http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Maeve/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Maeve en-us Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:23:05 +0000 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:23:05 +0000 Time for a break from the hectic sightseeing schedule. Couple of days by the pool were just what the med student ordered http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Huacachina/blog-104153.html Heading home soon thanks for reading Hasta pronto http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/blog-105023.html Great boat trip http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Pisco/blog-105019.html flew over the lines went to gold and ceramic workshops museum with original aqueduct in the garden and a cemetery http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Nazca-Lines/blog-105011.html Back in Arequipa I had a bit of a holy day visited a monastery convent cathedral one Jesuit and several Catholic Churches. Parents I hope you are proud Bronagh I hope you are still speaking to me http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-103724.html Day two and we got what we came for a good view of the condor http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-103720.html Took a twoday trip from Arequpia to visit the Colca Canyon the second deepest in the world. Passed by the mountain where Juanita was sacrificed as well as El Misti the local active volcano. Stopped off at lots of 'viewpoints' which doubled as souvenir markets. Had some mua tea for the altitude highest point was at 4850m above sealevel Someone spilt the sugar bowl though and as if f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-103029.html Spent a day in the White City of Arequipa looking around churches and colonial houses. Also went to visit the icemaiden Juanita a young girl who was sacrificed to the mountain Gods at an elevation of over 6000m. She is one of the ten bestpreserved mummies in the world apparently she still has maiz from her last meal in her stomach. Took a taxi out of town to a posh restaurant with extensi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-103015.html Got to the Sun Gate and couldn't see a damn thing the entire landscape was one big pure white cloud. Tried very hard not to be disappointed. After waiting in vain for the clouds to lift we set off again wondering this time why we were bothering. But then We turned a corner and there it was I'll admit I had tears in my eyes when they first set upon Machu Picchu. I couldn't quite believe http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-101618.html Again not much time for a writeup but basically I did the Inca Trail it was great far prettier than I'd imagined and now have sore calves. Rained the entire third day and in an effort to avoid getting pneumonia I had to borrow a pair of tracksuit bottoms and wear plastic bags between my socks and my sopping shoes. But my spirit wasn't dampened see what I did there and I was quite sad http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-101613.html As it was a national holiday my family took me on a little drive to the countryside and ordered me up my first chicharron a tasty pork dish served with the omnipresent potatoes maiz and mint leaves and a gelatinous pudding washed down by Inca Cola tastes like Mountain Dew and the fermented maiz drink chicha. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-100328.html In the days after our jungle adventure Group Manu met up for various meals drinks shopping bungee jumping and dancing. The boys in our group even wrote and performed a lovely song about our trip to the tune of California Dreaming by the Mamas and the Papas. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-100325.html Had a brilliant 7 days in the jungle far too much to write about now. Highlights white water rafting mountain biking in the cloud forest swimming in the river at sunset zipping across the canopy from platform to platform high above the forest floor abseiling seeing a sloth 7 giant otters caimans 5 species of monkeys turtles capybara possum macaws herons kingfisher a fresh puma f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Manu-National-Park/blog-98875.html Did a week of Spanish lessons at Amauta school. First night had a lovely three course welcome dinner with Pisco sour and white wine. Attended lectures on Machu Picchu and traditional medicine took a lesson in how to play the panpipes and another on Salsadancing. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-95857.html After a breakfast of pancake and mua tea our party set off for the harbour where we were waved off by our island families. We sailed to the beautiful island of Taquile distinct from the others our guide informed us by the richness of its agriculture the use of Quechua instead of Aymara as the official language and the extent of inbreeding. Walking to the islands plaza de armas I felt http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Lake-Titicaca-/Taquile-Island/blog-95850.html So after enduring the nightbus from Cusco Richard Maria and I arrived in Puno the Peruvian port of Puno at 4am on Saturday morning and discovered we had to forage for our own breakfast. Two fried eggs bread rolls with butter and strawberry jam tea and a glass of freshly squeezed pineapple juice we made our way to the port on the tour bus only to discover that our Scottish friend Ally fr http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Lake-Titicaca-/Uros-Island/blog-95840.html Saturday morning and one day left to see the last of the sites on our boleto turistico before it expired. No tours available. What to do Get a taxi. Our taxi driver Americo offered a round trip with time at each of the sites for 30 between the two of us Maria and me.So off we set from Cusco. And the heavens opened. Here the raindrops are much bigger than at home. The sky was practica http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-93779.html Another day another bus tour. This time to the Sacred Valley. First stop was Pisac which comes alive on a Sunday with hundreds of people coming to the market. Then we went on to the famous semicircular concentric terraces used by the Incas to farm different crops at the best possible altitude. Saw some amazingly intricate water channels and wellpreserved buildings. Felt slightly out of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Sacred-Valley/blog-93028.html Went on a tour of Cusco and surrounding area today on a proper tourist bus with Englishspeaking guide. First stop the Cathedral where we saw the famous Christ statue that is credited with ending a huge earthquake in the city werent allowed to take photos inside. Second Stop Qoricancha where we saw original Incan walls of a temple that had been partially destroyed by the Spanish invaders http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-92148.html Maria and I took a local bus to the district of San Jeronimo 12km south of Cusco for La Fiesta de San Jeronimo. Bumped into a fellow medical student on the way and he showed us round. Also had my first taste of Inca Cola the iron bru of the Andes. Other firsts of the day included seeing a man pull a wheelbarrow of skinned bulls heads up a hill horns and eyes intact and a surgical ward ful http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-92144.html