susanhachey@gmail.com, Author at Leightbloomer

May 12, 2019May 12, 2019

Bring out your dead

Steve and I are sitting on a bench outside of my hostel waiting for someone I’ve never met to take me somewhere I’ve never been before. Strange but that’s the nature of travel, isn’t it? Everything is an adventure.

Take my room, for instance. I booked it online and it had great reviews. At first (and maybe second) glance, it’s a total dive. At 5:30 am it was scary. In daylight it’s better but not by much. But the staff is friendly and helpful, it’s clean and breakfast is good and I don’t ask for much more than that these days.

Puno, like many foreign places, reveals itself slowly. What I thought was an ugly little town is quite the opposite. It was beautiful plazas and stunning churches and hard-working, friendly people. My hostel is in a great location between the harbour, the Plaza des Armes and a pedestrian area where you can find whatever you’re looking for.

There was a big celebration happening at the church in the main plaza Saturday morning. A woman gave me all the details – in Spanish – so I still don’t know what was going on.

This afternoon I went to see an ancient burial site outside of the city. Las Chillpas de Sillustani date back to 200 BC. It is a stunning location, and it’s easy to see why three different civilizations chose to bury their dead there. Of course, if you were Inca and unlucky enough to be married to a leader when he passed away, you were killed and buried along with him as well as relatives, pets and other close associates. The only family members who were spared were children so that the line could continue.

One of the larger Inca monuments. This one was partially destroyed by lightning.

I couldn’t help but think that the Incas held the first patent on coffee cup design.

Every single structure has a small window at the base pointing to the east.

The monuments – some as high as 12 metres – were constructed with the use of ramps such as this.

On the way back to Puno we stopped at a farm where some had their pictures taken with llamas and alpacas. The family makes and sells cheese along with woven items and other souvenirs. They also had a thriving community of guinea pigs which were destined to be killed and eaten at some point. They looked pretty happy today though, munching on greens in front of their two storey home. At least they’re treated well before the slaughter, unlike North American animals…

Destined for the dinner table, but happy in the moment.

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019

Amazon Prime

I stumble out of bed at 5 am in anticipation of our early morning paddle on Sandoval Lake. It is one of the few places in this area where it’s possible to see giant otters. Jhon our guide says there’s a family of six living here, but I’ve had no luck; when I’m on the lake, they are no-shows.

But the sun is shining, unlike the day of arrival. It was raining steadily by the time we reached Puerto Maldonado, a bustling town of about 70,000 on the edge of the Peruvian jungle. Fitting somehow for the 45-minute boat ride, followed by 3 km forest hike and finally, a paddle across Sandoval Lake in a canoe. By the time we reached the lodge I was soaked to the skin and the rubber boots they provided were covered in mud but no matter; I’m in the Amazon!

In place of giant otters, we are treated to one of the loudest, strangest sounds I’ve ever heard…male howler monkeys announcing their plans for the day to other rivals. At first I thought I was listening to highway noise. Rita from Edmonton thought it might be a generator. When male howlers face off, the loudest guy wins. It’s a sound you cannot ignore…more so apparently if you happen to be another howler monkey.

Other beings are quieter. Different types of herons (one of which catches fish by dropping flies into the water), a huge troop of tiny squirrel monkeys, lots of hoatzin or stinky birds, so called because they are ruminants and digest their food through fermentation. Tiny bats that look like leaves clinging to the lower parts of palm trees, hoping to fool a bug or two. Tanagers, cardinals, flycatchers, huge swarms of wasps and termite nests on every tree. We’ve seen four of the six species of monkeys on the lake. The squirrel monkeys are my favourite I think…so tiny and fast too. The trees shimmer with life as little bodies by the hundreds scurry about in search of food.

Spotted this little guy on my last morning.

Cicadas nest underground. They use these little chimneys to keep from drowning during heavy rain.

After breakfast on the first day, Jhon gave us a Brazil nut demonstration. What’s so special about a Brazil nut that it needs a show? Lots, as it turns out. For one thing, they have three shells. They fall from the tree in a huge pod that contains up to 15 individual nuts. The outer shell isn’t too difficult to get off, but you either have to have a machete or be a rodent called an aguti to pry the middle shell apart. It takes a grown man with a machete about ten minutes to smash through the middle shell. The aguti are more patient, gnawing steadily on the pod with razor-like teeth. One wandered by while Jhon was explaining, its timing so good that I’m not convinced this wasn’t a setup.

Love a man with a machete.
The prized nuts inside two separate shells.
Aguti love Brazil nuts!

Ours is the only echo lodge on this lake. There is a local family of five brothers who host day trippers, but the numbers are negligible so as not to have much impact on this special place. There is a small dock where you can swim, but after being up close and personal with black caymans, I won’t be jumping in. There are also eels, sting rays, piranha…several different types… and snakes. Big snakes. One of the guides has deep scars on his shoulder from a run-in with an anaconda twelve years ago. Swimming is not in my immediate future.

