Andes Mountains, Peru

Views of Andes Mountains from Bus july 08

CHAPTER FIVE

Huancayo is a city built in a bowl or valley in the mountains. There is a crystal view of those mountains from the first floor balcony at the rear of our posada.Unfortunately, there is also a glimpse of the real poverty which many of its citizens endure. In an undeveloped site, just 30 meters behind our garden wall, live an entire family in a tent covered with plastic and with a loosely-thrown together corrugated roof, protection for the three months rain season and the cold evenings. No running water there but, surprisingly, we caught a glimpse of a television inside. Outside chickens, rabbits and a dog scratched the dusty ground.

Next day we both woke up early, partially recovered from the altitude of the previous day. We showered, dressed and went for breakfast which consisted of a bowel of fresh fruit covered with yogurt, a glass of papaya juice, some bread and jam and a cup of matae coco, which is a cocoa tea consisting of half a dozen or so cocoa leaves in a cup of boiling water. Cocoa tea is said to be one of the the best antidotes for altitude sickness and is the staple alternative of locals, used instead of tea or coffee.

Deciding to stay for another day, we quickly struck up conversation with another couple our vintage, Paul and Denise Gordon from New Zealand.During our breakfast discussion we chatted about our families and told them we were not grandparents yet. Neither were they. Tony was telling them that he would like to be a Grand Dad and I said I would like to be a Granny sometime, but just not yet.

Two hours later, I rang Rachael on the Skype phone which uses satellite rather than terrestrial connection and which costs just cents to make inter-continental calls. Surprisingly, she asked me to sit down and make sure Tony was sitting down too. Were we holding hands, she inquired, for she had important news to tell us. What she said came as a shock, but a very nice shock. It took us a while to recover from it. We were to become GRANDPARENTS some time at the end of Jan or beginning of Feb, 2009. We were completely dumbfounded and thrilled. We could not believe it. We cried with the emotion of it all. I could not believe I was going to have a precious grandchild, and Tony's dream of becoming a grandparent was being fulfilled. We went around for the rest of the day like headless chickens, our thoughts and emotions running high with excitement and anticipation. We talked about virtually nothing else all day long.

After our very emotional conversation with Rachael and Gareth, we composed ourselves enough to ring our best friends, Des and Olive, in Northern Ireland and tell them our good news. Despite the bad line, we managed, just about, to get the message through. Still reeling from the joyfull information, we decided to go out for a walk to clear our heads and get some air. On the way out we met Paul and Denise again and told them our news. They were delighted for us and understood our emotion and excitement. Off we went for our walk but we only made it to the local supermarket where we purchased a bottle of wine to celebrate our good luck and fortune.

Back to our accommodation where the vino tinto was opened and the conception of a new life, our grandchild-to-be, celebrated. Our emotions were running very high, and we decided to stay another night. We were so excited we saw little of the town and its people. That evening we had dinner in a nearby restaurant. I ordered what I thought looked local and when dinner arrived I was startled to see what looked like a cooked dead rat on my plate looking up at me. It was a cuy or guinea pig, an animal smaller than a rabbit when alive but very much like a spreadeagled rodent when dead and cooked.

Its head was still attached to the body. Its teeth were in its mouth and its black eyes looked at me. Hunger, they say, is a great sauce and within seconds I was tucked in.Though not containing much meat, it was surprisingly tasty, looking like dark chicken meat. The legs seemed to be tastiest bits, but there was not much meat elsewhere on the body. Although willing to try most new experiences once, this is a culinary experience I definitely will try to avoid in the future.

Because we are only 20 degrees or so south of the Equator, day light ends quickly around 6 p.m. and begins again twelve hours later. Day time temperatures reach around 25 degrees Celsius in the sun, but warm jackets are required from around 5 p.m. onwards as evenings and nights tend to be chilly. We are, after all, living two miles above sea-level.

Next day Paul and Denise invited us to accompany them and fellow NZ friend, Andrea, to a large open air rural market in the town/village of Chupuka, about 20 kms (12/13 miles) away. All five of us boarded a collectivo (tiny bus) which, on careful examination turns out to be a Toyota Hi-Ace, but High Ace with a difference. Hereabouts, these vehicles are used multi-purposefully. There are 17 seats in the collectivo, not counting the driver and conductor, and room for five extra standing passengers, some of whom may or may not sit on other passengers knees. There is no room for any personal hang-ups about close body proximity on these buses. The journey cost just one Sol each, less than a quarter Euro. Most people were locals and, like us, going to the market. The woman next to Tony had a duck in a cardboard box which quacked loudly throughout the journey.

