Advertisement
Published: March 13th 2008
Hola! Sorry it has been so long, but I am back with a few photos and a few words on Peru and what we´ve seen in the last 12 days or so...everything is good although the group is a little strange and have been having a few barnies, which is upsetting, but ultimitaley quite funny. The added extra prices were vague and we have noticed that we have a lot less spare spondoolies than we thought. It doesn´t help that the restaurants they keep taking us to are like $10 each every time, when you can get something as good for a quarter of the price. ANYWAY, lets be positive, ok!
1st March 2008. After we left Lima, we caught a ´Peruvian 3 hour´bus to Paracas (as Pisco was flattened in the August earthquake). It took nearly 6 door to door, but the photos here are of the sunrise we saw when we arrived. The next day, we caught a boat to Ballestas Islands, where we saw Peruvian boobies (the birds not the tits!), Pelicans, Penguins, Sea Lions, Dolphins, and lots more birds. It was definitely worth it but it stank as there was life everywhere!! A few people got sea sick and upped their brekkie. I really enjoyed it but was itching to get to Ica and the sanddunes there. After stopping at a Pisco (like Grappa - grape brandy) winery for a tasting, we arrived at Ica, where we jumped into a dune buggy for an exhilirating ride up and down the dunes with Jesus our driver! Then at the top a few of us sandboarded down. i did two dunes standing (well falling down mainly - alot harder than snowboarding) and 2 on my front. the latter was more fun and you gained more speed, but it wasn´t half the speed of the Namibian dunes, so although it was fun I was a trifle disappointed, although seeing Eddie prancing around in his speedos and sand goggles made up for it. When we got down to the town we had a nice swim in the pool (to get rid of orifice sand) and ate a nice lunch. Then we caught a mini bus to Nazca which took a few hours and we stayed at San marcelo, a hostel in the suburbs of Nazca, famous for its Lines. the hotel´s electricity and water went so we lay in the room and fell asleep sweating in the heat, rudely awoken for an average dinner, spiced up only by finishing a bottle of Pisco bought earlier that day, then Amsterdam and the drugs stories came out, but were pretty tame. Í once had 5 coffees in a row, wow! sort of thing!
On Monday 3rd, after brekkie, we caught a $50 flight over the lines. It was in a tiny 5 seater Cessna and everyone got sick, althoughj only a few actually vomited. i just felt like I had been at sea for a few days but was glad to get back down after 45 minutes or whatever it was. We were flying at nearly double the altitude of the other planes, so I apologise for ythe quality of the photos as the lines were hard to make out against the river erosion and the same coloured sand, as they are only 5cm deep. I have included a few, and hping they come out better on screen. Not sure how many photos can post but i have been taking shitloads in this awesome country! After the flight, like we weren´t feeling bad enough, we were shipped to a natural graveyard. In this area they only receive about 30 minutes of rain a year, so it is as dry as a nun´s preverbial! Becaue of the dry weather here, the bodies were preserved for over 500 years (especially the hair) and in Quechan belief for re-birth to be possible the mummies must be placed in the foetal postion but sitting upright with the tools that they had in this life, so they can transfer their skills tro the next. it was interesting an alot of grave robbing had been going on, as they often get buried with their gods (little gold symbols of them - llamas, pumas, condors, etc) so there were bones everywhere - lovely! After the tour we stopped in Nazca town for a late lunch, but Laura and I deceided to eat away from the group because of cost. For $3.50 each we got a soft drink, a chicken noodle soup and a Chinese rice and meat dish (which we saved for later) whereas they spent over double on one portion and again for dinner. This is what we were deciding we couldn´t afford and it would cause a little unrest within the group, the older yuppies versus the younger miserly element!
