Climbing into the Golden Cradle of Choquequirao , the truly ‘lost city of the Incas’

Raphi ! ( Hello in Quechua Cuzqueño )

This post is in contrast to the last, it is about a long journey upwards , up into clouds , to the sister city of Machu Picchu , Choquequirao, known as the cradle of gold .This name is most certainly deserved. It was a four day trek there and back again accompanied by an Aussie , a Frenchie and a splendid Quechuan guy – Ricardo. The setting was the Vilcabamba Andes in central Peru. The trek was essentially a steep decent to the Apurimac River followed by a hell of a steep ascent up to an otherworldly, ceremonial centre. A city oriented with the sun, incessantly bathing the fortification in an ethereal glow .The city is aligned with the Solstices .A suitable dwelling for the Incas  ‘ Sons of the sun’ . Having been to Machu Picchu a month before I drew parallels between the Apurimac and the sacred valley and it has to be said the dramatism was equally great and the cloud forest providing as equally beautiful contrast to the glaciated peaks. This one however possessed anonymity, it was a secret, a furtive glimpse into high altitude Inca life ways. For example Aqueducts can still be clearly traced as well as a giant staircase and the King’s personal rooms, it is intact, undisturbed and as a whole possesses a definite energy (which I longingly soaked up in my exhausted state on) .The Spanish invaders did not find and destroy Choquequirao like they did Machu Picchu , it was simply abandoned as the last Inca conceded sometime after 1572.

It was cavalier to trek this route. I did it  because of my decision to leave Bolivia and return to my favourite city before leaving South America ,visiting Cusco for a second time. I had heard Choquequirao was the most formidable of the Cusco attractions. I wanted to tackle it to make the most of my return to Peru. + Also, the end of my trip was getting nearer. This one, as opposed to the four earlier treks I had done in previous months was the rawest, funniest and my leading physical achievement thus far.

After a lunch in the town of Cachora we got ready to leave .I tightened my rented boot laces ,made an offering to Pachamama and had a sip of Chicha (TBH all I could stomach) . We set-off, me the only chica in the group; I can remember feeling super elated to be walking again.  We started upon a sheer pathway winding away from the town and letting us gawp into nauseatingly deep Andean canyons .The altitude was palpable in shortness of breath, heavy limbs and obscene hunger. Ricardo lead the group and set a quick pace. It was effortless for him and he had such altitude tolerance at an average of 3000 M asl. After crossing ‘the mountain pass’ we began our descent to the Apurimac River and to our first campsite.

Yeah, it all sounds positively dreamlike and yeah I was mightily happy until the second morning. The ascent began here and it was a real challenge/ I just consulted with my legs to keep going, talking myself into it, or I  just talked too much to the others to distract myself from this sheer ,laughably high mountain ahead, which stood there , bold as brass. It was so illogical to attempt such an angle of land . I saw the zigzagging route up and it was beyond belief . The guys all mastered the climb. It was so steep, every step had to be supported with a rock or a discontinuity in the path.They zoomed on ahead .I was slowest naturally. Ricardo was getting a little impatient with me it has to be said, but on reflection his encouragement was invaluable to the plight and he had such a friendly face . I kept stopping which was a blunder, but it was worth losing momentum in my stride just to stare into the crevasse like valley and proudly trace the route we had come. The upward struggle was ceaseless , my legs were screaming , every corner in the zigzag , I threw abuse at the mountain , verbally. But my how I retracted that abuse once I reached Marampata which logic says shouldn’t exist, the only way to describe its position is perched , Just casually situated at 3000M as if it didn’t take 2 days of toil to reach it . It materialised in front of my beetroot red face and I saw a chance to lie upon shorn grass and bask in the mountain spritz. The two dudes were waiting for me and I collapsed and felt so uplifted , i was really lifted , my mood was reflecting the height of Marampata and I was happy to tackle the next step ; to the choquequirao archaeological complex which was visible from the town.

