The impossible just takes a few more pounds!!!

Looks like I may have some luck with photos. Haven't been able to download any since we arrived in London. Yes keyboards in English.... but systems are soooo locked down, it seems impossible. Well the impossible just takes a few more pounds!!!

I'm hoping to download pics straight to my ipod. If successful .... you'll get to see some London pics.

Had a really slow morning this morning (me ... not Lex). He is out and about on his own. Hotel is very noisy after 8am (quiet as a mouse before that). There's work taking place on our floor and the one above, I think. Not only is there a lot of banging etc, voices, in another foreign language, are incredibly loud. Don't think I've ever heard workers who talk (yell) so much!!! Anyway Lex went out to use up the last hours of our 24hr bus pass (That's an Aussie for you ... can't stand waste!!)

London pub crawl....

We finished off the day with a walking tour of London Pubs and ghost stories. Started at 6 and we have just got home11.30pm. Great night, some amazingly interesting pubs ... don't believe the ghost stories. We really did finish the tour about 9.30-10.00pm ... and being country bumpikns ... unused to London tubes .... he made sure we were settled in to the right train and knew which station to get off. Found a great place for dinner to finish off the night in style. There are LOTS of great places in our neighbourhood, so it's not hard.

Today was overcast and cold so we did the Hop-on Hop-off bus ride, and boat ride on the Thames. Great timing. Spent a little time in Harrods, but only bought an ice-cream sundae!!! Interesting experience ... Harrods and the ice cream.

Struggling to download any photos at the moment. Great to be back with English keyboards .... but computers at this place are so locked down ... can't do anything!!! Have to solce that problem tomorrow. Only 1 day left in London. So much to see, and Lex would love to go back and visit some of the hidden pubs we visited tonight.

BTW .. found the Lady Daphne yesterday. For those of you on Google Earth, look in the Katharine Docks ....canal-like areas near Tower bridge. What a surprise. Not the canal area ... Lex went looking for it as he's seen it on GE. Have found some caches in London ... mostly very small micro caches, so no swaps.

Cheers

We made it to London

Have to admit that there were times along the way that I had my doubts .... especially in Madrid. Madrid Madness ... I nicknamed the airport. It was a nightmare!!! Talk about jumping through hoops.... there's even a train to transport you from one section to another. Passport checks, security, queues and more queues.... then they don't make any departure announcements over a loud speaker. You just have to watch the screens. Maybe just as well as there would be dozens and all in foreign language!!!

Arrived in London to a rainy, cold summer's day.... quickly found ourselves a nice local with a fireplace. very cosy. Our hotle room is small ... but not a problem as we don't spend much time there. Have walked and walked and walked today. (You can appreciate that Lou.) Set out after breakfast ... around 9am ... got back to our area around 9pm. Long pub crawol on the way home!!! Only 3 stops.

Last entry from BA

Almost forgot to tell you that we have discovered a new taste sensation for breakfast in Buenos Aires ... Dulce de leche!!!! Delicious. We´ve been eating it on hot bread rolls... Yummy.
Leaving here today so I had 2 serves this morning.....

Sunday in San Telmo ... has to be seen to be believed

We´ve been staying in San Telmo area. Found a couple of very comfortable locals, lots of antique shops, coffee shops and several markets in the San Telmo Plaza area ... but on Sunday, this place is HUGE.

The square is filled with antique market stalls, and the streets leading into the square are filled with various market stalls (many featuring tango themes).... but the whole of Defensa Street (as well as many side streets) was filled with people, stalls, tables from local bars, and street theatre. There was even a 12 piece orchestra, complete with piano, which seemed to move up and down the street. What a spectacle!!! Wish you had been here Lou and Mike!

The antiques were amazing ... LOTS of weapons, silver cutlery, jewellery, clothing, religious artefacts etc, etc, etc ... and LOT of gross crap!

We were slimed!!!!!

Walking around on our own today.... and we were both squirted with something (think it was mustard sauce ). Lex pulled me aside, realising what was happening, so nothing else happened.

Apparently, this is a common ploy. Then an accomplice offers to help ... and usually absconds with your backpack. We had quite a mess to clean up, but otherwise safe.

FOREWARNED is forearmed!!!

Keep your eyes open .... gems like this can be found anywhere..

Outside of a dog... a book is man´s best friend.
Inside of a dog ... it´s too dark to read.
(Groucho Marx)

There aren´t too many signs here that we are able to read, so when you see one written in English, you just have to read it. Lou found this one in the pub where we had dinner last night ... also not far from our hostel. Vrey handy.

