Well, it was all a bit sudden. One day we were in Arequipa, Peru, enjoying the ancient city and surrounds, the next we had hopped onto a bus and then a taxi through the border to Chile.
We had a day of, frankly disappointing, expeditions. We took a tour to the Colca canyon; up at 2.30 a.m. and driving in a cramped mini-bus. We had hoped to see condors flying below in the Cruz Condor site, but we just saw one flying high above us. The canyon was never quite visible because it was full of mist, and then it started to rain. Nevermind, we would see vicuñas, the flamingos in the lagoons and the volcano on our way back. No we wouldn't; the tour-guide went to sleep and we had to guess when got to the famous Chivay plateau (4,800 metres above sea level).
That night as we listened to the rain dripping on the roof of our hostal room, we decided; that's enough of Ariquipa. After all what is the point of travelling light if you can't hitch your skirts and head for the sun. We left the next day for Tacna, then took a taxi through the border to Arica, which is on the coast.
Arica is nice, but not nice enough. Tomorrow we are off to Iquique where we have booked a hostal near the beach. We will stay there a couple of days, but Chile is very long and we only have another 20 days left to get to Santiago. Our stops will be short ones from now on.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Monday, 24 January 2011
Lake Titicaca
When I was at school we had a teacher who would say Titicaca" like a sort of joke name of some place that no-one really seriously went to. Well, Mr Evans, (if you´re still alive) it is a real place, and I am here.
Jon and I left Cusco yesterday on the bus and arrived in Puno yesterday. It is the highest lake in the world and stands at 13000 feet above sea level. We are getting used to high altitude now, and don't find ourselves quite so breathless and dizzy.
This morning we went out on a boat and visited some floating villages where the Quecha indians have adapted to living on rafts in the lake.
Tomorrow we are taking a bus to Arequipa.
Machu Picchu Lost city of the Incas
The wonderful city at 8800 feet above sea level. Sits in the clouds and rain frequently floods the ruins and, unfortunately, also the tourists who are walking around! We got pretty soaked, but it was definitely worth it.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
A week in Lima
I got stoned on Lima beach. We expected grey sand from our viewpoint at the top of the cliff, but when we got there the beach was stoney. I went for a paddle and got pounded by the strong surf that threw the shiny grey stones painfully onto my shins. I decided to fill a water bottle with sea water so that I could give myself a refreshing shower, away from the pounding sea, as relief from the hot sun, so I gingerly made my way again into the water and found myself thrown onto my back by a wave with the bottle behind me. Throbbing with pain, but undaunted, I made my way towards the rocks at the edge of the beach where I saw a lady sitting amongst some rock pools enjoying the cool water. Brown and curious eyes of children were following me as I edged towards her and the next minute I was scudding sideways across the painful rocks and back to where I started. I gave up and made my way to where Jon was sitting, accepting the sun's rays. "Didn't you see me?" I screeched "Oh, yes" he said, "I saw you get up though and I thought you were OK".
We didn't go to the beach again but our time in Lima was pleasant. We stayed for 4 nights at the Pariwana Hostel which is in the Miraflores district. We made a friend; Claudia from Dresden in Germany, who is organising a peruvian dance group for a tour to Europe next year: www.takiri.com We had some lively chats, putting the world to rights, Claudia gamely communicating in her schoolgirl English. We walked around the local parks and once saw a little dog left heartlessly by a man who didn´t come back to fetch her. She was rescued by a policeman who was caring and nice. We did some shopping and I replaced my smelly shoes for some trendy new ones.
On the last day we went to the central area of Lima and marvelled at the wonderful buildings and statues, beautiful plazas and grand palaces. We were astonished to find that there was a heavy police guard in full riot gear around the president´s residence. Claudia later told us that Lima had, in the past, been plagued by rebel factions who would regularly bomb the central areas of the city, but since the heavy (and expensive!) security has been established there 24/7, a relatively peaceful period has been maintained.
The next day we took a plane to Cusco which is known as the `bellybutton´ of the Inca heartland. By a happy chance, this is also the central point and, in a way, the fulcrum of our whole journey in South America. We are staying in a very nice rustic hotel with a colonial feel to it. It is a bit more expensive than we had intended because it has been upgraded to hotel status since it was included as a hostel in the Lonely Planet guide, but we decided to say there anyway. We have booked a 3-day tour to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley which will, I hope, give us everything we want in this amazing and beautiful land.
We didn't go to the beach again but our time in Lima was pleasant. We stayed for 4 nights at the Pariwana Hostel which is in the Miraflores district. We made a friend; Claudia from Dresden in Germany, who is organising a peruvian dance group for a tour to Europe next year: www.takiri.com We had some lively chats, putting the world to rights, Claudia gamely communicating in her schoolgirl English. We walked around the local parks and once saw a little dog left heartlessly by a man who didn´t come back to fetch her. She was rescued by a policeman who was caring and nice. We did some shopping and I replaced my smelly shoes for some trendy new ones.
