Sucre, Bolivia, Tuesday 24th – Thursday 26th April 2012

We arrived safely at Sucre at around 1.00 pm and caught a taxi to our hotel (Hotel Independencia) where we met up with our new guide Vladimir and 5 new group members who had just arrived from La Paz. Justin our guide from Patagonia was at the hotel too so we had a good catch up chat and arranged to meet later in the day for a drink before he leaves.

Sucre is Bolivia’s official capital (not La Paz!) situated on the altiplano at an altitude of 2800 m above sea level. Sucre is a small and beautiful city reflecting much of its Spanish historical importance. It was the headquarters for the Royal Spanish Court which ruled over much of South America in the 18th century. The city is named after Simon Bolivar’s second in command General José de Sucre.

We spent the afternoon wandering around the central city area visiting the cathedral and local market area. A protest march was taking place with workers on fixed wages demanding pay increases to cover inflation and additional taxes.

The local indigenous people are often sighted in their traditional clothing with wide brimmed hats commonplace, however they don’t like to be photographed.

On Wednesday morning we spent a couple of hours fixing up our entry stamps for our passports as we’d crossed the border from Brazil to Bolivia when the border officials for Bolivia were absent. After a bit if fiddling around with obtaining photocopies of our train tickets (to verify our entry date) we were declared no longer “illegal immigrants”.

We then wandered around the central part of Sucre to observe the markets and visited the Simon Bolivar park.

In the afternoon a group of six of us went for a 3 hour quad-cycle trip in the hills surrounding Sucre. We had lots of fun and Corinne who’d never ridden a motor-bike before showed high proficiency by the end of the trip. The path we followed led us through suburban areas with mud bricked home and small farm areas where dogs would rush out and bark at our quad-cycles.

We then visited the Spanish San Felipe Neri Monastery and climbed the bell tower which gave us a good view over the city.  The monastery is now a Catholic girls’ school. We capped off the day with a visit to yet another church, the San Lazoro Church built in 1544. The main purpose of this visit was to view the sunset over the city.

Sucre 26 April 2012

Potosi, 27 April 2012

Our bus ride from Sucre to Patosi involved one section of road where we climbed from 2800m to 3700m above sea level in 10 km. It was surprising to see eucalypts thriving at 3700m, which is higher than anywhere in Australia. Along the way, boron bearing mineral deposits were common in the rock along the side of the road. It is rather sad that Bolivia is rich in minerals, but they do not have the capability to extract and market it adequately so they are still a poor country. We were surprised to see productive farmland on the plateau at 3700 m above sea level. Apparently they don’t need to use any chemical fertilisers or sprays.

Our main activity for the afternoon was a visit to the working silver mine which is in the Cerro Rico (Rich Hill) mountain close to Potosi. Silver was discovered here in the mid 1500s and by 1660 Potosi was the largest city in the world with a population of 160 000. Throughout its next 300 years of silver production it propped up the Spanish Empire financially. The mine is still in production but now zinc, lead and copper are mined too. The mountain has 26km of tunnels and even today 20 000 miners still work in the most appalling conditions. It’s estimated that since the mine opened, 8 million workers (African slaves and indigenous people) have died in the mine.

On the way to the mine entrance we bought presents for the miners of coca, dynamite, absolute alcohol (Tony tested it and believed the label which said 98% alcohol was correct), cigarettes, drinks and gloves. Working conditions are extremely hard and Australian OH&S authorities would have fits. The miners work 12 hour shifts in narrow, low, wet shafts using picks and barrows. To give them strength they chew the coca leaves which are a source of cocaine. We ventured into the mine for about 500m stopping on three occasions in ore collection galleries where we could sometimes stand upright. In one gallery there was a grotesque statue of a devil (not Satan) who is worshipped by the indigenous miners so as to ward off his inflicting death to them whilst in the dangerous mine. During our 2 hour visit, our guide would frequently call out to make sure that we were not going to get in the way of the miners. Those miners we encountered were grateful for their gifts and quite accepting of our presence as most of our entry fee goes to the miners to help them buy dynamite, tools and hopefully, safety equipment although there wasn’t much evidence of this. Incidentally we were all provided with special clothing , boots and hard-hats with lights for our journey into the mine.

Potosi is the highest city in the world 4070m.  At this altitude the temperature has dropped dramatically and we have pulled out our warm clothing again. We are also feeling the effects of the altitude and carrying our bags up 3 flights of stairs had us all gasping for breath. We are acclimatising and hopefully we will OK when we head to 5000m above sea level tomorrow.

Potosi - Uyuni, Saturday 28th April 2012

Sorry about the order of posts - Internet is very intermittent & I have only been able to update what I had on the iPhone at a restaurant. Will endeavour to include photos etc when we can.

At 8.00 am we spent an hour or so wandering around the old Potosi city area observing the 16th century architecture and the splendour of the facades on the old buildings.

We then visited the mint and spent a very interesting time seeing the machinery and methods used by the Spanish in making coins from the silver mined nearby.

We then stocked up at the supermarket and headed off on a 5 hour bus trip to Uyuni which will be our starting point for visiting the salt plains of the Bolivian Atacama desert region. The drive took us high over mountain passes and then down to 3500m where there were flat grasslands with hundreds of grazing llamas. On the rocky hillsides were lots of large cactus plants.

