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Treading Through Gaia
Treading Through Gaia

Treading Through Gaia

Leaving footprints around the world, one step at a time. もっと詳しく🇯🇵Tokyo
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  • Treading Through GaiaPolandTreading Through Gaia

    Warsaw

    2021年9月18日, ポーランド ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    After a long airplane ride, I finally touched down in Poland. It was raining and very cold. I was in touch with Kuba, Karolina's boyfriend, before coming to Poland. I was staying at their place for the duration of my stay in Warsaw. I tried to get a simcard but the clerk was so rude and in the end I couldn't get it to work, it was so annoying and I had already wasted some money. I was talking with Wiktor telling him where we could meet near old town before the wi-fi disappeared. I had missed the bus going to old town while trying to get wi-fi but ended up losing both opportunities. I tried to go outside and wait for the bus again in the cold rain. Not gonna lie, it was a bit of a stressful start. Eventually, the bus did come and I went in seamlessly, not even having to pay though this was my bad. It would soon become a prevalent theme while traveling around Europe. Seeing Poland firsthand was exciting, a country I didn't know much about was now unraveling itself before me. Slavic/Baltic influence was pretty strong, in both its language and culture. Most of the buildings were a bit bland and not so developed but old town was absolutely stunning.

    I got down and went to the plaza, where I agreed to meet Wiktor. I stood there in front of the statue, hoping Wiktor got my message, trying to find wi-fi. Surprisingly, he showed up at the nick of time right behind me. It was such a nice reunion, he has changed so much from a teen now almost looking like a scruffy man. I was quite guilty for making him wait but now it was all good, my next problem was letting Kuba know that I am now hanging out with Wiktor and can't make it to his place yet. This was solved through Wiktor albeit he wasn't too fond of my decision. Wiktor and I hanged around the old town, going through some alleys and seeing the remains of the castle. He shared some bits and pieces of the history of the place, the significance behind the statues and buildings. We decided to go meet up with his brother, Kacper. It was a long but fun walk, filled with a lot of catching up and laughter. Kacper and his fiance at that time, Natalia both welcomed us into their new home. It was still in the works but I could really appreciate the aesthetics. It was very minimalistic and I really appreciated their non materialistic approach to home ownership. We settled in and had a brief chat before going to pick up the apartment keys from Kuba and to try and find another sim card. We drove to Kuba's apartment and was able to say hello, I got the keys and off we went to one of Warsaw's main malls. Wiktor did most of the talking and we tried several shops and decided to go with T-mobile. I got my simcard and off we went back to Kacper's place for dinner. We ordered traditional Polish food from UberEats and it was actually all pretty delicious, they had dumplings and sour soup. I ate my fill while we exchanged a lot of cultural background concerning Japan and Poland. I learned a lot from them both especially their views on social media. From Natalia's words, "I don't really see the need to look at what's going on in other people's lives or to share about mine own" and it really hit well for me, I soon deleted Facebook after coming back and it was actually pretty good. It was also quite a coincidence that Natalia works at the Copernicus Science Center which was the place Wiktor and I were going to the day after so I was quite looking forward for her to show us around. We talked for a bit more before we said our good byes. Wiktor drove me back to my place.

    At this point, I was already quite tired but to my surprise Kuba was in there with his friends having a bit of a drunk poker party. His house, his rules I guess but I just wanted to sleep at that point. I had no choice now though as I had to just vibe with them for a bit while waiting for Karolina to come back. She did apologize but hey, I don't really have any right to demand anything as I was just crashing at his place for free. They kept offering me shots but I kept refusing as I wasn't really in the mood to drink but then one of them invited me to smoke and that I was down for. Karolina soon arrived, we were very happy to see each other and she quickly fixed up a place for me to sleep which was moving a sofa into the kitchen. It smelled very European in there, I both liked and disliked the set-up, even with the door closed they still were pretty noisy until like 2AM where they left. I didn't get much sleep at all that night.    もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaPerúTreading Through Gaia

    Lima

    2021年5月8日, ペルー ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This day turned out to be one of my most stressful day in traveling so far. I had to catch my flight and I didn't realize that they only take cash for my check out. No credit card allowed, and I was all out of cash. We spent so many hours arguing and the language barrier was not helping, another traveler tried to help but there was nothing he could do. We tried going around to find a bank or ATM but I was telling them my credit card can't withdraw. It was so stressful and every minute was so draining. Fastforward a couple of more hours, tensions were so high. Luckily, I remembered Trexperience, I called them and asked them to pay for me and I'll pay them an extra 20USD for the trouble. They did so and I hurriedly got on the same taxi we used to go around straight to the airport. Only to realize, I didn't make it to my flight's cutoff time, once again I had to beg and they let me in as I ran towards the boarding area and made it to my flight. Huge sigh of relief, still a bit shaken but I had thought the worst was behind me and I could focus a bit more in enjoying the capital city of Lima.

    Arriving at Lima's airport, I had a bucketlist of things to see which included the main square, the San Francisco cathedral and the Huaca Pucllana ruins. I couldn't find lockers to put my bag in the airport so unfortunately I had to lug it around the whole day. I stopped by the square and noticed a high police presence but paid it no mind. I made my way to the cathedral and was approached by a guide, it was cheap so I went ahead with it. He showed me around the cathedral which was actually very fancy with a lot of interesting history behind it. The main draw for me was the underground catacombs were there were a bunch of skeletons. The guide said some guests would feel a lot of negative energies down there. After that, he took me to a chocolate shop as well as a winery of some sort to taste test and then lastly to a restaurant with wifi. I bit high-end but it was all part of his job. The food there was absolutely delicious, the ceviche being the most. I tried to book a cab to Huaca Pucllana a couple of times but ended up not making it to the meeting place as I didn't have internet and still ended up paying for it. I tried to flag down a cab but the first few weren't interested in taking me. A cab finally agreed after awhile and dropped me at the intersection where I had to walk a bit to reach the site. Apparently, I needed to reserve it online the day before but I didn't really have internet access. They weren't really getting any customers as well so one of the ladies kindly let me in and I waited for the English tour. It was interesting as I was able to not only find out things about Huaca Pucllana but also about Lima. Such as that in Lima it almost never rains but is always cloudy, hence why Huaca Pucllana still stands until now despite being made out of mud. We saw some wild cotton growing on trees and some of the common camelids of Peru. After the tour, I still had some time to kill so I went and stopped by an ice cream parlor. I ordered some ice cream and it was still a lot for me, I should really stop over ordering. I waited for a couple of hours until I decided it was time to head to the airport. I arrived and waited for a bit more and then decided to go for the check in only to realize I couldn't board my flight because I had to transit in the US. All that money just went poof, my dad really saved me here as I had to use his credit card again and again. I was in a state of panic for a bit as all my flight schedule got messed up and I had to stay another night in Lima. I made a quick booking because I didn't want to spend a night at such a bright and noisy airport. My taxi tried to take me there but there was nothing, I tried to go down to look for it but he advised me not to as it was a very dangerous neighborhood so he took me to another hotel and charged me a couple of more bucks. The hotel was a super shady love hotel, he got his commission and I was in a seedy room. I was just so tired as I tried to get some refunds from my flight and was able to get a couple but not the most expensive ones. I booked another flight for first thing in the morning after much excruciating deliberation and fighting the urge to just cry and sleep.

