Week two in Pisco!

We´ve been here nearly two weeks now and the time is flying by! I have never known physical exertion and the resultant exhaustion quite like this, but damn does it feel good to helping out and getting exercise in the sunshine. We´ve been on demolition projects, bamboo roof builds, bricklaying jobs, rebar and cement foundation jobs as well as helping out (aka being a human climbing frame) at a Unicef kids centre in Pisco. Leon and I have also started taking Spanish lessons with the founder´s brother, his American wife and their pet pigeon! Life sure isn´t standard anymore! Apparently there was a small earthquake last night, but knowing us we slept right through it. Problems with electricity and water still plague the town as well as our living arrangements, but we all just laugh about it now because it happens so often.

We have decided that the hard earned cash we raised from all of you nearest and dearest will be put towards community water projects around Pisco where people have no access to running water. This will make a massive difference to their lives and we are delighted that it will be used in such an effective way. The project will involve installing water taps in very poor, semi-rural communities. If anyone would like to make an independent donation to this very worthwhile cause, the Pisco Sin Fronteras website is as follows: www.piscosinfronteras.org/donations

In the few meagre free hours that we have not tending to our wounds, to the dirt or to our washing, we occasionally have time to enjoy ourselves and get out and about. Lately, this has involved trips to the very colourful local market, where one can procure (I kid you not) fresh frog straight from a tank milkshakes (very popular with the Aussies here), fresh squealing cuy (guinea pigs) or even Bin Laden cockroach killer! Additionally, I made a fantastic field trip to an Inca Adobe complex called Tambo Colorado in the foothills of the Andes where the caretaker let us explore the site on our own and lock up behind us when we were finished. There is no way that will happen at Machu Picchu! You´ve got to love the Peruvian way after all the nanny state rules we adhere to in the West. Last Sunday night we also got to experience the local Pisco Saint have his day. This involved a heavy Jesus type statue being carried around the town all night by 30 tired looking monks. The procession was bizarre as it felt both mournful and celebratory all at once. There was a lot of sweetbreads and knicknacks to buy, but we decided to invest our money in a hearty taco from Taco King instead. Ummmm, tasty!

We´re really enjoying our time here, learning something new everyday in the shining sun. We´ve also met some fabulous travellers from around the world and made some good friends. The local people continue to amaze with their gifts, smiles and thankyous! So far, so good (and so exhausted!)

From Lima to Pisco...

Our last few days in Lima were very enjoyable. To our delight we found a bar in Barranco with free pool and cheap beer, and best of all an AC/DC cover band playing hit after hit. We also ventured into Chorrillos where there was a lively fishing wharf. Old ladies were gutting the fish right in front of us and throwing the carcasses into a flock of hungry Pelicans. We also treated ourselves to another delicious dinner of Ceviche before heading 4 hours South to Pisco.

A great expanse of desert opened up as we left Lima and the landscape was punctuated by shanty towns and chicken farms. On arrival in Pisco we settled into our new home for the next month. As I lay in the top bunk of a ramshackle bunk-bed in a dirty, old abandoned school which survived the earthquake, I thought what the hell am I doing here! However, after getting to know some of the other 60 volunteers we realised that there was tremendous team spirit and sense of collective purpose to help this battered community. Even after two years since the earthquake the town still looks like a war zone. There are huge areas of flattened houses and piles of rubble everywhere. Stray dogs bark at all who pass and fight over scraps on the streets. The air is filled with dust as tuk-tuks zoom past at regular intervals impatiently beeping their horns. Pimped-out tuk-tuks are how we get to the jobs and I still find it amazing that you can fit four passengers, tools and a wheelbarrow on top.

Our first job here was to shift an intimidating pile of building materials into the backyard of an old ladies, half-collapsed house. It was gruelling work in the desert heat, but hugely satisfying. We managed to get the job done by 4pm and the broad smile that greeted us afterwards made it all worthwhile. Many of the locals here hugely appreciate Pisco Sin Fronteras´s efforts and offer free tuk-tuk rides, Inca Kola and hot lunches. However, there is also an element of danger as one of the volunteers had her wallet stolen in the local market. The level of poverty can make the people of Pisco desperate and Gringos stick out like sore thumbs. To the locals credit, they chased down the thief and with the help of the police the perpetrator was apprehended, and the wallet was recovered with nothing missing. It even made the Pisco news!

Our task on day two was fantastic as we both got acquainted with the Jackhammer for the first time. We broke through concrete and massive stones from old reinforced columns, in order to relay the foundations for a family´s house. The work is hot and dusty and requires a lot of perseverence and sunscreen.

Thanks to all of you, we managed to raise over GBP 1,000 with the Mamores Challenge and Pisco Sin Fronteras said that they would like us to come to a few site assessments and sponsor specific ´Miracle Fund´ projects. These can range from putting in sanitation and bathroom facilities for communties that do not have access to any, or improving education and long-term sustainability. Once we have had a look at a few projects, Lydia and I will help oversee the project and see it though to completion. We have been told that the money will go a lot farther than we could ever imagine. Pisco Sin Fronteras were very appreciative of our fund raising efforts and we know now that no money will be wasted here.

