EXPEDITION LOG
TRANS-AMAZON 2 : Venezuela, Brazil & Peru
JULY 23 – AUGUST 16, 2010
by Teh Lay Hwa
JULY 23 (FRIDAY)
All the participants met at Hotel Villa D'Este in Caracas. Expedition Leader, Thomas Foo welcome us at night and briefed us. There are 23 participants in 7 vehicles. This include a team of 4 Koreans shooting a documentary on the expedition led by an action movie star, Park Se Joon and a 71 year old Danish lady, Karen, who is extremely well travelled and adventurous. One more participant, Yamin will join us on August 5, 2010.
Venezuela time is 12 ½ hours behind Malaysia.
JULY 24 (SATURDAY)
City Tour of Caracas.
Note: Caracas is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, with a population of 3.5 million. It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range (Cordillera de la Costa). The valley is close to the Caribbean Sea, separated from the coast by a steep 2200 m (7400 ft) high mountain range, Cerro Ávila; to the south there are more hills and mountains.
JULY 25 (SUNDAY)
10:30am Flag off from Independence Square, Los Proceres, Caracas.
Took lots of group pictures. We were sent off by the Just 4 Cruiser club members of
Venezuela.
Car Driver
1 Thomas (Tango)
2 Ah Tek (Double Zero)
3 Alyna (Zero One)
4 Yong (Yankee)
5 Amir (Eight Zero)
6 Peter Choy (Papa Charlie)
7 Assir (One Dollar)
1:30 pm Stop for fruits and savor the mini bananas, oranges and avocados.
2:00 pm Lunch stop at Guapo and savor the delicious roast pork.
4:20 pm Passed by Pintu town, established in 1556, supposedly the oldest town in the
Caribbean.
Passed by Barcelona and Porto la Cruz city.
5:00 pm Reached camp at Conoma Beach. Took a cruise around the islands and camp
along the beautiful Caribbean Sea.
JULY 26 (MONDAY)
6:30 am Wake up and walk on the beach and swam in the Caribbean sea, wonderful
experience.....
9:30 am Briefing/ Stretch exercise/ Prayers.
10:00 am Rollout
10:20 am Refuel at Barcelona. Venezuela has the cheapest gas in the world, 4 cents per
litre, unbelievable. Gasoline is cheaper than mineral water, which cost RM2.
Went through 2 police checks, army and metropolitan police which delayed us.
Learning that we must expect police checks when travelling through South America
2:40 pm Enter El Tigre town, supposedly, a lot of tigers dwell there in the past.
4:50 pm Crossed Orinoco Bridge.
5:00 pm Arrived at Ciudad Bolivar town, the capital of Bolivar state of Venezuela. The town
was founded by catholic missionaries in 1764. Interesting town with a contrast of
large mansions and small huts. Overnight in a beautiful boutique hotel, Casa Tropica
Hotel, similar to staying in a Spanish villa. However the security is incredibly tight in
this area, we are locked in and out of the hotel. I was advised not to go out alone
after 6 pm.
JULY 27 (TUESDAY)
8:30 am Some of us flew to Angel Falls on a 4 seater plane which took around 40 min to get
there. Praise God for beautiful weather that we had a really clear view of the Falls.
The plane circle around the Falls for around 20 min and it was truly awesome, twice
the height of KLCC. The highlight was a spectacular rainbow at the Falls, one of the
longest (in length) I have seen.
Note: Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 metre (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 metre (2,648 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State, Venezuela.
12:10 pm Went back to the hotel to checkout. The Korean team went out filming in the morning
and was delayed coming back by 2 hours. After that, Amir (driver of Car 5) went 'missing'. In actual fact, he was sleeping at the couch of the hotel but no one saw him, pretty strange... Finally, Tango requested the team to pray before rolling out to avoid further delays.
2:30 pm Finally rolled out.
4:30 pm Arrived at Puerto Ordaz, a prosperous city with industries in iron, charcoal, gas and
coal. It has beautiful shopping malls and private mansions.
5:00 pm A beautiful double rainbow appeared in front of the vehicles as we travelled towards
Gran Sabana. It stayed with us for a while, awesome…
8:30 pm Pee stop. For the first time in my life, I learn to pee behind a 4 wheel along the
highway. Major breakthrough and it is the beginning of many more pee stops.
9:30 pm Camp in El Encanto Cuyuni, along the Cuyuni river. Thank God, the heavy rain
started only after the tents were pitched.
10:30pm Dinner time, great dinner, aptly prepared by our chef, Alyna (also driver of Car 3). Most of the team members are hungry since they had no lunch due to the 3 hour delay in rollout. Lesson to learn is to buy snacks along the way, at every stop since we never know when our next meal will be….
JULY 28 (WEDNESDAY)
7:00 am Breakfast, good porridge and pack fried rice for lunch.
9:00 am Car 6 driven by Brother Yong had car problem. Its wheel stud had to be replaced, nicely done by Ah Tek (Double Zero) who is also the driver of Car 2.
10:00am Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers.
10:30am Rollout.
12:10 pm Stop to refuel and buy groceries in a Chinese supermarket which carries almost
everything. The Chinese family is from Guangzhou and has been there for four
years. According to them, there is a small community of Chinese immigrants there
that are running restaurants and supermarkets. When the children reach 7 years,
they are normally sent back to China for education for the education system in
Venezuela is not so good. It was great to be able to speak Chinese in this small town.
1:10 pm Arrived at the Canaima National Park in the Gran Sabana region (most interesting for nature and wildlife).
