Peru - Puno

31st August - 1st September ´08

Another southbound journey... another Cruz del Sur bus... and we had arrived in Puno where South America´s largest lake resided - Titicaca. This port town was the least elegant of places we had visited in Peru so far, but it was a natural stopover to get to Bolivia and an ideal base to visit Titicaca´s islands... which is exactly what we did the following morning.

A 30 minute cruise along the calm waters of the world´s highest navigable lake brought us to the Floating Islands of Uros. Home to a large community of indigenous folk, the Uros people relied completely on the bouyant Tortora reeds (that grew abundantly in the lake) for their survival. These multipurpose reeds were used to contruct the base of their islands, to build their thatched-roof huts, to weave handicrafts to sell, and finally as a source of food - upon arriving on these springy islands, we were greeted by a family who explained their rituals and habits...unique, self-reliant and remarkable people. Thereafter, we took to the sparkling waters again on board an oared, reed-woven long boat before docking back onto mainland. A short taxi ride to the Puma Uta mirador followed, where we could appreciate views of Lake Titicaca and it´s islands from a staggering height. And our short stay in Puno was completed as we prepared for our overground border crossing into Bolivia.

Peru - Cusco

24th - 30th August ´08

Cusco... the gateway to the Lost City of the Incas - Machu Picchu... was without a doubt our most inspirational city in Peru. This elevated archeological capital of the Americas centred around a spectatular Plaza de Armas built on the stone foundations of the Incas and from which branched many characteristic, cobblestone streets. Our early morning arrival brought us to some pre-booked accomodation located at the top of a steep hill - Loki hostel... a restored building in which there were currently over 100 travellers (it reminded us of our university days seeing pyjama wearing cliques engaging in fry-ups with pints of beer... and admittedly it also made us feel old). It was easy to spend the rest of the day and the best part of the next losing ourselves within the twisting alleyways and absorbing the cultural mood. At the same time Preya weaved her Spanish magic with various locals in order to research and book our train journey to Machu Picchu for that next morning.

We arose at 5.30am to catch our tourist crammed 4-hour train to Aguas Calientes (from where it was a short stop to Machu Picchu). The claustrophobic face-to-face seats on board required strategic positioning of our knees with our opposite, but meant that we were introduced to 2 very cool Florida Fellas - Fabian and Tim... we struck up some funny conversations with them for the remainder of the trip when the 4 of us weren´t flicking in and out of sleep. The train journey itself was initially quite an unusual one involving several switchbacks (optimal route)... when we eventually got going, we followed a rippled emerald green river against a backdrop of snowcapped mountains and rich green hills to our destination. Having pre-reserved some basic accommodation, we were greeted at the train station with a board held aloft bearing our names - impressive... the last time we had this treatment was on our honeymoon. Fabian and Tim decided to join us at our hostel and thereafter the 4 of us headed out for lunch. Coincidentally, we were all wearing black tops and Tim coined the phrase... ´The Black T-Shirt Club´- a new fraternity had been formed and we stood by our motto... ´once you go black, you never turn back´. The quaint village of Aguas Calientes was nestled within deep valleys giving it a real sense of isolation and a community feel... we continued to loiter around the few select plaza benches indulging in chocolate-rich cakes whilst getting to know each other better. After attempting to visit the hot springs (which turned out to be chlorinated roman baths), Preya impressed the Florida Fellas with her conversational haggling at the local market. And we completed a fun day drinking beer, pisco sour and dining at a quiet restaurant which we filled with tears of laughter.

5.30am was once again the theme for the following morning when we had arranged to meet our guide and join the hoardes of gringos queuing for the bus to Machu Picchu. The narrow, steep winding road up the flanks of the valley was not for the feint-hearted and our lack of breakfast was fully justified. After assembling the group, our guide Adriel led us through the entrance and up the zig-zagging staircase to Funerary Rock where the ruins stretched out below us... for several minutes we stood wide-eyed and marvelled at the untouched citadel. As the sun rose above the surrounding valleys, it revealed the perfect postcard picture. Proceeding around the vast maze-like structure for 3 hours, Adriel explained the purpose of the different rooms, how the Incas carved their fire stonework and how they relied so immensely on the sun. When the tour came to an end, the time had come for the notorious ´Black T-Shirt Club´ to run riot around Machu Picchu... we lounged, lingered and explored for several more hours before closing the chapter on this world-famous lost city. Exhausted from our long days, we boarded our train back to Cusco in time for a final dinner with Fabian and Tim. As we continued to joke and reminisce about the previous 2 days, we were really glad that we had shared our experiences with the ´Black T-Shirt Club´.

