Yes, we were swinging on jungle vines like Tarzan. The only time we weren't surrounded by disease carrying mosquitoes. Awesome!
Melissa
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Thinking back to the Jungle....
Yes, we were swinging on jungle vines like Tarzan. The only time we weren't surrounded by disease carrying mosquitoes. Awesome!
Melissa
Monday, February 02, 2009
Back from the Land of Peru! Part 1
Jesse and I are back home. We are happy to be back and sad at the same time. We love the comforts of our home but we love so many things about Peru. Here are a few excerpts from our travel journal along with some pictures. If you are ever in my house and want to read in detail about our travel feel free to pick up our travel journal. Here it goes:
Day 1: Thursday, January 15, 2009
Kara Cornelio picks up at at 3:00 a.m. and off we go to SFO. In Atlanta, we had our last hamburger and I lost my travel pillow. Seven hours later we arrive in Lima at midnight. We saw lighting storms in the far off Amazons.
Day 2: Friday, January 16, 2009
We had to stand in the hot immigration line for one hour. We picked up our luggage and met up with the Harding's and my cousin Janette. Our group was a total of 10 people, Jesse, Nate, Wendy, Kelly, Kevin, Janette, Maggie, Buff, Donivan and myself. We check into our domestic flight and then wait another four hours for our flight to Cuzco. We tried to sleep but ended up talking and playing cards. We finally arrive in Cuzco at 7:00 a.m., head to our hotel, drink some coca and finally fall asleep at 11:00 a.m. We woke up couple hours later had lunch/dinner, paid our treking fees, ran some errands and went to bed.
Day 3: Saturday, January 17, 2009
We went to the local artisan market, bought some trinkets, walked down to the "local" mall to buy Janette hiking gear. Jesse was cursed by a little boy who wanted to shine his shoes and then told him he would be here the next day. We went back to the hotel and rested (the high altitude really takes it out of you). Later that evening we had our hiking briefing and met our guides, Marco and Franco. Had a delicious dinner and went to bed.
Day 4: Sunday, January 18, 2009
After breakfast, which consisted of bread, jam, mate de coca, fruits and coffee, we headed down to the Plaza the Armas and saw a cool parade, then went to a Maranatha church. Church service was very nice, but REALLY long even for me. After church we had lunch and took a taxi back down to the local mall to buy Janette socks. Headed back to the hotel, played cards, took a nap, packed for the next four days of hiking, had dinner and went to bed.
Day 5: Monday, January 19, 2009
At 6:00 a.m. we took our last "real" shower for the next week, had breakfast and headed to our bus that was going to take us to Kilometer 82, the beginning of the Inca Trail. A couple hours we arrive in a little town called Ollaytantambo, purchased walking sticks and then back on the bus to K82. At K82 the porters packed our gear (food, tents, etc.) for the next 5 days and off we started on our hike. Saw our first Inca site called Q'anabamba, then Patallaqta. We couldn't walk around in these but they were really cool. Hike was nice, rolling hills, llama sacrifial mounds, mummy tomb and not too strenuous. Arrived at our first campsite, had dinner and feel asleep.
Day 6: Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Didn't sleep that well day before. Today was a short 4 hour hike but a hard one, started at 9,842 feet and ended at 12,460 ft. People were really feeling the altitude, thankfully Jesse and I didn't. It was a beautiful hike, jungle, river, giant mountains. Words can't explain. Camp was at over 12K feet high, I felt a little dizzy and had a tiny headache. Jesse and I guzzled coca tea and took a nap after lunch. We could see Dead Women's pass or Warmiwañuska or at least her boob. Before dinner we play a new card game, Chilean head, let's just say our guide Marco didn't like Chileans. After dinner we saw the beautiful Milky way, I sniff some special liquid and went to bed. I kept on having nightmares of Jesse choking me, but it was actually my body reacting to the low levels of oxygen not an Incan spirit. Once again didn't sleep that much.
