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A few bad decisions lead to a few disasters but “don’t worry be happy”… there’s a miracle or two just around the bend…
A race through Puno and a beautiful sunset on Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, is followed by another race through the witches markets in La Paz and finally, slicing time to the second, we stepped onto a bus that would soon turn my life upside down.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm-c63ZTbGY[/youtube]
Nunca say Nunca. Never say Never.
This time last year we finally arrived in Cusco having travelled the long way round from Lima through Huacachina (the sanddunes), Nasca (the alien lines in rocks) and Areiquipa (the monastery town of white walls and large volcanoes).
Not sure if it was the excessive number of hours we were spending sleeping (or trying to sleep) on buses, or the high altitudes we were reaching, but by the time we reached Arequeipa I was sick. Very sick. The photos footage was less and less interesting as I spent most of my time in bed and in a coffee shop with wifi. Eventually we made it to Cusco, the old Inca town nearby Machu Picchu. It was raining when we arrived and all I wanted to do was “get up to Machu Picchu and get out of there”… but when the sun came out so did the old city. It glowed. Sitting amongst the mountains one could feel the deep magic of this historic town.
On top the sickness penetrating my head I received the wonderful pre-Christmas gift of a terrible tummy bug. Now I was completely bed ridden in The Point, a hostel known for its wild parties.
Everything happens for a reason. In my case a special encounter from the distance of my sick state on a hostel bunk,would initiate a fast-paced romantic adventure through Bolivia, down the Chilean coast and beyond…
That is why in Cusco I was “inferma en amor” – sick with love.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ_FLksB_A0[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNVlPcKK83o[/youtube]
Vilcabamba is famous for its people’s longevity (living to 120 on average), its spectacular sky-scapes and normalised UFO sightings. At the Secret Garden hostel the girls meet Mark, an older American conspiracy theorist, who opens their eyes to a whole new perspective of the happenings around the world. A Vilcabamban boy who works at the hostel joins the girls for a glass of regional wine and shares with them the town’s history and secrets. Rachel and Juliet discuss religion, peace and Juliet tells her about “Creativist” philosophy – discovering a life that values creativity over materialism.
Oh man! This was sooooooooo fun!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnArtFFclg0[/youtube]
Aside from the insanely fun sliding down monstrous sand-hills, at this little Oasis in southern Peru we received messages from the universe including a recommended hostel in Cusco that had far more significance than we could ever imagine. Around a campfire a group of hippies shared their experiences drinking Ayahuasca, a spiritual plant, and told me how I too could find the shaman in jungle should I want to experience it to. I want. I want. I want.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr29d167PlQ[/youtube]
The local boys (that they met in Quito) show the girls the university town by day and by night: city lookouts, alcoholic shots in backseats of cars, coffee shops and museums that introduce Juliet to the indigenous “cosmovisions”. With Lola bridging the language barriers, Juliet learns about the local (mainly Catholic) religions and (mainly Capitalistic) attitudes, values and aspirations, which lead her to reflect on the idea of indoctrination, and the roots of dominant religious and capitalist worldviews.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N76Jnhv_7O4[/youtube]
30th November till 6th December last year we were at the Galapagos….
A month before “The Year of Darwin” – Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150-year anniversary of Origins of Species – I stepped onto the Enchanted Isles with more than age (26) in common with my hero.
Charles and I both defied our fathers expectations for us: for Charles this involved the rejection of a career in medicine and for me it was a career in the corporate business world.
Both Charles and I came from strong Christian backgrounds (Charles was a clergyman and I a was once a Sunday School teacher and unknowingly a fundamentalist Christian).
We both are (some-what) self-taught scientists (although mine more in the social-sciences than Charles).
And we were both inspired by the enchantment of Galapagos to question the significance of humanity’s connection with animals and nature, and wonder what this means for our lives.
Incredible encounters with iguanas, sea lions and cubs, ancient turtles, fish, crabs, birds, eagles, death, love, families, English teachers, Ecuadorian boys, planes, boats and tummy bugs – these are just some of my experiences of the Galapagos Islands.
On the 19th of November last year I left Australia on the most exciting adventure of my life thus far – a crazy fast tracked expedition around South America. A desire had been growing ever since I’d noticed the incredible energy of my Brazilian friends in Tokyo. Brazilians seem to sing and dance through life. Their language, the way they walk, the way they talk – so sexy, relaxed and cool.
I’d also begun writing a number of books, wanting to communicate particular ideas or my crazy experiences, but none of them had been quite right. Yet it was one year ago now that the stars aligned in my favor. I had travel buddies, my ticket, and a pen and paper – something inside me told me this was my book. A travel novel/ spiritual journey – Eat Pray Love meets Bill Bryson but with a little chick lit thrown in for the fun of it…
Synopsis/back cover:
With wild fantasies, insatiable curiosity and deep faith, Juliet sets off on a fast-tracked expedition around South America. Along the way she strips lust, love and life down to bare facts, honest truths and confronting realities. Join the adventure: follow Darwin’s footsteps in Galapagos, explore ancient Inca mysteries, and chase men across salt-lakes, deserts, volcanos and coastlines. Learn, laugh, cry, dance, and fall in-love. A tale of friendship, love, and connecting with a universe that conspires to make everything you dream come true. This travel memoir, biography and spiritual journey is revealing, challenging and peace-inspiring.
Three months flew yet felt like three years. The journey felt like the book was already written, we were just playing out our roles in its movie (which I believe will come one day too). But back in Sydney my studies stole my time and only now are the stars are realigning in my book’s favor. This month I’m going to write as much as I can. And then try to find a publisher… in the meantime I thought I might share a few snippets and film clips with you, posting them on their one year anniversaries.
