South America west coast

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After a few delays in flights and almost 24 hours after waking in Sydney we arrived in Santiago. We took our B&B host (Marilu) advice and made our way through the touting taxi drivers outside customs to the Transfer Bus desk which took us directly to our B&B. The room was very old and 2+ star so I was a little disappointed however Marilu was very friendly and soon had us armed with map and identified destinations for meals and sights. With her assurance we went for a walk to get some dinner.

The area around the B&B felt very safe and we walked about 1km to the Barrio Bellavista area which was abuzz with uni students at bars along the wide foothpaths and regular dinners at the many restaurants. We decided to have a dink inside the Patio Bellavista which is an upmarket restaurant and arest area. We were surprised to find that none of the menues were written in English as well as Spanish so we ordered by trying to guess the words - ended up with seafood marinara salad which is nothing like what we expected - but nice! Drinks was easier as Ian had learnt Cerversa and I had my first Pisco Sour. We walked home in the dark and although we were walking in the park there were lots of people around and we felt very safe.

Monday: After a good nights sleep (thanks to a sleeping tablet) we enjoyed Marilu's breakfast of cereal and toast and were given brief Spanish lessons by Marilu as we ate. After breakfast we headed out to test out the Metro and headed to Los Dominicos, a local artisan village. The metro is very good and easy to use with all trips costing 610 pesos per person. You can change metro lines as often as you need to get to your destination for this one price. Unfortunately the artisan village does not open on Mondays so we headed back to our B&B as we were being picked up for my meeting with Dr Benjamin Donoso at 11.30. We found a great coffee shop (Cervo IV) near our accomodation which was a nice surprise.

Our meeting was to take place at the La Pintana clinic which is where he supervises 6&7th year medicine students. It took more than 40 minutes to get there and the cab cost 20,000pesos ($40). Benja explained the area to us as the result of the government cleaning up the city of shanty areas about 10 years ago and moving all these people to barren fields. there was no sewerage or other basic facilities and the people built new shanties.Today La Pintana is the most dangerous area in Santiago with extremley high crime rates, drug dealers, domestic violence and alcoholism. There are no ATM's and ferral dogs everywhere. The clinic is inside a secure compound and drunk lady was keen to have a conversation with me while the drunk men outside the compound were trying to invite Ian to join them! We did not feel unsafe and Benja had such compassion for the community that we were very honoured to have been able to experience it.

Benja drove us back to the city and we caught the Metro out to Quilan which is a winery area, but we didn't find the winery tours so just visited the upmarket shopping centre before heading back to the B&B to freshen up for dinner. When we returned Marilu was shocked that we had gone to such an unsafe area and said thet whe would not be game to go there. Maybe we didn't realise the danger.

We headed back to the Bellavista area for dinner and had drinks with the Uni students out on the footpath so Ian could try a large (1L) beer. We then chose one of the nearby restaurants and when trying to pick a bottle of red wine we cheated by asking the young couple at the table beside us what they were having. Dinner was easier to choose as the waiter could speak English. The wine deal that night was 2 bottles for the price of one which we were pleased with as the wine was very nice. The meal was 2 massive chunks of meat with carbs which was Ok - but way too much. They really like their meat and potatoes! The young couple beside us started to ask us a few questions and we found out that they were locals and she was a wine seller - hence the good recommendation of wine. After dinner we decided to call into the Irish bar for a last drink on the way home and ended up sitting beside the same young couple! They were really friendly.

Tuesday after breakfast we headed out to meet a walking tour as it was a public holiday. It was a tip based tour taken by a guy dressed in a red and white stripped 'Where's Wally" jumper. It was a great tour of the less touristy parts of Santiago. Starting with museum of Belles Artes we then walked to the fish markets, fruit markets and general markets. we then caught the metro to the cemetry and learnt how important the burial site is for Santiagan's. The cemetry was crowded with relatives visiting with fresh flowers and the musaleum's were amazingly large and ornate. We ended up with the group at a bar to celebrate life. Another young couple from Ireland who were on the tour with us decided to stay at the bar and have lunch with us. Another meat and potatoe meal washed down with cocktail.

On our way back we decided to visit the Cerro Santa Lucia park which is small compared to many of the other parks in Santiago but it is a large hill in the middle of town which has been covered in amazing statues and castle-like stairways, spires and walls all the way to the top. It provides a good view of the downtown area. After that we tried to find our Wally guides recommended wine tasting bar in the Lastarria area but had no luck. We ended up heading home for a quick refresh and out for our final dinner. In an attempt to get some vegetables we went to a Bavarian steakhouse and were sorely disappointed. Our last night in Santiago!

Wednesday: today was our last day in Santiago so we were up pretty early for last breakfast with Marilu, a coffee at Grano IV and then off to see the Los Dominicos artisan village where traditional artists, jewellery makers etc display their crafts. There were some very beutiful things, and although Ian was keen on a peruvian top hat, I convinced him it wouldn't survive the rest of the trip. We decided to return for one last coffee and cake for lunch at Grano IV as I had been eyeing off their cakes each visit. I had a cherry (or some sort of berry) layered cake which was amazing! We left for the airport at 1pm for our 4.30 flight (travel 45 mins to airport and processing can take you an hour or more if busy). Our flight to Ecuador left at 5.00pm.

Ecuador

Our flight to Guyaquil was 5 hours with no english movies on offer so we both read which was nice and relaxing. We also had a spare seat beside us so we felt comfortable. We had a stopover in Guyauquil for one hour and then another 1 hour flight to Quito and again had a spare seat beside us on this flight.

Quito is a long way inland and sits within the Andes mountains. It is a massive city of 2.2million people. The airport is about 50 mins from town ($26 fare) and although the city sits within a valley it is not very flat. There are deep ravines that you have to travel up and down between suburbs. Our taxi driver did not speak english and given that it was almost midnight by the time we left the airport we hoped he was honest and taking us where we needed to go. We were so excited when we started to enter the old town area and saw it was very beautiful.

We arrived at our hotel to find it to be an historic house, typical of the early spanish style with a gated street entrance and opening to a central courtyard. There were 2 floors and our room was on the second floor (wooden floors mean it is quieter on the second floor) with 2 rooms. We finally got to bed about 1am.

Thursday: After a terrible nights sleep (still jet lag I think) we headed down for breakfast which was served in the cellar on the first floor and then out for a walk around the old town. It felt really safe as there were police on every second corner. We walked to La Basilica, the most notable church in Quito. It is massive and therefore stands as a good reference point from most places. Everywhere you go requires you to walk up and down hills.

The place was really amazing and it is obvious why the city is world heritage listed. We decided that a 3 hour open double deck hop on/off tour was going to be the best way to get around so we jumped on board and headed out of the city. At the Teleferico Volcano amusement park we hopped off to take the gondola ride to the highest viewing point over the city. Unfortunately we were in the clouds for most of the top 1/3 (3500m above sea level). The rest of the park was very run down but the gondola ride was fun. Our view also included watching dozens of mountain bikers who use the gondola to reach the top of the mountain and then ride (crazy) back down through the tracks and bush to the bottom. After the gondola we rejoined the bus tour which traversed much of the city and really gave us a great look at all the areas (very poor to richest areas including consulates etc).

The top deck bus was great for seeing into the private areas of homes to understand how basic their lives were. They spend alot of money on flowers for their relatives graves as well as to adorne the churches and to celebrate special occasions. The little animal floral arrangements were really cute.

Driving through old town we told about the history and the street of seven crosses which is a very narrow street with seven churches, each with the same cross within it's grounds.

It really cooled down and by the time we reached the El Panecillo lookout area where we could view all the areas we had been including the top of the gondola (out of the clouds finally). We were both really cold so had a quick look around and then jumped back on the bus to warm up. We're only 100miles from the Equator - it's supposed to be WARM!!!

The area we were staying in was probably the most beautiful in the city with all its historical buildings and remarkable history. From the bus we headed back to the hotel to change into warm clothes for dinner.

Although many people had warned us not to go out after dark our hotel manager agreed that we would be safe if we stayed in the old town area. So we walked through crowded streets back to the main square which was even more beautiful lit up at night. Finally we found a nice restaurant that served vegetables! It was so nice to eat a plate of freshly cooked vegies. Good healthy food is one of my main travel needs and unlike asian countries there are very few places in South America (so far) that serve vegetables. They do serve salads, but we have been cautioned not to eat them as they are very often the souce of food poisoning. Marilu had explained to us that locals wash their fruit and vegetables in a bleach solution before eating them. We headed back to the hotel pretty early as we had to leave at eight in the morning for our flight to Galapagos.

Friday: was a national holiday for the indigenous people of Ecuador and so we travelled by taxi to the airport relatively traffic free, however the president was on his way from the airport to the palace so there were police and army with big guns along all roads. We passed the cavalcade about half way which included about 20 bullet proof cars and an ambulance.

Galapagos

We were met at the airport by an Anahi Cruise rep who helped us to get booked in quickly through group checkin. Our flight left at 11.50 and we had about 1.5 hours flying to arrive in Baltra Island. We lucked another spare seat beside us!

