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Peru
17th Sept, from Cusco. |
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The enjoyment started to disappear as I tired to focus on the lines not breaking because I did not want to be hanging in the middle of the line. There were two lines that I did not make it to the end of, even with my weight. The poor guide had to come out and hand winch us in. He did the hard work and I did the heavy breathing.
After the session, Jane read in the paper how a lady was killed in the next town on a zip line. I think that will be my first and last time zip lining.
The cloud forest was pretty spectacular but the trees are not very big as you would think they would be.
The two beaches we visited were Mal Pais and Peurto Viaje. Both are very popular surfing beaches.
Mal Pais is on the Pacific side and you can only go out by surfboard.
Peurto Viaje is on the Altantic Coast and is very pretty with very little surf for the time of the year we were there. Apparently for 4 months of the year the surf is flat and we picked one of those months.
Tomorrow we head of to the Amazon basin area to a place called Manu and will spend 6 nights. When we return we will be walking Machu Pichu for 4 days.
We are worried with how we go as there is a climb to 4,000 meters but we can’t handle walking up stairs.
We have just come back from the 'Amazon' or at least the beginning of the amazon. It was quite large considering it was suppose to be close to the source. Lots of dead trees in the river added to some excitement to the 6-hour boat rides to get anywhere. In one incident our guide and the captain were knocked into the water after hitting a tree. No one knew that the captain was gone as we were all busy looking at the people in the water. I was wondering why the guide was shouting orders to the phantom captain but he was calling to one of the assistants to get to the motor and do some driving. It could have been a dangerous situation.
We have seen lots of birds, monkeys and otters but no cats or other animals.
For the 7 days in the area we only had half a day in primary rain forest. The forest was beautiful and it was disappointing that we only had a few hours after all that travel into the 'jungle'.
There is one more day in Cusco before we climb Machu Pichu. The altitude takes a bit of getting use to. They say that every kilo feels like 3 when walking on the trail. I find myself quite breathless just walking up 10 steps. Looks as though I may need to get into the cocoa leaves and resin.
The temperature is quite low here so I think I will also be freezing my butt off, doing heavy breathing and feeling totally buggered. Sounds like a great holiday.
We are only getting a little of the Olympics and saw snatches of the opening. I told Jane that they would probably bring out Victor mowers, Hill's clotheslines and vegemite. She did not believe me. I am disappointed about the clothesline and vegemite.
We are having problems with hotmail in that it takes so long to send messages up to 15 mins and Janes has spent a lot of time trying but seems to have had some bad luck. We were wondering whether we should be using another service.
Moira
We have been out on the Madre de Dio and Manu Rivers looking for wildlife the last week. We came in last night. This was sold to us as being jungle and the best chance to see animals in Peru. We saw few animals but many birds and particularly the red and green macaws and the magnificent red and black cock of the rock birds.
We saw quite a few varieties of monkeys and some giant otters that are on the endangered species list but not much else.
The drive up over the Andes was spectacular (and so was the road - very narrow in places). We started from the dry western side and up over and into the cloud forests of the eastern side, then down into the "jungle" - very hot and steamy. This was made more bearable by the amount of time we spent on the river.
Being on the river helped escape the mosquitoes and sand flies!!!!!!!!
We arrived back in town last night and tomorrow it is the 4 day walk to Macchu Pichu; Moira's personal challenge!!!!!!
As I am breathless in Cusco I think it will just be a physical challenge and hope I can appreciate the scenery through the pain!!!!!!!
I am paying for a porter. I suspect Moira does not think a porter fits into the personal challenge bit whereas I believe I will need ALL the help I can get!!!!
love to the mob.
Moira gave you the wrong information about our zip lining in Monte Verde. The longest line was almost half a kilometre long and the highest line was at 135 metres (about 400 feet). I gather that info was a little different on Moira's e-mail.
I really enjoyed it. I was a bit worried whether I would, but when flying through and over the canopy I relaxed and thought it was fantastic. It was just as well we had not read the newspaper beforehand and read of the death at some other place when a woman managed to detach herself and fell 40 metres in front of her teenage sons.