Note: Canaima National Park is a 30,000 km² park in south-eastern Venezuela that borders Brazil and Guyana. It is located in the state of Bolívar, and roughly occupies the same area as the Gran Sabana region. The park was established on the 12 June 1962. It is the second largest park in the country, after Parima-Tapirapecó and is the size of Belgium or Maryland. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of the tepuis (table-top mountains) that are characteristic of this area.
The most famous tepuis in the park are Mount Roraima, the tallest and easiest to climb, and Auyantepui, from which fall the Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world. The tepuis are sandstone and date back to a time when South America and Africa were part of a super-continent. The park is home to indigenous Pemon Indians.
2:00 pm Lunch at the Pioneer Soldier Monument. It was beautiful and scenic but infested with
sand flies.
3:00 pm View the beautiful Manakachi cascade waterfalls.
4:00 pm View the Kama waterfalls.
4:40 pm Admire the beautiful Oso mountains, a spectacular site. Met three little Indian girls
there selling bead necklaces. Took pictures with them.
5:00 pm Continued our journey and there was a beautiful double rainbow in front of us leading
our vehicles. Awesome!
5:30 pm Camp at El Dorado waterfalls. It was beautiful but infested with SAND FLIES.
Most of us had scars on our legs and hands as souveneirs to take home. The place
must be the “sand flies capital” for they bite us continuously even in the daytime.
What a 'biting' experience!
Tried showering for the first time in a sarong along the waterfalls. Pretty liberating
experience….
JULY 29 (THURSDAY)
7:00 am Woke up and brush my teeth for the first time at the waterfalls. Interesting
experience. The men were bathing at the waterfalls, enjoying themselves.
8:45 am Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers.
9:10 am Rollout.
9:40 am Stop at the handicraft shop of the “Temone Indians”. We bought pendants, ear rings
and bracelets.
11:30 am Picture stop and savor the beauty of the “Gran Sabana”.
11:40 am Arrived at Santa Elena town and passed by the Santa Elena monument.
12:20 pm Crossing the border to Brazil.
1:15 pm Cleared the Venezuela border.
3:50 pm Cleared the Brazilian border which took 3 hours.
4:00 pm The team change money for Brazilian Real with money changer that came over to
Car 1. First time experiencing a mobile money changer, most interesting and the rate
was really good, US$ 1 : Realis 1.8.
4:35 pm Entered the state of Roraima, Brazil. Gasoline here is RM 4 per litre compared to 4 cents per litre in Venezuela. Change time to Brazilian time which is 30 minutes later than Venezuela.
5:30 pm The 7th Car i.e. Car 10, driven by One Dollar had a tire puncture. Tire burst and had to be changed, ably done by Double Zero.
10:00 pm Reach Boa Vista, capital of Roraima.
10:30pm Check in to Hotel Farroupilha, Boa Vista.
11:00pm Went out for dinner at a restaurant along Rio Branco.
Delicious fish and good music. Brazilian singers are great.
12:10am Got the singer to sing Happy Birthday to One Dollar. It will be one birthday that One
Dollar won’t forget…..
JULY 30 (FRIDAY)
9:30 am Rollout from hotel.
10:30am Entered the town of Mucajai.
11:00am Saw many vultures along the highway. Travelling through Highway BR 173, tarmac road
with lots of pot holes.
2:30 pm Stop for buffet lunch, 10 Real each.
3:10 pm Car 5 (Korean team) had car problem. Its side window came off due to impact from
driving through the pot holes. Double Zero to the rescue.
5:00 pm Car 10, driven by One Dollar brokedown and the engine stopped.
The car had to be towed by Car 2, driven by Double Zero. Karen moved to Car 8 and Lay Hwa moved to Car 2.
5:45 pm Car 10's windshield was shattered. Double Zero, Satren and One Dollar had to
completely take off the windshield. One Dollar had to drive Car 10 wearing his
jacket for it was cold without the windshield. The cables towing Car 10 came off
several times and had to be tied again for it was really tricky driving through the pot
holes at night.
6:50 pm Car 2 and 10 reach the Equator monument, zero degree and took pictures in the
dark. Saw 6 couples of wild parrots flying by, cheer us up a bit.
7:30 pm Finally reached the campsite. I was really exhausted with the day's adventure and
was feeling pretty down, especially when the toilet was not clean. Nevertheless, I
could not help noticing that Tango and his crew were cool & collected, still energetic
in trying to fix Car 10’s problems. Tango calmly smoke a cigar on his chair,
discussing with his crew. What an interesting sight, these “adventurers” took this as a
challenge instead of an obstacle. They tried their best and finally had to give up and
accept Car 10’s fate by 11pm. For a 25 year old land cruiser, Car 10 had serve
its purposes and had to resign…
JULY 31 (SATURDAY)
6:30 am Woke up early for I did not sleep well. Decided I need to laugh it off to keep my
sanity. One Dollar will accompany a tow truck to tow Car 10 to Manaus. The rest of
the team will continue with the expedition.
10:00 am Register with army patrol with our passports to enter the Waimori Indian
reservation. The pass road through the reservation is only open from 6am to 6pm as
agreed between the Indians and the Brazilian government. The reservation covers
1,000 sq km which is part of the Amazon. There are now around 4,000 Indians living
there and they are mainly uncivilized. We passed by some Indian women that are
bare breasted and one of them threw stones at us. They are hostile and do not like
visitors and they are apparently cannibals. We were told that there was a plane
carrying two Americans that crashed into the reservation several years ago. They
were never found again and was presumably 'eaten' by the Indians... Thank God,
none of our cars broke down there.
11:50am Lunch stop at Indian Reservation Centre. Team members purchased some
souvenirs there..