And neither, apparently, is an otter sighting. Oh well, maybe next time…

May 3, 2019May 3, 2019

One way or another

Machu Picchu is a wonder to behold, an architectural marvel nestled amidst the Andean peaks. The fact that it was built in the 1400s is simply astonishing. The Quechua were not sitting around in coffee shops staring at smart phones ten hours a day…

In the end, I.didn’t reach it on foot as planned. I was feeling apprehensive beforehand, and apprehension turned to mild dread when I learned I’d have to carry more weight than expected. I eliminated as much as I could but was still left with five kilos. On a flat surface, a piece of cake. But on the Inca Trail, an extra 11 pounds is huge.

It turned out to be absolutely the right decision. The eight-hour hike back on the second day was hot and tiring and I ended up with two huge blisters. And this was a walk in the park compared to what the rest of the team was facing. Five hours walking straight up with an 1100-metre gain in altitude…they don’t call it Dead Woman’s Pass for nothing.

Great food too, including a made-from-scratch birthday cake for one of the hikers.

Assistant guide Ever and I had a great day (our porter Victor decided to run). We talked of life and work and family. I helped him with his English and he laughed at my Spanish. We reached Ollantaytambo by late afternoon, and after an early dinner, I fell into bed, thankful that it wasn’t a tent and that I wasn’t walking for ten hours the next day.

Sun setting on the mountains at the end of day one.

Dale from New Zealand and I at the entrance.

I caught up with the group again two days later at the entrance to Machu Picchu, having taken the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and a bus up from there. So we all made it, in our own way.

Team Charlie’s Angels at the official start of the trek.Named for our guide Roger. It’s a long story; you had to be there.

April 26, 2019April 26, 2019

Icing on the cake

Look chicos sharks! Big ones!!

And with that, we charge toward the boat, snorkel gear in hand. Galápagos is likely the only place on the planet where I’d willingly and enthusiastically dive into the water knowing there were three big sharks patrolling the shoreline.

But I’ll back up to the morning and our long walk on Española Island at Punta Suarez. Greeted by sea lions dotting the rocks, we passed quickly into marine iguana land. These are more colourful than their cousins seen on other islands due to the food they eat. They’re sometimes called Christmas tree iguanas, and they are so plentiful that we must pay close attention so as not to walk on them. Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, lava herons and yes, albatross have started arriving for the mating season. Even spotted one amorous couple “at it”.

One of the many varieties of mocking birds.

A male…the spikes go all the way down to the tip of the tail.

Exhausted albatross after months at sea.

Afternoon walk on beautiful Gardiner Bay beach. Approaching the sandy white sand it looks rocky until we realize that the rocks have heads, tails and flippers. Sea lions! Napping when we arrive but awake and ready to play when we finish our walk. Today, however, we’re in search of something different..Milton has more or less promised me sharks, and Milton always delivers.

The panga drops us off just beyond a huge outcropping of rock. Rays abound, far below us on the sand. The usual schools of yellow-tailed surgeonfish, lots of king angels, parrotfish. Milton gathers us together and tells us to watch as he dives down to say hello to a friend of his. A white-tipped reef shark. Several actually. Finally, I am in the water with sharks! Several of them are swimming lazily below is, paying little if any attention. They are beautiful.

On the way back to shore, Milton sends the panga ahead to scout for the three big Galápagos sharks he saw earlier from the beach. As comfortable as he is in these waters, he’s no fool and not about to insert his guests into the midst of a shark feeding. Im good with that.

April 24, 2019April 24, 2019

Postcards from the edge

Friday, our second to last full day aboard Xavier III. We started with a walk at Punta Cormorant, a green sand beach on Floreana Island. A short walk to an inland salt water lagoon, and we’re greeted by flamingos, including a baby one close to the end of the trail where we were standing.

Baby flamingos are white. They gradually turn pink as they consume their main source of food – shrimp.

On the other side of the island, a gorgeous white sand beach where manta rays play near shore. There were so many of them, we are warned about stepping on them, something they don’t take kindly to. They don’t mind being nudged though, and they sometimes nudge back as one of our group discovered. On the panga back to the boat, seven Galápagos penguins stand on the rocks to see us off with a couple of blue-footed boobies roosting just above them.

The vast majority of Galápagos penguins are found further west. We were extremely lucky to come across these guys.

The wonder intensifies with the first snorkelling of the day. Swimming with sea lions…first three, then four, then more until more than a dozen are frolicking with us in the surf, coming in close and veering off at the last minute…adults, babies, some barking, others just looking like they were enjoying the adventure as much as we were. I have video but it far exceeds the allowable size for this site; I’ll try to post it to Facebook instead.

