans to gather the gear we needed - mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, harnesses, rope, etc. Our initial plan was to climb it ourselves without guide, but we were not certain if we had the requisite skills and experience to do that safely and securely.

The night before the climb, I woke at 2 AM and couldn´t sleep as my mind raced about the climb and if we could do it. Then Lucho knocked on my door at 6AM and also hadn´t slept because he had a case of stomach illness, and things weren´t looking good. But we set off anyway, and he took some meds and started to feel better. In an effort to save his depleted energy, at the trailhead Lucho asked to hire a mule and mule driver (arriero) to carry his gear to the base camp and then a porter to carry his gear from base camp to the higher moraine camp from where we´d attempt the climb. In the process, we inquired about guides and found an experienced older mountain guide who agreed to guide us from the high camp to the summit. It was perfect. In just a few hours, the whole picture shifted for the better, and now I felt we were poised to reach the top.

Our donkey and arriero

With the arriero and mule following behind, we hiked the few hours to the base camp. With each step, Pisco gradually came into greater focus and appeared to be an excellent objective. At base camp, the porter shouldered Lucho´s pack, and I shouldered mine. We picked our way across the glacial moraine that stood between us and the mountain - up one side of the moraine, down into it, across a jumbled maze of rocks and boulders, then back up the other side. By early afternoon, we were at the high camp. The high camp sits at 4,900 meters which is just over 16,000 feet. It´s the highest I have ever camped, and I could tell. I had a pounding headache and felt a general sense of malaise from the altitude. But we took care of the necessary tasks in camp - setting up the tent and our sleeping setup, cooking some food, pumping water, and prepping our gear for the next day - all the while trying to minimize exposure to the scorching sun. I was chugging water profusely, took an aspirin for my headache, and laid down for a rest in the late afternoon in hopes of feeling better. At 6 PM I was back up and felt a lot better - no headache. We cooked some pasta for dinner and went to bed by 7:30, knowing we had an early alarm at 2:30 AM, a big day ahead of us, and that neither of us were well-rested from the night before. Before settling in for the night, I spent some time gazing across the valley under the light of a near-full moon and a cloudy sky, reflecting on the situation and feeling confident that things would go well the next day.

At High Camp

A Dramatic Evening

We woke at 2:30 AM and our guide Victor arrived by headlamp across the moraine to meet us at our tent as we got ready to go. At 3 AM we started the climb with a half hour more of walking on the moraine. At 3:30 AM, we reached the foot of the glacier and donned our glacier gear - crampons and ice axes - and roped up. It was the night before a full moon so for a while - until the moon set behind a nearby peak - we did not even need headlamps with the bright moonlight illuminating the white snow and ice under foot. The climb generally consisted of a glacier walk over varying degrees of slopes. There were a countless number of rises along the walk that would max out at around 45 or 50 degrees for a stretch and then level off and then steepen again and then more level. On and on, one step at a time, gradually higher.

The Ascent

At about the halfway mark - two hours into the ascent - the altitude really started to take its toll on me. I could tell I was in new territory as far as altitude goes. I had a constant headache and a feeling of mental haziness and ill health. I just kept thinking I wanted to get up to the top as soon as I could and down again. Although I felt ill, never was the summit in doubt, and I always felt we´d make it. Gradually, we got closer to our goal, and the sun rose, creating amazing lighting situations in the alpine world around us. The climbing itself also got more interesting towards the end. The final three rises were steeper than the others, and the final slope in particular provided a special challenge. The last slope is a 50 foot pitch of gradually increasing angle to the summit. It probably maxes out at 65 or 70 degrees which is pretty steep, albeit not fully vertical. The slope was a mix of snow and ice, and as I reached the middle of the slope, it was necessary to change the use of the ice ax to an ice climbing function. It was necessary to swing the ice ax overhead, set it in the slope, move my feet up by front pointing my crampons into the ice, and then repeat the process. I have been ice climbing before so I knew what to do, and it wasn´t too challenging of a slope. But at an altitude just under 19,000 feet it added a degree of challenge and interest to the climb that was absolutely perfect.

