Hey everyone
So we are sitting in this cute little hostal called posada del cacique in Arequipa, it has a sun terrace and really friendly owners. Plus we have a private bathroom - bit of a luxury but really nice. We are having a recovery, relaxation and planning day.
http://www.laposadadelcacique.com/
Thanks for all your comments, but please can you put your names in the text as they are all signed anonymous. Obviously mostly we can work it out, if you don´t, and of course we really appreciate them. As you can tell, we can´t upload photos on this computer so we will try at the next place we stay!
So we caught the overnight bus from Cusco to Arequipa and it was an experience but pretty good. We had semi-reclining seats with a company called cruz del sur and they served airport type food (Nina didn´t touch!). We got enough sleep but were still a little out of it when we arrived last monday. We didn´t get up to much,but were finalising the dates of our trip to the colca canyon and did a bit of shopping. Arequipa is much less tourist than cusco and it is nice to cross a street without a child or woman wondering if you want to pose for a photo with a goat or llama, if you want to buy some finger puppets or have a massage (seriously). It is surrounded by volcanic mountains and is a really pretty little town.
So on Tuesday we got picked up by 3.30 am (!!!!) by the tour bus and they took us to Chivay (4 hours away, all spent sleeping) which is a stop for seeing condors. We had ten minutes for brekky which was a stale roll and some tea - not the best start...
Anyway, we went to the top and saw two condors pretty much straight away, which was pretty cool seeing as it is nesting season and we were only there for ten minutes.
Our guide then took us on a bus to cabanaconde for 2 hours and then we had lunch at a little place. They gave us soup and then rice with avocado for Nina and beef and lentils for glenn. We were walking with only one other guy (Miguel) and the guide, so it was a big difference to MP. We basically spent the afternoon walking down the canyon - it took about 3 hours and was pretty hard work. We were carrying our personal items (incl clothes etc) for the three days and it was really hot. The path is steep, dusty and there are mules going up and down, with people in traditional peruvian dress on them. The environment is a bit like the wild west or uma thurman in Kill Bill walking across the desert - dry, dusty, trails and cacti! Our guide kept stopping to explain stuff about the local fauna, flora and people that lived there so we took it pretty easy going. And we got to use Glenns A-level geography when it came to understanding the different rock formations.
Worryingly we knew we had to walk up the canyon again, given our perspective on how deep it was and how long it took to get down.
We stayed at a little place called House of Roy at the bottom of the canyon- which was really nice. Great food, comfy, warm, amenities (so much better than MP) and we basically stayed in our own little huts. There was even a shower, plus dogs and chickens around. Downside - beer cost 10 soles (about triple what it should, but still only 2.50 ish GBP) but it was nice having one under the stars. The guy travelling with us was a peruvian doctor called miguel and was really friendly.
Next day - up at 7-ish (what a luxury) and we spent the morning walking through the canyon. We walked up several ridges and a long a pass to see several settlements and then down the other side to see an óasis´called Sangalle. It is basically a little resort with pools and lush greenery in the middle of the canyon. It really stands out from the top of the canyon as we could see it as we descended. We stayed in a little hut again, but spent most of the day beside the pool after three hours walking, we really needed it. The pool was filled up with the water from the local springs and was lovely (if a bit cold)... Nina spent a good 2 hours swimming as it was so nice).
So a good two days and then the last one...
We had two options - get up at 2.00 (possibly see more condors) or 4.00am (not see condors) - we took the second option (what is it on treks and getting up in the middle of the night?). And then we spend the next 3.5 hours walking up a dry, dusty trail which we couldn´t see for the first hour, on no breakfast. Wow that was fun. It was dark when we started and the moon, stars were really clear - but we didn´t get a chance to appreciate them. We took the slow and steady approach again (well Nina had to, to be fair) and appreciated the difference between the MP trek and this one. The big group and the organised rest stops, plus a positive aim really made a difference on MP; but this was different - it is no fun being at the back of a group of 4 people.... When the sun came up, we could see the trail a lot better and it made a difference when Nina decided to stop and have some breakfast (energy bar) and some coca sweets. With the sun coming up, the shadow was chasing us up the valley and finally caught as near the top at about 7.30 which made it ten times harder. We kept seeing (sensible) tourists coming up on mules which went up quickly- they are the local 4 wheel drives and are really expensive in the area.
