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We have arrived in Ecuador, and the prospect of another new country is exciting. Quito, the capital, seems a good base for our travels, and I have had a kind of a crazy first day. Callum has fallen sick with the flu unfortunately, so was temporarily bed bound while I explored Quito in search of a launderette. I am sure you may have noticed before…… following maps and generally having bearings is not my strongest point. I set off baring two large rubbish bags of filthy clothes, and surprise surprise 30 minutes later, the plastic bags had split open, undies were flying, and I was red faced and frustrated! Ahhh, the conveniences of having a washing machine AND a dryer in our own homes, something I will never take for granted again!!! One deep breath, one good sit down, one bus in the wrong direction, and one taxi in the other, I had successfully navigated my way into the New Town of Quito. Thankfully this had all the conveniences I needed, along with a great coffee house/juice bar (The Magic Bean), where I was able to escape a hail storm and quickly read up on Ecuador facts. I then booked
us a trip to Equators massive volcano, Copopaxi. On Sunday we will take journey on the roof of a train, mountain bike downhill from 4800meters, with some hiking and glacier climbing thrown in, followed by a stay in the honeymoon suite on a farm nearby. Wont Callum be pleased!!
A few last stories of Peru before we go any further. Last week we had some great adventures, firstly a flight over the Nasca lines in a tiny plane for 6 people, then sand boarding in the Peruvian desert. The Nasca lines are hundreds of individual figures, from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, and lizards which cannot be recognized as coherent figures except from the air. Since it is presumed the Nasca people could never have seen their work from this vantage point, there has been much speculation on the builders' abilities and motivations. They were created between 200BCE and 700CE, so you would think a sand storm would have covered them over in the last 2000 years but apparently due to lack of wind they have survived. We were very shaky legged and slightly green when we stepped off the 30 minute flight, but it was an
adrenaline rush every time the driver took a sharp left (see the monkey!), followed by a right (an astronaut!), then another left (the spider!), ahhhhhh pass the sick bag!
There are also some awesomely preserved mummies in a graveyard nearby with massive dreadlocks that leave Egypt’s mummies for dead. Amazing to imagine what life was like for this pre-Inca Rastafarian culture.
The following day found us buggy riding and sand boarding in the Peruvian desert. Not something I had considered doing before, but this is really fun. We could not quite master the art of standing up on the boards and gaining any speed (not as easy as snowboarding), so we took to lying on our bellies and sliding down at speeds of about 70km per hour (well that is a guess……but it felt very fast!). Almost as fun than the sand boarding was the sand buggy that got us up these mighty dunes. Roberto, the driver had us air jumping and honing up and down these dunes as we shrieked in fear in the back seat (even the boys). A must for adrenalin junkies.
And FINALLY..... we found the salsa. The last night in Lima was
a total blast, I danced until my feet were in blisters (literally), and then walked back to the hotel in bare feet. We ended up teaching everyone the basics so my throat was sore from yelling ´forward two three, back two three´... but in between I had some fantastic South American dance partners, and I think Cal enjoyed it too... Big bonus when they played the song we used for our wedding dance. Thanks Peru!
South America continues to surprise and delight us, but we love getting bits of news from you. Thanks for reading our blog, and especially for all the notes, keep em coming.
Love Nicole and Callum
Highlight: Sand buggying, Nasca flight
Lowlight: Pisco breakfast, motion sickness
Best Munch: Lima sushi lounge
Best Gulp: Moitos
Rate: 8/10
Interesting Fact: Dreadlocks were a sign of wealth for the pre-Inka people.
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Grant
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Nazca
Your blog bring back a few memories! I remember that flight - 20 minutes of pure excitement followed by 10 minutes of just wanting to get down to solid earth. Nazca felt like the start of my trip - the time when I stopped worrying about if I was doing the responsible thing and just started enjoying the holiday.