    The next morning, I walked to the airport enjoying the mist and fresh air. I went to check in only to be told once again that I can't get this ticket because they can't give me tickets for different airlines. At this point, I was just so done, I tried calling the agency again but they said they can't help me nor issue a refund. I was so done. I tried another booking and was finally able to get through, I made it to Ecuador immigration and I wanted to go and visit the city but was told that I couldn't get through again. Seems like they changed the requirements for Filipinos. They had to transfer me back to the airport and there I waited for a very long time for my flight at night. I spent the days reading manga and had some burgers for dinner. I was again held up by the airlines as I needed a booking number, they were already boarding and I was once again for the umpteenth time in a state of panic just trying to get a hold of customer services to get my booking number but I didn't know which number was the right one. After several trial and errors, I got the booking number and was let in where I arrived in Spain. I waited for my boarding and was barred from entering because my PCR test wasn't in English but in Spanish. It worked for Ecuador and coming into Spain but not where I was going, Istanbul. At this point, I was pretty much broken and I couldn't help but tear up a little, I had trouble comprehending why I had such rotten luck, why I had to go through so much hardships but at the same time I also realize it was my fault for not researching enough about the routes and requirements. I didn't make it to the flight again, I was heartbroken, I had to book another one. One of the managers from Iberia saw me plight and helped me a lot. He talked with Turkish airlines and they agreed to give me a free flight change. The bad news was that I had to spend a night in this airport, with no way in and no way out. It was difficult, my mindspace wasn't really good anymore. I tried to spend the time reading manga, at that time it was the Promised Neverland. I then explored a bit and found a very hidden and secluded spot to sleep in. The floor was hard and cold, I tried my best and was able to get some semblance of sleep. The next morning, I was now in line to get my PCR test. I had to get it on the same day or else I wouldn't be able to board my flight again. After I got the test, I went to the other side where I met with the manager again as he did promise to meet with me the next day. I got my test, and another problem was of course my missing residency card which I left in Mexico. The Bufo Alvarius sanctuary sent me a photo of it to which printed out for me along with some other necessary documents. It was a very nervous wait as my battery slowly gave out. One of the travelers beside me offered me his charging device to which I happily agreed to use. I ate what food I could scrounge up which was mainly Mazapan dela Rosa from Pacho. No food and a bit of water, I felt like a war refugee. My PCR test finally arrived at the nick of time and it was negative.

    We tried to make our way to our gates but it was blocked, we were losing what little time we have left but some staff came by and helped us through. I got some chips to eat and waited for my flight. There were a lot of African people but their drip was so on point, it was amazing. From there, I got to Istanbul and made my final flight to Tokyo. Finally, this difficult journey came to an end, it left everything on a sour note and it took a few more days to actually fully recover from the trauma.    もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaPerúTreading Through Gaia

    Vale Rojo

    2021年5月7日, ペルー ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    The Red Valley was as beautiful as the photos online, unlike Rainbow Mountain. The trek from Rainbow Mountain to Red Valley was still difficult and still took a long time, with unsecured flooring and volcanic gravel, it was challenging to get a good footing and after struggling against the cold harsh wind and the altitude, we made it across the peaks and were rewarded with amazing views of hues of red and patches of green. It was easily much better than Rainbow Mountain and was worth the extra pay and the extra mile. Coming back, Hanan was still trying to sell me a second Ayahuasca ceremony and I seriously considered it but after such a tiring day at the mountains, I opted not to as I am sure the experience would not be as good when I'm so fatigued from everything and based on my track record so far, I didn't want to push my luck. Elvis dropped me to pick up my PCR test, I left him a tip as his story was also a sad one being forced to do odd jobs such as becoming a porter for the treks or a taxi driver just to feed his family. It's people like him that are affected the most by the pandemic, especially so since Cusco solely relies on tourism to thrive.

    I stopped by my favorite avocado and toast restaurant for my last meal in Cusco. It was once again, so delicious.    もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaPerúTreading Through Gaia

    Vinicunca

    2021年5月7日, ペルー ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Crazily enough, after a difficult trip the day before, comes another day of gruesome hiking. I had a special booking with Trexperience with a custom tour to visit Red Valley even though it had been closed supposedly but the main hike for the day was Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca. With my was my guide Elvis. He helped me get a PCR test in Cusco even though I didn't have much cash left and drove me all the way to the mountain. It was a very far place but the views were great. The hike itself was extremely difficult for me since the altitude was very high, the surrounding vistas were amazing and made up for it though. A lot of grazing alpacas were there and there were no tourists, as is with most of my tour in Peru. We had our lunch by the parking lot where a lot of stray dogs started to gather and I couldn't help but give them some of my food. Elvis frequently gave me the perfume to smell that would lessen the effects of the altitude. It was the same perfume I had smelled while doing Ayahuasca and the Machu Picchu trek. It was a very colorful and interesting mountain though the cloudy day didn't make the colors stand out too much. I had a nice photo with the resident alpaca, and hiked a bit more to the top to get better views. I was so fatigued from everything but still had to push on through to see the Red Valley.もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaPerúTreading Through Gaia

    Cusco III

    2021年5月6日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    In the morning, I had some light breakfast even though I was advised not to. I got picked up by my driver to take me back to the Healing Tree Center where Hanan and another familiar shaman, Nicholas, were waiting for me. I meditated for a bit in the room while drinking tea while they prepared San Pedro. A cactus with the psychedelic compound, Mescaline. It was my first time to try it and I really wanted to make up for a not so good Ayahuasca and Bufo Alvarius experience so I (again) went overboard and decided to drink 2 jugs worth instead of the usual 1 jug. We then went out for a walk in the mountains and I have failed once again as the nausea was too much and I ended up vomiting again. Wasting a lot of it, so unfortunate. I was tripping though but it was very weak, I didn't have the mind space though my visuals were intense. The shaman sang a song while I ate some fruits and avocado coated bread. Hanan also sang another song, he took me to the cave which made me quite uncomfortable. I just felt nauseous throughout. All in all, not the best trip though definitely not the worst. I will definitely be trying San Pedro again when I'm not so high in altitude and with a more proper set and setting.

