Crissy VS. Mount Huayna Potosi, Day 1

            "THE EASIEST WAY TO SUMMIT A 6000 M PEAK!!", read the travel agent´s brochure. That was enough for me, it said easy!! I´d climbed a mountain before...and by climbed I mean walked up... to an altitude of 3128 meters in South Africa. Someone should have told me that "easiest way to climb a 6000m peak" and "easy" were not even close to the same thing.

A Sweedish boy named Nikolas convinced me to do it. We bonded over the survival of Death Road, and he told me about his plans to climb Mount Huayna Potosi over lunch. He asked me what I was doing for the next few days, and I told him I had some Spanish lessons planned, but that was it. He invited me to join him, and with my lack of fondness for the Spanish lessons, I gave it a thought. But I wasn´t sure...could I climb a 6088 meter mountain?? Then he said that line that gets me everytime, ¨well what have you got to lose?¨". I signed up at the travel desk after giving the brochure just a quick glance. Tomorrow I was off to conqure a mountain.

Of course from the begining, I had my doubts. I had arrived in La Paz, Bolivia just a few days before and was not entirely acclimatized to the 3700 m altitude. The travel desk reccomments that you should be in Bolivia for about 7 - 10 days before making the climb. I asked if it was hard, and of course the travel agent slash sales person said no, it was easy and it is the cold that gets most people. Well, being Canadian, and a Winnipegger at that, I told her that -15 C is not really that cold. She said I should have no problem then. I wish I had gotten those words on paper. I guess it also slipped my mind at the time, that I am pretty fat and out of shape right now. Even the hills in the city of La Paz were making me huff and puff. Well, too late, I was off to climb a mountain!!

We drove a rugged, twisty path up to base camp. The altitude here was 4700m. Already, I could feel my breath bcome heavier, just standing still. We ate some lunch, met the other climbers, a German girl, a skinny Brazillian boy, an annoyingly talkative Swiss boy, a couple of Belguim guys who looked like mountaineers, and then Nikolas, the Swede who had convinced me to be here, and me, a fat Canadian girl who hadn´t even seen a mountain until a few years ago. We certainly made an eccentric bunch!

We were shuffled into a little garage area. The guide began to unload his bag, pulling out snow suits, facemasks and elbow length mittens. Next he started pulling out the hard core mountaineering gear. Ropes, harnesses, headlamps, crash helmets, crampons and ice axes. This was my first clue I was in a little over my head. What was I going to need an ice axe for?? I still thought we were just going to be walking up a mountain and that it might be cold.

I was fitted with ski pants, a heavy jacket, a full body harness, a ski mask, plastic mountain boots and had my ice axe in hand. My crampons (metal foot spike things, like cleats on steroids), helment, rope and water were in my backpack, and we were off for some "practice".

Right from the get go, I didn´t know if I was going to make it. The thin, less oxegenated air and  my body loaded with gear, I was gasping for air after just a few steps. On the first gentle incline, my breath was taken away like I had just gotten hit in the stomach with a soccer ball. The huge, snowcapped peak of Huayna Potosi loomed in the background, taunting me. Over loose rocky paths, through streams of fresh mountain water and up steep inclines, we made our way to the glacier part where we were going to learn how to use all of this mountain gear. The whole way there, I was gasping for breath and moving at a snails pace. And this was just practice!! It crossed my mind to quit right there. If I was struggling this much on a practice 1 hour hike, how was I ever going to do the 5 - 8 hours on summit day? But, I am not a quitter. The best things in life are not achieved without a struggle. As long as I could keep putting one foot in front of the other, I was going to keep going.