Uyuni is a desolate town with a challenging continental climate with little to inspire. However it is becoming increasingly important as a tourist destination because of the salt flats. The local people are public sector workers, salt miners or tourist operators. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid movie sequel was filmed nearby.

Uyuni to Alota 29 April 2012

Uyuni was not our favorite place so we were not sad to leave & head for the Salt Flats. Our transport was 3 Landcruisers for 12 of us plus our guide plus 2 cooks & all our gear & food for 2 nights & 3 days. Our first stop was a little village of 100 people where the houses & furniture were built of salt blocks. We saw the primitive methods of processing the salt. Our cooks presented us with an amazing meal of llama chops, fresh vegetables, potatoes & queinuo (a cous cous like grain which is grown locally) all prepared under the most basic conditions. We then headed to the Salt Flats. We had seen lots of pictures beforehand but the expanse of white salt was unbelievable. The miners dig the salt into piles & then shovel it onto trucks. We moved to an area away from the mining activity & spent some time taking photographs with optical illusions. We were appreciative of our drivers as there is only one pathway onto the Salt Flat & apparently several tourists who think they can manage on their own have become lost & run out of fuel with tragic consequences. Our accommodation for the night was at a little village called Alota. Our rooms were basic & better & warmer than we had expected. The cooks had hot tea & coffee ready for us & a 3 course meal followed not long after. Overnight the temperature dropped to -7degC but despite no heating, we were warm in our rooms.

Eduardo Avaroa National Park, 30 April 2012

We set of early for a busy day. The roads were definitely 4 wheel drive & we crossed several river beds with frozen water. At this altitude the salty water freezes at -3 deg C.

Our first stop was at some amazing rock formations. An unusual moss, Yaleta, similar to our Tasmanian cushion plant was growing amongst the rocks. By this time the sun was shining & there wasn't any wind so cameras were in action.

Our next stop was at the Capina Lagoon which is a borax mining area. What looked like ice on the water was actually borax. Although the area is in a national reserve the mining company has a lease until 2020 to continue mining the mine does not simply many people & it seems that the main benefit to the Bolivian people is the improved roads.

The main vegetation in this area is a grass called 'brave grass' which grows in areas up to 5000 m above sea level,

The next stop was at Laguna Colorada or Red Lagoon named due to the red colour caused by algae. Here we were able to get close to flamingos & llamas as well as have fantastic vistas of volcanos reflected in the water. Again the cameras worked overtime.

After such a hard morning of mind blowing scenery, we arrived at a little village Huayliajara, in the middle of nowhere. This was to be our accommodation for the night. After lunch we headed down the road again where our first stop was at a volcano crater (caldera). Here we had to follow our guide carefully & not stay too long to avoid the toxic fumes (sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide) being emitted from the geysers & bubbling lava.  Australian authorities would never have allowed it but we felt reasonably safe as long as we followed our guide's instructions.

After that we drove through the Apacheta Desert which is the highest desert in the world at 4900m above sea level. At one point on our route we reached 5000m.

We spotted some Eicuna (small camels) on the roadside & managed to get a couple of photos before they scurried off.

We then passed through the Dali desert where there are large weird rocks scattered across the red gravelly desert, giving it its name after Salvatore Dali.

We also passed through the area where part of the last James Bond movie (A Quantum of Solace) was filmed.

Our next stop was at the chilly 5000 m Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon) where the aquamarine colour comes from the copper compounds in the water. The volcano (Licancabur) provided the backdrop to the lake. The border between Chile & Bolivia passes through the top of this volcano. Its crater holds one of the highest altitude lagoons in the world and NASA carried out experiments here to see how organisms can survive here in such a hostile environment. At one stage we were only 5 mins away from the Chilean border. There is quit a lot of acrimony between Bolivia & Chile as this small strip of Chile prevents Bolivia from having access to a port. Bolivians say that Chile took this land from them & needless to say they are not happy.

Our last stop for the day was at some hot springs. The water in the spring was 38 deg C so despite being at 4600m above sea level & being surrounded by snow capped volcanos we all went for a swim in the 50cm deep swimming pool. This was also an opportunity to wash off the layers of dust. Getting out of the water & changing back into our clothes was akin to changing after a winter dive in Tasmania.

We ended the day with a meal of home made soup, spag Bol & tinned peaches. Our cooks are amazing given their facilities. We would love a photograph of our cook as she is delightful, however she believes that a photograph will take away her spirit so we respect her beliefs.

As the generator only runs from 6:30 to 10:00pm & it is freezing cold we are having an early night.

It has been an amazing day with so many sights that it is difficult to comprehend everything we have done. We feel privileged to have experienced this part of Bolivia.

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Huallajara - Uyuni, Tuesday 1st May 2012

La Paz Wednesday 2 May – Thursday 3 May 2012

Wednesday: After an overnight bus trip from Uyuni , we arrived in La Paz at 6:00 am. Sound proofing in the hotel is not very good so Marcus & Deb heard us arrive. It was very exciting to see them and we chatted non-stop over an early breakfast.

We then organised some laundry as the previous days had made our clothes very dusty.

We then went on a relaxed stroll around the central part of La Paz. The whole central region is one enormous street market (very narrow streets!) with every conceivable thing on sale. Our first stop was the Witches’ Market where magic potions for every possible ailment can be found. Amongst the potions was a remedy for sickness using llama foetuses. The street markets are mostly run by cholas (indigenous women) and they are usually brightly dressed with large pleated skirts and wearing Charlie Chaplin hats.