    The driver took me back into town, my visuals were still insane and the ride was pretty cool. I was still a bit nauseous and went to a vegan restaurant recommended to me by Hanan. The price was a bit steeper but the food was really good. I couldn't eat much and still had to leave a tip. The walk back home was pretty insane as the lights from the villages scattered all around the surrounding mountains made the horizon look like the Milky Way. It was one of the good things I got to experience that day. Sleep was also quite difficult as my mind was still hyper active. Ahh, not really the best day of the trip.    もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaPerúTreading Through Gaia

    Sacsayhuamán

    2021年5月5日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I had to drag my feet off of my bed when I realized I had to do more exploring today even though I had just finished four day trek. I tried to get some shut eye but still woke up a bit early. I decided to have some lunch before going ruin hopping. I had one of the most delicious meals in Cusco in the Avocado and Toast restaurant, easily the best meal I've had so far throughout the whole trip. I then booked a cab to Sacsayhuaman, an ancient Inca ruin. I unfortunately went the wrong way and went up immediately without getting some good shots of the forefront, the views were nice and amazing but when I realized I couldn't turn back, it was too late much to my disagreement with the guards. I went around the other side of the ruins and found me another cab who would take me all around the Incan circuit and back to Cusco. While Sacsayhuaman was the main highlight, we visited several other ruins in Qenko, Tambomachay and Pukapukara. Each of them quite unique but at the same time, there really wasn't much left though the water ruins of Tambomachay was quite interesting. He then took me to a small zoo featuring a lot of the Peruvian fauna such as the alpaca, llama, guanaco, vicuna and guinea pigs. It was connected to a shop that had a lot of vicuna products and the fur itself was out of this world. We took another stop at the white Christ statue, similar to the one in Rio de Janeiro and another far view of Sacsayhuaman before I was dropped at Cusco once again. Here, I went to a pizza parlor and I have no idea why I always over order but I had a lasagna and pizza. I couldn't finish the lasagna and had it packed to take home to which I gave to one of the hostel staff. All in all, it was a very relaxing and chill day, I watched the Kimetsu no Yaiba movie afterwards before going to bed.もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaPerúTreading Through Gaia

    Aguas Calientes

    2021年5月4日, ペルー ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    From Machu Picchu, I took the bus back to Aguas Calientes, the town where we stayed the night before. I wasn't able to appreciate it since it was dark, but the town was also very beautiful. A hot spring resort town, from it's name "Hot Waters." I stopped by a restaurant for some lunch, it was very tempting to try the Alpaca and Guinea pig meat but I still opted not to. After eating some delicious pizza and feeding a stray cat underneath my table, I went back to the hostel to chill for a bit, getting lost on the way. I was there for quite a long time until some other people went in, one of the girls offered to smoke weed if anyone wants to come and I can never say no to weed. She introduced herself as Jennika, from Hawaii. We shared a joint and compared Machu Picchu experiences as well as sharing some llama photos. It was very wholesome and fun. We went to the train together and Trish and Penelope were soon sitting in front of me. We looked at the surrounding mountain range together as our train has it's roof windowed so the views were amazing all throughout the ride going back. It was like saying good bye to Salkantay as we passed by familiar mountain tops.

    We got off the train and onto the van taking us back to Cusco. I had an altercation because someone took my sleeping bag with them by accident so we had to fix that and was all good luckily.    もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaPerúTreading Through Gaia

    Machu Picchu

    2021年5月4日, ペルー ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    The reason for coming all the way here to Peru. Machu Picchu, finally after 4 days of gruesome hiking. We caught the bus going to the ancient site. Ramiro walked us around giving us a lot of information on what we were seeing but to be honest, I was too distracted by everything else and I couldn't remember much. It was awesome either way! The morning was very foggy, but they added so much ambiance as we went uphill. There were llamas all around and I was able to take amazing photos and the mist helped so much and creating a dramatic and mysterious mood. While Ramiro was explaining the history of the place, the fog started to clear out and finally Machu Picchu was revealed in the most amazing fashion. It felt so surreal. We took a lot of photos and went to the center of the ancient civilization. We went around and looked at all the interesting spots and soon parted ways with Ramiro and were left on our own to get back to Cusco. I spent some time doing some meditation and yoga, absorbing the energy of such a powerful and spiritual place, surrounded by mountains, above the clouds. I soon said good bye to Trish and Penelope, telling them that I'll meet them back at the train.もっと詳しく

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    Salkantay III

    2021年5月3日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Feeling much better, we had a brief breakfast and the usual coca tea. The sun rising, the air smelled refreshing and we were once again on the road. Day 3 of the trek to Machu Picchu. It was a bittersweet day as this was also the last day we were going to be with the other group as they had a 5 days trek while we had 4 days. We passed by more marvelous terrain from rivers, waterfalls, vertical farms on the mountain side and valleys. The road went on and on and Richard brought out the old pen again. Angel and I took some hits and we were just vibing, the path was dominantly flat and everything was so good until it wasn't. We had to cross some land that was destroyed by the recent landslide while there were still rocks falling around. It was quite thrilling, I had a lot of fun doing this part of the trek. Others not so much, as Sharouz has put it, "I literally shit my pants." Richard also almost got hit by a rock while crossing through. We had to jump across rivers and I wasn't so lucky as my shoes fell in the water which quickly dried up due to the heat. We crossed some bridges and some some more animals and insects. We finally got to the next checkpoint where we had our final lunch with the gang. We had a lot of photo taking and I was surprised to find purple corn on my plate. Then it was time to say good bye, we bid our farewells and picked up where we left off. Most of the way was still flat, I was so thankful to my hiking shoes as I had absolutely no blisters throughout the whole hike while the others had a bunch, I've no idea how they pushed through it all.

    We soon found ourselves on the rail road tracks, it was just one way and all we had to do was follow it. The views were still amazing as we had the river by our side now bigger than ever. Ramiro started to talk about the various ancient civilizations and about the Incans as we approached Machu Picchu. We were even able to see it from below. The trek went on for a couple of more hours, taking a few breaks every now and then to wait for the two ladies who were a bit behind. I stuck with Ramiro to learn as much as I can but in the end, I couldn't remember much of what he was saying. It was already dark when we finally arrived to Aguas Calientes, this is the town we were going to stay in for the night. We had dinner, just the four of us. The ladies had some wine while I just got some juice. I was still in a vegan mode. I had a whole room to myself again, with fresh beds and another shower. I slept so well that night.    もっと詳しく

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    Salkantay II

    2021年5月2日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We met up once again at the main lodge for breakfast. It was eerily early, the sun was not even out yet. This was the last time we would be eating here as our next climb would take us pass Salkantay. We started to head back up as the sun started to rise. I was having a difficult time once again due to the altitude. I was making a lot of frequent stops but the views were getting much more grand and magnificent by the minute. We got to a dilapitated hut of some sort where the guys took some Adderal. I just went ahead and took one too though I didn't really feel much of the effects as well. We did reach the peak eventually, with snow capped rooftops and warm sunshine, it was a perfect day. Here, we had a nice relaxing time for some snacks and there was a cultural ceremony where we had to put some coca leaves under the rock we picked up the first day. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my rock and I had to embarrasingly get another rock on the floor which wasn't how it was meant to be. I later found out the rock I picked up was still in my bag and I had brought it all the way to Japan, it now sits on my snake plant's vase. Angel and Ramiro especially were also very happy, it was their first time out on the field again ever since the pandemic and the weather was perfect. One of our guys, Sharouz, ended up vomitting, it was pretty nasty. The rest of the way was downhill, and I started to get really into it as the altitude sickness left my body, everything started to feel much better. The hike was now very fun, things were much more beautiful. We even saw some condors. I learned that the condor and fox usually form a pair with the fox leading the condor to dead carcas and the condor opening it up for the fox while they both share their meal. The pen was being passed around again and this time, it made everything even more amazing. I stuck behind Ramiro for a bit, a dog was also walking with me. It was great! Ramiro commented at first I was behind everyone and now I'm the one leading. It felt good to be acknowledged. We reached our second check point, it was much warmer here. Comfortable, I was meditating and the dog started to rub itself on me. We had our lunch and I was just happy to laze about on the grass. The terrain has been changing so much because now we were heading into the cloud forest. Insect repellents, highly recommended but fortunately, bugs don't really bite me.