For us city-living Western Europeans, the market came as a mixture of surprise and assault to our senses. Head-tied llamas, fettered donkeys, sheep and goats, individually-tied pigs often held by young children, lambs, and up to 20 to 30 bonhams were gathered in nets to stop them straying. Next to the animals were stalls selling candy sweets, take-away skewers of cooked meat, soft drinks, and other edibles. No problem.

But by far the biggest challenge was the site of an open-air abattoir where animals were slaughtered for a price before being carried off to restaurants, and other places of consumption. Tony, being so squeamish, could not bring himself to enter the slaughter coral but I did with Paul by my side. First the sheep were shackled with all four feet tied together. Then the animal was raised on a small table about two feet high and its belly exposed to the sky. Next its head was helled back and its throat quickly slit and its head decapitated by a man with a sharp knife. The sheep's body briefly trembled and blood poured from its neck into a container held next to the neck but placed on the ground as the blood ebbed. Presumably the blood was recycled into black pudding.

A short time after the blood had left the animal's body, the same man plunged a sharp longer knife into the creature's inert body and completely de-pelted it within a matter of two minutes or so. It's entrails were scooped out and its carcase now taken away by its purchaser. I personally saw one woman wrap a sheep carcase in a colourful shawl, called a bulto, which Andean women use mainly for carrying their children and others loads.

Next all five us visited the non-animal market near the town plaza. Three of us, Tony, the New Zealander Paul, and myself were carried in an open-sided, canvas-topped rick-shaw type of vehicle powered by a 125 c.c. motor cycle engine. How the engine was able to pull the vehicle, an estimated 45 stone in the back seat, and the driver in the front, up a steep hill on a par with the legendary Patrick's Hill in Cork, must be a feat of mechanical ingenuity seldom witnessed in engineering history!

At the market where everything was sold, we were the only five gringos. Children and adults stared inquisitively but not rudely. We stood out because of our height, the colour of our skin, even though it was deeply sun-tanned, as well as the colour of our eyes and hair. Everybody around us was shiny black-haired with brown or black eyes. Virtually all women wore multi-layered skirts, with a coloured apron front, socks up the knees, a bulto on their back, tied off the shoulder in a double knot around the front of their chests. Perched on their heads, they wore various-coloured wide brimmed hats with a bow ribbon tied round, but not hanging.


Most Andean men and women are small and wiry in stature. Many of the children wear bonnets with long ear flaps, with the under chin string left hanging loose.

Goods and animals of every description were sold on the streets under the mid-day sun. Tony pointed out one stall to me where sugar cane was pulped, and the juice extract bottled, labeled and sold as a cure for all conditions, The stall holder had a notice in Spanish which said his product was superior to viagra !

New and second hand clothes, tools,shoes, toys, and house hold items were sold in one area; in another, small live animals were being offered; elsewhere craftwork. We saw one man selling various types of television aerials bolted to a long pole which he carried round with him. A lady dressed in the traditional dress carried a puppy with pierced ear-rings in both its ears and wearing a colourful doggy coat. A sight not to be missed.

During the day we ate shredded meat from a roasted pig stuffed into a bread bun and washed down by Inca Cola, Peru's national soft drink in which the US Coca Cola Co. now has a 60% stake. You might think because it is a cola, it ought to be dark in colour. Not so. It is lime green in colour and tastes sweetly with a hint of lemon.

Although looking very different, all those at the fair were all very friendly and courteous to us. One lady approached and started talking to me. I tried to explain to her I did not understand her Spanish but she was not worried or interested in what I was haltingly saying. She just wanted to talk to us. Our stature made us exceptional, it transpired.

With the help of our friend Denise, we found she was saying that I was beautiful and Tony was a "grande hombre" (big man). She kept touching our arms and was fascinated by us. I asked if she would allow us to take a photo of her and she was happy to oblige. Denise took the pic of this lady in her full Andean traditional dress with Tony and myself. She asked to see the photo on the camera and was very happy when we showed it to her. Tony gave her 5 sol (About 1.25 euro) and she went off as if she had won the lotto. These people love to be photographed; they will pose for any picture, and are proud to do so, but could become upset if the photo is surrepticiously or secretly taken without their acquiescence. Naturally. But not so in this case.

Went to the main market in Huancayo on Sunday but first, we set off to attend a military parade to mark Peruvian Independence Day, July 28th. We witnessed much pomp and circumstance, but as one of our friends observed, 'it was rather more pompous and circumstantial'. To cheers from the ranks of the military and local city VIPs, the flag of Peru was raised as was that of the region. We were surprised to see Picasso's Dove of Peace emblem raised on the third flagpole, a copy of which we have over the bed in our guest bedroom at home.

