Got back late last night from the Inca Trail...it was amazing, tougher than I thought it was going to be, but also more beautiful than I thought it was going to be. The weather was pretty rubbish for the 2nd and 3rd day, but it was glorious sunshine by the time we reached Machu Picchu. Exceeded all expectations.
We're catching an overnight bus back to Lima tonight, then another overnight bus tomorrow night to Trujillo - we're finally heading north! :) I'll write up the Inca Trail report from the bus tonight!
xxx
--
Isla McRae
6 Durweston Street
London
W1H 1EN
U.K.
0207 2244191
07908 571153
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Inca trail
Tomorrow we start our 4 day trek. It's been a long wait, but we're
pretty excited now. It's been really rainy, we have nice rain ponchos
and lots of socks, snacks and popcorn!
We were both affected by the altitude when we got here, but feeling
good now, ready to rock! We're going with 'Peru Treks' they organise
the whole thing. 16 people in our group plus guides and porters to
carry tents and cooking gear. I hope we have a good group, so many
tourists whinge all the time!! Back on email Sunday.
Have a good week!
x
pretty excited now. It's been really rainy, we have nice rain ponchos
and lots of socks, snacks and popcorn!
We were both affected by the altitude when we got here, but feeling
good now, ready to rock! We're going with 'Peru Treks' they organise
the whole thing. 16 people in our group plus guides and porters to
carry tents and cooking gear. I hope we have a good group, so many
tourists whinge all the time!! Back on email Sunday.
Have a good week!
x
Sent from my iPhone
Monday, 23 November 2009
Friday, 20 November 2009
Lima to Cusco
So, the night before we left Lima, i am awoken by Kirsty yelping out
in pain. We initially thought that her malaria tablet had got lodged
in her chest... Hours and hours of painful chest compressions
followed. I though she was having a heart attack or something! We went
to hospital in the morning, pretty easy process, they tested her and
told her she was fine. With the pain diminishing, we decided to press
on.
So, our luxury 21 hour bus ride was cancelled due to protesters taking
over the roads. We had to go via Arequipa on the overnight bus
instead. It was a pretty good diversion. We jumped straight on a local
bus out to canyon del colca, for an overnight trip. They advertise
this canyon as being one of Arequipa's main attractions, you'd expect
it to be just down the road, not 5 hours on the bumpiest roads! It was
when we were up at snow level that we realised we hadn't brought warm
enough clothes with us. Even the lamas looked cold. We found some hot
springs to soak in, and early to bed, it was the warmest place to be!
Next morning we caught the 4am bus to the canyon. We almost missed it,
and were blessed with the back seats of the bus...within the first 20
mins, I knew this was going to be a rough trip. I moved to the front
of the bus. It pulled over to let someone off, I jumped off and threw
up... momento por favor... The let me sit up the front after that.
Rough rough rough. We got to the canyon lookout point. From 7-9
condors famously swoop by. We watched the swooping then jumped on a 5
hour bus back to Arequipa. Arequipa is Peru's 2nd largest
city...surrounded by desert.
We had lunch in the main square, dehydrated, ordered a massive bottle
of mineral water. Half way through, Kirsty notices that the water has
loads and LOADS of nasty sediment, dirt, green fluffy balls, she
claims she saw a red worm too. Yuck! I'd drunk about half the bottle.
They must have just filled it up out of the tap or something. We
didn't pay for lunch and the decided that the best thing to do would
be to make ourselves sick... better to get it out instead of letting
it go through our systems. So we found a nice loo and managed to vomit
our nice lunch and scummy water :( sick twice in one day :(
We then jumped on the overnight bus to Cusco - base camp for machu
picchu. We froze on the bus, it rocked up at 5am, we had McDonalds hot
cakes for breakfast, the found our hostel and crashed out.
4 terrible nights sleep in a row. Headache from being at altitude.
Found some coca leaves in the hostel, so have had lots of coca tea.
Nice to be in the one place for a while, we start out trek next
Wednesday, so we're just chilling out and will do some day trips from
here over the next few days.
Can't believe it's only been a week!! Feels like we've been away for
ages!
in pain. We initially thought that her malaria tablet had got lodged
in her chest... Hours and hours of painful chest compressions
followed. I though she was having a heart attack or something! We went
to hospital in the morning, pretty easy process, they tested her and
told her she was fine. With the pain diminishing, we decided to press
on.
So, our luxury 21 hour bus ride was cancelled due to protesters taking
over the roads. We had to go via Arequipa on the overnight bus
instead. It was a pretty good diversion. We jumped straight on a local
bus out to canyon del colca, for an overnight trip. They advertise
this canyon as being one of Arequipa's main attractions, you'd expect
it to be just down the road, not 5 hours on the bumpiest roads! It was
when we were up at snow level that we realised we hadn't brought warm
enough clothes with us. Even the lamas looked cold. We found some hot
springs to soak in, and early to bed, it was the warmest place to be!