3:20 pm Arrived at the city of Manaus. Founded in 1669, Manaus became
prosperous during the rubber boom, end of 19th century. It is the capital of the state
of Amazonas and has a population of over 2 million. Manaus is a popular ecotourism
destination for it is located next to the Amazon rainforest. Currently, Manaus is a
prosperous city due to foreign investments from Europe, Korea, Japan and China in
electronic manufacturing.
The Amazon rainforest (Amazonia) is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of
the Amazon basin of South America. The basin covers 1.7 billion acres of which 1.4
billion acres are covered by rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to 9
nations, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Columbia, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and
French Guiana. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil (60%) and Peru
(15%).
5:30 pm Checked into Ibis Hotel in Manaus. The rate was Real 139 (RM258) per night per
room.
AUGUST 1 (SUNDAY)
10:20am Most of the team members went for City Tour of Manaus with guide, Ebony (black guy from English Guyana who is also a taxi driver and mechanic). Stopped at the St. Sebastian Square and walked around St. Sebastian Church and Theatre Amazonas. Some of us purchased maps of Amazon and Brazil for 10 Reals each there. (I really like Manaus which appears to be a prosperous and safe city).
11:00am Went to the Municipal market located along Rio Negros (Black River) which sells fish, vegetables and fruits. It is the largest fish market I have ever seen where all types of fish from Rio Negros are sold. The famous ones are Tambaque fish (most famous) and Piraque fish (largest river fish).
12:15pm Went to the Ponta Negra Beach which looks almost like a mini Copacabana Beach of Rio De Janeiro but this is a beach by the Negro river with a number of restaurants along side. Seems like a popular family hangout, where the locals go swimming and sunbathing along the river.
1:00 pm Lunch at the Canto da Peixada restaurant and tried the Tambaque fish (both grilled and in a soup). They were delicious and all of us enjoyed it and also the passion fruit juice, delightful…
3:00 pm Return to the Hotel and rest. Since no laundry service was available, we had to wash
our clothes and hang at the staircase behind the hotel.
7:00 pm Dinner at the Hotel. Some of us have pasta and pizza which were pretty good.
AUGUST 2, 2010 (MONDAY)
7:30 am Woke up and checked on my wet clothes at the back of the hotel. Unfortunately, it rained yesterday night after I went to sleep so my clothes are still wet. Lesson learned is to collect back the washed clothes and hang indoors next time before going to bed.
9:00 am Rollout from Ibis Hotel.
9:30 am Arrive at the ferry terminal to cross the Amazon river and see the meeting of the Waters, where the black waters of the Negro river meet the brown waters of the Solimoes river, converging to form the Amazon river. It took 45 minutes to cross the river and the sight of the brown colour river meeting the black colour river, flowing side by side without mixing for about 9 km was really awesome. The Amazon river is the largest river in the world.
11:40am Reached Sao Pedro and start our journey to cross the famous highway, BR319 from
Manaus to Porto Velho, a “thrill” highway for offroaders. BR319 was built 30
years ago and took 15 years. Due to a change in government, the project was later
abandoned. It is known as the “Road of Death” for 6,000 people died from building
the road (1,000 from Malaria and the rest attacked by Indians). BR 319 is a North to
South highway from Manaus to Proto Velho and is 900 km long where 500 km are
bad sectors and a real challenge for offroaders. It has thousands and thousands of
potholes and we will cross over 100 bridges, some not in very good condition.
It will take us three days to cross BR319 where there are no villages along the way. We will have to camp 2 nights along the highway and have to stock up our drinking water to last 3 days.
1:15 pm Cross another river by ferry.
2:50 pm Cross another river by ferry.
4:10 pm Pee stop.
The journey was really bumpy due to the potholes. We covered 280km on the highway today and our average speed is 48km per hour due to the potholes.
6:00 pm Reach our campsite, along a fixed line telecommunication tower, Embartel Tower which has a well next to it. Set out tents and build campfire.
6:30 pm Shower using the well water which is a new experience for me. The water was cold but at least I don’t feel sticky anymore.
We were assigned sentry duties i.e. 3 slots, 12am-2am, 2am-4am, 4am-6am. My slot was 2am-4am. It was a great experience sitting by the campfire and looking at the host of stars in the sky. I really enjoyed the fire. Some saw shooting stars and hopefully made their wish….
AUGUST 3, 2010 (TUESDAY)
6:20 am Woke up and brush my teeth using the well water.
9:20 am Exercise/ Briefing/ Prayers.
9:40 am Rollout.
10:15am Stop at ferry terminal. We were really blessed to see two “pink dolphins” at the river, which is apparently rare to see. Some of the village children were feeding them with small fish. Our Korean actor, Park even dive down the river to be close to the dolphins.
11:00am BR 319 is beginning to get narrower. We were really blessed to see the migration of yellow amazon butterflies. It appears that the butterflies were leading us in our journey through BR 319 today. We passed by cashew nuts and guava trees and also saw several Indians.
We crossed around 30 wooden bridges today, some not in good condition.
5:00 pm Camp by a river. Most of us showered in the river.
AUGUST 4, 2010 (WEDNESDAY)6:30 am Woke up and brush teeth using mineral water. The campsite was infested with salt bees that came for the salt on our bodies. Some of them sting us. First sand flies, then mosquitoes and now bees……
9:15 am Briefing/ Exercise/ Prayers.
9:30 am Rollout.
10:00am Saw a grey baby stork attempting to fly.
11:15am Saw a dead cayman (mini alligator) which was run over by a truck. The flesh were all eaten by the vultures.
11:40 am Car 1 has car problem. Double zero changed its anti rollbar balljoint link. Car 3 is running low on petrol and had to top up.