On Top

The best thing is that once we reached the top of that pitch, we were on the summit and surrounded by an amazing vista of white-capped peaks. Across a valley in one direction were the dual summits of Huascaran - the highest peak in Peru; in another was Alpamayo - a picture-perfect peak once proclaimed as the most beautiful mountain in the world. And in every other direction was one after another of stunning, glacier-clad 20,000 foot peaks - Chacraraju, Chopicalqui, Huandoy, Artesonraju, Caraz, Santa Cruz, and others. It was awesome! To tell you the truth, though, I still felt pretty terrible and was eager to start heading down.

The Descent

Lucho and I rappelled off the summit to avoid down-climbing the steep last pitch; our guide belayed us and then downclimbed it. Then we were off, and the walk down was much more enjoyable than the climb up. For one, going downhill was much easier. And two, the sun was up so we could take in the outstanding scenery all around us and the dawn of a clear, beautiful day in the mountains. Also, as we descended, I gradually felt better and could enjoy myself more with each step. In the daylight, we got a much better view of all the incredible snow and ice formations through which we were walking. We could also view and peer into the huge crevasses and snow bridges that crossed our paths. Eventually, we were all the way down to the foot of the glacier, and the climb was done. We had made it in good time and good style. The climb up from tent to summit took 4.5 hours and the descent 2.5 hours - 7 hours in total.

Approaching a Snow Bridge

The Crevasse This Snow Bridge Crosses

Because my time in Peru was short, we had to head all the way down in the same day - walk back to camp, pack up, and hike a further 4 hours down to the road. It was an incredibly long day, and my body is taxed, but I haven´t been this excited about an accomplishment in a long time. It was literally the perfect culmination to an incredible year.

A Look Back Up the Route

Now I can´t wait to get home and see my family and then catch up with friends and get started again on a new life in Colorado. Life is good. We´ll keep posting for a while so stay tuned as we put some finishing touches and thoughts on our year of travel and the new horizons ahead.

Cheers,
Drew

Friends, Strikes, and Guinea Pigs

We are stuck in the city of Huaraz, as the people of Peru are on a national strike. There is no transportation into or out of any of the cities in the entire country, and we were lucky to get here the day the strike began. What we have gathered from talking to locals, and from seeing the marching in the streets, is that the strike is fueled from anger for the current government and especially the increase in food prices. It is mostly the campesinos (country folk) that are angry. We tried to explain to some people that food prices around the world are increasing, it is not just Peru. But I dont think the people living in the campo understand that, they just know it costs 30% more today to get the food they need to feed their families. The chanting and flag flying is communist in nature, with flags of Che Guevara leading the pack. But there are also signs of opposition, people who don't want to stop life for a national strike. We fall into this catagory, as we would rather have taken a bus into the mountains two days ago. But we are here, and many shops that are pretending to be shut are actually open. We could buy our food, go to restaurants, and spend a day in an internet cafe- we just can't leave. It isn't chaotic or violent at all, actually more calm and quiet with very little traffic.

Boats in Huanchaco

Over the last two weeks, we have had some fun adventures. After Lima, we spent a few days in Huanchaco, a small fishing and surfing village on the NW coast of Peru. It was a nice change of pace after a few days in Lima. We strolled the boardwalks, watched surfers, and ate tons of seafood, inculding their specialty, ceviche. The town is known for making these special boats out of reeds that they have passed down through the generations. During our time there we also went to some ruins called Chan Chan, which was a labyrinth of rooms with interesting animal carvings on the walls.

Chan Chan

Next we headed towards Cajamarca, but before we got there we had one of those nightmare travel days. We got to a bus company to take a morning bus, and found out that they were sold out until 1:30. As we discussed this option, they sold out of those tickets as well and told us the next bus was at 10:30 pm. After driving around town looking for an earlier bus (every place was sold out), we finally found one for mid-day with a company we have never heard of. There was a reason for that- the bus was hot, stinky, and slow. We were in the front seat and got baked by the sun, and we both started feeling ill. There is nothing worse than being on a winding, bumpy road, in a humid, stale bus (without a toilet), when you are feeling sick. We didn't eat a thing that day, and finally got to Cajamarca at 9:30 pm and crashed in a gross hostel for the night.