Day 7: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Long, hard but very cool hike day. Made it up to Dead Women's pass, but just before we inhaled some even more "special" black liquid. Let's just say, Jesse and I were the first ones to make it to the top! Very beautiful sites at the pass at 13,828 feet. We made it up in 1.5 hours. For the rest of the day it was all down hill on the real Inca steps. We didn't have lunch for another 7 hours later so we were pretty tired. We saw two other really cool Inca steps especially one that we had to climb up some really steep steps. We finally had lunch and after another 1 or 2 hour hike we made to our 3rd campsite, Phuyapatamarca. It was really cold here, but an awesome site we were surround by glaciers, jungle mountains, and Inca sites. Had dinner, filled up our hot water bottles to put in our sleeping bags and went to bed.
Day 8: Thursday, January 22, 2009
Nature called at 6:00 a.m. so we found nature's toilet and then Jesse and I waited for the fog to disappear and it did and we saw the most beautiful site ever, I seriously wanted to cry, once again words cannot explain. Had breakfast, and started our last hiking day. We saw Phuyapatamarca which was and astrological Inca site. Learned about Inca's sacred foods, potato, corn and coca. First half of day was really slippery, steep downhill stairs. After lunch we saw our second Inca site of the day, Wiñaywayna - Forever Young, my FAVORITE site. Took pictures and video, and then started off on the trail again to the Sun Gate. The second part of the day was much flatter, but when it had it's uphills it was steep. One part of the stair was named "Gringo Killer Stairs" which had men on all fours crawling up some very vertical stairs. You would think after that there would be the Sun Gate at the top, but no, only more flatter stairs. Finally we made it to the Sun Gate, took pictures with Machu Picchu in the back ground.
We made it to Machu Picchu in the afternoon, but we couldn't go in until the next day. Took pictures again and then rode a bus down to Aguas Calientes, found the restaurant where we were going to spend the night, had dinner, checked emails and then went to bed.
Day 9: Friday, January 23, 2009
Did not sleep again, woke up at 4:30 a.m., made it to the bus at 5:30 a.m. and back to Machu Picchu. Our tour guide Marco, gave us a very good and different tour for 2 hours and then we could explore on our own. Lots a pictures and lots of fun, but a couple hours later we were very tired. Head back down to the town for lunch, surveys, and then to catch our train back to Ollaytantambo. Train ride was relaxing and then we met our bus driver to Cuzco. Made it to our hotel, took a wonderful shower and then had dinner, ran some more errands around the city, and then went to bed.
The next days will be describe as the second part of our trip to the Amazon Basin. Hope you liked reading.
Day 1: Thursday, January 15, 2009
Kara Cornelio picks up at at 3:00 a.m. and off we go to SFO. In Atlanta, we had our last hamburger and I lost my travel pillow. Seven hours later we arrive in Lima at midnight. We saw lighting storms in the far off Amazons.
Day 2: Friday, January 16, 2009
We had to stand in the hot immigration line for one hour. We picked up our luggage and met up with the Harding's and my cousin Janette. Our group was a total of 10 people, Jesse, Nate, Wendy, Kelly, Kevin, Janette, Maggie, Buff, Donivan and myself. We check into our domestic flight and then wait another four hours for our flight to Cuzco. We tried to sleep but ended up talking and playing cards. We finally arrive in Cuzco at 7:00 a.m., head to our hotel, drink some coca and finally fall asleep at 11:00 a.m. We woke up couple hours later had lunch/dinner, paid our treking fees, ran some errands and went to bed.
Day 3: Saturday, January 17, 2009
We went to the local artisan market, bought some trinkets, walked down to the "local" mall to buy Janette hiking gear. Jesse was cursed by a little boy who wanted to shine his shoes and then told him he would be here the next day. We went back to the hotel and rested (the high altitude really takes it out of you). Later that evening we had our hiking briefing and met our guides, Marco and Franco. Had a delicious dinner and went to bed.