Corinne bought an Inca silver pendant with inlaid enamel and a small silver llama. Alpaca jumpers are a specialty and are comparatively cheap and come in a huge variety of colours and styles. Jak is looking out for one!

We wandered over to the central square where the official government offices and the cathedral form the perimeter. The parliament building is most impressive and the guards outside the main entrance didn’t object being photographed.

At 6.00 pm we had our final meeting with our guide Vlad who then headed off in preparation for his next group. We all dined at a very plush restaurant just along the street from our hotel. It was a very different setting from the camping style meals we’ve survived on recently.

Thursday: Marcus and five others left at 6.30 am to do a mountain bike ride down the “most dangerous road in the world”. We joined two others in our group at 9.00 am to do a city tour which lasted for 4 hours. Our driver Marcello was very informative and drove us through the narrow markets streets and then up to a lookout point from where the view of the lower city was very impressive. The city centre lies at 3600m in a natural canyon with the surrounding steep hills being crammed with orange brick buildings. The prominent snow capped mountain Illimani (6490 m) is a difficult and popular climb but has claimed many lives. Our city tour then took us through La Florida the most expensive part of La Paz and on to the Valley of the Moon. This is an area of strangely eroded rock that forms a grotto of narrow pathways and weird pillars. Neil Armstrong reputedly gave this area its name when he visited La Paz in the early 1970s.  At the Valley of the Moon there was a busker playing a traditional Bolivian flute called a quina and he had several for sale. We bought one for 100 Bolivianos.  This La Florida affluent area is the only place in La Paz where there is a Country Club and a golf course. The golf course is reputedly the highest in the world at 3400m and has eucalypts growing along the fairways.

After lunch we visited the cathedral museum and then strolled through the market streets observing the chaotic world of commerce in La Paz.

Bolivia to Peru 4 May 2012

We set out from La Paz on a public bus heading for the border. Apart from a lady who was listening to her radio on full volume without earplugs, the journey was pleasant passing through farmland with llamas, fat lambs, cows & grain crops being harvested into sheaves. We arrived at Lake Titicaca after about 2 hours & crossed the water by small boats to a peninsula & then drove by bus to Copacabana. Our bus with our bags went by barge. It is a beautiful day & the Lake looks magnificent. It is a huge lake – at 8550 sq km, it is bigger than Flinders Island. There are reeds all along the foreshore – like the ones that Thor Heyerdahl used to build the Rah and Rah 2.

Crossing the border from Bolivia to Peru was comparatively painless despite the large number of people crossing.

We are now in Peru. Our 4 hour bus ride to Puno took us through more farmland with stone walls & terraced hillsides. Farming appears to be a manual process with women harvesting potatoes & stooking wheat, oats, barley & broad beans.

Lake Titicaca #2, Bolivia, 4 May 2012

We arrived in Puno on the south western shores of Lake Titicaca in the late afternoon and went for a walk around the old city centre where once again, the evidence of Spanish colonial influence is abundantly apparent. 

Lake Titicaca, 5 - 6 May 2012

Our transport from our Puno hotel to the boat at Lake Titicaca was bicycle powered rickshaw type taxis. We then loaded onto our 15 m passenger launch to explore Lake Titicaca. Our first stop was the Uros, floating reed islands. The indigenous people still build & maintain the islands as they were originally built albeit with a few slightly more modern tools these days. The islands have been set up for tourists & we were shown how the islands are built with models & we were able to go for a ride on a reed boat for about $2.50 pp. We then had a 2 hr boat ride to our next stop at Taquile Island. Here we walked up a steep hill to get magnificent views over the lake. The climb was a small practice run for the Inca Trail in a week or so. Although we were puffing a bit at the altitude of 4020m, we all coped very well. After some souvenir shopping we had lunch in a little restaurant on the hillside overlooking the lake. Lunch consisted of quinoa soup, locally caught trout & the local coca leaf tea, all beautifully presented & delicious. It is a pity that the introduced trout have almost replaced the native fish.

