philip19

Travel Day. Up early in preparation for the much anticipated trip. Most of the packing complete already. It’s always those last minute things that take up the time. Important things like making sure the i-Pod has everything you want on it. Anyway, packing complete, bags in the car and off we go. Out onto the freeway and road works! Of the 70 to 80 kilometres of trip to the airport, how many of these are at 100 KPH – about 5. Mostly road works but of course there’s that marvelous feat of engineering that was mostly there before the works were commenced but that we now need to pay for every time we use it. I’m of course talking about City Link. But I’m on holidays – Yay! Enough of the negative. Got to the car ... read more

26 Aug Day 14: Aguas Calientes– Cusco The day has dawned fine for Day 2 at Machu Picchu. After an uncertain start about having a late start for the climb up Huayna Picchu (10:00am compared to Garry and Don starting at 7am) then an earlier train, an hour and a half before Don and Garry and Maryalina, I got onto the 7 am start. The climb up Huayna Picchu is some 300 odd metres but just about straight up. While it's a hard climb, I'd recommend it to any-one. The views at the top are spectacular. I have to admit that while I don't particularly have a fear of heights I've never been one to go and stand on the edge of a drop without the security of a hand rail. There were no hand rails ... read more

22 Aug Day 10: free day Cusco Its interesting to see and hear about the people who go on Treks. A lot are unlikely. On Monday night the girls we met and had our meal with, had just completed their briefing for their trek, which as it happens is one of the tougher ones. They told us about a couple of girls on their trek who were asking all sorts of questions such as about the showers. The guide informed them that if they required showers were available. They would be cold but available. The girls were shocked that the showers weren't hot. Mind you this particular trek goes to the middle of no-where. They also wanted to know about packing their bikinis. Well, as it happens bathers of some sort could be useful as the ... read more

19 Aug Day 7: Puno - Cusco We were picked up at 6:30 this morning and taken to a coach for the trip to Cusco, arriving at 5:00 pm on the dot. We were told when we got on the coach it would 5:00 pm. Liz was clock watching and picked up the fact that it was exactly on time. It was just as well we had some-one who knew what they were doing in the driver who picked us up and dropped us at the bus station. He got all the right stamps and so on added to the tickets. From there it was off to Cusco the ancient Inca capital. This is one of the most spectacular road journeys in the world as we travelled right along the spine of the Andes and is ... read more

16th of August Day 4: Chivay to Colca Canyon to Puno Well here we are in Puno after a very long day. We started the day Chivay in the Colca Valley. After a 6:00 am our guide and driver took us to the 'Cruz del Condor', a natural viewpoint opposite the nesting-sites of the famous Andean Condors. We arrive in time to see these majestic birds launch themselves into the Canyon as they set out on their day's hunt. Both the birds and the canyon are spectacular. At this location the canyon is 1,200 metres deep. I got a couple of shots of the Condors but nothing like what Don got so I will down load his pictures and load them to the blog when I can. After spending more time in the Canyon, we returned ... read more