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Published: April 2nd 2013
Machu Picchu
Wow what a great day to visit this iconic sight. Thanks to Barry for the Photo.Hi all, so we have made it from Puno to Cusco here in Peru, parked up the motos and the chase truck and have been tourists for the past few days. Many of the adventurers were pretty gratefull to be off the motos and have a few days without too much pressure. I must admit we have had some 'Shoppers' in the past, but this lot leaves them for dead!! If this carries on I will have to look for a trailer or a bigger truck!! Looks like all those that have been left at home are going to have an early Christmas or Birthday when these guys get home!
Anyway, here is a catch up from Howard and below that, Eric the bloody Monkey has sent more dribble, so I hope you all enjoy the Blog.
We leave here tomorrow for Chivey and down to Arequipa.
Cheers for now, Rosco
Howard's words.....
We got up early to a wake-up call at 6.00am so we could have breakfast and be ready to go to the floating islands on Lake Titicaca at 7.00am and I think all of us were feeling it from the previous two days,
Liz and her Daughter
Liz fixes everything for us in Peru. and wouldn´t have minded sleeping in a bit longer. But in the words of Rosco, ¨Harden up¨ I think he means to take a concrete pill.
I wasn´t the best with diarrhoea, and neither was Don still, and Jack. Might have been others but they didn´t say to me.
Before we left we said adios to Gerardo who was leaving for a week, but reuniting with us in San Pedro de Atacama. He had about 400 kms to go himself.
A bus was laid on, and Roberto was the guide with Paulina and someone (male) the driver of the boat.
We had a fairly entertaining discourse on the culture and what was happening there at the floating islands in the 20 minutes it took to get there..
They had the thing down pat with the touristy thing, but it was still interesting seeing the totora reeds roots and stems being used as the platform. Terry guessed the closest depth (16 metres) so got a necklace. We knew that was a con, and sure enough, he bought heaps of souvenirs.
We had to get going to get back at 9.00 am to be on our
Saqsayhuaman
Adrian tries to explain all.... way the nearly 400 kms to get to Cusco before dark. The forecast from Scratch was more rain and it would be cold so rug up we did.
We didn´t have much hassle getting on the road, and no real incidents at first.
Peru I could now see was quite verdant and definitely an improvement in almost every way on Bolivia. Not so many broken down trucks and cars. Even had Mercedes vans and trucks, instead of the Toyotas and Dodge, GMC olden day trucks.
The paddocks were nicer, and the houses had either tiles or the centre ridge on the roof and nailed down corrugated iron, instead of the rocks on the sheets to keep them there in Bolivia. The streets were cleaner without the amount of rubbish swirling all around and dogs everywhere, although there still were those.
We were pretty strung out and at one stage I was following Straymondo, doing about 80 km-h as there were a couple of houses on the left and one on the right, when a van on the right did a U turn without warning in front of us. Straymondo headed across it´s path to the left,
Alpaca or what
Find Rodrigo... and I hit the anchors with the front brake full on and the rear lifted up and just skidding. The van stopped as he must have got a fright from Ray, and I stopped 2 ft from the rear bumper as it was still across the road. I did the usual swear, but whether the driver never cared he just drove off.
We were coming through the valleys, with gorges and that as well as the wide open paddocks with a lot of stuff growing and being tended to.
It got very cold as we climbed to about 4200m with spitting rain. Tiny said it got to 2 degrees, with the highest later of 22 degrees.
We stopped at a restaurant about 140 kms from Cusco to gather and to have lunch. I didn´t feel well at all, so the nice Senora gave me a few sachets of matte tea and I re hydrated with that, and felt a bit better.
Jack wasn´t the best and had diarrhoea and been vomiting, and Don also wasn´t the best still and had a sleep outside on the grass while we were inside.
There was a nice view
High above CuscoE
Radar (JR) checking it out. of a waterfall just across, with tilled fields going up the steep hills behind. Also a very dreadlocked llama, and a mother and kid grazing just outside.
We set off for the final leg.
That was pretty uneventful except for Rosco and Jack catching up with us after a bit of therapy ("Take that concrete pill Jack" Rosco would have said.)
We got to the hotel and then parked the bikes in a secure storage the next block down, to stay for 3 days while we go to Macchu Picchu for 3 nights.
A bit of rest from riding, having done about 600 kms already.
Now we hear from Eric the Monkey.....
Hola Rosco: It's me Eric the Monkey again, Radar is having to type this again for me, as apart from having no fingers I am very tired from all my adventuring! Since I last wrote to you I have had a lot of things to cope with, Howard and others wrote about them in the blog so I won't cover them off again, but giant gum trees on the road was not part of the plan, I was very tired and pleased to
get off the bike
at 10.10pm after peering out for stray animals I can tell you. Radar has piss poor night vision these days and his track record of throwing me down the road is not good as you know! Any how I have now been to Machu Picchu, this was very good for me as it is in the jungle, after all my travels with Radar it was good to be so close to my natural home I could almost hear my relatives calling me. Radar offered to leave me there, but I have travels yet to do, so I chose to come back from the top of that place as he said something about leaving me on the sacraficial alter, I didn't really think he would do that, but he has tried to leave me behind before, (I did like that cruise ship though). Radar was complaining about his broken bits but I told him to swallow a concrete pill and harden up, (as Rosco would say) I didn't come all this way just to look at a postcard. Anyhow Barry followed us to make sure we didn't fall over the cliff, which I might say was pretty scary,
Terry
Bonding with the locals I had my photo taken where the drop was about a 1000 feet, Radar couldn't get my back straight and I just kept laying down, (safety first) until Terry came along and got me to sit up (he said if I didn't, he would knock me over the side), I think I will keep one eye on him in the future, I shouldn't have to worry much however as he is always out shopping! Any how I have sent you a picture of me and Barry at the top of the world, Radar said he was too sunburned to be photographed. either that or wanted to go to the toilet again!!! And he didn't even have the Guinea Pig for dinner. He said it looked like his cat, I live with that cat and I can tell you, it does not, I think he just whimped out!!! Until next time; Hasta Pronto.. Eric the Monkey.
A bit more from Rosco.....
While the others were up at Machu Picchu, I stayed down in Agus Calaentes and checked out the hot pools...we are so spoilt in New Zealand aren't we!!! Ben there done that now.
One of the days,
Hmmm what's for dinner
Guinea pig or alpaca for dinner?? we went to check out the salt mine at Moras, always a great sight to see this. We then went to see the massive sun ken seed beds at Moray, only five UFO us made it down there, as it was quite a struggle to get up again, with the thins air around 4,000m.
We also visited the old town of Chinchero, where we had a demonstration of weaving and natural dyes that are used in the fabrics.
We had to call the Dr tonight, as Howard was not well again, after a couple of days with a head ache and had developed a cough with it. It seams he got a chill, maybe on the Death Raod day, couple that with the altitude and he is a sick puppy.
We have loaded his moto onto the truck and it looks like he will have to hold Rocky Bear up so he can see out the window for the next couple of days.....so we are on an adventure!!
Hasta pronto, Rosco
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