A vivid memory of the second part of the walk that day is of pain , muscles pretty much attacked. The hiking day totalled 11 hours .When I saw those first Inca stones, their tessellating shapes were in motion . The place was moving. If it was my exhausted brain hallucinating is not clear because i can just imagine the way the light plays upon them makes them seem alive. They conveyed a message , buildings that were movable entities  , their beautiful composition was rewarding us for the difficult hike.One couldn’t help but wonder people’s perception in the past of this blissful  destination , its location and its distance from Cusco ,from where messengers ran to and fro easily we were told. Ricardo gave us a tour and allowed us to lie flat-out on the grass once again. Never have I appreciated grass like that , a mountain bed I would have happily slept upon. We finished the visit with an offering to the mountain gods as directed by Ricardo while we saw rainbow emerge amongst the peaks as the light in the thin air was refracted in dynamic patterns.

My consumption of Coca leaves was at an all time high (sorry to pun) on this trip. Every tea break I packed my cup with these leaves to get caffeine like boost from the strong brew. It suited my needs. It pushed me , or I imagined it pushed me that little bit further. Their consumption is like an institution amongst the people of these marooned mountain settlements. The locals often ruminate over a ball of it to stimulate their senses.It is a social and spiritual pastime. They make an offering to the gods using coca leaves, three to be exact, each respectively representing the puma, condor and the snake. This tradition could have always been here , I see it as a direct adaptation to the lofty environs, something unchanged since pre Inca times, since the first people ever decided to latch onto this place as a lookout, as a place near their gods, as a home. Marampata remains a bastion of the formidable characters one imagines lived in Choquequirao , they are the players one can place onto the beautifully constructed scene .They are  Incas to me , visions into the past , making me feel Inca, relating to them , seeing through Inca eyes. To me they were stately, regal , to be honoured, their presence at the top of this mountain was extraordinary ,an almost celestial presence . Their welcoming nature was so warming , so appreciated. We danced to the crackliest of radios until around 3AM. On that mountain all was clear. The trek was timeless , it could have easily been 1710 , when the first prospector Juan diaz Topete. found this forgotten place , the tents we slept in were the only obvious  anchor to the modern world. It was a chance to appreciate the essence of this place and to interact with it , read the landscape , communicate with it .

Me upon the Ushnu or ceremonial platform ont he truncated hill in Choquequirao

The last photo on my camera ,the last shred of patience , the last of my energy…….. but ethereal , just ethereal .

Bolivia Bit me

Buenas Tardes . A memoir for ya’ll.

Bolivia Bit me

It was morning .I left the mouth of the tent gaping because outside existed a mythical world of mist enshrouded trees, with the soundtrack to match .Outside; dense vegetation was slung across a fast paced river, clouding upwards in all its greenery. A peek into the dense air awoke me from sleep and revealed the colours of the rainforest had all but changed since the night before and in the purple cackling dawn I recognised this as the place I had camped down the night before. This was a small sand bank on the Rio Beni in the Bolivian jungle. Why was I here ? I was on my way, via long boat , to the near unpronounceable Rurrenebaque , in the bone fide Amazon. To say I had started near La paz this was the promise land. I heard rapid Quechua and the crack of a fire and was motivated to prepare for breakfast. Important energy for an adventure pending.

An ephemeral camp was needed because we were on the move, had been for 4 days. As I emerged from my tent ;  the longboat appeared to be filled already, with the camp , the tents and most of the indigenous team .All before I could eat the second bite of my fried plantain .Leaving this site meant leaving any remnant of comfort I had reserved for myself behind because while I had slept I had been eaten alive, the night had left a legacy. Insect in their droves, had  extracted blood from me . Not mosquitoes , sandflies .My embarkation back up the quickwater was tanged with the intense burning of my dotty ankles . I had been warned. These bites were so concentrated , so strategic. This location; one of the biodiversity hot spots on the planet had certainly shown that insects ruled. These blood sucking , almost microscopic menaces of the Bolivian Amazon spread leishmeniasis and love the DEET free skin of a dormant Brit.