    The forest gradually became thicker but the surroundings also more beautiful as lush vegetation surrounded us. Ramiro gave us the rundown on the different flowers and plants on the way. We were now in the jungle, the sun was setting and Angel, the person in charge of the other group started to go to a different route which worried Ramiro as he was saying there was no path there but we were too far away. Eventually Ramiro moved forward to tell Angel and Angel also realized this as he was looking around frantically for the path. We had to turn back and we were losing a lot of valuable time as the sun began to set. We were following Ramiro and we didn't know where he was heading, there were two ways one above and below, I didn't know what was going on in my mind to take the path below as it was surrounded by thorns but Penelope said he probably went through there so I did try to go in and it was horrible. I got pricked a bunch, my clothes got stuck while they laughed and tried to help. It was so funny and stupid because Ramiro showed up on the other side. Turns out the route above was the right one. We did get to camp as it was getting dark, the second camp was an extremely welcome one as we could have a shower and there was even wi-fi. I had an Andean hut all to my self again luckily. We took our turns for the shower and I met up with everyone at the second floor of the main building for dinner. Arash let me hit the pen again as he started to tell funny stories and make some munchies for dessert. At first, I found him annoying but turns out he's such an awesome guy. Angel was very bummed about his mistake and apologized to us but everyone wasn't bothered by it at all. I was able to appreciate the Milky Way this time around, it was much more visible than it was the first day. I spent some time looking out before retiring to bed. I was able to get some rest but still not much sleep, I had been having trouble with sleep throughout Peru.    もっと詳しく

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    Salkantay

    2021年5月1日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I awoke very early in the day, it was pretty much still pitch black outside. I barely got any sleep. I pushed on through, took my shower and double checked all my things. Put on my chullo and waded out through the darkness until I reached my hostel's entrance. I wasn't too keen on going out just yet. I took a peek outside, the streets were empty with only street lamps lighting the path. I quickly went back in, it was bloody cold. I waited for a couple of more minutes and one of the guys from Salkantay Trekking, Ramiro came to get me. We headed over to the plaza, I was doing all I can to keep myself warm. We had to wait for the van to pick us up. After a couple of more grueling minutes, our ride finally arrived. I quickly got on and took a solo seat and tried to get some shut eye. People in the back were surprisingly noisy, I wasn't exactly in the mood to be making conversation at 4 in the morning. We had to pick up two more people, some chicks from New York who apparently were in the same group as me. The rest of the guys were also from the US. It was a long ride to where we were going and the guys at the back just wouldn't shut up, it was quite annoying, especially that one voice (Arash). After an hour or so, the sun started to shine through, revealing the beautiful mountain range of the Andes. My mood started to get better, making some small talks here and there.

    We got to our first stop, a nearby village to eat our breakfast. I was seated with my group, Trish and Penelope. The other guys were at the other table, the lot of them were from Iran except Richard who looked Asian. Arash, Faraz, Shahrouz, Omid & Kia, spoiler alert... turns out they are really amazing people and I was just letting my morning crankiness get the best of me. Arash especially was a very funny guy. Our breakfast was amazing, a lot of fruits mostly. There were also some coca leaves, I advised the girls to get some to fight the impending fight with altitude. We took our turns going to the one toilet available and got on back to our ride that took us even higher up the mountain. My ears were popping again and again. We finally touched down on ground zero, I was feeling a bit nervous but also excited, what have I gotten myself into, can I really do this? We were putting on our sun screen and it was a good thing I opted to get the hiking sticks since I saw everyone had them. I was trying to save money but on hindsight, I probably would not have made it without them. Our conversations touched a bit on Ayahuasca and such, they wanted to try it as well and I shared my experience. We were all set to go after another bathroom break until Richard brought out his pen. Oh man, my Achilles' Heel. We passed it around and hit it hard, I just can't say no when offered. It felt like a good and bad idea at the same time, now I just had to see how it goes. Ramiro gathered up our group, gave us a short brief and off we went. We were asked to pick up a rock right before we started a trek.

    Now the pen was hitting me hard at this point, I originally had to stay away from any drugs before taking San Pedro but everything was once in a lifetime. The hike started out pretty amazing, the mountain was absolutely breathtaking. There were flowers blooming all around, all the different kind of plants and trees. It felt so liberating to be smack dab in the middle of all this wonderulf nature. However, there was the altitude, and the weed certainly did not help doing the hike. I got winded pretty quickly, and soon I was regretting my decision as we pushed on higher and higher, I was already lagging behind the group. I was trying to put on a straight face but man, it was so tough. Ramiro would stop from time to time to share and explain some of the flora and fauna which I happily welcomed. This went on for who knows how long until Ramiro finally said that the worse part is over for the day. I let out a huge sigh of relief. We got to rest for a bit by some rocks and ate some snacks. There was a dog who hanged out with us for a bit. We passed by a lot of beautiful landscapes and waterfalls on the way to our camp. From the distance, I could see our sky-dome glass tents. It was still a long walk away but I was quite happy we were heading downhill. We got to rest for a bit and had some traditional Peruvian food for lunch. We were in a huge cabin with a giant glass window showcasing us the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, the worse is yet to come as we put our stuff in our domes, I was lucky enough to have one all to myself being in a 3-man group. I ran into Richard and told him of my plight and him being a life-saver that he is, shared with me some altitude sickness pills. Without those, I probably also would not have been able to make it pass the first day. We had to rendevouz once again in the main lounge because our next goal was Laguna Humantay, which was going to take another couple of hours worth of non-stop uphill.

    I was already pretty winded from the initial hike, the next one had me gasping for air. It was gruesome, long and winding, seemed to never end as we climbed up the zigzagging road of rocks. I started to feel the altitude sickness pills taking effect but it was still difficult nonetheless. I can't imagine doing it without them. Ramiro stayed behind me and encouraged me, waiting for me to catch up. It was the first time I had to do something this difficult bar Mt. Fuji. I didn't want to give up, though the option was presented to me by Ramiro to go back. I chose to push on and on I went, lagging behind everyone at this point. They have much more experience at hiking than me. I made it though, I was welcomed by everyone and the hike was completely worth it. Laguna Humantay was absolutely out of this world. We had some picture taking while I sat down and tried to catch my breath but the moment you stopped moving the cold started to creep in. Not long after, we were now heading back down which thankfully was much easier than going up. I still had to catch my breath every now and then but the worse of the day was behind me. It was sunset now, there were alpacas grazing about and it was much more peaceful. I started to appreciate the day and was so relieved for having survived Day 1 out of 4. We had a chill dinner and I got some more pills from the gang, thankfully all of them were pharmacists and had a huge inventory. I bade them good night and quickly got to my dome and crashed. The stars were amazing though but I was just so extremely tired. It was very cold as well, I had to put on layers upon layers and tucked myself in my sleeping bag with a blanket draped over. I couldn't sleep and tried my best, I had to go out to take a piss as well. It was a difficult night which was soon interrupted by the morning call of coca tea.    もっと詳しく

