Cusco's Nightlife, Food & Machu Pichu

Okay Dokey, when I last left off I was mentioning the Irish couple, Owen & Emma, with whom we were planning to meet up with and tear Cusco apart, well as we were leaving the Internet cafe, who did we happen to bump into, you betcha!

Anyway Friday night started out with us doing the rounds collecting all the free drinks that are handed out by the hundreds around Plaza de Armas, before finally settling on a wee place called Mama Africa's (Dave, Steve & Celia, I know that you know this place all too well!). Anyway had a really late night there hanging out with some not so locals from Lima that we are gonna catch up with when we fly in on Tuesday (Lil has had her way again).


Easter Saturday was spent in bed for the most of it, I snuck out early to pick up some chocolate goodies we had spotted at the local Mega for Lil, which settled for Breakfast. When we finally pulled ourselves away from the TNT, WB & AXN channels we headed up the hill scoping out the Pi Shop, which according to the old LP served such goodies as Vegemite (our pack is still sitting in customs in Brasil), but all we came across was a couple of big blue doors where the Pi Shop once reigned. Heading back to the hotel for more cable, checking out apartment options to move into on the way, we stumbled across a joint called Jack's. Menu looked too good to be true! All day breakfast including Bacon, Eggs, Mushrooms, Fried Tomato, Avocado, Beans and beleive or not; Caffe Latte! Being in Peru, well South America for that matter we have to live life a little on the underpriviliged side and when you stumble across goodies like this, it's seriously like Christmas! Well for me and my massive breakfast hungry belly anyway.

Feasted and back home to bed and cable (we have been sort of spoiling ourselves in Cusco) for the remainder of the night except for the half hour before the movies were about to kick off when we headed out for some TA which we got stuck into as soon as we were back in bed.

Sunday we had decided to move accomo around to where Owen & Emma had been hanging, a little more central, cheaper & with a communal kitchen where for the first time in ages we were able to cook up a storm! We spent the day shopping for goodies and trying to confirm which agency I was going to head off with the following day whilst we signed Lil up at Spanish school. At the last minute my tour fell through, which I didn't mind too much cause it was a 5 am start. Pretty chilled night, getting stuck into some awesome stir fry and a bottle of wine.

Monday morning whilst Lil dragged herself out of bed early for school, I slept. Got up just before lunch so we could meet. Headed down to LAN so we could change our flights around a bit, after pushing our exit from South America out by about a month, we have decided to skip Jamaica, Panama & Costa Rica and fly direct from Miami to Nicaragua, before heading North through Honduras, 2 weeks in the Bay Islands, further North still through Guatemala and Southern Mexico where we deicded to skip Northern Mexico and fly direct from Cancun to New York instead of from LA which just seems too far away. Hopefully we will still have enough time and money to get to Cuba from Mexico (gotta get some cubans in before Castro carks it), but we're gonna have to see how we go.

Anywho, finally settled on a different tour which still got me back to Cusco by Friday to meet up with Lil as she rolled out of her Spanish classes. The tour was a good combo; Day 1 cycle 60km (mostly downhill, or so I was told), Day 2 hike 28km, Day 3 hike 22km and Day 4 marvle at the Lost City of the Inca's: Machu Pichu, before jumping back on a train/bus combo for Cusco. After a nice dinner out at the Inca Grill, I was packed and ready to set off.

After 'The World's Most Dangerous Road' in Bolivia, I was ready to take on anything, except probably the 60km that lie ahead. After sitting on a cramped bus for 3 1/2 hours, we jumped off and got going. Seriously, although what we did in Bolivia is supposedly dangerous, this road should be named 'The World's Most Muddy, Bumpy, Wet, Dusty, Rocky Road' and that's not to mention the killer uphills that I was told didn't exist. To make things worse, the only 2 guys in my group apart from my guide were 2 swiss guys that I swear have raced in the Tour de France several times each. I made it through the day, with only pushing my bike up 1 hill like a pussy, but ended up looking pretty deshivled by the end of it.