The previous days had all been treacherous, wrenchingly new,fresh, fearsome days where I learnt to bike: gravity assisted.This was survival instinct fuelled rough-roading , down sheer mountain roads, through colourful villages , into the throat of the Bolivian beast . The trip was a called ride & river ; Sorata to Rurrenebaque and was organised by Andean Epics , a company with a base in the lovely colonial Sorata with a starting line on top of a mountain above 4200M.Have a look: http://www.andeanepics.com/?lang=en. From there you plunge, eventually into the Amazon, at speeds which would challenge any biker and you have to be tactical. It takes a lot of wherewithal believe me . It most definitely challenges one who has ridden in Holland for a week as an experience backlog. This was not a leisurely pace. On the first day , the lack of experience was a backbiter , I fell off, , confidence smashed along with my right wrist .I climbed back on , accepted the dirty grazes, whipped out my sanitation gel, did my best to clean up and got back in the game. I recommenced the terror driven cycling at noon.

As we went further into the dramatic gouge in the earth, termed the ‘garganta’ , the air became gradually moist and the exertion of biking was visibly showing  , the mountain air no longer soothing me. The world was becoming greener and the sun more warming, but with the descent the cliffs got steeper and the roads more precipitous. Biking the Yungas has never been for the weak minded. These unfrequented routes, slicing down into achingly beautiful scenes of foliage blanketed mountain valleys are of a very coarse nature. They are certainly harsh and the dynamism of the place distracts you from negotiating the skiddy turns so you could potentially slip off into an abyss .The scene weirdly mocks your struggle. The valley that I gravitated towards on this 2 day bike trip was like a mouth and it had me in its teeth and if it wanted to swallow me whole it could have. A little too bold on a misplaced piedra, on a bend, and I would have been a gonner. All this considered I was the slowest biker of the group. This fact and the gradually more affective heat made the insects come out to play and my rapidly diminishing layers were not boding well with their irritating persistence .I was picked off , the weak biker at the back , surrounded by a swarm of all knowing sand-flies.

Before long, after descending 400m in 2 days, the longboat odyssey commenced,the second leg . It was three days of jungle book style, feverish adventure ensued. It felt so valid, so wholesome .I felt like a little Mogely, thrust backward into childhood as I overcame all these new adult obstacles. For example being the only native English speaker on the boat, I adapted my communication style, I felt my brain trying to soak it all up like a meagre little sponge. I tried and succeeded and felt extremely involved, immersed, wallowing in a new culture and enjoying every minute of this fruitful expedition. This being my second time in the Amazon in two months I knew this was completely different. Compared to the Peruvian basin area , here the wildness existed at an altitude, primordial, thick forest .Remote to intimidation.

The Argentinian guide, Alejandro, knew his shit . So informed, savvy and world bitten . He was pretty brave,some would say reckless, a personaje, you have to be to devise a trip like this one . He does it every week and knows the locals , who live near Madidi national reserve . They love him and he provided a valuable connection to the interesting bunch of Bolivians we connected to while floating . We stopped at towns such as Guanay (the largest) which provided insight into the gold mining boom . Here I saw a true rabid dog, worryingly followed by many raggedy mutts . Here I experienced how the river is life for the folks. However , brown , murky or shallow, to master the river is power because in there lies the gold. The people do not seem to have much choice, in trading their finds for cash. They don’t glean much I learned. So many lifetimes are invested into the construction of rudimentary mining technology, so many suffer the drudgery of panning, of filtering and of mercury treating for little money. Most were practically naked,  living under tarpaulin on the sand banks. I had never been looked at like that, pierced with a look.After we waved , their enthusiasm to communicate was clear, they waved and laughed and thrashed around in the water , our passing greetings were always entertaining.  I assume they have had little contact with western Europeans apart from The Andean Epics groups that drift by every Friday. On the last day I was told the story of the disappearance of  Scottish cultural anthropologist who undertook field research in the forest with some before uncontacted jungle foragers; people  said to have two foot long footprints and  two metres tall,  known but feared and it had been a couple of years since this guy ventured in . I never caught the name of the tribe or the Athro dude but nevertheless I was riveted .