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    Salineras de Maras

    2021年4月30日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The last stop was the salt mines of Maras. It was actually also pretty far away but I enjoyed the car ride as it was a much welcome reprieve from horse back riding the whole day. The salt mines were better than I expected, the landscape was simply out of this world. Mario explained to me that the salt mines were pretty much owned by different farmers. I was also getting a bit angsty as I had to meet with Salkantay Trekking to get my briefing for the hike the next day. While I was a bit late, I was able to find their office and get a briefing on what lies ahead. On the way back to my hostel, I picked up some insect repellant just in case. It was going to be a big day, the reason I came to Peru and I knew I wouldn't get much sleep still since I have been having problems adjusting to it, notwithstanding the fact that we had to wake up super early in the wee hours. I steeled my resolve.もっと詳しく

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    Moray

    2021年4月30日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Here comes the fun part, after Sacred Valley, we had to do a horse trek. We went to the stables and picked ourselves some Peruvian Paso horses. My horse's name was Siete Macho, the 7 warriors. I'd like to think we had a good connection, everytime I spoke his ears would puck up towards me. He knew how to follow directions and I quickly got the hang of riding. It was a long ride that span several hours. We crossed huge spans of land and got to see the different type of landscapes with the Andean mountains surrounding us. It was such a great day. We passed through some towns and had to climb up mountains, even encountering some traffic problems with other shepherds and their animals. There were times when I had to go down my horse to guide it through tough corners and cross rivers.

    Our main destination was to see Moray, an Incan agricultural laboratory built through several layers of ground. Each layer had different temperature to try out different seeds. It was an ancient marvel. Afterwards, we went to a nearby restaurant to fill our bellies up, I found myself unable to eat much still and Mario explained to me that this was due to the high altitude slowing down digestion. Peruvians themselves don't eat too much at night. I was bouncing full when I got on the horse again, it was quite uncomfortable but it did help with the digestion. It was another long way back to the stables that took a few more hours and the way back was not as fun as I was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable between my legs, sitting on the saddle for too long. Eventually, we did get back and I said good bye to the ranch owner and my horse.    もっと詳しく

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    Sacred Valley

    2021年4月30日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After Chinchero, we went to another vantage point to get a glimpse of the Sacred Valley. Here, crops grow bountifully, being able to get harvested more so in a year than other parts of Peru.

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    Chinchero

    2021年4月30日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Another day of adventure. Today was an interesting day, I booked a tour with one of the agencies but didn't realize it was a private tour. I was picked up by Mario from my hostel as we went to our first destination: the Quecha town of Chinchero. Mario provided me a lot of information about the Quecha and how the language is quite similar to Japanese. The town was very colorful albeit a bit dead due to having no tourists. We went to a nearby hill overlooking the town and beside it the ancient Incan ruins of Chinchero. A lot of it was destroyed when the Spaniards arrived and pretty much this is all of what was left.もっと詳しく

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    Cusco II

    2021年4月29日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    The day I was quite looking forward to, one of the reasons of visiting Peru was definitely trying out Ayahuasca and after an underwhelming experience of Bufo Alvarius in Mexico, I had wanted to experience something worthwhile. I ate a light breakfast and got picked up by the driver that took me to the Healing Tree Center’s retreat house up in the mountains. The way towards was very beautiful, surrounded by mountains and fields, to be able to do Ayahuasca in such a place and to have a one-on-one with a Shaman was as Andres said, an honor.

    There was an older man and a woman from Russia when I entered. I got served tea, turns out the woman really enjoyed her trip and booked another one. Before my actual ayahuasca ceremony, I had some other ceremonies to do with the shaman. We did the Kuti ceremony first, which is something like letting go and being forgiven and then inside the ceremony room, we smoked tabacco while the shaman gave me a coca leaf reading. I asked how would it be if my work in the future would involve animals and plants and the leaves showed that the affinity was very good.

    Now came the time for me to drink, I was a bit cheeky and asked for more but I had forgotten I was still battling altitude sickness. I chugged it down and so did the shaman. As in we are in synch, the moment I started feeling it, that's also when the shaman started to hum a bit, going for a crescendo when I started to feel nauseaous and puked. He was singing most of the time, ikaro they called it. It helped ground me, I was definitely having a hard time, all the vomitting made my dehydrated. Hannan gave me perfume to ground me more, it was difficult. I did not feel good at all, my vision of a giant serpent entity, with vines and snakes tangling each other, lasted the whole trip. At one point, I was simply waiting for the trip to be over, trying my best to ground myself and survive. Soon it did end. We did the pacha mama ceremony to thank Mother Earth, I contributed my obsidian. The one I got from Mexico. I didn't realize they were gonna burn it but oh well. We went outside to burn it, my vision still trippy but the world was beautiful. After burning it, we went back inside to have some soup. I really needed it. Hannan and I exchanged some interesting stories, I learned something interesting from the Peruvian beliefs that they believe the dead are now living in the future while we are still living in the past, not the opposite. I went home still a bit dazed and tired, had a nice rest in my hostel and I also watched the Kimetsu no Yaiba movie while eating some bananas.    もっと詳しく

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    Cusco

    2021年4月28日, ペルー ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Finally touching down in Cusco after barely getting any sleep from the whacky flight schedules. I arrived during the wee hours at Lima airport and tried to get what rest I could while waiting for the connecting flight to Cusco. Immediately, I could feel the change in the oxygen levels and found my heart to be beating faster and taking longer breaths. I went to the bathroom first thing and then out the airport lobby to look for a money exchanger but they were all still closed. Luckily there was a taxi driver who accepted dollars and it wasn’t really that expensive too. He took me to my hostel in Collacalle, called Hawka Inca Hostal. On the way, I was able to see Cusco and its surroundings and immediately fell in love with the city. Surrounded by mountains and Incan architecture, cobbled streets with traces from its Spanish colonial past, all blending into the quintessential Peruvian must-visit city, what a sight and place to be. It felt so surreal to be actually this far out in the world, all the way in South America in one of the most exotic hotspots, I felt a strong sense of achievement and gratitude and tremendous excitement for the adventures ahead.

    I checked in my hostel with a kind lady, the room was amazing. Bigger and better than any hotel I’ve stayed in Japan but a hundred times cheaper with free breakfast and my own bathroom, what more can I ask for? I tried not to strain myself too hard or else I would find myself winded, even the stairs were a chore. I took a shower and went to the Healing Tree Center to meet Andres. They were going to do a check-up for me to measure if I am ready to take Ayahuasca the next day, I also had to drink volcanic water. It was a bit hard to find where they were located but their office was very spiritual, carrying images of Jesus Christ, a statue of Ganesha and Buddha, a mix of all cultures. I had to drink several jugs of volcanic water for a full body detox. It didn’t taste good nor did it taste bad, the taste of minerals was definitely there. After a few cups, I was off to the bathroom to “detox” and this went on for several times until I was free to go. I walked out with Andres where he showed me a bit more of the town, took me to a place where I can exchange money and left me somewhere in the central part of town as we had to part ways.

