Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The Chulumani Story Part One
I seemed to have lost my diary markings for this episode but I'll try my best to remember the events of my visit to Chulumani with Guy Powell, and English guy who I met on a mountain bike ride from La Cumbre to Coroico, often dubbed as the "World's Most Dangerous Road".
As I wrote before, I finished a previous GAP tour in La Paz and embarked then on this wild downhill ride into the Bolivian Yungas. After the trip, most of the cyclists decided to take the bus back to La Paz, leaving me, Guy and a german business student called Stefan sitting on a bench waiting for a promised transport to Coroico.
After a while, a girl from the shack-pretending-to-be-a-shop next to us waived us to get on a pick-up that had just arrived. We lugged our backpacks into the back and climbed after them, and soon found ourselves squeezed, standing in-between the village-going locals. The ride was fun: I enjoyed the breeze remembering the days back in East Africa where being squashed between commoners and their animals in a back of a truck without any cover from the rain nor the sun was a norm.
Just as we arrived in Coroico it started raining. Of the few possible options for a hostal we chose the closest one, Hostal Kory just right off the plaza. After checking our stuff in we headed for a burger and a beer in a nearby restaurant.
I'm not particularly a fan of Bolivian ale, the most popular one's - Paceña and Huari - having way too yeasty after-flavor for me. But Bock, the strongest beer available, is as good as any Finnish IV B lager.
The night was spent having few more beers and looking for a working internet. Local nightlife was found to be non-existent.
Next morning we got up reasonably early in order to hike to the nearby waterfalls. On breakfast by the plaza we could spot several afro-bolivian women sitting by the church wearing their bowler hats and polleras (the skirt of the Andean attire). A striking combination, result of the African slaves, who were brought to work in the Bolivian mines by the Spanish, intermixing with the local Quechuas and Aymaras. The Africans were later relocated to the Yungas to work in the plantations. Although most of the Afro-Bolivians are quite oblivious of their background, their music - the Saya - remains as a strong symbol of their unique culture.
The hike up to the waterfall started from the Calvario, a chapel overlooking the town and took around an hour and a half, on a narrow footpath snaking on the hillside through plantations and forest. Chuckling, we dubbed it 'The World's Most Dangerous Footpath' after a few dodgy parts where a slip might cost some broken bones.
To our disappointment, the waterfall was made ugly by a complex of concrete and tubing that provided the surrounding area with fresh water from the creek. So we turned back.
Arriving back in Coroico we left Stefan to catch his bus to La Paz and checked in in a french-owned hostal a notch away from town. There, looking at a map on the wall we realized that there were two more impressive waterfalls to be found, if we just had kept on going. Well, it was too late now, so we settled for a beer by the swimming pool with a beautiful view over Coroico.
There, browsing through the pages of Guy's Lonely Planet, we decided on the next destination: Chulumani. Well, my choice was either to head back to Lima, or to visit this place I'd never been before, so what the heck, I went for the latter. I could just as well spend a couple more days to explore the area when I've come this far.
to be continued soon.. (bedtime now)
As I wrote before, I finished a previous GAP tour in La Paz and embarked then on this wild downhill ride into the Bolivian Yungas. After the trip, most of the cyclists decided to take the bus back to La Paz, leaving me, Guy and a german business student called Stefan sitting on a bench waiting for a promised transport to Coroico.
After a while, a girl from the shack-pretending-to-be-a-shop next to us waived us to get on a pick-up that had just arrived. We lugged our backpacks into the back and climbed after them, and soon found ourselves squeezed, standing in-between the village-going locals. The ride was fun: I enjoyed the breeze remembering the days back in East Africa where being squashed between commoners and their animals in a back of a truck without any cover from the rain nor the sun was a norm.
Just as we arrived in Coroico it started raining. Of the few possible options for a hostal we chose the closest one, Hostal Kory just right off the plaza. After checking our stuff in we headed for a burger and a beer in a nearby restaurant.
I'm not particularly a fan of Bolivian ale, the most popular one's - Paceña and Huari - having way too yeasty after-flavor for me. But Bock, the strongest beer available, is as good as any Finnish IV B lager.
The night was spent having few more beers and looking for a working internet. Local nightlife was found to be non-existent.