Day 4: Sunday, January 18, 2009
After breakfast, which consisted of bread, jam, mate de coca, fruits and coffee, we headed down to the Plaza the Armas and saw a cool parade, then went to a Maranatha church. Church service was very nice, but REALLY long even for me. After church we had lunch and took a taxi back down to the local mall to buy Janette socks. Headed back to the hotel, played cards, took a nap, packed for the next four days of hiking, had dinner and went to bed.
Day 5: Monday, January 19, 2009
At 6:00 a.m. we took our last "real" shower for the next week, had breakfast and headed to our bus that was going to take us to Kilometer 82, the beginning of the Inca Trail. A couple hours we arrive in a little town called Ollaytantambo, purchased walking sticks and then back on the bus to K82. At K82 the porters packed our gear (food, tents, etc.) for the next 5 days and off we started on our hike. Saw our first Inca site called Q'anabamba, then Patallaqta. We couldn't walk around in these but they were really cool. Hike was nice, rolling hills, llama sacrifial mounds, mummy tomb and not too strenuous. Arrived at our first campsite, had dinner and feel asleep.
Day 6: Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Didn't sleep that well day before. Today was a short 4 hour hike but a hard one, started at 9,842 feet and ended at 12,460 ft. People were really feeling the altitude, thankfully Jesse and I didn't. It was a beautiful hike, jungle, river, giant mountains. Words can't explain. Camp was at over 12K feet high, I felt a little dizzy and had a tiny headache. Jesse and I guzzled coca tea and took a nap after lunch. We could see Dead Women's pass or Warmiwañuska or at least her boob. Before dinner we play a new card game, Chilean head, let's just say our guide Marco didn't like Chileans. After dinner we saw the beautiful Milky way, I sniff some special liquid and went to bed. I kept on having nightmares of Jesse choking me, but it was actually my body reacting to the low levels of oxygen not an Incan spirit. Once again didn't sleep that much.
Day 7: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Long, hard but very cool hike day. Made it up to Dead Women's pass, but just before we inhaled some even more "special" black liquid. Let's just say, Jesse and I were the first ones to make it to the top! Very beautiful sites at the pass at 13,828 feet. We made it up in 1.5 hours. For the rest of the day it was all down hill on the real Inca steps. We didn't have lunch for another 7 hours later so we were pretty tired. We saw two other really cool Inca steps especially one that we had to climb up some really steep steps. We finally had lunch and after another 1 or 2 hour hike we made to our 3rd campsite, Phuyapatamarca. It was really cold here, but an awesome site we were surround by glaciers, jungle mountains, and Inca sites. Had dinner, filled up our hot water bottles to put in our sleeping bags and went to bed.
Day 8: Thursday, January 22, 2009
Nature called at 6:00 a.m. so we found nature's toilet and then Jesse and I waited for the fog to disappear and it did and we saw the most beautiful site ever, I seriously wanted to cry, once again words cannot explain. Had breakfast, and started our last hiking day. We saw Phuyapatamarca which was and astrological Inca site. Learned about Inca's sacred foods, potato, corn and coca. First half of day was really slippery, steep downhill stairs. After lunch we saw our second Inca site of the day, Wiñaywayna - Forever Young, my FAVORITE site. Took pictures and video, and then started off on the trail again to the Sun Gate. The second part of the day was much flatter, but when it had it's uphills it was steep. One part of the stair was named "Gringo Killer Stairs" which had men on all fours crawling up some very vertical stairs. You would think after that there would be the Sun Gate at the top, but no, only more flatter stairs. Finally we made it to the Sun Gate, took pictures with Machu Picchu in the back ground.
We made it to Machu Picchu in the afternoon, but we couldn't go in until the next day. Took pictures again and then rode a bus down to Aguas Calientes, found the restaurant where we were going to spend the night, had dinner, checked emails and then went to bed.
