Merry Christmas to You

from Marika

Peru, a land of many faces

On my third trip to Peru, I am sill discovering so many more faces to this amazing country and friendly people. I am here as partly work for Women's Own Adventure and partly vacation, to learn more, to improve my Spanish, to experience paragliding in Lima and to spend time with some of the people I work with.

Having arrived in Lima we travelled south 260 kms to Paracas the next day. Paracas is a small seaside village which is the gateway to the Ballestas Islands. These islands are Peru's secret oasis of life in the coastal desert. The coastal landscape is very dry with almost no rain at all year round. Taking a large open speedboat across the water to the Ballestas Islands we spotted a pod of dolphins lazily swimming alongside us in the thick soupy waters. These waters don't compare to our Australian waters at all. There is a darkness and heaviness, a smell and an aura full of life. It invades my senses with the beginnings of life. So many birds  have never seen before, as they dive for food, hover above and perch on the rocky outcrops, share the same space are penguins, cormorant, seagulls, pelicans and others I can't name. Sea Lions are also abundant on these rocks, sleeping in the sun. A humbling experience to be amongst so much life.

Our journey then takes us a little further south to Ica, where the only true Oasis in the actual desert still exists in the whole of  South America. The city of Ica is surrounded by massive sand hills, extending for some 60kms. With little imagination, the locals favourite past-time is sand surfing and sand buggy riding. They build dune buggies big en0ugh for 10 brave hearted people to strap themselves in and have the ride of their lives, speeding across the dunes with hills larger and steeper than any roller coaster ride. Those of us who are unable to master sand boarding (like snow boarding) lying on my stomach on the board and pointing downhill worked even better and faster. Great fun, but probably not for everyone.

A little further south again, brought us to Nasca, home of the amazing Nasca Lines. Many theories exist about this archeological wonder on what its purpose was, having been etched in the ground between about 100bc and 400bc by he Nasca people, well before the Incas came into being. The high plains of the desert area are etched with hundreds of lines and markings, many of which clearly portray images that can only be deciphered from the air. Such images as a spider, condor, hummingbird, dog, monkey and others. So, in  order to get a birds eye view of these amazing images, some spanning 100 metres wide, we took to the air in a light plane. The view was spectacular and the images so clearly visible from the air, it has raised so many more questions in my mind about the diverse culture and history which makes up this remarkable country of Peru.

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Arrivederci Roma

The time has come to depart this amazing city with it's ruins and history. One last walk around the Colosseum and the ancient Roman Forum will keep me sustained for a while, though I am sure that I will be back.

 

My journey home will take me via Japan, then onto Sydney, completing a 6 week round the world adventure. I have been honored to meet wonderful people along the way and to spend time and to share experiences with like-minded women adventure travellers.

Why don't you join us on our next adventure?

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Sienna, Florence and Cinque Terre

Our time is Tuscany is coming to a close, with one final day of walking, eating and drinking the local wine. Then we travel for about an hour with our fantastic drivers, Carlo and Marco, to spend the afternoon in beautiful Sienna then onto Florence where we enjoy 2 nights.

   

Florence is full of art and history, everywhere you look, the buildings, the streets, the bridges are full of beautiful sculptures, paintings and frescoes from the Renaissance times and earlier. The highlight for me was seeing the real statue of Michelangelo's David in the Museum as well as the Duoma Cathedral; spectacular.

It was then time for us to part company as some of the girls travelled to Rome, while another 9 of us took the optional 3 day add-on to Cinque Terre. The sea and the cliffs are stunning in their raw beauty and even more so with the 5 villages clinging to the cliffs along the rugged coastline. This part of Italy was accessed by water only right up until 1970. These 5 coastal villages are joined together by a stunning cliff walkway, though today there is also a train joining them.

This is a wonderful way to end our journey and say arrivederci.

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Cooking, Wine and Olives in Amiata

Our wonderful and flamboyant host and chef, Enrico, treated us to a cooking class at his olive farm, where of course, the farm produced olive oil was used with gusto in our creations.

From learning that the basis of Italian cooking is onion and celery, to brewing a delicious and hearty mushroom and beans soup, to handmade pasta and of course authentic pizza base, we thoroughly enjoyed our creations at lunch and enjoyed even more seeing our soup and pasta being served to guests in the restaurant.

The afternoon was spent lazing about the poolside or walking to the next gorgeous village. Dinner was a special occasion as well with live music ad plenty of wine and dancing. The Australian girls do know how to have fun.

In the morning we walked about 6 kms to the modern art park of  Daniel Spoerri, whose sculpture garden is a special mix of art and nature, where time alone amongst the sculptures allowed me to feel some of what the artist portrayed.

The next day we enjoyed a morning walk from the breathtakingly beautiful and simple San Antimo Abbey, which dates back to the 8th century.

