The Entrance into Peru!

Well, the last few days have been eventful! It started out flying from Burlington to Chicago where I had an 11 hour layover. I, for the most part, just slept in the airport until I was able to check in with Copa airlines. Check in and the security checkpoint went smoothly and I was able to get another nap before departing. 

The flight into Panama was long (5 hours). I didn't sleep well on the plane but did get a little nap. They served us complimentary breakfast before landing in Panama City where we had a 1 hour layover. The layover, however, didn't seem long. I wasn't at the gate long before we started to board. 

The next flight was smooth as well and I did manage to sleep. We only flew for 3 hours, but that nap helped. I also had my own row. They did serve us a dinner of chicken sandwiches and salad. 

We landed in Lima, Peru and went through customs quickly. For a small airport, it was busy. I decided to exchange some currency for Peruvian Soles. I didn't realise how good the exchange rate is. $140 comes out to 407 Soles. I claimed my baggage then took a taxi to a small hotel called the Caribe. I wasn't originally planning on getting a hotel, just sleep in the airport. But I'm glad I did because I felt quite refreshed the next day. 

I took a taxi back to the airport where I checked in and rechecked my baggage. We flew from Lima to Cusco (my final destination). It was a short 1 hour flight that seemed to fly by (no pun intended). I had my own row on this flight as well. As they served us complimentary drinks and snacks, I tried their soda called Inca Kola, which tastes a lot like a fruity bubble gum. Cusco has a small airport, so after landing, it was easy to claim baggage. I repacked my carry-on (a drawstring bag), and programmed the address into my Garmin Etrex 20. Cusco isn't very big, so I figured I could walk anywhere (even though I was bombarded by taxi drivers). It was a nice walk through the busier part of town. I can say, Peru is different than what I expected. The culture is something you just have to see to understand it. 

My GPS took me right to my destination: Peru Treks. I figured I would check in and pay my remaining balance with the group I'll be backpacking with. Unfortunately, the office was closed (it's Sunday and almost everything is closed). Fortunately though, it was on my way to Plaza de Armas: the main square. 

It didn't take long to get to the plaza. I figured it would be busy, but not this busy!  It's obviously one of the hot attractions in Cusco. There's 2 cathedrals on the square along with restaurants, travel agencies, currency exchanges, and travelling salesmen. All throughout the plaza are locals walking around trying to sell things, mostly artwork. There are also police EVERYWHERE. This just supports that Peru isn't really as dangerous as some people think. It also didn't take long to figure out that it's good to know at least a little Spanish. That has really made this trip easier. 

I walked around and explored the plaza, along with the town around the plaza. There is quite a bit to see and there's an abundance in travel agencies trying to sell me trips. There's also an abundance of locals dressed in traditional Peru dress, which is kind of cool.  

My hostel checkin wasn't until 1 pm and I arrived at 6 am, so there was plenty of time to kill. While at the plaza, I had some more currency exchanged. I tried to rest on the benches periodically because of the high altitude. Cusco is at 10,000 feet and the air is obviously thinner. I didn't seem to have much of an issue with it though. When I stopped to rest, I could feel it. It's not necessarily harder to breath, but I find myself breathing faster and occasionally taking a deep sigh. I also found that it's quite hot here. Around 8 am, the temperature was in the low 70s and by noon, it was almost 80. With little cloud cover, I got sunburned on my first day. 

Around 9, I went to a restaurant that was serving breakfast and had an awesome egg dish. They also make their own juice using fresh fruit. I also decided to try the traditional drink Chicha Morada (purple corn, pineapple, cinnamon, and cumin). It was a lot better than I though it would be. 

Later in the morning, (probably more like noon), there was a small parade through the square. Locals dressed in traditional Incan dress, playing music and dancing. It was really neat. 

When 1 came around, I headed to the hostel: Intro Hostel, with the help of my Garmin. They quickly got me checked in and showed me to the room and gave me the choice of top or bottom bunk. I was glad I could get a bottom bunk. 

The hostel is unique with a villa, open design. The center is open and there's a boardwalk that stretches around the perimeter to get to the rooms. I was surprised to see that the self service kitchen is in the open area. They also have their own travel agency which I might use in the next couple days (you know, white water rafting, bungee jumping, etc.) Not sure, though what all I'll do for the next couple days. I decided to rest for a bit at the hostel since I'd been walking all morning with a 21 lbs backpack. I hung out here for a bit and took a nap. 