Next morning we caught the 4am bus to the canyon. We almost missed it,
and were blessed with the back seats of the bus...within the first 20
mins, I knew this was going to be a rough trip. I moved to the front
of the bus. It pulled over to let someone off, I jumped off and threw
up... momento por favor... The let me sit up the front after that.
Rough rough rough. We got to the canyon lookout point. From 7-9
condors famously swoop by. We watched the swooping then jumped on a 5
hour bus back to Arequipa. Arequipa is Peru's 2nd largest
city...surrounded by desert.
We had lunch in the main square, dehydrated, ordered a massive bottle
of mineral water. Half way through, Kirsty notices that the water has
loads and LOADS of nasty sediment, dirt, green fluffy balls, she
claims she saw a red worm too. Yuck! I'd drunk about half the bottle.
They must have just filled it up out of the tap or something. We
didn't pay for lunch and the decided that the best thing to do would
be to make ourselves sick... better to get it out instead of letting
it go through our systems. So we found a nice loo and managed to vomit
our nice lunch and scummy water :( sick twice in one day :(
We then jumped on the overnight bus to Cusco - base camp for machu
picchu. We froze on the bus, it rocked up at 5am, we had McDonalds hot
cakes for breakfast, the found our hostel and crashed out.
4 terrible nights sleep in a row. Headache from being at altitude.
Found some coca leaves in the hostel, so have had lots of coca tea.
Nice to be in the one place for a while, we start out trek next
Wednesday, so we're just chilling out and will do some day trips from
here over the next few days.
Can't believe it's only been a week!! Feels like we've been away for
ages!
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Lima, fog, Sherpa chic
So, we survived the 6 hour flight with no entertainment. After
realising that I am pathetic at sudoku I decided to talk to the lady
next to me. She was a missionary, en route to the remote regions. She
had spent time in Laos and Cambodia working with schools, so we had
lots to chat about. As the plane was landing she grabbed my hands and
said a prayer for us, asking god to watch over us on our travels.
realising that I am pathetic at sudoku I decided to talk to the lady
next to me. She was a missionary, en route to the remote regions. She
had spent time in Laos and Cambodia working with schools, so we had
lots to chat about. As the plane was landing she grabbed my hands and
said a prayer for us, asking god to watch over us on our travels.
Tooting cars, curb crawling policemen! I don't know why I bothered
changing my hair colour.
Lima is on the coast, and there seems to be a constant fog hovering
around the city. Nice enough place, but nothing spectacular. It's not
that warm here, and we're off to the mountains, so we decided to stock
up on winter woollies, Sherpa chic gear. We seem to have backpacks
full of summer skimpy clothes!! We booked a VIP 21 hour luxury bus to
cusco...wifi & food, and fully reclining seats! What more could you
want! That's tomorrow's excitement!
I need to take more photos on my iPhone, it's so easy to upload them
to this page and facebook :)
I used WiFi skype phone for the first tine tonight!! Magic! Free! Just
like chatting on the phone.
Very jet-lagged. We've been waking up at 5:30am and flaking around
8:30pm...
Goodnight x
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Miami done
Waaaa it's been so crazy already, and the real travelling is only just
about to begin!!
Thursday was a long day, on 3 hours of sleep, we finally arrived at
Miami's InterContinental hotel. No free WiFi, no free breakfast, no
free soothing jacuzzi bubbles, but amazing beds :) we got lost on the
way, but a slightly dodgy taxi ride saved us.
Friday, we hung out on south beach, (amazing!!! Huge!!!) built
sandcastles, found some new mascots to join us on the trip... Dino &
Al - photos to follow later! We shopped, swam in the pool, sneaked
into the hotel spa, saw a cockroach! Feels like the off season in Miami.
Today, we watched sun rise over the port of miami, watched dolphins
leaping around the bay! We swam in the pool and then headed to Fort
Lauderdale airport. Now we are about to board a flight to Lima, it's
like ryanair! We're loaded with sweets for the 6 hour flight.
Loving the google free wifi at this airport - that's about the only
thing though. I just paid $1.50 for a banana!
More later! Weather has been perfect :) xxx
about to begin!!
Thursday was a long day, on 3 hours of sleep, we finally arrived at
Miami's InterContinental hotel. No free WiFi, no free breakfast, no
free soothing jacuzzi bubbles, but amazing beds :) we got lost on the
way, but a slightly dodgy taxi ride saved us.
Friday, we hung out on south beach, (amazing!!! Huge!!!) built
sandcastles, found some new mascots to join us on the trip... Dino &
Al - photos to follow later! We shopped, swam in the pool, sneaked
into the hotel spa, saw a cockroach! Feels like the off season in Miami.
Today, we watched sun rise over the port of miami, watched dolphins
leaping around the bay! We swam in the pool and then headed to Fort
Lauderdale airport. Now we are about to board a flight to Lima, it's
like ryanair! We're loaded with sweets for the 6 hour flight.
Loving the google free wifi at this airport - that's about the only
thing though. I just paid $1.50 for a banana!
More later! Weather has been perfect :) xxx
Sent from my iPhone
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