Buenos Aires ... the place for leather ---- and shoes

Just had to but a pair of shoes ... or 2. Actually I did buy 2 pair. Thought I might buy some boots, but 2 pair of shoes won. Lucky we left a lot of gear for Zac to post. Hope he manages to post it ... or we might hav to come back to claim it. Sounds good to me. Lex bought a hat. There are soooo many touts for leather shops /factory outlets. We spent an hour in a very small shop where Lex tried on every leather jacket. They were very pushy. He could have the sleeves lenghtened in 25 minutes.... a very nice ... reversible jacket. ... suede one side ... baby calf leather on the other.... so soft. But too pushy so we didn´t buy. Pity. He may regret it later. Bought a hat instead.

Today is a public holiday ... but still lots open.

A lesson in history

We took a walking tour around the district of Recoleta yesterday. We dipped in and out of residential areas, buildings and museums, churches and the famous Recoleta Cemetary, and all the while we were given descriptions and a history of Argentina ... very interesting. Lasted for almost 3 hours.

The cemetary is particularly interesting. TIP: don´t get behind in your payments (about $20 per month) or they open the doors slightly, allowing everyone to see inside. You could see through grills and glass in many of them anyway. Eventuall they clear everything out and resell, making way for new tennants!!!

Of course after a big day out (not that we walked, we experienced a taxi ride ... which was vastly different from other taxi rides in SA) we ended up back at out local. What a comfortable place that is. So old and cosy. Mike and Lou did well sussing that out before we arrived.

Coffee comment

Coffee in Argentina is as I like it .... not too strong. It took us ages to work out coffee in other countries (Chile, Peru and Bolivia). It was SOOOO strong, and not hot. Took us a long time to work it out ... but the tip is worth sharing.

There's usually a Pot of coffee, an urn with hot water, another with milk as well as one with chocolate. So we were filling our cup with coffee, leaving a little space for milk... The coffee was like syrup. Bit like the coffee essence I remember from iced coffee days. So the tip is, put a small amount of coffee in the cup, like about a teaspoon, then fill it with hot water, and add milk. Easy when you know. I only thought about it again when we sat with a new tour member in La Paz, and she had a cup of cold, syruppy coffee.

Doh!!!

The trip is over ... well the part with Zac

It's been an amazing, absolutely packed 3 weeks!!! I really wanted to continue the tour with Zac and the small group that continued into Bolivia, but so did lots of others. We had so many adventures, new experiences and met lots of new friends ... even managed to catch up with one couple here in Argentina.

Zac is really good at his job. He knows a lot about the areas we visited' and communicates really well with all people on the tour. I loved watching him communicate with locals in Spanish. It was great to be here for his birthday too.

Stll can´t get used to NOT putting toilet paper in the toilet!!! But I have also realised that an Eco Toilet stop can be preferable to some facilities. Believe the brochure!!! Even paid 50 soles for one that I couldn't even walk into... YUCK!!! Really don't care for self flush ones either!!!

All good ... survived so far, although at one point at Arequipa, our first stop at altitude, I really had my doubts. I felt so sick, I didn't think I'd be able to continue and I didn't know how I was going to get home either ... couldn't face sitting on a plane for hours!!! We had 2 days there and I got over most of it. Our trip to the jungle, at sea level again, was a blessing. Although I was often short of breath at altitude, I really didn't suffer any more headaches of dizziness, or tingly fingers. Altitude affected many of us in different ways.

Food has been different, but we manage to order and eat well, even though we don't understand most of the menu!! What an achievement, I say! It was certainly easier with Zac around. There are a few words we now recognise ... and even look for on a menu. Safer that way. Some of us have tried guinea pig, and alpaca. I'm not that game!!

The truck, Peggy, was terrific ... feels like a coach, but drives like a very powerful truck. Sail is an excellent driver ... calm in the most DIFFICULT situations.

Still find computer use here very difficult. Most internet kiosks have OLD computers ... slow, no letters on the keys ... but most frustrating is different keyboard layout. There are some additional keys for Spanish, and some keys are in different places ... but not always the same. Seem to be a few variations. Lindy and I couldn´t find the 'at' key last night. Still can't find it. It shows on the 2 key along with 2 other symbols. But we can´t get it to work. I know it's a key combination ... just not sure which one. Last time it was ALT (or CTRL) and 6 and 4. But not this time!!!!!

