Well I stuck to my word and went to the gym this morning. It was not quite what I was expecting. The machines were quite old and there were not so much cardiovascular equipment, but it was sufficient enough to do some weight training.
I tried to stick to compound exercises like squats so that I didn't need to spend so much time there, allowing us to do other activities this afernoon like sightseeing. In total we spent one hour there. I think that if you don't spend too much time resting then an hour is quite sufficient. When I used to go to the gym I always used to try to lift as much weight as possible. Today I decided instead to focus on endurance and do 3 sets of 20 repetitions at each station.
At the same time as training myself, I was coaching Anny. I really enjoyed helping her to push herself harder. I probably wouldn't mind being a personal trainer if I had the chance. I do tend to push people quite hard though, and not everyone can handle it. I recall when I was in Belize with Raleigh International and it was my turn to be leader for the day some people said they felt as if they were in the military. If I was ever to become a personal trainer I would try to pick my clients carefully, and choose only the ones that were willing to really push themselves hard.
Let's see how it goes, but I think tomorrow there will be quite a few aches and pains shared between Anny and myself. If all goes well we will go for a run together nethertheless. Have a good day my friends and speak to you tomorrow.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Running the Pisco route in Moquegua
Moquegua in Peru is famous for its pisco, a type of brandy made from grapes, which can only officially be produced in 5 areas of Peru. The most famous pisco in Moquegua is called Biondi. Just outside of Moquegua city centre there is a route called the pisco route that passes through various vineyards, the grapes of which are used to make pisco. Today I decided to run this beautiful route and I was glad that I did. It took me just over an hour and the landscape along the way was stunning. There were also plenty of dogs along the way, and that part I did not like so much. However, since I did the route around midday the dogs were already hot and tired, and so bothered me very little. Just in case though, I ran with a rock in my hand.
This is the first proper run (one hour or more is my definition of "proper run") that I have done in months, and it went fine, except that I was suffering a fair amount in the heat. I think that the fitness I have built up from cycling can easily be carried over into running fitness, given a few months of specific training. Moquegua has a very hot dry climate due to its proximity to the Atacama desert in Chile. I am not sure exactly what the temperature was, but it felt bloody hot. Most of the runners here go out in the early hours of the morning, before it becomes too hot. With the Marathon des Sables in mind, I decided not to try and go during the early hours when it is comfortably warm, but during the midday heat when it is unbearably hot. On top of the heat and the hills that I encountered along the way, Moquegua lies at 1,410 metres above sea level, so it is also altitude training.
The only problem is that I have a little bit of a cold at the moment, and since I came back from my run my nose seems to be running more, so I hope I haven't made myself iller. They usually say though that as long as the cold is above the neck you are okay to run, but if it is below the neck then you should rest. With this in mind, I should be okay to run.
Tomorrow I am planning on going to the gym, and doing some weights and sprinting on the treadmill. As with everything new, it will be an interesting experience to see how Peruvian gyms differ from Euopean ones. Just like it will be an interesting experience to see how Peruvian Christmases differ from British Christmases. I can report back on that subject in a few days. Goodnight everyone and with frequent internet access at the moment, you can be sure I will post something again soon.
 |
| One of the vineyards on the Pisco route |
This is the first proper run (one hour or more is my definition of "proper run") that I have done in months, and it went fine, except that I was suffering a fair amount in the heat. I think that the fitness I have built up from cycling can easily be carried over into running fitness, given a few months of specific training. Moquegua has a very hot dry climate due to its proximity to the Atacama desert in Chile. I am not sure exactly what the temperature was, but it felt bloody hot. Most of the runners here go out in the early hours of the morning, before it becomes too hot. With the Marathon des Sables in mind, I decided not to try and go during the early hours when it is comfortably warm, but during the midday heat when it is unbearably hot. On top of the heat and the hills that I encountered along the way, Moquegua lies at 1,410 metres above sea level, so it is also altitude training.
The only problem is that I have a little bit of a cold at the moment, and since I came back from my run my nose seems to be running more, so I hope I haven't made myself iller. They usually say though that as long as the cold is above the neck you are okay to run, but if it is below the neck then you should rest. With this in mind, I should be okay to run.