On the last day we went to the central area of Lima and marvelled at the wonderful buildings and statues, beautiful plazas and grand palaces. We were astonished to find that there was a heavy police guard in full riot gear around the president´s residence. Claudia later told us that Lima had, in the past, been plagued by rebel factions who would regularly bomb the central areas of the city, but since the heavy (and expensive!) security has been established there 24/7, a relatively peaceful period has been maintained.
The next day we took a plane to Cusco which is known as the `bellybutton´ of the Inca heartland. By a happy chance, this is also the central point and, in a way, the fulcrum of our whole journey in South America. We are staying in a very nice rustic hotel with a colonial feel to it. It is a bit more expensive than we had intended because it has been upgraded to hotel status since it was included as a hostel in the Lonely Planet guide, but we decided to say there anyway. We have booked a 3-day tour to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley which will, I hope, give us everything we want in this amazing and beautiful land.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Into Peru
We have arrived in Lima, the capital of Peru, after 10 days of travelling. Our journey has, quite literally, been one of ups and downs, sometimes in the coastal lowlands and sometimes up in the mountains of the Andes.
Our passage through the Equador/Peru border was quiet as we arrived in the bus at about 5 a.m. on the morning of the 2nd Jan. There were only four passengers and we all filed towards a rather seedy office to present our passports. Jon and I were having a tiff because he had, meanly I thought, nudged me awake with his elbow and we went through he whole process in stoney silence. On the Peru side, the official was bravely fending-off a bat that had become trapped inside his office. He held a broom in one hand and completed our forms with the other. Once the bus got going again we were astonished to find, as the dawn was breaking, that we were now in a desert region with rolling sand dunes where there had been misty mountains before.
The entry into the town of Piura was heralded by piles and piles of stinky rubbish, and the bus station was a complete nightmare with seething humanity and fetid waste all over the road. We made an instant decision to catch a bus, the same day, to Chiclayo which added another 4 hours to our journey. Chiclayo was very pleasant and we stayed there for two nights in a hostal which was so bland that neither of us can remember anything about it.
We then carried on our journey to Truillo where we joined a tour to visit the ruined temples of the Moche and Chimu people that predated the Inca rule. Through this visit we have developed a fascination for the history of Peru. Our next stop was in Huaraz, high in the mountains. We found a nice cafe, in the town, which provided a book exchange and reference books. Here, for the three days were were there, we enjoyed breakfast in the mornings and read up about the culture and customs of the people , got a little more information about the Incas and planned the route we will take. The Incas ruled a vast area of South America from Equador to the south of Chile from about 1100 to 1500. They were peaceful conquerors who left communities intact and didn´t destroy cities. Thus there are many well-preserved ruins which have been excavated in Peru. The most intriguing and famous is Machu Picchu, the Inca temple at Cusco, which is where we are headed next.
Our passage through the Equador/Peru border was quiet as we arrived in the bus at about 5 a.m. on the morning of the 2nd Jan. There were only four passengers and we all filed towards a rather seedy office to present our passports. Jon and I were having a tiff because he had, meanly I thought, nudged me awake with his elbow and we went through he whole process in stoney silence. On the Peru side, the official was bravely fending-off a bat that had become trapped inside his office. He held a broom in one hand and completed our forms with the other. Once the bus got going again we were astonished to find, as the dawn was breaking, that we were now in a desert region with rolling sand dunes where there had been misty mountains before.
The entry into the town of Piura was heralded by piles and piles of stinky rubbish, and the bus station was a complete nightmare with seething humanity and fetid waste all over the road. We made an instant decision to catch a bus, the same day, to Chiclayo which added another 4 hours to our journey. Chiclayo was very pleasant and we stayed there for two nights in a hostal which was so bland that neither of us can remember anything about it.
We then carried on our journey to Truillo where we joined a tour to visit the ruined temples of the Moche and Chimu people that predated the Inca rule. Through this visit we have developed a fascination for the history of Peru. Our next stop was in Huaraz, high in the mountains. We found a nice cafe, in the town, which provided a book exchange and reference books. Here, for the three days were were there, we enjoyed breakfast in the mornings and read up about the culture and customs of the people , got a little more information about the Incas and planned the route we will take. The Incas ruled a vast area of South America from Equador to the south of Chile from about 1100 to 1500. They were peaceful conquerors who left communities intact and didn´t destroy cities. Thus there are many well-preserved ruins which have been excavated in Peru. The most intriguing and famous is Machu Picchu, the Inca temple at Cusco, which is where we are headed next.
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Saturday, 1 January 2011
New Year in Ecuador
We are now in Loja which is our last stop in Ecuador and spent New Year's Eve here last night. A bit tired after an eight-hour bus trip, we did our best to celebrate the occasion, but faded well before midnight and layed on our beds in a cheap hostal while the town erupted with the sound of fireworks.
We spent our Christmas in Quito and attended a party given by the Spanish Explorers Club, on Christmas Eve, at the Queen Victoria Pub. With a name like that I had expected the party to be attended by sad British packpackers with no family at Christmas time, but in fact most travellers have fled to the coast at this time of year as it rains most days in Quito. We met some interesting people who have taken up volunteering posts in Quito, and the man who runs the pub, Simon, had sold his shares in a marketing company in West London and now calls himself the "Barbara Windsor of Quito". On Christmas Day Jon and I spent a lovely morning at the Botanical Gardens and in the evening had a good meal at the Magic Bean.