Finally, we made it to the glacier. It was actually kind of fun to use the cramptons and the ice axe. We got to scale an almost 180 slope, digging our feet in the snow, and hacking into the glacier with the axe. I actually liked to use the ice axe, hacking into the snow and pulling my body upwards. Coming down was hard, and involved a set of muscles that are not commonly used in every day life. My legs and core burned, and one false step or one not so great grip, and you would go sliding down the glacier. I was glad when practice was over, and the hike back to base camp was not as hard as the hike up there. Only 2 hours, and I was exhausted!! That night we slept at base camp. Often throughout the night, I awoke in a panic, gasping for breath. I had to sit up and take a few deep breaths before falling back into a restless sleep. My lungs had still not adapted to the lack of oxygen in the air. The next day, we were climbing to high camp, at 5300 m. It was going to be a 5 hour hike. I needed a good sleep!

Up next, day 2 of Crissy VS. Mount Huayna Potosi; the climb to high camp
Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!
CG

I SURVIVED....The World´s Most Dangerous Road

                                You can check out the details of Death Road here.
                               You can check out some pics of the road here. I will post some of my own pics very soon!!

The famous Death Road is a pretty big tourist attraction here in Bolivia. The road was a lot more dangerous before 2007, when a new road was built because between 200 and 300 people died on the road every year. Vehicles use the new road, leaving the deadly road just for cyclists. After doing the ride, I cannot even imagine how much scarier it must have been to have semi trucks coming at you around blind corners on a road that is barely 3 meters wide.

After my bike accident in Colombia, (read about it here), I was a little apprehensive about getting back on a bike, especially on The World´s Most Dangerous Road. But of course, a little fear has never stopped me.

After the hour journey to 4700 meters above sea level where we were begining the ride, I was a bit scared. It was cold, snow was falling from the sky and staying on the road, making it more slippery than ever. I was telling an English girl about my Colombian bike adventure, and I guess she could hear the apprehension in my voice. She was very sweet and told me not to worry about it, everything would be fine.

So, off we went! The first hour was on a paved 2 lane road. No need to pedal, gravity did the work as we made our way down the steep and slippery road, riding the brakes the whole way. It was snowing and sleeting and raining directly in my face, which made it difficult to see the scenery all around. The one thing you couldn´t miss though, was the steep vertical drop off the side of the road. What I could see all around me were snow covered mountain peaks above and lush green vegetaion below. The road was dotted with crosses, memorials and flowers for those who had fallen over the edge. It was scary to see just how many memorials there were. The first hour was easy and a lot of fun once my confidence level went up. Little did I know, this was not really Death Road. We had been biking the new part of the road, the safe part.

When I got a look at the REAL Death Road, a lump of fear welled up in my throat. Only 2 meters wide in some parts, 90 degree turns, blind corners, loose gravel, rediciously steep, holes in the road, giant rocks to avoid, and a steep, steep drop off with no gaurd rails if you fall prey to any of the above. One mistake, one second of lost concentration, one rock you can´t avoid or too much or too little pressure on the brakes, and you die. But the scenery was beautiful. Lush, green tropical jungle forrest surrounded but cliffs and dotted with waterfalls all along the way. You could only glance for a millisecond, or you risked going right off the side. I started off slowly, sqeezing the brakes hard the whole time. My arms vibrated from the uneven ground and the death grip I had on the handle bars. The wind in my ears sounded like someone had the windows open in a car on the highway. I gained more and more confidence and went faster and faster. Often I had to slow down and remind myself that being cocky is how accidents happen.

I came around one corner and noticed two bikers in my group stopped in the middle of the road. As I got closer I saw the English girl, who had reassured me that everything was going to be fine, her face covered in blood. She was in shock and bleeding profusely from the mouth. The other person who was riding near her only spoke spanish, and I was the next one on the scene. She had no idea what happened to her, she just knew it was bad. For a second I was in shock too, as I looked at all the blood and her broken front teeth. I had to calm her down and explain to her that she was ok, and had just cracked a tooth but there was a lot of blood. Others had gathered by this time and she was determinded to find her piece of broken tooth. As everyone searched for the tooth, I took a look at the road where she had fallen. Luckily, she was on a wide curve and had managed to stay in the middle of the road. Who knows what would have happened if it was on the turn before or after. She was lucky to have escaped with only a busted up face.