We were welcomed on board our catamaran cruiser, Anahi, by our naturalist guide Galo who showed us to our cabins and then lunch was served. Three course meals at lunch and dinner was going to require us to use plenty of energy each day. While we ate we cruised to Bachas Beach on our second island Santa Cruz, where we went ashore to beautiful white fine sand and crystal blue waters.

There were green turtle nests all along the beach and we saw a flamingo in a small pond behind the dunes. There were also lots of iguanas and red crabs all over the rocks. We even saw one red crab that had caught a turtle hatchling and was dragging it up the rocks.

When we returned to the boat everyone was excited for our first night together. There were newly wed Canadians (David and Stephanie), a young couple from Baltimore (Ben and Deept), five Brits who had just come from Machu Picchu (Trish, David, Wendy, Charles and Irene), another retired British couple (Keith and Trisha), a German lady (Claudia) and a Swiss couple (Andrea and Beat). 16 all up.

After dinner we had cocktails with the crew who were all dressed in their formal uniforms. The sunset was spectacular and the full moon even better. The boat did not start motoring to the next island until midnight which was pretty noisy. Luckily my sea sickness stick worked well. Ian got up at 3 am to watch us cross the equator from the bridge with the captain.

Saturday we were up early as we had arrived at our next island Genovosa. After breakfast we took the rubber boats to Darwin Bay on the island and went on a short hike. There were sea lions along the shoreline. The birds were amazing in that you could get right up next to them and they would not fly away. The island had a large colony of red footed boobies and frigate birds which are famous for the big red sack the males blow up in their neck to attract females. There were also many pools along the shore line that were like mini aquariums with hundreds of fish swimming in them.

We went back to the boat for some refreshments and got ready to snorkell. We snorkelled off the rubber boats along the cliffs of Genovosa not far from the Anahi. The fish were everywhere. They included Moorish Idol; Galapagos sea brim; Goldrim Surgeonfish; Giant damselfish (irredescent blue spots); large bicolour, bumphead and azure parotfish and mexican hogfish.

Sealions also swam around us for a couple of minutes. It was a bit scary as it was very deep just off the cliff wall so there was a lot of dark blue that you couldn't tell what lurked there.

Back at the boat we enjoyed another 3 course meal and relaxed for an hour.

We then went snorkelling further away from the Anahi near a small colony of fur sealions. The water dropped off very steeply from the cliffs again, so there wasn't alot of width from the cliff to the deep blue, but the fish life was as abundant as the early snorkel spot, as well as a few new fish and an eel. The most exciting part was the sealions as they kept swimming amongst us. Ian had one head straight at him, eye to eye and then drop beneath him at the last moment. The sealions obviously loved playing with us or just hanging in the water looking at us.

We returned to the boat to dry off and then went to shore and climbed Prince Phillip steps (named after his visit and donation) and walked across the island to El Barranco to look for the galapagos owl which is the only non nocturnal owl. Initially it was very hard to spot one as they are so well camoflauged. The Nazca boobies were nesting everywhere. By the time we headed back to the boat the sun was setting so we really enjoyed the ride.

During the night we motored the 60 nautical miles back from Genovesa towards Santa Cruz island which was pretty rough, so Ian and I both took a sleeping tablet to ensure we got a good nights sleep.

Sunday we woke up early and had a cup of tea as the boat made its way to its destination of La Plaza island, which is actually north and south La Plaza. We moored and went ashore to see the land and sea Iguanas. They were everywhere and the sealions with cubs were also abundant. La Plaza is also covered in tall cactus and sea mullet in their thousands swam just off the shore

We then motored 2 hours against the current in fairly rough water to Santa Fe for lunch and snorkelling.' This dive was inside a volcano crater which made a protected sanctuary. There were many more fish and the seals in one spot were bumping into us and diving all around us.. A white tip shark about 1 metre long swam under us as well.

After lunch we went back to shore to see the sealions on shore. There were hundreds of them and to get up the track our guide had to create a bit of a racket clapping his hands to move them aside. They got a bit agressive if you walked too close to some of the males. A baby sealions came right up to my leg and sniffed it trying to find it's mother.

On the island we saw a galapagos constrictor snake and a different variety of iguana. The cactus trees were very large too. We also saw large schools of fish thrashing off shore.

Overnight we motored for about 6 hours to our next island; San Cristobel

Monday we woke up to a beautiful view of the island from our window. We climbed the mountain up to Punta Pitt which is the centre of an old volcano. It was fairly steep climb and a good test for Ian's knees. Wendy had offered her knee supports to Ian which was extremly generous so he tested one out. Back on the boat we then motored for about 2 hours while we ate lunch to Kicker Rock to snorkel.

This was an amazing area where the rock juts straight up out of the ocean to over 180m with a split between two sections. We snorkelled through the split from one side to the other and back. When we first got into the water Ian dived down to take a photo of a turtle and came back up to tell me that he could see lots of sharks in the deeper water.

We had been told that this area was full of sharks but weren't certain if we would get to see them. We snorkelled along the rock edge for a while checking out the coral and reef fish and saw a couple of sharks at a distance. When we got to the other end of the split, we decided to swim across to the wall on the other side and swim back through the split.

As we made our way across the deeper water a large school of sharks came into view and swam beneath us. We were all a little scared and amazed to see so many sharks so close. As we swam back through the split more and more black tip reef sharks and galapagos sharks came into view and soon we spotted some hammerheads amongst them.

As we neared the other end of the split we came across a school of giant spotted eagle rays that swam just metres in front of us for about 5 minutes. They were so graceful! I only hope I was able to catch some of what we saw on Patrick's GoPro camera, as it was so spectacular.

We were extremely grateful to have been able to have such a unique experience.

In the afternoon we visited sealion island to see the blue footed boobies. Again the sealions made it difficult to get ashore as they protected the landingn area. The boobies were nesting all over the tracks so we often had to skirt around them. There were so many sealion pups here including one that was so young it hadn't finished growing into it's skin. It was like one of the rolly polly puppies.

We were all still very excited from snorkelling with the sharks and when we returned to the boat we had last drinks with the crew and after dinner we all went to shore to visit the local town for a drink. It was fun to see the sealions lying through the streets and on the park benches.

Tuesday we had to pack and leave the boat for the last time. After breakfast we all headed ashore and took the bus to the other side of the island to see the giant galapagos tortoises. I also found out that Lonesome George had died about 6 months ago! The tortoises really are like giant moving bolders as the Spanish sailors described them when they first visited the islands.

Galo dropped us off at the airport on the way back to the boat. A few of the group were continuing for another couple of days on the boat. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone. It was such a great group of people and they really made the whole cruise much more enjoyable. We caught an AeroGal flight to Guayaquil.



Guayaquil

We arrived at Guayaquil and took a taxi to Manso Guest House. This was a really funky guest house and we had a great room overlooking the river. A bit too ¨hippy¨for Ian. We went for a long walk along the river and saw a large dead animal floating in the river: not uncommon apparently. We had a nice dinner and headed to bed early as we had to be up at 3.30am to catch our 6am flight to Lima. Unfortunately not much time to really see the place but we were looking forward to a few days rest once we got to Lima.



Lima

Wednesday we had a 2 hour flight from Lima (got to see 75% of Turning 40 - funny movie; hope to see the end on another flight!).

Lima is the very polluted capital city on the coastline of Peru. I think they hardly ever see blue sky. We were staying in a very nice place near the beach: Casa Bella Boutique Hotel. We were lucky to be able to book in early so we decided to unpack fully and take the chance to get some laundry done. We walked a few blocks in each direction to get our bearings and dropped off the laundry. We then stopped in at Hiati coffee shop and relaxed with a coffee and tried to get a feel for the place. You can feel the Italian migrant history. We then walked along the ocean boardwalk and checked out the surfers who were struggling to catch the 4foot swell as it was a little full. Before dinner we stopped at an out of the way bar called the Jamclub on our way to pick up our laundry. They had the best pisco sour as the egg white was whipped to a froth and it tasted great. On the way back to our hotel we had dinner at a little bar where the beers were sold in pitchers and the steak served on BBQ stands.

Wednesday we walked to the Huaca Pucllana temple which was an Inca temple that is still being excavated within the middle of the Miraflores area. Much of the site was destroyed over the last 2 hundred years with progress and construction. It is amazing how the ruins survived. Luckily they were covered in dirt and mostly treated as a hill in the centre of the developing suburb but in 1981 they bought in archeologists who began to uncover the earth and found how intricate the ceremony tower (pyramid) and surrounding buildings were. The restoration of the ruins continues today.

We then walked to the Inca Markets to practice our bartering skills. Ian was able to get a couple of shirts and although there were lots of beautiful native craft, we don't have much room for extra luggage so I controlled myself.

We found a great little local cafe for lunch in street. No English menu but the place was so busy with locals you had to wait on the side walk to get in. Once we were at a table we tried to cheat off the orders on the table beside us. A lovely lady realised what we were doing and asked if we needed some help ( a local who now lives in NYC - home visiting her mum). There were five ladies all eating something different so we were able to check out our choices really well. The food was great! We also shared a chocolate torte which was amazing.