Tuesday 4th - Laura overcame the trots and stomacg cramps in order to catch the overnight bus to Arequipa at 2300 metres (again the 7 hours quoted turned out to be more like 10, but i did get a lot of reading done and least this bus had a toilet and the seats went back well far, not the best way to eat a cold chinese meal! To avoid the bog I didn´t drink as musg water as I should, so this morning was so dehydrated, tired and grouchy that a day in bed with ESPN football was needed. We got up and showered and left at 5pm to the Andean Sanctuary Museum, which had one of the Inca mummies (Sarita - unfortunately the better preserved Juanita (a 12 year old virgin from 500 years ago) was in deep freeze until May) at the end. It was fascinating learning about the sacrifice to the gods and how they believed the mountain was alive and Sarita at -22 degrees was an amzing site. Found on Ambato volcano by an American in the 1980´s at 6700m. We met everyone for dinner in the Plaza del Armas, an amazing volcanic white stone building half rebuilt after a recent 7.5 earthquake in the area, the centre piece of a very European city, similar to Cuenca in Ecuador. People say I am from Arequipa, rather than Peru, as they once tried to fight for their independence,a little like Berwick on the England/Scotland border, which according to Russia´s revolutionary war is still an independent state! We ate in an Inkan restaurant where things were cooked and served traditionally on a large hot volcanic stone, which made the Alpaca ribs (the photo had enticed me) quite hard to eat. The fact that they were dry and salty as hell didn´t help either and so the expensive restaurant farce continued. However one girl, Stef, a moany 29 year old Jewish girl from Finchley got parasites eating washed salad and unpeeled fruit and so had to stay in Arequipan clinic while we got ourselves some sleep for the Colca Canyon trip tomorrow.
Wed 5th - On the way to Colca Canyon we headed through several Andean mountain passes and Laura got a bit of altitude sickness to add to her recent health woes. Gina our guide was fascinating, friendly and very knowledgeable. it helped that her English was near perfect and she calmed Laura down well during the translucent weakness she felt. Chewing coca leaves is a good thing for the altitude and alot of the Quechan Indians and alert bus drivers have green mouths because of it. I like it in tea or the sweets, but the leaves themselves are quite bitter like Bay leaves and tobacco. We saw Wild Vicuñas, a seperate part of the Alpaca and Llama familes whose wool is valued at $500 for 200 grams and rose to almost 5000 metres, where we made some blessings to the gods by piling up rocks and making a wish. I could go on and on about the lanscape but I am still a week behind and I have to be back at the hotel shortly, so lets just say it went from Volcanic, to lunar, to lush and back down the other side, some snow peaked volcanoes peering out. We saw more graves outside Chivay, a place called Mama Yacchi, which was one of the most gorgeous hotels, the photo with the yellow fields in the photo was the view from our room, putting Vilcabamba to shame. On thing about this tour is that the hotels have been utterly amazing, so at least thats one thing. Not having to think too much is also a bonus, but often one feels a bit like cattle. The resident Alpaca manchas followed us on our trek and sniffed at the skulls in tyh eopen graves. Then we hit the local hot springs, a hot swimming pool, set into a vallet between two mountains and withthe rushing river nearby. Gorgeous. We felt better and ready for dinner, an amazing buffet of everything good. Unfotunately I would not sleep at night as the more you eat at altitude the harder it is to digest! I was awake most of the night and saw the most amount of stars since outside Perth, Australia over 10 years ago - the Southern Cross inching across the sky! Awesome. The air at over 3600 metres here is dry and cold too, so combined with the heater air, it was too stuffy anyway, but boy is Pacha Mama (mother earth) beautiful. The Spanish coming along a little better now too.
Thurs 6th - This was a great day. After getting up early we made the Canyon by 8am and saw some condors soaring the morning thermals, crusing for food. Then I rented a mountain bike and ragged it down the roughly rocky hill at a rate of knots, beating the nearest competition over 40km by about 20 minutes, watching an old woman herd her goats around the mountain. i felt free and the exercise was good before the up'coming inca trail and the sun on my skin felt so nice, i forgot what it had felt like. After a set lunch, soup and chicken with rice, we set back to Arequipa, arriving at 5pm. Then Laura and I bought $50 worth of BBQ food and did a BBQ on the roof terrace of the hostel. It took ages for the fire to get going and I was drinking ruim and getting stressed, cahin smoking cigarettes, as the people milled about waiting for food. Thannks to Dave and the beers and some par cooking down in the kitchen and we were all stuffed and far better humoured by 9pm. Watched a film on cable and was asleep by midnight, a bit drunk and fitful.