Our next destination was our home stay At Luquina which has been set up with local families who live nearby the lake. Our stay commenced at the local school with a game of soccer between visitors and hosts. There was much amusement & laughter & our hosts won by a narrow margin. The game finished with the sun setting over Lake Titicaca in the background. Our hosts then put on a party for us where we had to dress up in local costumes & participate in traditional Inca dancing. A local band played music however it was the local children who stole the show. It was the time for us to walk up the hill to our room. Our headlamps were hardly needed, as it was a full moon & a clear night. Our room had a double bed plus 2 single beds & it was clean despite being basic. Our Mama for the evening, Aurora, & her 15 year old son Edgar spoke very little English so it was a challenge to hold a conversation. There was no WiFi & the translator on the iPhone does not have Aymana. However our hosts were delightful & friendly & we managed with sign language very well. The Papa was working in Puno driving the bicycle taxis. We had a meal of quinoa soup & a local dish served with rice. The meal was prepared for hard working farmers so it was large & healthy. We ate our meal in the kitchen which was just a mud-brick shed with no door, a small table, a bench seat & an old chair which doubled as a bench. It had a basic wood and dung fired pottery oven in the corner but no chimney so the walls were covered in soot and the room was very smoky. It made our shack at Anson's Bay seem very luxurious, even compared to 40 years ago in it's original state. Edgar had almost perfect teeth which is probably credited to their practically no sugar diet & he & his Mama were very proud of this. Dental care is not affordable to these people & Edgar was the exception in having good teeth. After dinner, it was time for bed as, even though they have electricity, life seems to revolve around getting up when the sun rises, working hard & going to bed when it is dark. After a long sleep, we awoke to the sound of roosters crowing, cows mooing, donkeys braying & a magnificent view over Lake Titicaca.
Breakfast consisted of a fresh hard boiled egg & fried pancakes with a cup of tea. Mama Aurora had already been up & peeled potatoes & Edgar had been up & moved the cows.
After breakfast we moved and tethered two of the pigs and then Edgar took us for a walk to a rock built shrine on the top of the 4200m hill. On the steep climb up, he delighted in finding lizards, beetles & snails under the rocks. From the top we had magnificent 360 degree panoramic views and we could appreciate the vasr size of Lake Titicaca. On our descent we gathered twigs from a mint aroma bush to take back for making a herbal tea.
It was then time to milk the cows & Tony showed that after 50 years he still had the technique for milking by hand even though not quite as fast.
It was now 11:00am & time for lunch before we headed back down the hill to catch the motor boat back to Puno. Meeting up with the rest of our group, everyone agreed that our home stay with the Aymara families had been a memorable experience.

Our host family was quite obviously desperately poor as their mud walled cottage lacked any comforts or even access to running water and yet their friendliness and optimistic approach to life was inspirational! The whole experience made us reconsider the key issues in our lives that are truly important which sadly we tend to forget in our materialistic western society!

Puno to Cusco, 7th May 2012

We ended our time at Lake Titicaca with a traditional meal at a restaurant in Puno where there was a show of local dances. We ordered guinea pig and alpaca, both of which were delicious.

We boarded a public bus at 8.30 am and commenced the 7 hour journey north-westwards towards Cusco.

The journey initially took us across flat grasslands with alpaca herds and corn crops and then through winding mountain passes with the Andean snow capped peaks always close by to remind us of our 3000m (plus) altitude. There was an unexpected 40 minute delay along the way when a group of dissatisfied teachers from a local school had blockaded the road with large rocks in protest to their meager salaries and conditions. The traffic banked up for about 1 km on either side while the police and teachers sorted out some kind of compromise and we were eventually able to pass through.

The final hour of our bus trip had us following a broad but quite shallow and rapid flowing river which was an absolutely perfect rafting river.

Our accommodation in Cusco is a former Spanish Villa that has now been converted into a hotel but still retains the colonial style and fittings.

To finish the long day of travel we had a meal and then a two hour orientation walk around the ancient Inca centre of Cusco. There is so much to see!!

Cusco, 8th May 2012

We commenced the day with a leisurely breakfast and said farewell to the travelers (including Marcus & Deb) who were heading off for two days in the Peruvian rainforest region of the upper Amazon near Peurto Maldonardo.

We spent the majority of the day sight seeing around the ancient Inca centre of Cusco.  The Spaniards when they invaded and conquered this Inca capital destroyed many of the buildings but retained the foundations and then built their own edifices upon these stone bases. Consequently, around the centre of Cusco you see magnificent stone foundations built from intricately carved granite boulders so large that they must weigh a tonne or more. These blocks are locked together like jigsaw pieces with no spaces between. The Cusco cathedral is one such building based on an Inca rock foundation.

The centre of Cusco has a large and open square, Plaza de Armas, surrounded by Spanish colonial buildings including the Cathedral.

We visited the Inca Museum and spent a very enjoyable and educational 2 hours seeing the collection of artifacts and reading of the Inca history. The collection of Inca mummies was quite confronting!

We then did some shopping and Corinne found and acquired a beautiful silver pendant inlaid with red oyster shell; it’s exquisite!

After lunch we wandered amongst the narrow alleyways and observed the frenetic sales-people who insist upon one checking out the quality of their wares whether they be alpaca jumpers, belts, paintings, jewellery, post cards, …..

We then visited the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art  (MAP) which had a marvelous collection of gold, silver, ceramic and wooden artifacts pre-dating much of the Inca period. The information given with each item was most comprehensive and the amount of reading (it was in English too) meant we spent a lot longer there than in the Inca Museum.

We then wandered up into the artists’ quarter and visited a number of small private galleries which served as shops for the resident artist. Much of the work was oriented towards the popular tourist market but some work was unusual and very interesting in its form and use of colour. We purchased a ceramic mask, a replica of one from the Inca period.

We finished our day’s wandering by visiting the Cusco Coca Museum. This was small but intriguing with its focus on the use for the coca plant and also on the destructive effects that cocaine has had on the world. It was interesting to see Sigmund Freud and other notable individuals recommending coca for remedies to certain physical and psychological ailments.

We plan to spend tomorrow away from Cusco and we hope to go white water rafting.

Cusco, 9th May 2012

Effectively the majority of the day was taken up with a rafting trip to the Vilcanota River.

The group of 17 participants and 4 leaders left at 9.00 am and headed back towards Puno for about 1.5 hours. This brought us to a riverside establishment where the guides had the equipment ready for us to put on. This entailed a one-piece wet suit, yellow windproof jacket to make us more visible, helmet and life-jacket. We then drove 12 km further up the river to our starting point.

