Easter Island Eclipse Trek - Day 3

HER NAME WAS LOLA, SHE WAS A SHOWGIRL

July 6th, 2010
Once again we woke to picture perfect weather; it seems that in Bolivia, blue skies and mild temps abound. Well, at least during our stay they did. And we were getting used to the altitude, too! The day was getting better by the second. And just when I thought it couldn't be more perfect, it improved - our missing luggage arrived. I was on my way to the hydrofoil (late as usual) when I heard the news about our bags. I immediately retrieved my belongings and ran back to the room to deposit them. Now much later than before, I hoofed it to the boat. Ivan was waiting dockside, beckoning me to hurry aboard. I climbed in and apologized to the others for being tardy. But for once it wasn't me that held up proceedings; one or two others made us wait so they could change clothes. Once everyone was in they took a head count. There were 8 fewer of us than previous outings. But today that was expected.

A family from Netherlands was part of our group but they elected to skip this excursion. They had bigger fish to fry. They had arranged to have our uber-talkative tour guide take them into La Paz for the day. This newly formed group was headed to a bar to watch the World Cup semi-final match between Netherlands and Uruguay. The family had arrived in La Paz prior to the group's arrival on the 4th and found a bar with other Dutch folks. They agreed to meet up there again with their compatriots for the semi-final match. About 200 Dutch, all decked out in orange shirts and jerseys, crowded into the little cantina. So in essence, about half the population of Netherlands was there.

Meanwhile, back on the hydrofoil...

The rest of us were gliding across the indigo waters of Lake Titicaca bound for a few islands. Our first stop: Copacabana. When we arrived in the port, I couldn't help but think we'd been somehow magically transported to a Mediterranean isle. The harbor was chock-a-block with multi-colored fishing and recreational boats. The hillsides sported colorful terraced homes and a large white anchor dominated the main dock. We weren't scheduled to be there long so we had to hustle to see the sights. Of course, everything was uphill from the harbor. I was huffing and puffing for the first 20 minutes as we climbed toward the local cathedral. Guess I wasn't as acclimatized as I thought...

Once away from the harbor, which is home to the Bolivian Navy, the streets lost their Mediterranean feel. Our surroundings were now more a stereotype of some nondescript South American country. It was as though we'd walked onto a movie set. It was kind of surreal. Our pathway finally leveled out and we were in the heart of town. There we visited the Basilica de Virgen de la Candelaria, which houses the statue of La Virgen de Candelaria (The Dark Virgin of the Lake). The basilica is a blindingly white Moorish-styled cathedral that is considered the most important pilgrimage stop in all of Bolivia. Daily Benedicions de Movildades (blessings of automobiles) take place on the street in front. To get to the cathedral we waded through numerous vehicles (buses, cars, and trucks) all decked out by their owners with flower garlands, flags, and ribbons.

Also on the street are flocks of vendors selling little trinkets of seemingly random objects, but in miniature; cars, play money, houses, diplomas, soccer balls, and so much more. The items are purchased and then brought into the basilica so that they may be blessed. If you want a new car, you have a miniature blessed. If you want to do well in school, you have a mini diploma blessed, and so on. Times are definitely tough as evidenced by the number of people buying trinkets to be blessed. Of course there are also the usual touristy things for sale in town, but away from the cathedral. It was fun strolling the streets and checking out all the t-shirts that emulated well-known brand name products, but with a twist.

We returned to the hydrofoil and set out for our next stop: The Temple Of The Virgins on Isla de la Luna (Island of the Moon). Access to the island from the boat was via a rickety wooden dock that even Indiana Jones would hesitate to cross. Once safely on land we had to, you guessed it, climb more stairs! These were earthen switchbacks lined with stone. From the lake to the temple we probably hiked up 100 ft (30m) vertically. It doesn't sound like much, but when you're already at 13,000+ ft (3900+ meters) in altitude and struggling to breathe, those extra few feet can be daunting. Of course, it doesn't help one's ego when little women who are probably 60 years old practically jog past you on the incline so they can sell you their wares at the temple site.
(Aymara woman selling necklaces on Isla de la Luna)

The temple itself was very modest. By the looks of it I would guess that it hadn't been used in centuries. The architecture bore a striking resemblance to the temple at Tiwanaku. The site wasn't very large and we could walk up to it but not go inside, so we didn't spend that much time there. Most of the stay was used up haggling with the women selling necklaces. Compared to Copacabana, Isla de la Luna was quite primitive. The only other structure we saw was a single home, though we didn't go very far on the little postage stamp-sized island. The view from the temple was breathtaking; at your feet was the lake, and beyond it were snow-capped mountains.

