Written in my capsula in the sky, 15/3/14, around 2100:
I receive an email this morning:
Hi Allison, the driver`s name is Daniel auto yaris gray.
After crossing the bridge we continued up, with Marco taking the lead. It began to rain, and I noticed that the iron rungs and the rocks were starting to get slippery, but being the stubborn girl that I am I kept my mouth shut and continued on. I happened to look up in time to see Marco slip on one of the rungs, and he calls back to me, "Slippery!" "So comforting," I answered, as I continued on...for three rungs. Then, my arms grew tired. I became out of breath. I started to wish I had something more than just some fruit, coffee and a piece of bread today. I started to feel like any second I could get dizzy and lightheaded. I continued up to the part where Marco slipped and I froze: the path seemed impossible. I somehow needed to maneuver over a rock, going up and to the right at the same time. Marco noticed my hesitation and called, "You gotta use your arms at this part!" "But I don't have them!" I yelled back. Marco quickly climbed down and positioned himself behind me, almost hugging me from behind, while he switched some of our safety wires around, hooking mine up to the next section. He says, "I got your harness. You're okay. Now, take this hand and pull yourself up to that rung, then reach down with your other hand and grab that part of the rock while shuffling your feet in a seemingly impossible way, onto the rung that seems out of reach and is most definitely dangerously slippery because of the rain that is still pouring down on us- but don't worry, I got you and you got this." Okay, so those weren't his exact words, but that is what it felt like: an impossible game of vertical twister, except that one wrong move here could hurt. Badly.
Soon the rain stopped and the sun returned, as did my energy...for another few minutes. As I looked up at the daunting task ahead of me, Marco told me, "this is the last vertical part- then the rest is horizontal." And so I climbed and walked and pulled and jumped and stretched and sat (for a picture!) and then we came to his office: a capsule, seemingly hanging from the sky, complete with a bathroom, stove, bed and cooler. Marco and I had some hot tea and chilled a bit as we ate our snack of a tangerine, chocolate and dried fruit. We talked for a while then he lead me to my very own capsule in the sky. The path from his office to my capsule was quite difficult, again up and over at the same time, and I was thankful once I arrived.
After instructing me how to use the toilet (for #1: pee into the bowl, dump the pee into the tiki torch thing and then wash the bowl or for #2: take and set up a plastic bag in the "toilet," go into the bag then tie shut...) and showing me how the lights work, we set a time for dinner and he left this warrior princess alone in her capsule in the sky to change and relax.
As promised, Marco returned about 15 minutes prior to our dinner time with a bottle of wine, informing me it was ALL for me. Most guests are couples...I don't think they knew what to do with a solo traveler! I took a glass and started writing this while Marco went to prepare dinner. He returned with the heated food from Kaia's: veggie soup with breadcrumbs, quinoa and some vegetarian patty, a fresh, delicious salad (a few bites in I asked him if it was okay for me to eat- "of course, Al-E-sun! it is very clean!"- I told him it was so good I'd probably eat it anyway!) dessert and fresh orange juice. He offered and poured me another glass of wine and had set up a bot of hot water, tea and sugar on the bed across from the one I was sitting on.
I had asked for Marco to eat with me, because I found it incredibly awkward for him to sit and watch as I ate, but he wouldn't budge until I'd finish each course- after I finished the soup, he offered more and when I declined, he ate soup while I ate the next course. As I drank the second glass of wine Marco indulged in some himself. We talked family and home, adventures and dreams, relationships, life and death. Apparently all I need to do each day to talk Spanish without any reservations is to throw back a few glasses of wine....holy miss chatterbox!
After my 1032 course meal was complete and we'd talked until what felt like a million oclock (it was really only about 9pm!) Marco asked me what time I'd want breakfast. I thought a bit and decided on 9am. As Marco climbed out of my capsule he asked me to give him my camera, and then he had me climb out to model for some more pictures. After sharing a laugh over the last, scary picture he took, we said goodbye and I was left alone to write...
He will be at the corner you asked at 13 pm.