 

We then met some busy locals in the village, ate some wild cherries straight from the tree and walked through stunning countryside for about 1.5 hours to arrive at an organic winery where Katia and her son Daniel treated us to a wonderful lunch under the old oak tree, while overlooking the valley below. The afternoon was like being invited to lunch at a friends place. This small winery produces DOCG wine in the organic way. It was a very special afternoon, and our walk continued after lunch to arrive at another beautiful family run wine farm where we are enjoying 3 nights in comfort, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature as well as more walks through this beautiful Tuscan land. Ahh, it feels like heaven!

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Wild Roses in the Tuscan Countryside

Beautiful wild roses grow along the side of country trails while the other wild roses from Women's Own Adventure walk along these same winding trails.

We are now staying in a beautiful olive farm with a pool and a view to die for. The hills of Tuscany are simply beautiful. Today we walked for about 4 hours through little country roads and picked wild cherries along the way, wild strawberries, through chestnut forests, saw almond and walnut trees and of course lots of olive trees and grapevines as well as so many different coloured and scented wild roses. We also met an Australian man who moved here with his wife and live in a beautiful house that was rundown and empty for 30 years, they were here on holidays about 8 years ago and decided to stay and bought the old house and fixed it up.

Lunch was served in a 10th century castle which is now owned by an English family and has been restored from almost ruins over the past 10 years. They grow grapevines and olive trees, making their own wine as well as their own olive oil. Both are fantastic! The local wine, especially the red wine is very good and is served with every meal (except breakfast thankfully).

The other morning, while some of us enjoyed a hilltop walk of some 8 kms to be rewarded with beautiful 360° views all around, two of our group took the opportunity for a 40km bicycle ride through winding roads to arrive at the natural hot springs, which are like a hot bath with waterfalls, out in the open and surrounded by trees and the sounds of birds. The Tuscan countryside is so very beautiful and very special. Their are no tourists here, so we are experiencing authentic Tuscan culture with wonderful people. This countryside is like walking through a picture postcard.

Tomorrow morning we will be having a cooking lesson at the olive farm and everyone is looking forward to that, as we will be eating our creations for lunch. Yum!

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Santa Fiori - song, dance and laughter

The first day of our journey through Southern Tuscany saw us leave the hustle and bustle of Rome behind. As it is Saturday we are doing what every local Roman does, leave the city to the tourists over the weekend. We travelled for about an hour and a half before stopping for lunch in a beautiful lakeside town. The lake is actually the crater of an ancient volcano with the water a bright blue colour against the dark sandy shore.

Another hour further on brings us to Santa Fiori, a Medieval town which has a long history, more recently that of a mineral mining town , but now houses only approximately 1,000 residents. It has a charming atmosphere with a town square of course and being built high on the hillside it has a stunning view over the valley and adjoining hills.

The highlight of our day, and a wonderful start to our trip was the evening meal and entertainment. OK we were actually the entertainment, or at least a part of it. As the evening turned out, we were guests at a party in our hotel with brilliant live music. The Australians (that is us) were seated at one end of the room and the Italians at the other end of the room. Neither of us could speak any of the other's language, however as we all know, music and dance is an international language. We were of course the rowdy lot in the room and it didn't take long for Marion to get the old Italian gentleman up and dancing, which was the incentive needed for everyone else on the Italian side of the room to join the rowdy Aussies on the dance floor. What a great night we had! The musicians played on in their own time for hours and did not want to stop with such an appreciative audience. Exhaustion finally saw us all tumble up to bed. A great start to our Tuscan experience.

- signing off, from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Roma, a city steeped in history

Having the opportunity to spend 5 days in Rome has given me a massive lesson in history.

The entire first day was spent in the  Colosseum and the Roman Forum with my eyes as wide as saucers. With a history dating back over 2,700 years and watching people sit on ancient relics and walk over cobbled streets that were built so long ago has been a remarkable experience for someone who lives in a country which is a mere 200 odd years young. Fallen marble columns and other relics adorn the streets of ancient Rome, and it is an eery feeling indeed as I walked with my head looking up at the massive structures, some of which took hundreds of years to build. It was all built on such a grand scale than we mere  mortals must have felt then, as I feel now...quite insignificant in the scheme of things.

Rome is a bustling city which does take some getting used to. It is filled with tourists from all over the world as can be heard from the many different languages spoken around me. Every monument and museum is filled with people. The Vatican sees 30,000 visitors through its doors each and every day!

In having said that however,  given the choice, I would not miss the opportunity to visit Rome again. The Italian men are also quite dashing (as you can see by the photo). Listening to the beautiful Italian language with its colourful intonation has me trying to mimic the sound at every opportunity. Thankfully, most people are pleased to hear me trying to communicate with them in their own language and style, and equally thankfully, most know a little English and the hand gestures do the rest.

Tomorrow our group of Women's Own Adventure ladies will be arriving and beginning our Cultural Taste of Southern Tuscany, out of the city, which will be a welcome change of pace for me.  I will keep you updated on our journey through Tuscany over the next 2 weeks.