After three days of amelioration to the tropical warmth, the shock treatment was applied liberally as we neared Rurrenebaque. It was oven-like , it was like being cooked. There is no other way to describe it. It was incomprehensible to me how anybody subsisted in this climate. It seemed to be hotter than I remembered in Pacaya Samiria national park,Peru. Maybe I had thought I would be prepared for it and just wasn’t or maybe it was because I had had such a direct contrast being whipped by the chilly air of the mountains just 4 days previous. I did not relish, hauling my grossly sized rucksack to the hospedaje, thats for sure.The cappybarras certainly employed a cooling strategy. I saw a mother and baby emerging from the river as we neared the settlement.

Meeting Bolivian people en route definitely marked me , it made me appreciate basic needs and the importance of sharing and giving. To take my time . Amongst other Bolvivian experiences , I psychologically visit this place now and again. I retain valuable memories . The extreme changes associated with this trip changed my attitude somewhat.  From high to low , from cold to warm , from snowy to foliated , from no breath at altitude to dense gulps of saturated air, the changes I saw in my fellow group members , their responses to the environment and the challenges we faced together . I also noticed them and myself become steadily more sun-kissed , more weather worn and collecting bites  from the sand-flies and their cronies. They bit me and bloody hurt. Sat in the Plaza in Rurrenebaque , flip-flop flyswatter in hand , I recalled that I had been in la Paz 5 little days ago, an unreality at that moment  . The time had been spent in such a fundamental way to me and I would recommend this 250 quid trip and all its challenges to any adventurer.

A taste of Morrocco

Masaa El-Khair people!

Today I have been thinking about my upcoming trip to Morocco .Exciting.The 24th of March , the date I start my hitchike to the Western Saharan state of  Morrocco, is fast approaching and before long I will be raising my thumb as if in gladitorial combat in the hope of obtaining a lift. There are many different things to think about but constructing a coherent plan for this trip is not something to focus on because a plan could never be adhered to . Instead I will think about a general direction or route from Rotterdam down to Algeciras Spain ; the extent of the actual hitchike . We have maps marked with petrol stations guiding us.From here we will board a cheap ferry to Tangiers .As a three we have to think about the heightened difficulty of finding a vehicle with space , willing to take us together . We have to think about where we will stay (A pop up tent will be supplied by me; No worries).We  have quite a bit more cash to fundraise so need to get proavtive with that. We need to think about how to make the most out of the fascinating destination . These musings were circling as I ate a Morroccan lunch with one , Samantha Rigby at the Kasbah resaurant on Bold Street. We sat upon carpet , fez on head , feeling much anticipation about it all and chatting about the interesting languages we will experience . Oh how colourful it will all be !

The general route downwards begins in Rotterdam , Netherlands .Here it is http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=213019263080063857882.0004b53dfa76de0d6187b&msa=0. I know there is little point in meticulousness so I see this is a line through holland luxembourg, France and Spain .We are bound to deviate from this . It will happen due to the crazily unpredicatable nature of our transportation. There are many variable characters whizzing down a motorway. I hope most are benign, I hope some are generous enough to offer a lift to another petrol station. Luck on our side and some self belief , we can surely make quick progress . But good luck has its storms and we must remain vigilant and informed as we move through France and Spain.This opportunity will be a way to take the bull by the horns and confront our difficulties on the road. It feels like such a wholesome means of travel and having not hitched before I am expecting to gain a useful perspective and some good travelling tips for subsequent adventures.