Anyway, we got to the top, feeling slightly ill but happy to have made it. Quick walk to cabanaconde for breakfast (glenn had nina´s cos she felt ill) and then trip to chivay again. We then had a quick trip to the natural hot springs - which were really really hot and sulphurous but worth it. They are like the ones in iceland, but without the cold air around it which causes the steam (and are in another continent...). Then rushed back to Chivay to wait for our bus (no real time for lunch) and waited and waited and waited - it was late. Then 4 hour bus ride from hell on minibus with lots of tourists who wanted to take photos of everything (llamas, dogs, chickens, shanty towns....) and we were wedged in to tiny seats - not good for glenn with his long legs or nina with a tummy ache. PLUS the road is awful most of the way, not paved and the minibus just jolts from side to side.
Oh and Nina broke her sunglasses and lost her lame (but useful) hat.
Finally made it back and went straight to bed. Really tired.
Today feeling a lot happier (having had some sleep), glad we did the tour and appreciate that the bus journey is all part of the experience - can´t imagine that will be the worst road we ever go on in south america! Also, learnt to book tours in the place they leave from - we booked this one in cusco and think we paid over the odds. It was still not expensive - but we could have paid less.
Next stop Puno - still in Peru but near lake titicaca on the border with bolivia. So a 5 hour trip on the bus tomorrow (paved road!) and then Puno to see what is there! No real plans just see what Lake Titicaca is like and how we get to bolivia from there (bus again we think).
Here is the wiki for Lake titicaca.. rumoured to be birthplace of the inca empire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Titicaca
We will blog again soon - love to everyone, plus pretty cool that the parents and grandparents are reading the blog too! Impressive!
Nina and Glenn xx
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Return from Machu Picchu
Hey everyone
So today is Sat 7 November and we returned from MP last night at about 7pm. We were tired, smelly (v), overwhelmed but really happy and proud we did it. AND Glenn is feeling fine.
We have spent today just sleeping, showering, getting our laundry done, and preparing for our next trip - we are going on an overnight bus to arequipa and then on a trip to the Colca Canyon where we can see Condors. I paste a link below to the wiki explanation of the canyon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colca_Canyon
So we still haven´t worked on how to upload pictures but will work on that tomorrow as we have a free day to orient ourselves in arequipa. It will take a while to find those which make us look windswept and interesting as compared to knackered and like we are about to give up.
OK - so Machu Picchu:
Day 1: Meet at 5.15 - alarm went off at 4.30am - nice. Bus for about 3 hrs including stop for brekky. We walked for about 6.5 hrs mostly uphill and reached camp about 4.30 in the afternoon, including a stop for lunch. First impressions - this day was supposed to be the easiest, but was really really hard. Lots of out of breath, legs aching - for Nina it was challenging but could do it. Glenn was throwing up the whole day and felt really really ill. Another girl (Natasha) was the same and was actually taken to the medical centre. Glenn felt like death not even warmed up and was not eating anything (which makes the day even harder).
(n.b. at the same time we felt it was really hard, the porters who carry the main luggage, tents and food etc) were running past with 25kg on their backs not even out of breath).
Anyway the guides were really nice and gave Glenn some special tea plus some good advice about what food to avoid. He had 4 dry crackers for tea whereas the rest of us had loads and loads of food. It is a bit like skiing where you are working so hard that you have massive meals to keep the calories up. Result. Slept in the tent in a beautiful spot with the rain pouring down.