The following day marked our 3rd year wedding anniversary, and deservedly so, we checked ourselves into a plush hotel offering all the luxuries and most importantly a minibar. The next 2 days involved champagne, massages, fine dinners and plenty of bedtime stories. Next stop in Peru... Puno.

Peru - Arequipa

20th - 23rd August ´08

Our delayed long-haul bus journies were definitely beginning to take their toll, however our arrival in Arequipa was a welcoming sight... an elegant Plaza de Armas housed white-washed colonnial buildings made from sillar - a dazzling volcanic rock from the trinity of surrounding volcanoes: Pichu Pichu, El Misti and Chachani. At 2335m above sea level, the hostels in Peru´s second largest city were offering travellers coca-leaf drinks to help acclimatise to the altitude (chewing the raw leaf was also considered to increase alertness, reduce hunger, cold and pain). After finding accommodation we lazily explored the perfect grid shaped streets where the abundance of competing yellow micro-taxis strangely gave it a sense of charm. As the intense afternoon sun faded, the night introduced a new climate requiring overcoats and scarves... which we ended in the lively Calle de San Francisco.

Over the next day we visited what our Lonely Planet bible regarded as ´must sees´. Firstly, the Monasterio ed Santa Catalina - a mazelike citadel that several nuns from Europe had occupied after the Spanish conquest in order to preach and spread the catholic religion. As we stepped back in time exploring the twisting alleyways and fruit-filled courtyards, our knowledgeable guide explained how the living quarters of the nuns varied depending on their wealth (that was until a super-nun arrived to oust this behaviour). A casual 30 minute walk to the suburb of Yanahuara brought us to a bench-filled plaza boasting great views of Arequipa and El Misti. It was easy to write-off a few hours here just reading and talking... which we did so effortlessly. That evening, we dined at a small, but slightly upmarket traditional Peruvian restaurant where a blind accordian musician provided the perfect ambience.

Arequipa reminded us of Banos (Ecuador) in certain respects offering a multitude of activities... it was time once again to put on our gloves and helmets, mount our bikes and cycle across the countryside. Initially unknown to us, our guide Aldo was in fact the National cross-country champion (150km) for his class (30-40 years)... it gave us a real sense of satisfaction to ride alongside him. After picking us up from our hostel, Aldo transported us to his home in a small residential area outside the city centre where we geared up and began the journey. Our winding 35km route took us though some ancient Incan valleys, vast farmland, sparse villages and some spectacular views of the mountains. As the terrain changed from slow moving sand to rocky slopes, we made stops along the way where Aldo told us stories of old and introduced us to welcoming faces... it was a rewarding and fulfilling activity. When our memorable 4 hours of pedalling came to an end, we headed out to the station later that night to catch our faithful Cruz del Sur bus which hosted cama seats, a meal and even a game of bingo.

Arequipa was without a doubt a place that anyone could relax in and soak in the culture for a few days; and as many people had recommended, it would be more fully appreciated if visited before Cusco. Next stop in Peru... Cusco.

Peru - Nazca

18th - 19th August ´08

Our next stop along the well-defined gringo trail was Nazca - home to the phenomenon known as the Nazca lines which had placed this small town on the world map. Spread over 500 sq km of arid plains, these lines (created centuries ago by partitioning rocks from the surface to expose lighter soil) revealed geometric and nature-related formations most popular of which were the alcatraz, monkey and spider. The most common way to appreciate these representations was via an aerial view on board a 3-5 seater plane... however, a recent air crash (which suspended certain airlines) meant that prices for a 30 minute flight had almost trebled. For this reason, and after speaking to several locals, we opted to hire a guide for the following morning to take us to the Mirador where we could learn about 2 of the symbols (hand and tree) in more detail - you´ve seen one, you´ve seen them all. Like many of the cities in Peru, the quaint, little town of Nazca boasted a Plaza de Armas from which branched calles lined with cafes and restaurants... and it was here that we spent the rest of our initial night.

The Nazcans were proud people who relied primarily on farming and tourism as sources of income... and the next morning we unravelled the mysteries behind their largest tourist attraction. A 20km jeep ride though mineral rich valleys brought us to our viewpoint where our guide explained numerous theories behind these lines... reasons included sacrificial sites, ritual walkways and more recently extra-terrestrial landing points - no one quite knows for real. Maria Reiche (whose house-converted museum we visited thereafter) was a German mathematician who devoted part of her life to researching these lines... she theorized that they represented an astronomical calendar used by the Nazca people as far back as 900 BC - her work had made her famous.