This adventure is actually the brainchild of Link Community development . http://www.lcdinternational.org/england_wales/hitch.htm. The idea to get University students to raise 375 quid each to enable them to hitchike down to eirher Morrocco or Croatia is a great idea , clearly targeting fertile minds with innovative fundraising ideas .It seems to be paying off as every year more students take on teh challenge of this hitchike which allows you a lot of freedom to travel europe on your own steam , with your uni mates at your own pace and have a laugh . But what is the basic incentive of this organisation? Well these people support African schools in Ghana, Uganda and South Africa . They negotiate with education ministers and initiate wide scale change to the education system . They aim to get parents more involved with their child’s learning, provide the necessary staionary and resources for the learners, reduce school drop outs , bump up test scores and this kind of thing. For me this organisation is quality , growing in size and achieving change for good .It is hardwork but ultimately very rewarding to raise money and hitchike in support of this cause. Me , Harry and sam , the hitchiker have raised a fair bit so far . Still some way to go but our fundraising activity has thus far included , parading around Liverpool town centre in respective African animals costumes (Me a chimpanzee, Harry a Lion and Sam a giraffe).We raised almost 200 pounds doing this and entertained a few kids , made idiots of ourselves and laughed till we hurt , all day. If you want to throw us a bit of cash , it would be greatly appreciated. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/atlasleaders

To exploit all of Morrocco’s dynamism we hope to have a while there and to gather advice along the way .I am a couchsurfer and through this I  have been offered by many many a Morroccan space for three in their house when we get there , such warmth radiates from the country already. I am expecting sensory overload and this is what we all want I am sure. I want the feeling I have achieved a goal , met the charty target in fundraising and destination and developed my social skills through meeting so many lifters (my word for  the drivers) through hitching. Marrakesh may bne the destination of choice as I am sure many other hitchers will find their morrocco stereotype fullfilled along with the chance to explore bazaars, riyadhs and morroccan architecture feeling like mini conquerers.

I am almost ready to go . I am planning on taking my laptop so blog entries will be (fingers crossed ) frequent , that is if I refrain from letting it sink into the sands of the Sahara .

28

Brief records made in the rainforest : Archive

Below are some entries from my time spent in The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in Peru in June/July 2011. I just found these lurking and thought I would share to reconstruct my lifestyle a bit on the expedition. I went with Operation Wallacea. A biodiversity managment and wildlife conservation effort. I went to observe capuchin monkeys and that I did in the end .

25th June

So after the 10 days of life altering madness , i have mangaed to spare uno momento to record my thoughts and reflections on what has been occuring in el Peru. So today is Sunday , and i am waking just like i could in England with a slight hangover and a bad chest. Last night on the Pithecia boat party i was offered a banana leaf and cinnamon cigarette which is a local , Iquitos speciality. The reason for the hangover is a result of theconsumption of the rest of my rum ration which i consumed last night , rum which i bought in the little grocery store in Iquitos.

The party was pretty banging and everyone was well up for expending some energy, having a drink , relaxing and socialising. It’s what we crave , really , time for interaction and time to show our affection for the people around us. The Cocama/ Peruvian guidettes , ( i will call them that because some are students, some are aides to the guides and some are just aboard the boats for maintenance )really know how to have a good time. They also possess a beautiful natural rhythm expressing passion through dance. They are warm , friendly , happy people who are so grateful if u speak some Spanish that they are infinitely patient with you and they just put you at ease. The sun here is very strong all year round. They have a distinctly Peruvian, Amazonian features. They are good looking people for definite .

I am feeling that the slow pace of life here and the upbeat attitude of mostly everyone is adding to my sense of calm. I most definitely feel I can take on the rest of my trip, attack it in fact and really anchor myself within Peruvian lifestyle. As a volunteer I can take it relatively easy and not take things too seriously . I have read up on the monkeys here and make active efforts to record data about them .I think I should try to devise a simple research question surrounding the  time of day i see a monkey , where it is and whether or not it is using territorial calls. But i will wait until i do terrestrial transect tomorrow to think about whether that is possible.