Cusco was my favourite city, clean, old, and beautiful, although I didn't get used to the number of people trying to sell things to you all the time or begging. Have also realised that the cities which are the most modern are not always the safest. Interesting really!

Almost 10am ... must be breakfast time. We're on holiday time ... or is it Argentine time? Breakfast here is between 10am and 12noon....

Buenos Aires

We are here. Arrived late and slept in ... so nothing to report yet. Fights.... were interesting.

Had to stop at an airport in the middle of the desert ... fill in forms ... go through immigration and customs checks ... then board the plane again. Bizzare!!!

We´re staying in the hostel ... above a restaurant ... but nobody else appears to be here. We seem to have it to ourselves .... so much for Zac´s advic about meeting people in hostels.

Had to find a restaurant recommended by Zac for lunch today. His description was something like this .... place is nothing flash, in fact pretty rough, but the steaks are amazing. Sometimes the cook is rude, sometimes he is cranky .... you order steak, and if you want anything else, like salad or potato, you have to order that as a side ... and they just throw the meat at you...

Well that´s about right. Zac´s recommendations about food have been spot on so far. We all had ´bife de chorizo´... also Zac´s recommendation. The waiter arrived from downstairs carrying a plate with a pile of steaks on it and he proceeded to toss/fork them onto our plates. Interesting place ... but we now know that we ned to order them ´well-done´... not medium. Medium is quite red.

I had some vino tinto .... which came in a penguin shaped jug!! They do things differently over here.

Saw a tango display in the mall today. Hoping to catch a show one night.

La Paz ...

What did we think of La Paz.... Well it was just chaotic... Never seen such chaos on the streets. Can't call thm roads as they are also shops and walkways. I had to hang on tight!!!

Shopping was something else too. So many street vendors (actually on the streets) all those together selling the same thing. Lots of DVD stalls ... 10 Bolivanios for a DVD ... pirated of course, just an unlabelled DVD in a box. NO we didn´t buy any!!!

Witches´market had all sorts of yukky things ... including dead, dehydrated things. Didn´t stay there long.

Since La Paz in on the slopes of a gorge, all streets are very steep, and walking around is sooooo hard as I was constantly out of breath. Even sitting at the airport at Al Alto ... even higher, I was puffing.

We did a city tour ... our guide kept telling us that it is a modern city!!! Well parts of it are modern and they do have supermarkets etc ... in different parts of the town. He showed us some very up-market places - mostly lower in the gorge-valley where breating is slightly easier, and some (so-called) middle class areas - further up the sides of the gorge. Al Alto ... on the top is generally regarded as poorer.

We also went to the Vally of the Moon .... very striking landscape ... will have to wait for the pictures as I´m getting error messages when I try to upload any!!!

Border Crossing

Something out of this world.... Apparently Friday is market day at the Peru-Bolivia border, with goods being exchanged between traders from Peru and Bolivia (like wholesaling<9 - bringing items into Bolivia for markets on Sat and Sunday.

Streets were clogged (both sides of the border) with stalls, women (mostly) carrying large bundles (I mean HUGE), and long lines of traffic.

We drove past the lines of cars and buses, and stopped amid a throng of people and stalls - to get passports stamped. We then had to walk across the border (a rope across the road) and into the Immigration office on the Bolivian side. More paperwork (to enter Bolivia).

This area looks even poorer - buses, trucks etc all heavily loaded with goods for La Paz

Entry inot La Paz was as expected from our exploration on Google Earth.... did you see us Grandma?

But it was chaotic .... unbelievably chaotic in fact... Picture very narrow streets, lots of people and market stalls which both encroach onto the road. There was roadworks taking place outside our hotel and the street where they would normally turn left and park to unload had, just 2 days before, apparently, changed traffic direction. We were not able to turn left, nor proceed ahead. Only thing possible was to turn right ... into a narrow, windy street chocked with traffic, all honking horns, and people and market stalls .... and low power lines. (Remember our shock at the power lines in Santiago .... well La Paz is worse...) We could hear power lines scraping along the top of the truck as Sail negotiated the narrow windy street. Locals were all agaze. If you haven´t realised it, Peggy is HUGE!!!! Because we could only crawl along, one of the power lines got caught (and we broke another one). Zac had to climb up on top of the truck with a stick that Sail calls ´the persuader´and release the caught wire, stepping over some power lines and under others!!!!! Meanwhile all locals were out on the street trying to tell him what to do, and since no traffic was moving, all cars banked up behind us were honking furiously!!