We walked about 5 km to get to a camping store as we hoped to get a couple of extra items that had been suggested but the camping store was really poor and far too overpriced. Instead of walking back we decided to jump on one of the local buses. We thought it was going the right way and we weren't sure how to pay so we jumped on board and I got 3 sole ready to pay. The guy with tickets eventually came to us, spoke in spanish, I handed him the 3 sole and he walked on. I guess it was enough or I tipped him? We jumped off the bus when it turned off our street and only had to walk 200 metres which was great.

On the way home we stopped firstly for a drink at the La Emolienteria Pisco bar and sat in the wheel barrows. The pisco sour was average but the location is really funky. For dinner we walked to a couple of places but didn't like the menues and eventually ended up at Entre Copas tapas and wine bar. The food and drinks were great but it was so hard to get any service. There were about 7 staff in the resturant and because it was early there were only 4 customers. Not sure why the staff couldn't bother to come and serve us!

Friday Ian was up early and went for a walk to check out the surf. After our hotel breakfast we decided to go with Bike Tours of Lima for a ride through the Bay areas of Barranco and Chorrillos. The bike tour was 4 hrs and cost S 75 pp. There were 14 people on the tour from all around the world but since everyone spoke english it was easy for our guide to provide commentary. These seaside areas are older areas and have many condos built right on the cliffs taking away access to the foreshore. Our guide explained that if building plans are not approved or rejected within 30 days, builders can presume they have approval so that is how they get past the building codes that protect the foreshores and other public spaces. Our guide mostly took us on paths and quiet roads but when we got to busy streets it was madness and we were in amongst the traffic. We saw many historical places and at one of the fartherest points there were men who dressed up in Monk clothes and dived off the cliffs to reinact a legendary story (one way to make a living for tips). The drivers were really very good and although it was hard to identify what the road rules were, they seem to work well as most people just used their horns instead of getting aggressive. We stopped in at a 100 year old cafe for a traditional italian/peruvian lunch of ham and onion or cheese and olive sandwiches with Inka Cola or Pilsner beer. The ride was a really nice way to see more of Lima.

After the ride we headed back to Jamclub as I wanted Ian to try a really good pisco sour. He agreed it tasted better than the one he had at La Emolienteria Pisco bar. We decided to have a rest in the afternoon.

For dinner we went to La Esquina Winebar just around the road from our hotel. It was really nice and the tapas was great. After dinner we took a taxi into the city to visit the Water fountain park (Circuito Magico del Agua) which has 12 fountains with light shows. There were brides and girls in formal dresses getting their photos taken all around the park and we saw a young man down on his knee asking his girlfriend to marry him. How sweet! There were also lots of crazy people running through the fountains and water shows getting wet which must have been freezing. Our taxi driver waited for us and returned us to our hotel for S40.

Saturday we moved from Miraflores to the city of Lima to meet our tour.

Lima is the very polluted capital city on the coastline of Peru. I think they hardly ever see blue sky. We were staying in a very nice place near the beach: Casa Bella Boutique Hotel. We were lucky to be able to book in early so we decided to unpack fully and take the chance to get some laundry done. We walked a few blocks in each direction to get our bearings and dropped off the laundry. We then stopped in at Hiati coffee shop and relaxed with a coffee and tried to get a feel for the place. You can feel the Italian migrant history. We then walked along the ocean boardwalk and checked out the surfers who were struggling to catch the 4foot swell as it was a little full. Before dinner we stopped at an out of the way bar called the Jamclub on our way to pick up our laundry. They had the best pisco sour as the egg white was whipped to a froth and it tasted great. On the way back to our hotel we stopped for dinner and headed home pretty early.



Wednesday we walked to the huaca Pucllana temple which was an Inca temple that is still being excavated within the middle of the Miraflores area. Much of the site was destroyed over the last 2 hundred years with progress and construction. It is amazing how the ruins survived. Luckily they were covered in dirt and mostly treated as a hill in the centre of the area. Once archeologists began to uncover the earth they found how intricate the ceremony tower (pyramid) and surrounding buildings were.

We then walked to the Inca Markets to practice our bartering skills. Ian was able to get a couple of shirts and although there were lots of beautiful native craft, we don't have much room for extra luggage so I controlled myself.

We found a great little local cafe for lunch in street. No English menu but the place was so busy with locals you had to wait on the side walk to get in. Once we were at a table we tried to cheat off the orders on the table beside us. A lovely lady realised what we were doing and asked if we needed some help ( a local who now lives in NYC - home visiting her mum). There were five ladies all eating something different so we were able to check out our choices really well. The food was great! We also shared a chocolate torte which was amazing.



We walked about 5 km to get to a camping store as we hoped to get a couple of extra items that had been suggested but the camping store was really poor and far too overpriced. Instead of walking back we decided to jump on one of the local buses. We thought it was going the right way and we weren't sure how to pay so we jumped on board and I got 3 sole ready to pay. The guy with tickets eventually came to us, spoke in spanish, I handed him the 3 sole and he walked on. I guess it was enough or I tipped him? We jumped off the bus when it turned off our street and only had to walk 200 metres which was great.

On the way home we stopped firstly for a drink at the La Emolienteria Pisco bar and sat in the wheel barrows. The pisco sour was average but the location is really funky. For dinner we walked to a couple of places but didn't like the menues and eventually ended up at Entre Copas tapas and wine bar. The food and drinks were great but it was so hard to get any service. There were about 7 staff in the resturant and because it was early there were only 4 customers. Not sure why the staff couldn't bother to come and serve us!

Thursday Ian was up early and went for a walk to check out the surf. After our hotel breakfast we decided to go with Bike Tours of Lima for a ride through the Bay areas of Barranco and Chorrillos. The bike tour was 4 hrs and cost S 75 pp. There were 14 people on the tour from all around the world but since everyone spoke english it was easy for our guide to provide commentary. These seaside areas are older areas and have many condos built right on the cliffs taking away access to the foreshore. Our guide explained that if building plans are not approved or rejected within 30 days, builders can presume they have approval so that is how they get past the building codes that protect the foreshores and other public spaces. Our guide mostly took us on paths and quiet roads but when we got to busy streets it was madness and we were in amongst the traffic. We saw many historical places and at one of the fartherest points there were men who dressed up in Monk clothes and dived off the cliffs to reinact a legendary story (one way to make a living for tips). The drivers were really very good and although it was hard to identify what the road rules were, they seem to work well as most people just used their horns instead of getting aggressive. We stopped in at a 100 year old cafe for a traditional italian/peruvian lunch of ham and onion or cheese and olive sandwiches with Inka Cola or Pilsner beer. The ride was a really nice way to see more of Lima.

After the ride we headed back to Jamclub as I wanted Ian to try a really good pisco sour. He agreed it tasted better than the one he had at La Emolienteria Pisco bar. We decided to have a rest in the afternoon.

For dinner we went to La Esquina Winebar just around the road from our hotel. It was really nice and the tapas was great. After dinner we took a taxi into the city to visit the Water fountain park (Circuito Magico del Agua) which has 12 fountains with light shows. There were brides and girls in formal dresses getting their photos taken all around the park and we saw a young man down on his knee asking his girlfriend to marry him. How sweet! There were also lots of crazy people running through the fountains and water shows getting wet which must have been freezing. Our taxi driver waited for us and returned us to our hotel for S40.

Friday we moved from Miraflores to the city of Lima to meet our tour. The city was no where near as nice as Miraflores and it did not feel as safe. Hotel Kamana on Carmana st was ok but didn't feel as homely as Casa Bella. We visited the Spanish inquisition museum which was a little boring and then went onto the San Francisco Church and catacombes. The curch is fairly ornate but it is the catacombes that were most interesting. They used the tunnels under the curch as a public cemetry for hundreds of years and it is estimated that about 25,000 bodies were buried there. Archeologists have uncovered many of the bodies and the tour takes you through the tunnels with bone pits on either side. Stairways lead up into the church and surrounding monastery buildings.

We meet the rest of our tour group for a briefing. The group is very small with a tour guide Iris from Holland, Katrina from Perth Australia, Hannah from Brisbane Australia and Carlie from London. Some other tour members will be joining us in Cusco and La Paz. Poor Ian is feeling a little overwhelmed by the female only group. We all went out for dinner to get to know each other a little better.

Sunday was our last day in Lima so we collected our final supplies and headed out to the local intercity bus stop. Our bus to Pisco took 4 hours and was of a similar standard to a greyhound bus with old movies in Spanish included (Ghost and Titanic). The landscape along the coastline was mostly barren sandhills with shanty towns and some industrial areas. There were very few areas that were fertile enough to grow crops apparently due to the underground channels built by the Nazcas thousands of years ago. These channels provide water for small farming areas where farmers lived in mostly small shacks but in one spot they appeared to have built a castle with turreted walls? On a river flood plain grapevines grew in surprisingly well maintained vineyards. Livestock seemed to able to roam freely which was a bit scary given the bus was travelling at about 90km along the highway with no fences.

The ocean looked rough and the beaches were sometimes ash and rock strewn or wide and orange with not one person on them. Chicken batteries were built along the beach in some places under long staw thatched roof buildings. The towns of Chincha was bustling with three-wheeled taxis and a mish mash of half constructed buildings. No tourists here!