But returning to the simple lifestyle being beneficial. It is because u feel yourself focusing much more, levels of distraction are much less and there is far more scope for learning and cultural absorption because you apply yourself more entirely. The lack of facebook and (now i see -all its attached triviality) is very constructive. Certain truths are pressing on me, they need to be addressed because they  have been swept under the carpet before, to my detriment . Issues of how people use the internet as a vice, an addiction , a dependency and a direction and there needs to be limits imposed  as to exploiting the internet drug .I want to promote the idea  of  finding one’s own path and to  learn through your own experiences for a while and to then start using the internet with a fresh mind  . I have rediscovered the delicate nuances of conversation and the way real, social chat is so rewarding. The more I talk as well, the more i realise my socialising potential and the better i am at communicating my ideas. I think the lack of talk in reality has pushed me , to reculsive , inhibited ways which i am now stepping out of . I am shedding my modern British skin and emerging ready to be different , embrace change , develop , grow .It feels refreshing . It is all helped by the oxygen content of the air and my imagination , meaning i use what some would call a meditiative technique of thinking that every toxin in my skin , body , memory is being oxidised and released from my system . Yes , admittedly I smoked last night , i drank rum , but i do not feel bad , it was just another experience and it made me realise that Peru is everything and more that I had foreseen .

Sometimes i feel myself dwelling in that comfort bubble which we construct in our modern society and we don’t acknowledge readily . It is most definitely there and one constructs it on the move as a shield to the unknown and the scary . I like to think of the bursting of that bubble and the plunge when you do something which falls outside of what is comfortable to you. It leaves you feeling fresh , innovative and proud of yourself . The plunge pool of opportunity. To jump or not to ? Theres risk yes , but that’s how we evolve.

Having just had a breakfast of plantains and rice , I feel myself adapting to the simple diet and it suits me .  Far more fulfilling than the crap we fill ourselves with. It is truly disgusting the excesses and overkill with confectionary in the UK. Since when did WHSmith turn into a sweet shop? Aspartame society was biting down hard in Heathrow airport and then the contrast was provided with this oxygen rich air of the Amazon of which i took a long large breath in . What a contrast! This is what makes things exiting for me, it floods my brain with freshness.

The transects I have taken part in thus far have been in collaboration with Kent University students. They started with the Macaw transects which is boat based . We count and record the passing macaws ,azul y amarillo, rojo y verde etc etc, as they move between nesting sites. It’s pretty funny with the banter flying too. It’s a simple yet rewarding task and I enjoy chatting to the scientist Miguel who I think finds my Spanish highly amusing. I then had the forest birds transect which aims to capture bird species in boom nets and retrieve them and identify and analyse them. It was good to actually venture into the forest and to explore the interior. Coco and Karen were the guides and i managed to speak some Spanish with Karen. I don’t understand how the Peruvians remain seemingly unbitten where a white lightweight English girl gets bitten to within an inch of her life. The horrifying result was terribly bitten legs the next day which had gone unnoticed until i decided to check them out, which I had not done due to the sheer terror of finding I was bitten and the flood of paranoia about the host of virulent diseases possible from this .It was somewhat disconcerting to feel they have got to you even though you thought you were well prepared , it further enforces that insects rule all here. The mosquitoes are so abundant amongst the trees, but they really do swarm around still humans measuring birds wings. No respect.

The roots on many of the bulkier, taller trees, start high up the trunk and resemble stilts, to accommodate for the water level change , the rain continues to fall and it falls bloody heavily. This particular morning of the transect, it was raining causing us to turn back. The forest was dripping , freshened and everything was shining with life, the life blood of the forest flowing . It felt so enlivening to be soaked and to feel that you are personally growing from this shower just like the trees do. Afterwards I was soaked through, thoroughly bitten and encrusted in mud. Times were hard after this day and as I retired back to the Nutria, which was situated closest to the jungle I felt that comfort was a long way away and adaptation was the name of the game. I already know I am becoming desensitized , as I recall the first time in the Nutria , I crouched under my mosquito net and awoke in fear as i thought mosquitos were surrounding me in the night  . I feared their bites, I feared the creatures I had heard so much about and the diseases they carried. Now, that fear has definitely subsided but there are still elements of the expedition I am dealing with in my own way which i find difficult.

1. Not talking to my family at all. At day 7 on the Clavero there is surprisingly little emotional unrest at this fact.

2.Adhering to pretty rigid rules.

3. No luxury in food

4. After a week , no alchohol left .

5.Inactivity when not on transect.