Natalia
Then another,
Hi Allison I am calling you at the phone you gave me but there is no answer(hahah who is surprised? I didn't have my phone on me...) my phone is 974799289 anyway.
The car is blue and the name of the driver is enrique... sorry for the misunderstanding, he is the one who is going to bring you. This morning I have booked another car but enrique works with us normally and he was busy but know is free,
please call me if you need something.
Natalia
I had just returned from a morning at a local restaurant, where I indulged in some coffee and fruit salad. I double checked that I had all I needed for the adventure, and said goodbye to my host family.
At 12:45 I had set out to buy a coke zero (JUDGE ME!) and as I'm walking down the street I pass two blue cars: one- a taxi, the other, unmarked. A man to my right says something super fast to me in Spanish, and between the confused look on my face and me saying, "huh, wait, what?" he starts to apologize and look beyond me, but I ask, "como se llama?" (what's your name?) "Enrique!" he answers. "Oh, si!" I nod and smile, and he opens the passenger side door and ushers me into his blue car.
He asks, in Spanish, "are you going here or there?" (naming two places I totally didn't understand..."Um, no se?!" I respond. This weekend included transport from my house in Cusco- I had NO idea where this strange man in his strange blue car is supposed to be taking me! After he sets off down the road and makes a quick phone call he looks at me and says, "listo!" (ready!) -and we are off. Apparently he found out where he was taking the gringa!
We make some small talk in Spanish, "Oh yeah? You're a nurse? You cure hearts, huh?"- (hahaha mom, right??!! what was that song that reminds you of me? "Watch out boy she'll chew you up..") I'm still rolling my eyes at his comment when Enrique says something about picking up two amigos, yeah? Now, I've been warned about the dangers of being in cabs when they pick up additional passengers- it is likely they will rob you...but it is Enrique..I can trust him, yes? A friend Enrique is a friend of mine...right?
We pull over in front of a bunch of shops (with one man trying to get "la gringa" to come out and buy/see/visit/join/etc?? whatever it was he advertising)- and Enrique calls across the ridiculously busy and congested street and says, "tengo dos!!" (what?) And then a young man comes running over, jumps in the back of the car and we start to drive away. We drive for all of two seconds when Enrique stops and calls back to the same man on the opposite side of the street, "tengo uno!" An older man now runs across the street, dodging the crazy cars, and jumps in the back seat. Enrique says to him, in Spanish, "she's a pretty girl, yes?"...Fuck no, dudes. I roll my eyes, laugh and continue to trust Enrique.
The rest of the drive was innocent. The two guys in the back slept, except for the few times that Enrique didn't slow down enough before a speed bump and all of us went flying toward the ceiling. You better believe I had my seatbelt on. There was one time when we were about to go around a bend to the right when Enrique became ambitious and tried to pass a bus, following the two cars in front of us. I was nervous because I saw what he was doing and knew we couldn't see what was coming around bend, and sure enough a bus came around, forcing Enrique to make some power moves to get us back behind the bus we were trying to pass. The driver of the bus that almost killed us gave Enrique quite the dirty look.
While we drove, Enrique had his USB port with music playing, mostly Cusco Music (I call it that ONLY because every now and then I heard the name "Cusco" in a song)- and then an American song came on. Enrique turns the music up, I have to believe on my account- and I nearly died of laughter. I can't remember the lyrics clearly, but they involved the words physical, rough, and turn you around...bahaha. Oh dear, Enrique. If you only understood English.
As we drove up from Cusco, I admired the green hills, the snowcapped mountains and the increasing poverty. I loved each and every child we passed, whose cheeks were stained brown with dirt, and each man who toted a wagon and each woman who, child on her back, was either walking or working in the fields. I loved every single dog I passed, fur matted and filthy, but adorable nonetheless. To answer a questions I often ask others, if I could do anything in the world, money not a concern, I'd be a photographer of these ordinary yet extraordinary people and things in the world: my eyes have seen a lot, my heart has felt a lot- and I wish I could share all of that beauty with the world.