Pisco town had been flattened by an earthquake in 2008 and reconstruction was occuring pretty slowly. We walked around the town which really only consisted of two parks with a mall/market between them. There were a lot of people around and many of them were watching the TV at the electronics store. We were interested in trying the local BBQ restaurant for dinner but they only served hot beer so we decided to head back to the hotel restaurant. The food was really nice, beers were cold and the Pisco Sour was in the top 2 list.

Monday we were up early to catch a minibus to the beach port where we took a speed boat out to the Ballestas Islands (also known as the Peruvian Galapagos or poor man's Galapagos). The islands were covered in birds and thousands flew above us so most of us got some bird poop on us! The speed boat got right up close to the rocks but we weren't able to go ashore. There were dozens of sealions and a couple of small colonies of penguins. The boat also took us about 1km further out to sea so that we could get up close to the cormorants where they were feeding in their thousands on the surface of the ocean. The flapping of their wings made an awful racket. The guano (bird poo) made these islands a valuable resource to the Peruvian people in the past.

We then took a bus 1 hours to Huacachina an oasis in the middle of the desert. The sandunes were over 1km high and the lake was surrounded on all sides. It was very relaxing and we had a long lunch overlooking the oasis. We were able to do dune buggy rides or sandboard riding but we decided to just relax, which was nice. The oasis water didn't look very clean but there were lots of fish living in it.

After lunch we had a two hour ride to Nasca in an American classic dodge - mean machine for the rev head Peruvian man! The drive was very scary as we were on the wrong side of the highway most of the time overtaking and the driver would use the airhorne through small towns fo make sure no one stepped out in front of us. No seat belts in the car either. We got there safe and sound and our hotel was out of Nasca in the farming area. It was nice and quiet and they grew most of the food that they served. Dinner was really nice and they served freshly squeezed juices which were great.

Tuesday we were up pretty early to eat breakfast before our flights as Iris had warned us that the flight can give people motion sickness. The flight was in a small cesna plane which seated 6 passengers. The plane took off and immediately banked to the right to take us over the first of the Nasca lines. At each figure the plane took us over it from left to right and then right to left to let each side of the plane get a good look. This is what creates the motion sickness. One of our group felt sick but no-one actually vomited. It was amazing to see the large markings in the rock and ground that have withstood thousands of years of weathering. The Peruvian people did not discover the Nasca lines until 1920's and had already built the main road through the middle of one of the figures before they realised that they existed. It was a great flight and the scenery was great.

After our flight we went to the historic cemetry Chauchilla to see the Nasca mummies. These mummies were buried underground and they had survived with skin and hair intact for centuries before grave robbers pulled most of the mummies to the surface in search of gold and pottery. It was fascinating to see how well the mummies had been preserved.

We went into Nasca town for lunch and a walk around the town. This is such a dry and hard environment and yet the children are still dressed so formally in long white socks with pleated skirts and long pants to go to school. It must be such a hard life.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and then after dinner we caught an overnight bus to Arequipa. The buses are pretty good in that the seats recline more than an airline seat and they provide wifi and food. The hosts also dress line airline hosts. No drinks though. I ended up getting about 6 hrs sleep and Ian a little less as his legs had to go in the ailes. It wasn't too bad a night.

Wednesday (5) we moved straight into our hotel (La Casa de mi Abuela) at 8am as our rooms were ready and then went for a walk around town. We visited the Juanita ice maiden museum which is about the child offerings the Incas made to the mountain Gods. It was amazing to see how well this 12 year old girl was preserved due to being frozen in the ground for centuries and found in 1995.

I then toured the Santa Catalina Convent which is a city within the city of Arequipa. The convent had been operating in isolation for since the 16th Century and only opened to the public in 1990's due to the reducing numbers of nuns and the convents need to raise funds to maintain the vast number of buildings. Carlie and I walked around the convent exploring the many rooms, courtyards and communal buildings. It is so authentic with many rooms still containing the pictures of the nuns who lived in the rooms on the walls. History says that many of the girls sent to the convent were from wealthy families and this is why there are various standards of rooms, some quite opulent. They also say that these rich girls weren't very well behaved and often had parties and drank. Imagine mother superior trying to control those naughty girls and not upset the rich families who donated funds to support the convent? This was truly worth exploring and we got great view of the snow capped volcanoes from the rooftops.

Thursday (6) we left Araquipa early and headed out to the Colca Canyon. We had to travel the highway (2 lanes) through the mountains and over passes up to 4900m. Along the way the guide stopped at a small village to get us to drink coca tea to help prevent altitude sickness. He also taught those who wanted to chew coca leaves how to wrap them in ash and then suck on them as an additional altitude remedy. Ian and I weren't keen on that but I did drink the coca leave tea. We continued on into the national park and saw heards of the treasured Peruvian Vicunas (like Lamas but rare except for the national park).

After 5 hours of driving we finally reached the small village of Chivay where we got to explore the local markets. The women here still dress in their traditional costumes everyday and they are very ornate with their hats and embroidered dresses. The fruits and vegetables were so different (hundreds of types of potatoes). I could have spent hours just watching the people here as they were so authentic.

Our accommodation (Mamayacchi's) was in a smaller village further up the valley and it was built within pre-Inca ruins. We had an amazing lunch where we got to try a whole range of traditional Peruvian food including: Soups, Lama steak cooked on the BBQ, quinoa dishes, spicy salsa, potatoe bake, bean salad and a tuna (cactus fruit) mouse which was beautiful. The hotel had a pet (alpaca lama mix) that was on a piece of rope tied to a stake in the ground. Whenever it wanted to move it would just pull up the stake and walk to where it wanted to go. It would chase you if you looked it in the eye. Of course Ian wanted to test this and was sent running for cover in a very short time.

After lunch our guide took us for a walk through the village and up into the hills to get a better view of the terracing of the valley and the historical ruins. There were building ruins that were over 1200 years old and the village church was built in the 1500's. There was so much history within the village and newer houses didn't knock down historical ruins, they just used what they could or worked around them. The villagers were all just going about their farming, harvesting and herding their donkeys with loads from the fields but their were very few in the village as most were in the fields working. They were all so friendly. The hotel has brought money to the village and it employs many people so they appreciate the tourists. Luckily it is only one small hotel so there aren't too many tourists to spoil this unique place (yet).

After our walk we drove to another part of the canyon to visit the natural hot springs. There are about 7 different hot spring pools of all different sizes. It was late in the afternoon and it began to rain as we got into the pool. The air temperature was about 8 degrees and the water was up to 38 degrees at its hotest point. It was a nice change to the cold weather and we even got to enjoy a Pisco sour (tuna juice) and beer while we soaked in the pool.

Friday (7) we were up early and the rain had produced lots of snow on the mountains all around us. It was beautiful and we enjoyed our 2 hour drive to the top of the Canyon to see the Condors. We we stopped at small villages along the way and there were dozens of condors flying in the updrafts as we hiked the last kilometre up to the viewing point.

After the 4 hour journey back to Arequipa we went to dinner at the roof top bar in the Plaza de Armes. It was fun as we were all given ponchos to wear to keep us warm. The food was great and the views even better.

Saturday (8) we were up at 5am to catch our 7.30 flight to Cusco. The flight was good and the view of the Andes as we flew there was amazing when the clouds weren't present.

Cusco is a beautiful city and we walked around to get our bearings before having lunch. We needed to get a few items reading for the Inca trail so we did a little shopping and then went for afternoon tea to the Fallen Angel restaurant which is famous for it's decore. It was very unique and the artwork was fabulous. We also had an delicious chocolate mouse with orange and passionfruit sauce (YUMMY)!

We had a briefing with our Inka Trail guide (Ruben) at 6pm to make sure we were fully prepared to start our trek at 3am on Sunday morning. Only Ian, myself, Carly and Hannah were doing the walk from our group. We were given a duffle that we could take a maximum of 5kg including the sleeping bag which weighed just over 2kg.

Sunday (day 1) we drove 1.5 hours to the small village of Ollantaytambo where the small town square was buzzing with local men bustling for porter positions. The village sits at the base of the 1st set of ruins of the Sacred Valley. We then took a dirt track alongside the train line for another hour to the staging area for trekkers where our porters and cook were busy setting up our gear. We had 4 porters, a cook and guide for the 4 of us. The Inka trail is limited to 500 people per day. This incudes about 200 tourists and 300 porters and guides. After getting checked off at the entrance gate (passports required) we set off at about 10am with a fine sunny day

The first hour or so took us to a small village where locals offered drinks and snacks. The men were busy in the fields with harvesting. The track was uphill but not too hard at that stage. Ruben had explained to us that most of the villagers spoke Quechua (traditional dialect) rather than Spanish. There was a little local boy about 3 years old being a bit naughty while his mum tried to wash his dirty face. I offered him a page of Aussie stickers to be good and he held still for his mum, then came around to get his stickers from me. I put one on his arm and gave him the page. He was so excited he walked all around the village showing everyone his arm. It was so cute.

The second hour we continued uphill and stopped overlooking the Patallacta ruins, which were an enormous Inca town on the bend of the Sacred River. From this position it was easy to see the full capacity of the city and the extent of construction that had been undertaken to complete it. This site is still being explored by archeologists and several mummies were uncovered here. A museum is to be built in the nearby town when the artefacts are returned next year from the universities studying them.