12:20 pm Met four Argentinian men bicycling through Route 319. Tango gave them some water.
1:00 pm Lunch Break and we ate our packed lunch. Seo from Korea is pretty sick and we gave him some flu tablets, vitamin C and water.
3:30 pm Fuel stop. Car 1 & Car 2 had to top up their fuel.
7:00 pm Rest stop for Seo is sick. Gave him more flu tablets. The stretch of road today was the most dusty due to construction which aggravated Seo’s flu. I don’t think he will forget BR 319….
8:30 pm Hurray! we reached Humaita, a cowboy town of 21,000 people.
9:00 pm Check-in to Macedonia Hotel, Humaita, supposed to be the best in town. The rate was Real 60 per night.
9:45 pm We had dinner at a nearby restaurant, Tambaque fish in spicy soup.
AUGUST 5, 2010 (THURSDAY)8:50 am Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers.
Seo is feeling much better after a good night rest at the hotel.
9:10 am Rollout. Sightseeing of Humaita, which is located by the Madeira River which converged into the Amazon river. Humaita is the main supply town in this area and has about 70 supermarkets here. There are six churches in this town. We passed by the Amazonas ranch owned by the local mafia, Gonzales which apparently owns one third of the town. Most of the people here bicycle and motorbike, quite a quaint town.
9:35 am Refuel at RM 4.50 per litre.
10:00 am Continue on BR 319 but this time its on good tarmac road. What a relief…
11:50 am Stopped for agriculture inspection, second time today. We are not allowed to bring meat and vegetables.
12:25 pm Reach Ferry Terminal to cross over to Porto Velho. Took pictures with the BR 319 end of highway sign. We made it through BR 319! Yeh! It’s a long queue to take the ferry. Car 5’s tire has a small leak and had to pump some air.
2:10 pm Some of us purchased knives and CDs sold by the local in the ferry. Crossed over to Porto Velho.
2:30 pm Went to Central Hotel, Porto Velho to pick up Yamin, the owner of Car 2. We now have 24 people in our team. Yamin is the editor of a 4X4 magazine. Car 2 have 5 passengers now. Satren had to sit between Nicky and LayHwa at the back.
3:00 pm Refuelled. Yamin handover the latest issue of his magazine, fresh from the press, which featured Amazon 1 expedition to Thomas. Picture time.
3:15 pm Car 5’s front tire burst and had to change its two front tires which cost RM1,500. It took a long time for there was no automation in the garage and the workers did it manually.
4:55 pm Rollout to Rio Blanco by Highway BR 364.
5:30 pm Exit the region of Amazonas and enter the Rondonia region.
Enjoyed the beautiful sunset along the way.
8:30 pm Dinner at “Jesus Loves You” restaurant in Abuna town. The buffet was pretty good.
10:00 pm Rollout.
11:00 pm Cross ferry over the Abuna river.
11:30pm Car 3 has car problem. Its axel oil seal leaked and drip into its brake shoe, jamming it. Thomas enquired at a nearby hotel but it was fully booked.
12:00am Found a great campsite nearby for truckers, “God given” at the last minute, which has a new toilet and shower. The best campsite ever. Set up camp.
Double Zero, Amir and Papa Charlie changed the oil seal and bearing of Car 3 until 3 am. I really admire how the crew can be so cool and calm in such situation. I guess it comes with experience…..
AUGUST 6, 2010 (FRIDAY)
7:00 am Woke up and took shower at the new and clean bathroom. There is even liquid soap provided. Unbelievable!
10:00 am Briefing/Stretch/Prayers.
Car 2 has to top up air for its front tire.
10:30 am Rollout.
11:10 am Passed by Extrema town, a dusty town full of cow and sheep ranches. The journey is rather dusty due to the burning of trees and grass, to create fresh pastures for the herd.
12:00 pm Stopped for agriculture check.
12:30 pm Break stop at a shop cum farm. We pluck pamelos and mandarin oranges from the trees behind. The pamelos were sweet but the oranges were sour.
1:40 pm Car 3 ran out of gas and had to top up.
2:40 pm Lunch stop at a Shell station in Rio Blanco and also refuel. Ate our packed fried beehoon lunch.
3:20 pm Rollout to Brasilia by Highway BR 317. Saw lots of cattle and horse ranches along the way. The burning continues….
4:30 pm Pee stop at petrol station. Friendliest station ever, offering free coffee, water, pineapple and guarana juice. I guess it’s a new station and is promoting its service. Its new toilet is great!
6:40 pm Crossing Acre river to Brasileia, a three border town (bordering Bolivia, Peru and Brazil.
7:20 pm Check into Hotel, Pousada Las Palmeras in Brasileia. Hotel rate is Sol 100 per night. Sol is Peru currency. Exchange rate, US$1: Sol 2.8.
8:00 pm Went out for dinner, beef with mash potatoes. Yummy, really good meal.
AUGUST 7, 2010 (SATURDAY)
8:30 am Miguel and One Dollar went to do custom clearance for the cars.
10:00am Briefing/ Prayers.
10:15 am Rollout.
10:30 am Refuel at petrol station.
12:05 pm Arrived at Brazil/Peru border. Clearing the immigration was quick.
12:30pm Picture stop. Took group pictures at the border with three flags, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
1:00 pm Enter the Peru immigration check point and had lunch there. It took a long time for the officers were strict and went through the baggage’s. All our eggs and meat had been confisticated.
3:00 pm Cleared the immigration and rollout towards Maldonado.