The guides gave a thorough briefing and explained all emergency procedures and we then split up amongst the 3 inflatable 4m rafts. We had 6 in ours with Tom and Jak as the bow team.

The river was about 50m wide and not very deep and the landscape meant that it was fast flowing within quite steep and rocky banks.

The frequent instructions from our helmsman guide/leader were responded to well and we made encouraging progress through the first kilometre or so without too much trouble. The rapids in this first section were free of big rocks and didn’t have any big drops as were to come later.

With increasing confidence we then entered a deeper gorge section where the current increased and the pathway became more problematic due to large boulders in the river. The passage through here was exhilarating and we made it without incident although the surging waves were enough to soak us all.

We then all had to exit the three inflatables and let the guides take them through a dangerous section where a Swiss tourist drowned last year. The danger is that there are sections where down currents can trap people under rock ledges and the force of the current prevents people from returning to the surface.

We then recommenced our downstream journey and experienced some small waterfalls where we dropped a metre or so amongst large amounts of white water; fun!!

All in all we covered 12 km and were on the water for just under two hours. We finished up fairly close to the guides’ headquarters where a sauna and hot shower were the order of the day. The guides then put on a luncheon for us and then we did the 90 minute trip back to Cusco.

The experience of white water rafting was not a new one for us but this particular trip was more demanding than previous ones as it had some sections classified as 3.5 on the 0 – 5 scale of rafting difficulty.

It is interesting to note that despite the potential danger of the day's activity, the rafting company didn't require us to sign any indemnity forms as surely would have been the case in Australia!

Cusco, 10th May 2012

We spent the whole day in close proximity to the centre of Cusco. It started with a walking trip with Katy (our guide) to the Plaza San Francisco market. Every imaginable form of “food” as well as other domestic goods are on sale here under a covered area the size of a football field. Amongst the stranger foods were cows heads, tracheas, glands, intestines, tongues,… etc.

Fruits from all over Peru are imported for the market as are a huge range of flowers and vegetables. For example, a dozen or so types of potatoes were on sale. Cheeses and breads of all types were on display too. A number of perishable foods such as fish and other meats were available in salted or dried form. Piles of caviar were displayed on open benches surrounded by crushed ice.  The market was very busy with people buying their goods as well as having their morning meals and fruit drinks from the stalls.

We then visited the Cusco Cathedral and spent an hour or so taking in the splendour of the numerous gold covered icons and religious art. It was interesting to see the Spanish version of the last supper painted just for Peru, showing Christ and the apostles having guinea pig with a glass of Chicha. The task of maintaining the works of art and all the internal décor is showing its limits with a number of sections within the Cathedral looking in need of repair.

After lunch we visited the Inca Temple of the Sun which is within the Santa Domingo church. The five Inca Temples (Sun, Moon, Stars, Lightning and Rainbow) made up the Qoricancha Complex that was raided and partly destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors in acquiring the tonnes of gold that formed much of the wall coverings of each temple. The Sun and Moon Temples were demolished except for their foundations and the Inca blocks were then used (partly) to build the Santa Domingo Church in its place.

We finished our wandering by venturing down the main avenue to the handicrafts market which at 3.00pm was largely deserted. The usual articles of alpaca knit-ware and general souvenirs were stacked high in numerous little conjoined shops where the owners were often asleep or watching TV on tiny sets hidden under brightly coloured blankets and cloth.

On return to the square we met up with Marcus and Deb who’d just returned from their Amazon Rainforest trip.

Cusco to Ollantaytambo, 11 May 212

After packing our day packs & duffle bags for the porters to carry for the next 5 days, we left Cusco & headed towards the Andes. We drove past the 'Sexy Woman' Inca temple and then past the statue which is Cusco's miniature version of Christ the Redeemer. We very quickly realized that our local guide for the day was super enthusiastic about his job & had a wealth of information, however he tried to impart this all to us without stopping for breath.Our next stop was at a village which G Adventures supports through Planeterra. We were shown how the women spin guanaco, alpaca, llama & sheep's wool & use this to knit & weave. The money we spend goes to help the village buy farming equipment & build infrastructure. Corinne bought a scarf & a pot holder. The next challenge will be to fit it in our bags. We then traveled to an Inca archealogical site at Pisac. The terracing on the hillsides was amazing & again our guide gave us a wealth of information. The next stop on the tourist route was a market in Pisac. However everyone was marketed out & a coffee / beer was much more appealing. Our lunch stop at Urumbamba was a fantastic buffet style meal & we all overindulged. Our last destination for the day was Ollantaytambo where we are staying for the night before starting the Inca Trail tomorrow. We climbed up some of the terraces to get some practice for tomorrow & apart from the huge meal sitting in our stomachs, we all coped very well. Again our guide gave us a potted history of the area & the Incas. It is incredible how the Incas managed to get the huge blocks of stone to the top of the hill & although recent archealogical techniques have improved knowledge about the Incas, there is still a lot of speculation about them & disputes about theories. We will be out of contact for the next 3 or 4 days so while we are hiking.

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Machupicchu Trail, 12 - 15 May 2012 we made it!

We were up early ready to start our next adventure walking the Inca Trail to Machupicchu. After a short bus trip along a very rough road we arrived at the starting point . There were already lots of buses there and literally hundreds of hikers, porters and guides. 500 people a day are allowed on to the starting point of the track so the carpark was organized chaos. After the porters were checked to make sure they were not carrying more than 25kg, we were in our way to the registration point. Here our passports and tickets were checked and our passports stamped and before departing we had a group photo. We then started our 45 km hike that was to be mostly above 3000m. The first hill had us all wondering what we had let ourselves in for. Our guides, Pedro and Keki were fantastic and had us stopping at regular points of interest to ensure we paced ourselves. We were shown cochineal bugs on cactus and how the people crush them to get cochineal for dyeing wool. Along the way we also stopped to view some archealogical sites. Our lunch stop was at Hatunchaca which was a grassy bank beside a fast running stream. Our porters and cooks had arrived before us and set up the dining room and kitchen tents. We were embarrassed at the amount of gear the porters had carried including tables, plastic stools and a table cloth. They'd heated water and put it in individual dishes for us to wash our hands. They had also prepared soup and a main course of trout, beans, carrots and rice. After we'd eaten, the porters adeptly packed everything up and put it in their packs ready for the next stage. We then continued on our way stopping to sample the local chicha which is fermented corn. As we were making good time, we continued further up the hill than necessary above Wayllabamba to give us a better view and a head start for the morning. Our campsite was at 3050m.

13 May 2012 We were woken by our porters @ 5:00am with a hot cup of coca tea in our tents. After a hot breakfast of porridge, scrambled eggs and bacon with potato and bread, we were on the track by 6:30am leaving our porters to pack up the tents. We climbed for about 50 minutes to our first stop at Yunkachimpa with a degree of trepidation about the "big" climb ahead of us. Our guides encouraged us all the way and the scenery was spectacular. After about 4 hrs walking we all reached the summit of Warmiwanusca (Dead Woman Pass) at 4215m amidst lots if cheers and high fives. The significantly lower oxygen level makes the very steep climb even more exhausting. Some of the younger members of our group were amazed to realize that life and adventure do not stop at 60 and a few were a bit miffed that we reached the top before them. Marcus was determined to get there before his father - a few Denny genes showing through there! Our guide rewarded us with a celebratory sip of rum each after an offering to Pachamamma. We then continued walking downhill to our campsite at Paqaymayo at a mere 3600m. Our porters had passed us on the way and by the time we arrived our tents were pitched. Shortly later a 3 course meal was ready. The chefs never cease to amaze us with their culinary expertise. It is very much up market from the basic camping food we are used to. Everyone was feeling very pleased that they had made it over the "killer" pass without any dramas and there was an element of euphoria around the camp. Our campsite was also in a fantastic position with mountains all around us. In this remote location there weren't even roosters to keep us awake. The tents were however packed in along terraces so we had to be very careful not to fall over the edge. The chefs again amazed us. Afternoon tea consisted of freshly cooked apple pastries and cheese wantants. Dinner was vegetable soup, stuffed chicken breasts with vegetables and rice and then to top it off they had baked a cake, without an oven!

14 May 2012 Although the hardest part of the hike was over, this day was the longest with 16km of undulating track so we were up at 5:00. We started by hiking up hill to an Inca site which also gave us fantastic views back down the valley with snow capped mountains in the background. The trail then continued up and over 3 more high passes. In between it wound its way through the jungle (cloud forest) and through a couple of small caves. The scenery was quite spectacular. We eventually reached our lunch spot on top of a the third pass at about 1:30 and were extremely lucky with the weather and had wonderful views over more Inca sites and mountains. From there it was all downhill. We dropped down 1000m over the next few hours. While we struggled with the high steps, our biggest challenge was getting out of the way of the porters who ran down. We stopped at a couple more Inca sites and our guide was able to explain a lot about the Incas and the different uses of the sites and showed us the water ducts which were built to reticulate water from the mountains. We reached our campsite about 4:30pm and after dropping our packs, went to visit a nearby Inca site where living quarters were still evident. This campsite was more crowded than our previous sites. Our rents were jammed in with no room to walk between them and there must have been about 150 tents.

15 May 2012 Our day started at 3:00am so that the porters could pack up and catch the early train from Machupicchu. The alternative for them was a 3 hr walk! For us it meant that we could get to the registration point before the crowds and get seats to wait until 5:30am for the check point to open. Writing up this blog in the dark filled in the time so please excuse any typos. We were amongst the first through the control point and we set off at as brisk a pace as our head torches would allow towards the Sun Gate followed by an ant like trail of hikers. Dawn emerged as we negotiated the path which sometimes crossed over landslides and in another part became a extremely steep set of 50 narrow stone stairs. After an hour, we reached the high point known as the Sun Gate. I'm sure that I was not the only one to have a lump in my throat and a teary eye at our first view of Machupicchu through the Sun Gate. To finally see the famous ruins was more than just reward for all the planning and our 4 days hiking. We sat in awe as the sun rose and sunlight made its way across the ruins. We felt that Pachamamma must have looked favorably on us as we were very fortunate to have clear blue skies. For Marcus, it was a fulfillment of a childhood dream to see Machupicchu since he read about the Incas in Tintin books. We eventually moved and made our way down to the ruins before the bus loads of tourists from the train started to arrive. Our guide Pedro gave us a potted tour of the ruins and then we were left to our own devices to explore the ruins at leisure. It was quite awe inspiring to wander around the ruins and appreciate what the Incas had achieved. After a few hours wandering around, we had our passports stamped and caught a bus down the mountain to where we had lunch, farewelled Pedro and Kikke, our Inca Trail guides, and caught the train to Ollantaytambo. The train ride itself was spectacular as the train made its way through the mountains. Despite being tired, the scenery and sense of euphoria precluded sleep. We then caught a bus back to Cusco.

