Note: Every article is written in basque and english. Scroll down to read the english version. And if you find any mistake, feel free to correct it.

Euskeraz  (2016/11/11 – 2016/11/31)

Ecuadorri agur esateko ordua iritsi da, muga zeharkatu eta herrialde berri bat ezagutzera noa, Peru. Parez par ehundaka kilometroko basamortu isolatu batekin aurkitzen naiz, ezerezaren erdian, herrixka xixtrin bat ere ez dagoen paraje horietako batekin. Alde batetik bestera, haizeak bultzatutako lasto bolak besterik ikusten ez diren Western filmetako herri abandonatuetako irudia datorkit burura. Ikustekoak aurreikusiz eta azken egunetan igotako malda latzak kontutan hartuta, Peru-ko kostaldera autobusez joatea erabaki det, aspaldian ez baitut itsasoa ikusi eta nere hankei atseden bat emateko ordua ere iritsi baita.

Mancora izango da hurrengo geltokia. Itsasoa eta basamortuaren artean aurkitzen den oasis txiki bat. Arrantzaleak, surflariak eta turista motxileroen eskualdea. Herriari buelta bat eman ostean, itsas bazterrean dagoen Point izeneneko hostal batean geratu naiz. Palmerak, igerileku bat, garagardo frexkoak eta giro internazioala. Zergaitik ez, pare bat egun pasatzeko itxura ona hartzen diot leku honi. Merezitako deskantsu on bat hartzeko leku ezinhobea! Opor egun pare bat behar ditut nire bidaiatik. 😉

Lehenik bainu bat igerilekuan eta garagardo frexko bat, hau bai bizia. Edaria eskatzerakoan ohartzen naiz inork ez duela gaztelera hitz egiten. Hego ameriketan gaude, Perun, eta inglesez galdetu behar, hau da hau marka. Anglofono bolondresen komunitate batekin topo egin det. MTV-ko top ten abestiak entzuten dira bozgorailuetatik eta garagardo bat eskatzen den bakoitzean, txupito bat irabazteko aukera ematen duen jokutxo bat eskeintzen dute.  Hemen argentinar gazte batzuk ezagutzen ditut, Gabi, Mario, Pablo,… “Por la concha de la Lora”, a ze hiru egun, gela parean diskoteka daukat eta lo egitea galazita dago. Horretara moldatzeko indar txiki bat egin beharko da ba.

Lehen egunean, arrantzaleen portura joan naiz, barku bateko patroi baten bila. “Caza y pesca”-ko kazetari gixa aukeztu naiz, Peru-ko baxurako arrantzari buruz ikerketa bat egiten ari naizela esanez eta beraiekin itsasora eramango nauten galdetuz. Motibatua nago eta ia goizeko 3-etan beraiekin itsasoratu naiz, baina Point Hostaleko festa giroak eta argentinarrekin sortu den giro onak nere kazetari lanbideari 180º-ko bira eman diote, festa eta musikaz gozatzeko. Lekuan lekukoa, eta momentuan momentukoa.

Mancora eta bertako festak atzean utzita, bizitza sano eta haize frexko bila noa Huaraz-eko Cordillera Blanca-ra. Ehundaka kilometrotako basamortua zeharkatu behar denez eta ajea bidailagun gixa elkartu  zaidanez, autobusez jarraitzea erabakitzen det, zati bat gutxienez.

Huaraz, mendizaleen Disney mundua da. Kanioiak, mendi bertikalak, eskalatzeko eskolak, lakuak, gailur elurtuak … hemen egun batzuk pasako ditut, bizikleta Marielaren hostalean utzi eta mendi martxak eginez. Laguna Churup, Laguna 69, Santa Cruz-eko trabesia, … nahi den guztia egiteko aukera dago hemen. Euri sasoia da, baina lurra idorra dago, duela hilebete hasi behar zen euritan. Turistentzat ezinhobea, nekazarientzat berriz, egoera zaila.

Nere bizimodua oso ondo moldatu da Hego Ameriketako erritmora, baina asteak aurrera doaz eta 5 hilebete baino gutxiago ditut bidaiatzeko. Beraz, zer bisitatu nahi dudan aukeratzen hasteko garaia da. Hurrengo geltokia Cuzco izango da, Inken sorlekua. Hemen, Inken hondakinak bisitatu eta mendi pixkat egiten jarraituko det.

Eta bizikleta? Bizikletak ere bere atsedena behar du, utz dezagun hostalean arnas pixkat har dezan.

Bitartean, Machu Picchu, Pisac, Oyllaitaitanbo, el cerro de Colores eta nola ezpa, festa pixkat ere egingo degu ba. Mancoran ezagututako Mario eta Gabirekin bainago, Huaraz eta Cuzcon ere. Argentinar hauek, bizitza kolore baikor eta umorez margotzen duten bi arkitekto dira. Konexio politta lortu degu elkarren artean eta oso ondo pasatzen degu. Cuzcon beste bi txiletar ere ezagutu ditugu eta argentinarren eta txiletarren gaztelerarekin erotzen ari naiz. “Cachai, al toque y al tiro. Vamo de una, por la concha de la Lora”. Ea Googleko itzultzaileak zer dioen!