3:40 pm Enter the town of Iberia, Peru. Adjust our clock one hour backwards to 2:40pm. Saw a flock of white birds, maybe cockatitils…
3:00 pm Stopped for police check. Beginning to see a change in terrain now we entered Peru. We passed by rolling hills with cattle farms. There are lot of humps on the road.
5:00 pm Stopped for police check.
5:10 pm Reached Ferry terminal.
5:40 pm Crossed over to Maldonado.
6:10 pm Police escorted us to a nice hotel but rate was Sol170 per night. Nicky said it was too expensive. For the sake of team spirit, Tango and Miguel went to search for a cheaper hotel.
7:00 pm Check into Green Trading Hotel, Maldonado which is nice and spacious. Rate is Sol 100 per night. Blessing in disguise after all….
7:45 pm Dinner at Chinese Peruvian restaurant, Chifa. Interesting combination, fried rice & roast chicken with French fries or noodles with fries.
AUGUST 8, 2010 (SUNDAY)
8:10 am Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers Tango informed us that we made good time in our travels and has now gained one day. Yeh……
8:30 am Rollout.
8:40 am Refuel at Petro Station. Peru is cheaper than Brazil. Sol 10.25 per gallon for diesel (Sol 3.80 per litre) Sol 10.75 per gallon for petrol
11:00am Pee stop
11:10am Climbing up the Foothills of the Andes and its windy roads going up. We passed the Inapari River which looks pretty dry.
11:30am Arrive at Mazuko town which looks like a busy and happening town.
11:50am Picture stop at Puente Incumbari, a tiny Indian village
12:30pm First view of the real Andes and further on, we passed the Fortaleza bridge. The highest Andes mountain is at 6,400 metre (18,000 ft). There are a lot of roadworks going on this road. The construction workers seem pretty well equipped with their orange outfits and white helmets.
1:30 pm Lunch stop at a small Indian town. We had rice soup and roast pork which were pretty good. Also tried the “Inca Cola” drink which is yellow color and taste more like sprite but not as good. Apparently, Coca Cola has taken over this drink formula and I is manufacturing this in Peru under the brand, Inca Cola. You see this drink throughout Peru, which is rather popular, just like Coca Cola.
2:30 pm Rollout. We passed through several bridges.
3:25 pm As we passed the Capri bridge, we had a beautiful view of the Andes mountains.
4:00 pm We have reach 2,303 metres above sea level.
4:45 pm Camp at a beautiful site facing the Andes mountains and by a beautiful stream.
7:30 pm Dinner time. It took longer to cook than normal due to the altitude. We had curry chicken and beef steak for dinner. It was great eating curry in the cold (at around 12 degree celcius). We all hover around the campfire, beautifully done by the guys, headed by Colin.
11:00pm It was awesome looking at the host of stars in the sky against the Andes mountain. Spectacular night and a beautiful experience. Temperature went down to around 5 degree celcius at night.
AUGUST 9, 2010 (MONDAY)
5:30 am Woke up early at the campsite for its freezing. Had a hot cup of milo to warm up near the campfire.
7:30 am Car 2 had to change one of its rear tire which was punctured by a nail.
9:15 am Brieifng/ Stretch/ Prayers
9:30 am Rollout for Cuzco. Satren move from Car 2 to Car 3 so he can have more leg space. He is not feeling good, probably beginning of AMS (Altitude Mountain Sickness).
10:20 am We were at 3,000 metre high. Tango warned us of AMS and advise us to walk slowly and not run and most importantly we must not sleep until we get below 3,000 metres again.
10:45 am We had the first glimpse of the snow capped mountains and also saw a few Alpacas (small llamas) which are white and brown colors. They look like sheep but with longer necks and legs, and beautiful fur.
We are beginning to feel the increase in altitude as we continue to ascend.
11:15 am We reached the peak at 4,750 metre. The highest peak is Waja Waja Peak which is 5,300 metre. Waja Waja means double blessings.
12:05 pm Lunch stop at an Indian village at 4,700 metres. We took our packed lunch, Nasi Lemak. What a great feeling enjoying our nasi lemak in this picturesque village. Some of us bought blankets from the Indians. Elena was not feeling well, nerve problem.
12:35 pm Continue our journey. Nicky bought a bag of coca leaves which cost Sol 4 and let us try chewing it. I tried to chew a few leaves but not much taste… Coca leaves are used to make the drug, “cocaine” but is a normal diet in Peru. The Indians chew them a lot which is suppose to help with the high altitude. Many of us were already feeling sleepy but Tango reminded us that we are not allowed to sleep until be reach below 3,000 metre to avoid AMS.
2:00 pm Picture stop at the viewpoint of Ausangate which is 3,800 metre.
3:20 pm Passed by the town of Urcos. Car 1 checked on its brake problem at a petrol station.
4:30 pm Refuel at Quatro St. Sebastian town.
5:30 pm Check in to Hotel Marcelino’s, just outside of Cuzco at 3,300 metres. Thomas negotiated for a room rate of US$30 per night. They welcome us with hot coca tea (made from coca leaves) and coffee. Due to the high altitude, many team members did not feel well. Just climbing the stairs to our hotel rooms took great effort.
7:30 pm Most of us were tired and had dinner in the hotel by ordering in pizza and having instant noodles.
AUGUST 10, 2010 (TUESDAY)
8:45 am Briefing/ Prayers.
Cuzco is the capital of the Inca Empire, established around 900 years ago and was conquered by the Spanish in 1500’s. The Incas were famous for their agriculture advancement and their building of monuments.
Note: Cuzco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cuzco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. The city had a population of more than 400,000. Located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cusco, its altitude is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft). Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost a million visitors a year. It is designated as the Historical Capital of Peru.