Tomorrow I am planning on going to the gym, and doing some weights and sprinting on the treadmill. As with everything new, it will be an interesting experience to see how Peruvian gyms differ from Euopean ones. Just like it will be an interesting experience to see how Peruvian Christmases differ from British Christmases. I can report back on that subject in a few days. Goodnight everyone and with frequent internet access at the moment, you can be sure I will post something again soon.
Monday, 19 December 2011
Some of the worst customer service ever, with the bus company Sagitario and the tour company Jumbo
Well my friends I rarely complain much, but on this occasion I really have to vent my frustration at what happened to us last night at the bus station in Puno. We arrived half an hour before our bus to Moquegua was due to depart and presented our tickets at the desk of Sagitario transport. The first thing that annoyed us was that the guy was on the phone with his wife and made us wait for over ten minutes, and that already shows poor customer service, as he should have told his wife he had customers and would call her back later. Once the impolite guy at the desk looked at our tickets he said they were not valid as there was no date written on the tickets and that there was no way those tickets had been sold by him or one of his colleagues. The problem was that those seats were already occupied and it seems the travel agency Jumbo who bought the tickets had bought them for the previous night, although because there was no date on the tickets there was no proof of when they were booked for.
Anny and I tried to explain that if the date was not completed on the tickets that was the mistake of his company because it is the bus company who sold the tickets and who must complete them properly. The idiot did not seem to understand this point though, and he just phoned his colleague to ask him if he had sold tickets without a date, and then held up the phone so we could hear his colleague deny it. In his opinion that was proof enough that we had no rights. But to compare this situation with another, it is like someone committing murder then going to court and when asked if he is guilty, phoning his friend in court on loudspeaker and getting his friend to say that he didn't do it and expecting to go free. Sorry but it does not work like that, so we asked to see his boss.
His boss was a little more reasonable, although still disorganised, like the company in general it seemed. I mean they also had issues with other passengers the same night, and had 5 seats booked that they did not seem to know who was meant to occupy them until a few minutes before departure, because once again they had not filled in the tickets fully with names etc. The boss tried to get us on the bus, but there was no chance as it was completely full. She did at least admit that it was partly their fault for selling tickets without a date on them, and partly the fault of Jumbo travel agency as they had requested them on the wrong day she claimed.
Throughout the time we were waiting, which was one hour in total, a representative from Jumbo came to supposedly sort out the situation. He was basically a wet lettuce though, and stood around doing nothing, leaving us to argue with the desk idiot and his boss. He may as well have stayed at home for all the good he was.
To summarise how it all ended, the bus company purchased tickets for us on another bus owned by another company for this morning, and Jumbo took us by taxi to the hotel where we had been staying the previous night. They refused to pay for the hotel though and wanted us to stay in their own sub standard accommodation, so we had to phone the main agency with whom we have dealt the whole trip which is based in Cusco, and get them to agree to pay for the hotel and sort out the mess with Jumbo themselves, as aftterall Jumbo is a local tour operator and we should only have to deal with the agency in Cusco who we booked our whole trip with. The agency in Cusco agreed to pay the costs and now we will shortly be trying to make our way to Moquegua once again, and hoping that nothing else goes wrong, as Anny's family is waiting for us.
Anny and I tried to explain that if the date was not completed on the tickets that was the mistake of his company because it is the bus company who sold the tickets and who must complete them properly. The idiot did not seem to understand this point though, and he just phoned his colleague to ask him if he had sold tickets without a date, and then held up the phone so we could hear his colleague deny it. In his opinion that was proof enough that we had no rights. But to compare this situation with another, it is like someone committing murder then going to court and when asked if he is guilty, phoning his friend in court on loudspeaker and getting his friend to say that he didn't do it and expecting to go free. Sorry but it does not work like that, so we asked to see his boss.
His boss was a little more reasonable, although still disorganised, like the company in general it seemed. I mean they also had issues with other passengers the same night, and had 5 seats booked that they did not seem to know who was meant to occupy them until a few minutes before departure, because once again they had not filled in the tickets fully with names etc. The boss tried to get us on the bus, but there was no chance as it was completely full. She did at least admit that it was partly their fault for selling tickets without a date on them, and partly the fault of Jumbo travel agency as they had requested them on the wrong day she claimed.