Up early next day to travel the 22-hour 800 mile bus journey deep into the Peruvian jungle to a city called Pucallpa. But all was not well. Tony had not been feeling well throughout the night. By 7a.m., he was well and truly incapacitated with both ends misbehaving. Although the bus tickets had been purchased, there was no option but to cancel the trip. Twenty fours later, the situation had rectified itself, no pun intended.

As I remarked to Tony: "The Gods were shining on you. Imagine, if this had happened while you were on the 22-hour journey on the bus ! "

The patient did without food until next day, although he was dosed with 7-Up to avoid dehydration. That evening Paul and Denise invited me to join them for dinner. I had grilled trout with potatoes and salad. It cost the princely sum of 15 Sols, or around 3.5 Euros.

Next morning, we went to the station to find the the bus to Pucallpa was fully booked up. When I produced the un-used tickets, the clerk agreed to honour them for tomorrow's exist, without any extra cost.

Although you may not be the most distinguished city in Peru, we will never forget you, Huancayo. For many reasons.

Chapter Four

Just when we thought things could not be better, circumstances intervene to cause problems. Serious problems. Tony's medications which we sent in advance of our trip to New Zealand and Peru have been detained by the authorities in Lima. They are not being released to our friends, the Salazar family. In Auckland, no such problem arose; they are safety delivered and in the possession and safe keeping of our friends,Tom and Sheila Birdsall and family.

In Lima the parcel of medicines also included a bottle of Irish whiskey, an electronic photo frame, a book, calender, a tier of our wedding cake and some other small items. Typical souvenir items. Nothing special. One would have thought. Not so, according to Peruvian Customs authorities.

From emails received from the Salazar family,the Customs there want to charge us import duties on the medicines on the basis some of these medicines are available in Peru and could/ought to have been purchased there by us rather than imported. After they were informed the medications were required not just simply for the two weeks we were going to be in Peru but also for the four months we intend to be in other South American countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Paraquay, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, the authorities in Lima are apparently no longer relying on this ground for not releasing the medicines.

Instead, they now want the VALUE of each of Tony's medicines- there are about 9 of them - for what purpose, it is unclear. This also causes us a problem, since they were all obtained free of charge in Ireland on the basis of Tony having a medical card, a card which is automatically given him on the basis of being a diabetic. Since his medicines are,therefore, obtained for free, they cannot by definition have a financial value to him. And because they are purchased and paid for by the State in Ireland, he is not in a position to second guess how much the State pays for them. Seeking a value in Peru of imported medicines that are dispensed free of charge in Ireland, therefore, is a nonsense.

Thanks to helpful intervention on the part of Rachael, the name, address, phone and email number of the Honorary Irish Consul in Lima, Mr Michael G. Russell were obtained. He was emailed, all the relevant information and facts were outlined to him and he has promised to look into the situation. Hopefully the matter will be resolved when we reach Peru without recourse to further unnecessary bureaucracy. But we are not too sure. This is South America, not Europe !

Said goodbye to our hosts Dan and Kira O'Brien, his sister-in-law Carina,Tapio (our Finnish friend) and off by taxi to the airport at Porlamar for the 40 minutes flight to the capital, Caracas. But first, we had to pay an exit tax to get from one part of Venezuela to the other. In Caracas, the internal airport is shared with the international airport but you physically have to leave one building for a 300 meter street walk to the other terminal. No trollies unless you are prepared to pay a local for one and have your luggage transported within the same Airport for a fee, of course.

In all it took us three hours to get our luggage checked-in, to queue and pay our exit taxes, this time from the country itself (yes, that's right), and for our hand luggage to be x-rayed and physically searched. About 1 in 4 or 5 other persons were similarly rigorously inspected. In the sparsely-stocked duty-free section, we spent the last of our Bolivars on chocolates for our Peruvian family friends.

The 1800 mile night journey to Lima took three hours and 10 minutes, travelling by Lan Peru, departing and arriving on time.The journey was uneventful except that from the on-board screen, we learned that we were travelling at 38,000 feet with temperatures outside the aircraft of minus 65 degree centigrade. Mount Everest is just over 29,000 feet high ! Out of Lima Airport by midnight and into weather of plus 18 degrees C and a foggy sky.

There to greet us were our Peruvian family, Gonzalo and Marie Elena Salazar and their 18-year-old son, Ivan. While everyone else patiently waited behind airport barriers, there was no containing Ivan who, irrespective of regulations, rushed forward to warmly greet us to the amusement of those outside the barriers. He already has won two gold medals for Peru swimming in the 2003 Special Olympics in Dublin but he could, it now seems, have an alternative sports career as a sprinter for Peru, should he so desire !