Day 2 - Glenn feeling better, but being very careful about what he eats (dry carbs and special tea) but no more throwing up - yey! This is the hardest day, basically 11 hours of walking in 4 stages: from 3,300 m to 4,200 m (dead woman´s pass), then down to 3580m, then lunch. Then up to 4000m and down to 3600 m. Inca people seemed to like really steep hills and loads and loads of steps. The downhill parts were almost harder because of the impact on the knees and it was slippy in the afternoon due to constant rain (we wore red ponchos, really good look). We had walking sticks to help - everyone did (not just us) and it really helped. In hindsight we would have had 2 rather than 1 each but didn´t want to look like british pensioners out for a sunday afternoon trek....
This day was really hard, but weirdly the best day as when you have climbed up loads and loads of steps which are practically vertical and got to the top, you feel amazing. Plus glenn was better and actually enjoyed it. On the return to camp, the porters clap you back, which feels good.
The air is amazing and the views are really amazing - every 5 minutes there is a kodak moment, so there will be lots to bore everyone with when we get back. Also, the group was really good. There was 14 of us (including craig and natasha - who felt better the second day) and it was an international group - we had people from USA, denmark, ireland, dubai, UK, ecuador and france. The camaraderie of the group really made the difference during the trek and made the evenings at dinner really fun.
The most over-used phrases of the day were át my own pace´and ´take your time´ and ámazing´. When we were tired, chewing coca leaves really helped (thanks for the tip, clare). The weirdest moment was when it was raining at the end of the trek and i was singing the grease medley to glenn. Lucky glenn.
Day 3: Easier day - but lots of downhill. Better weather today and a much easier pace. All the way through we were stopping at inca sites and receiving information on inca culture - so we could feel we learnt something as well as did the trek.
Day 4 - up at 3.30am to get to MP for an early start. Quite hard trekking up stairs (´gringo killer steps´) to get to the sun gate. The view was amazing as the mists rolled up - it was really mystical and weird. We waited to see if it would clear (it didn´t) and then walked to MP. After an hour or so, the mist started to clear and we walked round MP. It was amazing (that word again) and we could see the remains of various temples and buildings which gave an insight into inca culture. Marco and Francisco (our guides) were brilliant the whole way through - from motivating, to sorting our medical emergencies, to taking the piss, to giving hour long lectures on the inca culture. They have to do a 5 yr uni course to become guides and they basically made the trip as good as it was.
Then home, shower and a quick meal out (and beer) to belatedly celebrate Nina´s birthday and our wedding anniversary. Can´t think of a better way to have spent the time, and it was totally a trip of a life time!
OK, so we have to go and get our bus now. Thanks for all the comments, it is great to read them and makes us feel in touch with everyone. Missing everyone, but having a fab time (as you can tell).
Nina and Glenn (now back in the game).
So today is Sat 7 November and we returned from MP last night at about 7pm. We were tired, smelly (v), overwhelmed but really happy and proud we did it. AND Glenn is feeling fine.
We have spent today just sleeping, showering, getting our laundry done, and preparing for our next trip - we are going on an overnight bus to arequipa and then on a trip to the Colca Canyon where we can see Condors. I paste a link below to the wiki explanation of the canyon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colca_Canyon
So we still haven´t worked on how to upload pictures but will work on that tomorrow as we have a free day to orient ourselves in arequipa. It will take a while to find those which make us look windswept and interesting as compared to knackered and like we are about to give up.
OK - so Machu Picchu:
Day 1: Meet at 5.15 - alarm went off at 4.30am - nice. Bus for about 3 hrs including stop for brekky. We walked for about 6.5 hrs mostly uphill and reached camp about 4.30 in the afternoon, including a stop for lunch. First impressions - this day was supposed to be the easiest, but was really really hard. Lots of out of breath, legs aching - for Nina it was challenging but could do it. Glenn was throwing up the whole day and felt really really ill. Another girl (Natasha) was the same and was actually taken to the medical centre. Glenn felt like death not even warmed up and was not eating anything (which makes the day even harder).
(n.b. at the same time we felt it was really hard, the porters who carry the main luggage, tents and food etc) were running past with 25kg on their backs not even out of breath).