Friday 7th - Awoke at 5am and had breakfast and then jumped in the mini van and got to the airport. A woman passed out as we were about to take off, so a journey that should have taken an hour, took over four as we stopped via Juliaca to pick up more passengers. I amazingly got through security as David Dearden (printed on my tickert). I finished my book, The Kite Runner, which is good until the final 80 pages when it becomes a little far-fetched. Spent the rest of the day chilling in the Irish pub in Cuzco´s touristy Plaza del Armas, eating Bacon and Eggs and watching the footy.
Saturday 8th - We arrived in ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where the ruins began and where we bought a few handicarfats. Well I bought a Peru Shirt and 2 jade Andean Crosses and a pair of waterproof trousers, and a poncho for about $15. It was very interesting and earlier in the day packing a 6kg duffel bag and a sleeping bag, we had begun the journey of the Inka. We had a very quiant hotel and ate in a restaurant where the owners son kept having to run out for ingrediednts whenever we ordered anything, but at $3 it was a good meal.
Sunday 9th - Humberto and Sergio our guides were amazing. The former was writing a book on Jnka hostory and knew everything there was to know about it. I will give you a short example - the Andean cross represents the way of life and religion for these people. It compromises three levels on each corner, much like 3 steps or terraces. So the 12 rules are God Serpent (before life, water - where we are boern from), God Puma (Life, earth - at ground level), God Condor (the álive´mountains, sky, higher life - wghat you aim for before re-birth.) Then there is love, work, and knowledge. Don´t lie, steal, or cheat. and work with your neighbour, your community, and your governent.
Very interesting beliefs and it seemed to work until the old Spaniards came in wioth their pistols and shot the fuck out of them, leaving alot of ruins (50 years to build) unfinshed. The stonework was incredible with 15 degree trapezoid shape incline and perfecgtly horizontal granaite walls cut using obsidian and swollen wet wood (two weeks) and then smoothed over. They are all interlocked like a giant 3d jigsaw puzzle (no mortar) and thus have lasted the test of time. its funny because most of the stone masonry in the towns is so shoddy now! They also had temples for the sun (gold) and moon (silver) alot which was melted down by the robbing conquistadors, and an amazing sundial which told them exactly when the solstices and equinoxs were in alignment with the stars and when to plant certain crops, etc, I could go on.
Sergio was alaid back Peruvian with his grandfather´s Italian blue eyes. he mainly helped Edith out on the down ward parts of the trek and was there to help Humberto.
From this day to the 12th, it was 3 days of serious trekking, encopassing 50km and going up and down heights ranging from 2400m to 4200m (the Dead Woman´sd Pass). the weather was shocking most of the time and it was damp when we lay in bed, the rain falling heavy, but in the end it was worth it, and as my knee gave way, we arrived and saw the amazing Macchu Picchu, (Old Mountain) at about 7am although the clouds kept swarming up and devouring it. i wanted to climb Wayna Picchu as Rosie did in 2001 at the back for an uninhibited by tourists view, but my leg was shot and visibility bad. Dave, Johnny and Frankee did and said it was very hard going and not necessarily worth it.
Got back to Cuzco by train and bus on the 12th, and went straight into a warm shower and a comfy bed. The train had been funny as they had a masked dancer and then an Alpaca fashion show, the ticket collector and thre stewardess turned Naomi Campbell walzing down the aisles, very surreal I thought someone had slipped San Pedro Cactus or Peyote into my beer.
Thurs 13th March - today was spent washing shoes, doing laundry, and eating an amazing roast dinner at English pub the Real McCoy (get in!). I must go now as I have to call me old mum and get myself back to the hotel for a 7pm briefing. thankfully half of the group (who were all getting on my tits by the end) have gone to the jungle for 2 days this morning, so we can just hang out and watch the rugby, get massages, go to a few museums etc and kick back until we leave for Lake Titicaca on Sunday. Until then, take care, sorry for rattling on, but there was so much (even more than this) to tell. Loving Peru, cheers x Tom
Advertisement
Tot: 0.086s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 8; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0545s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Tommy F
non-member comment
"SOGAY"
Amazing man! Loving the journal, I've checking in every now and again, and today... feeling wretched with a shitty british cold which has lasted a full 10 days, I'm feeling a bit of sun on my face from your trip! Sounds so good! keep it up buddy... wish I was there with you. T