Lima to Cuzco

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Well after a few days in Lima due to Semana Santa (easter) and all the transport and accomodation being fully booked we were finally able to get out and headed south to Ica and out to the oasis town of Huancachina.

We spent just two nights here - Mike and I did the wineries in Ica while Gary visited the bars in Ica! Wineries were classic and our guide was great - able to practice our spanish and on more than one occasion he got to practice his english!

We left Ica at 6pm on Monday and for 16 gruelling hours made our way to Cuzco. The bus was comfy enough however we were thrown around all night from side to side and alot of people suffered pretty bad from the change in altutude - little sick bags going up and down the bus - yummy!!!

Anyhow we arrived at 10am in the morning - after dodging donkeys, cows and llamas on the road and found a hostel. At this time things seemed okay we slept most of the day though cause we were knackered but later that day mike was hit pretty bad with altitude sickness and was not very well at all - Gary and I were fine (for that day at least) and the next avo I went down like a dead duck too. However, we have sorted ourselves out now - we got on to the Coca Tea and lollies - no mums not as in cocaine!!!!

Anyhow so yesterday we did our first tour - started at 9am and we went to several markets and then to two ruins - Pisca and Ollantantambyo and then to Chinchero. The countryside was amazing - we are 3000m high and we are driving past massive plains that look like patchwork quilts of every shade of green and brown with towering cliffs that jump out of the earth and tower another 200 - 1000 m above us - many snow capped - only way to describe it is to say it look a lot like NZ - very green and mountainous with rivers etc but on a much larger scale! The other thing that reminded us here of home - Aussie home this time - were the masses of Euculyptus trees - apparently some dirty old aussie bought them over in the 1880´s and their thriving here now - no koalas though!!!

So so far Peru has been stunning - really amazing landscape transformation from the North to here! However, the one thing I have found so far is that the local food is shite!! The bigger restaurants charge more and are average and the cheap restaurants are just wrong! You´ll be pleased to know guinea pig is on the menu here at most places along with its mate the Alpaca/Llama!! Gary and I have been fortuanate enough to have soup twice and as we are digging around have pulled out chicken feet - Gary ones toenails hadnt been trimmed though where as mine has so we decided that his was worse that mine!!! Hhmmmm yummy - would I wouldnt give for a Roast dinner right now!!!

Anyhow - today is rest day and tomorrow we are off to Machu Piccu tomorrow and probably to Puno and Lake Titicaca on Sunday.

Anyhow, hope you are all well at home -

w

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Photos

1
Plaza De Armas (the main square) In Lima. We were here for Semana Santa - lots of people (heaps) singing, church going, trying to sell us stuff - nothing new in that though!!

2
Miraflores - the swanky part of Lima - was like walking into a different world !!! Really beautiful parks and shopping plaza on the edge of some huge cliffs over looking the coast - was pretty stunning!

3
The stairs down to the beach from the cliff tops above!! For the Perthies felt just like being back at dirty old Jacobs Ladder again- 299 irregular steps!!!

4
Dad this ones for you - we think you may be related to this guy - he seemed to love hub caps too but he had his own stall!! Maybe something to set up down at Drury!!! Hehe

5
Miraflores - a better view - the haze/smog/fog cleared a little later in the day!

6
Huacachina - 4 hours south of Lima. We stayed out at this littel Oasis town - you can tell from the photo how high up we are!! We climed the dunes behind our hostel for the sunset and the view! Not bad huh!

7
The view back to Ica - the wine growing region of Peru - ahhhh now you see why we came this way!!!

8
Oh yeah and the sunset that we came up the top for in the first place!

9
Hehe the aerial at the hostel - you will note the wood used to hold up the aerial!! This place is primative but the people are very ingenious when you see some of the things they come up with!!

10
Mike and I went on a wine tour to two wineries in Ica. Gary (the brother) was hungover and sleeping! They still crush the grapes by using this thing that the men shovel the grapes under and then 4 men on levers wind this down to crush the grapes! Latest technology in Peru our guide told us!

11
This is what the wine is stored in - I wont show you too many more photos as I doubt anyone would ever drink Peruvian wine again!!!

12
Us at the bar in El Catador Winery after tastings. After abouyt 2 I felt half goine - the wine we tried here was between 17 and 43% alcohol! Hmmm do I rate it....I wouldnt want to ruin anyones experience so you will have to try it yourself!

13
Mummified faces - these were at the next winery which had heaps of weird stuff - these guys were beheaded (dont know why they didnt say - sad I know)one has nails through his lips - didnt put us off trying more wine though!

14
Cuzco and the Plaza de Armas - it is just an absolutely stunning place!

15
Pisac - just out of Cusco - again the scenery was just breathtaking - as was the altitude ,@)

16
The Inca Ruins of Pisac

17
A Local peruvian women with her baby on her back - just one the many things they put there!

18
Gary, Mike and I at Ollantantambyo

19
Chinchero and its Cathedral - this is the highest we have been so far at 3872 metres!

20
Cuzco and our view this morning at breakfast - the weather has been hot during the day however pretty damn cold at night.

Comments

[S n M]

Can we come join you!!
Hey guys, Looks like your having a fantastic time do you mind if we join you? Were wondering if they offered to pour the wine from the mummified heads at that place!? Can't wait to see the next journal.

[claire]

amazing. absolutely amazing. so jealous. hope you are having the time of your lives!