Day 9: Friday, January 23, 2009
Did not sleep again, woke up at 4:30 a.m., made it to the bus at 5:30 a.m. and back to Machu Picchu. Our tour guide Marco, gave us a very good and different tour for 2 hours and then we could explore on our own. Lots a pictures and lots of fun, but a couple hours later we were very tired. Head back down to the town for lunch, surveys, and then to catch our train back to Ollaytantambo. Train ride was relaxing and then we met our bus driver to Cuzco. Made it to our hotel, took a wonderful shower and then had dinner, ran some more errands around the city, and then went to bed.
The next days will be describe as the second part of our trip to the Amazon Basin. Hope you liked reading.
Monday, July 14, 2008
It's Been a Couple of Weeks....
Sorry for no update in a long time. Here are a few things that have happened in the last couple of weeks:
1. Jesse and I took our church’s youth group down to Ensenada, Mexico the last week of June. We framed and put up drywall on the second story of a church (La Escalera de Jacob-Jacob’s Ladder), sanded and painted window bars and doors. We had a great time serving the people of Mexico. I’ll post some pictures up soon.
2. No updates on my crazy allergic reaction. The last time I got tested nothing happened. I have to setup another appointment and take stronger drugs to see if it causes anything.
3. Jesse and I are still house hunting, which is always fun.
4. We are going to my cousin’s wedding in about two weeks in Los Angeles. While we are down there we are going to go to Disneyland, which is always exciting but Jesse has never been there so that will be extra fun.
5. Our plans for Peru trip are on track, so the next step is to buy our plane tickets. If you want to come let us know!
6. Rocky got a haircut by a professional groomer so he looks funny and cute. I bought him a doggie couch which he looks really cute on. I post some pictures too.
Melissa
1. Jesse and I took our church’s youth group down to Ensenada, Mexico the last week of June. We framed and put up drywall on the second story of a church (La Escalera de Jacob-Jacob’s Ladder), sanded and painted window bars and doors. We had a great time serving the people of Mexico. I’ll post some pictures up soon.
2. No updates on my crazy allergic reaction. The last time I got tested nothing happened. I have to setup another appointment and take stronger drugs to see if it causes anything.
3. Jesse and I are still house hunting, which is always fun.
4. We are going to my cousin’s wedding in about two weeks in Los Angeles. While we are down there we are going to go to Disneyland, which is always exciting but Jesse has never been there so that will be extra fun.
5. Our plans for Peru trip are on track, so the next step is to buy our plane tickets. If you want to come let us know!
6. Rocky got a haircut by a professional groomer so he looks funny and cute. I bought him a doggie couch which he looks really cute on. I post some pictures too.
Melissa
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Once Again!!
Yesterday we put our deposits down for our trip to Peru in January 2009! We are actually going on the true Inca Trail and we are going to see more Inca sites. This year a couple of our friends and co-workers are going with us so it should be a fun group. We are really excited!!
Melissa
Melissa
Friday, April 25, 2008
Vegas and a Desert Run
Last weekend, Jesse and I went to Las Vegas. We stayed at the Monte Carlo and had a great time! Too many things to say so I'll just make some points.
1. Flying to Vegas is much easier than driving to Vegas.
2. It's really funny that in the morning there are only senior citizens roaming around in restaurants and the casinos. Everyone else is still sleeping.
3. People can walk around Vegas almost naked and it's ok.
4. Jesse and I took a Gondola ride inside the Venetian, which is something I've always wanted to do.
5. I love pigging out in Vegas. We went to the Bellagio buffet and had so much food. I loved their Lemon Merengue Pie, it was delicious. Jesse liked there little cheesecake.
6. On Sunday, I ran 5.9 miles in 57 minutes and 32 seconds from the outskirts of Vegas to almost downtown. I started running the in darkness of the morning around 5:15 a.m. and ran as the sun rose over some far off mountains. It was really pretty.
7. I usually run with an MP3 player but I couldn't during with it on this run so I was trying to sing in my mind or I had randomn thoughts to keep myself busy. I had been up since 4 am on Saturday morning so I was running on adrenalin and Mountain Dew.
8. Jesse got to ride in the follow van with the Chief of the IRS.
9. We saw Joakim Noah, from the Chicago Bulls surrounded by seven hot girls at the Palms. He was really, really tall.
10. Vegas is its own little world. I like it and so does my hubby.
Will post some pictures soon.