9:30 am City tour of Cuzco. We were advised to break into groups of 2-4 people and go on our own by taxi to the city of Cuzco and spend the day there.
Yamin, Collin, Wing and I shared a taxi to Plaza D’armas square of Cuzco which took only 15 minutes and cost Sol 5. Our first stop was to purchase an admission ticket to Sacred Valley and Museums in Cuzco which cost Sol 130, valid for 10 days. Plaza D’armas have lots of shops and rather commercialized but with a beautiful view of the mountains. The people are friendly and many of them can speak some English since tourism is the main industry in Cuzco. So refreshing in our journey so far. I rather like the city and there are lots to do here from visiting museums, shopping, savoring the Cuzco cuisine, going for a body massage, etc.
11:00 am Yamin, Collin and Wing got excited for student demonstration was just starting at the square and there were many police there. They went to take pictures of it. We were told that they were protesting against fuel hike and Indian rights. It lasted around one hour and was quite orderly. We notice that there was a “protest wall” on one side of the square where information and pictures of topics that the people are protesting against are displayed to the public. It is interesting that the people are allowed a voice in this manner to openly protest against any issues.
1:00 pm We had a great lunch at the Plaza Grill Restaurant, located on the second floor, overlooking the square. We negotiated for set lunch of Sol 25 which include the salad bar, main course and dessert. The salad bar was fantastic with a plenty of variety. For the main course, we ordered different dishes so we can all try. We had alpaca meat, beef heart and trout. The best was still the trout which Wing ordered. Alpaca meat taste like a mixture of kidney and liver, pretty unique but really not appetizing. Will not try again… The dessert, chocolate cake, cheese cake and apple pie were not tasty. Peru is not good for western pastries. Nevertheless, we had a beautiful view and good life Cuzco music for entertainment. Some of us purchase CDs from the musician which cost Sol 20 each.
We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the various museums, including the Museum of Regional History, Museum of Popular Art and Oorikancha Site Museum. They were rather small and disappointing but nevertheless, they gave us some ideas regarding the Cuzco Indian culture. We did lots of shopping, purchasing local handicrafts including alpaca sweaters, caps, scarf’s, gloves, rugs and water color, oil paintings of local sceneries, etc.
6:00 pm We took a taxi back to the hotel. Wing said this was her most enjoyable day in this expedition. Most of us had our dinner at the hotel and order in. Colin and I pack the Andean burger from the city home. Frankly, it was one of the worst burgers we have tasted. Yaks….
8:00 pm There was a quick briefing by Tango regarding our trip to Macchu Picchu either on Thursday or Friday depending on whether we are able to get the train tickets. The backpackers train rate were fully booked and we need to get the higher rate tickets. We had to pay US$220 to Elena in advance for those who intend to visit Macchu Picchu.
AUGUST 11, 2010 (WEDNESDAY)9:20 am Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers
Tango manage to get train tickets to Macchu Picchu for Friday. Yeh! Tango introduced our Tour guide for Cuzco and Macchu Picchu, Edwin, a Mestizo (Spanish mixed with Indian).
One of the Korean team members, John (producer from the Korean satellite broadcasting company) is leaving for Korea today. The Korean team is left with three people now. John said his goodbyes and hope to see him in Malaysia one day. We will miss him, always cheery…
10:00am Rollout to Sacred Valley. We will be descending from an altitude of 3,200 metres in Cuzco to 2,300 metres in Sacred Valley. Many of us were relieve to get out of Cuzco due to the high altitude.
10:30am Passed the town of Cachimayo. The area is rather dry and dusty. Passed the houses, farms and ranches of Indians. Houses are made of clay and blends rather well with the mountains.
10:45am We have a view of the Ulutamba range of mountains.
11:20am Pee stop at scenic point overlooking the Sacred Valley. Some of us purchased handicrafts there. Sacred Valley is named after the Sacred river flowing through it, joining the Amazon river. I was feeling a bit nausea due to the altitude and the winding roads.
Note: The Sacred Valley of the Incas (or Urubamba Valley) is a valley in the Andes of Peru, close to the Inca capital of Cuzco and below the ancient sacred city of Machu Picchu. The valley is generally understood to include everything between Písac and Ollantaytambo, parallel to the Urubamba River, or Vilcanota River or Wilcamayu, as this Sacred river is called when passing through the valley. It is fed by numerous rivers which descend through adjoining valleys and gorges, and contains numerous archaeological remains and villages. The valley was appreciated by the Incas due to its special geographical and climatic qualities. It was one of the empire's main points for the extraction of natural wealth, and the best place for maize (corn) production in Peru. (Corn orignated from the Americas).
11:35am Continued our journey and had a beautiful view of the Waipo River surrounded by corn fields and the majestic mountains.
11:50am Entered the beautiful Ollantaytambo town to see the old ruins of the Incas and the terraces. These were built in the 1500’s. Some of us climb up the terraces with Edwin briefing us on the history. According to him (yet to be verified?), the Incas had a population of about 100,000 and they ruled over the various Indian tribes of about 11million residing in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. They were an intelligent tribe whose main economy was agriculture i.e. growing corn, potatoes, tapiocas, etc. They have about 140 different typed of potatoes and 70 different type of corn. The terraces were built to protect their high places of worship against landslides and to protect their vegetation and have a “greenhouse” effect. The animals that reside at the mountains include pumas, llamas, and spetacle bears. Interestingly, Edwin says there are no 100% Indians in Peru anymore. Even the Indians that are residing in the mountains are already mixed with Spanish.