SO SICK OF LOSING ENTRIES!!!!!!! Where was I?? This is so frustrating, especially at $1.50US for 15 mins Will try to finish this later.

Puno Party....

Just happened to be Zac´s birthday (Australian time) when we arrived back from the Islands. Sail had organised a cake for us at the restaurant where we had a group dinner. Chocolate cake ... so delicious. But the Tucan office in Cusco had also organised a party at the bar-nightclub across the road from the restaurant. They even had a sign hanging outside the club (in Spanish).

Lindy had the alpaca fillets in red wine sauce .... Yummmm ... sorry Jeff and Jill.

Suffice to say a great night was had by all. It also happened to be another passenger´s birthday as well, so the celebration continued. Sensibly, we walked home (with an escort provided by the establishment) around midnight ... right past the riot police on the corner. Later they went into the club and tried to get the music turned down. There were some very sore heads the next day. Not what you want with a long drive day ahead.

I have another mum and dad....

This was also a very special experience. No time to write about it now. You´ll have to wait, sorry!!!
....
We arrived at Amantani Is and were introduced to our new Papa who took us up the hill (and I do mean UP the hill, s-l-o-w-l-y) to our house. On the boat on the way out we had language lessons from our local guide - a few phrases in quechan language. I wasn't able to remember anything, so I kept my sheet beside me. They just giggled at me everytime i tried to say anything.)

Going up to the house was sooo hard. Altitude makes breathing so hard. It seemed to take ages. One of the phrases on the sheet was 'slower please'. I didn't need it as my Papa carried my backpack, gave me some 'munya' (a pepermint herb) to help breathing, and waited patiently for me.

When we got up to the house, 'mama' had lunch ready for us. Two courses - vegetable soup followed by a plate of rice, potatoes, okkas (type of sweet potato) and fried cheese. Very tasty, and filling. Next we walked further up the hill for a soccer game against the locals (at this altitude 3900M ... not so easy... and the locals won. Forgot, we were also given Then a walk further up the hill to see the sunset, and have some doughnuts. Nice!! but the toilets were not so good. Paid 50 cents for the pleasure, but one look was more than enough.

Dinner at night was vegetable soup and vegetable casserole and rice. Have you guessed by now that they are vegetarians!!! We were to give our food gifts at dinner time when the family was together, but that didn't happen. In fact, Lex, Zac and I sat on one side of the table, there were 2 chairs on the other side, but mama sat on a stump near the fire, kids sat on other stumps ... on a dirt floor. The family has 6 kids, we only saw 5 of them.

After dinner, there was a dance.... and we were provided with traditional costumes to wear. What a sight!!!

Island adventure...

Wow, what an adventure!!!

Started early with a crazy bicycle taxi ride to the port from our hotel. Must have been 17 bicycle taxix lined up in the narrow street outside our hotel. Time to go and we were off. Rules don´t seem to apply here. The driver charged across intersections, like he had right of way, and weaved his way through the traffic. It was unbelievable. I couldn´t stop laughing!!!

BTW... I think the tooting really means ...´Get out of my way, I´m coming through!´ These drivers use it all the time!!

Floating islands of Uros was like our Machu Picchu experience. So amazing!!! Doesn´t make any difference how much you read or hear about this place, it really doesn´t prepare you for it. There are LOTS of these island communities - about 30. We stopped at one, and were made to feel so welcome by the families. One small group on the island couldn´t get on with the others, so they sliced through the reeds and moved their little patch of island to another spot. Unbelievable. Our guide described island life and customs, and then we went off with a family member to see their house. Very sparce, but comfortable... reed platform with a matress, reed floor of course, small table and some reed seats. Also saw the handicrafts they produce. More special when you see them making the items. Beautiful embroideries!!! Next we went for a ride in one of their reed boats. Lex got to paddle this time. He was stoked!!! They all wear traditional dress and live such a simple lifestyle. Everything revolves around daily living. Reeds have to bee added to or replaced frequently, food to be grown, caught or dried for other seasons, and items produced for sale to tourists. It´s startling to see all this but even more surprising when you realise that these islands are only about half hour boat ride from Puno!!!