Moira took it as another of those personal challenges!!! She came through with flying colours but said "never again". I suggested a tandem jump for our 50th birthdays!!!
We had 10 lines with some walking in between - some of which was on aerial bridges. Before the highest line we climbed a tower which gave us views back to Lago Nicaragua, across to Volcano Arenal and back to the Pacific coast - it was windy and cold but superb views.
Moira and a few of the others did not make it across a few times and one of the guides had to come out and bring them in!!!!!!
I rolled off the horse as we were climbing a mountain across from Fortuneza to Monte Verde instead of taking the bus! It was a mad excursion but we did not know that in advance. I would love to have had a video camera because it was something else! We crossed heavily flowing rivers, climbed very steep and incredibly muddy (up above the horses hocks type of muddy) narrow tracks, and then had to descend the same type of track. It was hair raising to say the least, especially because none of us were anything more than occasional sit on a horse, go for a walk type riders.
My horse got stuck up to its hindquarters in the mud and in its efforts to continue up, was rearing quite high. I thought it was going to go straight over backwards, and having lost a stirrup rolled off and away as fast as possible; called being very lucky. I survived in tact with my umbrella in my hand and glasses still on my head!
I was terrified of being kicked in the head or being trampled by the horse behind.
Another day!!!
Cheers
Jane
I received your other e-mail last Thursday afternoon at Aguas Caliente. I was filling in time while the others were up at the hot springs recovering from their 4 day Inca trail experience. I did not have my bathers and was not prepared to wear only my bra and shorts. T-shirts were not allowed and neither was a swim in the raw!!!
I wanted to reply immediately as Thursday morning we were at the Inti Punku (Sun gate) for the sunrise. And Yes it was fantastic. Unfortunately at the time I was only able to read my mail, not post any. It really is very frustrating. There were hundreds of others for the sunrise at the gate so I moved around the corner a bit and sat on a boulder and watched the sun coming over the mountains and onto the site. I could not see the sun's rays coming through the gate but with so many people around I preferred my own experience.
We went with an organised group and I had a porter. I had heard so much about the difficulties of day 2 that with breathlessness lack of fitness and age I was dubious about getting there so hired a porter to carry my gear.
There are an enormous number of people walking the track these days and the place is not much better than a cess pit in many areas. Our porters carried a chemical toilet!!! They will have to work out some system to support the number of people coming through or it really will be destroyed.
The camping places are abysmal with so many people.
Did not see any animals although quite a few birds and flowers.
We had decent weather, a little rain but not enough to make life uncomfortable and quite a bit of cloud so we were lucky for the 1500 metre climb up to Dead Woman Pass. We were all chewing our little hearts out on coca leaf wrapped around llifque. I am not sure whether it made any difference although Moira and others thought so. All it did was numb my tongue - we have not come out of our drug experience with an addiction!! Plenty of Coca tea was drunk as well (mate de coca).
The scenery was spectacular, grand craggy mountains and beautiful cloud forests.
We had 9 people in our group and most were young Aussies and New Zealanders - a really nice bunch of young people and so refreshing after some tourists we have met. The only down side was the number of fellow walkers.
We were lucky on day 2 as we were the last group to leave the camp and hence had the trail to ourselves.
On day 3 in the afternoon our guide took us off the track (unauthorised, I think) and walked us around a longer but more scenic route and minus the hordes. We got to a point where we looked across to Machu Picchu at around sunset, a bit earlier.
The site itself probably has not changed much since you were there - perhaps a few more terraces cleared - there is not a hot dog stand at the entrance but there is a cafe and most welcome too.
We returned to Cusco on Thursday night on the train - the lights coming back into Cusco were brilliant, I hope the photo does it justice.
On Friday morning we were back on the train to Puna. A long trip across the high plains only relieved by the odd incident like being disconnected from the rest of the train. We were in the last carriage and after one bump too many discovered the train and other carriages going off into the distance!!!! It was realised and they came back for us!!!
