by Elena on October 20, 2009
The day before we started our trek to Machu Picchu we met with our tour guide for a quick question and answer session. Our excitement slowly turned to a subtle anxiety with each carefree joke he made about the dangers of such a hike. He smiled as he told us he was sick, while swishing around a power drink, Peruvian Gatorade so to speak, in his left hand. With each sway of the bottle my stomach turned, an inevitable foreshadowing of what was to come. Still he assured us that we will be fine, leaving us awkwardly laughing and bewildered by his dark humor and self deprecating demeanor. Is he serious? Wait so my brain can hemorrhage if I don’t drink enough water? How is this funny again?
The bit of anxiety was probably for the better because before that moment I was feeling a false sense of security. Pshh we’ll be fine. High altitude sickness is for pansies. It’s different when heeding the advice of an expert versus reading a guidebook. Suddenly your inflated sense of self subsides and the reality of the situation (hiking for days at high altitude) starts to sink in.
After instilling a tiny bit of fear, our guide gave us some advice on what we need to bring for the trip. I created a list of his suggestions, combined with some things I felt were useful for me on the trek.
Water is very important. In order to prevent altitude sickness, you must keep hydrated, sipping water every 15 minutes or so when you are feeling sick. On organized trips such as ours, water is provided. Don’t worry they boil it in order to prevent sickness. I would suggest you avoid drinking from any stream you find along the trail. It looks tempting, however our guide told us a story about a group of his who decided to take a shower in a stream a long the way, and they all ended up stranded in the mountains, fighting off various sicknesses. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather stay dirty.
Flashlights and headlights are very useful for rummaging around at night. A headlight may seem weird, but when you are looking for something in the middle of the night in freezing weather, you won’t care how ridiculous you look. You can tie up a flashlight in your tent in order to make it easier for moving around. It isn’t completely pitch black outside, however, we were able to benefit from the clear skies and light of the moon.
Toilet paper is your friend. I do not need to emphasize that there is no bathrooms or running water along the way. You will be 3 days in the great outdoors. Bring that paper.
Disposable plastic bags are necessary in order to store things in them. I didn’t think I would need them, but they ended up being useful. Also keep in mind that you can’t just throw away your garbage on the trail. You have to carry everything with you, or give your trash to the guides on the trip with you. Bags make everything easier.
Sunscreen is necessary if you don’t want to get burned from walking in direct sunlight for hours. A hat will also help.
Sleeping bags are provided for an extra cost. Rent the bags. Who wants to be lugging around sleeping bags.
Sleeping bag sacks or liners are great because they keep you extra warm and they also shield you from directly touching the sleeping bags you rent. I suggest getting a silk liner because the threading is much more tight, and harder for bed bugs to get into. Cotton is cheaper, but more things can pass through.
Snacks, especially chocolate, give you energy and prevent altitude sickness. If you start to feel light headed you should have some sort of sugar. Our guide gave us lemon drops whenever we started to feel sick.
You will need to carry a daypack with you. The mules and other guides will be carrying your regular bags and backpacks (there is a weight limit) and they will speed ahead of you. Everything you need easy access to (medicine, camera) should be in your daypack. Don’t make it too heavy because you have to carry it.
Travel towel in order to clean your face and wash up. There are many different kinds of towels that are made to dry quickly.
Warm clothes and jacket will probably be one of the most important things to bring. Because of the high altitude the temperatures can drop significantly. If you travel during the rainy season it will also be colder. A warm hiking jacket will be the best for you.
by Elena on October 14, 2009
I am very happy this week because I was able switch over to WordPress from Blogger. Seeing as I’m not really an expert at HTML or PHP (or any other intimidating techie acronyms), I had to play around with the design. I oh so humbly pat myself on the back for learning the little bit that I did without banging my head on my keyboard. Did you know that you have to wait 5-7 days in order to switch from one host to another? News to me.
But alas Gringa Española is up and running under the same domain, and with a different look. There is a new photography section that I will be updating. For the new design I choose the Thesis Wordpress Theme. It gives me the flexibility that I want and helps a fledgling blogger like myself deal with all the intricacies of WordPress.
Hope you enjoy the new design!
by Elena on September 2, 2009
“It’s like riding a bicycle,” or so they say about something you never forget how to do. Although I wobbled back and forth on the racing bike, a bit too tall for my 5′2 frame, the seller called me a natural. Of course he’d say that, hoping that a few gentle strokes to my ego would coax me into buying his old bike. I realized the saying is true, I didn’t forget how to ride a bike, but they never said anything about riding it well. The test spin was a success, considering I didn’t fall over, break the thing, or cause any bystanders bodily harm. Nonetheless I left the seller disappointed, realizing that the racing bike with its large thin wheels, was too much for me to handle.
I decided to go smaller, so much smaller that I risked the little kid, bike jabs from my friends. Even so I loved it. My girl’s cruiser bike was perfect for a cycling friendly city like Montreal. After a couple self-affirmations and the support of an equally inexperienced friend, we were able to conquer the streets and avoid incoming traffic.
The incredible talents of Montreal cyclists.
- Texting while riding.
- Talking on their cell phone while riding.
- Listening to their ipods while riding (you get my drift). They can handle technology on a bike.