Puno

Another very busy city. Just spending a night here before heading for our overnight stay on Amantani Is. Had to do some shopping ... goodies to take out to our host family. Well staples more than goodies. Went to the local market ... some experience. Couldn´t face the meat sections. So much meat, all in the open stalls, and semi-dark. We headed for the grains and pastas. Ended up with a large baf, rice, pasta, sugar, corn, some other small grain and a big jar of jam ... less than 20 soles (about $7). But then we had this heavy bag to cart out.

Puno appears to be a lively, bustling city. Traffic, like elsewhere is chaotic.

Cusco is a great place

Spent a few days around Cusco, enjoying sights, atmosphere, food and shopping!!!! So many market stalls. Would love to buy so much, but space is very tight. I have no idea what happened to the space I should have had after offloading all Zac´s books.

Jacks ... is one of Zac´s recommendations ... for breakfast. Everyone enjoyed thier meal ... I had pancakes, with mango and strawberries, and a little cream. Yes it was breakfast!!!

Machu Picchu magic....

What a stunning place and such an emotional experience. Lindy and I just hugged eachother for ages ... no words possible. Climbed to the top spot for photos ... where Zac has taken them before. Lots of huffing and puffing, although height above sea level not as great as other places.

We were there!!!

Partying on

Just on our way home from dinner via the party in the plaza. Such a great atmosphere... dancing, music, singing, and everyone drinking lots of beer (cerveza) often from grande bottles - I mean 1.25litre bottles!!!
We got into the swing with the music and looked around to see Mike dancing with 2 local mamas. Next moment the rest of us (5 altogether) were swept into action by another 2 mamas. Boy they can really move their feet!!! By this time Mike had joined them in drinking. I couldn´t believe my eyes ... but it was true, Lex saw it too. One of the mamas opened another cerveza ... with her teeth!!! Lindy and Lex were drinking along with them - the locals found it hard to accept that I don´t drink beer, telling me it was only a little bit.
We made some new best friends tonight. Wonderful to be part of their celebrations. Tomorrow is Machu Picchu...

Mother´s Day at Machu Picchu

Well not quite Machu Picchu, but the town below where we are staying tonight ... I just can´t spell it. For reasons beyond our explanation, our trip has co-incided with so many special events - just lucky I guess. First there was the amazing food festival, then the pareade in the plaza at Lima that just blew us away, a couple of minor parades and bands playing in the plaza at Cusco, at today, here, there´s a big community celebration for Mother´s Day.

We we arrived we noticed a small parade going through the markets near the railway station. But Lind and I found the town plaza and all the celebrations (Mike is off browsing the stalls, and Lex has gone up to Machu Picchu for the afternoon - we all go up early tomorrow morning to meet the trekkers).

In the plaza, there´s a huge stage set up, with the most senior ladies in the community seated up there, town mayor with his colourful sash, and concert items from lots of kids. The grandmothers were all presented with beautiful floral arrangements. There seems to be a lucky draw going on for huge, heavy baskets of goodies -LOTS of these. As well they have what looks like hundreds of presents stacked up on stage to give to all the mothers. We had a seat on a balcony overlooking the plaza to watch it unfold ... but had to give up as it took so long for the baskets to be collected.

There´s food stalls all around the outside of the square ... but without Zac I wouldn´t be game to try any of it. It really doesn´t look as appealing as our first experience. We saw HUGE plastic bins of chicken pieces, probably marinated, ready to be cooked, but out in the open. Other pots containd big chunks of some sort of meat ... not sure how this was being cooked, but passed that up quickly too.

The town, Agues Callenties, I think) is a real surprise ... sort of reminds me of Thredbo, as it is nestled in the side of huge mountains, and all the buildings creep up the mountain-side. It´s much bigger than I first thought. We walked through what I thought might be a main street ... the railway line runs through it ... only narrow. As we walked up several streets, they just keep going round corners, and round more corners. There´s a fast flowing stream running through it too ... I seem to remember a mud slide happening here a few weeks before we left home.

Our hostel is another surprise ... once agin lots of character. Just wish we had the room on the end with a small balcony and windows opening to the view up the mountain and down to the stream.

Anyway, I think we could be in for a big night of merry-making .... for Mother´s Day of course.

Almost forgot, on the train on the way up here (some train ride to ... had to zig-zag up the mountain out of Cusco) all the females were presented with a chocolate rose ... for Mother´s Day. What great timing we have!!