Anyway the guides were really nice and gave Glenn some special tea plus some good advice about what food to avoid. He had 4 dry crackers for tea whereas the rest of us had loads and loads of food. It is a bit like skiing where you are working so hard that you have massive meals to keep the calories up. Result. Slept in the tent in a beautiful spot with the rain pouring down.
Day 2 - Glenn feeling better, but being very careful about what he eats (dry carbs and special tea) but no more throwing up - yey! This is the hardest day, basically 11 hours of walking in 4 stages: from 3,300 m to 4,200 m (dead woman´s pass), then down to 3580m, then lunch. Then up to 4000m and down to 3600 m. Inca people seemed to like really steep hills and loads and loads of steps. The downhill parts were almost harder because of the impact on the knees and it was slippy in the afternoon due to constant rain (we wore red ponchos, really good look). We had walking sticks to help - everyone did (not just us) and it really helped. In hindsight we would have had 2 rather than 1 each but didn´t want to look like british pensioners out for a sunday afternoon trek....
This day was really hard, but weirdly the best day as when you have climbed up loads and loads of steps which are practically vertical and got to the top, you feel amazing. Plus glenn was better and actually enjoyed it. On the return to camp, the porters clap you back, which feels good.
The air is amazing and the views are really amazing - every 5 minutes there is a kodak moment, so there will be lots to bore everyone with when we get back. Also, the group was really good. There was 14 of us (including craig and natasha - who felt better the second day) and it was an international group - we had people from USA, denmark, ireland, dubai, UK, ecuador and france. The camaraderie of the group really made the difference during the trek and made the evenings at dinner really fun.
The most over-used phrases of the day were át my own pace´and ´take your time´ and ámazing´. When we were tired, chewing coca leaves really helped (thanks for the tip, clare). The weirdest moment was when it was raining at the end of the trek and i was singing the grease medley to glenn. Lucky glenn.
Day 3: Easier day - but lots of downhill. Better weather today and a much easier pace. All the way through we were stopping at inca sites and receiving information on inca culture - so we could feel we learnt something as well as did the trek.
Day 4 - up at 3.30am to get to MP for an early start. Quite hard trekking up stairs (´gringo killer steps´) to get to the sun gate. The view was amazing as the mists rolled up - it was really mystical and weird. We waited to see if it would clear (it didn´t) and then walked to MP. After an hour or so, the mist started to clear and we walked round MP. It was amazing (that word again) and we could see the remains of various temples and buildings which gave an insight into inca culture. Marco and Francisco (our guides) were brilliant the whole way through - from motivating, to sorting our medical emergencies, to taking the piss, to giving hour long lectures on the inca culture. They have to do a 5 yr uni course to become guides and they basically made the trip as good as it was.
Then home, shower and a quick meal out (and beer) to belatedly celebrate Nina´s birthday and our wedding anniversary. Can´t think of a better way to have spent the time, and it was totally a trip of a life time!
OK, so we have to go and get our bus now. Thanks for all the comments, it is great to read them and makes us feel in touch with everyone. Missing everyone, but having a fab time (as you can tell).
Nina and Glenn (now back in the game).
Monday, 2 November 2009
Sacsayhuaman
Hey everyone - thanks for the comments!
This is a really quick post explaining Macchu Picchu...
Basically, we learnt a bit from our guide yesterday which I will try to summarise (he was very good but a tad longwinded). The capital of the inca (kings) empire amd quechua people was Cusco where I am now. When the Spanish came (1530s maybe) they conquered the incas pretty easily and then went onto colonialise a lot of south america.
There are a lot of inca remains around, including about 30 mins up a steep hill outside of Cusco, which is where we walked this morning. Lots of english people call this place ´sexy woman´(try and say it in the quechua).
The last fighting took place in S and after that the spanish went back to Cusco but no-one ever knew where the last inca went.... BUT in 1911 an explorer called Hiram Bingham went further into the jungle and discovered the remains of a total inca city on a mountain (Macchu picchu = old mountain). We are trekking there tomorrow - 4 days and 3 nights - through pretty hard terrain. Very exciting.