Throughout the time we were waiting, which was one hour in total, a representative from Jumbo came to supposedly sort out the situation. He was basically a wet lettuce though, and stood around doing nothing, leaving us to argue with the desk idiot and his boss. He may as well have stayed at home for all the good he was.
To summarise how it all ended, the bus company purchased tickets for us on another bus owned by another company for this morning, and Jumbo took us by taxi to the hotel where we had been staying the previous night. They refused to pay for the hotel though and wanted us to stay in their own sub standard accommodation, so we had to phone the main agency with whom we have dealt the whole trip which is based in Cusco, and get them to agree to pay for the hotel and sort out the mess with Jumbo themselves, as aftterall Jumbo is a local tour operator and we should only have to deal with the agency in Cusco who we booked our whole trip with. The agency in Cusco agreed to pay the costs and now we will shortly be trying to make our way to Moquegua once again, and hoping that nothing else goes wrong, as Anny's family is waiting for us.
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Puno and the islands of Uros, Amantani and Taquile
Hi everyone. Well the tour of Peru is fast coming to an end. We are now in Puno and only one more destination in Peru awaits us. That is the city of Moquegua, where we will be spending Christmas with Anny's family. After that it will be back to Europe and back to full on running training ready for the MDS. Because of all the travelling I haven't been able to run that much the last couple of weeks. I was however able to run a little on the island of Amantani, although with the island located at over 3,800m above sea level the short jog really took my breath away.
After leaving Nazca our next stop was the beautiful city of Arequipa. On the first day we did a walking tour of the city and saw the cathedral, monastery, Plaza des Armas and other key monuments. Then we met up with some of Anny's cousins who study there and enjoyed some of the scrumptious Arequipa dishes, of which there are many. I also tried the Arequipan papaya juice, which is very different from the usual much larger papayas that you find elsewhere in Peru. In my opinion it is a lot more tasty. In the evening I decided I needed to do some exercise, and since I didn't know the parts that were safe and not safe in Arequipa I decided to do my exercise in the hotel room. I did a combination of press ups and sit ups and step ups on a chair, along with jogging on the spot with high knees etc. By the end I was exhausted.
The next day we were off on a tour of Colca canyon for 2 days. Colca canyon besides being stunningly beautiful is also a great place to see Andean condors whose wingspan can exceed 3m. The guide warned us that the likelihood of seeing them was not that high though, because they had already started nesting, and only leave the nest for brief periods to look for food and then they return to the nest. On the way to the hotel where we would stay for the night, we passed over a road at over 4,900m above sea level. On clear days you can see all the volcanoes in the region from this point, but because it is now rainy season there were clouds covering most of the volcanoes. It was still a precious view though, and on the top are many rock constructions that people have built, because they believe that the apus (spirits of the mountains) can protect them and so they build small houses from rocks and make a wish for good things to come to them. Anny and I decided to build a small house and make a wish for a long and happy relationship. It is always worth a try even if you don't believe fully in these things.
In Chivay we left most of the group and went to our hotel in Yanque, which was owned by some French people, and so gave us a good chance to practise our deteriotaing French language skills. At the hotel there was an option to do some horse riding, which I was very keen on. Anny agreed to join, but just before we set off the rain came and she decided she would rather stay in the warm and dry. I had full waterproofs with me so I wasn't phased by the rain and went ahead with the ride. The ride to the thermal baths where I wanted to go was very pretty, but the main road was closed due to construction, and the alternative path we had to take was rather steep in places. I wasn't that comfortable with being on a horse on a steep rocky downhill, as I worried that the horse would slip and fall, taking me with it. At some points we were only a metre or so from a sheer drop of a hundred metres or so, so there was a little adrenalin in my veins, and I tried to keep the horse as close to the rock face as possible. All worked out fine in the end and I arrived safely at the thermal baths. The water in the baths is lovely and hot, somewhere in the high 30s. I spent around 45 minutes in the water and then I walked back to the hotel to meet Anny. In the evening we took advantage of the sauna and jacuzzi at the hotel, and we also paid for a massage. After the massage my aches and pains from the previous night of exercises in my hotel room were somewhat less, although still present.