We continued on uphill to a small farm in the village of Hatunchaca which sat on the banks of a small stream. Our porters had already set up the tent and tables and cooked us a hot meal. The food was great! I was already feeling guilty about being waited on and kept trying to do things to help but the porters seemed happier to do it themselves. The porters worked so hard and the cook (Donaldo) was really lovely.

The final leg of our walk for the day took us to our camp at Wayllabamba (camp 9) which was a fair way into the first camp area at 3000m altitude. Our tents and everything were already setup for us, in the backyard of a local farm house, where we were greeted by the porters with cheers of success for making our first day (total 12km). The clear sky meant it had already started to get really cold so we had to rug up pretty quickly. They also had hot water tubs ready for each of us to freshen up and hot tea and cheese sticks with delicious guacamole dip and popcorn snacks. Dinner was another hot meal which made me think the calories used with hiking were not going to equal or exceed the calorie intake on this trek!

It was a very cold night but the stars were amazing. The 2 man tents and thin mattress were ok (hourly turns required), but I was glad we both included our travel pillows. We probably got about 6 hours sleep

Monday (2nd day) we were up at 6 and after a hot breakfast we all started off with jackets hiking towards our highest pass. We quickly stripped off as we warmed up with the effort of continued climbing. It took us just over an hour to our first stop at Ataycpaca where we waited for half an hour for Hannah and our guide. Poor Hannah was really struggling with altitude sickness. There were a couple of other groups that we met along the way, including an American family with 4 children about 12, 10 and twin girls about 8. There were also a group of 6 Scottish men who were carrying their packs (the 5kg we gave to the porters) who were a good source of humor. Our second leg took us just over an hour and then we waited another hour for Hannah and Ruben. Luckily we were able to talk with the other groups.

The final leg to Dead Woman's pass (4200m) took us an hour and 20 minutes and we were all really pleased with how well we felt. It was hard going up the steep step sections as the altitude really made it hard to breathe, but we took it easy and got there without any hassles. The view was spectacular with clouds in the distant hills. While we waited an American couple asked if Carly was our daughter. This was the third time we had been asked this on the trip so far so we announced her as our adopted daughter. They thought we were serious so we have been playing the family since. Rueben had told us not to wait for them at the pass as it gets to cold so we enjoyed the view for about half an hour and then continued on down to our camp. It was another hour and a half of downhill, mostly steps to complete our full day distance of just 9km.

Second camp was in a remote area (Paqaymayu 3500m) as there were no more villages. The camp holds about 120 campers and had 2 toilet blocks (squaters). The weather was still great, but cold set in early. Hannah was feeling a little better but we were all pretty tired. Ruben taught me to say 'hello, how are you' in Quechua 'allyencho' (phonetics - not correct spelling) and response 'good thanks' is 'allyyoungme'.

Tuesday (3rd day) we were up at 5.40 and hiking by 6.50 as we had 16km and 2 passes to traverse. The weather was still clear as we hiked to the top of Runkurakay (3800m) mountain where we had a great view of the Runkurakay ruins below and back to Dead Woman's pass (could see the dead woman outline). On our way down we passed a local man trekking back in the opposite direction. I tried my Quechua on him and he was very surprised and started to talk to me in Quechua. I was so embarrased and tried to express that I didn't know any more words. He shook my hand and smiled widely. I think he appreciated the fact that I at least tried to speak his language.

We reached the 2nd pass (Qochapata 3900m) by 8.30 which overlooked the Sayaqmarka ruins. This well preserved Inka town gave us a good introduction to the Inka temple constructions and Ruben explained many of the key elements of Inka traditions and beliefs. Although the aquaducts built centuries ago were no longer working, the piping throughout the ruins and fountains were still clearly visible. A Lama wandered through the ruins and followed us down the steep steps.

We passed alpine lakes and through the alpine rainforest and enjoyed the many orchids that grow along the path edges. We only spotted one hummingbird. The Inka's had carved a large tunnel through the shear rock face where the path could not be built on the edge of the cliff. We arrived at our lunch stop at 11am and were already pretty sore from the up and downhill steps.

We started again at midday and headed for the final pass (Phuyupatamarka 3500m) which we crossed at 2.30pm. The Phuyupatamarka ruins were spectacular in that they were built around a major rock outcrop and were for religious ceremonies only. It started to rain as we descended for about 20mins and then we took a side track to the Terrace ruins (Intipata 2750m) on our way to our final camp. These terraces were only uncovered about 15 years ago and many of them are still hidden under the trees and dense growth. It gave us a good understanding of how easily Machu Pichu was lost for hundreds of years.

Our final camp was on a terraced site purposely built for trekkers and used to have a bar and rooms but was closed down just over a year ago due to trekkers getting too drunk and being unable to complete the final leg safely. The station is used used by rangers who man the final check point. We arrived at 3.50 and the porters had rushed to the camp in order to watch a world qualifier soccer game between Peru and Columbia at the rangers station. He said it was funny with over a 100 porters and Columbian tourists packed around one small TV.

We had a nice final dinner and thanked our porters and cook with tips as we all had to be up at 3.30am to allow the porters to make the 6.30 train. It rained most of the night but was much warmer than the previous nights. My hips were a little tender from the hard earth but the long trek made sleeping pretty easy.

Wednesday (4th day) we were awake at 3am and up and packed by 3.30am. The rain had stopped which was a bonus. Donaldo served us hot pancakes with smiley faces for our final breakfast and we were out of camp by 4.30am. From the campsite it is only about 200m to the checkpoint where we had to wait until 5.30am for it to open. As there is only a 50m covered area with one long bench Ruben had encourage us to get there early which we managed (only 15 people in front of us). Our porters were all very appreciative to be able to get away early as they have to run to the train with their full packs.

We passed through the check point just after 5.30 and began trekking by torch light along the narrow paths for the final 5km of our journey. We were still going up and down hill along narrow paths so we had to stay alert. We reach the gringo steps (very steep stairway of solid rocks) and were glad to have completed them just after dawn. A rainbow appeared to mark a line from our camp to Machu Picchu which was very special.

We arrived at the Sun Gates about 7.30am and could not see anything due to the cloud cover. Within 5 minutes the clouds dispersed and Machu Picchu appeared below us like a mystical vision. It was amazing to finally see it, but the view lasted only about 10 minutes before the clouds enveloped it again. We continued downhill to get a better view and as we got closer the clouds started to thin again. We sat for a while and just took it all in.

Ruben then took us for a tour of all the temples, rooms and various terraces. It is hard to believe that they had built such ornate temples by moving massive rocks and carving them to create alters, caves, steps etc. There were abviously many more terraces down the mountain side that they have not uncovered. There is a lot of maintenance being done by the conservationists to retain the integrity of the place. There are also a lot of tourists. They have now limited access to 2500 people per day and since only about 400 trek in each day (Inka and Lares trails), the majority come as day visitors. We caught up with Kat at the gate entrance as she had stayed overnight at the base of the mountain. By about 9am the sun was out and most of the clouds had gone so we could see the whole area from the elevated track heading out towards the Inca bridge.

We left Machu Picchu about midday and then caught the train back to Ollyantaytambo. Two new girls (Rachel from Ireland and Fabian from Switzerland) joined our tour here. The train follows the river and has large windows to allow a good view of the mountains. You could see in some places where we had trekked on the first day.We were all on a bit of a high and beers were flowing between Ian and the guides. We all played 'chace the ace' card game and the time passed really quickly. From Ollyantambo we had another 1.5 hour drive back to Cusco and arrived about 6.30pm.

We all decided to go out to celebrate so we headed out to the Muse Restaurant for a great meal and then continued onto Paddy's Irish bar for more drinks. We ended up getting to bed about midnight - totally exhausted.

Thursday (14) we had a lay day and rose late, had a lazy breakfast and did a little shopping. Ian got his hair cut ($4) and I had a 1hr massage ($8). Cusco was still celebrating the winter solstice festival and Thursday was obviously the preschool parade. There were hundreds of children vibrantly dressed in traditional costumes doing their prepared dances for the officials. It was so interesting watching their different dances and it is obvious that Peruvian boys are trained to be good dancers from an early age, although some of the dances seemed a little too provocative for this age group.

Friday (15) we left at 8.30 am for our flight to the Amazon. We flew Pervian Air and the flight was just over 40mins long over the Andes. Unfortunately we were in the clouds most of the time but we did get to see some of the snow capped mountains. We arrived in the town of Puerto Maldonado and took a long boat up the Madre de Dios River, which flows from Cusco and Puno into the Amazon, for just over an hour to the Eco Amazonia Lodge.

The lodge consists of individual bungalows which are fully screened, a large dining hall and games room all built of beautiful timbers and natural materials, as well as a large enclosed pool. We had lunch and then took a boat across the river to Monkey Island where the lodge takes rescued monkeys to protect them from poaching. There were 4 different types of monkeys including a tiny one which looked a little like a bat. It was very hot and since we had to wear long sleeves and pants to protect ourselves from insects we were very sweaty by the time we returned and went straight to the pool. The pool water was cold as it is under a thatched roof so no sunlight gets on it. It was refreshening though.

After dinner we all had a few drinks while we played pool, table tennis and foozball. (?). We then went down to the docks and star gazed for a while trying to show Rachel a shooting star. There were fireflies in the garden too. Kat fell asleep in the hammocks at the dock.