6. Feeling caged .

7. Constant social interaction .

8. Keeping a level head and sense of humour

9. Thoughts of unworthiness.

What is quite remarkable about existing in this isolation is the social dynamic of the group and how it is so influential upon your health. You can feel so accomplished, mature and clever and then suddenly your confidence is crushed and you feel stood on. Thoughts enter the scene like , wow , this is way above me , thoughts like , I don’t have the power to pull myself through this or talk to this person . Sometimes things are so good you feel you could go on living like this indefinitely and sometimes are so hard that you just have to grin and bear it and endure pain . I am hoping this experience will toughen me up. I realise how weak I actually am in this environment . I am tested. Chances are there for the taking. Take them!

26th

To learn Spanish will no doubt enrich my travel experience . It is steadily coming along because I am able to talk to the Peruvians on board the boats and participating in the transects. Tonight , me , Jenny , Anna and Robin had a nice little Spanish session . Tommorrow i have terrestrial transects in the morning. I am looking forward to this because I can see the primates i have been needing to see to validate my trip here. Tonight, dinner was a dry, boring spaghetti with tomato ketchup . The cuisine served up is actually really good normalmente and its a surprise when considering how few resources are stocked up on the ship. The best dinner so far was that on the night of the 25th where there was chips, rice and onion loveliness.

27th June

Tonight socializing was big .The characters on the Clavero , with Opwall are so interesting and it is amazing how well u get to know them after a week.  We all sat in the ‘living room’ after dinner and chilled , and chatted and appreciated everything and laughed and times are good. Tonight, I have had thoughts about what i am going do on my  return to Lima . I shall endeavor to formulate some kind of plan so I can stay safe and also get some serious high altitude , high exertion plans running to get the blood flowing . Tonight, I have enjoyed the banter on the boat and just having the freedom to choose which transect I want to participate in. I decided on fish for tomorrow as I will make some notes about the species and my experience. I may ask Graham if i can use his fish pictures for my article . I can write this article while here I suppose but maybe after like 3 fish transects.

This morning i only just managed to get on terrestrial transect as I overslept and didn’t bring out a data sheet. But regardless it was nice and chilled ,no pressure and James the one who is doing his dissertation on primates is quiet and pretty chilled so I will try to sign up for terrestrial whenever possible .Today we saw many squirrel monkeys. The walking pace was slow but it was cool to go and check out the trees of the forest which are like huge organic barges with sheet like roots and some look-a-like teepees with spines . When you enter in, the further you go the more humid , sticky, close and opressive it is. I feel like I have acclimatized a fair amount after 8 days but it has been raining pretty badly for 4 days now.

I m enjoying my time here since we have been moved into Richard Bodmers old room which is easily the best room on the Clavero . It is so comforting and amazing to be in relative comfort that you feel in such a great mood. So not looking forward to living on the Potasia in 8 bed dorms of basico, sticky , mozzy netted craziness.

28th

Wake up around 6 and Rosie knocks the curtain pole off the window. I play a bit of Bob Dylan on the old ipod and get ready for fishing. Banana smoothie,maize thing for breakfast. Fishing consisted of me catching 6 shuyo , the only fish caught .We also caught a Mata Mata – a very odd looking terrapin/ turtle which had a triangular head and tiny, tiny eyes.It was so funny when we tracked it down , we were collecting the huge nets from the flooded forest and it was like understory tracking, sniper stuff in a canoe. The guides were being hilarious .It was memorable stuff.

At 3.30pm we went for the second round of fishing and i had 2 cigarettes because i felt really hungry having only had scant lunch .So we set out , no rod catches but when we ventured into t his ‘lost world’ flooded forest. It is so dingy under the canopy.

29th

Terrestrial transect in the afternoon .There seems to be some kind of cold front as the sky is completely cloudy and there is drizzle occassionally .

Wine Stain on the Notepad

So March is definately blooming. The crocii and jonquils in Wavertree park were nodding hello to me this morning on my run and I mimic that motion in greeting you to my second blog post.

