Well, the second day in Rio. Firstly I apologise for not having pics attached yesterday, but for the first time I sent them thru an Internet café, and couldn’t load the special software for uploading a quantity of pics. While I did so one by one, they all disappeared into cyberspace ……… Now for the day. Great start - with a trip on the double cable car ride to Sugarloaf Mountain. Another good experience with great vistas from both the half way Estacio and from the top. Interestingly, we were well above the planes coming in to the domestic airport. (Some interesting pics there for Si). The cable cars (which hold 70 ppl) are quite modern, and so smooth you barely get any experience of movement. A relatively clear day again helped the pics, although there ... read more

So then, La Paz La Paz is the capital of Bolivia. Home to 1.8 million people mainly of the Aymara indigenous race. The majority live in the canyon described in yesterday’s note while about one third live in the adjacent ElAlto satellite city on the plains above the CBD. ElAlto is the area first spotted on the drive from Peru and that is a shame since it is a dusty third world place with limited modern infrastructure and traffic chaos. The lower areas are more reasonable - with the CBD a mix or relatively modern buildings and older style colonial buildings. It is a city of contrasts since there are wide boulevards as well as narrower roads and laneways barely capable of handling the cars, vans and busses that try to use them. The residential buildings ... read more

Not a great deal to report today - but the last for 3 days as we head off to Sun Island on the lake. Not even sure we have electricity there so will not be taking the laptop. Bus trip today from Cusco to Puno on the lakeshore. Followed a heavy night at a local restaurant in Cusco where we were entertained by a small band and dancers. Each was fantastic, but with free pisco sours and too much beer and wine to follow, we were a little tired on the bus today. That said, the bus trip was still enjoyable and we managed to stop at a magnificent old church in a small village, fantastic Inca ruins in Raqchi (quite different from earlier sites), a nice lunch at a fair restaurant, and a pass through ... read more

Checking in from Cusco, having moved from the Sacred Valley through MachuPicchu (MP) over the past two days. One highlight was the train journey from Ollantaytambo to MP. Through the deepest of valleys, we passed rocky ranges , snow packed peaks, Inca ruins and finally rainforest before arriving at Aguas Callientes Village - at the foot of MP. Lovely 5 star hotel there with great food to boot. Finally a zigzag bus trip up the mountain to the citadel at MP. First sight and entry was an eerie feeling - one of expectation on what we were about to see and to find out, and also the revelation that there remain many unanswered questions in relation to this place. Our first day there was a magnificent day - sunny and great for photos. We had a ... read more

Hi. Lima tour today. Interesting ...... Sprawling city of 7 plus mill people, in a city that seems to have grown in an ad-hoc fashion. Humid cold and overcast all day, it is apparently like this all winter. Blue sky starts appearing nowish. Last measurable rain they had was in 1983. Although effectively in desert (oceanside), the place is nice and green, fed with water from the Andes (although most apparently flows east to flood the Amazon basin). Visited an ancient adobe pyramid (being restored) in the middle of the city oday - along with the city square, the cathedral including the changing of the guards complete with John Cleese impersonations, and the Lacy museum - complete with 45000 bits of stuff that mean a lot to some people ...... (one of whom I am not!). ... read more