After my nap, I decided to find dinner. I had my heart set on trying cuy (roasted Guinea pig). I walked around and compared prices to find the cheapest. That's one of the things about Peru: if you see some thing you like, keep walking and you will probably see it cheaper. I found a nice restaurant and ordered my meal and It was good (tastes like squirrel), though the skin has a weird texture. I probably won't eat it much because it's pretty pricey. I also tried coca tea, which tastes like a mix of chamomile and grean tea. 

After dinner I headed back to the hostel where I got a shower in. The restrooms/shower houses are a little different. The downstairs one is co-ed and the upstairs one is men only. Different from what I'm used to. Now, I'm able to sit back and enjoy the fire that the staff just started. I originally had planned to take it easy today to get used to the altitude. I ended up doing a lot more walking than anticipated, putting in 6 miles. Tomorrow should be a more eventful day with plans to see sacsayhuaman and a miniature of the famous statue in Rio Dejinero!

The Hostel Life

Whether you're travelling in America, Europe, the UK, or South America, you will almost always find a unique place: the hostel. When I went to Ireland, I stayed the whole time in a hostel and it is definitely a different experience. The biggest difference between a hostel and a hotel is that hostels are designed as a quick accommodation for backpackers while hotels are designs for comfort. One of the upsides to staying at a hostel is that they are much cheaper than a hotel. When I told people that I would be staying at a hostel, the first response was "hopefully you don't get stabbed". Most people have a bad view on hostels and hostels have gained the reputation of being a dump and a slum, but the reality is, most hostels are not.

If you will be travelling and are thinking of staying at a hostel, there are some things to consider:

1. Hostels are a dorm setting. Because they are designed to be a simple accommodation for backpackers, they often have multiple beds in a single room. This is a big change for many people. Some people are uncomfortable sleeping in a room with 16 strangers. In many hostels, there are mixed dorms so you would be staying in a dorm with mixed genders. This is the first thing to consider: would you stay in a room with a dozen strangers? It's something to get used to, but can be an awesome experience.

2. Because you are staying in a room with lots of strangers, be sure to watch your belongings. Most people you meet in a hostel are very friendly, but you still run the risk of someone walking off with your stuff. The hostel I stayed at in Ireland, many people just left their bags laying around their beds. At this hostel, that was probably okay. But some hostels you wouldn't want to do that. Most hostels have security lockers and safes (some offer them free) to store your stuff. When you are in bed, it's not a bad idea to have your bag in your bed with you (depending on the size of it). This will lessen the risk of someone rummaging through your stuff in the middle of the night.

3. Make sure to adequately research your hostel(s). Some hostels are luxurious and pristine, others you wouldn't dare take your shoes off. As you research the hostel, look at the cleanliness and overall makeup. You will find that some hostels can be nicer than most hotels. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Reading reviews is the best way to scope out a hostel. Hostelworld.com is a great site for looking up hostels.

4. Most people think of a hostel as a place with rooms and beds, nothing else. However, most hostels will sponsor special events, bring in performers, throw parties, and have tours of the city. You will find that most hostels have more than just an accommodation. Most have game rooms, continental breakfast, TV, break rooms, kitchens, WIFI, and internet.

5. Don't stay in the same hostel for more than 2 nights. If you are a backpacker or traveler, you want to see a whole array of things and have different experiences. When you stay at the same hostel for more than 2 nights, it becomes redundant. You see the same thing every morning, you get too comfortable, and it becomes dull. Even though the hostel you are staying at may be awesome, it's good to experience other hostels.

6. Be courteous of others. It's easy to stay out late and when you come back, remember that other people are sleeping in the same room. Don't let the door slam, keep light to a minimum, don't make excessive noise. I have had times when people come stomping in at 1 AM when I was trying to sleep. Also remember to clean up after yourself. Most hostels have a kitchen so you can fix your own meals. Don't leave dishes around for others to clean. Be courteous to other people staying there.

Staying at a hostel can be a great experience. Just remember to follow the above guidelines and your trip will be much more enjoyable. Ultimately, the best way to experience it is to just get out there and stay in one.

Ireland Day One

Well I'm finally here!! Ireland! I flew into Dublin this morning and it had been quite a trip. I arrived at Chicago airport at 10:30 pm, wasn't able to check in until 3:30 am, and waited for my flight to go out at noon. I was at the airport for 14 hours (Which I won't be doing again) with only a few hours of sleep. Needless to say, it was a long day. However, moving through the airports was a breeze.  