Saturday (16) after a good nights sleep, we woke to the jungle noises. We had a late start as we decided not to join the canoe and bird watching tour. After breakfast Ian, Kat and I went for a walk through the jungle to the bird watching platform which overlooked a small lagoon. There were a few birds, but we could hear more than we could see. We returned to the lodge to have a swim and cool off.

After lunch we took the long boat up to the Gamitana River for a try at Piranah fishing. We didn't have much of a chance as we were given traditional rods (bamboo sticks) to use. No one got any bites to start with so we moved back out into the main river and drifted back towards the lodge. Eventually a few fish were caught but nothing worth mentioning. It was such a beautiful sunset and the river was so peaceful it was worth being there even if the fishing was pretty lousy. After dinner we all had a few games of pool and an early night.

Sunday (17) we were up early (6am) to get the boat back to town and then the flight back to Cusco. We spent the afternoon watching the final parade for the festival and doing a little suveniour shopping. We all went out for dinner to the Los Perros where we had some great food and really good pisco sours.



Monday (17) we left Cusco on an early bus to Puno. The trip took 7 hours and we saw some amazing scenery as we passed through the Andes. Ian and I had the front row seats on the double decker bus which was really comfortable and gave us a great view of the countryside as we motored along. We managed to sleep a couple of hours and watched a movie on my laptop, so the time passed pretty quickly.



We arrived at Puno at 3.30pm and after a nice hot shower we headed out to see the town. We were surprised by how big Puno was and although Lake Titikaka didn't look all that big from the town, we knew it was massive. We went out for dinner and the group decided to share guinea pig for an entree. It was really weird when it was served as it was easy to see it was guinea pig as it still had head etc. Glad we decided to share it! We tried to find a good bar but it was still too early (8.30) and most bars were empty so we had a few drinks and went back to the hotel.



Tuesday (18) we were up early and went to one of the local bakeries for breakfast. This bakery sell fabulous pastries and coffee. After breakfast we caught pedal rickshaws to the wharf. Ian had our poor rider pedalling his fastest to ensure we were first and there was a little bit of cheating going on too as he held the back of other bikes at stop signs.



Our boat ride took us through the reedy shallows out to the reed villages of San Pedro where a local family of 4 generations showed us how they make their reed platforms and build their reed huts etc. They had us dress up and take a photo with them. The children played happily around us and we were taken by a local reed boat to one of the other villages. These ornate reed boats include about 3000 plastic water bottles wrapped within the reeds of the two main pontoons to all it to last up to 10 years. Traditional boats only lasted about 2 years. We then motored 3 hours to the Island of Amantani which sits at an elevation of 3800m.



On arrival we met our homestay families and Maria our "mama" showed us to her house for lunch. Kat stayed with Maria too and we had a room each on the second floor. The house was made of mud brick and included a small central courtyard with downstairs toilet which was only partially constructed. The kitchen was tiny with a wood stove and a small seperate eating area. Maria had cooked us a delicious Quinoa soup and hot vegetables with rice and grilled cheese. There was way too much for us to eat but Maria only spoke Quechua and very little Spanish so we didn't have much sucess conversing. She was able to explain to us that her husand was in Puno in hospital and that it was her mama and son who lived there.



After our lunch we went to the village soccer pitch which was surprisingly covered in artificial grass and enclosed by stands. The girls played the boys and Peruvian men. It was fun but altitude had us all out of breath within minutes so we had to have quick rotations off the field.



We then climbed to the top of the mountain (4100m) to watch the sunset. Unfortunately the clouds didn't allow for a great sunset but the view out over Lake Titikaka (Titicaca) was awesome. We could see the snow capped mountains of Bolivia and the vast expanse of the lake from here. We returned down the mountain after dark and got a little lost as the group had split up, but eventually found our way back to the village.



After dinner Maria took us upstairs to get ready for the village dance. Kat and I had to wear the traditional skirt, shirt, waist band and shawl. Ian only had to wear a poncho. Ian had bought one of Maria's home made beanies which completed his outfit nicely. We gave Maria our gifts of food, necklace, Tshirt, caps etc which she was extremely grateful for.



The locals set up the town hall and there was a flute player, drummer and guitarist (tiny instument that looked like a guitar). They began to play and a few of the locals led the tourists around the floor. Everyone held hands and danced in a circle. Then it was more like a congo line. Maria danced with me which was lovely. She tried to twirl me around but given her height, I then took the lead to twirl her. We had a fun night.



Our beds were made of wood with reed slats and a solid mattress. The blankets were pure wool, locally made so they were very heavy. It was freezing cold so we huddled up in all our woolies to sleep.



Wednesday (19) after a fairly restless night we were up early for breakfast. Maria had made us pancakes and we spread them with the jam Kat had brought as a gift. We packed up and walked down to the port where the village leaders said goodbye to us all. We then motored to the island of Tequille where we walked uphill through the terraces to the village. This island was used by the Spanish as a prison island during the 16th and 17th centuries and was only taken back by the local people in the 1900s. The traditional dress is slightly different to that of Amantani, especially the men.



On Tequille the men are assessed for good husband by women based on the quality of their knitting. They have to be able to spin very fine wool and then knit it into a very fine (tight weave) cap. It was strange to see all the men sitting around the square knitting. They also make a belt for themselves from the long hair of their bride. This belt is very strong and acts like a back brace for them when they carry heavy loades. I bought (S60) one of the local belts which was wide enough to use as a table runner



We had lunch overlooking the lake from a beautiful open air restaurant. They served us delicious bread with salsa, Quinea soup and fresh trout. The fish was delicious! We then hiked back down the hill to the wharf where the boat was waiting for us. It was another 3 hours back to Puno. Ian and I went to our favourite bakery (Ricos-Pan, 326 Moquecua) for a hot chocolate and lemon meringue pie.



We all went out for our last night in Peru and had dinner at the Mojasa restaurant on the main square. The food was delicious and the Pisco Sour was one of the best we had had while in Peru. We continued on with cocktails and dancing.



Thursday (20) we took a bus in the early morning from Puno to Copacabana. After about 2 hours we reached the Bolivian border where we had to disembark our bus and pass through customs. A strange process of paperwork that really seems to provide no value and the fact that you need to walk across the border without any luggage or personal effects check makes the walk seem irrelevant. At Copacabana we had lunch and changed bus from Peru Lines to Bolivian.



The bus ride from Copacabana to the lake crossing at San Paulo de Tiquina was spectacular. The rocky landscapes, unique towns and views over lake Titicaca kept us all awake. At San Paula we had to get off the bus and travel by the most unseaworthy water taxi's you can imagine to the other side. The bus was taken on a barge which seemed even less safe. We were all relieved to be across safely with our bus and gear. From there we travelled another 3 hours to La Paz. The view coming into La Paz was amazing as this is such a large city built into a large crater within the mountains. Buildings scale the rock mountains on all sides and it is hard to imagine how they were constructed, let alone retained through earth quakes etc.



On arrival we did a quick orientation with Iris and then met with our Death Road tour guide (Gravity) to brief us and get our fittings for bikes and gear for our ride. We had a great meal at the



Friday (21) we headed off on our bike tour with Marcos and our guides. We were joined by 6 guys travelling independantly. Ian was so glad for some male company! The bus took us up to 4700m where we began our tour. The view was fabulous with snow on the mountains and a clear alpine lake at our side. We were all instructed how to ensure we made the trip safely and to use the brakes appropriately to avoid going over the handle bars.



The first section of the trip is on bitumen road which was carrying a lot of traffic. We had to overtake large trucks that were rolling down the mountain at low speeds. We stopped after about 15mins at an outlook to see buses crashed below! The next section was still bitumen and within a short distance we came upon our first bike accident from another group where the guy had smashed his cheek and knocked himself unconcious. Ian helped with first aid and after he had regained consciuous and his guide took over, we continued on down to the drug checkpoint. The valley we were riding to is one of the highest production areas of coca leaves (cocaine) in Bolivia. The drug check is a joke as we just walked our bikes through and paid a 20 boliviano fee- no checking us at all.



The next section was the last section of bitumen and when we reached the stop point we realised that Rachel was missing. No one knew where she was and guides weren't aware that one of us was missing. The bus called through to say they had picked her up a kilometre back as she had fallen off. She had cut her thumb and sprained her wrist as she had gone over the handle bars in loose rocks. We had missed her as another group had crowed around her when she fell and we didn't see her as we went past. She was ok but shaken so she stayed on the bus for the first part of the gravel section (the real death road).



The rest of the ride was on dirt roads that were as narrow as 3m in some sections and regularly crossed by waterfalls and streams. It began to rain just after we got to the dirt which made for a more trecherous ride. Mud, rocks, cloud and mist had our adrenaline pumping but we were all enjoying ourselves. Ian rode up front with the guys at much faster speed than me. Only one of the boys had a fall where he slid out sideways on a rock. Us girls were a bit slower.



After 5 hours of riding we finally reached the bottom of death road. We were soaked and muddy but very pleased with ourselves. We enjoyed a beer and then went to a nearby animal sanctuary for lunch. This place was amazing with a huge variety of birds, monkeys and other wildlife that had been saved from trafficing or cruelty by the local community and now care for the animals until they can return to the wild. Great food and beers.