Machu Picchu, inongo zalantzarik gabe, bidaiaren momenturik gorenena izan da. Goizeko 3:30-tan jeiki gera, paradisu hau bisitatzen lehenak izateko. Goizeko 6-etan irekitzen dituzte ateak eta hortxe gaude zai. Machu Picchu inor gabe ikusteko aukera degu, ordu erdiz gutxienez. Izugarria, a ze zibilizazioa Inkena. Yosemiterekin batera, ezagutu dudan lekurik harrigarriena da. Gainera momentuaren berezitasuna ez du lekuak soilik egiten, pertsonek eta gure momentuko umoreak zerikusi handia dute. Egun honek ia 24 ordu iraun du guretzat eta anekdotaz betea izan da. Mancoran ezagututako beste bi pertsona gurutzatu ditugu, Cali, Estatu Batuetakoa, eta Uruguayko bikingoa. Mendi koloredunean (Cerro de Colores) bizikletaz bidaiatzen duten Kathie eta Chris inglesak ezagutu ditut. Guzti hauen energia ere apartekoa da. Horrelako jendea ezagutzeak, punttu berezi bat ematen dio bizitzari. Bejondaizuela!

ENGLISH (2016/11/11 – 2016/11/31)

It’s time to say goodbye to Ecuador in order to discover a new country, Peru. In front of me, I encounter an endless isolated desert, where there is no even a single tiny village, this is exactly the middle of nowhere. It reminds me those Western films where you see straw balls rolling from one side to another in an abandoned village. Foreseeing the situation and taking into account the steep slopes I climbed by bike the previous days, I decide to ride by bus to the Peruvian coast. It’s a long time since I haven’t seen the sea and my legs will appreciate a rest as well.

Mancora will be the next stop, a small oasis between the desert and the sea. It is the fishermen’, surfers’ and backpackers’ region. After riding around the village, I end up in a hostel called The Point, close to the seashore. Palms, a swimming pool, fresh beer and international environment. Why not, it looks the perfect place to spend a couple of days and take the rest I deserve. I need some holidays from my trip! 😉

First of all a jump into the pool and a fresh beer, that’s good life! As soon as I ask a beer in the bar I notice that no one speaks spanish. We are in South America, in Peru, and we have to ask in english, this is funny. I come across with an english speaking volunteering community. The speakers spread MTV top ten music and every time you ask for a beer, you can win a shot with a simple game. In this hostel I get to know some Argentinians, Gabi, Mario, Pablo,… “Por la concha de la Lora”, three amazing days full of party. In front of my dormitory was the disco and it was forbidden to sleep. Come on, let’s make a small effort in order to adapt to this hard lifestyle.

The first day in Mancora, I go to the harbour to look for a fishermen’s boat captain. I introduce myself as a “Hunt and fish” magazine journalist who is investigating about inshore fishing in Peru and I ask them if I can join them for fishing. I am motivated to go at 3 in the morning with them. However, The Point’s party atmosphere and the good connection with the argentinian guys makes me reconsider the situation. My journalist career turns back to be replaced for an international party. Adapting to the environment and going with the flow.

Leaving behind Mancora and the party, I ride towards “La cordillera blanca” in Huaraz looking for fresh air and healthier activities. In between, the desert is waiting for me and I am not motivated to cross it at all. Furthermore, I have a new fellow traveler, “the hangover”. There is no enough space for all of us in the bike, so I travel by bus, at least part of the route.

Huaraz is like Disney World for mountaineers. Cannyons, vertical walls, climbing schools, lakes and snowed summits… No kiding, I will spend some days here, hiking and enjoying this wonderful landscape. The bike will remain at Mariela’s hostel, taking a breathe, and in the mean time, I will be hiking alongside the Cordillera Blanca. Laguna Churup, Laguna 69, Santa Cruz trail,… there are every kind of hiking options here. In theory, we are in the rain season, but the ground is drier than ever. It should have started raining a month ago. For tourists is perfect. For farmers, it’s a disaster.

My lifestyle has perfectly adapted to the South American pace, however as weeks go by, I need to start planning a little bit, as my time schedule is less than 5 months and there are still several places I want to visit. Cusco will be the next stop, the birthplace of the Inkas. Here, I will visit Inka ruins and I will continue hiking a bit more.

And what about the bike? The bike also needs some rest, therefore, let’s leave it in peace in the hostel.

Meanwhile, Machu Picchu, Pisac, Oyllaitantambo and the Rainbow mountain are waiting for more adventures, as well as some more party in Cusco. Since Huaraz, I am again with Gabi and Mario, the two argentinian guys I knew in Mancora. These argentinian architects give a colorful, positive and funny touch to every situation. We have a good connection and we enjoy every split second. We also have known two chilean girls and I am getting crazy with the spanish they speak in each country. “Cachai, al toque y al tiro. Vamo de una, por la concha de la Lora”. Let’s see what Google translator thinks about these sentences!

Machu Picchu, without a single doubt is the highlight of the trip. We wake up at 3:30 in order to be the first visiting this paradise. Machu Picchu opens at 6 a.m. and we are waiting at the entrance. We have the chance to visit Machu Picchu without the massive presence of the tourists, at least for half an hour. The Inkas civilization and the ruins are amazing. Together with Yosemite, it is the most impresive place I have ever been. But the place itself is not the only ingredient that makes the moment magic. The people we share the moment with, make it even more special. This day has last almost 24 hours for us and it is full of anecdotes. We meet people we knew in Mancora, Cali from the USA, the Uruguayan viking and two english touring cyclists in the Rainbow mountain, Chris and Katie. The positive energy of all these people is incredible. Knowing people like them colors life with a magic touch. Cheers for you!