Early the next morning we were picked up from our hotel by the tour company, and driven along the Colca canyon to the Cruz del Condors viewpoint, stopping at various other viewpoints along the way. We were at the Cruz del Condors viewpoint for around one and a half hours, and there was not a single condor in sight. The group was worried we wouldn't get to see them, as we were meant to leave after one and a half hours and return to Arequipa. Just as we were about to get on the bus however, someone spotted a condor and so the guide gave us a little more time. Within a few minutes 3 condors were soaring up and down the valley. It was an awe inspiring sight. They are such masters of flight, and their flight seems effortless and graceful. At one point the condors made a pass over our heads, so that there was less than 10 metres between us and them. It was now that we could appreciate just how big they really are. We left the Colca canyon and drove back to Arequipa very happy people.
By the time we arrived back in Arequipa I had a horrible migraine, and I decided to book a hotel room so I could rest, until it was time to take our night bus to Puno. I haven't really had any migraines since arriving in Buenos Aires so maybe I am starting to lose a little fitness, as I only usually get them when I am not at peak fitness. It could also be the combination of lots of travelling and altitude and early mornings though.
After taking the night bus and arriving in Puno, it was 5am and we were taken to the hostal owned by the tour company so that we could rest for a few hours before our tour of Uros, Amantani and Taquile began. After a quick breakfast the driver raced down to the port at breakneck speed and all of us in the bus were scared to hell. Someone asked him to slow down but he didn't seem to heed the advice and continued to swerve around the tuk tuks.
The first stop was the Uros floating islands, and these I have already written about before in a previous post, so I wont repeat myself here. If you recall I visited the floating islands when I was in Puno on the bike tour before meeting up with Anny in Cusco.
After leaving the Uros floating islands the next stop was Armantani, which is the second largest island on lake Titicaca. The island is a peaceful place free of traffic and noise, and we spent the night there with a local family. In the evening the locals put on a music and dance show, and we all had to dress up in the local attire and take part in the dancing. It was a lot of fun and almost everyone joined in.
The following morning we took the boat to Taquile, another island not far from Armantani. We did a walking tour and took our lunch at a restaurant with views over the island. Throughout the lunch, the guide explained the local customs on the island, regarding marriage and love, and how the way the people dress tells you whether they are married, single and looking or single and not looking. Then it was time to head back to Puno, a 3 hour boat ride. Once back in Puno we were transferred to our hotel and took some well deserved rest. Later in the evening we went to a pena, which is a restaurant where there is also a music and dance show. We saw dances from the various regions of Peru, and I really loved the eagle dance, where the men wore head attire so they resembled eagles, and danced like warriors. Anny's favourite dance was the one from Moquegua for obvious reasons (with Moquegua being her birthplace).
Now we have the day to rest and do some shopping and then we are off to Moquegua for Christmas. I am really looking forward to it, and Anny is excited to be seeing her Peruvian side of the family too. I will visit my family in the UK in mid January, and we will be with Anny's parents and sister in Madrid for new year. Take care everyone and I will try to check in again soon.
After leaving Nazca our next stop was the beautiful city of Arequipa. On the first day we did a walking tour of the city and saw the cathedral, monastery, Plaza des Armas and other key monuments. Then we met up with some of Anny's cousins who study there and enjoyed some of the scrumptious Arequipa dishes, of which there are many. I also tried the Arequipan papaya juice, which is very different from the usual much larger papayas that you find elsewhere in Peru. In my opinion it is a lot more tasty. In the evening I decided I needed to do some exercise, and since I didn't know the parts that were safe and not safe in Arequipa I decided to do my exercise in the hotel room. I did a combination of press ups and sit ups and step ups on a chair, along with jogging on the spot with high knees etc. By the end I was exhausted.
The next day we were off on a tour of Colca canyon for 2 days. Colca canyon besides being stunningly beautiful is also a great place to see Andean condors whose wingspan can exceed 3m. The guide warned us that the likelihood of seeing them was not that high though, because they had already started nesting, and only leave the nest for brief periods to look for food and then they return to the nest. On the way to the hotel where we would stay for the night, we passed over a road at over 4,900m above sea level. On clear days you can see all the volcanoes in the region from this point, but because it is now rainy season there were clouds covering most of the volcanoes. It was still a precious view though, and on the top are many rock constructions that people have built, because they believe that the apus (spirits of the mountains) can protect them and so they build small houses from rocks and make a wish for good things to come to them. Anny and I decided to build a small house and make a wish for a long and happy relationship. It is always worth a try even if you don't believe fully in these things.