Speaking to the locals in our pigeon Spanish it is interesting to get their views on life in Pisco. They feel very hard done by, by the local and national governments. Apparently 11 million dollars was raised for a new main road but somehow disappeared. Meanwhile, the local mayor has bought a new luxury pad in Lima. Furthermore, areas of extreme poverty and destruction were sealed off from view by new brick walls, nicknamed locally as ´The walls of shame´. It is heart rendering to see the lack of progress and the amount of work still to be done to get this place back on its feet. We will do all we can during our time here to help the people of Pisco.

The people at Pisco Sin Fronteras are fantastic and we have already learned a great deal from speaking to other volunteers. Coming to a place like this really does put Western living standards in perspective and we realise now that the simple things in life are the most important, like a hot shower and a comfy bed! In Pisco, both are hard to come by. Indeed, it is even a struggle to have a full day of electricty and running water. However, we still managed to find a pizza on Saturday night and have good night of beer and chat (around a candle if the lights go out) with our international comrades.

LIMA, Peru-: Newsflash, we have already found both llamas and parachutists/paragliders in Lima, but our search to find the ultimate in aerial camelid still eludes... Staying in the verdant and flowering Miraflores we have been treated to some real Peruvian hospitality and charm. After taking in the paragliding, skateboarding and surfing action all along the coast, we headed straight for the highly regarded archaeological site of Huaca Pucllana ('puck-yanna') , a mud brick temple and pre-Inca tomb of shark and moon worshipping, human sacrificing ancient Lima people! I never knew that you could build a temple using book shelf style mud bricks interspersed with variegated triangular supports. I was very impressed with the knowledgeable staff and appreciated their Indiana Jones style outfits too!

Day two found us sampling the delights of the National drink at our hostel's Pisco Sour night, a delicious drink of grape brandy, sugar solution and egg white topped with cinnamon. The food has been absolutely excellent so far and very reasonably priced! Egged on by a couple of friends who live in Lima, we even tried some 'anticuchos piccantes' (beef heart) with a chipotle sauce. The Latin Nightlife has been highly entertaining. At a Criollo music night at Peña del Carajo in the bohemian district of Barranco we witnessed waiters, bouncers, bar staff and even the chef doing the Afro-Peruvian Samba in front of a frenzied crowd. Next it was the foreigners turn and Leon and I were dragged on stage and forced to perform a national dance of Scotland which sent the 500 or so Peruvians into hysterics. At least we won a few cervezas frios for our ceilidh dancing efforts! It was a fabulous musical evening and the insight into the Peruvian sense of humour, joy de vivre and Latin passion was well worth the minor humiliation.



Other highlights have included the Larco Museum http://www.museolarco.org with its jaw dropping gold, silver and ceramic (erotic too!) collections, all housed in a stunning bouganvillea draped Trujillo styled mansion in the the Pueblo Libre district. It houses the largest collection of Peruvian antiquities in the world, and after sitting in the stunning cafe with a empanada and a cerveza it may be the best museum I've ever been too!

When nature calls, Peru answers with abundance. So far we have been treated to soaring Andean condors, hummingbirds at sunset, pelicans scooping fish out of the Pacific, parakeets, two Peruvian hairless dogs, alpacas, llamas and tasty guinea pigs or 'cuy' (farmed for lunch!). The most interesting of all was the rare Peruvian hairless dog which had warm leathery skin and a shrivelled prune like face. Needless to say, it is not the kind of dog that wins at Crufts!



¡Traffico en Lima es muy loco! It seems to be a battle of wills between colectivos, taxis, buses, motorbikes and three wheeled pedal carts. The prize usually goes to those with the biggest cohones and the loudest staccato horn technique. However, sometimes the inevitable outcome is a near miss, scrape or crash which explains the numerous dents found all over most of Lima's vehicles. Needless to say getting around the city is very exciting! -Lydia

A River Runs Through It...

Awesomeness factor is increasing by the week as we had one of the best days of our lives last Friday. We met an extremely passionate fly-fisherwoman at a wedding in New York who just happened to live in Vancouver. Her name is Nicole and she was happy to take us out to the Vedder River, an hour East of Vancouver, to try our luck with the Pink, Coho and Sockeye Salmon runs (there are 5 different species of Salmon on the Pacific Coast: Chinook, Coho, Pink, Sockeye and Chum, as opposed to the single Atlantic Salmon type found in Scotland). We were not disappointed when we arrived, donning our waders and rubber boots. It was a beautiful day, the water was crystal clear and we could see Salmon leaping everywhere. We waded out into river and were confronted with massive schools of darting salmon. We knew the fish were fresh from the ocean as many still had sea lice on their bodies (which is a good sign as they tend to drop off after a couple of days in fresh water). We began to fish with a range of brightly coloured flys, but I soon found I was having the most success with a deadly fly called the 'Muddler', a bluey-silvery fly. The fish were so curious and couldn't resist a little nibble. Before long they were striking hard and we were having the time of our lives as we battled fish, after fish, after fish. I ended up catching 10 Salmon, all Pinks; Lydia caught 6 Pinks; and best of all, included in the untold number of Salmon Nicole caught was the catch of the day, a pristine, beautiful silvery Coho weighing at least 10 pounds. We kept 3 Salmon for the BBQ that night, needless to say, it was the freshest Salmon I have ever tasted.