On arriving in Puna we discovered that the road to La Paz on the Bolivia side has been blocked for some days by protestors against the current government so we can not get their as planned. We are not sure what we will do but probably head back to Lima and reorganise our plane ticket from there to Brazil. Tomorrow, I hope.
Today we took a trip out to the floating Uros islands (built on reeds and anchored by pole to the bottom of the lake)and on to Taquile Island. With the wind factor, it was quite cold. I almost missed the return boat as I was being offered to a young single man at the Community art shop.
Have you been out there, Jenny? The men wear wonderful knitted hats that denote their marital status.
Will have to visit South America another time, given that we really did not have enough time here in Peru, and not getting to Bolivia. I always wanted to go to Chile too so next time!
My love to Georgeous, and all the others, they are not forgotten
Love
Jane
There were only the 4 of us and we ran into one local guy and his son coming the other way on the trail on day 2.
We split up as Trevor and Kristin wanted to do a diversion, so after day 3 there was only Alexandra and myself. We had the gateway to ourselves and rolled on into Macchu Picchu alone, to be met by an American guy who was walking up from the ruins as far as he could go before sunset.
There were basically no real signs of travellers. The campsites were pristine.
We camped by a set of aqueducts on night 3 I think. It rained and we had a wet camp. In fact it rained a bit on our walk.
Did you climb Wanapicchu? I recall that being one of the many highlights.
Yes I did go to the reed islands on Lake Titicaca.
Pity you couldn't get into La Paz. La Paz is a great city. They have regular revolutions where power is transferred, but it never really happens outside the main square. Fairly not violent I recall which was a change for South America in those days.
Pinochet was still at the height of his reign of terror just over the border.
Anyway, it looks like you are on to Rio. Do you think you will ever make Italy?
It is 1830 Sunday evening and we are in Puna. We have been having a relaxing day - just wandering around and writing post cards and washing etc - a nice change.
You would not like the trail at all Jen, Your walk 16 years ago sounds incredible. There must have been at least a hundred at the sunrise (Moira says less but it felt like a few hundred!!)!!!!!! We never had anything like a pristine campsite.
Unfortunately we did not get the time to climb Wanapichu, the tour guide had us out by 11:30!!!! The disadvantages of a group. I said to Moira I did not know why we had to leave so early except that most of the group, all those young things, were exhausted and I don’t think would have even contemplated another climb. Next time around.
I would not recommend the Inca trail to others. I think it is probably better to go up on the train as early as possible and climb Wanapichu or walk back up to the sun gate.
If you want to hike go to one of the many other places in Peru for beautiful and pristine surroundings.
We are flying to Lima in the morning. We have to take a bus to Juliacca and then plane.
Apparently all land crossings to La Paz are closed by the campesinos. We heard of someone going over and being allowed through the first two road blocks but being turned back on the third.
We have decided to try and change our ticket to Lima - Rio. We are a bit hesitant about even flying to La Paz in case it blows up and the airport is closed. I gather it has been going on for a few weeks and the government has only just sat down to talk!
We should fly to Rio on Wednesday and on to London about the 28th October.
Love to all
Jane
It has been a bit expensive waiting for clarification from the airlines as to our rights with paying or not paying for the change in the travel itinerary. At least we have done some Chrissy shopping and continue to try the local cuisine.
Hopefully we will be on the plane to Rio tomorrow evening at the wonderful hour of 11.50pm. This is the only flight time out of Lima to Rio.
Speak to you soon.
Moira
Stuck in Lima.
We returned here due to problems in La Paz. Now Varig are telling us that we must pay another $297 to change our flight. We don’t think this is correct and are waiting for responses from Ansett in Australia - in particular Ansett Darwin!!!!!! We have been waiting for 3 days now!!!!!!!!
We were supposed to fly from La Paz tomorrow, so who knows. We feel a bit pissed off!!!
We are going to do a movie today and maybe even a BEAUTY treatment!!!!!!!!
Jane