Once more we dared to cross the rickety dock and board our trusty lake steed, the Sun Arrow. We chugged over to our third and final island for the day, Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun). There we had lunch on a grassy terrace at "Uma Kollu", an 'Archeological Restaurant'. If you wanted lunch, you had to climb. This time it was even steeper and higher than the temple at Isla de la Luna. I'm not the only one who about collapsed into a chair when we arrived. Though the food and service made up for the strenuous hike to get there. Here, too, I felt I was out of place and time; with the linen-covered tables and cloth umbrellas overhead, the setting was almost French in nature. Yet the view conflicted with that feeling; between the surrounding pine trees you could catch glimpses of the lake below and the distant snowy mountains. It was all very alpine, yet not, at the same time.

When lunch was over we had the option of proceeding directly back to the boat or to hike even further uphill to see the local 'Fountain of Youth'. A few elected to hike back down and wait at the boat. My thinking was I was rested, fed, and watered, and I had come all that way, so I may as well go for broke and see everything I could, altitude be damned. The hike up was beautiful. A little gurgling stream flowed alongside the stone and earthen trail. One of my fellow travelers and I took turns encouraging each other as we huffed and puffed our way uphill. We took frequent stops along the path to let others pass us by. And then finally we reached our destination - the Fountain of Youth.

It wasn't at all what I expected.

I thought it would be really flashy and showy like the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Like maybe the local artisans carved stone sculptures around it to honor its multiple blessings of abundant health, yada yada yada. Nope. It wasn't all like that. It was simply a stone wall with two U-shaped troughs sticking out and a square catch basin below. Okay, so Bolivians are masters of the subdued and understated. Several in the group joked about drinking the water. Only one did; a teenager traveling with his mom. The trip was his high school graduation present. He took a sip or two of the water. And he was mildly sick for the next two days.

On the boat I spoke with an elderly woman from the group who was traveling with her daughter. "Didn't you want to see the fountain?" I asked her.

"Nope. It isn't all that impressive. Besides, I've seen it before." Turns out she is an archaeologist.

I smiled at her. "Well, gee, thanks a lot. You could've saved me the hike if you knew it wasn't all that great."

She winked and gave me an evil grin. "Yeah, I could have..."

On the return trip across the lake to our hotel, I was transported yet again to another era. This time it felt like the 1950s. Several of the vessel's crew were crowded around a small transistor radio, straining to hear the World Cup game through tons of static (and vuvuzelas). I went up and joined them at their spot right behind the captain to hear the outcome firsthand. I didn't understand half of what the announcers said, but I knew when a goal was scored by the cheers and screams of both the crowds and the announcers.

After the game I spoke at length with a new tour guide who had joined us for this part of the journey. He pointed out the distant mountains that lay ahead of us and explained how barren they looked. "Officially," he said, "the government claims that 40% of the snow and glaciers have been lost to global warming. I've lived here all my life. I grew up on the lake. I'd say it's more like 50% is gone. When I was a child in school we were taught about the 'perpetual snows', but that's all changed in my lifetime. Most of it has disappeared in the last two or three years." (View of Isla de La Luna, as seen from Isla del Sol)

The Dutch family rejoined us in the hotel's restaurant while we were having dinner. They came in whooping and cheering. Their beloved team had beat Uruguay 3 - 2. They were moving on to the final game to vie for the World Cup. Only one problem though... the final match was to take place at the same time as the eclipse! They were totally conflicted about what to do: somehow find a place on Easter Island that would be open and showing the game, OR watch the eclipse and find a replay of the game online later and hope no one spoiled the outcome for them.

After dinner we were given the opportunity to visit a local witch doctor who spent some of his time living in the eco-village next door to the hotel. First we sat through a presentation about the importance of witch doctors and coca in Bolivian culture. Then we went over to his place and sat with him. Our visit started with him greeting us in his language, Aymara, which was then translated for us by Ivan. I have to say, the witch doctor was a real showman. As soon as Ivan finished translating, the witch doctor flicked his hand toward the fireplace near him and a giant ball of flame roared out.