Skyler and Kelly at "Las Ventanas" (Windows) near Cajamarca

The next day we felt better and found a nice (but noisy) hotel right on the main square. We met with a school we were working with and then met up with Kelly and Skyler (See their posting below). The reason why they came to Peru is so that Kelly could see how Drew and I have been doing the Global Library Project, but really we just wanted to spend time together. It was a good mix of working with schools, seeing sites, and just having long conversations over a bottle (or two) of wine. Kelly is one of those amazing people who makes you feel excited about work and after talking with her, the dreams for the project seem like they will become reality in the future. She is always happy- smiling and laughing, and has an infinite amount of energy and excitement for life. Skyler added to the energy, and satisfied my need to be with kids (at least for the time being). She has the sweetest laugh, and when she is excited about something her whole face lights up. She also has a sneaky side, that was easy to read as well. We nick-named her "SneakyT". She was such a trooper through hikes, long days at the schools, and hours of "grown-up" talk. The two of them covered our experinces together in Cajamarca in their blog post below, so I will just add a few pictures and comments below.

The city of Cajamarca is beautiful...

Plaza de Armas (main square) in Cajamarca

San Francisco Church, Cajamarca

The City of Cajamarca from above

The classrooms we worked with writing ebooks were great. It was difficult to teach in spanish but it was a good challenge for me. Like every other time we wrote ebooks with schools, we learned so much from the students about their lives and their community. At Davy college, the students came from affluent homes, and the school gave a good education. The classrooms were uber prepared, one teacher rewrote my questions to fit with her curriculum and the other had his students bring in photos on thumb drives. It was a bit different than our other experiences in Nepal and Thailand but they have the infrastructure to actually start a partnership between their school and Colorado schools. The other school, Joyas Para Christo was a more typical Latin American school, a bit chaotic and crazy, but wonderful. The books will turn out great, and we will post them when they are finished.

2nd grade and 6th grade, respectively at Davy College

4th grade at Joyas Para Christo

We had some time to see some sites around town, including "Las Ventañas" or windows. They are actually tombs of noble people

Cumbemayo is a rock forest where Kelly, Skyler and I hiked. There are 3,000 year old petroglyphs and canals.

A family we met during our hike at Cumbemayo

A hill above Cajamarca, called Santa Apolonia

And finally, our last meal together Cuy! (guinea pig)

Tomorrow Drew and I head into the mountains of the Cordillera Blanca, for our last hurrah! We will do a 4-day trek and then attempt to climb a big peak at almost 19,000 feet. It will be a good time, surrounded by nature, to reflect on the past year and all our adventures. We are counting down the days until we reach US soil, 11 days away!

Erin

P.S. Guinea Pig is gross!

Cajamarca, Peru by Skyler and Kelly

After following the blog for a year, we feel a bit starstruck!...

From Skyler
I really really liked my trip. Especially with Erin and Drew. I had a great time. My favorite part of Peru is finding cow teeth and playing uno and go fish. The coolest part was going through a dark cave. We took a tour of a place called Cumbemayo – it is called a rock forest. It looked like a forest of huge rocks. I thought they looked like popsicles. We saw girls herding the sheep there and then we gave a baby and a toddler an orange and a banana. They were Peruvian. They had big hats and colorful clothes.




We walked through the street market in the city. There was a lot of stinky fish there. There was a lot of fruit and all it smelled like was fish. The smells changed over and over. We saw potatoes and hair clips and Barbie shoes. There were also baby chickens and lots of ice cream carts (helado). I ate a lot of ice cream and drank soda that tasted like bubble gum (Inca Kola).

We rode on a combi (a small local bus). Taking the bus was really bumpy and we didn’t get car sick. We saw lots of markets while we were riding on the bus. There were lots of women on the bus with us. We were so squished like pancakes. This is how many people travel in Peru. I would not like to ride to school like that everyday.

I went to two schools and three classes with my mom, Erin and Drew. One little girl gave me one sticker. But, it actually turned out to be 100 stickers. After one girl gave me a sticker, all of the girls and boys started to give me stickers. I felt like I was taking a sticker shower.