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Arriving into Santiago de Compostella

We enjoyed a beautiful evening in another  Galician Manor House on the last evening on the Camino where a beautiful meal was enjoyed by everyone and served by our wonderful hosts. The Manor House is surrounded by lush gardens and fruit trees. The region near Santiago is very green and of course it receives rain much of the year. The Galician region has been influenced by the Celtic culture in their music, dress and traditions as well as the weather. We were however very fortunate and only experienced a slight drizzle on one of the days.

 

The last day of our journey we walked 23 kms though beautiful oak forests, along rocky paths and through gum tree forests as well, finally arriving on weary legs to the Monte del Gozo “Mount of Joy”, we could see the city of Santiago de Compostella and the Cathedral below. Another 5 kms to walk.

We arrived into Santiago in the afternoon of 27th May 2010.  It was a joyous moment, even though we hid it well behind our weariness. But we all made it!

Those who wanted to, received their Compostella (Certificate) for  having walked the last 100kms to Santiago. The streets of the city are full of life and people from so many different countries. The old town is a pleasure to wander through, discovering the many small shops, bars and restaurants. On the last evening together we were even treated to some local music, with Paty and Jane showing off their dance steps.

Friendships have been formed and our journey has come to an end as we look forward to sharing stories and photos with loved ones and staying in touch with each other.

I am meeting my next group in Rome next week, for our Journey through Southern Tuscany. You can read about here.

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Important Lessons along the Camino de Santiago in Spain

Thousands of Pilgrims have travelled the path of Saint James all through the centuries, the same path that we have walked.  Each Pilgrim completes their own journey with lessons they have learned along the way.

Here are some of the lessons the group from Women's Own Adventure have learned.

Lesson 1 - available men are in abundance

Lesson 2 - how to stop and smell the roses

Lesson 3 - improved fashion sense

 

Lesson 4 - Social Graces

* the art of napkin folding into unmentionable things (the photo has been censored)

* how to mix our drinks, vino tinto, vino blanco, tinto de verano (red wine, white wine, red wine with soda) at every meal and between meals.

Lesson 5 - Local Customs and Cuisine

* yes, there is a Jamon Museum

* fine dining table service sometimes means 3 courses served in 10 minutes and/or when the waitress stands there not saying anything with a gruff face it means 'may I take your order please?'

* sometimes fruit for desert means a whole apple  or a whole orange on a plate

* listening to flamenco guitar and singing right outside our bedroom window at 11.30pm after walking for the better part of 20kms.

Lesson 6 - A Man's Home is his Palace

There are many bargains to be had when seeking shelter along the Camino.

It is a wise Pilgrim who once said  'No Pain - No Glory' as we nurse our sore and bandaged feet while hobbling along with legs that just don't want to co-operate with the body anymore.

Buen Camino! and it is!

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Walking through pre-Roman and Medieval Villages

It has been a few days since the last entry, as time and a lack of internet access prevented me from updating this blog.

 

Our group of women adventurers are now actively trekking along the Camino de Santiago (The Spanish Pilgrims Trail).  Castrillo de los Polvazares was our starting point for day 3. This is a small Medieval stone village that has been declared a National Monument. Though every village we have walked through is actually a walk through history from as far back as pre-Roman times.  Some villages have restored buildings and others have been left abandoned and with few people.  We walked to Rabanal and stayed in an Albergue overnight where we shared the accommodation with pilgrims from all over the world. Everyone was happy to rest weary legs and attend to blistered feet. That evening we attended the village church and were treated to beautiful singing by the priests as well as a message delivered in many languages for all the pilgrims to hear. The pilgrims are many, with some on bicycle and others walking, though at times we don't meet anyone on the Camino for quite a few kilometers then at other times that pilgrim greeting "Buen Camino" is exchanged over and over again. Most of the pilgrims carry a shell as a symbol. In fact, the symbol of the shell marks the way.

 

At any moment now, the Knights of the Templar should greet us on galloping horses along these Medieval trails; that is the image in my mind. On the road to Villafranca we each carry a stone which we place onto a massive conical pile of stones at the Cruz de Ferro. Adding a stone to the pile is an important ritual  and many pilgrims bring stones from home to place here.

The beautiful green countryside is  dotted with windmills and snow capped mountains as a backdrop for our days of walking.

 

This past day, walking uphill into Cebreiro we have passed by the most beautiful views, with rolling hills covered in multi-coloured wild flowers. Then to arrive at the top of the hill to this pre-Roman village boasting 360 degree views over all the valleys was simply stunning. Josefina, our local guide had a beautiful lunch of Spanish tortilla, salad and fresh bread waiting for us at the top of the hill and it was a very well deserved meal. We then enjoyed a warm bed overnight in this village. Some of the girls have also discovered Tinto Verano, a light red wine and lemon drink which helps cure the sore feet. All the meals we are experiencing are sensational.

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure.