Ica Peru

Its time to return to Lima but first we take a break at Ica, staying in Haucachina Oasis a few kilometres out of town.

The lagoon is fringed with palm trees and encircled by massive white sand dunes. This place is packed with young travellers who go burning around the dunes in dune buggies and then rage the night away, keeping the oldies awake.

 

Early morning took the Ballestas Islands boat tour from the nearby port town of Paracus and were amazed with the teeming wildlife - birds, sealions and penguines -  amazing considering everywhere you look around here is barren desert.

 Then breakfasted at the port on Cerviche Mixto (various fresh seafood only cooked by immersion in lime juice) washed down with wine/beer - Perfecto!

Ica is in the Pisco Valley  and Pisco is the famous Peruvian brandy (key ingredient of the yummy Pisco Sour cocktail) so we had to go on a winery tour and sample the wares, as one would!

Manificent Machu Pichu

Well folks as you can see we made it to our main destination! The mountainous terrain is just spectacular, and the construction carried out here so long ago is amazing.

Now for the story our Machu Pichu experience -  awake at 5am, 6am  into taxi (a 1980's Toyota station wagon claptrap) for a 80km breakneck dash to the railway station at Ollantaytambo, only to wait there one and a half hours before boarding the train to Machu Pichu station in the village of Aguas Calientes.

 The train trip was spectacular in its own right, as we followed the surging Urubumba river northward through mountainous terrain.

Unfortunately just as we got to Aguas Calienties it  began to rain - a steady heavy drizzle.We met our guide at the station and he led us to a nearby cafe where he dumped us, along with another dozen or so people, for an hour and a quarter without any explanation. Between the waiting and the continuous rain, patience was running low. Then after a few heated words we soon boarded the bus for the 25 minute climb on a zig-zagging unsealed road to Machu Pichu. After a few kilometres things picked up - the rain stopped, and when we arrived at the site we were transferred to an English speaking guide who was very good.

The first thing you see when exiting the jungle climb is a spectacular overview of the whole site - it takes your breath away. We had the guide's services two hours then explored the site on our own for another two.

Returning to Aguas Calienties we found an all day Happy Hour Bar and had several drinks, discussing our day's experiences to the tunes of indigenous buskers, while waiting for our train departure.

 

We were pampered in the final taxi ride home in a luxury Toyota sedan which never went over 90kph.

Back at the hotel we downed a glass of red wine and were crashed out by 10:30pm. A magnificent day in a magnificent place!

Cusco & The Sacred Valley

Well here we are in Inca capital - a lovely city of half a million people - but before continuing look at the floor-show on our last night in Puno (quite memorable)

Cusco has maintained the original walled old Spanish city - churches, houses,  cobblestone streets, the whole lot. It is a tourist Mecca and is a bit daunting, a bit expensive but its fantastic!

 

We've covered a bit of territory here - churches, museums, and art/craft districts, and being Holy Week this Catholic city is buzzing - today Palm Sunday everyone was out this morning with fronds for their processions.

Headed out to The Sacred Valley today exploring the remains of  major Inca centres of Pisac and Ollantaytambo and were amazed at what they achieved architecturally so long ago

Well tomorrow is the BIG day - up 5am and head off for Machu Pichu - the whole reason for this Gadabout. We are a bit apprehensive - we hope it lives up to our expectations, but its got to be good to beat the flight of the condors. We'll let you know!

Puno & Lake Titicaca

Arrived  Puno in the dark, to a great hotel in a not so great location so dined in our room, on red wine, olives and potato crisps. Early next (very cold) morning headed out onto lake Titicaca to Uros Islands in the shallower inner lake.

The islands are made totora reeds (as are the boats, the buildings, everything) and each week another layer needs to be added to replace a rotted bottom layer - this was a most interesting and picturesque visit.

Cruised on to the deep water Amantani Island where we had an overnight home-stay with the Blanco family with 5 children (the youngest just beginning to walk).

An eye-opening  experience in a mud brick house with dirt floor kitchen/dining area, burning twigs to cook lots of potatoes and rice, minimal electric lighting and yet satellite TV!

 

Our group had to come together at the town meeting place -  the continuing upward climb at near 4000 meter altitude was a torturous slog with one always gasping for breath. At the meeting we were told we would now climb to the top of the island to the sacred site Pacha Tata. One of the Gadabouts decided enough was enough and stayed behind watching the kids play soccer and volleyball and gave the blessing for the other Gadabout to continue. The view was superb and the canter downhill most rewarding!

Next morning amid the bustle of the harbour market we set off for Taquile Island where we were to have lunch atop the island. We finally solved the riddle of how to survive the endless climbs we had to endure - plod very slowly (like 18 inch paces) giving your lungs time to do their work.

There's something to the fable  "The Tortise & The Hare", as we would always catch up with the younger ones as they regained their breath.

On the way up we reunited with Eddy and Celine from France whom we met on the Colca Canyon tour, they were on another boat - we took photos, swapped email addresses and hope to meet up in Cusco.

This morning  we explored Puno, got some reading glasses ($5) to replace mine which I've been using with one broken arm for a few days, put our camera in for repair - wouldn't start this morning. Joan got a travel bag, coat, socks and crocheted bed socks all made of alpaca wool - she should be right for Cusco tomorrow night!

REGARDING LOST LUGGAGE - through our helpful friend Marcello in Lima, it has come to light that Aeromexico have been searching an incorrect baggage label number so in resending the correct details to them there is a glimmer of hope yet! Which is only right considering the amount of candles we have lit in churches and rocks we have piled atop one another in the wilderness (an Inca tradition) and of course holding our breaths crossing wooden bridges!

Arequipa and the Colca Canyon

 Two and a half thousand meters in the air, nestled at the base of three volcanoes, is Peru's second largest city Arequipa. It is called the white city as most of the colonial architecture is made of white sillar volcanic rock.

 
Its a great place to explore and even though is much quieter than Lima there is always something different to see.

The buildings have sturdy wooden doors opening to the street then wrought iron gates admitting one to a courtyard. - so its hard to find restaurants and bars here when your new in town.

Saturday noon we went on a two day tour of the Colca Canyon. We climbed through the high country and at 4000 meters were in snow fields before descending into the town of Chivay where we stayed the night. Let us tell you about cold - when the sun goes down you freeze - there musn't be much electricity there because none of the hotels had heating - the better ones gave a hot water bottle to take to bed.

We had dinner (alpaca steaks) in a restaurant that featured a band playing Peruvian folk music accompanied by dancers performing the folk dances and rituals of various regions. The evening finished off with a rendition of  'El Condor Pasa'

 

Awake at 5:15am (still COLD!) breakfast then off to the Colca Canyon to watch the spectacle that is the flight of the condors. The scenery is breathtaking and to take in the majesty of these great birds riding the thermal draughts is awesome - the hi-light of our trip sofar!

Nazca Lines

A luxury coach drive through the southern Peruvian desert became a gradual climb up to the Nazca plateau in the Andes mountains; we arrived in Nazca mid-afternoon. The town is bigger than we expected, and we set about exploring.

Took a morning flight for an aerial view of the Nazca Lines and was impressed with the immensity of the location. Why anyone would wander around such remote locations in the wilderness and create huge pictograms on the ground is baffling but obviously their meanings were important to their creators.

We intended visiting the ancient Nasca civilisation aqueducts and cemetery in the afternoon before departing on the overnight coach at 10pm tonight. However got news of miners protesting over pay and blocking the highway tonight (article in the last CFMEU union magazine). To beat the blockade we decided to leave town on the earlier 2:30pm coach to Arequipa.

Not all well laid plans have smooth sailing - as has a lot of this trip so far! Sure we beat the road blockade BUT there was a bus crash some distance ahead of us and the highway was shut down for several hours so a 12 hour trip became nearly 20 hours - luckily we had a nine seat sleeper compartment to ourselves with leather fully reclining seats like airways business class and they were comfortable the whole journey. Unfortunately apart from any initial explanation by the driver they didn't really look after us Gringos, we were in the dark with no reading lights for 3 hours while we parked beside a cliff on the ocean side - we think it is just language barrier because the people here are lovely.

 We have now showered and will soon head off to find a restaurant as we haven't eaten since our late breakfast yesterday after the flight. Will eat anything right now!

Lima Love Song

Though blanketed in light mist most of the year this place is fantastic - we LOVE Lima! Even with the more pronounced social divisions here, there is a quality of living that can be a lesson to the rest of us - the message is to live life. Living as part of a community - promenading in the streets till 10pm - 11pm, normal people dancing Saturday nights in the parks in front of an enthusiastic audience; these things sure beat sitting at home bored, in front of the TV.

In affluent near city suburb Miraflores, living is good. This is where most travellers park themselves to explore Lima. During our 5 days here at B&B151 in the middle of of everything, we have so far visited the nearby  pre-Inca adobe brick pyramid Huaca Pucllana where we met up with Shuhei Saito who joined us when we went  by taxi to San Francisco monastery, trying out our Spanish with the driver. The monastery tour was fantastic, the highlights being the Harry Potter(ish) library and exploring the subterranean catacombs.

A top deck bus night tour of the historical down-town area took in the Water Fountain Park with its spectacular laser 3D show and the interactive fountains were brilliant.

At Larcomar shopping mall, perched in the cliff tops of the Pacific Ocean, looking down onto the shingle beach and rolling waves, with visibility changing in the wisps of mist, we positioned ourselves to see thousands of miles away lovely Inverloch!

We ventured into bohemian Barranco district and sampled its charm - its architecture and cuisine. We crossed its wooden "Bridge of Sighs" where if you can cross on one breath your wish will come true - we did it but our luggage is still lost and we are heading off early in the morning!

 
Yesterday travel agents Ines & her daughter Jarmy came to B&B151 to organise a 18 day tour to Machu Pichu they arrived 12:30pm and we parted 7:30pm after a late "lunch" in an Italian restaurant. Business aside, we discussed life - family, children, politics, religion and yes even sex. It was a wonderful insight into the Peruvian psyche and it goes to show that when you click with someone language is no barrier to meaningful communication.

Today was shopping day, getting Joan kitted out for a few thousand kilometres, a new travel alarm clock, and a camera battery charger to breathe life into our dead cameras. Its good fun trying to be understood when in a hurry and using only pidgin Spanish!

So now we are packed and early morning sees us head off into wilds of Peru. God bless us, and wooden bridge wish please come true - "Luggage please join us somewhere in Peru!"