people...

all buffed out


porter showing us the way


Say Chicha!




playing cards - the hardcore


our lovely guides


cocatea in bed!

still listening...

a bit tired by now

shattered but happy!

and finally... Machu Picchu!

inside the ruins




the classic - with llama



from the sungate very early morning

day 2 and 3

day2: Steepest and highest pass, day3: rain rain and more rain and going thru the clouds...John found a perfect hat protector and me a very bright rain poncho.

Photos Inka Trail and Machu Picchu

Inka Trail and Machu Picchu

This was so far one of the highlights of our trip, the wonderful Inka Trail. First of all, you can see the map of the trail. We started at km82 and from 2.600m to 3.000m on the 1st day. Then up to the highest pass on the 2nd day, 4.200m. From there it was mainly downhill, since M.P. lies at 2.400m! And Inka Steps are bloody high, believe me. It was really the toughest thing I´ve ever done, but it was well worth it! And we were very lucky with the weather, since it only rained 1 day, the rest was sunshine and clouds.

The Landscape is beautiful, very lush and green with high snowcapped mountains in the background and lots of Inka Stones and ruins on the way. However, after day 3 I did not want to see another step in my life! ;-)
Downhill was very hard on your knees and uphill was tough on the breathing, especially on the 2nd day when we climbed 1,200m in one day, also affected by the altitude. But everyone went at their own pace and it was fine to be at the end of the group. Day 3 was the hardest for me, since it was raining a lot and we walked for 10 hours altogether. But on day 4 we were rewarded with the fantastic view of Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Inkas. John did very well uphill, but was struggling a little with the downhill, since it´s very hard on the knees and needs a lot of concentration and coordination.
But words simply cannot describe the experience, get yourselves out there and JUST DO IT!
Enough said, check out the pics!

Cusco - Capital of the Inkas (via Lima)

Going down on the night bus, we stayed in Lima for one day and one night which was absolutely sufficient for me. Lima is a huge city, has got some nice architecture and buildings but far too many people in one place. Of course it is also quite dangerous at night, so I didn´t feel too comfortable there. Although it lies by the sea, theres a film of smog over the city, which means almost always grey skies and it was freezing cold. John of course loved it, and will go back at some point during our trip but without me.

A few days ago we arrived in Cusco, high in the Andean mountains (3,320m). Flying in from sea level, we had to get used to the altitude. It really affected me, I was constantly out of breath and my appetite was almost non-existant, well at least for the first 2 days! More or less ok now.

Cusco is much smaller than Lima and of course very touristy. But I like it a lot, you can find all sorts of restaurants and bars, even English and Irish pubs etc. Cusco is surrounded by Inka ruins, so there is a lot to explore here. The main one is of course Machu Picchu, for which we will start a 4day trek tomorrow. Apparently it´s quite strenuous, but we can take our time and enjoy the fantastic views.
Full Machu Picchu report to follow... here a few photos of Lima and Cusco.

Peru - the attack of the ocean

We arrived in Peru via Chiclayo and Trujillo and have now set camp in a place called Huanchaco, which is basically a sea and surf resort north of Trujillo. Quite relaxed here and I feel like staying here a couple more days.

Beach life as we know it: I was lying on the beach while John was wandering around town (note: he hates beach, water and sand! - not the surfer type as you can imagine). But he decided to join me later in the afternoon on the beach, fully clothed of course incl. hat and walking boots as not to get any sand in his shoes. ;-)

While I was testing the water and waves (some big ones) John decided to sit down and listen to his MP3 player. A few minutes later i just hear this massive splosh (!) and when I look around, theres this dry part of the beach, which is now completely covered in sand and water! Of course it was just the part where John was sitting, so John+ beach towel, rucksack, book, shoes, mp3player etc. got their fair share of the killer wave! It was quite a hilarious site, especially since the rest of the beach remained dry!! The ocean seemed to have decided to attack John, maybe because of his aversion? Don't mess with nature i just say! He was quite annoyed and soaked in wet sand, but couldnt help laughing in the end. Words cannot describe how hilarious the site was.
I was just happy I had removed camera and other electronic equipment from my bag beforehand (intuition maybe)! Of course it was hard work to get it all cleaned again, but the look on John's face, i wished I did have my camera after all!
John is still trying to get out the sand from his walking boots and is now obviously even more reluctant to enjoy beach life!
Tonight onwards to Lima - more of John's territory, less of mine!

This and that

We are in Loja now and will cross the border to Peru tonight. Trying to kill time til night bus departs at 11pm. We´re both not feeling too well stomach-wise, don´t know where from but this happens when you travel. At least my appetite has gone down, which can only be a good thing! LOL

I thought I´d enlighten you with a couple more random photos... i.e. us at the Equator Line, visiting indigenous villages and trying out the local hats, food: ceviche-i.e. raw seafood stew (the best food in Ecuador), exotic fruits and the infamous "cuy" (grilled gunea pig-can you see its little legs sticking out?). Not for the faint-hearted!

Hope London is not too cold and grey!