On the way back in the bus the boys purchased several litres of Cuba Libra (rum and coke) and everyone enjoyed a party on the bus with many roadside stops along the way due to excess alcohol intake. I had sore cheeks from laughing so much!

Saturday (22) we walked around the city and visited the presidential palace and walked up the hill to a lookout over La Paz. Schools were practicing for some sort of festival with dances and bands playing. The city streets rise steeply with many stairways a challenge. On the way back we visited the historic streets that housed many of the art galleries and artisan stalls. After lunch we did a bit of shopping near the witches market and saw the many stalls selling witchcraft and offering tokens including lama foetus of all different sizes, bugs and some sort of intestine (animal bits). Pretty weired!The final addition to our tour, Maryanne from Switzerland joined us and we went out to dinner to get to know her.



Sunday (23) we travelled by local bus for 3 hours to Ourono and then changed bus to travel another 5 hours to Potosi. Local men women and children filled the bus and Ian and I had to move seats as Ian's seat was broken and stayed in the fully reclined position, where a mother and her tiny baby were trying to fit. Unfortunately our seats at the back placed us directly behind a man and lady with full blown head lice. It definitely wasn't our most comfortable bus ride but were very aware of how lucky we were to know something different.



The scenery along the way was much more desolate than we had been used to. In places salt patches were evident and large lakes looked like mirages. The towns looked much poorer and the people seemed very aged by their hard lives. People rode in the back of trucks on top of cows and sheep and women washed clothes in dirty streams or puddles. Even the larger towns looked harsh and disparaging. At one place army officers stopped our bus and got one family off and searched their bag (hessian shoulder pack) from under the bus. They took the bag and the family away (couldn't see behind the bus) and the bus took off. The family didn't look scared but they were definitely frustrated. Poor things.



As we climbed higher the mountains become more like rolling hills except for the last hour when we rose into peaks of mountains in every direction. The steep river valley was cut deep into the red volcanic rock and reminded me of the Grand Canyon. Potosi is the highest city of its size (110,000 pop) in the world. Ice lay in patches on the ground occasionally and lama herds were seen around most of the small villages. The roads were very windy and there were a couple of spots where car bodies were strewn in the valley below sharp corners. The sky was so clear and the view ever changing which meant that all the minor negatives were outweighed and we enjoyed the trip even though the total journey had taken us 11 hours.



Our hotel was great (Hotel Gran Libertador) with nice rooms, comfy beds and hot shower. We went for a walk around town but it was very quiet as it was a festival day and families all celebrated together in their homes. Very little was open so we went to a small pizzeria where a little old man worked on his own. The pizzas were good and he really did a great job to look after the 8 of us so quickly.



Monday (24) we woke to snow falling in Potosi. At 9am we toured the silver mines. We had to change into full mining jackets, pants, helmet, torch and gum boots. It was freezing cold in the first 800m into the mine and really narrow tunnels. We met miners along the way who we stopped and talked to (guide translated) and gave them some gifts of biscuits, coca leaves or soft drink. These miners work 8-12 hour days 6 days a week. About 1km into the mine and after crawling through some smaller tunnels we finally came to a point where the miners were shovelling the crushed rock into bags, filling trolleys with the rock (2.5 tonne) and then pulling the trolley to another section (500m) where they dumped the trolley load and other men shovelled the rocks into 1 tonne buckets that are hoisted to the surface via a vertical shaft.

Ian helped to roll the trolley off the tracks which enables a second trolley, which was now full to be pulled away. The first trolley then had to be rolled back onto the tracks and backed up to be filled. Doing this just twice was enough for Ian. The trolleys themselves weighed nearly 3/4 tonne. The miners were really friendly and appreciated the help. An old miner asked Ian and I why we had only 2 children, he had 10. Lucky our children don't have to work in the mines to help us make a living!



After the mines we went to the Koala Cafe for some great burgers for lunch. While Ian and Kat went to the pub to watch the soccer, Carly, Rachel and I went to the local markets and were intriuged by the meat section and the strange animal and animal parts that were available for sale. The spice section was much kinder on the nose. We eventually found our way to the La Plata Cafe where they had fabulous cake and pastries.



Tuesday (25) we caught a bus from Potosi to Unuyi (4.5 hrs) on the edge of the salt flats. It was freezing cold and blowing dust in our eyes so we didn't venture out in the small town other than to get drinks and snacks for the next few days. The hostel had great pizzas so we all stayed in and played the stamp card game we learnt on our China intrepid tour. I was the worst player so ended up being stamped the most.



Wednesday (26) we met our 4WD drivers and headed out to the train cemetery to check out all the rusting trains from the early mining days. We then drove out onto the salt flats which was about 30 mins from town. About 40 families live on the edge of the salt lake where they collect, (dig up top 10cm into pile and load on truck to take back to the village. They then dry the salt to crystal form and then put it through a crush where they add iodine to the salt before they fill 1kg plastic bags by hand which are then sold across Bolivia.



From here we drove out to the salt mounds where the villagers were mining and took some photos. We then drove about 10km across the salt flats the first salt hut for lunch. The salt huts are buildings made using bricks made from salt. After lunch we continued onto a desolate spot where we all tried to take photos using props and distances to imitate us being attacked by dinosaurs, finding giant alcoholic drinks etc.



A further 1hr of driving took us to the middle of the salt lake where an large island (Fish island) of rock rises out of the salt and where cactus grow up to 5 metres in height. The rock formations and view from the top of the island were spectacular.



We slept in a salt shack just off the salt lake. These shacks have to be built off the lake so that they do not contaminate the salt lake. All the furniture (tables, chairs and bed bases) were made from salt blocks and bricks. It was a great experience.



Thursday (27) after leaving the salt shack we drove for about 3.5 hrs to a large larva rock outcrop which through wind erosion had created amazing sculptures. From there we could see the smoke of the live volcano behind us. Along the way we saw lots of Vicuna (native lama) along the way.



After another hour we finally reached the first Laguna (lake). The lake had a high borax content and had many flamingo's. We had lunch on the edge of the lake and then went for a walk to take photos of the flamingo's. Carly attempted to scare the flamingos into flying and slipped in the borax mud.



Another hour further on we came to a second Laguna Canapa which had a high sulphur content which gave it a red colouring around edges, bluish in the middle -while an ice crust coated much of the surface. There were hundreds of flamingo's feeding along the edges. We drove another hour to a third lake, the ice lake, which wasn't very exciting. The landscape along the dirt tracks throughout the day we truly amazing.



We spent the night in a desolate town (Alto) where the streets were lined with rock structures to imitate trees. There wasn't a single person on the main street at 4pm and the accommodation was unaware we were coming, so unprepared. There were no shops open so we knocked on a what looked like a shop door in the hope that we might be able to get some snacks and drinks. The accommodation ended up being very basic and the night was freezing.



Friday (28) we drove back through the rock formations to the black lake. This laguna was covered in ice in most parts which was a distinct contrast to the dark waters of the lake. The wind blown ice looked like frozen waves where it was pushed across the shallower waters. The rock formations and balancing rocks surrounded it's shores. The moss like growths around the rocks (used as a type of peat for fires by locals) grow to large masses that look like oversized broccoli heads.



We reached the Bolivian border at 10.30am where we passed through the border control and drove into the 'DMZ' where we unloaded our 4WD's and had lunch and said goodbye to our drivers, cook and guide (Sol). This zone is where Bolivian and Chilean tour companies swap tourists so there were about 30 people and 6 cars in the middle of nowhere having lunch. After going through customs on the Chile border we drove another 4 hours south to San Pedro de Atacama.



San Pedro is a beautiful historical town with obvious Spanish influence located in a large oasis in the middle of the desert between two mountain ranges. It is mostly a tourist town with many activities and sights located around it. Our accommodation at the San Raul hotel was really nice, included a delicious breakfast and close to everything. We all went out for dinner and I had a delicious crab clay pot dish, while Ian went for the traditional Chile dish of steak, fried egg and chips. It was hard getting used to the Peso's again (AU$1=470 peso approx).Saturday (29) morning Ian and I hired push bikes and rode out to the Pucara ruins (3km) where many of the original rock buildings are still visible on a rocky spire which provided natural defenses. We then climbed to the top of the mountain where there is a monument to the indigenous chiefs who were beheaded by the Spanish in 1540. The views were spectacular and it was a great way to see some of the unique rock formations of death valley.



We then continued to ride for another (7km) out to Catarpe along the river side. After crossing the river we rode up into the canyon. The roads were dirt and badly corrugated. Eventually we had to push our bikes as the road got too steep and rutted. We finally reached the tunnel which was cut through solid rock in 1930. We rode through to the other side to see the view which was very similar to where we had come from. Riding back down the mountain was a challenge as the ruts, rocks and sand patches provided significant obstacles. We made it back without incident other than a very sore but from the hard bike seat and no shock absorption on the bike.



In the afternoon we took a tour of moon valley which does look like a lunar landscape. The salt mountains are very unique the way that the salt has eroded into fine knife like edges and the salt coating on the valley floor looks like a light snow cover. From the other side of the salt mountains we could see into death valley again where people were sand boarding. The sun set over the mountains was spectacular.For dinner we went to one of the outdoor restaurants and enjoyed eating beside an open fire. The place was filled with Chilean vacationers and had live bands. It was a fun night.