Just as in Huacachina, the small town of Nazca offered little more than this one highlight, and for that reason we decided to board an overnight bus to Arequipa... unfortunately our first choice selection of bus (Cruz del Sur) was unavailable and we were forced to take another - 2 hours of delay, 2 further hours of spare tyre searching, and many crude winding roads meant that we arrived at our destination after 13 hours (instead of 9) having had very little sleep.

Peru - Huacachina

17th - 18th August ´08

Our 4 hour journey from Lima to Huacachina was on board a dual class bus operated by Cruz del Sur (if travelling overground through Peru, this is an established company that we highly recommend). With aeroplane´esque seats and panoramic views from our frontally located recliners, it was an extremely comfortable and scenic route. As we approached the small hidden town of Huacachina, we saw towering sand dunes surrounding a picturesque lagoon - a mirage-like oasis decorated with palm trees and restored buildings. The main activity was sandboarding for which most people spent only one night here and we had already decided to follow this trend. After checking into the popular backpacker haunt of Casa de Arena, we went in search of a dune buggy tour for that same afternoon. Our driver was Ricardo - a charismatic individual who knew the wide-spanning dunes like the back of his hand. It was a real rollercoaster sensation climbing our way up the steep mountains of sands before hurtling our way downwards. At certain peaks, we would wax our sandboards before attempting to maintain a standing balance on the descend... after falling harmlessly several times, we resolved to the more effective lying-on-our-stomachs technique. As we watched the sunset over the endless number of dunes, our 3-hour theme park ride came to an end. With sand filled shoes and pockets, we showered, dined and then retreated for the night in preparation for our next stop... Nazca.

Peru - Lima

13th - 16th August ´08

Our experiences and memories of a place had been dominated by the people we knew or met there... so accordingly we looked forward to our stay in Lima. The lovely Carola (a fully pledged member of the Galapagos Gang) had offered us a spare room in her flat and we had gratefully accepted. Her place was located in a very affluent area in the heart of the capital (between Miraflores and San Isidro)... it was great to arrive to a homely environment and finally to be in a place that didn´t warn us about putting toilet paper in the toilet (there was potential for blockage due to thin plumbing pipes in many hostels). Having reached Lima quite late that night, there was time for one drink in which Carola introduced us to the local speciality... Pisco Sour - a very drinkable concoction of Brandy, egg white and lime juice.

Being in such comfortable suroundings, it was a struggle to drag ourselves out of bed the following morning... when we finally did, we walked and walked until we could walk no more. Our route initially took us along the coastline where the weather conditions prevented us from paragliding off the surrounding cliffs. We then circled around the many plazas of Miraflores where the well dressed folk, cafes and restaurants gave it a real European feel. When Carola arrived back from work later that evening, the 3 of us headed out to the coastal avenues of Larcomar... littered with bars and restaurants, and views of the ocean. We continued where we had left off in the Galapagos Islands... ending the night with cocktails and B52´s.

The next day we had a lunch date with ceviche - a traditional dish of raw white fish marinated in lemon juice, onions and hot peppers, (with side servings of sweet potato and corn on the cob). Carola´s multi-talented housekeeper had prepared her signature dish for us to sample... very tasty and the additional rocotta (spicy chilli) meant we were fully awake for the afternoon of exploration that lay ahead. Our short taxi ride (no metro system as yet) to the old quarter highlighted the congestion problems that were so prevalent in Lima... some traffic lights never really performed their function and required whistle-blowing traffic controllers to take charge. Just as in Quito, the Old Town was deemed dangerous due to the poverty that existed there, although we never really felt unsafe because of the abundance of patrolling police - the contrast between there and Miraflores was particularly evident. We spent some time appreciating the colonial architecture in the Old Quarter before heading back... we met up with some of Carola´s friends that night (enroute our taxi broke down and began to smoke both inside and out - nothing new in Peru!) and sampled some more traditional Peruvian cuisine. After some good wine and a couple of taxi rides, we found ourselves wandering through the trendy, lively area of Barranco until the early hours of the morning.

With access to a kitchen, our sole mission on our last day in Lima was to remind ourselves what home-cooked food tasted like (Carola was also eager to taste) - the menu del dia was ringra bateta nu shak (aubergine and potato curry). Our first task was to acquire all the ingredients (or improvise) which the 3 of us did at a colourful local market. We were thereafter joined by Alex (another of Carola´s friends) in which the team was organised as follows... Preya - masterchef... Carola - washing and preparation... Yatin - peeling and chopping... Alex - chief-taster? Thankfully Preya hadn´t lost her touch and the meal went down well. We completed the night playing games of ´Bullshit´and watching DVD´s in a fittingly lazy fashion. Carola´s hospitality, company and knowledge had once again made a real difference to our stay in Lima and we looked forward to returning the favour someday. Next stop in Peru... the sand dunes of Huacachina.