We'll update with photos as soon as we get a chance.

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Cusco to Arequipa, 16 May 2012

We had planned a leisurely start to the day, however we had news that drivers in Cusco were going on strike. As we had seen on the way to Cusco when people go on strike, they blockade the road with rocks so we were afraid that we would not be able to get to the airport to catch our 2:45 pm flight. So we were up & ready to go by 6:00am. As we were about to head out the door, news came through that the strike had been called off so it was back to plan A.We spent the next few hours catching up on news, Skyping friends (including a NZ friend who was up at 2:00am & saw that we were online) & then wandered back through the city for a leisurely coffee & brunch at Jack's, which had become our favorite coffee place during our time in Cusco. It was run by Jane an Australian lady! This proved rather expensive as Corinne spotted some jewellery that she liked. To get to Araquipa we had to go via Lima which meant 2 flights effectively going via 2 sides of a triangle. Our first impressions of Lima were not good. There was thick smog hanging over the airport & we couldn't see much further. To make matters worse we had very little time to get to the next plane & we had to go out of the terminal & back in, have our hand luggage scanned again, only to be directed back to the gate next to the one we had arrived at. Not very efficient! We arrived at Aquipa after dark so dropped our bags & headed out to get a meal via the central square. Our first impressions of Arequipa are of a much more modern city than the ones we have visited so far & a very elegant town with many buildings built from white volcanic rock. We then prepared for another early start in the morning.

Arequipa/ Colca Valley, 17 - 19 May 2012

After leaving our dirty washing from the Inca Trail at the laundry (and hoping that it doesn't go astray as it consists of most of our travelling clothes) we headed off in our van with our local guide Donnell towards the Colca Valley. Our first stop was to see the 3 volcanos which stand above Arequipa. They are quite impressive despite the smog (not as bad as Lima). We then made our way through the poor area of Arequipa where people don't have access to running water. This area was adjacent to the Yura cement factory. Most of the cement is exported to Bolivia, Paraguay & Chile. The road then continued through valleys of farming land where the main crops are garlic & onions. The next section of the road took us to the National Park. This was divided into 3 areas: a buffer zone where the indigenous population were allowed, a research area where tourists could visit & a restricted area. Here we saw lots of vicuña ( a type of small camel related to the llama), alpacas grazing with some sheep & a couple of Arctic hares (Vizcachas). Towards the top of the pass, Yareta, cushion type plants, similar to the ones that we'd seen in Bolivia, were growing amongst the rocks. The locals used these as fuel and also for medicinal purposes but they are now protected. We finally reached the top of the pass at 4905m. Although we'd climbed to this height quite quickly, none of us felt any effects of altitude sickness. We were not exerting ourselves which helped, but the Inca Trail had also helped us to acclimatize. Here we were surrounded by about 6 volcanos which was quite a spectacular sight despite the inevitable tourist trap of souvenir stalls at every possible opportunity. One of the volcanos, the Mismi volcano is where the Ice Mummy was found. We are hoping to go to the museum in Araquipa to see it when we return. One of the other volcanos is regarded as the source of the Amazon. We then wound our way down the mountain to the town of Chivay where we were spending the night. Our activity for the remainder of the afternoon was a visit to the hot springs. This turned out to be a very different experience from our Bolivian dip in the hot springs which was in complete wilderness. In Chivay it has been developed for the tourists with several pools, blaring music (?) with volume turned up well beyond the capacity of the speakers, traditional dancers performing at the poolside and drinks served in the pool in glass containers & of course the souvenir shops. Despite all this, it was still a fun afternoon as we relaxed in the 38 deg C water and watched the sun set behind the mountains. We spent the evening at a traditional Peruvian restaurant where they had a Peruvian band & dancers which ended up with everyone joining in. The following morning we were on the road by 7.00am and heading along a dusty winding road towards the Colca Valley and Colca Canyon. The trip through the valley was spectacular as we looked down upon vast areas of terraced hillsides adjacent to the Colca River. Farming here involves cropping beans, wheat, potatoes, quinoa, corn and fruit such as apples, pears and avocados. The valley ended and we reached the canyon where we were perched on high cliffs looking down 1000m into the river bed below; it was incredibly precipitous!! We walked for an hour along the canyon edge hoping to see condors that frequent this region. Our expectations were met and 6 or 7 condors appeared from within the canyon below us and lifted on the thermal air currents in front of us. Cameras clicked like mad but focussing on these big birds is no easy task when they're quite close but moving quickly. The Colca Canyon is reputedly the deepest canyon in the world although not the longest. There were several other species of birds sighted too including humming birds, robins and a blue headed finch. Cactus plants abound in this semi 'desert' region and the only trees are exotic eucalypts, imported to reduce erosion effects which are widespread in the wet season if and when this occurs. We returned to Chivay for a late luncheon and then headed back to Arequipa for an evening meal of crepes in a delightful restaurant built inside an 18th century monastery. Tomorrow we have time to explore this attractive city centre before heading for Nazca and rediscovering oxygen at closer to sea-level!!