The Summer days are finally beginning to fade but we have made the most of every one, including a glorious sunset at Wreck beach. This is the most notorious of all of Vancouver's beaches as it is frequented by nudist hippies and bongo players. It was like the beach scene out of the Big Lebowski, a hedonistic dream of drumming, dancing and dope. At sunset, countless revellers offered themselves to the sea and the last rays of the setting sun, whooping and hollering like only Canadians can do. We bid the Northern Hemisphere's summer farewell, but fortunately we will be hitting Spring in the Southern Hemisphere in a week's time, so no winter for us this year! Our thoughts begin to turn to Peru and the uncertainties that lie ahead. We will be torn from our comfort zone next Tuesday, but that is when the real adventure begins!


Leon.

Boats, beaches, hot springs and bears...

What glorious weather we've been treated to over the last three weeks! Now we've felt like we've had a summer, bbq and beaches included. Leon's parents were visiting British Columbia for the first time so we all knew that good weather would be key to successful trips to the Gulf Islands and Whistler. The weather did not disappoint. On Galiano Island we lounged on the beaches in Montague Harbour Provincial Park (near to the Fisher family cabin) and swam in the clear, cold sea. Riding the decaying 1970's pub bus to the Hummingbird Inn for fish and chips was a culinary highlight, as was gourmet pizza with a view to Mt. Baker at the Galiano Inn. We managed a hike into Dionisio Point Provincial Park (named after the intrepid Spanish explorer Dionisio Alcalá Galiano) as well as a hike up to Bodega ridge, with stunning views, manzanita, dragonflies and singing crickets. Assisted by Galiano's Mediterranean climate, the temperature feeling all the time like 25 degrees! A DIY nature tour with a rented power boat treated us to porpoises, seals and seabirds while we made our way to the Saturday market on Saltspring Island and a well deserved lunch at Barb's Buns. We were then treated to a tie-dyed pride parade through Ganges. It was a noisy sight to behold!

Over the next 10 days we managed a relaxing visit to Harrison Hot Springs and Whistler, BC, the main nordic venue for the Winter Olympics this coming March. We punctuated these trips with jaunts around Vancouver, to Stanley Park, False Creek, Gastown, Cypress Bowl and Granville Island. All the while the sun shined. We were delighted with the total wildlife count by the end of Leon's parents visit:

1 bear (on Whistler mountain)
2 marmots '' ''
2 pileated woodpeckers
2 raccoons
8 deer
many buzzards
many seals (including one in fresh water Harrison Lake)
many porpoises
many chipmunks
1 sea snake
1 garter snake
1 large orange caterpillar
& 10 man eating sugar cubes....

I know it sounds like a lot of hard work, but someone has to do it. Peru is starting to weigh heavily on our minds as we enjoy the last fading rays and warmth of what has been a superb Indian summer. Ciao for now!

Lydia.

Oh Canada!

The melancholy of what was left behind is replaced by the indomitable excitement about what lies ahead. We arrive in an overcast, grey Vancouver, but our disappointment with the similarity to Scotland's summer was quickly forgotten as we promptly proceeded to Whitespot to indulge in a 'legendary burger' smothered in the world famous triple-o sauce, which is O....O....O... so good! As the jet lag set in we met up with our good friends Smitty (from Aberdeen) and Chris (from Bangor). After a few drinks we headed downtown to 'Roxys', which is Vancouver's version of a combined rock club and meat market. We downed Jaegar Bombs, danced and had a great time till closing time. Then we almost got in a fight at McDonalds. We were trying to help a wheelchair-bound disabled man get into the toilets but some drunken Canadian who couldn't understand our accents thought we were trying to hinder the poor disabled man. He then threw a lame right hook at Chris which completely missed the target. After trying to reason with him he eventually went outside and we thought that was the end of that. Unfortunately, when we got outside we realised that this guy had called in the cavalry and several mean looking monsters were waiting across the street. We made a cool, sharp harp to the nearest taxi and managed to get away unscathed. So much for Canada being such a placid nation, it's probably more dodgy than Peru! Needless to say our heads were happy to hit the pillow at 4:30am. If our first day is anything to go by, this is going to be one hell of a ride!

Mamores challenge route summary

Day 1
5:30 am start, 8:00 pm finish
1.Mullach nan Coirean
2.Stob Ban
3. Sgurr a’Mhaim
4. Am Bodach
5. Stob Coire a’Chairn
6. An Gearanach

Day 2 - Unfinished Business ...
10:00 am start, 10:20pm finish
7. Na Gruagaichean
8. Binnein Mor
9. Binnean Beag
10. Sgurr Eilde Mor

Total Distance ~ 42.5km
Total Time about 27 hours!!!