on the Go with Bo!

The focus has shifted ...

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6K on a hot Sunday morning

We ran a 'marathon' this morning!  The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2011.  Well, that’s what I tell everyone, even though that’s not entirely true.  I ran 6 km and Robin walked ... ok, ok, it's not quite a full marathon, none the less, still a great achievement ... especially since we’ve never done this before.

Robin’s office organized a team months ago and of course we both signed up.  It was for a great cause:  to raise awareness for ex-offenders who are trying to integrate back into society as they come out of prison.  Basically, to give them a second chance.

And my gosh, there were 8,000 of us doing this on a hot and humid Sunday morning!

We got up at 0530 to get ready and take the MRT to Changi Prison where it all started.  As we’re riding the metro I’m observing a whole new sub-culture that I’ve never quite related to.  The runner.

They have special sunglasses that don’t fall off when you run.  They had iPods strapped to their biceps to distract themselves with music.  Water bottle holders.  Fanny packs for the essentials.  Proper running gear.

We had nothing!  Only our canary yellow tank-top with a number that was given to every participant.

Last night, as I was chatting with various people at a cocktail reception, the idea of getting up at 0530 and going for a run didn’t seem such a great idea after all.  Yet now after the run I feel great.  Energized.  Fit.

Maybe I’ve discovered something new.  The world of marathons?

I am

Out with the old!

This last trip was all about tossing things out that I've held on for way too long!  I had to make a radical decision, otherwise I ran the risk of using them till I was 6 feet under!

> My favourite reverseable Banana Republic v-neck sweater.  A two-in-one deal which is perfect for traveling.  One day it's brown, one day beige ... and no one notices it's the same sweater :-)  Left that one in Lima, Peru.  I still have a black/gray one I need to deal with.

> a light suit that I've had for nearly 10 years.  Since the Slovene company (Mura) that made it has gone obsolete, why not the suit.  It has been with me to a lot of receptions, especially in my Brussels days.  She was left behind in a St Louis closet, wiht a note stating 'needing a new owner'. 

> ah, my nail clipper set out of gold.  Fake gold!  I've had it since Vancouver, so it must be more than 15 years old.  I got it as a gift from a Croatian family that we knew there.  I recall receiving the gift and thinking, what will I do with this.  Low and behold, I used it for more than 15 years.  It was time to replace it with a ridiculously expensive Henckels set that I bought in Geneva.  I sure hope this set lasts that long!

> and lastly my white flip flops that I bought in Cancun, Mexico.  Flip flops are part of my daily uniform in Singapore, that's why they wear-and-tear very fast.  I got rid of them in Slovenia at the very end of my trip, and replaced them with a pair of $60 white Havaianas bought in Singapore.  How can white plastic Made in China cost so much?

Reception on fire?

St Louis ...

Location they say is everything. Welcome to magical Machu Picchu!

The lamas were grazing around the sacred Inca site all day, yet a couple of minutes before sun down, they positioned themselves at the edge of a terrace and gazed down at Machu Picchu as the light was dissipating and dusk was beginning to envelope us all.  They didn't move.  It was nearly as if they were the keepers of Machu Picchu, making sure that the holy site was being preserved for yet another day, for eternity.   Them, and us, admiring man's creation and the beauty of nature, all in harmony.

At that very moment you knew you were privy to something very special.  A sacred site.  A holy site.

The journey to Machu Picchu began with a train ride from Ollantaytambo.  Crowds of backpackers were getting ready to jump on the Perurail train that was going to take us to Aquas Calientes, which is the last station, at the foot of Machu Picchu.  The only way to get to Machu Picchu these days is either to take the 90 minute train ride from Ollantaytambo or to do the 4 day 82 km Inca trail.  We chose the former option, although one day I would love to do the Inca trail and experience the magic of hiking through the Andes.

It wasn't just any train carriage that we were on, it was the Orient Express carriage that was fitted in old style luxury.  It was fit for an Agatha Christie murder mystery.  The train goes down the sacred Urubamba river valley, passing several Inca sites, terraced hills and many land slides.

The journey starts off in a barren mountainous landscape, and as you traverse the valley heading to Aquas Calientes, the mountains become more and more lush.  Suddenly there is jungle everywhere, with red jacaranda trees in bloom and birds of paradise adding colour to the otherwise tropical green vegetation.  How does the ecosystem change so fast?

Machu Picchu is everything you can imagine.  It was built in 1450 and was a populated Inca city for less than 100 years.  What is fascinating is that the 500 inhabitants that lived there left no written records, no artefacts (most have probably been looted), no artwork.  Nothing.  Machu Picchu today is still shrouded in mystery which perhaps adds to its appeal.