Mutual warms hugs and kisses were exchanged with Mom and Dad and it was off home in the family car, to the Jesus y Maria area of Lima, with Ivan holding our hands in the back seat.

Then up to the family apartment which occupies two floors on the sixth level. There to greet us was Abuela de Casa (Grand Mother of the House), Marie Elena's mother, who although she has no English gave us a warm and affectionate greeting. It was like as if we had always known one another. But then, I suppose, Marie Elena and Gonzalo had told her so much about us and our families. We were not strangers.......only friends who had never met.

After chatting and talking until 4 a.m., it was time for bed. We were happy, very contented to be with our Peruvian family, and delighted that we easily slipped backed into where we left off in our relationship in Ireland 5 years previously.

Before going to bed, Gonzalo and Tony became partners-in-crime by creatively putting a low value on the medications and gifts contained in the shanghied parcel. This Peruvian value was then faxed to the customs authorities for their computation.

Next day we all went to DHL in Lima to 'rescue' Tony's medication. Again, no luck. They still had to get permission from Customs before it could be released to us.

So off we all went to downtown Lima to see the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace. But en route we linked up with Gonzalo Salazar Junior, to whom we had spoken a few years ago but never met and to their lovely daughter, Nena. We tried to capture the occasion on camera but nothing could capture the joy and delight we felt in our hearts at meeting the entire family.

Next it was off on a tour of the city, first to the burial tomb of the Spanish conquerer of Peru, Francisco Pizarro , a man who with just 200 soldiers managed to subdue one of the mightiest civilisations the world has seen. But it's a long road without a turning, we sometimes say. Eventually the descendants of those soldiers and the indigenous peoples of Peru managed to wrest independence and self-determination from Madrid in 1821. Today Peru is a mixture of all those peoples and more. Spanish is the lingua franca but Quechua and Aymara, the two languages of the once mighty Inca empire which stretched from Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, a small part of Argentina and half way down Chile are widely spoken in the Andes and jungle provinces of Peru.

Pizarro, a Spanish illiterate emmigre, is viewed with mixed feelings in Peru. Some see him as the facilitator of a new post-pagan age in Peru but others say he was little more than a buccaneering adventurer with no respect for the culture he fought his way into and almost destroyed.

That evening a large party was thrown in our honour in the Salazar home attended by all the family, including in-laws and grandchildren. The best of specially-prepared Peruvian food was washed down by good Peruvian wine and preceded by a toast in the national drink, Pisco Sour.

At the party, the Salazar family presented their Irish family with a framed colour picture of all our 'relatives' in Lima. It something we shall dearly cherish.

Next day on the second visit to DHL we learned that Customs would after all release our parcel provided we paid import duties, gave assurances that none of Tony's medicines would be sold to third parties in Peru, and that DHL would be compensated for temporarily storing the parcel in their warehouse - even though they had failed to deliver it to the nominated address they were contracted and paid for so to do. To retrieve the parcel cost 1,100 Peruvian Sols, or about Euros 255 ! As someone remarked when the parcel was opened that night and the bottle of Jameson in it was freed from 'detention': "This is the possibly the dearest bottle of whiskey ever imported into South America, and definitely into Peru.......and because of that it must be drunk drop by drop, instead of glass by glass".

Before our second visit to DHL, Gonzalo and Marie Elena took us the Museo del Oro which houses many precious Inca and other pre-Columbian artifacts missed by the Spanish. We were amazed to discover that women used gold tweezers to pluck their eyebrows and other parts, and that skull surgery was performed to heal broken heads, with pieces of gold expertly inserted into the skull bones, a skill that was lost with the conquest by the Spaniards.

Next morning, it was up early and off to the bus station for the seven and a quarter hour non-stop up into the Andes Mountains, one of the highest in the world. We were now saying hasta luego ('See you later', in Spanish) to our friends on what was the next stage in our journey around South America.

We could have taken the train to our destination, Huancayo, a city of about 350,000 people deep in the Andes Mountains, but it was a 12- hour journey, only arrived after dark, and only operated on a Saturday. Instead Trish and I chose to go by bus and with the help of our friends reserved two upstairs seats with panoramic views out our windows. But despite everything we had read, nothing prepared us for what lay ahead. The bus carried an on-board stewardess who within half an hour after leaving Lima handed out plastic sickness bags. We naturally availed of the offer, as a precautionary measure, of course. On and on the bus rose through the mountains and two and a half hours after leaving Lima, which is at virtually sea-level, we had left the mist and clouds behind us and were into cool, cloudless blue skies.

Higher and higher we climbed, passing dozens and dozens of heavily-laden articulated trucks each bringing precious cargoes of goods and materials into the hinterland. An equal number made their way against us, all full to the brim with similar loads for Lima and the coast.