    I started going around town and found myself in the town square where a statue towered in the center, all around the square were magnificent churches and restaurants, and behind them were mountains with houses lining up its base, crawling upwards. The weather was fairly chilly, I found refuge in a traditional Peruvian restaurant. My search for the restaurant took me to the various corners of Cusco, getting aerial views and going through tight alleys, it was so fun to just get lost. The food was amazing, cheap and very filling. I found a vendor to buy tissue paper from, it was so dirt cheap I just gave her more money as I don’t think she will be earning much with the drop in tourists in Cusco. She was grateful and advised me not to put my wallet in the front pocket of my bag, that was very kind of her. I was also approached by some street peddlers selling paintings, being the softie that I am, I ended up buying from both of them at a price I think was quite marked-up but I believed they needed the money more. I got back to my place to rest but was surprised that I was still full, just a couple of bananas were enough.    もっと詳しく

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    Panamá City

    2021年4月27日, パナマ ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Oh Panama, one of my cheekier adventures. I knew I only had a limited amount of time before my flight the same night but I still wanted to see the country since I am already there. I got into a pickle at the immigrations as it was very difficult to get past them without my Japanese residence card to show as proof. After a long time of nervousness with my fingers crossed, the old lady let me through without any sort of ID, I managed to bluff my way into a country. That was pretty awesome in its own right. Next step was getting transportation, my phone didn’t have wi-fi and I couldn’t call Uber. There were some drivers outside who tried to get me to take their transportation which was loads more expensive than Uber but I had to swallow my pride and get back to them and just shell out that 50 bucks. Panama city was surprisingly developed with a lot of high-rise buildings with post-modern architecture. Surrounded by the ocean, my driver took me to Casco Antiguo, the place to be to see the cultural aspect of Panama.

    I got down and we agreed a meeting place and time after I was done looking around. I quickly started to look around and take pictures of whatever aesthetic places I could find. The statue in the plaza, the sunset over the horizon by the beach, the Caribbean architecture with a Spanish finish, the place was extremely photogenic and empty too which made for even better photos. I could have taken an Uber back to the airport for cheaper and getting a free ride into the city, but I also didn’t want to do that to my driver so I waited for him and got back in to head back to the airport, a bit hungry now. The way back reminded me a lot of Manila, with insane traffic, we were stuck for more than an hour or so. I am very thankful to have made it back on time without any problems. The airport was more or less empty and when I tried to go back in, surprise, surprise, the same guy who gave me a lot of my headaches from Immigration was there again. He asked why I had to go in and I told him I just wanted to see Casco Antiguo, in the end he let me through. I bought some sandwiches for dinner and found out later that I needed a face-shield mask to enter the flight to Peru, one that I did not have. With just a few minute left before departure, this made me panic once again as the shop selling them was already closed. I approached this security guy and told him my problem and he gave me a very old and dirty one that he had lying around inside the cabinet. I gratefully accepted it and ran back just in time to board my flight to Lima.    もっと詳しく

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    Tulum

    2021年4月27日, メキシコ ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    A crazy day to say the least, I woke up early today as I was going to be taking Bufo Alvarius, 5-meo-DMT. A guy dressed in robes came and showed me into the ceremonial tent, I meditated for a bit and he debriefed me and gave me the vaporizer. I tried to inhale as much as I can but I didn`t hold it in and wasted a lot of it unfortunately. It was still pretty powerful but very mediocre and underwhelming as it was over pretty quickly. I left the tent in a daze to try to catch my bearings as I had to catch a cab going to the bus terminal straight away. My visuals were still mad saturated, in my hurry I forgot to ask for my residence card back which I gave the night before when I checked in. I realized this later in the airport. Other than that, it was going to be an arduous journey all the way to Cusco with a stop over at Lima.もっと詳しく

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    Playa del Carmen

    2021年4月26日, メキシコ ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I got on a extremely relaxing and comfortable bus to Playa del Carmen, the sunset followed me all the way. I was quite excited to see the sunset but unfortunately realized it was in the other direction, but it still colored the opposing horizon an incredible pink. I looked around to try and find the famous arch with the man and woman and was pleasantly surprised to see a performance by the native indigenous people. There were more circling the flag, I stayed here to watched until their dance ended. I walked to the beach and felt the amazing sea breeze on white sand and turquoise waters. Here, I sat down and meditated. Over the horizon, the moon was rising and it made for an incredible scenery with the sunsetting behind. I did Kundalini yoga while the vibrant full moon rose higher to the sky. When it got dark, I set off to find a vegan restaurant and ended up in a vegan burger joint. Mexico has so many vegetarian friendly restaurants, it`s unbelievable. I was able to catch my bus to Tulum just in time.

    The journey was long and there were these two young girls sitting in front of me, still very young and enjoying the peak of their youth, doing vlogs and stuff, it was quite funny. From the bus stop in Tulum, it took a couple of minutes to get to my hostel, Bufo Alvarius, walking through the dark streets made me a bit paranoid and there were a lot of wild and territorial street dogs that were sleeping and blocking the roads so I had to keep on taking detours while carrying my heavy bag. I also stopped by to buy a razor. There were also a weird group of people in the center of one of the pedestrian roads that were obviously tripping ballsack. The guy playing the instrument repeatedly called out Krishna through a song. Good for them, I guess. I eventually made it to my hostel and checked in. The rooms were amazing, a giant private room in the shape of a box with transparent walls for glass. The hostel was really spiritual in nature and functioned as a retreat center with a swimming pool in the middle with some Buddha statues all around. I took a shower and went straight to bed.    もっと詳しく

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    Cancún

    2021年4月26日, メキシコ ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I arrived pretty late at the airport and almost got scammed on the way to buy bus tickets, multiple times even! I got my antigen test here as well in preparation for my flight to Peru. I got to my hostel just fine after a comfortable bus ride, checked-in and found that I was roomies with a guy from Spain. We had our small talk and I went out to find some late night dinner. I found myself in some sort of plaza where a full on fiesta was happening, families, couples and tourists were all gathered in one place, surrounded by various food booths and several events happening in various corners of the area, absolutely zero Corona measures being followed, and it was awesome. I had some quesedillas and whatnots along with a softdrink. I did feel a bit lonely without any company but after a bit of taking in the atmosphere, I walked my way back to my hostel, took a shower and tried to get some sleep without much luck despite having ear plugs on.

    I woke up the next day and took a shower using what I could scavenge and tried to find some brunch. I checked out and left my bag inside the luggage room. I got to another awesome vegan Mexican restaurant and had the most delicious vegetable based pasta and fruit juice. I later foundout that the driver for my scuba-diving that day was already waiting for me in my hostel. I got my things and went inside the car to pick up another couple before going to the meeting place. Our car stopped by a pretty high-end hotel and in came an American man and a Korean woman. We didn't talk much throughout the ride. We got to the diving center where we put on our gear and got a debriefing by Carla, our diving instructor. During the downtime, I got to know Lucas and Julie, both who have become my good friends. I found out later that they recently got engaged the day before. We got to do some scuba diving practice outside at the beach, it was actually quite easy though a bit surreal to be able to breathe underwater. Feeling the pressure build up inside my ears and finding the right timing to pinch my nose and breathe out, while doing all the scuba diving techniques was quite difficult at first but in reality, everything went smoothly and we were now ready for the real thing.

