CUSCO - MACHU PICCHU - PERU:
All of a sudden we feel like we really have got leg muscles; our calves ache and our knees crack as we bend them - the result of two fabulous days down the Sacred Valley, and more specifically UP Machu Picchu. We left Cusco to do the Royal Inca Trail (because it sounded more swish than the average Inca trail, and of course, it was two days shorter and cut out all the horrible v. high and difficult passes). We caught the train to Km 104 in a slight panic as our agency was not guaranteeing our return ticket to base, but were reassured when we met our guide Javier who said that we would not have to walk all the way back to Cusco. Sigh of relief. Views of the Urubamba river from above and the snow-capped peaks from below are beyond words. We were even orchid-spotting on the way up, possibly as an excuse to have a breather! The ruins and terraces were grand, as was the evening spent at Wyna Wayna on triple decker beds in a room shared with other 30 people. Feeling like cattle, we got up at 4.45, thanks to someone else's guide who woke us up, as our Javier was probably feeling the effects of gringo salsa. So up we went, one long line of legs, right to the Puerta del Sol, from where we caught our first glimpse of MACHU PICCHU. The photos says the rest! After going through the ruins we decided to climb the peak behind the site, the one also on the picture, which is probably why our legs feel so bad today! That was followed by a leathal walk down thousands of steps to the little town of Aguas Caliente.

All good, very good in fact, until we got on a bus to come from Cusco to Nasca. Theoretically a nice 13 hour night ride, on a bed-coach. But NO. and that comes to no surprise to any of you... it took us many more hours to get here as we spent much of the night moving boulders from the road and trying to get round the vicuna and llama strikes - i.e. campesinos sitting along the side of the road throwing the rocks back on. Happiness.

Machu Picchu - the one everyone has!

View from Wyna Wayna including us and Yanir - an upside down condor, we were told...

The two of us after the treck.

Our campesino friends on their llama strike.

PUNO - LAKE TITICACA - PERU:
We made it to Puno really easily, a brand new bus with TV and drinks, a horror movie and no flat tyres. The highlight of our time there was a boat trip to visit the Uros Islands, which are actually not islands but floating reed boats. Whole families live out there and interbreed, which makes for an interesting visit. They also use the lake both as a natural sewer and also as their source of water. nice. Anyhow, the peak of the journey revolved around the explosion of the boat's engine! After drifting aimlesly in the middle of the lake for a while, our McGaiver captain fixed it with a rope and a shose string...
During our extended time on the boat, we were also surprised to listen to our guide speak perfect english - a change from Fawlty Towers Manuel-style Bolivia guides. I conclude that Bolivia is one generation behind Peru.
The Grand Finale of our time in Puno was really the CUY Chactado (eaten at a Cuyeria - good for the French-speakers out there). You might not know what that is, but I thought I was fully in control when I ordered it. When it was in my plate however, even I had problems eating it. Fried guinea pig is impressive, especially when served with rice, fries, beens, legs, eyes and teeth. It is actually the whole thingh just sliced open, but left intact, as in all the body parts where nicely visible, even from Olivia's side of the table. Peru's speciality is acually pretty tasty, maybe a bit fatty, but the only problem is that while you are eating it, it smiles at you and makes the process pretty hard. The solution is to get ride of the head first thing, then chew on the mini-paws, before moving on to the fleshier bits.
Today we are in Cusco, but this is a different story.

Los Uros Island, Lake Titicaca .

Nice little girl of the island.

Local means of transport.

The famous cuy chactado, smiling.

COLCA CANYON - PERU:
We saw andean condors, andean rabbits, alpacas, viscachas, llamas and much more. We drank chachacoma infusions, ate alpaca steaks, and still managed to fit in with 10 other passengers in a normal car (we were in the boot with one other, whilst the 12th person sat on the roof rack with his pickaxe). We walked from Chivay (o non ci vai) to Coporaque, then to Yanque, and are now happily back in Arequipa!
Here are the latest pics:

Andean condor!!!!

A close up.

Not a condor but some very large andean eagle that thought Cristian's looked a lot like a tasty meal.

A women wearing traditional dress in Colca Canyon - one flower on hat means that she is married, two is the green light, she is single!!

AREQUIPA - PERU:
Cristian: Finalmente troviamo un po' di tecnologia qui ad Arequipa e possiamo mostrarvi le nostre ultime foto. Siamo stati a visitare il convento delle suore domenicane di clausura di Santa Caterina da Siena, ho pure lasciato il CV di Olivia ma le suore erano chiuse (senno non si chiamavano di clausura) e dobbiamo tornare per il colloquio tra una settimana. Chissa' che non la prendono, io ci spero ma credo proprio che ormai sia troppo tardi.
Olivia: aggiungo solo che Cristian cerca qualsiasi scusa per poter tornare ad investigare ste giovani e vecchie donzelle... Ora lo porto a fare una bella gita nel canion Colca, il piu' profondo al mondo, per calmare la sua immaginazione. Ci si risente quindi fra qualche giorno.
Cristian: sono appena sfuggito alla morte, fanno 3 ore che Olivia stava per prenotarmi una camminata in discesa nel canion con uno strapiombo di mille metri giu per un cammino di 30 cm, a me che soffro di vertigini, per fortuna che ho fatto la giusta domanda prima di pagare... salvo.