As she went to the hosptital, the rest of us continued on down Death Road. I was a bit shaken up after the girl´s fall, and took it very slowly. After 2 hours, we had made it through the most dangerous part of Death Road. The next part was still dangerous, but we didn´t have to be as careful. The road was a little wider, had less 90 degree turns and was a little less steep. This was the fun part for me!! I had all the confidence in the world as I ripped down the road, powered through S turns and splashed through waterfalls, only touching the brakes to turn.

Finally, we were at the end. I had survived the World´s Most Dangerous Road. No one in any of the groups died that day, but there were a few people who had to be taken to the hospital, and many others nursing wounds at the bottom. We had ridden from an altitude of 4700m to 1200m in 65 km. We had started in the freezng cold and snow, and now were sweating in our shorts and tank tops. We celebrated life and survival with a few beers, and called it a day!

Side note - Although Death Road is now largely a tourist attraction, it is important to remember that just a few years ago many Bolivians had no choice but to use that road to sustain life. They, and all the ones who have passed must be remembered and respect paid to the road where so many lost their lives.

On a cheerier note, the English girl was brave and went to a Bolivian dentist, who fixed up her tooth good as new. A few stitches and a few days for the swelling to go down and she will have a great story to tell others about the World´s Most Dangerous Road!!

Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!
CG

Busted up in Bogota

                    Things like this only happen to me...............

I took a bike tour of the city of Bogota in Colombia. I heard about the tour from a couple of Australian girls staying in my hostel. They had nothing but wonderful things to say. So, on the tour I went. It seemed like a well run tour company, and although the bikes sure weren´t up to North American standards, whatever I was in South America!!! I just made sure there were two tires, a chain and that the breaks worked. Good enough for me.

The tour started off beautifully. Bogota is a great city, full of life and vibrance. Our tour guide was great and thankfully spoke english very well. We had just finished having lunch and a beer in a beautiful park and were on our way again. I was biking along, full speed ahead, when it felt like I hit a wall. I flew off my bike, at top speed on the downward slope of a hill. I hit the pavement at full force right into on coming traffic.

Luckily, I had managed to avoid my face hitting the pavement, but my knees and elbow were not so lucky. Traffic slowed down and went around me until I managed to get up. I was not badly hurt, just a little shocked. I went back to check out what had made me fall. There were no bumps or rocks in the road. I turned my attention to the bike and realized that the front rim had basically expoloded. The rim had stopped the front tire instantly and I flew right over the handle bars and landed nearly 4 feet from the bike. I was lucky, it could have been much worse.

The bike was done for. The tour guide called the office and had a guy come a bring me another bike so I could continue the tour. When the tour was over, the guys in the shop were very nice and cleaned up my wounds very well. I was still worried about contracting some sort of Colombian pavement virus, but what can you do!!!!

Over a week has gone by now, and after a few days of oozing green scabs, the worst seems to be over and the scrapes are healing nicely. I certainly will have some scars as memories though!!!

Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!!!!!!
CG

What are you so scared of?

                        "Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown"

                                                     - Author Unknown

Whenever I told anyone I was starting my South American journey in Colombia, they told me that it wasn´t safe and I really had to be careful. When I told them I was going to be alone, after they erased the look of disbelief from their face, they asked "aren´t you scared?" I always said no... I understand that people may not realize how safe Colombia is now or what an up and coming tourist destination it is, but their fears are unfounded and uneducated. The truth is, I was scared...but not of Colombia, or that something terrible would happen to me. I was scared of travelling by myself.

I would consider myself a pretty avid traveller, and I am not scared of any particular destination. What is scary to me is to not have that travel partner to share everything with. Being somewhere unfamiliar is always a little easier with someone else who is unfamiliar with it too. When you don´t know where to go or what you are supposed to do, two brains are always better than one. It is also nice to have someone to share your day to day experiences, and to always be able to talk to. In South America, my lack of spanish skills is a huge set back and just having a conversation is near impossible.

