The Journey, the Adventure... and more

I joined the trip to South America because I wanted to see Machu Picchu. It is such a famous historical site and it is also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The more than 30-hour journey (including the transit in Amsterdam) could not dampen my spirit. I could not wait to see it ‘real’. But little did I realise that the Salar de Uyuni (Salt Plain of Uyuni) in Bolivia is even more fascinating. The crossing of the plain/lake on a 4-WD was most unforgettable. And of course there is this Islas Ballestas (dubbed the ‘poor man’s Galapagos Island’) off Paracas in Peru. The thousands of birds – dominated by the Pelicans and Penguins – which appeared like white ants from afar, were most captivating.

There were 15 of us including Lee Min, the leader. The youngest is 30, while the oldest is 69. There were a few grandpas and a grandma. It is interesting to see how, despite the difference in age, all of us could ‘co-exist’ and enjoyed each others company so much and for so long (24 days)! And it is also amazing to note that it takes us to travel 19,000km to get to know people who stay right at our neighbourhood.

The beautiful scenery, the jaw-dropping historical sites, the impressive architecture aside, the following ‘stuck’ clearly in my mind:

• I was ‘left’ behind at the jetty at Lake Titicaca. No, I was not late, but the van left early. Perhaps they did the head count in Spanish and had the numbers mixed up. No big problem, I managed to find my way back to the hotel in a taxi.
• Ben was lost in transition while returning from the toilet back to the food stall at the market in Lima. Not entirely his problem of not having a good sense of direction, I guess. The market is just too ‘maze-y’.
• Some of the members realised that what they had for dinner was a guinea pig only after they had finished the meal. The delicious meat suddenly became so…
• My camera ‘gave way’ on me when we were in La Paz, Bolivia. Fortunately, there were good Samaritans. Lee Min lent me his Nikon D70. My hands were ‘shaking’ when I first held it! Ben let me have his spare one while in Amsterdam and for Belgium and Paris, my niece came to my ‘rescue’.
• Two of the guides ‘stood out’. One of them is Roger, the guide who took us around the four Inca Ruins near Cusco. All I could hear from him were: edzatly (exactly) and ‘sexy-woman’ (the first ruin we visited – Sacsayhuaman – and it is pronounced that way, no kidding). The second one is the lady guide at Santa Catalina Monastery, Arequipa. Her name is Maria. She is petite in size, powerful in voice, well mannered, sweet and speaks impeccable English. She makes history sounds like listening to one’s favourite songs.

The sometimes long and monotonous journeys were at times broken by the beautiful scenery beyond the coach window, while at other times, by the high-spirited, boisterous members from within.

Interesting people, intricate handicrafts, colourful cultures, beautiful sceneries, exotic food, eventful and not so eventful journeys abound, the list goes on. But a picture speaks a thousand words…