Extreme Living, fun fun fun

By "Extreme Living" I mean MOUNTAINS and LA PLAYA aka the beach. I am so overwhelmed with how much has happened since Machu Picchu, I could go on for hours and you would have to start ignoring me. It was a fabulous time.
Well, frp, Cuzco I went to Lima, which was not too fabulous although it did feel like a homecoming, returning to sea level. Walking to the ocean in the late afternoon with a wonderful new friend Avi, I could actually smell the salt of the Pacific and followed my nose to the sea. Got a little stuck in Lima, distracted by other young travelers and stellar grocery stores, but finally got myself to the mountain town of Huaraz, in time for one of the most stunning 6am arrivals: morning light illuminating the Cordillera Blanca and the peaks that rim the city. I actually exclaimed out loud when I saw these mountains.
I was thinking of going on a 3 or 4 day trek in the cordillera but it was still the end of the rainy season and not the best for trekking. I met several great people, Lea from Australia and Seb and JM from Alberta. We went on a day hike to Laguna 69 after taking 2 hours of taxi to get into the mountains. This was especially memorable because I saw my first glacier! The lake was pure blue, deeper than the sky. The clouds above us shifted so every once in awhile a new mountain would appear and we´d all shout about that.

JM and Seb are Ultimate players and actually travel with a disc, so that was fun. This lovely disc caused the next 3 days of new friends and fun; Seb and I went to throw in the plaza and met Melisa and Mey Lin, two girls from Chimbote, and Sandino from Huaraz. After 20 minutes of terrible but funny throwing Sandino gave us a late night tour of huaraz. I told the girls I´d be passing through Chimbote on my way up the coast and they invited me to stay with them. It´s amazing how quickly you can become friends with people, especially if you can simply let your guard down and let people in. And laugh a lot.

I don´t know why this picture is in the middle, it´s strange. JM SebLea and I were going to go to a magical forest of stones called Hatumachay to go climbing with a incredibly nice Argentinian guy, but we were rained out. JM and Seb jetted to the beach in the north and I took the afternoon bus through Cañon del Pato, a spectacular and narrow valley (and narrower road). Unforgettable bus ride, which is very unique as I usually would rather forget every bus ride ever in South America. I want to come back to Huaraz, it is so beautiful and one could spend months here climbing and trekking.

Spent the next 2 1/2 days with new friends in Chimbote! Such a fun group of close friends, hilarious and very caring and friendly. I am so grateful for their generosity. I stayed in Melisa´s house and we went to a local pool and got way sunburned, ate my first ceviche, rode in mototaxis, went to the discotecque 2 nights in a row?? and took over 1000 pictures between 3 cameras. So much spanish speaking too, different to be talking with young people. I have to come back!

Was going to write about the beach and the beginning of Ecuador but the internet place is closing, will do it tomorrow before the Galapagos! Love! Abby