Next morning we got up reasonably early in order to hike to the nearby waterfalls. On breakfast by the plaza we could spot several afro-bolivian women sitting by the church wearing their bowler hats and polleras (the skirt of the Andean attire). A striking combination, result of the African slaves, who were brought to work in the Bolivian mines by the Spanish, intermixing with the local Quechuas and Aymaras. The Africans were later relocated to the Yungas to work in the plantations. Although most of the Afro-Bolivians are quite oblivious of their background, their music - the Saya - remains as a strong symbol of their unique culture.
The hike up to the waterfall started from the Calvario, a chapel overlooking the town and took around an hour and a half, on a narrow footpath snaking on the hillside through plantations and forest. Chuckling, we dubbed it 'The World's Most Dangerous Footpath' after a few dodgy parts where a slip might cost some broken bones.
To our disappointment, the waterfall was made ugly by a complex of concrete and tubing that provided the surrounding area with fresh water from the creek. So we turned back.
Arriving back in Coroico we left Stefan to catch his bus to La Paz and checked in in a french-owned hostal a notch away from town. There, looking at a map on the wall we realized that there were two more impressive waterfalls to be found, if we just had kept on going. Well, it was too late now, so we settled for a beer by the swimming pool with a beautiful view over Coroico.
There, browsing through the pages of Guy's Lonely Planet, we decided on the next destination: Chulumani. Well, my choice was either to head back to Lima, or to visit this place I'd never been before, so what the heck, I went for the latter. I could just as well spend a couple more days to explore the area when I've come this far.
to be continued soon.. (bedtime now)
The 'World's Most Dangerous Road' seen thru a bus window. After finishing the mountain bike ride down this road and spending few days in Coroico, I headed with an english guy called Guy towards Chulumani, capital of the south Yungas.
The roads in the Yungas are constantly blocked by landslides during the wet season. We were lucky to arrive to this scene when most of the clearing had already been done.
The town of Chulumani perched on a hillside. It is a sleepier version of Coroico in the Bolivian Yungas, surrounded by coca-plantations and rainforest-covered hills. Perfect destination if you are a butterfly fanatic, fascinated by nazi secrets, or just looking for a quiet get-away.
A view of the balcony of the super-cozy 'Country House' hostel in Chulumani. Guaranteed 'home-away-from-home' feel, great breakfasts, an owner that besides being super-friendly, knows a lot about the surroundings and the local history, all in all a place that traps you to stay longer than you planned.
Klaus Barbie's house. Chulumani was the site of the 'Hotel Hamburg' - a facade for the secret operation of the Nazis for smuggling cocaine into Germany through Argentinian ports. The hotel was later demolished and it's existence denied until a new landowner found the buried swimmingpool.
Guy wondering if we should go any further. We were encouraged to walk into the stream and seek for a waterfall some few hundred meters up. The person in question most likely hadn't tried this in the wet season.
Guy and me near Chulumani, Bolivia. A rough hike up a waist-deep stream and through the rainforest took us to the source of the most-sought-for nosepowder of modern days. Right after taking this photo we took off very quickly after spotting movement in a nearby hut we first thought was empty.Visited embassy, ate a burger and bought a book
I decided today it's time for me to check what's the fuzz about the 'Da Vinci Code'. I couldn't find it in english after searching through bookstores yesterday so I got a pirate spanish version from a disabled streetseller for 30 soles. We'll see if I get ever get around it.. I still prefer reading in Finnish or English.
Before that we went to visit the embassy to fill another form in order to adquire Finnish nationality for Jasmine. The initial application was filed last October but had been lying around in office drawers until I went to ask if there has been any progress in January. They had forgotten to ask me to fill a certain form, and I was never notified about this. Now there was this other form. It looks like Jasmine will have to travel to Finland in June with a Peruvian passport as this nationality process most likely won't get anywhere before that.
I ate in Burger King for third day in a row. Must stop.
On the Trail of the Incas
I went to see the doctor today at the 'Solidarity Hospital' parked outside Chorrillos' 'Metro' supermarket. It's a hospital consisting of a dozen white well-equipped trailers donated by Luis Castañeda, the mayor of Lima who's running for presidency next year. The quality of service is actually much better than in any of the public hospitals or health centers ('postas') around.
And it was about time.. all who've spent time with me since last december have probably made remarks about me coughing all the time. Man.. I was already thinking that I've got tuberculosis and that's the first thing the doctor wanted to check as well. Fortunately, the x-rays showed that it wasn't the case. Now I'm again on antibiotics and hopefully this time I'll get rid of this damn cough.