Our destination city, Huancayo, has an elevation level of 3,600 metres (just short of 11,000 feet) and higher than Mount Blanc - Europe's highest mountain. To reach our two-mile-high accommodation, we had first to make our way up a further mile to a gap towards through the high peaks where the Andes is crossable by road. Thin depleted air at high altitude makes it difficult to breath. In severe cases, oxygen is needed to recover. Typical symtoms of oxygen depletion include weakness, breathing difficulties, swollen ankles, headache and, in severe cases, complete collapse.

Despite our not having to exert ourselves, breathing became difficult at around the 10,0000 feet level. A young boy near us became sick.Visits to the on-board toilet on the bus became more frequent for other passengers. Trish and I became aware of our need for long gasps of air into our lungs every few minutes. Other passengers ignored the beauty outside their windows and simply pulled the curtains and wound back their seats to rest. But we could not. We marvelled at the scenery outside, watched alpaca and llamas graze the mountain sides, looked at the terraced patches of land used to eke a living by the peasants (campesinos), watched them, their brown prematurely worn Indian faces,and the colourful dresses of the women, and knew that we would never pass this way again. We could not allow the discomfort of the moment prevent us being witness to what lay around us.

Higher and higher our bus pulled us into the heavens. Gradually vegetation became sparser and mining became more predominant. Peru is one of the richest countries in minerals in the world, and no school child needs reminding of the rapacious plundering of its gold in the 16th century when priceless icons, temples, body armour, artifacts were first stolen and then melted down into ingots for easier shipment to Spain. But not all the country's vast mineral reserves were discovered by the Spanish.Today Peruvians themselves are doing the excavation. Holes are gouged into mountain sides in search of fresh mineral seams while narrow gauge railway lines are etched into their sides helping bring ore to crushing plants and smelters.

Although Peru is rich in gold, silver,copper,lead,zinc and oil, about 70 per cent of its population of 28 million live below the poverty line. Gross National Income is under US$3000 or around 2000 Euros per person per annum. There is great economic and social disparity with an elite, controlling most of the power and wealth, and the racially-mixed and indigenous peoples of the interior.

On route we passed through small towns and villages where tough living conditions lined the faces of their inhabitants. No sign of Lima luxury here. Houses were often of un-plastered brickwork with upper floors being un-finished. Vehicles were scarce and those that could be seen were marked with the ravages of time and work. Some of the villages were quaintly named. Trish noticed a Los Angeles and a San Francisco.

At 4,818 metres (almost 16,000 ft) high we reached the highest point in our journey across the mighty Andes. Around us we could see snow-covered peaks and sun-melted glaciers.Most passengers now found it difficult on the bus. Their breathing became strained. Headaches developed and their legs swelled up. Even the few steps to and from the toilet in the bus became laboured. Alighting from the bus at the terminus after a seven-hour non-stop ride in to the sky made old people out of young.

Nevertheless, we had arrived in Huancayo, located in the Andean Central Highlands. Located at 10,659 feet above sea level, this semi-developed city of 350,000S population is the major commercial centre of the central Andes. And short though the distance was between the bus station and our accommodation, we took a taxi. Our rucksacks shared the boot with sand and cement. Our driver charged us three and a half sols, about 90 cents.

Inside Posada de La Abuela (Granny's Guesthouse, in Spanish), we were given a double room with a large comfortable brass bed. Exhaustion and continuing altitude discomfort drove us to bed. It was 4 pm. We did not get up until next day. Even then, our condition had not improved substantially. Although we had
passed over the high Andes peaks, we were still at almost 11,000 feet above sea level. Fatigue, headache and heavy breathing will not easily go away at this height. Exercise is difficult and carrying heavy loads on one's shoulders virtually impossible. But we were safe, happy and grateful to have gotten this far without major incident.

The postman is knocking at the door, see you next chapter.

Chapter 3

Time passes slowly here. Right now, we are ready to move on to the next country in our odyssey. But when we chose to make this island, Isla Margarita, our 'chill-out zone' for almost three weeks, we did so in the hope there would be sufficient mental stimulation to keep us amused and interested. Right now, our guest-house has just three other guests, a Brazilian couple who keep to themselves and a cerebrally-serious Finn who seems to have a serious bronchial condition which some nights keeps him awake until 2 or 3 a.m. Our little bit of Spanish does not permit interaction with the locals except on a perfunctory basis. Never mind. By the end of this week we will be with our Peruvian family, where conversation and fun will be non-stop.

Yesterday, there were two uniformed and armed policemen on the beach, each carrying a machine gun. They challenged beach vendors selling jewellery and, clothes. Those who did not have proper authorisation, they escorted off the beach. Can't imagine that happening in Portrush, Youghal or Brittas, can you?


