Bad week in Peru

---

Buenos Dias

Well what a crap week we have had! Hopefully now it is starting to get better and I guess that all backpackers experience a bad week at some point and we have been pretty lucky up until now as to how smoothly everything has gone.

Anyway when I last wrote our luggage had been lost by the airline and we were on our way to see Pilah who was our contact over here for the Inca Trail. Well we went to meet her and the good news was that she spoke very good English, this being very unusual here in Peru and thus our Spanish phrase book having become our most prized possession. Anyway Pilah was lovely and started to talk us through the itinery for the Inca Trail starting with day 1 and then day 2 and then day 3? At this point we questioned her as we had booked the shortened Inca Trail which for was 2 days and 1 night. Pilah said that no she had us booked on for the 4 day and 3 night trail! We said that this was no good as we had booked the short trail and could only do this one due to timescales as we were flying out of Cusco the day after the short trail (and fitness reasons but she didn´t need to know this). Well apparently the company we had booked through had sent the wrong information to Pilah and there was nothing she could do about it. We could either go on the longer trail which was not an option for us or we miss out as too late to get us on the short trail. Well as you can imagine we were not happy as had come all this way to Peru just to walk the Inca Trail and see Machu Piccu and due to an incompetent company we could not do this. By this time I was very hacked off as no luggage and no trail and we had been really excited about this (plus had been carrying those damn walking boots everywhere). We mailed the company and told them what we thought and Pilah said she would try and sort some stuff out for us to do in the time we were here. We went back to the hotel and didn´t do alot as were pretty fed up and found that there were still no signs of our luggage. We phoned the airline and gave them hell and they informed us that the luggage was at Cusco airport and had been their since 6am and we should of collected it! We informed them that we had quite clearly been told it would be sent to our hotel and we wanted it now. 3 hours later after still no sign of our luggage we phoned again and it was like de ja vu. We had the same conversation with some idiot and in the end we said we would just get a taxi to airport to collect the luggage as would be alot easier. This idiot then said that oh no that was not possible as the luggage storage people had gone home for the day and we would not be able to get it! It was quite ironic in some ways because had the Inca Trail booking have been okay we would not of been able to go due to having no luggage, however had we had our luggage we could not of gone due to the foul up of the booking. Someone was not liking us today!

The next day (Friday) we were woken at 6.30am as our luggage had arrived at the hotel! It was lovely to be able to shower with toiletries and wear clean clothing and made us feel almost human. We also had a call from Pilah saying that she had booked us on a city tour that afternoon and had booked us on a trip to see Machu Piccu the next day so at least we had something to do and we would get to see Machu Piccu. The city tour was quite good and we got to see all round Cusco including the colonial cathedral which was very impressive and ruins called Sacsayhuaman which are famous for it´s huge carved rocks. That evening we decided to venture out and have dinner in one of the Peruvian restaurants overlooking the main square. We thought that as we were in Peru we should try some Peruvian cuisine and Rob opted for a stew whilst I tried the Alpaca (apologies to all you vegetarians). It was very tasty and was a bit like beef but with a taste of it´s own. Over a glass (or 2) of wine and a nice meal things started to look better . The next day (Saturday) when we should of been on our 2nd day of the trail we were picked up at 5.30am! to catch the train to Machu Piccu. It is only accessable by train and it takes 4 hours which is a long time when there is a severe lack of leg room (Pervians are alot shorter). The train journey was pretty amazing though as we passed through rural villages and right up through the Andes and amongst the clouds. Once we arrived at the station we boarded buses which would take us the last bit of the journey up to Machu Piccu. I never realised how high up it was, the bus journey took another 30 minutes and weaved up the mountains with shear drops to the side which was very frightening and poor old Rob with his vertigo was not impressed. Once at the top you walked through the gates and walked up a section of the mountain where you then stood looking down on Machu Piccu. It was a fantastic sight as you are completely in the clouds and just see this world famous Inca village below you and all the mountains surrounding it, you feel like you are on another planet or in a very different time zone. The guides walk you around Machu Piccu giving you all the history and you get to walk in amongst the village and get a feel for the life that was lead by the Incas. It was very sad to see where it is sinking and know that one day it will be closed to visitors or have disappeared completely. The day was great and we then had the bus journey back, again very scary and then the 4 hour train journey. It was the longest day ever but at least we got to see Machu Piccu and our trip here wasn´t completely wasted. We also received an e:mail back from the company who we had booked the trail through and they were very apologetic and have refunded us for the whole trip plus compensated us by paying for the excursions that Pilah arranged. It does not make up for not being able to do the trail but it was better than nothing.

