Message in a Bottle, along with some other things

Ok 7, this one is especially for you.

We arrived in Aguas Calientes which is the town outside Machu Picchu around 1:30. By the time we checked in and got some lunch, we only had a few hours of daylight left. We decided our best chance at successfully hiding your time capsule was to go on this remote hike that starts from the train tracks leaving town. It had a sign next to it that led us to believe it was closed, but decided to go for it anyways.

Trail head tucked away

It's one of the most amazing and challenging hikes either of us has been on. We decided it rivals the Precipice trail (a trail in Acadia National Park) that we also thought was fun. It started with just some stone steps and gradually got steeper and steeper. Eventually we came to a ladder. Then another ladder. Then a SUPER long ladder which you can only see about half of in the picture below. This ladder had a few loose rungs as well as one missing rung which made it extra exciting.

After lots more hiking, we finally came above most of the trees where we could get some amazing views of the surrounding mountains and Aguas Calientes far below. It wasn't until you climbed the final steps and came onto the mountain's top that you got the grand reveal: Machu Picchu. What a reward for the one and a half hour hike up the mountain!

Clouds settling in on some mountains at the top

On our way down the sun was setting fast. The whole way up we were looking for good spots to bury the bottle. We carried all the way to the top and then decided the best place would be at the top of the big ladder, where the soil was rich and easy to dig up. It was also the first point where we realized what an amazing hike this would be.

So 7, your harmonica, carabiner, and note are now safely tucked away under some dirt, under a rock, at the top of the biggest ladder of a hike you can only reach by taking the railroad out of town. Unfortunately, by the time we reached this point it was almost night, so the pictures and video aren't the greatest.

Bonus tid bit; while searching for the trail we walked past a bar that had this playing on all the tvs. No one was watching, but it still cracked us up! What a small small world it is!

Ollantaytambo- Let's go for a hike (or two)

We just spent two magnificent days in Ollantaytambo. The first day we checked in, showered, ate lunch, and immediately headed out for a shorter hike to some ruins on the mountainside near the city.

Ruins near Ollantaytambo

Barrett looking from some ruins at some other ruins across the valley

 The next day we did a longer hike to some ruins nobody goes to that the woman working the front desk at our hotel told us about. It was about 2 hours away that took us through some of the countryside. Along the way we saw different types of farming, several Incan terraces, and some farm animals.

The sign marking the way to the Pumamarca ruins

 Then came the spooky part...seeing a human skull just nestled in the wall along the trail.

Human skull?!

We got a little lost trying to follow the hand-drawn map, but when we finally made it to the ruins, we had them to ourselves (other than a couple of horses grazing).

 Remember how I said we kind of got lost? Getting lost meant wandering through overgrown terraces looking for a path. The result was HUNDREDS of various different seeds attached to my shoes, socks, and leggings. Good times.

When we finally found the trail back, it was beautiful. It followed old Incan aqueducts for a while, then winded us through some terraces, across creeks, and eventually led us to herding about 5 cows for 15 minutes because there was no place for us to get around them or for them to move off to the side. I channeled my inner Grandpa Hall for cattle herding skills.

Once back home, about 5 and a half hours later, we had a great evening exploring more of the town and ended with dinner and some intense star gazing from our patio. We saw numerous shooting stars as well as the Southern Cross. It was neat to see a different night sky than we see in the northern hemi.

Road to our Hotel at Night

Peru- Let the Journey Begin!

We're back at it again! This time Barrett and I are headed to Peru. Our trip is going to be twelve nights; two nights in 6 different places. Here's a run-down of our itinerary:
1. Ollantaytambo/Sacred Valley
2. Aguas Calietes/Macchu Picchu
3. Cuzco
4. Yanque/Colca Canyon
5. Arequipa
6. Lima
*Bonus: Los Angelos for my cousin Amber's wedding.

Barrett sitting with all our luggage

This trip presented some challenges. For me, the main one has been what to pack. It's technically winter there, but since it's so close to the equator, the main variable for weather is the elevation. The temperatures we'll be seeing range from 30s to 50s at nights and mornings to 50s and 70s in the day.Basically my strategy is layers. This trip is a mixture of cities and some intense hiking, so let's hope our bodies hold up at the high altitude (Cuzco's the highest at 11,152 feet or 3,399 meters)!
Since it was really my brother who first got us hooked on the idea of going to Peru, he wants us to bury a time capsule near Macchu Picchu for him to come back and get when he finally gets there. At our very first security check in Port Columbus we were pulled aside and had our luggage looked through because they saw something suspicous. They were very perplexed by a glass bottle duct taped closed with a note, harmonica and carabeener inside. I then had to explain the idea to the TSA guy who did not seem to buy it. He then put the jar through the x-ray machine again before letting us on our way. Barrett also had to get a pat down. Clearly we have "criminal" written all over us.

