La Paz , Cusco to Lima

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Hi there to one and all, well forget the Manu Chao experience,,, a nightmare of a concert best forgot... nothing like the shanty music we westerners usually hear from them. It was 3 hrs of hard punk head bashing stuff and Kate and I were pushed from behind the whole time as we were up on the barrier. She fainted and had to be carried off while I couldnt move in case we lost the 3rd freind we were with.There wre approx 3000 Bolivians in the space of a volleyball court. Anyhow, for $12 NZ it was a night to remember if not for the right reasons. Have been told since that Manu always play this sort of music at their concerts.

La Paz was an interesting city. The capital of Bolivia, and second highest city in the world. Althou very poluted and noisy it had its own charm. The highlight here was I cyclyed the Death Road. A trip 80Kms from 3700mt down to 1200mt in 4 hrs on a narow mountain pass that has several deaths in cars and buses every wek. However, I chose a saturday to do the trip and road was quiet. 10 of us did the trip and the adrenaline was amazing. the scenrey was thru jungle and gorges with no end to them, cycled thru waterfalls and mud and got drenched and filthy and never had so much fun. Wish I tried mountain biking years ago.. do they have gereatric clubs.... The sad end to 6 days in La PAz was the bombing of 2 hotels by a crazy American woman and her Uraquan boyfreind,,,, El Quela nutters... 2 people kiled and all of the city shook.

I moved out the next day towards Cusco where the famous Inca Trail is based from, via 2 small islands on Lake Titicaca where I spent several days recovering from headaches from the high altitudes of La Paz and exploring Inca ruins and sitting in the hot sun. Travelled thru to Cusco with an Isreali guy called Gal with whom I organised the 4 day walk to Machu Pitchu, The Inca Trail, with. 12 of us walked the muddy 4 day walk climbing up to Dead Womans Pass at 4200mt, camping in tents and eating great food prepared by a cook and his helpers. We had rain at night but managed only clouds during the day. On the 3rd night were woken by ground shaking, an avalanche missed our camp by 50mtrs.... a close shave. The ultimate moment of the trip being when we reached top of Machu Pitchu and viewed the Inca Ruins first hand. Unfortuantly, due to another landslide by the Sungate we were unable to walk the last 3 kms over the top and had to walk the railway lines 2 hrs into Agia Calientes and bus to the top....bit of an anti climax after 45kms walk thru the jungle but the experince was still great. Finshed the trip with a soak in the hot pools there before getting the train back to Cucso. Another amazing South American experince and a hard one to top.....Thanks to those of u who insisted I use two climbing sticks instead of the usual one, the knees are still in good shape. The trail consists of thousands of steps, up and down and all are very uneven.

Are now on my way to Lima to meet up with Diana and continue north to Equador where Carolyn is joining me again for a side trip to Galapolas Islands. on the way from here Im taking a flying trip over the Nazca Lines ( unexplained lines in the desert dating back 1500yrs) and a side trip to sandunes at Ica where Ill sand board down from the great heights.... more later...

Well, thanks to all of u who have added some great comments at the end of my blogs, keep them up as I sometimes wonder if u all find this narative interesting or if Im wasting my time. maybe oneday I will get around to publishing as many of u suggest. Have a great Easter and catch u next time around. Love from Kiwi Kay xxxxx

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Comments

[jenny]

hey honey, as always so great to hear your news, sounds like youre having a fab time, cant beleive there was a bombing in la Paz didnt hear anything about that at all over here. also a landslide in macchu picchu, hope too much of it isnt ruined, anyway am in work so cant stay long but all good with me and thrilled that all is goign well, so youre meeting up with Diana, has she only jsut left Brazil, cant believe she spent all taht time in salvador, you'll have to giv me a romance update on her. Take care, loads of love jenxx

[geri]

hey there
i have just come back a week ago from lima. i had a group to guide during a 2 week-trip. lima - arequipa - puno - titicacalake - isla de la luna - isla del sol - la paz (which is not the capital of bolivia... sucre is) - puno - cuzco - mp - lima. all of the group got the altitudesickness. (did you chew coca leaves yet?) one got even typhus and i had to put her to hospital. you see, i was kind of busy with the group all 2 weeks long... i have recovered by now and am looking forward for real holidays with my son: 10 days of beautiful mallorca with almand blossoms are ahead of us. stay smiling geri and erjan

[Toni]

Keep it coming Kay
Keep the travel talks coming Kay, I do enjoy them and wonder how you can keep up the pace. It makes me tired just reading them. It sounds like you are having a wonderful time. And, I agree, a book is a must one of these days.

[John from Denver]

some trip
Hey Kay - Just to let you know I am receiving your posts and enjoying these little preserved slices of your amazing adventures - so happy to hear you were not mashed to death in the punk concert or buried alive by an avalanche or - for that matter - done in by any of a number of hazards on the Death Road. Like a cat you must have several lives, or perhaps just a particularly charmed one. As for me I am on the coast of Oregon, many thousands of kilometers to the north but looking out at the same gorgeous ocean. I'm practicing medicine here in a little town called Seaside. Bit of a change after Venezuela (we met in Merida you will recall!) and lots of snowboarding in Colorado - now looking forward to picking up surfing in my free time. WELL ... may the saints preserve you in your continuing travels, or may you preservee the saints, given the sureit of good life energy you seem to travel with. Will follow in spirit ... John