Sacred Valley highlights

We did an additional tour ... another full day on the bus with a local tour guide, visiting

• Saqsaywaman- a sacred Inka site above Cusco. Huge rocks closely joined .... has to be seen to be believed. Hopefully we´ll be able to upload some pics to demonstrate.
• an alpaca farm and associated industries operated by 42 local communities. We saw fleece being spun, miraculously by hand, dyed using natural plant dyes, and then being woven by hand looms. It takes one month to weave about one metre. Stunning. You would have loved this Soph!
• Pisac - to see some more Inka history. Lex found his first Peruvian cache here ... a virtual cache. Impressive to see these massive stone structures high on the mountains.... and even more impressive when you realise that they didn´t use the rock from the same mountain. They always brought rock in from a different mountain. HOW???? It was explained, but we´re still left wondering.
• Pisac Markets for lunch ... and cheesecake (also recommended by Zac). Market shopping ...so many stalls.
• Ollantaytamba ... more Inka history .. a fortress. We climbed up over the amazing rock terraces and walls as our guide explained some of the techniques believed to have been used. This is also where we said goodbye to the Inca Trail trekkers (including Zac).

Deepest darkest Peru…

We arrived in the heat of the Amazon Jungle by plane, bus and finally a one and a half hour boat ride up the river to the Explorers Inn lodge. One of the Poms in our group was suffering from the heat – it was about 31 and he’d never been so hot. But I was returning to life, back down from the altitude.

We were fitted out with gum boots and off on a night hike … it was really just a lead in to what was to come the next day. A 3.45am wake up call, with 15 mins to get decked out in walking gear, long pants and long sleeved shirts, ponchos for the rain …. Oh yes it was raining, insect repellant, cameras, sunscreen for later, torches and a warning that the first part of the 5km track was very muddy. That was before the rain they had that night. It was bucketing down!!! Not to be deterred we set off.

The downpour continued for about the first 2-3kms, and we slipped and slid our way along. All insect repellant was now dripping into my eyes …. Stinging like hell. The glass had to come off too. Water was running off the ponchos directly into our boots, so we made a nice ‘sloshing’ noise as we plodded along.

Finally the rain lifted, the sky grew lighter, the path became less boggy and spirits lifted, only to be dashed by another group who dashed past us…. A group of 9 we refer to as the Irish who were about to join our group.

Arrived at our destination … the lake where there’s 2 groups of giant otters. The reason for our early start was due to the changing habits of these otters. They are more visible around 6am, apparently. They were way over in the distance. We had a canoe ride around the lake. Lex really wanted to paddle for a while, but he asked the wrong question. Should have come straight out and asked ‘can I paddle for a while’ rather than ‘would you like me to paddle for a while?’

We saw lots of birds, more of the otters and a family of monkeys. All good.

But it was the walk back through the jungle which was the most impressive. We had 2 local guides, Marta and Liz – their knowledge of the plants and their uses is really amazing. They stopped and showed us so many different plants along the way. Equally impressive was seeing the track we had walked in the teeming rain in the dark … now in daylight!!! Couldn’t believe what we had achieved. The path meandered between seemingly deep swampy pools of water. How we didn’t fall in…… Hope I can find some pictures to show what I can’t describe.

Lex went on a farm walk in the afternoon, across the river to see how they farm and live … apparently very very simply. I caught up on some sleep, Lou made friends with the Irish … playing spoons. What a fun group they are going to be!!!
We had a night boat ride spotting caiman … they’re not very big. Back to the lodge for a banquet dinner. Great food finished off a great trip.

The weather had turned cool …. Very COOL in fact. Blankets were added to beds, the room was still cool – no windows – just open screened window spaces. Still raining next morning so we go to sleep in –no visit to the clay-like to see the macaws this trip. Arrived at the airport, still cold. We waited, and waited and waited. Flight time came and went, but we weren’t given any information. Phone call to Tucan office told us that the flight was unable to leave Cusco due to wind. Things to do in an airport to pass the time – bottle soccer, cards, spoons (the Irish are sooo loud playing this), hopscotch. Worst of all was that it was so cold. The airport is like a breezeway … all open. Thankfully the plane made it, we were bundled quickly in and out at the other end…..

On top of the world….

We passed through high barren planes and fertile valleys on the way to Cusco. So much manual and labour intensive work - one person sitting on the edge of the road watching a couple of tethered animals or in a paddock with several animals.

Our luch by the river was joined by a group of boys who stayed around waiting for leftovers – certainly put smiles on their faces. I managed to give away some of those clip on koalas I had taken with me as well.

Sunday seemed to be washing day – we saw several groups of people doing their washing in the streams, and clothes spread out over the rocks or the bushes to dry. There’s so much pollution, just can’t get used to that!