I flew out of O'Hare and had a 3 hour flight, landing in Newark. That's when the headache started. I new there was some type of transportation to JFK airport and was actually directed to the "Air Train" after picking up my bike from the baggage claim. The air train only took me to the train station where I took a train to 3 different stations before arriving at the JFK shuttle. The ticketing and shuffling from train to train was enough to make me give up.

It was pretty easy getting through the airport at JFK. Luckily, my bike was able to be checked at of all the airports for no charge. However, my bike bag ended up with a couple tears from rough handling. I was at ease after boarding, knowing this was the last flight before landing in Ireland. Not long after departing, we had our complimentary dinner which was nice. I was able to sleep most of the way, with waking a few times for comfort reasons. Prior to landing, we also had complimentary breakfast. 

Flying over Ireland was a thrill! I can now see why Ireland is associated with green. All but a few recently tilled farm lands was green. The green became more prominent as we got closer to landing. The cliffs were impressive as well. 

The landing was nice and claiming baggage and going through customs was a breeze. The original plan was to assemble my bike at the airport and ride to the hostel. Instead, I caught a cab. It always seems to take a bit to get used to driving on the left of the road. The cab driver was interesting to talk to. Better yet, he was fun to listen to because of his thick accent. When we arrived at the hostel, I tried to check in but the the desk person said I wasn't going to be able to check in until after 2. At this point, it was a little after 8. He did let me pay for the bed and let me use the key to the bike garage so I could assemble my bike. The bike went together easily and I was able to use my new panniers. I was able to get a locker where I could store all the packing materials for my bike. 

I decided that since I had a lot of time to kill, I would explore around Dublin (which was actually in my itinerary for today for after checking in). I caught onto riding on the left side pretty easily. However, there's a lot of one way roads and their road system and intersections are something complete foreign to what we have in the U.S.  I rode around for a while until I got lost. Not really lost but had difficulty finding where the hostel was. I knew about where it was at, but the issue was getting to it with all of the one way streets. I eventually got off the bike and walked it to the hostel. Ireland (and particularly Dublin) is very bike friendly. They have bike lanes almost any where and the roads that don't have "cycle tracks", the drivers are very courteous. Some streets are barely wide enough for a car whereas some streets have lanes wide enough to fit 2 cars. Regardless, drivers are always good about giving bikers plenty of room and often times give right of way to the bikers. The people here are very friendly. 

When 2:00 came around, I was able to check in an get the room key. The rooms are all locked with hotel style door locks. I took a quick shower which felt really good after spending almost 24 hours in airports. 

The room I'm staying in is a 16 bed mixed dorm. The room is small but it doesn't really need to be that big since I'm spending most of my time outside. The common room is pretty nice, as is the break room, game room, sauna room, kitchen, and library. I made a trip to the break room to access the wifi. By this point, I had 2 Dublin maps and bunch of literature on attractions. I went through my itinerary and marked each place on the maps. Then I was off. 

I grabbed my backpack with some of the snacks I had leftover from the plane, and started walking around. If someone is not used to the Ireland road systems, biking can be somewhat difficult, so I found it easier to walk around and now I know most of the places around the hostel. I decided to also take a trip downtown. 

Downtown was pretty cool. It was there that I saw some of the ruins of the city's original gates. I also was able to see many historical buildings, including Dublin Castle and a few cathedrals and churches. I'm sure my tour tomorrow will go by many of these but I will probably get a lot more history from the tour. 

As I was walking, I learned that the Irish have different ways of going about day to day tasks. They are a bit more relaxed and open than Americans. But I think my favorite part of Ireland so far is listening to the people talk. I love their accent. 

Well I was thinking it was close to dinner time so I walked around until I found a pizza shop that had an awesome deal on whole pizzas. So I stopped there and brought the pizza back to the hostel so I could eat here. I saw a great tea shop earlier, but when I went looking for it, I couldn't find it. I may have to go looking for it tomorrow. Even though we get free tea and coffee at the hostel, it will be cool having some good Irish tea. I would also like to get some to take home. 

This brings us up to where I am now. I can say that I am exhausted. I don't think I will have any problem sleeping tonight on that top bunk. Tomorrow is free breakfast so lucky I'm looking forward to that.