Soon he began fielding questions from our group, and using coca leaves, do fortunetelling. The leaves have both light and dark sides. He'd flip about a dozen in the air one-at-a-time. Light side up was good, and dark side up not so good. Their position and coloring were used to read fortunes. Pretty cool experience to sit in on and watch. And that was how we ended our final night at Lake Titicaca. The following morning we'd be leaving the lake and the Alti-Plano behind.

Easter Island Eclipse Trek - Day 2

GATEWAY OF THE SUN

July 5th, 2010
The first day of the tour was pretty grueling. With the flights from L.A. to Miami to Bolivia and then touring all day shortly after arriving, I was up for nearly 36 hours straight. By late afternoon the combination of sleep deprivation and altitude took its toll - I thought I was going to be sick. I had 2 or 3 cups of coca tea to alleviate the affects of altitude. Dinner and a shower did wonders, though the coca tea made me feel twitchy when I crawled into bed.

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Roommate Jeff loaned me a clean shirt for the day's activities as my luggage (as well as that of about 6 or 7 others) did not arrive in La Paz with us on the 4th. The beds in our hotel room were small, just like the people of Bolivia. I'm 6' tall and Jeff is about 6'2". I don't think the beds were designed with large Westerners in mind. Our "Inca-sized" beds became a running joke for the duration of the trip; even with our heads up against the headboards, our feet still dangled over the ends of the beds. Between that and both of us snoring, it was like something out of a Three Stooges routine.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant included our choice of toast, fresh fruit, eggs (with or without bacon or ham), mango juice, orange juice, coffee, regular tea, and coca tea. The coffee served in Bolivia is strong, and I mean strong. It's black as pitch, and unlike its North American cousin served in diners, dense enough that light will not pass through it. I've never seen coffee so black! Only a small amount is served, (about 1/2 the size of a shot of espresso), which is in turn thinned with milk or hot water. Even then there is not enough to fill an 8oz coffee cup. From what Ivan our guide told me it's still quite potent after having been diluted.

After breakfast we slathered ourselves with sunblock, donned our broad-brimmed hats**, and grabbed our cameras and daypacks in preparation for a long trip to see the ancient temples of Tiwanaku (pr: TEA-juan-AH-coo). The bus trip took us back through El Alto, but it was a smoother and quicker since it was Monday and there were fewer farmers markets to contend with. Even so it was about a 90 minute ride to the temple complex.

Tiwanaku greeted us with pristine azure skies and a gentle warm breeze. We started our visit there by heading into a museum for a short talk about the history of the region and the temple complex. Another guide joined us for this portion of the trip. Compared to quiet little Ivan, this guy was a talker! Boy could he talk. And talk. Ivan took 5 minutes and gave a good explanation of what we were to see, then his fellow guide jumped in. This guy went on for about 10 to 15 minutes; people got fidgety and started shifting their weight from one foot to the other as they waited to see it all first-hand instead of hearing about it.

After what seemed like forever we stepped back outside and crossed through the barbed-wire fence surrounding the temple complex. At first there wasn't much to see, then Ivan pointed out a low hill nearby, a portion of the complex that for centuries had been mistaken for part of the geography of the region. This was the temple called Akapana, which has barely begun to be excavated.

There wasn't much there in the way of structures. To be certain, these were ancient ruins dating back to AD 500 - 1000. Most of what we saw were block walls that made up the base of what once was. Even so, it was still quite impressive. Compared to some tourist destination like Disneyland, the complex at Tiwanaku is relatively small. What makes it so fascinating (besides the cultural aspect) is the detail of its construction. Using only crude tools, they somehow managed to cut and place stones with extreme precision.

And not only were they skilled builders, they were amazing artisans. Their handiwork was all around us. The first evidence of this we encountered was The Gateway Of The Sun, (aka The Sun Gate) situated in an open temple called Kalasasaya. The exact purpose of the stone archway is not known, though it is believed that part of it represents a calendar. Across its face are 48 carvings of winged figures, some with human faces and some with condor heads. Considering their age and the weathering brought on by such a harsh environment, they have held up well.

We turned our backs on the Sun Gate and moved to the far end of Kalasasaya. There we were met by a large stone sculpture known as "El Fraile" (The Friar). In a vague and creepy way it reminded me of Gort from "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (from the classic 50s version with Michael Rennie). Once again I couldn't help but to be in awe of the skill of the carvers. From a distance the surface of the monolith looks smooth. But with each step closer it became more obvious that it was covered in small detailed carvings from head to toe.