As we drove higher into the mountains, I mused at what I felt is irony in the whole situation: the higher we got, the more beautiful the scenery and yet the "poorer" the people. As my site coordinator had sad to me, "the poor people live up there in the mountains." But why? I find it so much more desirable to live up away from the city, away from the constant beeping cars and city exhaust- I'd much more prefer to live in the greenery, where the streets have no names, where you can see the mountains beyond mountains...
When I was in Haiti I was asked by one of the doctors who I thought was more "poor"- the spoiled children or the children who don't know what video games are, who have never seen a computer or watched TV. I often think about that- while money wise these people in the hills are living in "poverty," who am I to judge if they are poor. In my experience, some of the richest people I know live on the streets or in a hut on the top of a mountain in Nicaragua...I have always been amazed at how much I have been given by people who have nothing. Just food for thought, yeah?
I thought this about the feral dogs, too. On our way we passed a bunch of dumpsters with dogs as abundant as flies at a BBQ on a summers day (hahaha I wrote that last night, pen and paper- must have been a few glasses of wine deep! and though I totally wish I could change it now, I'm leaving it..lame!!) My heart ached for these puppies as we passed, but then I thought again- free and feasting, do they feel rich? Who was I to judge...
ANWAYS, after arriving to Urubama (!! I finally found out where we were going to!!)- we dropped off our two passengers at a gas station and continued on to a restaurant, Kaia's, where we met Marco, my tour guide for the weekend. Immediately I loved the man- long hair, adventurous spirit and a kind smile. He asked, "which do you prefer this weekend, English or Spanish?" "SPANGLISH!" I responded, and so it was for the weekend. (At times when I felt as if he was talking too much English I'd either repeat his last word in Spanish or answer in Spanish, and he got the hint...)
Marco collected our dinner from this super cool, bohemian/hippie/vegetarian friendly/amazing/all-natural restaurant, and we drove about 15 minutes more to our starting point: a piece of grass with a trailer, next to a mountain face. Cheers.
Marco instructed I use the bathroom in the trailer prior to donning the climbing gear, which I thought was funny: He had said, "inside is a bathroom. You use that right now before I put on your harness." I obliged. SO, after the bathroom, Marco put on my harness and helmet, gave me a pair of gloves, and we ascended to the starting point- where I was briefed on what I already knew about via ferratas (I had originally read about them probably 1-2 years ago while flying home from one adventure or another and became obsessed. I've googled pictures, read reviews and looked up locations ever since..) I DID, however, listen attentively as Marco instructed me on the proper safety procedure...and then he said, "okay, you first," and, so, up I went.
My first emotion, excitement, was quickly overcome by some fear. Now, I LOVE heights and find every thing about climbing and hiking and cliffs and ledges exhilarating- but as I climbed up I was like, "what the fuck, woman! you only just started and a fall now could kill ya...what happens if your hands get tired? or your legs?" But, I climbed on, and just as quickly as it came on, the fear disintegrated and the excitement returned.
I had entrusted Marco with my camera and loved how he called to me frequently to snap a picture or ten...and if I felt like he should be taking a picture, I had no problem calling to him, "Marco! Tengo pregunta!!" "Si, Al- E-sun?" "why aren't you taking my picture right now?" and he'd laugh and snap away, calling orders like, "put your left hand there, stick your right leg out there! now look up!" haha loved it.
We took turns leading up the cliff. I was full of energy and adrenaline and loving every second. While most of the "path" has the iron rungs, at some parts I needed to utilize my amateur rock climbing skills to navigate up the rock face. Then, we came to the puente, the bridge. Shit. I don't know what I was expecting, but totally not this: two wire cables stretched across two rock faces, and then another cable a little higher to hold on to. And no safety net below. Marco told me I was up first, and called directions to me: "Al-E-sun, lean back on the mountain. Good. Now, put both feet [perpendicular] to the cable. Now, reach out and grab that cable in front of you. Good. Now, lean forward...more. Good. Now go." And I went.
