http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Export-Quality/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Export Quality en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:58:03 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:58:03 +0000 Cusco was one of the definite flagonthemap destinations for my trip. Visiting Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail was the entire basis for this South American adventure so it was a good feeling to be so close after more than 12 months of planning.After reading that it was a 1215 hour trip from Puno to Cusco we thought we had stumbled on a real find when a company offered a 6 hour service in fact http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-7806.html Leaving South America remained a very abstract concept until I sat down on the plane for my flight from Quito to Lima. It all became very real at that point and I relaxed happy to deliver myself into the care of the flight crew. I love flying but this would be a bit of a test even for me. Due to some nave decisions made with the help of my travel agent over a year ago I was looking down the b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/blog-15375.html I returned to The Old Town in Quito with a strong feeling of achievement. The Galapagos cruise that had been weighing on my mind for so long had been a huge success and was safely ldquoout of the wayrdquo. With three days remaining I could look back on my entire trip and see an amazing run not one bad day came to mind. I was also excited to be going home something that surprised me. I had http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-11731.html The first thing that I noticed was the smell. A unique arousing blend of sea spray and jet fuel whipped along on the hot afternoon breeze. As I followed the orange safety cones across the tarmac that scent carried a strong feeling of segmentation. Like a Russian Doll this was to be another holiday from the business of travelling. I had flown out of the cold bustle and smog of Quito and escaped http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos/blog-11320.html I didnrsquot think about it at the time but the trip to Quito was my last big bus ride. The service arrived in the city centre at 5am so I was relieved that the hostel I had planned on had rooms available. I sat in silence in the lounge room and ate a fantastic baguette sandwich prepared by the night watchman.Much later as people began emerging from darkened dorm rooms I began to get the idea http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-10499.html My time in The Valley was like nothing else I have experienced on my trip to date and that is all I ask of each new destination. I arrived at the secluded hostel feeling broken and tired but still able to smile happily at the sweet girl who checked me in. I explained that I was sleepdeprived and manic from the buses and she took this as her cue to transform into Florence Nightingale helping me http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/South/Vilcabamba/blog-9936.html Arriving back in Huaraz after my trek I had to sit down and have a think about what I was going to do next. Ever since Cusco I have been wandering a bit. Everything to that point had been carefully planned but the second half has been mapped out entirely on impulse. Often I just make up my mind about the next spot and go and buy a bus ticket to travel that same night.Prior to leaving for the Sant http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/La-Libertad/Trujillo/blog-9617.html I arrived in Huaraz in that spacedout state that is becoming so familiar. A bumpy night of fifty tenminute naps its like blinking incredibly slowly a strobelit vista out the window. Abruptly spat out in the earlymorning glare of new city to face the aggressive touts.As much as I stand out as a gringo I still feel ultraconspicuous trudging through unfamiliar streets with my big bag all tu http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/blog-9316.html It could have been anywhere it just happened to be Lima.Sometimes you arrive at a big hostel at the perfect moment to catch a wave of pure madness that is exactly what happened to me in Barranco Lima.I never ever intended to go to Lima. I chose to believe the overwhelming majority of information that I had come across which had made it sound dirty dangerous and generally without appeal. My p http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/blog-8889.html Part one of my plan went off without a hitch. Immediately on our return from the canyon I began racing around Arequipa in a series of tiny taxis. These little yellow boxes are everywhere buzzing through the streets and beeping their horns every fifty metres. They are so comically small that two people could probably lift one out of the way if it parked your car into a spot.With the adrenaline pum http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/blog-8796.html Almost all trips out to The Colca Canyon feature a seven hour trip by packed local bus. I really wanted to avoid this so I ensured that my agency used a ldquoprivate carrdquo for the long driving sections. I have heard enough stories about flapping chickens vomit in the aisles and vacuumsealed stench to avoid public buses for anything more than a one hour trip. As it turned out the private http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/blog-8487.html With the Inca Trail done and dusted I was focused on hikingtype challenges and I had heard a lot about Arequipas Colca Canyon trek. This is a three day jobbie with two of those days comprising a very steep descent and ascent of the canyon walls. It was a gamble to travel there as this strenuous activity was the only thing calling me and my knee was giving me a hard time even on small staircase http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-8300.html Continued from last entry The Sun Gate Machu Picchu. Panting walking in circles wiping rivers of sweat from my face. Trying to recover and occasionally grinning with satisfaction at the other guys.There was absolutely no need to run like we did and it was a strange way to spend the first few moments at this spiritual place but we felt like we had won a race and this was our prize. An unbeata http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-8170.html Predawn Plaza de Armas Cusco. Ominously rumbling stomach. Some nervous anticipation to go with it. This was it. I was off on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu after a seemingly endless process of planning and saving. Although uncomfortable I consoled myself that I was not the worst affected member of our group as a really nice English girl Kath was white as a sheet and very sick with food poiso http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-8077.html Onwards into Peru.Originally this was the only country that I was going to visit on my trip so walking across the border at Copacobana seemed like a milestone. There were few noticeable changes after the border as we were still travelling along the shores of the enormous Titicaca the beer billboards the only give away.Our destination was Puno a city which I had consistently heard was dirty and http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/blog-7761.html With my jungle adventure out of the way it was time to say farewell to La Paz. Though I still hadnt warmed to the city I had to admit that it had served me well as a base for multiple excursions into other areas of Bolivia. There was no regret but a definite sense of uprooting and moving on I was starting to get used to my criminally cheap room at the Hotel Majestic.This next phase of the trip http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Copacabana/blog-7240.html Well... it's starting to feel real. I just sat out on the cliff above Mona Vale Beach and let the warm breeze push me around in the dark. The past year has been such a blur of work that it has been difficult to accept that I have actually reached the goal that I have been vaguely referring to for so long.Lifting off the tarmac on Thursday is going to be like a big switch snapping into place. I'm l http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-5179.html In the end it came with a rush. I was off to the airport all those months of happy listmaking were over and I had to face the reality of actually going. My controlfreak personality had taken perverse pleasure in those little black and white security blankets and one of them even managed to make it onto the plane with me As I laughed at myself and took a photo of the Last List the Peruvian fa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/blog-5558.html I was right about leaving Buenos Aires. It was difficult and I tried to counter this by squeezing every last drop out of my final days there. As mentioned in the last post I had made a dinner date with American Tonia and her friends to take in a Tango Show. This was a box that I wanted to tick during my short week and it was a good opportunity to do it with company. Only one friend made it along http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/blog-6150.html If Buenos Aires was the party La Paz was the morning after. I wasnrsquot doing myself any favours coming off a massive night like that and not sleeping before my flights BsAs Santa Cruz Santa Cruz La Paz. The second leg was a bit surreal as I fought sleep and elderly Bolivian Hugo tried to give me advice in his broken English ldquoYou will come back and I will buy yourdquo. Still http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-6203.html