At the end of Kalasasaya furthest from the Sun Gate there are a series of steps carved from a single piece of red stone, leading down to another temple. Spanning the steps is a large stone arch. A string of barbed wire is there to prevent visitors from using the stairs. We used another, less impressive, smaller set of steps on the south side of the temple instead. The temple beside Kalasasaya is interesting because it is sunken in the ground. This was used as part of their worship of the moon.

The walls of this special square pit were lined with ruddy stones. Every few feet small carved heads protruded from the face of the walls. They were all about the same size, though their color was frequently lighter, making them really stand out from their surrounds. If you positioned yourself in the right spot near the center of the pit, Gort was nicely framed in the verbotten arch.

Next stop at the complex was the large hill. Not much is known about it other than that it was designed to collect water in a large pool in its center. Lining the top of the hill around the pool are several large roughly rectangular stones. It has been discovered that they have special qualities that prevent compasses from pointing north. Each stone makes the compass point somewhere else.

After visiting the complex we went to a nearby restaurant. The tour company prepared us box lunches, but worked out a deal in advance with a local restaurant. We were allowed to eat our meal of cold fried chicken in the restaurant. The owners of the establishment did this in the hopes we'd buy drinks there. Everyone was happy to oblige and bought sodas, bottled water (sin gas), and in some cases, beer.

Lunch was followed by a trip to another archaeological site: Puma Punku. It was nowhere near the size of Tiwanaku, but nevertheless it was impressive for the precision of their interlocking stones. When we had our fill of Puma Punku we boarded our bus and were taken back to the museum. It was there that Ivan said something that made my ears prick up. And mine weren't the only ones. I could immediately pick out the science fiction fans in our group. They were the ones with their heads cocked slightly to one side, straining to hear what Ivan was saying. He was pointing to a sort of framed doorway made of stone - this was the Star Gate.

When Ivan said "Star Gate", I felt a tingle go down my spine. Unlike its circular cousins in the TV series and movies of the same name, this one did not have special markings on its surface. Nor did a big glowing swoosh of water erupt from it. Though there was what looked like a DHD sitting nearby as part of the display. Ivan was a little confused at the reaction some of us had over hearing its name mentioned, but then he'd never heard of the movies or shows.

We then moved to another part of the museum that gave the impression of stepping into an indoor amphitheatre. In the center of the dimly lit room was another carved monolith, but this one easily dwarfed The Friar in the Kalasasaya courtyard. It had to be at least 20ft in height. And like The Friar, it has what appear to be two left hands, though no one knows for sure why they were carved in this fashion.

Our group was ushered back to our waiting bus for the ride back to our lakeside hotel. Once we arrived there we had some free time before dinner. I was still feeling a little woozy from the thin air at altitude so I asked for oxygen at the front desk. I took in the allowed 5 minutes worth, which only took the edge off the symptoms.

After dinner we traipsed through the dark to a small thatch-roofed building, not much larger than a two-car garage. Inside were rows of wooden benches. Once we were all situated we were treated to a DVD presentation about astronomy and southern constellations. As the show came to an end, the roof of the building slid out of the way to reveal a night sky dominated by the brilliant trail of the Milky Way.

Outside a few telescopes were set up to let us get closer views of stars, planets, galaxies, and nebulae. The skies were dark and gorgeous, allowing us unparalleled astronomical viewing. That left me with a smile on my face as I crawled into bed.

**We'd been warned beforehand that at extreme altitudes such as we experienced, the UV is quite high and potentially dangerous, hence the excess sun protection.

CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO DAY ONE

Easter Island Eclipse Trek - Day 1

THE HIGHEST ELEVATOR IN THE WORLD

July 4th, 2010
Traveling is vastly easier than it used to be. Early explorers had to spend months, even years securing funding from wealthy patrons, then picking and hiring crews, and ultimately pack shiploads of supplies for their grand voyages. Today, if you're lucky and can scrimp and save enough, you can get online and find the vacation destination of your choice and be there in as little as a few days. With the world at our fingertips and so many destinations to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down your options. Me? I like to play a game of Cosmic Roulette and let Nature decide where I'll be traveling next. And in July 2010, that is how I came to be riding in "The Highest Elevator In The World".


I've centered my last few major vacations around something magical that happens in a tiny fraction of our skies; a grand celestial dance of light and shadow involving the Earth, moon, and sun. It occurs when the moon slips between the other two bodies, and for a few glorious moments, eclipses the sun. It is quite astonishing to see. For a short time, day becomes night, stars and planets appear in the daytime sky, and most phenomenal of all, there is what appears to be an infinitely black hole in the sky ringed by fiery white light. Then before you know it, it's over. And you are planning a trip to see the next one, wherever that may take you.