- Talking to one another while cycling side by side. Yeah it seems easy enough, but try it before you judge.
- Successfully balancing a large quantity of ’stuff’ in a basket at the front or back of their bike.
- Successfully balancing another person on the front or back of their bike.
- Riding with no hands (in order to text, scratch their head, show off, etc.).
- Riding in the pouring rain. (I’ve done this too! It is actually a lot of fun).
- While I have not seen it, people tell me that Montrealers continue to ride their bikes well into wintertime and even during snowstorms.
Novice riders like ourselves slowly learn the tricks of the trade.
My old companion is now being ridden around Montreal by a girl from Argentina. May she treat it well.
by Elena on July 31, 2009
There is no secret that I love markets. I honestly don’t think there is a better, more public way of seeing a culture, all the food and customs out for display, the people gathered and slowly chatting and doing their day’s work. Of course the fact that I’m surrounded by all sorts of food doesn’t hurt either.
Before we started off our trek towards Machu Picchu, our tour guide picked us up bright and early, and was a little upset that we had him waiting 10 minutes while we lugged out our belongings sleepily and slowly to the car. It took us about an hour to get to Calca, my memory fails me with the exact specifics. Calca is a small town in the Calca province. We stopped to get some food and drinks and to orient ourselves before we began. We didn’t see much of the town besides the market, that despite the early hour was pretty busy.
Growing up in a Spanish household, as well as my frequent visits to Galicia, have made me pretty accustomed to seeing fish with the head still attached, dead chickens with some sparing feathers, pigs feet, intestines, and most others animal parts and nasty bits that are meant to be consumed. It may not have phased me, but I could tell some of my companions were not feeling as at ease. It is important to pay attention, even if it makes you uneasy, because the items found in each market reflect the customs of a culture. It is really a question of resources. You use what is available for you.
A poor family will undoubtedly make sure to use all parts of whatever animals are available. It would be extremely wasteful to throw out anything if there was a chance to keep your family well fed. The traditions have held on throughout the years, hence why many cultures continue to cook with the same ingredients people have used for hundreds of years. Of course other factors, such as religion and wealth, also have a lot of influence in everyday cuisine. A vegetarian from Gujurat will have a much different diet than a Catholic from Kerala, for example. Nevertheless if you want an overall idea make your way over to the nearest, local market and you will see.
Warning, nasty bits are below. Scroll with caution.
For those of you unconvinced of the magical powers of All Hallow’s Eve, allow me to ask you this. What other holiday allows grown adults and children alike to dress up in the wildest costumes without the least bit of social stigma? Yes some of you may think that this is a child’s holiday, but venture out in New York City on October 31st and you will soon think otherwise. This year in particular, it felt like everyone wanted to take advantage of the chance to dress up as their alter ego, not letting some pesky rain get in the way of all the fun. The fact that there is this one time of the year where we are allowed to escape our traditional roles, and if we so choose, prance down Bleeker Street in a pink tutu covered in blood or our eyeballs falling out of their sockets is somewhat freeing, don’t you think?
All corners of the Village, East, West, Greenwich and everything in between, had people walking around in costume, some even getting a little too into character. We stumbled upon a Bruno so dedicated to his role he had to interview every person in his path. The living dead were jumping on unsuspecting pedestrians and the occasional taxi cab. The Halloween Parade that marches down 6th avenue, often times takes over two hours to fully leave the starting point. It truly is an experience that people visiting this city won’t ever forget, definitely the most eccentric NYC parade you will ever see. The great part is that everyone is allowed to participate. You merely need to show up at the starting point in your best costume, and you are free to parade down 6th avenue dressed as a giant flea, zombie, fire breathing dragon, or whatever else your creative mind can come up with.
Image via: 
Montreal Me Manques
by Elena on November 11, 2009
The air is so crisp this time of year in Montreal, I literally walk down the street breathing in so deep, I can only imagine I look like I’m smelling something completely foul. It isn’t as cold as I remember however, as a friend of mine griped about last night.  Can’t say I’ve met a French person who liked the bitter cold as much as he does. I mean, I’m a fan of the seasons myself, but you don’t hear me wishing for below zero temperatures! He described a time last winter where it was so cold it made your face swell. Swollen faces, that’s what we have to look forward to everybody.
I have wrestled back and forth so many times as to whether or not to live and work in Montreal. There is something about this city that I just can’t place. The je ne sais quoi factor may seem like a lame excuse to avoid making a definite decision, and in part it is.  It is based more on a feeling than any other palpable explanations. The sense that this is my city, a place I can wrap my mind around. For years I went to school and worked in NYC and the pace was addicting, but I never felt like I kept up to speed.
I can’t tell you the happiness it brings me to see old faces that I don’t get to see that often. Tomorrow I get to see La Bande de Boudoir. We chose this name in honor of our bar and our common penchant for cheap drinks and some laughs.
Ok I fess up. You can see that there are still leaves on the trees in these photographs. That is because they are the photos I took a couple months ago on my last trip to Montreal. My camera is currently in the shop breathing its last breath. The staircases of the homes in Montreal are very much an image I have of this city and when I walk by them I know I’m really here.Â
These pictures are relevant to the feelings I have at the moment. Can I have nostalgia for a city, that I’m currently in? Most likely because I’m not sure if I will stay.
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