After the lung check, I finally went and bought today 'The Conquest Of The Incas' by John Hemming, the standard reference for any scholar of the Inca history. I did this after reading Hugh Thomson's 'The White Rock: Exploration of the Inca Heartland' - a book given to me as a present by Susan, a dear member of my last tour group. I must say that reading the 'White Rock' changed the way I perceive the Vilcabamba region and the Inca Trail which to my shame I have to admit I haven't managed to do yet, and reawakened the interest I have in the exploration of this country and it's history. Suddenly I found myself grieving to learn and discover more which is funny because I was already starting to think that I've had enough of Perú and it could be time to move on. Now I can't wait to do The Inca Trail and all the other inca trails that exist: Choquequirao, Lares, Espiritu Pampa, Takesi Trail and more! I'm actually happy I will do the Trail after first reading about it properly and I recommend for anyone planning it to do the same.
This weekend we're planning to go to Huánuco for holidays with Silvia's cousin and her boyfriend. My 'Footprint' guide states that the Huallaga valley where it's located, "is the country's main coca-growing area, with both drug-trafficking and guerilla activity" and that the region should be avoided at the present. Well, the guidebook is four years old and fortunately lot of things have changed for the better. Yet, it's guaranteed to be void of any tourism, has some stunning scenery and also some of the oldest archaeological sites in South America, which haven't been even properly researched. I can't wait to go and explore!
And it was about time.. all who've spent time with me since last december have probably made remarks about me coughing all the time. Man.. I was already thinking that I've got tuberculosis and that's the first thing the doctor wanted to check as well. Fortunately, the x-rays showed that it wasn't the case. Now I'm again on antibiotics and hopefully this time I'll get rid of this damn cough.
After the lung check, I finally went and bought today 'The Conquest Of The Incas' by John Hemming, the standard reference for any scholar of the Inca history. I did this after reading Hugh Thomson's 'The White Rock: Exploration of the Inca Heartland' - a book given to me as a present by Susan, a dear member of my last tour group. I must say that reading the 'White Rock' changed the way I perceive the Vilcabamba region and the Inca Trail which to my shame I have to admit I haven't managed to do yet, and reawakened the interest I have in the exploration of this country and it's history. Suddenly I found myself grieving to learn and discover more which is funny because I was already starting to think that I've had enough of Perú and it could be time to move on. Now I can't wait to do The Inca Trail and all the other inca trails that exist: Choquequirao, Lares, Espiritu Pampa, Takesi Trail and more! I'm actually happy I will do the Trail after first reading about it properly and I recommend for anyone planning it to do the same.This weekend we're planning to go to Huánuco for holidays with Silvia's cousin and her boyfriend. My 'Footprint' guide states that the Huallaga valley where it's located, "is the country's main coca-growing area, with both drug-trafficking and guerilla activity" and that the region should be avoided at the present. Well, the guidebook is four years old and fortunately lot of things have changed for the better. Yet, it's guaranteed to be void of any tourism, has some stunning scenery and also some of the oldest archaeological sites in South America, which haven't been even properly researched. I can't wait to go and explore!
Jasmine's Diary
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Inca Empire Tour 29th Jan - 13th Feb
I've collected here few photos from my tour in the beginning of February with Anna, Glen, Michelle, Lene and Gerry. The trip was great, we did an alternative inca trail (also known as Hiram Bingham Trail after the famous "scientific" discoverer of Machu Piqchu, who followed this route) as the more common one was closed due to cleaning.
Also the Carnaval fell on these dates, so we had great fun in street battles against the local youth, armed with cans of compressed foam. I was able to dodge several buckets of water aimed at me.
Puno was also having it's Virgen de la Candelaria -festival so we joined in to dance amongst the scores of intoxicated Andeans while they slowly processed through the streets of Puno. The parade is the most striking of all of Perú, with a multitude of colourfully dressed groups from all around, and the night was spent watching them from the balcony of Ekeko's bar. Especially the drunken white gorillas were hilarious.
The trip finished in La Paz where we did a visit to the highest ski resort in the world, the Chacaltaya, and built two snowmen on top. Mine and Anna's was definitely better-looking, though Gerry and Glen's snowpimp boasted a Cuban cigar and a stony pecker (which eventually fell off).