The next morning I dragged my aching legs, arse and hands out of bed for the next part of the tour. We hiked up mountains, through valleys and along rivers following little dudes home who had walked 3 1/2 hours to get to school and were currently on their return.

On the way we reached some Hot Springs

very unlike any others I have been to so far in South America, that is to say they were clean, beautiful and not cement tubs, where we hung out for a few hours before finally reaching destination 2 with even sorer legs. After dinner we chilled out with some piscola at the local bar where we met some people doing the Salkantay trek, which I was originally trying to get into, who had blisters the size of thier whole feet.

Day 3 we were off again checking out a Cascada in the moring where we were fortunate enough to leave our bags with a lady who breeds Cuy (Guinea Pigs) for the local community to munch on, she had thousands of them running around her kitchen! A delicacy here, I just couldn't get into it.

The afternoon we hiked along the train line pulling off some awesome Stand by Me shots,

before arriving into Aguas Calientes in the mid arvo. Pizza and beers for dinner and to bed early for our 4:30 start to hike up to the Lost City.

The early start was a drainer, especially the 1 hr of pretty much complete vertical to get up to the ruins, but to watch the sunrise over the mountains was well worth the effort.



We spent the morning checking out the different vantage points of the ruins before making our way up yet again to Wyau Pichu (the big mountain overlooking the ruins) where the Swiss boys and I took it easy

and enjoyed the awesome view.


We made it back just in time for our guided tour, which was actually pretty funny. The tour guide was a native, relative of the Incas, and he basically spent the whole tour bagging the Spanish Inquisition and The Peruvian Government. Interesting perspective on things that's for sure. I guess you can't blame him in a way seeing as a few years ago when the the President wanted to visit the ruins, he had the Oblisque in the Central Plaza removed in order for him to land his helicopter there.

Back down the hill to Aguas Calientes for a beer or 2 before our train and return to Cusco. Friday night Lil and I headed back out to our favourite restaurant for dinner, Fallen Angels, where we caught up on things over some awesome food, a few cocktails and a bottle of wine, before heading back to the hostel to pass out.

A very chilled day and night yesterday and today, been checking out a few local highlights and the black market today. Thought we were gonna have a big night last night but our bodies just wouldn't allow us. Gonna have a final all nighter when Owen & Emma get back into town from their trek tomorrow night before heading off to Lima on Tuesday. Mama Africa's, here we come!

Puma Rock to Cusco

That's right Celia, you know Bolivia all too well! check out about 1000 updates below only recently added because of the beautiful technology advanced internet cafes that Cusco has to offer in comparison to it's neighbouring amigos in Bolivia.......

Lake Titi (puma) caca (rock) in the local dialect, aramaya (I think), was a cool place to chill for a few days before our final crusade to Cusco, Peru. We started at Copacabana, a little more mellow than the Brasilian Beach, sort of like Bolivia's Bzron Bay, with vegie retaurants and cool lounges with all you can go nuts with board games and so forth. The first day we spent frantically trying to change money cause stupid us didn't bring enough and check out the beautiful local church.
Some Red Wine and awesome Salmon Trout for dinner, set us up nicely for a long deep sleep.

The next day we headed of for a self guided tour of the Isla de Sol (Sun Island) where it is believed that the very first Inca's came from along with the sun and the moon from the nearby Isla de Luna.

We checked out some ruinas at one end of the island

before making our way South for the 3 hour, up and down, 4000m plus altitude, hike. Some beautiful views were to be had along the way as well as a killer headache due to the oxygen lacking air that our lungs were desperately trying to suck in.

A siesta saw us to dinner time where we made tracks for the local pizza joint, before retiring our tired bodies and heads. The next morning saw me make tracks for the local culture enriched cerro to take in some amazing views of the area.

Before lunch and the next leg of our Puma Rock journey to Puno, Peru, where we allowed ouselves enough time to check out Las Isla Flotantes (Floating Islands), where a community of 1000 people live, replacing the top layers of reeds that make up the islands 2 months of every year.