Although I was afriad, fear always presents you with two opportunities. The first is to let it hold you back. You won´t be scared, but you won´t have much else either. The second opportunity is to challenge yourself, expand your experiences and see exactly what you are made of.  I had always wondered if I could keep up this life style if, god forbid, Larry falls in love or suddenly lusts for real life. Now was my chance to see if I could really do it.

Surprisingly, it has been easier than I thought. Even with a language barrier, and vast amounts of uncertainty, I am getting around and meeting people along the way. It is liberating to know that I can do this!!

5 years ago, if you had asked me what I thought I would be doing in 5 years time, I can gaurantee that I never would have said travelling alone in South America. It has been a series of scary descions that have brought me here, but there is no place I would rather be right now!!

So, in the end, I have conqureded my fear of solo travel..................but............. i don´t like it. I can do it, but if it is up to me, I will always have a travel partner by my side. Although, when all else fails, I will travel alone instead of leading a most ordinary life.

What are you scared of?
What is holding you back?
Where could you be if you weren´t held back by your fears?

Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!
CG

Wawa Where???

                   Ok here we go!! It´s travel time again....finally!!!!!

In order to save a few hundred bucks, I made the brilliant descion to fly out of Newark, New Jersey. The price of my ticket was less than half if I had flown out of middle of nowhere Winnipeg. Plus, as an added bonus, I could spend a couple of days in New York City!!!! I got a bus ticket for $109 and although the 40 hours on the bus wasn´t going to be pleasant, the extra $400 bucks in my pocket was worth it!!

Or so I thought.................

I left at 10 pm and the first night on the bus flew by.  I managed to sleep all night and well into the afternoon. Then the snow started...and kept on. There was talk of highway closures. But our bus just kept on going. We arrived in the tiny town of Wawa, Ontario at about 3 pm. The highway was closed and we could go no further. We waited on the bus for a few hours in hopes that the highway would open up soon. Still no deal. We drove to the local pub for something to eat and killed a couple more hours. Alas, at 9 pm, after 6 hours of waiting, we were told that the highways would not re open until the next morning. The bus driver drove us to a local motel and told us we could get a room, or stay on the bus for the night. Already the bus had that dirty, too many people stench to it, so another night was going to be hell. I had travel insurance, so I figured that would cover the cost of the hotel room. Sixty seven dollars later, after a shower and stretched out on the bed, I settled in with a Friends marathon and laughed at all those suckers stuck on the bus!

I woke up early the next morning, paranoid the bus was going to leave without me. Nope...the desk clerk informed me that we might be there til 3 pm.............. ugh!!!!!!!!! I was supposed to be in Toronto hours ago!!! Luckily at 10 am the highways opened up again, and we were finally back on the road!.

I arrived in Toronto at 11pm, when I should have been there at 5 am!! Luck was on my side this time, and there was a 1130 bus to New York City. Another 12 hours, and finally I was there!!!!!!!

Hello New York City!!!!! With the 40 hour bus ride turning into 65 hours, I only had 1 day in the Big Apple. I didn´t get to do everything I wanted, but there will be time when I return in May.
I took the subway to Time Square and wandered around with all the other tourists. I went to Rockerfeller Center, but missed the Christmas tree for a few days. Then I wandered around Central Park for hours. I can´t wait to go back in May when the trees are green and I can get to the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and see a Broadway play. New York, New York I will be back!!!!!!

Pictures coming soon!

Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!!!!!!!

To be continued.............

                    Sorry guys, but it is way too hard to keep this blog updated without my laptop, which I chose to leave at home. Larry is arriving here on Jan. 26th and is bringing hers, so stay tuned for a mega update then!!!!

New York, New York!!

                 
           After a 40 hour bus ride turned into 60+ hours, I have finally arrived in New York!! After just one afternoon, I know that I love this city!! Tomorrow I leave to fly to Bogota, Colombia and I can't wait!!!!
But this internet is costing me $1 for every 7 minutes, so I will fill you in on the bus ride from hell later!!!
More from me soon!!

Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!
CG