In Chivay we left most of the group and went to our hotel in Yanque, which was owned by some French people, and so gave us a good chance to practise our deteriotaing French language skills. At the hotel there was an option to do some horse riding, which I was very keen on. Anny agreed to join, but just before we set off the rain came and she decided she would rather stay in the warm and dry. I had full waterproofs with me so I wasn't phased by the rain and went ahead with the ride. The ride to the thermal baths where I wanted to go was very pretty, but the main road was closed due to construction, and the alternative path we had to take was rather steep in places. I wasn't that comfortable with being on a horse on a steep rocky downhill, as I worried that the horse would slip and fall, taking me with it. At some points we were only a metre or so from a sheer drop of a hundred metres or so, so there was a little adrenalin in my veins, and I tried to keep the horse as close to the rock face as possible. All worked out fine in the end and I arrived safely at the thermal baths. The water in the baths is lovely and hot, somewhere in the high 30s. I spent around 45 minutes in the water and then I walked back to the hotel to meet Anny. In the evening we took advantage of the sauna and jacuzzi at the hotel, and we also paid for a massage. After the massage my aches and pains from the previous night of exercises in my hotel room were somewhat less, although still present.
 |
| Horseriding in Colca canyon |
Early the next morning we were picked up from our hotel by the tour company, and driven along the Colca canyon to the Cruz del Condors viewpoint, stopping at various other viewpoints along the way. We were at the Cruz del Condors viewpoint for around one and a half hours, and there was not a single condor in sight. The group was worried we wouldn't get to see them, as we were meant to leave after one and a half hours and return to Arequipa. Just as we were about to get on the bus however, someone spotted a condor and so the guide gave us a little more time. Within a few minutes 3 condors were soaring up and down the valley. It was an awe inspiring sight. They are such masters of flight, and their flight seems effortless and graceful. At one point the condors made a pass over our heads, so that there was less than 10 metres between us and them. It was now that we could appreciate just how big they really are. We left the Colca canyon and drove back to Arequipa very happy people.
By the time we arrived back in Arequipa I had a horrible migraine, and I decided to book a hotel room so I could rest, until it was time to take our night bus to Puno. I haven't really had any migraines since arriving in Buenos Aires so maybe I am starting to lose a little fitness, as I only usually get them when I am not at peak fitness. It could also be the combination of lots of travelling and altitude and early mornings though.
After taking the night bus and arriving in Puno, it was 5am and we were taken to the hostal owned by the tour company so that we could rest for a few hours before our tour of Uros, Amantani and Taquile began. After a quick breakfast the driver raced down to the port at breakneck speed and all of us in the bus were scared to hell. Someone asked him to slow down but he didn't seem to heed the advice and continued to swerve around the tuk tuks.
The first stop was the Uros floating islands, and these I have already written about before in a previous post, so I wont repeat myself here. If you recall I visited the floating islands when I was in Puno on the bike tour before meeting up with Anny in Cusco.
After leaving the Uros floating islands the next stop was Armantani, which is the second largest island on lake Titicaca. The island is a peaceful place free of traffic and noise, and we spent the night there with a local family. In the evening the locals put on a music and dance show, and we all had to dress up in the local attire and take part in the dancing. It was a lot of fun and almost everyone joined in.
 |
| Dressed in traditional costumes on Amantani island |
The following morning we took the boat to Taquile, another island not far from Armantani. We did a walking tour and took our lunch at a restaurant with views over the island. Throughout the lunch, the guide explained the local customs on the island, regarding marriage and love, and how the way the people dress tells you whether they are married, single and looking or single and not looking. Then it was time to head back to Puno, a 3 hour boat ride. Once back in Puno we were transferred to our hotel and took some well deserved rest. Later in the evening we went to a pena, which is a restaurant where there is also a music and dance show. We saw dances from the various regions of Peru, and I really loved the eagle dance, where the men wore head attire so they resembled eagles, and danced like warriors. Anny's favourite dance was the one from Moquegua for obvious reasons (with Moquegua being her birthplace).
 |
| View from Taquile island looking towards Amantani island |
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