After lunch, we motored to Post Office Bay where you can leave a post card and take one to deliver in your own country. I found one addressed to someone in Whycocomaugh, NS and will put postage on it and mail it when I get back to Canadian soil.

Our group searching for letters to deliver when they return home.

For the final snorkel of the day, sea turtles! A big female and a smaller male entertained a small group of us for half an hour, munching on plants, swaying in the surf and surfacing amongst us every six or seven minutes to breathe. They paid us little attention but were certainly aware of our presence. At one point, the smaller one swam directly underneath me, so close I thought I could touch him. But I didn’t. They only way to keep them unafraid is to keep our distance. Small price to pay, since they seem so willing to grace us with their presence.

Since I can’t post snorkelling videos, I’ll leave you with a typical island sunrise.

April 23, 2019April 23, 2019

A shell game

Giant tortoise sex. It’s not romantic, and certainly not for the faint of heart. The males, many of them weighing in the vicinity of 200 kilos, climb onto the backs of the much-smaller females, biting their necks and bullying them into submission. Love has nothing to do with it. And that’s likely part of the reason why the females then make their way from the highlands where mating occurs down to the ocean, lay their eggs, then leave them. Period. No motherly love here.

The Charles Darwin Research Centre is about a kilometre outside of Santa Cruz, the largest town in the Galápagos. They obviously do research there, but it’s also centre an important breeding centre for the different varieties of giant tortoises that inhabit these islands. We arrived at feeding time which is likely the only time these marvellous creatures move quickly. We witnessed one of them actually climb over the top of the guy next to him to get to the succulent green elephant ear plants that form part of their diet.

They keep the babies for about five years, then release them back to the wild in an effort to restore the population. Native people find tortoise meat quite tasty, so lots of them have ended up on dinner plates throughout the ages. And there were other dangers like seafarers and pirates. When they discovered that these animals could survive up to one year without food or water, they collected scores of them, stacked them upside down on board their ships, then slaughtered and ate them throughout the duration of the voyage. Thankfully, they are protected today, although many older Galápagos residents are reported to (illegally) have a feed from time to time.

The centre does work with other animals as well like this beautiful land iguana.

In the afternoon, we travelled to a reserve where the tortoises roam freely, munching on vegetation and playing in mud. Their hind legs are exactly like elephant legs (well, a little smaller). Otherwise, they look exactly like ET. Unfortunately I forgot my phone so no pics other than the ones locked in my camera.

April 22, 2019April 22, 2019

Boobies and bottles

It is Day 3 on-board Xavier III. I woke early and stayed in bed til 6:30 before getting dressed, only to find that my iPad is still on Quito time and it was in fact one hour earlier. Which explains the surprised looks from the crew who were up and about getting ready for the day. We are moored off of one of the younger islands, and the landscape is completely different from that of yesterday. The wildlife will be different here too.

Animals that don’t run away when they catch the slightest hint of people…I knew to expect this but had no concept of what that would be like…of having to be careful not to trip over nesting blue-footed boobies sitting in the blazing heat protecting their precious eggs. Of getting close enough to the magnificent frigatebird’s inflated red pouch to touch. Of watching carefully so as not to interfere with sea lions who have the ability to pop up out of nowhere. Most friendly and wanting to play but some – the bull males – ready to fight(and bite) to defend their territory and females.

Female boobies tending to her precious eggs.

It’s mating season…those with the bluest legs win!

They don’t call them magnificent for nothing.

Of course, when she’s not interested it doesn’t matter how magnificent you think you are.

Milton our guide is a treasure trove of information, Dr. Google on legs. His love for the place of his birth is palpable, shining through with every tidbit of information he shares. He’s 56 and looks 40 despite the relentless Ecuadorean sun. I love how he lays out the green carpet when the panga deposits us on land. It’s the equivalent of a red carpet but this is the Galápagos after all..

Milton, our passionate, funny and knowledgeable guide.

Yesterday, he took us to a snorkelling spot where there was an opportunity to see “really big sharks”. This after watching two six-foot Galápagos sharks circle our boat for an hour in search of food scraps (which they did not get). I have to say it took effort to leave the panga, but I settled down eventually and was looking forward to the sighting. It didn’t happen for me, but others in our group saw them. They pay no attention to humans; we are not on the menu.

Yesterday as we were ending our morning walk, we were treated to the spectacle of spotted eagle rays mating in the water, followed by a turtle swimming by, followed by two baby sea lions who hurled themselves onto the flat rocks six feet from us and proceeded to put on a show.

Amid this wonder and beauty…plastic. Floating in the water, lying on the beaches. Water bottles bobbing on the waves become homes for tiny crustaceans. There are better places for them to take up residence. This must stop.

April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

Good, Bad and Ugly

There’s a first time for everything, and travel means accepting the bad with the good. So today, I’m licking my wounds and regrouping.