My most recent journey was a dream come true. It combined several things at once - My love of travel, my enthusiasm for astronomy and photography, and visiting some place I've wanted to go since I first heard about it as a child: Easter Island. The trip also got me that much closer to completing a travel goal: To set foot on all 7 of the world's continents. (Traveling to South America has put me on 5 continents. Only Asia and Antarctica to go.)

The first leg of the trip took me from Los Angeles to Miami. Due to delays, I nearly missed my connecting flight in Florida. When I got to the gate there was no one around, but the departure time printed on my ticket indicated I still had 15 minutes to spare. A woman came up the extendable causeway from the plane and saw me. She checked my boarding pass and passport then we ran down the ramp to the plane. She balled her hand into a fist and pounded on the plane's door until they opened up and let me in. As I crossed the threshold I did my usual pre-flight ritual: I patted the aluminum skin on the exterior of the jet alongside the open door, a gesture of my faith and trust in the vehicle that it will get me there alive and in one piece. (Since I began this ritual years ago, it has kept me safe 100% of the time.)

Miami disappeared into the distance as the plane headed southeast to Bolivia. Leg Two had begun. It was an uneventful flight (the best kind!) and we arrived at El Alto airport on the outskirts of La Paz just before sunrise. As people shuffled through the lines in customs, they spotted the familiar pink travel tags issued to us by Astronomical Tours, dangling on the bags of other travelers. It was our first introduction to the people with whom we'd be traveling for the next 2 weeks.

We'd arrived and made it through security, now came the next hurdle: the altitude. The majority of people on this trip had come from sea level and we were now standing at 13,325 feet (4061 m) above sea level. The air is much thinner and your body struggles to cope. It can take a few days to get acclimated, so a few things are offered to help lessen the effects, including doses of pure oxygen, coca tea (tea with small amounts of coca leaves) or dried coca leaves to chew on. Since we weren't acclimated yet, porters helped with our bags so we wouldn't keel over trying to do it ourselves.

Our local guide, Ivan, (pronounced EE-von) shepherded us into a large motorcoach and we were on our way! From Bolivia's Altiplano (high plain) we watched the sun rise over the snow-capped Andes and saw the city around us come to life. The bus ride to the hotel was about 90 minutes of awe and terror. It wasn't that the driver was fast or crazy, but every vehicle swerved, swayed, and honked as they made their way around. From what I could tell, the honking was the drivers' way of letting pedestrians, bicyclists, and cart vendors lining the streets know that if they stepped so much as an inch in the wrong direction, they'd be so much roadkill.

It was Sunday, so everyone was headed out to sell their wares, making the streets near impossible to navigate. People were sandwiched in minivans disguised as buses. Men and boys stood on top of buses and caught luggage tossed up to them for storage while traveling. Tiny women wearing large bowler hats and colorful woven shawls waddled from place to place. Stray dogs darted between cars, vendors, and pedestrians, and fought over scraps of garbage, while a few others napped in the early morning sun. The going was slow through El Alto, a lively and chaotic suburb of La Paz. But once we got through and were in the countryside, the driver was able to pick up the pace; there was less swerving, but still the occasional honk. We arrived at our hotel, the Inca Utama Resort, around 9am. After checking in I headed up to my room on the 2nd floor. Even though it wasn't very high up, Ivan still recommended I take the elevator which bore the gold plaque inside declaring its bit of infamy.

When I entered my hotel room I met Jeff, my roommate for the journey, for the first time. We hit it off instantly. A very funny guy from Kentucky who bears an uncanny resemblance to Brett Favre. Our stay in Bolivia was short, so no time was wasted lazing about. Not long after we checked in we clambored aboard one of the hotel's hydrofoils and cruised across the lake to a small village.

From there we went to Isla Chisawa, one of Lake Titicaca's Floating Islands, where we visited a family who lived there. Then it was back in the hydrofoil to the hotel where we had dinner in their restaurant. Earlier in the day we looked at the menu and signed up for that evening's selection. There was something for everyone. Among our options were fresh lake trout, llama, chicken, and vegetarian dishes. I opted for a llama steak. That was something special. It was so good, I had it again two nights later.

To see images from this trip, use this URL and click on the album "The Highest Elevator In The World".

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