In Miraflores, Lima we saw lots of paragliders. If I went on it, I would say “yippee-kay-a”, but I think it would also be scary. If I was on a paraglider I would be so scared people! On our walk, we found a red bus. It was a bus that drove around and told people about Lima. There was an upstairs on the bus that was very tall and very windy. I touched a tree on my forehead on the bus. We drove around the city and learned about Lima.

Beep-beep, honk-honk! The cars never stop making noise here. All it was was beep beep and honk honk. We think that beeps are the way that the drivers talk to each other. They honk a lot! They honk in the city and in the country.

In the country hacienda that we stayed at a cow was eating a garden. It looked like the girl was herding the cows. I jumped on a trampoline with the cow. He ate the garden and I bounced up and down (and learned how to do a sit jump!). I also saw sheep, pigs, roosters and chickens, horses, and lots of dogs.

The airplanes were bumpy. We rode a small airplane that was so loud we had to wear earplugs. It had two propellers. On the other airplanes I was really sleepy, except for today. I made a new friend from Bolivia on the airplane from Lima to Mexico City. We played Uno and spaceship.

I miss my Daddy. I miss cereal, my dogs, and eating fruit. I really liked Peru. Peru is my favorite place that we have ever been to. It was fun and I saw lots of animals.


From Kelly
Cajamarca, Peru was a wonderful experience. We are so happy that we got to spend a week with Erin and Drew near the end of their trip and soak up all of their stories about their journey. The fact that we were swapping stories over fried guinea pig made it even better!

It is a place that is easy to travel with children for the most part because everyone is so incredibly friendly. Aside from the Lima airport, which is just a tad intimidating to navigate with a child, I never felt uncomfortable. Skyler is an incredible travel partner who complains very little and tolerates a lot.

Cajamarca proved to be a great learning experience for me to see first hand how Erin and Drew have been writing the ebooks with local schools. The first school we worked with was anything but common; Davy College is a tremendous K-12 program to rival any school in the states. It sits on a private sprawling campus with manicured gardens and topiaries cut in the likeness of llamas. The teachers are from all over the world, the resources are plentiful, and the students are clearly benefiting academically from their experience there. We worked with a 2nd grade class where Erin taught completely in Spanish. It was very fun to watch her explain her travels and engage the kids in writing about their community without a word of English. We also worked with a 6th grade class, in English, who brought in photographs from home to add to the book. Our contact there was passionate about her work and has made it her mission to use the ebook software and Global Library Project at the school. Our second school was more typical of a school in a city in Peru. Walking down the tight city street, there is nothing more than a nondescript door and sign at the entrance of the school. When through the door, it opens up to a 2-story tiled courtyard that is the center of the classrooms. This was a much different experience in terms of teaching (which Erin and Drew did again 100% in Spanish). The class size was much bigger (~30 students) and the classroom was much smaller. The students put together a wonderful book about where they live all while showering Skyler with gifts like stickers, keychains, bracelets, and pens. After seeing the books being written, I am more convinced now than ever that these ebooks and this project have a purpose.


We enjoyed the architecture of the churches, the constant flow of people in the central plaza (Plaza de Armas), and finding nice little spots of interest and amazing 3000 year history. At the end of the week when the work was done, we spent two days away from the city in a big hotel and had the entire place to ourselves. Even though it was only 6 km from the city, it felt like 100. It was muy tranquillo – quiet, relaxed, beautiful, and a small taste of rural life. They had a small trampoline, which made it a wonderful place for Skyler, and we got to just sit and read, talk, and be together.

The trip was also one of juxtapositions. Skyler jumped on a trampoline while a cow grazed a few feet from her. We saw a street performer in Cajamarca dressed as a robot who came to life when you put money in his cup…and a rural woman poking him in the bottom with a stick trying to figure him out. There are layers of city and country at every turn, and very few gringos (at least where we traveled). There are tightly woven cities with crowded sidewalks and people everywhere and then a few kilometers away there are vast spaces with evidence of the ancient peoples, including petroglyphs, tombs, and irrigation systems. The colors of the people are a brightly stark contrast to the drier colors of the landscape – you could always find the campesinos on the hillside because of their brightly colored cloths.

Every journey is a gift. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring Skyler here and to hook up with Erin and Drew in such a magical and rich place.