It started off innocently enough. I booked a ticket for the Hop On Hop Off bus, looking to get a sense of Quito beyond the historic centre. The bus stop was just up the street from me but I went a little early to make sure I didn’t miss it.

As I stood on the corner, I felt something wet fall from above. I ran my hand through my hair expecting pigeon poop but whatever it was, it was clear. About two minutes later a guy came by and told me in broken English that there was pigeon poop on me and offered to clean it off. He had a tissue and wanted me to walk to a nearby fountain. I said no because I didn’t want to miss the bus. A second guy appeared and together they wiped the back of my shirt. I thanked them, and seeing the bus coming, ran for it and boarded.

The astounding Basílica where I boarded the bus.

I told the guide about the incident and she immediately asked if I had all of my belongings. I checked and said yes, and she said it was my lucky day. I found this odd.

It wasn’t until we reached a lookout high above the city that I realized something was missing. I bought a Tree of Life necklace at an outdoor kiosk and thought I’d wear it right away. When I went to take off my gold chain – the one with my beloved map of Africa charm – I realized it was missing. And I realized what the tour guide had meant when she called me lucky.

I alerted the Tourist Police (who are present on the buses) and he suggested I file a police report, so we got off the bus at the next stop and he accompanied me back to the station. The Quito police don’t speak much English, and there was no way my Spanish lessons had prepared me for describing perpetrators, so it was a lively conversation filled with hand gestures and a real life game of Pictionary. In the end, we got it done, and while they wouldn’t go so far as to let me take their picture (I asked), we did have a few laughs in the process.

I returned to my Airbnb to find an email from my host Juancho. My eye glasses which I forgot in Canada have arrived, and the government wanted $79.05 US in tariffs and customs charges. This is on top of the $131 CAD I paid Canada Post to ship them.

The last straw was when I took off my (new) shirt to find black stains all over it from whatever they threw on me.

I’m as pissed about this as I am about losing the chain.

The good news? I wasn’t hurt. The police were excellent. And my host Juancho has been incredibly kind and helpful. He is calling Customs this morning to try to sort things out and took my shirt with him to get it dry cleaned. And he fed me cake last night.

April 7, 2019April 7, 2019

Toilet paper & Goldfish

Sitting in la Plaza de la Independencia this morning, watching throngs of people walk by. Sundays still seem to be relaxed; thousands out enjoying the street performers, eating ice cream, going to or coming from church. A man sat down beside me and struck up a conversation. The fact that I couldn’t understand most of what he was saying didn’t seem to deter him one bit. Wonder of wonders, I soon got the essence of his meaning. Money well spent on Spanish lessons.

Everything you can imagine is for sale by street hawkers, and for the most part they are focussed on selling to locals, not tourists Most of this stuff is available in shops so I can’t for the life of me figure out why there’s a market for it on the streets. Unless it’s stolen. Toilet paper, single disposable razors and poor helpless goldfish in tiny plastic baggies. On Esmeraldas Street, men and women sell their bodies, not far from the Indian restaurant that I will check out tomorrow. In a coffee shop on the square, a group of school students on a tour; the young woman seated next to me was from Nunavut.

Musicians (bought a CD), artists (had to tear myself away because I just can’t carry a painting, however small and beautiful), leatherwork,jewelry, blankets, shawls interspersed with all manner of junk.

Back at Juancho’s comfy apartment, high up on the balcony, drinking coco tea and watching my laundry wafting in the breeze. Neighbourhood children squealing in delight.

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019

Beach Bums

Yesterday I took the ferry to Isla Mujeres, a charming little island just off the coast. Eight thousand other people decided on the same itinerary. On the boat there was some guy doing karaoke…something I thought I might escape but I guess it’s inevitable in the sunshine destinations. As the boat neared the dock, he played John Lennon’s Imagine and had everyonr wave their hands in the air for world peace. The power of that song is astounding; even in those circumstances it brings me to tears.

This was my second visit to the beach. I took the bus to the hotel zone on the mainland a few days ago. The hardest part was getting.one of them to stop. I guess I didn’t look desperate enough to the first 11 drivers that blew past me but the 12th was magic. He looked about 14 years old and likely felt pity for la abuela (grandma).

Since I had no idea where I was going, I just followed a large group of locals who seemed to have it together. Note to self: Next time, follow older people. While the sand and surf and sea were super, the fucking techno crap music blasting in my ears for three hours was less so. At one point I noticed two pigeons bobbing their heads in unison to something that sounded like Zamfir on acid. Even the birds have been indoctrinated.

I sat next to the local power couple or rather they sat next to me. Hours of entertainment. Sadly, they are going to have skin like shoe leather by the time they’re 30. Oh hell maybe I’m jealous…I never had an ass like hers…or his for that matter.