Before heading into a pumping down town for dinner and on to the bus station for our next leg to Cusco. Finally buses with decent seats and toilets again! (Still nothing beats Argentina). At the bus station we bumped into James (Croft work companion) & his girlfriend Sunny with whom we have been keeping in touch with in case our paths crossed. We thought we had missed each other, but when you least expect it, tired and waiting for your bus, what do you know. Pretty funny exchanging stories of where we've been and what we are onto. I don't think anything can prepare anyone better for the culture shock that can be casued when travelling through 3rd world countries than 9 months in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The rest of this continent is like luxury in comparison, I'm not sure whether Lilla is looking forward to Central America as much as I am after listening to some of their stories.

Cusco Peru, picked up from the bus station from some couch surfing companions and taken to the local shanty town. After Lilla experienced a freezing cold outside shower, we thought we would move into town. Spent the afternoon looking for an apartment before ending up moving in with Linnea and Camilla again for one last night of shennanigans including lots to drink and eat,

more tattoos,

a piercing and some crazy Cusco nightclub action.

Lilla starts school on Monday, whilst I take off on Tuesday for a 5 day hike up to Machu Pichu where I will meet Lil on Saturday. Until then we are going to spend our Easter relaxing and enjoying Cusco's nightlife with an Irish couple we met in Brasil. Can't find any easter eggs though so will have to make do with chocolate beer (well negro anyway).


And by now you know that all new countries need a new look!

Photos from Salar de Uyuni to follow......(sorry about the order of events) another day.

La Paz, WMDR & High Slopes

Not so many dramas leaving Uyuni (well the 2nd time round anyway) and getting ourselves to La Paz. We arrived about 8am on Friday morning, perfect timing to ensure we can make the most of the fin de semana. We met up with Camilla & Linnea for Breakfast, before spending the morning checking out different sites, changing our flight plans (we realised when we got here that we only had 20 days to get to Quito in Ecuador and fly onto Colombia, nowhere near enough tiempo) and stock up on some much needed toiletries for myself after their walkabouts from the bus & suss out different tour guides for the "World's Most Dangerous Road" (named after the average of 250 deaths a year that the road causes).

Dinner and Drinks at Mongos (the local happening gringo spot) with the girls before a somewhat early retirment to esnure we were ready for the "Death Road" in the morning. The next day we were pumped (Camilla slightly less) about what lay ahead of us, and we were not disapointed! The ride was amazing,

reaching about 60km an hour on the bitumen before hitting the dirt and some exhausting uphills, before heading staright back down again at bgreak neck speed through waterfalls, around blind corners (our guides whsitled if something was coming our way), through several crazy drug checkpoints and past a couple of human traffic lights before reaching beer o'clock at the bottom of the mountain.




A couple more drinks down the bottom before it was time for the scariest part of the day, actually busing back up the WMDR. A few beers did seem to put the mind at rest though. An exhausted quadro we made back to the hotel for a much needed long hot shower before hitting the local french restaurant for some superb supper. You gotta love these countries where you can eat like kings for a fraction of the price and still make the daily budget, well most nights anyway!

Sunday saw another early start to the day for the girls and I as we headed to the local ski slope, the highest downhill in world. Since I haven't skied in about 9 years (it's a lot different to snowboarding than I remembered), it probably wasn't the best place to try and remember how to turn. We first had to hike about 1km up to the top of the 5300m mountain (ski lift not working, how unlike Bolivia) in ski boots, about an hour later, out of breath and with little air to inhale, we strapped on our skis and headed for the bottom. the girls took off with much swedidh flair, whilst nI pretty much slide down most of the way and got about 1.5 turns in close to the bottom! I had fun and the views were great, what is there to complain about!?