I got halfway across and Marco called to me again: "Senorita Al-E-sun, look back here! Good! Now, take one foot and one arm off the cable." "Um, I don't know if I can!" "Of course you can!" And I did. Confidence, wish I had it in myself, glad others have it in me.
After crossing the bridge we continued up, with Marco taking the lead. It began to rain, and I noticed that the iron rungs and the rocks were starting to get slippery, but being the stubborn girl that I am I kept my mouth shut and continued on. I happened to look up in time to see Marco slip on one of the rungs, and he calls back to me, "Slippery!" "So comforting," I answered, as I continued on...for three rungs. Then, my arms grew tired. I became out of breath. I started to wish I had something more than just some fruit, coffee and a piece of bread today. I started to feel like any second I could get dizzy and lightheaded. I continued up to the part where Marco slipped and I froze: the path seemed impossible. I somehow needed to maneuver over a rock, going up and to the right at the same time. Marco noticed my hesitation and called, "You gotta use your arms at this part!" "But I don't have them!" I yelled back. Marco quickly climbed down and positioned himself behind me, almost hugging me from behind, while he switched some of our safety wires around, hooking mine up to the next section. He says, "I got your harness. You're okay. Now, take this hand and pull yourself up to that rung, then reach down with your other hand and grab that part of the rock while shuffling your feet in a seemingly impossible way, onto the rung that seems out of reach and is most definitely dangerously slippery because of the rain that is still pouring down on us- but don't worry, I got you and you got this." Okay, so those weren't his exact words, but that is what it felt like: an impossible game of vertical twister, except that one wrong move here could hurt. Badly.
I decided to man up, take a deep breath and reach and pull and stretch and trust- and somehow I made it across that vertical and horizontal puzzle. I'd never admit it to Marco, but I was growing increasingly tired, lightheaded and out of breath- but I didn't have to say anything. He snapped another pic and laughed, "you look tired, Al-e-sun! you okay?" "I'm a bit tired, but I'm good," I respond. He suggested a break but I'm stubborn and pushed onward...for like two seconds and then stopped. We both had some water and then continued on, upward. At certain parts along the way I'd stare at the challenge ahead and above, and Marco would try to come and help and I'd shoo him away- "I got this, Marco! I'm Miss Independent." "Si, parece que si!" he answered- yes, it appears so! He told me he once had a French client like me- all independent and not in need of his help until it was, "MARCO! HELP ME!!" haha Yes, just like me!
Soon the rain stopped and the sun returned, as did my energy...for another few minutes. As I looked up at the daunting task ahead of me, Marco told me, "this is the last vertical part- then the rest is horizontal." And so I climbed and walked and pulled and jumped and stretched and sat (for a picture!) and then we came to his office: a capsule, seemingly hanging from the sky, complete with a bathroom, stove, bed and cooler. Marco and I had some hot tea and chilled a bit as we ate our snack of a tangerine, chocolate and dried fruit. We talked for a while then he lead me to my very own capsule in the sky. The path from his office to my capsule was quite difficult, again up and over at the same time, and I was thankful once I arrived.
After instructing me how to use the toilet (for #1: pee into the bowl, dump the pee into the tiki torch thing and then wash the bowl or for #2: take and set up a plastic bag in the "toilet," go into the bag then tie shut...) and showing me how the lights work, we set a time for dinner and he left this warrior princess alone in her capsule in the sky to change and relax.
As promised, Marco returned about 15 minutes prior to our dinner time with a bottle of wine, informing me it was ALL for me. Most guests are couples...I don't think they knew what to do with a solo traveler! I took a glass and started writing this while Marco went to prepare dinner. He returned with the heated food from Kaia's: veggie soup with breadcrumbs, quinoa and some vegetarian patty, a fresh, delicious salad (a few bites in I asked him if it was okay for me to eat- "of course, Al-E-sun! it is very clean!"- I told him it was so good I'd probably eat it anyway!) dessert and fresh orange juice. He offered and poured me another glass of wine and had set up a bot of hot water, tea and sugar on the bed across from the one I was sitting on.
