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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 28, 2009 07:00 PM Escaping to Honolulu...
Sorry, no northeren lights, also today... But I was awarded by the excellent view of Mt MacKinley - the highest mountain of N. America flying from Fairbanks to Anchorage. No clouds at all!
It is worth to know airline routes around the world. Two years ago I regognized that Air Alaska opened direct route from Anchorage to Honolulu. Today I took it. It was the first time in my life tat I arrived to the destination 1 hour ahead of the schedule. The flight took 5 hours instead of 6.
Snaow and frost in the morning - warm breeze and palm trees in the evening... I kon Honolulu from my previous jouneys - it became very tourist, very expensive and modern. So this will be only stopover on my way to the South Pacific...
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Feb 27, 2009 07:00 PM Icy Alaska...
Billie's Hostel is the only backpacker's accommodation in Fairbanks staying open in the winter. I must say that it has unique atmosphere. It is family place with bunk beds, long table in the common room, country music... It is only 6 of us - winter visitors enjoying heavy snow and spruce trees around. Billie offers free internet, tea and coffee and charges 35 USD per night - it is reasonable price in expensive Alaska.
Fairbanks is a little place but very spread out - distances are large and it is difficult to walk around. There is public bus, but it goes only 10 times per day. Day bus-pass costs 3 USD, but it is hard to use if you want to visit many places. My friend Bill took me by his car to the "downtown" where you will see few public buildings and Immaculate Concepcion church - probably the only old monument.
Then we spent few hours wandering on World Ice Art Championship. On the open air, in the park I saw more then 50 sculptures in ice, some of them 5-6 m high. Snow was falling and it was so frosty that after an hour we escaped to the local cafe for half an hour - to warm up and then to continue walk around exhibition. There are only few places in the world you can see such an art...
It was a great day - thanks a lot, Bill!
It is evening now and so far aurora borealis did not appear. And nobody can guarantee that it will appear tomorrow or the next night - the weather is very changeable here.
Just a bad luck... Maybe next time...
Tomorrow I want to fly south - to the warmer region of the world.
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Feb 26, 2009 07:00 PM 14 hours in the air...
Arequipa to Lima flight was on time... Then I was waiting for the connection to Houston, Texas. It was much cooler there... Then another flight to Seattle, Washington with a great views of snowy mountains.
In Seattle I had to wait few hours in the airport. Well ahead I send a message to the most-active Seattle member of Globosapiens, asking if he want to meet me there - he even did not responsed (it is well-known problem of "dead souls" in GS).
It was sunset when we started from Seattle to Fairbanks, Alaska. On Alaska Airlines they serve for free only soft-drinks and little pack of chips... They do not have for free even a music program on board...
It was 9 pm when, after 14 hours in the air and few less in the airports I landed on Alaska...
Brrrr... Dark, snow around, minus 20 deg Celsius... I put on me all my warm clothes one by one. From the first moment I was watching the sky, looking for Northern Lights. Sorry, nothing like this, it is cloudy... Maybe tomorrow...
I was really happy to see in the arrival hall my GS friend. Thank you Bill! - there are still people you can really rely on! Bill took me in his car to the town - we found in the darkness the only Fairbank's hostel. It is time to rest...
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Feb 25, 2009 07:00 PM What will happen if....
Arequipa - second city in Peru has a lot of colonial monuments - there are ornate churches and Plaza de Armas - in my opinion one of the most beautiful city markets in the world. No wonder that UNESCO put old city of Arequipa om the list of World Heritage. Now the city is even nicer then 25 years ago, when I was here for the first time, but it lost some of folklore - it is hard to see donkeys in the streets. Instead here are hordes of yellow taxis.
I spend the morning walking around the old town, taking pictures and enjoying colonial atmosphere...
Do you remember that my flight from Lima was delayed 3 hours due to the bad weather - it was flight 109. In the evening I have a flight back to Lima and onward - with two other connections to the distant Fairbanks on frozen Alaska.
By excident I fly to Lima on the same plane - it will be flight 108. I wonder what will happen if this flight will have again big delay or will be cancelled due to the changeable weather!!
I will miss all my hardly invented connections! To get to LIma by bus you need 14 hours!
But I am optimistic. On LAN flights they serve free beer so I will have one for sure. Tomorrow I will see what serve for free US airlines on domestic flights :)) Keep your fingers crossed, please!
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Feb 24, 2009 07:00 PM Colca - world´s deepest canyon?
Why I am here, suffering from soroche? I want to see one of the world´s deepest canyons! It is almost 3200 m deep - can you imagine?
I was so proud to find on the Plaza in Chivay the plaque announcing that it was Polish Expedition, who passed the canyon for the first time in the history - in 1981... I know personally few members of this team...
We were lucky: when we started from Chivay at 6.30 am sun appeared over the snowy mountains! We paid 35 soles entry fee and took a road heading to the rim of the canyon. I did not see any local transport on this road so the decisssion "join the tour" was right. On the way to the famous viewpoint "Cruz del Condor" there are 4 little pueblos with nice colonial churches to see. Local ladies in the traditional embroided clothing and hats sells ponchos, woolen hats and other local products. But they are not as nasty as some women in Africa.
Cruz del Condor is a great place: 1200 m above the river gives exciting panorama of the canyon and the mountains. Sorry - no flying condors today - but I was still happy: this is unusual place. Great day, but it was raining again on the return way to Arequipa. It is rainy season now - some backpackers from the hostel decided to take a trek down to the canyon (7 hours first day, 4 hours second day) - I do not envy them - the walk in the rain does not make me happy...