Power cuts are not abnormal in this country (Venezuela) and last night there was a total black-out for nearly two hours. No light, tv, phone, television or road lighting. Each street and each house was plunged into total darkness. Luckily for us, we had stand-by battery-powered torches which Trish made use of to find her way around our apartment. This is the second such serious 'black-out' we have experienced on our holiday in this country. Venezuelans, it seems, are used to such occurrences. Many carry 'emergency' lights; some even use their switched-on mobile phones to illuminate the darkness.


In addition to her contact with iguanas, papaguayos (parrots), Trish has also been in close proximity to hummingbirds and pelicans. Tiny little fish swim at her feet when she walks along the beach. Venezuela has a tropical climate year round. Unfortunately, flies, insects and mosquitos also appreciate the fleshy quality of her feet and legs. Despite her liberal application of anti-insect sprays, they are it seems more attracted to the female of the species. Perhaps, insects find females more juicy and satisfying prey ! I think most men would agree with such an analysis !

Talking of animals, a neighbour across the road from where we are staying keeps chickens which he lets forage for food on waste land nearby. At least two cockerels jealously guard their harems. Sometimes, the cockerels can be heard through our bedroom windows from around 4 a.m. onwards. We now notice the same family keep pet monkies which they let out at certain times of the day. Food dependency,it seems, brings them back to their caged habitats
at evening time. The family have aso installed two tethered goats in the field adjoining our guesthouse. No, the man's name is NOT Noah !


Traffic here while not heavy is crazy. Few know any rules of the road; in fact, we would go so far as to say there are no rules of the road. Drivers seldom use indicators, horns are beeped on a 24-hour basis, vehicles without front or rear lights are at no disadvantage at night - they simply drive without them ! They are not just switched off, they are missing, with apparently no loss of driving skill as far as the driver is concerned. This makes the situation for pedestrians walking along side the road at evening and night time extremely precarious.
Public road lighting, although in place, may not work and 40 kph speed limits are more honoured in the breach than the observance. Street no-entry signs are ignored....even by the police!

The newly-married post mistress is here beside me and is pressing me to finish this chapter . She says she wants to enjoy another busy day at the beach. Who am I to deprive her of such simple pleasures ? 'Bye.

Second Blog Chapter.

July 10. You're not going to believe this but as we write we are in the middle of a tropical rain downpour. Torrential rain has been falling for two and half hours now, but we are 'indoors', sitting in the sheltered balcony of our posada. Outside it is dark and dreary, even though it is only 11.15 a.m.. Despite the bucketing rain, temp is good, around 25 degrees Celsius.

Yesterday was a great day. We went on another ferry trip, this time to a lush tropical island called Isla Coche whose sheer beauty was breathtaking. Coconut trees fringed the impeccably clean almost white beach. Metre-long iguanas wandered around absorbing the heat and sunshine so necessary for their survival while tame papaguayas (large coloured parrots who can be taught to speak a limited vocabularly) will perch on a seat/bench near you in the hope of morsel of food. They were unlucky to meet this Irish couple !!!!

We had great craic throughout the day. As you know, we only have pocito Espanol but this does not prevent multi-lingual and multi-national communication, helped no doubt by the copious ammouts of Cuba Libra consumed by nearly everyone on board. Alcohol is truly the real means of raport. In addition to Venezuelans, there were Columbians, Uruguayans, Argntinians and Brazilians on board. Younger women,single and married, danced around on deck to piped music while rolls, fresh sliced pineapples and melons were dispensed. It's a hard life ! Unlike Europe, women here do not go topless on the beach or pool. Instead they wear tiny string-back tangas. And again , unlike parts of Europe, there is no naturism or nudity on the beaches or near the pools. The island itself, Coche, is an ideal honeymoon location, and one we would not be adverse to returing to at some stage in the future....should we win the Lottery.

We are both gradually getting browner (in skin colour) but are taking prudent precautions to prevent burning by lashing on plenty of high factor cream. On the way back, Tony's new Brazilian friends 'encourged' him to enter into a South American dancing competition where all the men wore OTT fun wigs. To my, and Ireland's great astonishment, he finished 3rd!.

Several times on the way over and back we had to pinch ourselves to believe these life experiences were happening to us.......and this only at the beginning of our RTW trip. We are both, indeed, a very long way from our original family backgrounds in Pope' Quay (Cork) and Roxboro (Limerick). The hope is that the relatively solid grounding each of us received in early life will stand us in good stead in some of the more exotic and unusual situations we may find ourselves in. We are both very aware of our own humble beginnings and difficult paths through life, experiences we hope will keep us anchored as we taste some of the sensuous fruits of 'la dolce vita'.