The next day we flew out of Cusco and into Lima and were very relieved that our luggage followed this time! Lima is very different from Cusco and alot more modern although a manic city with a very high level of pollution. We had decided to stay in a suburb called Miraflores as according to various guides this was safer than central Lima and a nice classy place. We arrived at the hostel we had booked and were abit disappointed as not as central as had hoped and very tatty. That afternoon we went out and about exploring and found a lovely place called Larcomar which was a trendy place with shops, fast food outlets, restaurants and was built into the cliffs so had stunning views over the sea. Unfortunatley there is a smog which seems to be permanently over the city so although very warm we have not seen any sun for days. We also managed to find a nice hostel within walking distance of Larcomar and much more central so the next day we moved to this one. On the Tuesday we went to Larcomar and sat their watching the world go by and we were fascinated to watch people on the escalator! January is when the Peruvians have their holidays so it was very busy with tourists and alot of them obviously came from rural villages. Many of them had obviously never been on or seen an escaltor before and it was so funny watching them standing there looking at it and then either stumbling onto it and holding the hand rails for dear life or after watching it for a while deciding against it and walking down the stairs. You forget how modern England is and what we take for granted, in the villages it is so basic and they pretty much live in mud huts and live a life of extreme poverty. Everytime Rob bought a bottle of Coke a child would come up to him and ask for what was left! I don´t think Rob ever managed to finish a bottle as he would end up handing it to some little child along with any change we had.

The worst thing about Lima is the taxi drivers, they love their bloody horn! All you can hear is them beeping and most of the time it is for no reason. They are permanently trying to give you a lift somewhere even when you are purposly walking down the street and not even making eye contact they drive up along side you beeping to get your attention, it is soooo infuritating. The driving over here is nuts and everytime we have got a taxi anywhere I have had to have my eyes closed for the journey as they all seem to think they have the right of way and that even though the road has 3 lanes they can turn it into 6! Crossing the road is just as suicidal as traffic lights mean nothing and pedestrians are invisible. I think I could now enter the olympics for the 100m sprint!

Anyway we have spent the past few days in Lima just looking around and we went into the centre yesterday (Thursday) to see some of the museums and catherdrals. We went to the main sqaure which is where the palace is where the Prime Minister of Peru lives. At 12pm they have the changing of the guard like we do, however the place is surrounded by armed police with massive machine guns, huge tanks and police with menacing looking dogs so not the most comfortable atmosphere. If you cross the road to look at the palace you can not go up to the gates as the police blow their whistles at you and make you stand back so you are almost in the road. We didn´t spend long their! I feel like a freak over here as there are not many westerners here and being fair we both stick right out. I am constantly stared at and we even had a women (I think she was mentally not right) come up to us and try to kiss Rob (that was funny) and she kept stroking my face and arms and saying ¨very beautiful, white lady¨ (she got this right - ha ha). Next time I come to South America I am dying my hair black so I don´t stand out as much.

Today (Friday) we have checked out of the hostel and are just killing time until we leave for the airport in a few hours. The next stop is Argentina which we are very excited about as meeting Robs friends Kat and Dan their. I can´t wait to have some English people to talk to and be with people that can show us around and know the place. Dan speaks fluent spanish which will help and we are going to stay with them for the first few days and then find a hostel near to them (they only have a studio). Apparently he has loads planned for us including a trip to Bolivia into the Amazon Rainforest which I think will be good! Anyway have gone on for too long and probably bored you all to death so will say bye.

Hope everyone is good at home and only a few weeks till I am back! Take care.

---