Sunday (30) we took a private tour out to the Cuatin Canyon where we hiked along the river bed up through the canyon for about an hour and a half. The environment was very special as the river (stream) begins at the hot springs and cuts it's way through the canyon down to the salt flats.. Large cactus grow along the rock walls and large fox tail grasses (like papas grass) grow along the sides of the river. We walked most of the way on our own which was so peaceful as our guide took the car to the other end of the canyon and walked back in to meet us.



After the hike we went to the hot springs for a swim. There are 8 pools along the spring path so we started at the bottom and worked our way up the hill to each pool. The outside temperature was about 10 degrees C so we ran between pools to make sure we didn't loose too much heat. The water was crystal clear and we enjoyed most pools by ourselves. It was very relaxing. We met our driver at the top and headed back into town for a relaxing afternoon in the local cafe updating blogs and making some alternative travel arrangements.















Monday (31) we had a quiet day checking out San Pedro town and found a small restaurant in one of the side streets where we spent the afternoon with Kat as the others had left on the bus (Ckunna). They had excellent food and offered us free pisco sours which were very good. The special 3 course menu for $7000peso was great value.







Tuesday (32) we went hiking from Machuka to Rio Grande with Maxima experience travel company. They were new tour company and we did a deal for hike plus transfer to the airport for 50,000 peso each. We got picked up at our hotel at 8.15 by Philippe (our guide), the company boss and two other staff and headed out to Machuka, which is a small town on the way to the geysers. On the way out of SPDA we stopped to pick up an elder from the Machuka village. It is normal for them to stand on the road and wait for someone to take them home. Once we arrived a Machuka,There they laid out a table cloth and provided us with coffee and breadrolls for breakfast The trail we were taking is the traditional trail used to move livestock between the low warmer valley plains of Rio Grande in winter and the high valley plains of Machuca in summer when it gets too dry down river. There was snow and much of the river was iced over when we started out. The landscape was stunning and changed continuously as we worked our way down the valley. Along the way Philippe pointed out Inka terraces that have continued to be used for hundreds of years. We walked fairly slowly for about 3 hours and then had a half hour rest at an abandoned village. There were numerous abandoned villages along the way After almost 6 hours we finally reached our destination where the company owner was waiting for us. In the middle of Rio Grande village was an amazing old church with bell tower and walled courtyard. The town appeared deserted as most people were working and children were in school. We sat at a table in the church yard and enjoyed delicious hamburgers the bosses wife had made for us. The drive back to SPDA took another hour so we ended up back at our hotel at around 5pm. It was a fabulous day.







Wednesday (33) the boss picked us up at 9am for our 11.45 flight from Calama. We arrived at Santiago about 1.30pm and took a transfer bus to Marilu's B&B. After settling in we went for a walk to Bellavista and took the San Cristobel cable car (train) up the mountain. The view was good but due to the smog it was hard to see any great distance.







Thursday (34) we left our luggage at Marilu's and took an overnight pack to the Libertador (Tucan Hotel) in the centre of the city. We then joined a free Spicy Chile tour (tip $10,000) around the city. It was great as there were only 3 of us (Queenie from Hong Kong) on the tour. Our guide Francesca was very knowledgeable and took us through the French quarter, the Brasil community and other areas where old homes are being turned into eclectic shops using all recycled materials. Including traditional 1920's barber shop and restaurant full of unique antiques and alternative lamps. At the end of the tour Francesca called the winery and booked us a tour at 3.10pm. Queenie joined us and we all caught the metro out to the Concha y Toro winery. We took the metro to Las Mercedes and then caught a taxi for $3,000peso. The winery tour was $8,600 peso pp and took about 1.5 hours including 2 wine tastings. The gardens and wine production area is really expansive so it is hard to believe you are in the middle of Santiago as the serenity of the estate is beautiful.







We caught the metro back to the city and booked into the hotel at about 6.15. Dinner was arranged with the Tucan group at 7pm as this was our last night together. We went to a restaurant in the Lastarria neighbourhood which was pretty average. After dinner Kat left for the airport and we all went to another bar to see if we could buy a terramotto (volcano) drink that Francesca had suggested we have, but none of the bars sold them. Carly, Rachel, Ian and I ended up at a diner near the hotel and finally got asked to leave there about 1.30 when the owner wanted to go home!



Thursday (35) we said goodbye to everyone and took the metro to Pajaritas station to catch a bus to Valparaiso (1.25 hrs $3,000peso one way). It was raining when we arrived and the heavy fog made it pretty hard to explore the city. We caught a tram (need to buy card to use) to San Paulo and tried to walk around the town, but decided it wasn't worth getting soaked for, so we headed back to Santiago about 1pm. We did a bit of shopping and Ian got a haircut and then went back to Marilu's to pack. For dinner we went to a small Peruvian restaurant just around the corner from Marilu's.



The flight home was a movie marathon. It was great to be home but sad to end an amazing journey to a very special part of this world!

---

Photos

Santiago
La Pintana clinic

Santiago
Big beers

Santiago
Bella Artes

Santiago
Tour Guide

Santiago
Fruit n Veg market

Santiago
Cerro Santa Lucia

Santiago
Metro

Quito
Plaza Grande at night

Quito
Hotel San Francisco - Old Town

Quito
bus tour heading towards La Basilica

Galapagos
Anahi moored at La Plaza island with Kicker Rock in the background

Galapagos -Anahi
Anahi crew drinks

Galapagos
welcome note

Galapagos
Frigate birds

Galapagos
Santa Fe snorkelling

Galapagos
Iguana on Santa Fe island

Galapagos
Giant eagle rays at kicker rock

Galapagos - Anahi
Our cruise companions and Galo in front

Guyaquil
Dinner over the river

Lima
Ruins within the city area of Miraflores

Lima
Beach front at Miraflores

Lima
Barranco church ruins

Lima
Bike group

Lima
Water park

Pisco
town

Ballestes islands
penguin

Huacca China
Oasis

Nazca lines
hummingbird ´look closely as we were a long way away

Nazca
mummies

Arequipa
Plaza De Armes

Arequipa
Santa Catalina Convent

Colca Canyon
Ian buys new jumper off local lady

Colcan Canyon
Condors

Colca Canyon
Pachamama guest house

Chivay
local in the town square

Cusco
Flying angel<amazing cafe

Cusco
locals

Inca trail
llactapata

Inca trail
locals use the trail too

Inca trail
porters

Inka trail
Dead woman´s pass - we made it!

Inka trail
camp

Inka trail
looking back to dead woman´s pass

Inka Trail
Sayamarka ruins

Machu Picchu
we made it

Cusco to Puno
bus stop

Lake Titicaca
Isla san pedro

Lake Titicaca
Amantani island - our homestay

Lake Titicaca
soccer game

Lake Titicaca
Tequille island

Lake Titicaca
Tequillle knitter

Lake Titicaca
Tequille views

Bolivia
road rules are different

Potosi
barren landscape

Potosi
landscape changing

Potosi
plaza de armes church

Potosi
Mine shafts are small

Potosi
miners shifting the trolley

Potosi
miners appreciated the help

Potosi
card game results

Bolivia
4WD expedition to Chile

Bolivia
Salt flats, first salt shack

Bolivia
Salt flats being chased by a dinosaur

Bolivia
Fish island

Bolivia
Salt hotel, first night

Bolivia
Laguna

Bolivia
Laguna Canapa and flamingos

Bolivia
Tree or rock lined streets, second night

Bolivia
Rocky outcrops with brocolli like peat growth

San Pedro de Atacama
festival celebrations

San Pedro
bike riding

San Pedro
Moon Valley

San Pedro
Sunset

San Pedro
outdoor restaurant; El Toconar

San Pedro
Canyon hike

San Pedro
Canyon waterfall

San Pedro
Hot pools

Comments

[Kath]

You did what!!
Haha Glad to here your both having a good time. Please try and stay safe :)

[Marsha]

Wow
Looks great Helen :)

[David & Wendy]

Galapagos Photographs
Hi Ian/Helen Many thanks for sharing your photographs and blog entries. Got a bit misty eyed when we read through it, remembering the great few days we enjoyed together. Back at home in Leeds now but preparing to take the camper to France/Germany and Austria next week......retirement is great!! Glad to read that you are still enjoying your holiday and looking forward eagerly to reading all about the Inca Trail. Safe travels and hope you continue to have a fantastic time. Hugs and Kisses Wendy and David

[chris neilsen]

severely jealous-how long are you gone for
were you snorkeling with the sharks and if so

[Gerard k]

keep going
Love following your trip. the Lima piece sounds exactly the one we are doing - so good to be given an idea of what is in store. And thanks for the food lover's guide to Peru!!

[mary livermore]

Ni hao,
Erica and I are home. We loved Southern China and have lots of stories to tell. My highligh was trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge. We completed a few bike rides and explored old cities. Erica picked up a nasty bug and struggled with altitude sickness. Can't wait to tell you all about the wedding and show off the pictures. I have enjoyed reading your blog and hope that the rest of the journey continues smoothly. lots of love maryxx