Saturday 19 May We decided that #1 on the priority list for Araquipa was the Ice Mummy, Juanita. Having seen the volcano where she was found, we were interested to see the mummy & learn more about her, although with a few mixed feelings given that she was a human sacrifice in the Inca times. The museum / research centre was well set up & even though Juanita is now famous & current day technology has allowed us to develop hypotheses about the Incas, respect was maintained. We were surprised at how small the mummy was, & also how well she was preserved. During the summer months of Jan - Mar, she is returned to the mountains to assist preservation, so we're told!? Our next stop was to the Compania Church Cloisters which are now a shopping centre. The building itself is quite magnificent as, like many other buildings in central Araquepa, it is built of white volcanic stone.

Next on the list was a visit to the Santa Catalina Monastery. This is still a working monastery with 30 nuns in residence. Parts of the building itself had been damaged by earthquakes & rebuilt several times with different styles of architecture. The artifacts & artwork in the building were interesting & made us realize what a harsh existence these nuns lived. The rooftop also gave us a vantage point for viewing the city. We the made our way back to the main square detouring via the bridge. Our accommodation for the night was an overnight bus to Nasca.

Nasca, 20 May 2012

We started the day with a visit to the Cemetery but the highlight of the day was a flight over the Nasca lines.

We arrived in Nasca early in the morning & after a quick freshen up & breakfast, we headed out. Nasca is a very dry place & there was still evidence of disrepair & temporary housing from the 2007 earthquake. The main industries are mining, tourism & farming - from what we saw, the main crop was cactus from which they harvest the cochineal bugs. Our fist stop was the Nasca cemetery. The mummies in this cemetery are estimated to be between 1000 & 2000 years old. Only 2 mummies were stored behind glass. The remainder (we saw at least 20) we're sitting in open graves that had been excavated, with a mud brick wall on one side to prevent sand blowing in, & a bamboo shade which seemed to be more for the comfort of the tourists than protection of the artifacts. Apparently there is a guard on duty 24 by 7. Grave robbers (locals) had been there before us & stolen anything they thought might be valuable, including gold teeth. We then visited a local potter who has learnt his trade from his grandfather. He showed us how he tried to replicate the work of the Incas. We felt a bit sorry for him as no one bought anything. His work was not the sort of thing we could pack in our already bulging bags. We then headed for the airport to fly over the Nasca Lines which was our main reason for coming to Nasca. Regulations had been tightened up since a couple of accidents had occurred in recent times where tourists were killed. Two pilots are now required, the weather was fine & not windy & we trusted G Adventures to book us with a reputable company. Patience was required as it was not the most efficient operation. Eventually we boarded a 4 seater plane with Marcus & Deb & our 2 pilots. The co pilot spoke excellent English & gave us lots of information before & during the flight so that we were able to spot most of the lines. We were also given a card with a pictorial representation of the lines to help us with identification. Our pilot expertly flew us around ensuring that people on both sides of the plane had views. We spent 35 mins in the air and were surprised at the extent of the area. The experience was well worth the wait and the money. The rest of the day was spent relaxing & recovering from limited sleep on the overnight bus & the busy morning.

Nasca / Pisco 21 May 2012

The plan for the day was to make our way at a fairly leisurely pace from Nasca to Pisco on the coast.

We first made a stop at the tower in Nasca to view a couple of the Nasca Lines from close up. The actual lines were only about the width of a car tyre and we could see where the highway had been built through the middle of the ‘Lizard’ before anyone realised that the Nasca Lines were there.

We then travelled for a couple of hours through the desert interspersed with lush valleys where water was available. The abrupt line between desert & farming land was incredible. The main crops in these areas were avocados, asparagus & paprika. Grapes, cotton, artichokes & cotton were also grown.

At the city of Ica we reached the sand dunes. This is the highest snd dune in the world at 2400m. We took up the offer of sand boarding & headed out to the sand dunes in a sand buggy. The driver was obviously very au fait with the dunes and gave us a thrilling ride to a vantage point which gave us great views of the dunes and the city of Ica. After photos, we headed to the sand boarding area where we were given boards and instructions about how to ride them without hurting ourselves. We slid down three separate dunes and had the luxury of the sand buggies picking us up at the bottom. It was a lot of fun. We then had another thrill ride in the buggies back down the dunes to the oasis where there was a swimming pool and restaurant. A refreshing swim to remove all the sand and lunch by the poolside surrounded by high sand dunes was a relaxing way to while away a couple of hours.

Further down the highway we arrived at the Pisco area. Here we visited a small winery and were shown around and had the process of making ‘pisco’ explained to us, followed by a tasting of the various piscos that are produced at the vineyard.  The process of making the wine was very primitive, starting with stamping on the grapes. In contrast to the vineyards in Tasmania, verything here was covered with dust.

It was then back in the bus and we headed down the highway to the coast and the Pacific Ocean. It is strange being back by the sea again after nearly 6 weeks and even though the waves were small, it was nice to hear the sound of them breaking on the beach.

Everyone in the group is feeling a bit sad with only one more day left before we head in different directions.