A relaxing arvo was spent shopping (and trying once again to upload photos), before our final supper at RamJam where we indulged in Spanish Champagne and other assorted goodies before making our way to bed before yet another early start on our way to Lake Titicaca. Which according to the Peruvians and Bolivians is the highest navigatable lake in the world, but according to the rest of South America, they're full of it. Apparently it lies in Chile somewhere.

Potosi Mines, Salar de Uyuni & Southern Bolivia

First stop, Coca Leaves, can`t hit the mines without these babies.

Apparently the chewing of coca leaves helps you acclimitise to high altitude quickly along with keeping your mouth and throat moist which quickly becomes dry 50 meters underground.

The mines were a big eye opener, these people work in some really poor conditions, sometimes up to 20 hours a day for 6 days straight, without hardly any electrical help between the 8000 workers. The tunnels are small at least the Bolivians aren`t tall, these mines have however killed anywhere between 8-10 million people over the years, that`s the current population of Bolivia!

Hopefully the prayer that the miners say to Tio Jorge (Uncle George - otherwise known as Satan, the keeper of the mines)

every Friday to keep them safe actually starts to work. The best part of the tour was letting off the dynamite which you can buy on the streets, no liscence or age minnimum required.

Headed of for the afternoon to the hot springs, which were more like giant cement baths with water so hot that we only lasted half an hour, before heading back to town where we, still aclimitising to the altitude, took it very easy wandering the streets of the markets where you can buy just about anything.


Our bus for Uyuni was an interesting journey with my day pack disappearing half way. We seriously left the bus for 5 minutes for a bathroom stop and when we got back on the bus there was only a space left where my bag had once been. I searched the bus without any luck amd seeing as the bus driver and his amigo weren`t interested in helping out, there wasn`t anything left to do but wait and see if it showed up at the end of the bus journey. At 4 when we arrived (supposedly our arrival time was going to be 1), I checked things out a little more clearly. Still backpackless we headed for the hotel to get some much needed sleep so we could start our tour in the morning of Southern Bolivia, atleat there was nothing too valuable in the bag, the shitty thing is the souvenirs that I lost from Brasil, my diary and my Spanish dictionary.

The next morning we were off on our tour to the Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Lake) & South Western Bolivia..........

Salar de Uyuni was absolutely spectacular, because we are in the wet season the Salt Lake was covered by between 10 to 50 cm of rain (usually completely dry) and the reflection off the water was amazing!

After lunch we continued our journey south passing through the Valley of Rocks

before our car started having a few issues. Get the petrol filter going again and we continue off on our journey spending the first night in a small town called Vila Alora or something of the sorts, where accomodation was basic but comfy enough. The following day was not such an early start departing just after breakfast further south. We checked out a few flamingo filled lakes on the way, enjoying the scenery and taking plenty of photos. Before we reached Lake Colorado, got up close and personal with some Llamas and waited around whilst our driver went to find another Land Cruiser (trust me not very hard on this route) with whom we could exchange batteries as for some reason ours had decided to stop charging.

Once we had reached our humble abode for the evening, a little more basic but still comfy, Adam a gringo companion and I decided to head out for a walk to see if we could check out the sunset. 4500 meters sure takes a toll on the body, it got cold very quickly, the sun disapeared behind the mountains with little sunset affect and the small exercise that we did acomplish resulted in a heavy lack of breath. The following morning we off again at 4:30am, well we were in the car about this time but just as we were ready to take off our battery decided to die again and considering that our tour guide wasn't able to ship one down from Uyuni, he had to frantically run around waking other tour guides up so we could swap batteries again. About 5 we were finally off, driving through some crazy 4wd tracks with the lights off to save battery, freaky stuff.