I had asked for Marco to eat with me, because I found it incredibly awkward for him to sit and watch as I ate, but he wouldn't budge until I'd finish each course- after I finished the soup, he offered more and when I declined, he ate soup while I ate the next course. As I drank the second glass of wine Marco indulged in some himself. We talked family and home, adventures and dreams, relationships, life and death. Apparently all I need to do each day to talk Spanish without any reservations is to throw back a few glasses of wine....holy miss chatterbox!
After my 1032 course meal was complete and we'd talked until what felt like a million oclock (it was really only about 9pm!) Marco asked me what time I'd want breakfast. I thought a bit and decided on 9am. As Marco climbed out of my capsule he asked me to give him my camera, and then he had me climb out to model for some more pictures. After sharing a laugh over the last, scary picture he took, we said goodbye and I was left alone to write...
I finished with: As I sit now, I'm two teas deep and think I'm going to try out the bathroom and call it a night. I'm expecting Marco at nine tomorrow morning with hot water and tea, then he's making me breakfast and we are heading down...
UPDATE: this took me FOREVER to type up, partly because I can't read my handwriting, partly because I'm trying to eat watermelon at the same time AND partly because I keep distracting myself with gchats and facebook... I'm back at the my house in Cusco and looking forward to uploading and sharing my pictures and then setting out to enjoy the evening in town...But first, I want to catch up on today:
This morning Marco arrived to my capsule a little before 9 and poured me a cup of coffee. When I finished, he helped me don my harness and helmet and we set off to his capsule in the sky. Going down is DEFINITELY harder than going up. Woof. I took my time getting to his capsule, then sat on a pillow on his deck while he served me my breakfast feast: dried fruit, granola, yogurt, milk, coffee, tea, juice, bread, cheese, jam, eggs and fresh fruit. I didn't touch the cheese, and ended up leaving most of everything else- there was just too much!! But it was DELICIOUS! While I finished up, Marco cleaned my capsule and returned to clean up breakfast and close shop. The granola was so freakin good I asked for a little bag so we didn't have to waste what I couldn't eat- and he ended up giving me a big bag of granola. Yum!
I snapped pics as he cleaned, and then we started our decent. Again, going down is a LOT harder than climbing up. Eventually we reached the cliff where I was to rappel down...holy. shit. He attached the rope and instructed me to keep my legs straight and wide apart, with my feet flat on the side of the wall. Then, he told me to lean back and walk down the wall..and I started...and fell. I swung a bit and then smashed straight into the side of the wall, scratching up my left elbow a tiny bit. Marco checked to see if I was okay, then again told me to keep my feet flat against the wall (so my body would be perpendicular to the rock face!) Holy Hell...I tried the best that I could, and did a decent mix of rappelling and falling...and finally I arrived to the terrace with the iron rod and safety cord, where I had been told to attach myself and untie the rope. I did as I was instructed and waited for Marco to join me. Marco pointed out another, new "rappel" zone that he had never done before, and we both agreed that we should just take the normal way down. Together we climbed down the rest of the way, coming eventually to a part where there was no longer the safety cord to attach to. We climbed on, "despacio, Al-E-Sun," (slow!) and then came to a section of the descent that was a bunch of loose dirt and rock, where I soon found myself on my ass. It was actually quite the graceful fall, and I recovered quickly and walked on- and moments later I heard Marco skid, and turn to see him on his ass too. We laughed and chatted the rest of the way down, eventually coming back to the trailer. I stripped off my gear and waited while Marco gathered up the supplies and loaded it into another blue cab (no Enrique this time!). Marco gave me the remains of a bottle of wine (not mine, unless he partied hard last night!- he said no, it was from two nights ago!) and we jumped in the cab to return home. I left Marco at the company's "office" and while the seemingly dangerous part was over, I laughed knowing that a car ride on these Peruvian roads is just as wild and dangerous as rappelling down the side of a mountain...and so my journey continued. :)
As I said, I'm home now- off to enjoy a Sunday evening in Cusco!
No comments:
Post a Comment