Our resident telecommunications expert, (Trish), is hoping to add some pics to illustrate this text !

In the past few days, we read Fr. Chris Conroy's (Irish Carmelite priest) very warm and tender account of his missionary experiences near Sicuani up in the Andean Mountains of Peru, and near which we hope travel in about three months time. In the book, 'A Beggar in Paradise', he frequently mentions our Spanish teacher, Des Kelliher, who himself is a former Irish Carmeite priest who also ministerd in the mountains but who later left the priesthood, married a Peruvian lawyer and now lives in Maynooth but teaches in Clane, Co Kildare.....a good man. We found a copy here in Venezuela of Ross O'Carroll-Kellly's opus,'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress' . OhmyGod,Oh-MY-God,roysh, I can NOT believe the south county Dublin upper-class layabout has an attentive audience here. Suppose, anything's possible ! Better finish, this chapter is now going to post.

Hi everyone,

We are more than a week into our big trip.

We left Dublin on Sunday 29th June on the first leg our round the world trip. We had a great send off with Rachael, Gareth, Des, Olive, Eileen, Nicole & Stephen there to see us on our way, or maybe it was to make sure we went. As we arrived in Madrid it was a lovely balmy evening & Madrid had just won the European Cup final beating Germany 1 - 0. There was great celebrating in Madrid that night. We enjoyed the atmosphere, it was a great start to our trip.

We arrived in Caracas, Venezuela from Madrid on Sunday afternoon 30th June 2008. A 9 hour journey. The journey was very pleasant and smooth. We were well fed & watered during the flight. Iberia looked after us very well.

We spent the night (30/06/08) in a lovely hotel in Caracas about 40 mins from the airport. Arriving at the airport was an unbelievable experience. We had been told about it & we read about it but nothing would have really prepared us for it. First the paperwork is crazy. While on the plane we were given customs forms to fill in . The questions were "how many items of clothing have you got" and "what is the value of them" or "do you have a tv" and "what is the value" now I thought who in God's name would bring a tv from Madrid to Venezeula? To my surprise I saw a lady struggle with a very large box, yes you guessed it - it was a large tv - (can't remember the size)!!!!!!!!!! Other questions were "do you have medication" "What is the value of this medication" Other questions were about jewellery and how many pieces of jewellary we had & of course the value. When we go to the customs they took the form but never looked at it.

We were also give forms to fill out for our visa which was ok. When we got to off the plane we had to go to passport control and then to immigration. There were about 50 booths, all open for business, but it still took about an hour to get through. We got our entry tourist visa and went then to collect our luggage. But there were not enough trolies to go around. We were unable to obtain one.

Bags finally arrived and out we went to be suddenly pounced on by guys offering to carry our bags, get taxis, change money, find us a hotel etc. Now we had been warned that this would happen but WOW, so sudden. Anyway we survived and found ourselves a taxi and hotel. The danger is that these guys would carry your bags (very helpful) and change your money (give you dud money) get you a taxi (leave you stranded in an isolated place without your possessions) and/or drop you off at a dodgy hotel where anything could happen. On the internet, Caracas has been described as the 4th least friendly capital city in the world.

We spent the night in a hotel called Ole Caribe 30/06/08) who sent their own taxi to pick us up. This turned out to be a limo - very nice. The hotel was expensive but safe.

The following morning (01/07/08) we were up bright & early at 6am.Children were going to school in Caracas at this early hour. Off to the bus station by taxi only to find that we were left at the wrong bus station. We were going to Puerto de la Cruz to get a ferry to the island of Margarita. Tony went to find out where the correct bus station was and I minded the bags (I tied them all together in case anyone tried to run off with one of them, it would be difficult to run off with 3 heavy bags tied together) Anyway Tony came back with a taxi driver who said he would take us to the correct bus station for 25 bolivers. He was very helpful and courteous. When we got to the correct bus station Tony gave him a 50 Bolivar note, and got no change !!!! The guy just said,' OK'. We made a mental note to make sure we have smaller notes next time. The taxi driver also wanted us to allow his mate to drive us all the way to Puerto de la Cruz for 70 Bolivars. The bus was 94 Bolivars and a 5 hour journey. We politely declined the unbelievable offer. We could not understand why anyone would drive 5 hours there and back for 70 bolivars (Euro 15.50). It did not seem credible. We passed up on the 0ffer. It sounded too good to be true.......despite the fact that fuel such as petrol and diesel is cheaper in price than drinking water in this country.