After the trip was officially over, we (except for Anna who had a flight to catch) continued to Coroico on mountain bikes on the "world's most dangerous road". It was second time for me to do the ride but equally exhilarating. Glen was the only one to have an accident when we practically had already finished the ride: a sudden breaking threw him over leaving a nasty open wound.
Overall, it was great fun! After the guys went on, I decided to hang around for a while in Bolivia..
Also the Carnaval fell on these dates, so we had great fun in street battles against the local youth, armed with cans of compressed foam. I was able to dodge several buckets of water aimed at me.
Puno was also having it's Virgen de la Candelaria -festival so we joined in to dance amongst the scores of intoxicated Andeans while they slowly processed through the streets of Puno. The parade is the most striking of all of Perú, with a multitude of colourfully dressed groups from all around, and the night was spent watching them from the balcony of Ekeko's bar. Especially the drunken white gorillas were hilarious.
The trip finished in La Paz where we did a visit to the highest ski resort in the world, the Chacaltaya, and built two snowmen on top. Mine and Anna's was definitely better-looking, though Gerry and Glen's snowpimp boasted a Cuban cigar and a stony pecker (which eventually fell off).
After the trip was officially over, we (except for Anna who had a flight to catch) continued to Coroico on mountain bikes on the "world's most dangerous road". It was second time for me to do the ride but equally exhilarating. Glen was the only one to have an accident when we practically had already finished the ride: a sudden breaking threw him over leaving a nasty open wound.
Overall, it was great fun! After the guys went on, I decided to hang around for a while in Bolivia..
Monday, April 18, 2005
The Ara Ararauna (blue-and-gold macaw) with Gerry. This photo is from the campsite near Coroico after the "world's most dangerous road" downhill mountain biking that we did with the group after our tour was finished.
Gerry, Glen and Anna pose with the coolest member on the Tour.
I must have been a century since I've made a snow man last time. It's standing proudly on top of Mt. Chacaltaya (5.400m), Bolivia!
Chacaltaya ski centre (altitude 5300m) outside La Paz. The top of Chacaltaya is 100m higher, a quick 10-minute walk up. This is the highest point I've been so far in my life and breaking my previous record (4978m - Pt. Lenana on Mt. Kenya) so easily was kind of disappointing.. well I guess I just have to set my sights on Huayna Potosí (6.088 m) to have a more respectable record.
"Inca Empire" Tour (PEE01295) on Machu Piqchu. Anna (Australia), me, Maria Luisa - our guide, Lene and Gjermund (Norway), and Michelle and Glen (Australia).
A japanese monkish guy 'meditating' on top of Wayna Piqchu.
GAP Training Trip December 2004
Here's finally my some of my photos from our GAP Tour Leader Training Trip in Dec 2004. Our trainer was Robert Abramson, a trusted senior tour leader who did a great job! Other trainees besides me were "Cool" Eduardo and Roy "Towers" from Peru, Ida "Llamalove" from Canada and Natalia "La Ostia" from Spain
Forewords
Hey everyone!
My name is Jussi Soini and I'm a young Finnish guy with a heart for exploration, currently living abroad. This is my public diary containing events of my life. It's meant for anyone to read, although the main idea is to let my family-members and friends know what's going on in my life at given moment.
I'm writing often in english as many of my friends don't understand my native language (Finnish). Some parts I've chosen to write in Finnish because it allows me to use more colourful language making it more interesting and fun reading for the ones that understand.
At the time of writing I'm living in Lima, Peru with my fiancee Silvia and my daughter Jasmine, and working as a tour leader for GAP Adventures. I will keep posting my tour photos here for my pax as well so if you've been on my GAP tour, go on and have a look.
My name is Jussi Soini and I'm a young Finnish guy with a heart for exploration, currently living abroad. This is my public diary containing events of my life. It's meant for anyone to read, although the main idea is to let my family-members and friends know what's going on in my life at given moment.
I'm writing often in english as many of my friends don't understand my native language (Finnish). Some parts I've chosen to write in Finnish because it allows me to use more colourful language making it more interesting and fun reading for the ones that understand.At the time of writing I'm living in Lima, Peru with my fiancee Silvia and my daughter Jasmine, and working as a tour leader for GAP Adventures. I will keep posting my tour photos here for my pax as well so if you've been on my GAP tour, go on and have a look.
# posted by Jussi Soini @ 7:31 PM 