This Sunday evening my beam of focus was upon the completion of a particularly testing essay. It is testing because it is not comfortable ; the subject matter pokes, teases and mocks me because of its complexity . The subject is the placement of Upper Paleolithic humans within paleoclimatic reconstructions and how Neanderthals and Gravettian people may have responded to their local environment .IOW What they were faced with when emerging from the bone constructed shelter at dawn and how this environment determined how they cadged their morning ‘bacon’.

The polishing of this essay was boring me to tears and I was getting nowhere fast so I decided to vacate the library and sit on my baby samsung netbook and drink wine . This tuned out to be an interesting decision . Firstly because i had memories of some ‘pioneer of cool’ person outrageously claiming ‘ to get pissed while doing your essay means to get a first’ and secondly because I genuinely was THAT bored and had a bottle of wine chilling . It all culminated in me being rather tipsy which later gave way to me feeling positively flu like and immobille and pathetic .I binged on poetry , felt guilty for not writing the essay , tweeted , self deprecated , thought about the essay , drank some more and tweeted.  Procrastination can be so productive but not for me tonight.

First Post

I am here.

This is what I am saying in this photo.

I have decided to start a blog because I am inspired by my friend Adam who I study alongside . He is a dude and cool and has a blog  worth a look.http://evoanth.wordpress.com/ He is quickly becoming a skilled orator of evolutionary anthropology and  its pressing issues . I feel that I could do it too however .Et voila  . I want to practice my writing because its sort of important as I am quickly realising there is  need to write essays like a loon on a very broad , wide , expansive level . I also like to ramble on about things and go into profound detail sometimes inappropriately . I like to address big issues , partly the reason I am studying anthropology . This being a very broad subject which suits my philosophical disposition well .Sometimes you can become enshrouded in contemplation about certain aspects of what it mean to be a human and it can turn into quite the obsession. Obsession is helpful in learning  and is a very pure way of achieving a good degree .I am doing this because I am a traveller , a bit of a nomad and I think I want to write about my adventures now . At 22 I am ready to share it all in this technological sharing climate . I will siphon it all out like Dumbledore at the pensive whether people read my trash or not .

Evolutionary anthropology is quite an odd degree title . This is evident on your trip to get milk , the friendly scouse checkout girl will never have heard of it , nor will the postman , your driving instructor may give you the odd stab in the dark about its meaning and your school mates may chastise you for picking such an obscure degree with no visible job prospects at the end. These are all reason to like this degree. It is offbeat, independant , something to customise .I have tried to do just this. I have because I have found it to be hard to pin down as a pure discipline . Even if I have been close to this there is always tangents to spiral off on .

Travel is not just what I do (a lot) , it is my attitude and it is me .I am a collector of passport stamps , of countries visited , of capital cities trivia , of  other peoples adventures , of travel novels, of lonely planet guides , of tacky souvenir and mementos and of course photographs . I have lived in New zealand , I have lived in France , both times were pretty lonely (due to the fact I am usually an independant traveller or settler) but these experiences were of importance . I have travelled to a fair few places in Europe and south america, I go to Amsterdam a lot , I have a diaspora of international friends with plans to visit them.

I like people -the obvious reason for my anthropological travel.I The reason for this is I really enjoy talking , sometimes talking about preposterous crap .I like posing the following …. Conversation is an art ,discuss .Well….through experiences and reading you adopt new vocab and the ability tp throw out, project words and see the effect upon the listener. It is a very creative social process is language . If you have a penchant for creative language use like Stephen Fry then conversation can become your masterpiece . Our unique adaptive ability to communicate in word formations and sequences , expletives, stanzas , ballads is only something to be exploited and celebrated. Use for your benefit, for the recipients benefit, for the benefit of the whole room. I like linking my studies on ‘The evolutuion of language ‘ to previous ideas I have had and just applying evolutionary thought to everyday situations.

The photo above is me jumping between the ‘ojos del salar’ , the Eyes of the Salt flat, near Uyuni in Bolivia . It sort of illustrates this little egotistical intro blog .  My degree and the people I meet will be the core and content of this  .I intend also to systematically introduce a wider audience to the extraordinary characters I come into contact with,  personalities around me are  my  inspiration and my fascination, behaviourally , evolutionarily and probably just for the banter.