By 1550 the Spaniards had already invaded South America and it is believed that Machu Picchu was abandoned at the time, for the Inca men had to go and fight the Spanish army to defend Peru. Unfortunately, they also lost and thus Machu Picchu went into abandon for centuries, until Yale professor Hiram Bingham re-discovered the isolated city on top of the hill on July 24, 1911.

The Incas worshipped the mountain, the sky and the sacred river far below.  They worshipped nature.  All things considering, despite their attention to detail, their advanced building techniques and complex level of social organization, the society to some degree seems fairly primitive.  After all, Europe was going through Renaissance at that same time.  Nonetheless, what the Incas built is nothing short of breathless.  From the very isolated location that they chose at an elevation of 2,400 m, to the stunning scenery, to the simplicity of the structures that are in perfect harmony with its natural surroundings.  And peace.  A very peaceful and powerful setting.

Now, the vast majority of the 2,500 daily visitors that come to Machu Picchu (that is the max number of tickets they sell each day which seems to be doing well in preserving the isolated site) sleep in Aguas Calientes and then take the first bus leaving at 0530 to get to Machu Picchu at 0600, when the gates open.  If you're young and full of energy, you get up at 0400 and hike up the mountain.

And then there is us.  Creatures of comfort!  The Orient Express has a lodge right by the entrance to Machu Pichu called Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge.  The price is steep and there are only 18 rooms.  But as we rolled out of bed at 0530 and got dressed and headed to the entrance of the grounds, we saw a small group of young kids completely sweaty and dusty, albeit excited to enter the sacred site at dawn.  Yes, that is when we realized that the money was worth it.  By 0600, there was already a long lineup of people waiting to get in.  We were able to circumvent all that hassle.

Given that we had already explored all of Machu Picchu the day before, this morning we headed to Intipunku, the sungate which is about a 45 minute hike from the lodge.  Watching the light spill over the hills above Machu Picchu and then slowly washing out the Inca site with daylight was a magical end to our trip here.

Walking back to the lodge, smiling, we were leaving Machu Picchu knowing that we had seen it in all its beauty, throughout the whole day.  The Inca's really knew how to pick a site.  Location, they say, is everything.

Tracing back the potato to ... Peru

On the five hour flight from Sao Paulo to Lima I finally saw Lake Titicaca!  There it was below us, on the border between Bolivia and Peru.  I remember learning about it in school, and every time we heard the name as 10 year olds, we would start to giggle, because of its obvious association.

This part of the Andes is pure rock and sand.  Not one tree in sight.  Not one cloud in sight.  Flying over you actually notice how inhospitable the land is.

Peru has so many different associations for me.  As a kid I loved to read Tintin comics, and Prisoners of the Sun was based in Peru.  Then there is the beloved poncho.  Who hasn't seen that.  Perhaps most famous of all though are the Peruvian pan-flute performers, of course dressed in ponchos, performing on street corners the world over.  The famous tune being El Condor Pasa.  Can you hear it already?

That has got to be some of the best destination marketing I’ve ever seen :-)

Did you know that the potato comes from Peru?  They have more than 400 different types of potatoes and it is only the Spanish conquistadors that introduced the potato to Europe in the 16th century.  Who knew!

3 Jamaicans in Geneva

I had been craving a Frappuccino all morning.  Walking around Geneva Lake, past the beautiful Parc du Chateau Banquet and La Perle du Lac, passing several small cafes that served wonderful European cappuccinos, and all I could think of was the Starbucks I had passed earlier on, and my Frappuccino.  Damn Starbucks!

So instead of lounging around like the Swiss were, enjoying their day by the lake, I headed to Starbucks.  I took my order, grabbed my Frappuccino and a raspberry muffin to go along with it and headed to one of the tables outside.  At least I was going to sit outside in the little square!

I saw the only table left and headed towards it.  As I was putting my tray down, this older woman with beautiful chocolate skin said to me ‘oh, I was just thinking of moving to that table for it’s in the shade.’  Hmm, shall I insist on the table since I was there first?  Aghh, let’s try something new, I told myself.  Do you mind if we share the table, I said to her.  Absolutely not, was her reply with a big smile.

And then all of 3 ladies moved to ‘my’ table!

So there I was, sitting amidst three wonderful ladies who ended up being from Jamaica.  They were visiting their younger brother who lived in Geneva.  They came from a family of six.  Girl - boy - girl - boy - girl - boy.  How, I said, did your mother work that one out.  That to me seems more like a technique than probability.

Yes, they all chimed it.  Their mother told them that immediately after making love, a woman has to turn to her right if she wants a girl and left, for a boy.  And lie on that side for at least 30 minutes.  Invaluable!

I ended up spending an hour with them, yacking away, laughing and enjoying the Jamaican care-free spirit which is just so wonderful.  Everyone was looking at us for they all saw how awkwardly this story started.

The gals were in their sixties, early seventies, and looked wonderful with big smiles.  When your heart is big and your smile as well, it’s amazing how youthful that makes you appear.