The following day we travelled to Banos which took us 8 hours by bus. We found a very friendly and busy hostel with lovely views over the mountains. It was here that Jon felt driven to say "darling I am sorry to say this, but your feet smell dreadful". Of course I had to point out to him that travel-buddies are sometimes a little bit disgusting, but it made me think that you often see trainers outside the doors in hostals. Something you wouldn't know if you hadn't been there.
After a couple of days in Banos we took a bus to Cuenca. Amazing scenery and memorable scenes on the way. Indigenous people are seen dotted amongst the fields in traditional costume, tilling the fields with nothing more basic farming tools. In Cuenca we found a hostel which overlooked the lovely cathedral and monastery which kind of made up for the fact that the bed was as hard as a table. We spent a fascinating day walking around the town, full of indian people, old buildings and lovely sqares. In the afternoon it rained so Jon led us to a museum called Museo del Concepcion which turned out to be a many-roomed exhibition of the life, times and history of the convent and the dedicated achievements of the nuns who lived there. As we were, unsurprisingly, the only visitors, we didn't feel able to duck out before we had seen each and every room and were watched the whole time by serious, unsmiling, staff. We did, however, get chatting to an elegant-looking Ecuadorian lady who explained a herbal garden within the grounds which Jon found very interesting.
The 4-hour jouney by bus to Loja was a cultural feast for the eyes as New Year is huge for the Ecuadorian people. Their main celebration over the Chistmas period is the arrival of the 3 Kings at the Nativity and they parade the streets in costume and guy-like effergies are sold by the hundreds on stalls. These are burned in the streets throughout the day. Most seemed to have on masks of various types and I asked the bus conductor whether they represented political figures, but he said 'no'. Presumably the burning ritual represents some historical event much like our Guy Fawkes, but I have yet to find out what it is.
We leave Loja tonight on the bus and will cross the border into Peru. We are not looking forward to this as people report a nightmare ordeal at the customs post. We will take it as it comes.
My overall feelings about Ecuador: mountains lost in cloud, lush hillsides, busy narrow streets, tiny, weeny ladies in trilby hats, flared skirts and shawls carrying loads as big as them. All-in-all an exotic and exciting time. Looking forward to Peru.
We spent our Christmas in Quito and attended a party given by the Spanish Explorers Club, on Christmas Eve, at the Queen Victoria Pub. With a name like that I had expected the party to be attended by sad British packpackers with no family at Christmas time, but in fact most travellers have fled to the coast at this time of year as it rains most days in Quito. We met some interesting people who have taken up volunteering posts in Quito, and the man who runs the pub, Simon, had sold his shares in a marketing company in West London and now calls himself the "Barbara Windsor of Quito". On Christmas Day Jon and I spent a lovely morning at the Botanical Gardens and in the evening had a good meal at the Magic Bean.
The following day we travelled to Banos which took us 8 hours by bus. We found a very friendly and busy hostel with lovely views over the mountains. It was here that Jon felt driven to say "darling I am sorry to say this, but your feet smell dreadful". Of course I had to point out to him that travel-buddies are sometimes a little bit disgusting, but it made me think that you often see trainers outside the doors in hostals. Something you wouldn't know if you hadn't been there.
After a couple of days in Banos we took a bus to Cuenca. Amazing scenery and memorable scenes on the way. Indigenous people are seen dotted amongst the fields in traditional costume, tilling the fields with nothing more basic farming tools. In Cuenca we found a hostel which overlooked the lovely cathedral and monastery which kind of made up for the fact that the bed was as hard as a table. We spent a fascinating day walking around the town, full of indian people, old buildings and lovely sqares. In the afternoon it rained so Jon led us to a museum called Museo del Concepcion which turned out to be a many-roomed exhibition of the life, times and history of the convent and the dedicated achievements of the nuns who lived there. As we were, unsurprisingly, the only visitors, we didn't feel able to duck out before we had seen each and every room and were watched the whole time by serious, unsmiling, staff. We did, however, get chatting to an elegant-looking Ecuadorian lady who explained a herbal garden within the grounds which Jon found very interesting.
The 4-hour jouney by bus to Loja was a cultural feast for the eyes as New Year is huge for the Ecuadorian people. Their main celebration over the Chistmas period is the arrival of the 3 Kings at the Nativity and they parade the streets in costume and guy-like effergies are sold by the hundreds on stalls. These are burned in the streets throughout the day. Most seemed to have on masks of various types and I asked the bus conductor whether they represented political figures, but he said 'no'. Presumably the burning ritual represents some historical event much like our Guy Fawkes, but I have yet to find out what it is.
We leave Loja tonight on the bus and will cross the border into Peru. We are not looking forward to this as people report a nightmare ordeal at the customs post. We will take it as it comes.
My overall feelings about Ecuador: mountains lost in cloud, lush hillsides, busy narrow streets, tiny, weeny ladies in trilby hats, flared skirts and shawls carrying loads as big as them. All-in-all an exotic and exciting time. Looking forward to Peru.
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