    We got on the boat with some other people and set off towards the sea. Lucas commented what had been on my mind the whole time, the color of the water was effervescent turqouise, so vibrant and beautiful, I've never seen anything like it, not even in Okinawa or Boracay. We made it to our first diving spot and as I started to feel a wee bit seasick, even more so as I got off the rocking boat and was left at the mercy of the waves, going up and down, again and again made me really seasick now. Submerging myself underwater helped as there was no more rocking down under, my nausea immediately dissipated as I saw for the first time the clear sea floor of Cancun. Despite having no eyeglasses, the water acted as a natural light refractor and allowed me to see much of the seabed without problems. Lucas and Julie were soon underwater with me, and Carla joined us as well. We followed her hand signals on what to do and slowly made our way deeper. I got to see some coral beds, fish and the underwater sculptures that were part of the underwater museum in Cancun. We got up and I found myself not only nauseated but a bit out of breath, both Julie and I were on the same boat, pun intended. She puked and the fish gobbled it all up, I found myself puking as well, Julie shared with me a seasick pill but it was too late at that point. I was quite winded and thankfully Carla had some sort of electrolyte concoction just for this purpose which I drank a lot of as well as chowing down on some protein bars. I realized we still had another diving spot to go to hit and I was quite dreadful as to whether I can make it or not, what a crazy first scuba diving experience. When we got to the second diving spot, I just went straight down to avoid getting more nauseated and found myself in my sweet spot again, focused on surviving and finishing the whole thing, I followed eagerly and took in as much as I can. I got to take some more photos and saw some more unique artworks underwater, until my weights started to act up and get loose, plummeting me downwards. I kept my cool and tried to fix it while Carla tried to help me, we eventually got it back on and we proceeded forwards, there was even a car underwater which was pretty dope. We ascended again afterwards and I found myself not as worse as before but still a bit seasick and dehydrated. Drank some more of that electrolyte juice and downed some more protein bars and patiently waited until we made landfall. I was so happy to finally touch the wooden boardwalk and made my way back to the diving center to rest. I gave Carla a tip and some money for the photos she took with her GoPro. We all got on the car again as it dropped Lucas and Julie back to their hotel, we said our goodbyes and well wishes too. I was dropped at the Bus Terminal as I was heading to Playa del Carmen next.    もっと詳しく

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    Ciudad de México II

    2021年4月25日, メキシコ ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Third day was much more chill, Pacho and I headed out to the park again so I could visit the famous archaeological museum but unfortunately it was closed. It was no biggie though, we simply had more time to just talk and relax at the park. Pacho kindly carried my bag for me as all my things were in there. We sat in front of the main road which was closed to allow bikers to have laps, we talked about all sorts of things and then we headed to another popular Mexican restaurant which had one of the most delicious Mexican dishes I've had so far.

    Pacho took me to Mexico city's tallest tower and I was able to see a nice bird's eye view of the whole place, it was an amazing city with a very good layout and lots of red roofed houses. We talked about spirituality here for a long time before heading to the airport. Here I said goodbye to my dear friend and got on my plane to Cancun.    もっと詳しく

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    Teotihuacán

    2021年4月24日, メキシコ ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    A bit more rested, but still a bit jetlag. I woke up earlier than usual and heard the numerous birds singing outside. I did some Kundalini yoga and meditation before showering and heading out. I hailed an Uber going to Teotihuacan. What an excellent morning it was, with cool and fresh air and nice beats in the taxi, I saw Mexico as it is again with my own eyes and can't help but compare it to the Philippines as they are quite similar. It was a long ride to Teotihuacan and I stopped by the gates and was pointed to a tourist center.

    There was a woman here who showed me around the area and taught me about several aspects of Teotihuacan. She showed me a plant that I've seen around town and that they can use its fiber to create other things, she showed me different colored obsidian as it was one of their main crafts. I was also given a Mexican breakfast, different shots of tequilas from cactus infused and fruits, they were quite delicious not gonna lie but it was too early to be getting drunk. She taught me about the Mexican hairless dog and how they were guides for the people in the afterlife. All in all, quite informative. I gave her a tip and headed on to the pyramids.

    Fortunately, it was empty with just a few other tourists around. I took my time exploring the place. I lowkey also got scammed in picking out a obsidian necklace for Janelle but at the same time, I knew the guy wasn't getting anything sold with the decline of tourists so I just gave it to him. I walked around the pyramids, quite grand and an amazing spectacle. After going around, I wanted to exchange the necklace for a different one but he wanted to charge me more so I walked away but he ended up giving it to me anyway, nice of him. I explored the rest of the sacred grounds, and gave a guy some coins to take a photo of me with the other pyramid. I was quite satisfied and walked on back but not before being approached by some guys on a bike which I ended up getting on to go to a restaurant as I was quite starving for some more Mexican food.

    The restaurant was quite unique, it was inside a cave and the food was a bit more pricey but delicious nevertheless. I made my way out and had to do a longer walk but was able to get another Uber going to a train station that Pacho told me to go to as that's where we were meeting. I got to the station and we went to a park, there were a lot of interesting monuments and happenings around, a popular castle was there as well but it was closed on that day. I got a henna tattoo while Pacho's friend came by. All three of us walked together to see other cool buildings and we ended up in the district where all the rich Mexicans hanged out, the disparity was quite evident in terms of lifestyle and material possessions and even skin tone. We had a nice dinner at a salad restaurant before heading back to Pacho's place. It started to rain too but we got home fine. At night, I watched Seaspiracy with Pacho and his mom which gave me a lot to think about regarding marine life and my role on this planet.    もっと詳しく

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    Ciudad de México

    2021年4月23日, メキシコ ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    A direct flight from Tokyo, I tried to sleep on the airplane without much luck. I arrived at the airport still a bit jetlag, but immigration was smooth as butter and soon enough I was outside the airport seeing Mexico for the first time. The air was arid and not exactly clean and reminded me a lot of the Philippines. I waited a while for Pacho, he seemed to operate on Mexican time and arrived a bit late than planned but I didn't mind as I didn't have anything planned that day. Pacho took me to Garibaldi Square, here there were some mariachi bands playing and a lot of junkies, I guess this is Mexico. There were awesome streetart with palm trees lining up the road. Pacho took me to a convenience store where I bought my favorite Mazapan de la Rosa as well as some Mexican chips and drinks. Here we sat and just had a nice long chat catching up on life. Pacho had an idea to take the city bus tour, I was keen on doing whatever though I was definitely a bit more sleepy.

