Lisa80

The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu - what can I say amazing, exhilarating, satisfying and the physically hardest achievement to date! Four days trekking through the National Park of Machu Picchu, at altitudes of 4000m, along muddy and rocky paths, up and over the mountain and the steep climb down to the Sun Gate and then the Inca site of Machu Picchu!! The physical exertion to complete the Inca Trek was worth every part of the sweat (there was plenty) mosquitos (only a few thank goodness) and tears (fair few on day two, especially at the arrival of the camp!) to reach the Sun Gate on day four and look down to Machu Picchu- amazing. There are four guides and thirty four porters, the porters are just outstanding, small men carrying on their backs 25-30kgs, which ... read more

Brazil baby! Well what a way to spend your birthday at the Sambadrome- amazing!! Sorry no photographs to update you with as tourists are advised not to take cameras and valuables with them. The only way I can describe the show is imagine Notting Hill Carnival and then think bigger, brighter and generally more colourful procession with everyone in the procession Samba-ing, each Samba schiool is represented and takes approximately an hour for each school to travel down the length of the Sambadrone! The effort and the costumes are just immense. Last years winners, this year had a film theme with the Lion King and Godzilla as huge characters. The Brazillian´s certainly know how to party! Every night there are street parties and there are just processions of individuals and groups dressing up and partying hard! ... read more

Hello, I am still plagued with hotel internet connections that will not allow me to upload photos from my USB. So I will upload when I can and you can marvel at the beauty of Quepos beach too! I have a confession that I forgot to include a coffee and sugar tour in my previous blog! I am not sure how I forgot this, as this tour coupled with the National Park was the highlight of my trip! We visited a cofee and sugar plantation in Monteverde which is locally grown and roasted etc by a family for many years. Saw the beginnings of the seedlings, through to the cultivation of the crops, harvesting and then we were allow to play with the machines that shell, separate the seeds, grade them and then roast the beans. ... read more

We are in Costa Rica or as the Americans like to say on our tour Coaster Rica! There are 16 people on our tour including the tour leader. There is 1 Canadian, 4 English, 2 Australians and 9 Americans. The ages range from 13 to early 60s and everyone is really nice, it is realy interesting to tell each other our travelling stories as some people are so well travelled and been to some amazing places. Costa Rica is surprisingly different to Guatamala, it is so clean, green, lush and beautiful. There are orchids and coconuts growing along the side of the road, here there are actually tarmaced roads! Even seen a wild monkey in the tree next to the road yesterday! Costa Rica is quite used to tourists and it is good news that my ... read more

The second House in now completed! This week has been just as hard as the first as you now know what you have to do to build a house! The carrying of bricks and the hand mixing of cemeto and concreto is doing wonders for my bingo wings though! I have included a picture of Guatamalian transport, ie we all get out of the truck and have to push it up the hill- not exactly what you want to be doing after a hard days work! I certainly have learnt how to paint a house and including myself and the other volunteers too- the poor lady who is doing my laundry! I have included pictures of the family and the volunteers on this project! You will all be pleased to know that I have reached saturation ... read more