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Feb 23, 2009 07:00 PM To the Peruvian Andes
Hospedaje Home Sweet Home, where I spent last night has great backpackers atmosphere but was noisy last night - I did not sleep well. Arequipa is very tourist place. You will find here many hostels and every hostel offers inexpensive tours... I decided to take such a tour to the Colca Canyon - it will save me a lot of time and also - some money.
Two day tour with one overnight and breakfast included costs only 25 USD. They took me in the morning from the hostel. Our minibus went out of the town and started to climb mountain road to Puno. Arequipa lies on the level 2200 m above the sea, but we were still climbing up. Great views on the way. Desert at the beginning, then, further up green pastures with lamas and alpacas. I saw also vicunias.
After 2 hours drive paved road ends and we continue on hole-by-hole gravel road. Rain comes, then snow! After another 1.5 hour on this bumpy trail asphalt appeared again and we reached in the snow the highest point of the road - 4800 m above sea. Nobody went out of the bus. Do you know what is soroche? - that's how they call here altitude sickness. We got it too. Our guide distributed coca leaves to chew them - it helps! It was still raining when we went down to the village of Chiway. Here we will spend the night before going to the canyon.
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Feb 22, 2009 07:00 PM My hammock will wait for you...
I dont need my hammock further on this trip so I decided to leave it at Hospedaje Pascana -Pevez street in Iquitos. If somebody of you will be there with the intention to jump on the river boat, just go to Pascana and ask for my hammock - the owner promised to give it back to my friends for free.
I was rainy morning when I took a shared taxi to Iquitos a airport. Surprise was waiting there: they wanted me to pay airport tax for ny domestic flight in cash - 16.50 soles. Usually it is included in the price of the ticket - but, as you see - not in Peru!
I will fly within Peru using award ticket from American Airlines - it is worth to collect miles... By the way - do you know that Oneworld Aliance offers 10 percent discount on all tickets till April 12th? Also circle fares and RTW tickets... they celebrate 10th anniversary.
In Lima I had connection to Arequipa - the LAN flight was 3-hours delayed so when I landed in Arequipa it was dark, cold and it was raining. What a change: from the heat of 36 deg in Iquitos to 12 deg in Arequipa. Brrr... I am in Peruvian Andes!
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Feb 21, 2009 07:00 PM Carnival in Iquitos!!!
It is not famous Rio but they have also here carnival parade going trough the center of the city. No samba but their national flute-and-drums music. Several groups of dancers, a lot of colors and a crowd of people along the streets and on Plaza de Armas. There were of course the Queen of carnival passing by on o decorated pick-up car. Oh, la la! Topless, pretty local lady... And of course there were many other attractions... The dancers get tired very quickly - you can imagine what the effort they did in the strong sun and 36 deg Celsius!
I was taking pictures (hope to show you them in the future) but in the crowd zippers in my camera bag were open twice - nothing was taken from the pockets because there was nothing valuable. But I must tell you - I got angry... - this was in the daylight. So it is time to say goodbye to Iquitos in Amazonia - I am flying off tomorrow...
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Feb 20, 2009 07:00 PM Another boat sail to the tribes...
People from the tourist office in Iquitos will show you the way to cut down the costs of excursions. I wanted to see more native people living close to Iquitos. There is a competition between the boatmen at Bella Vista landing. I decided to rent a boat to go to two other villages on Momon river... On the way there is also snake farm to see. After bargaining I paid 30 soles /like 9 USD/ for the enjoyable half-day tour. We visited villages of Bora and Yagua tribes. Bora girls are definitely prettier. Yes, they charge money for the visit. But the secret is to go there alone and do not accept their high money expectations. For 10 soles they still can buy 10 kgs of rice for the family... Yaguas wanted to trade my watch for their souvenirs ;). They have even the skin of anaconda for sale! On the way back you can see snakes and other animals (15 soles entry). I was more happy to sail to the junction with huge Amazon River where pink dolphins were playing. I had another great day. Let me have my rhum in papaya (do you remember my culinar invention fro the Philippines? - here papaya cost half of a dollar, and a bottle of rhum (0.75l - just 3 dollars!) Delicious!
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Feb 19, 2009 07:00 PM Gringo in Iquitos - Peru
Do you dream about unspoiled Amazonia? Iquitos is the gateway to the Amazon adventures. You will find here many excursion offers. From half day boat tour for 35 USD to the few days stay in the remote jungle lodge where they charge like 120 USD per day. All of that is too expensive for me.
Looking for the cheap solutions I too a motorcarro (motocycle riskshaw) for 2.50 soles to Buena Vista landing place then there are public boats going frequently to Padre Cocha. Locals pay 1,50 but gringos like me - 3 soles. It is still less then a dollar for 20-minutes sail.
From the village Padre Cocha there is 25-min walk to the Pilpintuwasi - butterfly farm and animal orphange. For 15 soles the offer a tour showing you butterfiles of Amazon - big blue/black morphos are just amazing, buty very difficult to photograph. Thera are also Amazonian animals including minkeys, jaguar, tapir...
After return to Padre Cocha I took another walk to San Andres Village where native Indians Bora live.
In their maloka - meeting house they were just preparing food for Bora tribe fiesta on 28th February. They invited me to join, but sorry - I will be far away...
I asked them to wear their national costumes to see some tribal dancing and take few pictures. They asked for donation - they were happy to get 10 soles.
I retirned tp Iquitos tired (the heat is incredible) but happy - such an interesting day cost me just few dollars... Try, Amazon is also for the backpackers!
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