Today we also experienced a garage comfort stop that was less desirable than the really small clump of reeds we’d used earlier in the day. We were warned!!!
First sights of Cusco is the poor areas, but the orientation tour of the area surrounding our hotel shows narrow streets and lanes often with courtyards enclosed, LOTS of shops, stalls, street hawkers. Seems like a vibrant city … lots to explore.
Once again I didn’t make it to the group dinner, but I heard that guinea pig was on the hit list. Mike had the whole guinea pig… roasted. Not really what he was expecting and the verdict was …mmm not something he would recommend.

Higher and higher….…..

More windy roads up to the Colca Canyon. We had a local guide with us and she gave us comentaries along the way. More stunning scenery – it certainly is a land of contrasts. We drove across the high pampa, saw vicuna grazing in the reserve. Vicunas are protected and shorn each year for their fleecewhcih is regarded as the finest and can bring up to $1000/kg for their fleece.

At the Colca Canyon we saw a few condors in the distance. Amazingly ladies selling handicrafts appear at the strangest places … anywhere that a bus might be able to pull up either for a comfort stop or to take in the views. I don’t know how they get there, or where they come from. And they compete fiercely for your trade.

At the highest point we reached 4900m and it didn’t take much physical exertion to cause shortness of breath.

Stayed in another amazing place that evening at a small township called Yanque. Not much there, but the hotel was a series of cute little bungalows … all well equipped.

Another great ocean road.

This was to be a long drive day, so the four of us took over the front seats of the bus where the seats faced a table and we settled in for a game of cards. The game was soon abandonned as breath-taking scenery took over. The road follows the coast, but mostly not at sea level, at times with sheer drop offs, sometimes through rocky areas and sometimes simply on the huge sand dunes themselves – how does the road stay there???? There doesn’t seem to be anything preventing it from slipping down the dune. Amazing.

I generously gave up my seat by the window for keen photographers, and fled to the furtherest side from the edge!

We stopped for lunch on a high dune overlooking some house runins on the beach far below. These were destroyed by a tsunami in 2001. We were joined by 3 small children who looked like they were on their way home from school. They just sat and watched us, but their faces lit up when we gave them a bag full of leftovers. It was also the first of our roadside comfort stops … no bushes or big rocks to be found anywhere!!

More desert, stunning scenery and lush fertile valleys. Wherever they can get water, things will grow, even in the desert.

We arrived at Arequipa late afternoon in time for a city orientation walk. This was our first experience of altitude – about 2700m, and since the first part was uphill we were soon gasping for air. Apparently Arequipa is a very beautiful city, with lots of white stone building material. Sadly, I missed most of it as I struggled with severe headaches in this altitude. Things were not looking good - we were still to go much higher.

Impressions of Arequipa –
Narrow streets, lots of taxis, white block buildings on 2-3 storeys high. Very picturesque city surrounded by high snow capped mountains. No high rise. Lots of beggars, old, disabled – mostly supported by locals more than tourists. Ladies dressed in traditional costume selling dolls and puppets on the street – very persistent. Even in local handicraft stores people were very insistent… ‘otra colors’ … unfolding every one of the items we laid eyes on. Keeps them busy I guess.

Watched 3 small boys doing hand stands in the middle of the street when there was a break in the traffic … then walking down between the cars with hands out for money.

Have started drinking coca tea … the local fix-it for altitude and tummy upsets. Given up drinking coffee over here … it so thick and strong and café con leche is not the way it’s usually served. This is where we stayed in Arequipa.

The desert goes on and on ….

We visited Chauchilla Cemetary, also in the desert – quite gruesome - the area was destroyed by grave robbers looking for treasures many years ago and there are small fragments of bone and pottery all over the place.

Onto something more cheerful … more desert. There’s just so much of it. But we were headed for the coastal spot of Puerto Inka, so things were looking up.
Where the desert meets the sea …. no green coastal vegetation to be seen. Just more barren land, but what a stunning place – a small coastal resort in the middle of nowhere.

We had a free afternoon to explore nearby Inka ruins and have a walk on the beach. The water was ICY!!!! Some sections of the ruins are roped off, but we found it hard to belive that it wasn’t more protected. Only explanation we heard was that there are so many Inka sites across Peru.