When we got into the bus station to buy our tickets we had to produce our passports to get the tickets. All our details were printed on the ticket, even our passport no. Then we had to produce our passports with the tickets again to get into the queue to get on the bus. Then again we had to produce our passports with the tickets to get on the bus. We met some lovely people while waiting for the bus. One young man told us what to do with our luggage as you are not allowed to put it on the bus yourself. You have to produce your ticket and leave your luggage in a luggage area. They attach a luggage docket to your ticket and they look after your bags from then on. You will not get your luggage unless your produce the ticket and luggage ticket. This guy gave us his email address in case we needed help with anything. His english was very good. Then we met a lovely lady (who also had very good English) who stayed with us till we go on the bus. She explained why you need to show your passport so often. Even Venezuelans have to show their ID cards which they have to carry with them from the age of 9. She said that some people buy the tickets for the bus and then sell them at a highter price to foreigners like us who do not know the ropes. So you produce the passport and information is on the ticket. So getting on the bus the ticket checker will look at both and make sure it is legit. The lady we met went to her seat on the bus upstairs and we went to our seat downstairs (all seats are allocated). She speaks to her husband and she says he is going to pick her up from the bus and he will give us a lift to the ferry office in Puerto de la Cruz. They gave us the name of a safe hotel for the night (Hotel Rivera) and warned us not be on the streets after 6pm as it was dangerous for tourists. They also gave us their phone nos in case of difficulty.

We went to the ferry office and they would only let one of us in. Again Tony went in and I waited outside with the bags. We got the ferry tickets and a taxi and off to the recommended hotel for the night (01/07/08). As the ferry was going at 8am and we had to be there at 7am we got up at 6am(02/07/08). We booked a taxi for 6.30 but it arrived at 6.15am. All going well so far. We got to the ferry terminal at 6.25am. Got sandwiches and coke and waited. Finally we got on the ferry. As it turned out we were sitting near an English man and his Venezuelan wife. They were very helpful to us. They own a holiday appartment on the island and were on their way there with some English friends for a week. They also gave us their email address and asked us to keep them informed of our trip.

When we got off the ferry we got a taxi to the hotel Portofino (an all inclusive hotel) where we stayed for 2 nights (02 & 03/07/08). We needed this because we had not stopped travelling for 3 days and needed to chill.

The temperature here is a constant 27 -29 degrees all year round. Having said that it was 32 degrees today. There is little differnece between day time temp and night time. Humidity is very high. It starts to get dark at 6pm and by 6.30pm night has closed in. There is little or no twilight

This country is potentially one of the wealthiest in the world. It is the 4th or 5th lagest producer and exporter of oil and gas in the world. It has hugh coal and mineral reserves.But there seems to be a big social disparity between classes. Not surprising, perhaps, when one considers the way this country was run by a privileged oligarch in the past. This past decade has seen some attempt at social cohesion but much, very much, remains to be done. From first impressions, it seems about half the population lives in very poor housing conditions. There is little or no public transport and inflation is severe compared to Europe but alongway better than most African countries.

The land itself is very green, coconut trees fringe the beaches and the country has a tropical climate. Alot of people seem to work hard. Open trucks can be seen ferrying workers, generally men, to and from employment each morning and evening. The races, those of European extraction, creoles, indians, those of mixed race and blacks seem to live in reasonable harmony, with little overt signs of discrimination.

We booked into Casa Trudel B&B (Posada) for 17 nights, This place is owned and run by Dan O'Brien (you will be forgiven for thinking he is Irish) and his wife Kira, Dan is Canadian (he tells us his grandfather was from Cork) and Kira is Venezuelan. You can find this place on the internet. It is clean, safe and friendly. The beach is only 200 mtrs from here and the shops are a short walk. We will stay here until the 21st July and soak up the atmosphere. We will then travel to Lima in Peru where we will meet up with our Peruvian friends Maria Elena and Gonzalo and spend 3 or 4 days with them, We are going to fly from the island to Caracas and not go back by ferry, taxi, bus, and taxi again. In Caracas, the two airports national and international are near one another but are located about 28 kms (about 18 miles) outside the capital. It makes sense, therefore, to fly back direct (45 mins) rather than take a plethora of transport forms.

There is great poverty here. It appears not to be as bad here as on the mainland. The houses are poorly constructed and the cars are unbelievable. The worst I have ever seen. It appears that no one ever repairs cars here. Rubbish is dumped indiscriminately around the streets and stray dogs scavenge everywhere. The food is ok, it is edible but not french cuisine, The people we met are friendly and polite. There is no rush and everyone seems to be a bit laid back.

Sunday seems to be family day. The beach was full of families. There is great interaction between parents and children and grandparents. The children were happy and playful. The adults spend a lot of time with the children playing and talking with them.

Now that we have set this up we will keep you informed more often and keep it shorter. We will also add some photos too.