Surprisingly, they also knew my little country Slovenia.  As soon as I told them where I’m from, they said ... Merlene Ottey.  Do you know her?

Who?

She is a top-level international sprinter that now lives in Slovenia and competes for my country.  Who knew!  We had made a connection.

I walked away completely joyous.  Thank god I insisted on my Frappuccino.

 

HOTEL:

> Mandarin Oriental:  This is the old and venerable Hotel du Rhone, that has now become a Mandarin Oriental.  As you walk into the lobby, you’re thinking, this is a rather small entrance for a Mandarin Oriental hotel.  At least by Asian standards.  And then you take the elevator and it’s tiny.  But as soon as you walk into your room, there it is, Mandarin Oriental quality and superb taste.

The suites on the seventh (top) floor are very large, spacious and very classy.  They’ve renovated the rooms beautifully.  Best of all you have a big terrace overlooking Geneva and the Rhone leading into the lake right below.

Stunning and very luxurious property, with fantastic service!

Skutsjesilen racing on the Ijsselmeer by Stavoren

Skutsjesilen is a traditional annual racing event in Friesland done with the skutsje, which is a traditional Frisian sailing boat.  Originally these boats used to be for transporting cargo along the canals and the Ijsselmeer in the Netherlands, however, today they have become prized ships and are used mainly for racing and I guess, a bit of showing off :-)

Shanghai, San Diego ... And Heeg?

These are the last three cities I've been dancing in.

Shanghai we know.  San Diego we know.  Heeg? Or Heecht?

Well, last night we went to the very local, the only local dance club in this small town in Friesland, a northern province in the Netherlands.  We're here for a few days, supposed to be enjoying the beautiful Dutch summer.  However, the sun today is no where to be seen.

So since the days are dark, we thought we might as well stay out late ... dancing of course, and make the most of the nights.

Heeg is a very small Fries town, alongside a canal.  Very picturesque.  During the day families, kids, sailing clubs come with their boats and moor them alongside the canal and go to one of the many terraces for drinks and lunch.

At night, I guess, since there is not much to do, everyone goes to the local bars and eventually rolls into the only nightclub in town.  We're there with them.  The latest techno music is pumping, we're drinking the very strong local drink called Beerenburgh and around us ... only teenagers.  Literally!  Robin was three times the age than most people in there.  And me, twice the age and some more.

Arlette, my sister-in-law, while dancing wildly was simultaneously preoccupied that someone would come up to her and say 'aren't you Bas' mother?'  Bas being her 17 year old son.

That was our competition!

We were like museum pieces to these kids, who left us alone in our little corner of the dance floor, observing us in amusement and full of wonder.  Look at them move, they must have been thinking.

The final thing that gave us away is when the Jagerrmeister team came by offering free shooters.  Everyone else took them.  But us.

And that's when I realized, you know you're getting older when you decline a free drink.  I know I never used to!

Traveling along the Sacred Valley of Urubamba

As you cross over the hills surrounding Cuzco you enter the Sacred Valley, which stretches down the river of Urubamba.  The Andes are resplendent in the crisp winter air, which is surprisingly warm.  At least till sunset when the temperatures suddenly plummet.  This is a land of microclimates, where the weather conditions change very rapidly.

It is hard to explain such majestic landscape.  You soon realize that you are just a small part of the very large macrocosm on display here.  The valley is at points very flat, which is ideal for agricultural purposes.  As you look up at the peaks above the valley, you will notice that many of the mountains are terraced right to the top, which stems from the old Inca days, when these terraces were used to grow various crops or were built to prevent erosion.  It's quite amazing for you would expect them to terrace only the bottom parts of the mountain.

The Andes are very monochromatic.  This is a land of brown colours and barren landscapes.  The hills are brown, the houses are brown, yet the outfits of the people are incredibly colourful.  Think of all the colours you associate with a poncho!  It's their own way of bringing a splash of colour into their world.

 

Things to see in the vicinity:

> Maras: white salt mines that are terraced into the side of a mountain above the Sacred Valley.  The salt water comes out of a spring at 28 degrees and fills out all the salt mines below.

> Moray:  circular terraces built by the Incas in order to create different micro-climates for agricultural purposes.  The terraces are excavated into the ground, forming a large hole with concentric circles.

> Ollantayambo:  a fortress built during the Inca empire, filled with way to many tourists.

> Pisac:  located on the river Urubamba, this small village has a beautiful albeit very expensive local market.

 

HOTEL:

> Libertador Tambo del Inka Hotel:  complete surprise!  This Sheraton Luxury Collection hotel is set by the Urubamba river and is stunning.  Very large and spacious modern rooms, outfitted in Inca style.  Honestly, one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve been to!  Why?  Because it's luxury that is totally harmonious within its environment.