So we will be out of contact for a while but when we get back we will try and upload some photos (I look great in my hat and shorts...).
Nina x
This is a really quick post explaining Macchu Picchu...
Basically, we learnt a bit from our guide yesterday which I will try to summarise (he was very good but a tad longwinded). The capital of the inca (kings) empire amd quechua people was Cusco where I am now. When the Spanish came (1530s maybe) they conquered the incas pretty easily and then went onto colonialise a lot of south america.
There are a lot of inca remains around, including about 30 mins up a steep hill outside of Cusco, which is where we walked this morning. Lots of english people call this place ´sexy woman´(try and say it in the quechua).
The last fighting took place in S and after that the spanish went back to Cusco but no-one ever knew where the last inca went.... BUT in 1911 an explorer called Hiram Bingham went further into the jungle and discovered the remains of a total inca city on a mountain (Macchu picchu = old mountain). We are trekking there tomorrow - 4 days and 3 nights - through pretty hard terrain. Very exciting.
So we will be out of contact for a while but when we get back we will try and upload some photos (I look great in my hat and shorts...).
Nina x
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Sacred Valley of the incas - Cusco - 1 November 2009
Hey everyone
Its nice to see our ´followers increase´- top stuff, makes us feel popular.
Today we did a massive long day trip to see about 20 different inca sites - really interesting- but lots of climbing steps. It gave us a taste for the Macchu Picchu trek which we have coming up in a couple of days, think that will be really knackering. We met a couple (Craig and Natasha) who will be doing the trek with us and they gave us plenty of tips for dealing with Glenn´s altitude sickness - including these really good coca sweets, we bought a massive bag so may well be addicts by the time we get back!
It has started to get a bit cold here at nights and will be freezing on the trek so I bought some peruvian gloves - very patterned. I was haggling and then realised I was haggling over 50p and felt mean so just paid the money.
Glenn is a lot better but still not firing on all cylinders - the only wrong with nina is a touch of sunburn from sitting in the courtyard drinking tea a couple of days ago (see last post) - apparently you can get sunburn at 8am.
Tomorrow is our last day of prep before the big trek so it will be all about getting prepared and an early night (we get up at 4.30 on Tuesday).
We are having a great time and feel like we have done a lot and we have only been here 5 days!
Its nice to see our ´followers increase´- top stuff, makes us feel popular.
Today we did a massive long day trip to see about 20 different inca sites - really interesting- but lots of climbing steps. It gave us a taste for the Macchu Picchu trek which we have coming up in a couple of days, think that will be really knackering. We met a couple (Craig and Natasha) who will be doing the trek with us and they gave us plenty of tips for dealing with Glenn´s altitude sickness - including these really good coca sweets, we bought a massive bag so may well be addicts by the time we get back!
It has started to get a bit cold here at nights and will be freezing on the trek so I bought some peruvian gloves - very patterned. I was haggling and then realised I was haggling over 50p and felt mean so just paid the money.
Glenn is a lot better but still not firing on all cylinders - the only wrong with nina is a touch of sunburn from sitting in the courtyard drinking tea a couple of days ago (see last post) - apparently you can get sunburn at 8am.
Tomorrow is our last day of prep before the big trek so it will be all about getting prepared and an early night (we get up at 4.30 on Tuesday).
We are having a great time and feel like we have done a lot and we have only been here 5 days!
Friday, 30 October 2009
Sunny Cuzco - hostal Quipu
So I have spent the morning drinking mate de coca in a sunny courtyard in Cuzco. This post is again from Nina as Glenn is not well - probably a mixture of a cold and altitude sickness - but he is still snoring in the room.
We arrived yesterday and were picked up from the airport by this lovely woman called Lida who runs the hostal (hostal Quipu -www.quipu-cusco.com) which glenn picked as it was pretty cheap and recommended on trip advisor. Really nice sweet hostel, very simple rooms, but friendly staff. I think Lida is used to speaking to English people as she speaks in very slow simple spanish to which i mostly reply ´buena, bonita, si...´all very rudimentary but at least I feel i am speaking the language.