7's time capsule

So we flew from Columbus to Miami and then took an overnight flight to Lima. From Lima, we caught another flight to Cuzco. From Cuzco, we took a taxi to Ollantaytambo.
Needless to say, we're a mix of incredibly excited and exhausted.

Flying over the Andes Mountains

Fiji: Paradise Found

After a 5 hour plane ride, we arrived in Fiji!! It is so lush and unspoiled, compared to most places I’ve been.  I guess that’s because it’s run by a military right now, and they have turned tourists and resorts off from buying and building. However, in 2014 they are supposed to have an election and start a more normal government. Right now, you can buy 2 acres on the water for $75,000 FJD, I expect that number to rise in a few years.

First glimpse of Fiji

So after being welcomed by a Fijian band at the airport, we took a 3 hour “express” bus ride that was full and not air-conditioned, we were dropped off in a village of a couple hundred near our resort. There, a van took us on a very rough road about 5 km up and over a mountain to the Waidroka Bay Resort. The resort was much more bare bones than our Thailand Resort had been, but still very nice. Since the worst cyclone in 20 years had hit Fiji on Monday, closing the airport for a couple of days, and leaving the resort without power, there was only one other couple at the resort the first night.

Everyone eats dinner together at the resort-the diving instructors, managers, surfer instructor, and guest-and the food was good. The chef was part Indian, so the food was Fijian, with some Indian influences. After dinner, we hung out with the other guests and at 10, the generator shut down so the party was over. Thank goodness at night it cooled down, because without electricity, we were without a fan our air conditioning.

Our little cabin

During our three days in Fiji, we relaxed, read in the hammocks, played with kittens, kayaked, snorkeled, did a small amount of hiking, played pool, swam in a pool, and just had an all-around good time. The kayaking in the mangroves and snorkeling were my favorites. I haven’t snorkeled much (Ohio doesn’t really have much to offer in that area), but the snorkeling here was way cooler than any I’ve done before. The coral was all sorts of neon colors, the fish too, and we saw bright blue star fish! We were able to access the reef from a pontoon, which we could kayak (or long-board) to in about 10-15 minutes. Our resort was in a lagoon, so the water was calm and way out in the distance the waves crashed. The reef we snorkeled at was inside the lagoon, so the water was very calm. Once again, I will let the pictures show what we did.

Barrett reading (or probably playing Tiger Woods Golf) on the Ipad by the pool.

paradise

A view from someone's house on the top of the hill. you can see sunrise and sunset from his porch. You also get a feel for where the lagoon ends and waves start, and can see all the shallow reef area inside the lagoon.

taking the road less traveled by

some of the coolest looking trees in the world, as seen on our mini hike

3 cute kittens cuddling

kayaking into the mangroves! If you look closely, you might see some mosquito bites.

The mangroves

Oh, did I mention there are cane toads in Fiji?! Yes there were hundreds of toads that swarm the resort at night, but they're not the massive ones that are on Australia.

heading towards the reef to do some snorkeling

We basically had the resort to ourselves

jumping off the platoon! 

Ugg!

Our last couple of days in Sydney, we went to more markets, walked along more coasts and generally just enjoyed the city. One of the highlights for me (and also for Lauren) was purchasing Ugg boots for less than half price at Paddy’s Markets. It felt strange getting them when its 80s and sunny outside, but I think I’ll be glad I got them once I get home. We also walked around Balmain, a suburb that was very quaint and full of cafés. I think I'll let the pictures do the talking for some of the stuff we did our final couple days in Sydney.

Paddy's Market

Koala bear sleeping near Darling Harbour

$10 steak lunch on the Harbor!

The Strand, an old shopping mall

Sydney eye peeking out from Martin's Place

China Town

Walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Fish and chips/seafood platter

Sydney University at night (really creepy!)

Bondi Beach (Hugh Jackman was there the day before us!)

Us next to Bondi Beach

self explanatory

On our final day in Sydney, we had a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House. The tour was so interesting, and our guide was hysterical. It had been projected to be finished in 3 years with a budget of $7 million dollars. It ended up taking 17 years and costing $13 million dollars. We got to see the drama theatre, which is run by Kate Blanchet, the concert hall, and the opera/ballet theatre. It was really impressive!! We also got to see the organ that took 10 years to build and 2 years to tune. Wow!

We also walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge at dusk, which was super windy, but gorgeous none the less.

The most purple lobby ever concieved

Inside the concert hall

In case I haven't included enough pictures of this building...

On Friday, we woke up at the crack of dawn, ate breakfast, and caught the train to the airport. We couldn’t believe how smooth everything went in Sydney, we never seemed to have to wait on any bus, train, or ferry, and we timed up our plane to Nadi, Fiji perfect as well!