Sail and Zac had organised wine tasting for the evening, so we enjoyed wine and nibbles as the sun set and the temperature dropped. Still one more highlight for the day … a game of soccer against the local boys. Since we could only must a team of 2, they had to help us out. Fast and furious game went on until they could no longer see the ball.

Big day out....

(This is the second writing of this episode as I have lost my USB. How does one lose a USB from a pocket inside a backpack? Good question. Will do my best to recreate that masterpiece.)

First stop was Paracas for a boat trip to Ballestas Is to see sea lions, penguins and numerous bird species. Great local guide ensured this trip was worth it.

Through the desert …. On and on and on. So much sand, only changing to more rocky, but equally barren terrain. Haucachina Oasis is a fertile spot in the middle of this expanse of desert. A lunchtime stop with dune bugy rides for the less faint hearted, followed by sandboarding. We’d never intended to partake of these additional activities, but once Lex saw the buggy and some pictures, he was in!!!! So with camera safely wrapped in a plastic bag he set off with the others, returning later with the BIGGEST grin on his face. Dune buggy was like a wild roller coaster ride … even more scarey than the sand boarding.

The rest of us checked out the oasis.

Next stop was the airport at Nazca for flights over the Nazca lines. Flying in small planes is not really for me – so they bundled me int the first plane (no time to reconsider). The lines are a sight to see … if you manage to look out the window. The flight in a small 4 seater plane was more like aerial acrobatics than a joy ride as the pilot did a tight circle over the first markings, saying ‘ under the right wing, the monley…. Now under the left wing, the monkey…’ I was thrust back into the seat unable to say a word or lift a finger … it felt soooo heavy…. All the time feeling pleased that I didn’t have the camera and therefore responsible for capturing these never-to-be-repeated views.

It wasn’t until we were all on terra-firma that I discovered that we didn’t have any images of the lines as our camera, which had been protected from sand earlier, had found its way into Lex’s pocket along with millions of tiny grains of sand!!!! Apparently Lindy managed to hold herself together enough (both ends) to get some great shots. What a champion!!! Photos to come...

A couple more quick stops before we made it to our next hotel. Must describe the experience at the pottery works. Tobi, the potter told us about his father unearthing the techniques of the Incas and passing these on to others. He gave us a demonstration, described in Spanish with Zac translating. WOW that was something to witness. I assume that Tobi can communicate in English, but apparently he chooses not to when there’s someone to translate. But the interaction between Tobi and Zac was hilarious. Just had to buy some Tobi pottery.

A gold demonstration followed, but since it was Labour Day, a public holiday, nothing was working … but they do it all by manual labour. Can’t imagine crushing rocks like that.

The Hacienda where we stayed was amazing. Beautiful sitting rooms etc all filled with cultural artifacts.

Another great recommendation

Just polished off an amazing breakfast at 'Jack´s' ... a recommendation from Zac. Definitely his style of breakfast ... BIG.

Another Peruvian experience. We were seated near the very small kitchen and observed the morning fruit-vege delivery taking place. Plastic bags of items were brought in and deposited on the floor in the small space between us and the kitchen door by a small boy - about 10 yrs old. He waited ages for the chef to come out and take the delivery book from him. The chef counted and checked all the items, rejecting 2 bags full of strawberries and seeming to give the young boy a really hard time.

The place was packed, people lined up outside waiting for places, and a dog wandered from table to table looking for offers. Not the first place we´ve seen dogs in either. Doesn´t seem to be a problem!!!

Have to investigate other ways to get pictures into this blog (as well as other posts) as I have lost my USB drive $%&$%&/$ - not ideal as it has LOTS on it.

On the truck..... some truck

It’s more like a coach inside …. Very comfortable and even higher than a bus. So you are really looking at roof level and in this environment of narrow streets the sights are very confronting. Poverty is everywhere. Can’t be sure if the dwellings are on the way up or the way down … nothing is finished. Apparently people don’t pay tax on a building until it is finished … so it’s never finished. Another room or level is added when there is sufficient money.

House of bricks, house of wood, house of straw….
Most of the dwellings close to Lima are made of brick, some mud bricks, but as we got further out there were housed of wood and straw … small ones. Appasrently sqwatting is common. People erect a fence… claiming land, put up a house. Others follow and then the govt provides services – electricity and water.

Arrived in Pisco late afternoon. Had delicious chocolates in the Plaza. Smal taxis fill the narrow streets. The hotel we stayed in had LOTS of charm, and was abundantly decorated with Peruvian handicrafts.

Sorry ... no time for more - have a plane to catch.