Lovely food last night at a place called Baco - but bit more expensive than we will be able to afford normally. We heard about this place which does 3 course lunch for 1 USD so we will try to go there today (assuming I can get glenn up).
Mate de Coca is the local tea and is used for energy - the leaves are from the coca plant same as is used in the drug but I am assured that it is perfectly normal and totally not the same...
Had a shower this morning and used my shampoo soap for the first time which worked really well. Unfortunately I also used a small travel pot of leave in conditioner - now my hair just looks greasy.. great.
Anyway, am going to go and see if i can wake glenn up now. Bye!
We arrived yesterday and were picked up from the airport by this lovely woman called Lida who runs the hostal (hostal Quipu -www.quipu-cusco.com) which glenn picked as it was pretty cheap and recommended on trip advisor. Really nice sweet hostel, very simple rooms, but friendly staff. I think Lida is used to speaking to English people as she speaks in very slow simple spanish to which i mostly reply ´buena, bonita, si...´all very rudimentary but at least I feel i am speaking the language.
Lovely food last night at a place called Baco - but bit more expensive than we will be able to afford normally. We heard about this place which does 3 course lunch for 1 USD so we will try to go there today (assuming I can get glenn up).
Mate de Coca is the local tea and is used for energy - the leaves are from the coca plant same as is used in the drug but I am assured that it is perfectly normal and totally not the same...
Had a shower this morning and used my shampoo soap for the first time which worked really well. Unfortunately I also used a small travel pot of leave in conditioner - now my hair just looks greasy.. great.
Anyway, am going to go and see if i can wake glenn up now. Bye!
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
So we made it to Lima, in Peru, finally! This post is from Nina cos Glenn has crashed early.
It was a bit of a random flight cos glenn was upgraded, but I wasn´t (don´t ask) which I am totally gonna milk for the rest of the journey (guess who gets to carry all the bags for the next 3 months). Really good flight, but think I am turning into mum as found out all about the guy i was sitting next to on the flight (works for an asparagus company, apparently Peru is the second biggest producer of asparagus in the world after China who knew?).
We are only staying in Lima for one night at this really nice hostal called hostal Victor. I have used my rudimentary spanish briefly, but the proprietor speaks really good english (thank god). We are catching an internal flight up to Cuzco tomorrow and the plan is to stay there for a few days before doing the inca trail. We have already met a couple of other travellers who have been round south america and are heading home soon. They gave us plenty of tips.
Generally, pretty excited and can´t wait to get up to cuzco!
It was a bit of a random flight cos glenn was upgraded, but I wasn´t (don´t ask) which I am totally gonna milk for the rest of the journey (guess who gets to carry all the bags for the next 3 months). Really good flight, but think I am turning into mum as found out all about the guy i was sitting next to on the flight (works for an asparagus company, apparently Peru is the second biggest producer of asparagus in the world after China who knew?).
We are only staying in Lima for one night at this really nice hostal called hostal Victor. I have used my rudimentary spanish briefly, but the proprietor speaks really good english (thank god). We are catching an internal flight up to Cuzco tomorrow and the plan is to stay there for a few days before doing the inca trail. We have already met a couple of other travellers who have been round south america and are heading home soon. They gave us plenty of tips.
Generally, pretty excited and can´t wait to get up to cuzco!
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Only a week to go....
Hi everyone
We are going to use this blog to keep everyone up to date on our travels....
This is our first foray into the world of blogging, so it will be kept fairly simple but hopefully interesting!
We set off in one week and still have tons to do before we go. The most important thing for me will be to heed everyone's warning about not packing too much!
We are going to use this blog to keep everyone up to date on our travels....
This is our first foray into the world of blogging, so it will be kept fairly simple but hopefully interesting!
We set off in one week and still have tons to do before we go. The most important thing for me will be to heed everyone's warning about not packing too much!
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