About 6 we arrived at the Geysers, 5000m above sea level and minus 7 degrees, we only hung around long enough to take a few snapshots, watch the sun rise and take off again headed for the thermal pools. After a quick dip, breakfast was served before our final leg south to Lagoa Verde, a trully remarkable, pituresque, beautiful place.

time to head home, checking out the Salvador Dahli Desert on the way where he was inspired by some of the rock formations. A battery change with our guides amigo on the half way home who had been following us with his own group so we could change batteries back and forth. Another hour into the trip and our battery gave up. Since we had only just changed, our amigo couldn´t help us so we were left to wait on the road for yet another LC to change batteries with. 1 final change and we were finally on our way, once again avoiding the use of headlights to try and save juice.

last night saw the group out for pizza and beer, which 3 of us (including Lilla and myself) couldn´t eat much of due to exhaustion and perhaps a small dose of the old dehydration. We were supposed to train it out of here (Uyuni) last night which we were actually looking forward to, but for some reason the trains, just like LAB had pulled a no go. That leaves us here, hoping on another overnighter on our way to La Paz in an hour. Looking forward to spending a few days in the 1 place for a few days just chilling out!

Photos are not working so will post later!

Bad Ass Bolivia

Ok so now that we are in Bad Ass Bolivia, it was time to get myself a Bad Ass haircut,

hell I have to make the most of being unemployed, hopefully it doesn`t happen too often in life (well actually I`m starting to lose that perspective a little).

After some small planes (this is Lilla`s luxury liner compared to my show box, you would of loved it Eric),

Some awesome birdseye views of the jungle

and an overnighter, we finally made it to Santa Cruz, this place even has ATM`s! Completely wrecked from the non-stop action of go, go and keep on moving, we spent a very relaxing day and evening in SC, Bolivia`s biggest city, before heading for the nearby mountains of the very tranquil Samaipata. With not much to do here but relax, breath in the mountain air, check out an old Inca ceremonial site & some waterfalls, dine on awesome, cheap food thanks to European immigrants who have set-up restaurants up here (thanks guys), we spent our time in Samaipata moving very slowly.

After a couple of nights we headed back to SC to pick up some luggage that we had left there even though we had to bus it back through the area to get to our next destination (nice researching guys). Whilst in town we thought we would check out some flights to Sucre, only half an hour by plane but 15 (which in Bolivia means anywhere between 18-30) by bus. LAB, the airline that`s given us so much joy since we`ve been in Bolivia were on strike so we checked out AeroSur and thought we had hit the jackpot with a flight leaving in an hour and a half, make the reservation, grab our stuff and a cab to the airport, we`re on a roll!

Something weird was definitely going on though; the front gate to the airport was blocked by the striking LAB staff so we had to cut through some farm land to get there. Once there, we only had 5 minutes to pick up our tickets, so I made the frantic dash whilst Lil waited with our bags, only to find out that the intelligent people from LAB thought that they would ruin everyone`s day by parking a plane in the middle of the runway so no-one could leave or land - bastards! Quick, to the bus station before we miss all the buses to Sucre. Shit! We left all our camera connections to download photos in the internet cafe, swing past there but its to late to save them.

The bus ride turned out to be about 17 hours, not too bad after all. A very sleep deprived day was spent yesterday searching Sucre (a town of about 300,000 in Bolivia) for camera connections and hopefully an ipod adaptor, as if these guys even know what Sony is! Made a compromise in the end and landed a Memory Stick - USB plug that I can transfer photos onto the computer with and then onto the ipod. It will do until Miami. Lunch time, relax time, siesta time and dinner time. Sucre is a pretty cool town, could of spent more time there but we have plans to meet our swedish companions in La Paz for the world`s biggest downhil ski slope, gotta keep moving!

So here we are in Potosi, 4070m above sea level, getting puffed out walking up the streets with some pretty major head spins if we push too hard. Spending the day relaxing, acclimitising, before hitting some of the worlds most atrocious mines tomorrow morning (well I am, whilst Lil has a sleep in) and onto some thermal spas to spend the afternoon before we set sail for Uyuni from where we have a 4x4 tour organised throughout the magical salt plains & the extrememly high desert (one of the highest in the world) of southern Bolivia for 3 days. Dave, you`ve promised some pretty amazing things chief, I`m sure your word will live up to what we`re in for!

Well until La Paz where hopefully we`ll have some more photos.........