Note: Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 60 kilometers northwest of the city of Cuzco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 meters (9,160 feet) above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cuzco region. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Nowadays it is an important tourist attraction on account of its Inca buildings and as one of the most common starting points for the three-day, four-night hike known as the Inca Trail. Ollantaytambo dates from the late 15th century and has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America.
1:20 pm We had lunch in this town. Some of us had pasta and some sandwiches with avocado in them. The service was rather slow…
2:30 pm Continue with our journey. The view of the Sacred Mountain was spectacular, making coming to Peru rather worthwhile.
3:50 pm Arrived at Pisac town, supposedly name after the Pisac wild birds that used to reside here. See the terraces and burial ground of the Incas, great view.
5:00 pm Rolled out.
5:30 pm Picture stop at the Murell of Pisac.
7:30 am Dinner at a Chinese restaurant that is 10 minutes away from our hotel by taxi. It was not bad. The owner is from Kwangzhou but all his staff including the cook are local. He told us that there are a few Chinese families in Cuzco, mostly from Fujian.
AUGUST 12, 2010 (THURSDAY)
12:15 pm Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers.
Car 5’s side window cracked. Double Zero worked on sticking an acrylic sheet on it.
1:30 pm Rollout. Refuel at the gas station. Sol 11.29 per gallon or Sol 2.13 per litre (RM3.17 per litre).
1:45 pm Rollout to Ollantaytambo.
Car 1 is pumping out clouds of black diesel smoke affecting the view of Car 2. This is apparently caused by the altitude.
2:30 pm Passed the town of Chinchero, at 3,743 metres.
3:10 pm Passed the town of Urubamba. Beautiful and scenic view of the mountains and farms.
3:30 pm Picture stop.
4:00 pm Enter the town of Ollantaytambo. There was a traffic jam passing through the cobblestone streets caused by tourist coaches.
4:15 pm Check in to Kuychi Punku Hostel, Ollantaytambo, a really quaint Quechua family owned hostel. Its like staying in a family home, beautiful and cosy.
5:00 pm Happy hour for some and shopping for others. Many of us love Ollantaytambo due to the friendliness of the people there (mainly Indians), the old buildings with cobblestone streets, and the great handicraft shopping (at much better prices than Cuzco).
7:00 pm Group dinner at the hotel, good food and good deal (Sol 10 per person). I think this is the best hotel we have stayed in which helps to build team spirit among the group since we dine together in the cosy atmosphere.
AUGUST 13, 2010 (FRIDAY)
5:00 am Walk to train station to take train to Machu Picchu.
6:00 am Board our train.
8:00 am Arrive at Aguas Calientes town.
8:10 am Take the bus.
8:30 am Reached Machu Picchu located within the Andes range. Yeh, we made it! Many of us join the expedition to see this place. A local guide took us on a tour and briefed us. The view is simply breathtaking and we took lots of pictures. Really worth seeing…
Note: Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu) – "Old Mountain", is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World. The Incas started building the estate around AD 1400 but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction and, since it was not found and plundered by the Spanish after they conquered the Incas, it is important as a cultural site. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll. Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early twentieth century.
4:00 pm Team members took the bus back to Aguas Calietes except for Yamin who decided to walk back (6 km). Great exercise and well done, Yamin!!
Shopping & eating at Aguas Calientes where there are lots of handicraft shops and restaurants.
6:30 pm Took the train back.
8:30 pm Arrive at Ollantaytambo.
9:15 pm Dinner at hotel.
AUGUST 14, 2010 (SATURDAY)
7:40 am Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers
8:00 am Rollout towards Nazca (Southwest).
9:00 am Pass Lake Waipo. Beautiful view and we had a picture stop.
9:30 am Enter the town of Anta.
9:45 am Refuel at gas station in Urubamba.
11:20 am Police check. Passed by Limatambo town at 2,000 metres. There are many corn fields here.
11:40 am Tracking the Apurimac river, which flows adjacent to the mountains.
11:50 am Picture stop. Its time to take off our jackets and sweaters as its getting warmer…
12:00 pm Car 2 stopped at a fruit store. Tried the mango (really sweet), avocado and apples..
1:20 pm Ascending, see plenty of fir trees, at 4,000 metres. Lunch stop – enjoyed our packed lunch of fried rice with chicken and salty fish.
2:00 pm Rollout.
2:20 pm Stopped due to roadworks on bridge.
2:45 pm Stopped at Abancay town for Car 1’s exhaust pipe bent. Double Zero to the rescue to unbent it, piece of cake…
3:55 pm Toll stop (Sol 3.90 per vehicle). Immediately passing the toll, a group of women “attack” our cars to sell mandarin oranges, gave Nicky a fright..
5:30 pm Camp near the Chalhuanca river, a beautiful campsite at 2,800 metres. We have travelled 273 km today but still 351 km away from Nazca.
7:30 pm Dinner with curry beef and fish. It was a beautiful night and we set around the camp fire and chit chat.
AUGUST 15, 2010 (SUNDAY)
9:50 am Briefing/ Stretch/ Prayers.
10:15 am Rollout. Passed Chalhuanca town, a bit quiet since its Sunday.
10:45 am Ascending at 3,00 metres. Spectacular view which reminds me of Grand Canyon an Colorado river..
11:00 am Toll stop (Sol 3.90 per vehicle). The young lady took picture of every car’s license plate for security purposes…
11:15 am Picture stop at 4,000 metre to enjoy the spectacular view.
Reached town of Iscahuanca and passed by many Alpaca and Llama ranches.
Thomas explained that the mountains are bald in this area since they are covered by vocalnic ash. The sulphur content is so high that the water here is yellow.