Melissa
1. Flying to Vegas is much easier than driving to Vegas.
2. It's really funny that in the morning there are only senior citizens roaming around in restaurants and the casinos. Everyone else is still sleeping.
3. People can walk around Vegas almost naked and it's ok.
4. Jesse and I took a Gondola ride inside the Venetian, which is something I've always wanted to do.
5. I love pigging out in Vegas. We went to the Bellagio buffet and had so much food. I loved their Lemon Merengue Pie, it was delicious. Jesse liked there little cheesecake.
6. On Sunday, I ran 5.9 miles in 57 minutes and 32 seconds from the outskirts of Vegas to almost downtown. I started running the in darkness of the morning around 5:15 a.m. and ran as the sun rose over some far off mountains. It was really pretty.
7. I usually run with an MP3 player but I couldn't during with it on this run so I was trying to sing in my mind or I had randomn thoughts to keep myself busy. I had been up since 4 am on Saturday morning so I was running on adrenalin and Mountain Dew.
8. Jesse got to ride in the follow van with the Chief of the IRS.
9. We saw Joakim Noah, from the Chicago Bulls surrounded by seven hot girls at the Palms. He was really, really tall.
10. Vegas is its own little world. I like it and so does my hubby.
Will post some pictures soon.
Melissa
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Back Home, California!!
We are so happy to be home. After sweltering in the jungle for a week and then hiking close to 50 miles we are so happy to be home. Here's a quick picture, more to come later.
Melissa
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
AHHH!!
We are going to Peru in three days!! We'll be staying the first week in Iquitos, Peru (on the Amazon River) which is the largest city in the world that can only be reached my plane, right in the middle of the Amazons. The second week, one of the new seven wonders of the world Cuzco/Machu Pichuu.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Update
Rocky with his new hairstyle at the dog park, I know he looks like a girl but he looks funny with short hair so we let it grow out.
In other news, we are leaving for Peru in three weeks. It seems really close but the both of us have a TON of work to do (for our jobs) before we leave. I can't wait to see my grandparents and hike in the mountains.
My older brother, Ricky, had heart surgery today. They reached his left side of his heart through his femoral artery in his upper left leg. During the surgery they found more complications in the right side of his heart and had to do a second surgery, which they reach through the main vein in his neck. My brother is a trooper. He was awake during the whole surgery which took six hours. I'm glad he is still alive.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Shots, Shots and More Shots
Since we are going to the jungles and mountains of Peru we have to get four specific shots/medicines.
- Malaria medicine/pills: Which I hear make you sick anyways.
- Yellow Fever Shot
- Typhoid shot
- Altitude sickness meds: Make you sick too.
Oh well, I guess it worth it. Jesse might need more shots since he hasn't have all his immunizations. I think we'll be extremely sick even before we go to Peru. It's very sobering to know that Iquitos, Peru is the #2 malaria capital of the world. Lovely. I guess that is why we take all these shots and meds.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Chicago!!
Jesse and I are going to Chicago the last week of August for my friend Jessica's wedding. I'm so excited to see her and to be in Chicago. Everyone one I speak to says Chicago is a great city, so if you know places to go let us know.
Melissa
Friday, April 27, 2007
Vacation Pictures
On the road to Vegas, Rocky loves Jesse.
View from MGM Grand.I will write about the second part of our trip later.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
A Weekend Retreat
Jesse and I took a small weekend retreat to Yosemite this weekend. Here are some pictures.
Mirror Lake.
Bridalviel Waterfalls.
Rocky is being amazed by the majestic views of Yosemite. He's so cute. Rocky got really wet in the snow and rain, lets just say he was very tired by the end of the day.
This was our small walk up to Bridalviel Waterfalls. It was somewhat chilly and rainy on Sunday.
Jesse and Rocky frolicking in the snow. It didn't snow while we were there but there snow in some areas.
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