    We walked towards the bus and on the way stopped by some famous buildings which I had no idea what they were but hey they were really nice though! The golden domed roof of one of the buildings was one of Mexico's main landmarks, I believe. We went through the main plaza where there were so many people and performers, seemed like there wasn't a pandemic happening at all. Mexico was a very free and joyful country with plenty of lovers that are not afraid to show physical intimacy in public. We finally got on the bus for the city tour with the perfect timing as the sun started to set, scarlet orange rays pierced through the trees above as our double-decker bus cruised through traffic. The air was suddenly much fresher and we passed a lot of monuments such as the Angel of Independence and the financial and hotel district. The parks were huge and the standard of living seemed quite fulfilling as people jogged around with their dogs in the cool air. At this point, I was quite struggling at staying awake and Pacho was nudging me to keep at it. We eventually made our way back to the starting point and had a walk back, the same buildings at night had lit windows of varying colors, the plaza was definitely beautiful both day and night. I really wanted to pee and Pacho and I searched for a place to release with not much luck, we ended up finding a public toilet that required money to use. After relieving myself, we were now ready to find dinner. I wanted to eat something Mexican but I was also on a vegetarian diet for my Ayahuasca ceremony in Peru so Pacho got me some kind of Mexican soup dish. We took another cab back to his place where I was staying. I met his mom and gave her some sweets I bought from Japan. We ate some dinner, I had my shower and had went to my room. I had a whole room to myself, the night was cool and quiet as I drifted off to sleep.    もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaSouth KoreaTreading Through Gaia

    Jeju Island II

    2020年2月24日, 韓国 ⋅ 13 °C

    I got up and noticed that my body was hella aching. I had to cancel some of the places I was going to just because it required long walking and hiking and my body just wasn't up for it after scaling a mountain unequipped with the right paraphernalia. I took my shower and checked out and was walking around town for a while. I went to Jeongbang waterfall again from yesterday and this time it was open. The stairs really hurt but I was blessed with a wonderful view of the ocean and the waterfall that connects to it along with a rainbow. Jeongbang waterfall is the only waterfall in Asia that connects to the ocean, so there's that too. I went back to town after relaxing her for a bit. It was hard to find my bus and I ended up missing a couple of buses that pushed my schedule further and further, to the point where I was thinking maybe to just give up and head straight to the airport. I decided to get some lunch and that also took a lot of time because I was having trouble deciding what to eat and at the same time fighting my hunger. In the end, I had some pretty good Jeju pork before trying the bus again.

    I headed to Jusangjeolli Cliff, a special rock formation formed by lava. It was definitely a unique landscape. I circled around the walking trails surrounding the park it was located in and headed towards Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls, this was a different one from before, having three different waterfalls in one area. The hardest part about this was just climbing the stairs and making sure I was good on time with my slow pace. My legs really hurt for each flight, and going around the zone also took a few kilometers of walking notwithstanding the fact that I was also carrying my backpack with all my things. There was also Seonim bridge, a very intricate red bridge laden with white sculptures.

    Eventually, I made it out of the waterfall area and got on a bus heading straight to the airport where I got some orange chocolates as a souvenir for Janelle.    もっと詳しく

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  • Treading Through GaiaSouth KoreaTreading Through Gaia

    Mt. Hallasan

    2020年2月21日, 韓国 ⋅ 3 °C

    I woke up very early the next day, took my shower and went out to find the bus stop. It was still very dark and cold. I waited for a bit and got on the bus. I tried to get whatever rest I could but I was quite nervous. I didn't know what to expect since it was gonna be my first time hiking in snow. I arrived at the trailhead, a bit lost as to where the entrance was since I couldn't see a thing but I followed where the people were going and found the starting point.

    I was now hyped, ready to go and started a good pace going up, there were a lot of stairs and I found myself taking breaks every now and then but maintaining a steady momentum. The sunrise started and gave me much needed sight, illuminating the dark forest and casting silhouettes on the trees, it was quite a sight to behold. After an hour or so of constant uphill, patches of snow started to appear. The soil was slowly being covered up as I went higher and higher. It also started to feel a bit of the fatigue from the all the climbing but I was also excited as I wanted to see more snow. I passed a few stations, eating my sandwiches along the way. Halfway through the hike, I realized I wouldn't be able to find food or rent snow shoes at one of the stations. Seeing the signs that warned not to proceed without those spikes on your shoes would be perilous. Now, I wasn't just going to go up and turn back so I decided to push for it and continued onward through the now winter wonderland landscape of Hallasan.

    It definitely got harder as I found myself slipping on the slippery ice and snow, it took its toll on my body more as I had to really grip hard on the rope to support myself going up while others passed by me seamlessly. This continued on for a long time with some flats in between. The final stretch was soon in front of me, there were soldiers also doing the hike but they were simply running through it like it was nothing. As for me, the wind blared and the cold felt like a slap on my face, I clutched on the rope and did my best to put one foot forward and the next, slipping a bit each time. Eventually, I did make it to the top. Here, the wind was at its most fierce. I didn't have much time to celebrate until the cold started to seep in my body, so I tried to see as much of the crater and summit as I could, I asked an old man to help me take my picture as I climbed over the fence to get the best angle possible and I hurried down.

    Downhill was also quite difficult for me, I was tired and very hungry. I certainly did not bring enough food. I managed to get to a view point and begged a middle-aged man for some food and got some kimchi gimbap from him. I was overjoyed, this could keep me going for a while. Another guy overheard my predicament and also offered me some chocolate, which I accepted without hesitation. The kindness of strangers have filled me up and I found myself cruising for a bit more, encountering the chocolate guy several times in various resting points. I have also devised a way to go down at a much faster and easier pace: sliding through the snow. As I laid my butt and pushed, I flowed like water downhill, saving my legs from a lot of fatigue and downhill pressure. I continued to do this for who knows how long, there was a close call where I ended up gaining too much speed and crashed a couple of times, having to grab at some branches or rope. There was one incident where I literally stopped myself before sliding off the cliff. It was at this point that I made the wise decision of stopping this tomfoolery and to just walk. Walking also proved to be challenging with the slippery snow and ice and my shoes were not made for it at all, especially going through narrow cliffs. I wonder how many lives I would have lost if not for my sheer dumb luck.

    Soon, the snow started to pave way to mud and it was back to good old soil. A very welcome terrain after such a hard experience. I was glad the worst was behind me, there were beautiful rivers flowing, some caves by the valleys and lush vegetation again. The only problem was some paths had such spikey rocks, it made it so hard and borderline painful to just walk. I kept at it for so many hours, losing my gloves somewhere along the way as I stopped by several resting points. My legs were aching and I was very hungry again, eventually I made it to the exit and headed straight to the bathroom. Finally, it was over and I still had much time to spare.

    I decided to head to Gwaneumsa Temple by walking since it was close by. I dragged my crying legs to more uphill slopes until I reached the temple grounds. Just walking a few meters would already tire me out and I took every opportunity to just rest and sit down. The temple grounds itself was amazing, the main attraction was a giant golden Buddha surrounded by hundreds of stone statues. I explored the place a bit more and waited for my bus back to town, praying I got the right one as there was no English at all and I just had to rely on comparing the Hangul on a Korean map app. Fortunately, it was the right one.

    I really wanted to go to an onsen to finish the day and wash away the fatigue but since I had some time, I tried to go to Jeongbang waterfall. The journey itself was still several kilometers of walking, and my tired legs were not happy about it at all. It was a trip not worth taking though as I found out it was closed when I arrived at the place. I went to the bathroom and sat down and planned my next route to a bathhouse which was on the way back to my hostel. I arrived at the bathhouse and stripped down and got in. I was surprised with Korean bathhouse culture because there was a guy just using his cellphone while in the bath. In Japan, this would have been totally illegal. I let the hot water wash away my fatigue for a while before heading out only to find out my shoes were stolen. This was really a huge blow for me as now I had no shoes. They were also brand new, a gift from my parents. It was thermal and weather proof, and I only got to make use of it a few times. Really unfortunate, the lady called her son-in-law and we spoke on the phone a bit but at that point I had lost hope already. They gave me a cheap but new pair of shoes. I went ahead and went back to my hostel with a broken heart but still the show had to go on as I had one more day.    もっと詳しく

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