Passed by limestone formations and herds of alpacas and llamas at 4,326 metres, gorgeous…
Reach town of Piluni.
1:30 pm Saw eerie Rock formation at 3,600 metre. Descending and Thomas requested for engine braking. Passed herds of cows and vegetation.
2:00 pm Lunch stop at a scenic point. Enjoyed our packed lunch of friend noodles.
2:45 pm Rollout.
4:00 pm Toll stop (Sol 3.90 per vehicle) at 3,800 metre. Take PE 30 Highway to Nazca, one of the most scenic highway I have ever been. Tango sums it up saying that the view looks like Windows’ screenserver, i.e. clear sky above the Andes mountains.
4:15 pm Arrive at Pampa Galeras National Park, at 4,169 metre. Desert terrain, dry and rocky with no vegetation just some cactus. Pretty interesting and we saw herds of “Guanacos”, a type of camels that looks like deers, native to South America.
Passed “Hualancha Pass”, fantastic view of endless rocky hills that look like sand dunes. Some of the crew says it looks like “monkey brains”.
5:45 pm Picture stop in the middle of the dessert.
Tango discussed with the team to extend one day in our itinerary to overnight in Nazca so we can see the Nazca lines. This way, some team members that are flying back on August 17 will have to forgo sightseeing in Lima.
7:00 pm Check into Hotel Nido Del Condor, Nazca. Rate was US$50 per night per room. Dinner at the hotel.
AUGUST 16, 2010 (MONDAY)
7:00 am Breakfast at the hotel.
9:45 am Team members that opt for Nazca Lines Sightseeing by Air went to Airport which is just opposite the hotel. They went on a 4 seater plane to view the Nazca Lines. Many of us felt like vomiting for the plane kept circling around. This is the first time I experience air sickness and could not wait for the plane to land. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see the Nazca lines and was worth it for the experience….
The fascination of the Nazca lines is the mystery of how and why they were created.
Note: The Nazca Lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert of Peru. They have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The high, arid plateau stretches more than 80 kilometres (50 mi) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on the Pampas de Jumana. Scholars believe the Nazca Lines were created by the Nazca culture between 400 and 650 AD. The hundreds of individual figures range in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders,monkeys, fish, sharks or orcas, llamas, and lizards.
The lines are shallow designs made in the ground by removing the ubiquitous reddish pebbles and uncovering the whitish ground beneath. Hundreds are simple lines or geometric shapes; more than seventy are designs of animal, bird, fish or human figures. The largest figures are over 200 metres (660 ft) across. Scholars differ in interpreting the purpose of the designs, but they generally ascribe religious significance to them, as they were major works that required vision, planning and coordination of people to achieve. The geometric ones could indicate the flow of water or be connected to rituals to summon water. The spiders, birds, and plants could be fertility symbols. Other possible explanations include: irrigation schemes or giant astronomical calendars. Due to the dry, windless and stable climate of the plateau and its isolation, for the most part the lines have been preserved. Extremely rare changes in weather may temporarily alter the general designs.
1:45 pm Briefing/ Prayers.
2:00 pm Refuel at Sol 11.95 per US gallon.
2:30 pm Rollout to Pan Americana Highway which extends from Columbia to Chile.
2:55 pm Arrive at the location of the Nasca Lines, i.e. the hands and tree. Went up the Tower (Sol 2 each) to view. It was rather clear and worth it. Took lots of pictures. The lines are apparently 6 inch deep and 2 feet wide.
1:10 pm Rollout.
3:30 pm Passed orchards of oranges, bananas and corn fields. Stop at a fruit stall in Palpa town.
4:00 pm Passed by sandy desert that looks like “Sahara” dessert known as “Takca Desert”.
4:30 pm Picture stop at the desert. Its like a No man’s land and rather a liberating experience to be there.
4:50 pm Entered Ica City.
4:30 pm Came out of Ica City and see massive areas of wineries and wheat farms.
5:30 pm Toll stop (Sol 5.50 per vehicle). We are 276 km from Lima.
6:00 pm Cars stopped to check their roof racks. Apparently someone saw something fell out. Looks like false alarm…
6:50 pm Refuel at Pisco City. It was drizzling and the team decided to have dinner there.
It was truly a blessing that the small eating place opposite the petrol station sells chicken noodle soup. It was really delicious and cost only Sol 7 each. We really enjoyed the dinner. I could not believe that we can get almost like Chinese noodles in the middle of nowhere in Peru….
7:35 pm Rollout. Passed the Pacific ocean. Too bad it was already dark and we can’t see much.
8:10 pm The weather became very foggy and was a challenge for the drivers.
9:50 pm Refuel.
10:15 pm Pass Santa Maria toll gate. We are in Lima finally….
Note: Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area. With a population fast approaching 9 million, Lima is the fifth largest city in Latin America, behind Mexico City, São Paulo,Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
FINALE: Tango thanked everyone for joining the expedition and got the team members to say a few words.
11:00 pm Check into Hotel, Suites 656 Larco Lodging in Miraflores. Rate is Sol 160 per room per night. The location was great, just 15 minutes walk from Larcomar Shopping mall, which overlooks the Pacific ocean.
Note: Miraflores is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. Known for its shopping areas, gardens, flower-filled parks and beaches, it is one of the upscale districts that make up the city of Lima.
It was rather sad to see the end of the expedition but I was truly satisfied with the rich experience and adventures we had over the past few weeks. Kudos to Tango for his creative organization which allow us to have unforgettable experiences in the trip.
AUGUST 17, 18 & 19, 2010
Expedition members flew back to their respective home destinations.
End of Trans-Amazon 2.
The Final List of Trans-Amazon 1 Adventurers