bravenewworlder

There I was, back at my favorite coffee shop, after having spent a final day walking up the coast from Hanga Roa and seeing a couple more moai. I usually try to be here around 7ish or so, and for the past couple of nights blanco would see me coming and jump up, wag his tail, and grab a rock in his mouth. I'd sit down, and he'd drop the rock at my feet and back away, getting ready for my toss. Timo, the owner of the shop, would bring me my americano without me even needing to ask. I happily tossed the rock with blanco for an hour or so... and if I ever ignored him, he'd bark, or push my chair with his paw. Then the second dog came up, the one that I ... read more

There are a few things that I really like about Easter Island. One of these things is the fact that, since you're in such a small place, even tourists become locals. I mean when there's only like 4 places to eat, you're bound to get to know some people. That happened today during breakfast when I went into the same place as yesterday and the same lady brought me the same food. I wished her the first hasta manana of the day, or see you tomorrow. It also happened tonight, when I went back to my favorite little coffee shop, the one with the retriever, who's name I learned is blanco. Had the same thing: an Americano, or straight black coffee, and told the guy I'll see him tomorrow night. Hasta Manana. The other thing about ... read more

What a day today... a day where I feel like I've entered a whole new world - meaning that I left Santiago bright and early for a flight to Easter Island. This flight was hilarious for many reasons. First of all, it was a giant plane that was only half full. I think I had an entire row to myself. Then, when you look at the flight map, you basically fly for 5 hours to a tiny speck of a dot in the middle of the South Pacific. It's funny, too - I'm now back in Denver time - flew across 2 time zones. The approach to the Island was quite the event as well. Kind of like Machu Picchu, the Island just emerged from the clouds as we descended, and the little strip of a ... read more

My last day in Peru started with a morning hike outside of Cusco for the Incan fortress of Sacsayhauman. This hike was wonderful. You climb out of Cusco for maybe 20 minutes, and for the last half follow a stream that falls down from the steep terrain. It was also a beautiful day. The main reason for this hike is to see the absolutely massive rocks at Sacsayhauman. The Inca's were somehow able to move massive boulders and place them perfectly together. I know this might not sound impressive, but you have to realize that the Inca didn't have a lot of technology. They basically had to use sheer muscle power and grit. And I always find it crazy that when the Spanish invaded, the Inca mainly threw giant rocks at them. Just think about that ... read more

Left Aguas Calientes on the morning train back to Ollantaytambo. A nice easy ride, but, since there's only one track, there was a lot of sitting and waiting for trains to go by before you could continue down. In Ollantaytambo, I grabbed my big bag from my hotel, and Cesar was actually waiting right outside. He drove me back to Cusco in like an hour and a half. One nice, brief stop along the way was an animal preserve just over the pass from Pisac. This awesome little place had native Andean animals, but the coolest I thought (mainly because they're the rarest) were the Andean Puma and the Andean Condor. The pumas lurk in the mountains of the Sacred Valley - but in their enclosure they looked just like big cats, and were gladly sleeping ... read more