May 2012 Calendar - Desktop Background

St-John Gate, Quebec City

Built in 1693, it was repalced in 1745 and again in 1863. The actual gate was erected in 1939-40. The gate is part of the Quebec City Ramparts

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Mount Cauldron

Mount Cauldron is located on the border between Quebec and Ontario, 25 minutes from Rouyn-Noranda. This is a unique rock formation. A rock mass coming out of nowhere. We wondered, but where does it come from? I found the following answer on Wikipedia. This is actually an inselberg ''is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain''.

Welcome to Mount Cauldron

View from the western side

The walls are very steep on all sides. The ascent is relatively easy depend on the chosen hiking trail. More tracks crisscross while going up. Some are more dizzying than others, that are easier. Be cautious, because you must not lose ground, because a misstep could add up to a few injuries. But personally I've climbed over twenty times and I never heard stories of serious injuries.

A wink at ... the Inuksuk

An inuksuk (plural inuksuit), more commonly spelled inuksuk in English language (prononced in-ook-shook). Many of you have probably seen some either in real or on pictures before, but what are they really. The word literally means ‘’Person substitute’’ – Inuk (Person) – Suk (Substitute). Used mainly as a stone landmark or cairns built by humans. They have many uses depending on the shapes and size in which they were erected. The most commonly seen are in the shape of a human form with legs and arms, these should actually be called ‘inunnguaq’.

The Inuksuk were used has landmark mostly because natural ones were almost nonexistent in the northern lands, where most nature is simple tundra and not many trees grow. These landmarks were often very big and on the side of water and could be used from the sea for navigational uses. They were also used in various form has markers for travel routes, to identify fishing spots, camps and some were even places of veneration.

100 days left before departure

100 days left before my big step into another life. Nerves are working a little more, should I stay or should I go...... not, I'm definitely going. I don't think that there could be anything to stop me at this point. I know I will love this adventure and I know I will come out of it a better man.... well maybe, I guess.....

So what have I done so far to make this possible. Been working part time for the last years at making this the best experience possible. One think I've done a lot is read, read, and read some more on the subjects of solo travel, backpacking and on my destinations. There are so many great blog out there, an unimaginable the amount of information is available. To name all the good ones I would need a whole post by itself to do it, it might be a good idea of working on a list of the best travel blogs I found, according to me, naturally. I know I will not find every answers I'm looking for, but you have got to keep a bit to the mystery in it also.

So, in the last year I bought most of my gear, I am missing a few things mostly in clothing. I've managed to find a great deal for my plane ticket, destination Peru. I've made sure that every bank and credit cards knew that I would be away for a long period.

Overview of my itinerary in Peru

For anyone who wonders exactly where I'm going, here's the answer I give to people for explaining what my itinerary will be in Peru. It's short but it says a lot in some way.

When I will leave Lima I will go slowly head towards Cusco, naturally, via the road to Huancayo, descending to Ayacucho, Abancay and Cusco. I will come back on my steps a bit after acclimatization to altitude for a 8-9 day trek via Choquequirao and take the trails to get to Aguas Caliente and visit Machu Pichu. After this trip I will take the opposite direction towards the ocean again, I'll go through Ica to see the sand dunes of Huacachina. I named some of the larger towns on the way, but there are tons of villages between all these points that could be of interest, so surely there will be stops here and there.

 ''Credits : Photo taken using Google maps''

Then I will head to the Colca Canyon and to Areguipa. I will not see Lake Titicaca right away because after this I'll be heading towards Chile, Titicaca will be on my way back north from the southern part of the continent, returning after visiting Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Northern Peru will also be visited when I'll come back around 10-11 months later. I say about because it is still impossible for me to know where I will be in the journey that much in advance.

It is short but my itinerary is flexible. It could be that I would decide to do more treks in the Cusco area, so nothing is fixed and I have the freedom to add or remove destinations. So for a guy who said to have no itinerary, I'm still not so bad.

April 2012 Calendar - Desktop Background

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Picture taken at Lake Kanasuta.