La futura cella che ho scelto per Olivia.

Perche'? non e' un bel posto sto convento?

AREQUIPA - PERU (via LA PAZ, COPACABANA, LAGO TITICACA, LA PAZ - BOLIVIA):
Happy Easter all! we miss you loads and wish we could be chomping on migros chocolate rabbits with you - even with Todd who insists on eating the bunny's head first to freak kids out...
mind you, even a bunny without a head would do me fine right now!!
we will have to contend with woven palms and flowers instead - unless we manage to discover some egg or something chocolaty (i recently read that cravings for sweet stuff is related to altitude!!! hurray, no need to look any further for excuses!!)
Having said that, i am getting a tad concerned because we managed to burst the tyre of yet another bus on another one of our tremendous trips. People say we are unlucky but i am starting to wonder if there is some positive correlation between unstable buses and altitude-related cravings? Should there be such a correlation, we are still hugely grateful to not be stuck on Machu Picchu right now - its high up there and i dont thing we would have got much extra sugar intake. Anyhow, the spice of travelling in South America took us from Lake Titicaca's breathtaking islands of the sun and moon (wow is how i would describe them briefly) to Copacabana (at the copa, copacabana, music and fashion were always her passion.... la la la OH Barry!!) from where we wanted to cross to Puno in Peru on a mini trip.
We just happened to forget that we do not do mini trips, but striking farmers blocking the road put us back on track and sent us back to La Paz then back down to Chile to get into Peru via Tacna and then back up to Arequipa (called the white city for some very unclear reason as most things are NOT white... welcome to Peru).
So we are now happy sausages as we are back in the land of relatively fast internet connections after two days on the road, but frustrated like grilled offerings because we cannot upload our photos and make you see what we rant on about - i am starting to hate the wrong version on windows - someone tell Bill to stop it.
Voila, we had better get out of this place and find somewhere compatible - and also go and have some grilled guinea pig (a speciality i am much looking forwards to trying :-)

An Inca lady with her two llamas on Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca.

Pigs on the beach, Punta Norte, Isla del Sol.

NEWS:
Peruvian authorities are using helicopters and buses to evacuate hundreds of tourists trapped by mudslides near the Machu Picchu ruins.
**Don't worry guys we were not there that day, we are planning to go in a week time if the weather want us to.

LA PAZ - TIWANACO - BOLIVIA:
Rurrenabaque - La Paz ce lo facciamo in aereo per evitare di passare dalla cosi detta strada della morte, chi voul capire capisca. Il volo e' miracolosamente in anticipo, niente colazione all'aereoperto per la fretta di partire. La Paz e' impressionante 4000 metri sul livello del mare si estande nell'altipiano a vista d'occhio. Incontriamo all'aereoporto alcuni amici francesi Matthew and Aghate, con i quali visiteremo tiwananco e alcuni ristoranti, i due pero soffrono l'altitudine, Olivia e io siamo stanchi ma non sick. Nel nostro cuartiere di La Paz ci sono tantisimi israeliti, un'invasione, strano. L'hotel della prima notte costa solo 10 chf, ma fa schifo, le coperte sono usate e il bagno e sporco, 2ndo giorno 20 chf ma per lo meno carino e pulito. Da La Paz andiamo in un day trip a Tiwananco a vedere le ruine di questa popolazione. Molto belle le parti gia' scavate ma non si sa perche' rappresentano solo il 30 per cento (non trovo il simbolo) dell'intero sito archeologico. La nostra guida Mary ci fara vedere la piramide, il tempio con i sarcofagi, la porta del sole. Tiwananco e ha soli 20 km dal lago Titikaka che si intravede nello sfondo. In La Paz stiamo cercando di rifornirci di cose utili prima di andare in Peru per Pascua, ho infatti perso il mio swiss army knife, e abbiamo bisogno di rifornire il beaty case. Ieri, (domenica per chi legge, ndr) siamo andati in chiesa per la domenica delle palme, era impressionantemente piena e tutti avevano delle vere palem , anche fatte in forma di piccola croce. In La Paz Interent e' cheap e veloce peccato che il sito www.cgiardini.com sia momentaneamente fuori uso e non posso aggiornare le foto, speriamo che rifunzioni presto.

Tiwanaco.

Primo piano del tipo sopra.

Arte anche sui bus di La Paz.

RURRENABAQUE - 3 DAYS PAMPA - BOLIVIA:
After many talks with local travel agencies, we go for the altenative tour of ENIN TRAVEL with Adam, Nathalie and Leslie, nice American mates that we met at the hostal Santa Ana. The alternative tour consists of: * 1st day: 3 hour jeep to Reyes, 2 hour walk on the pampas then a ride in a oxcart to the company ranch. * 2nd day: boat excursion on the local river looking for pink dolphin, piranhas fishing, walk at night in the islands jungle. *3rd day: morning walk looking for medical plants, horse ride back to Reyes, jeep ride to Rurrenabaque.
It was great. Some small probs tough, like the oxcart had to pass in the middle of a wetland with water up to the waist, we are 11 people and some backpacks on the cart, too heavy for the poor 4 ox pulling it, we arrive at the ranch after sun set, a bit scary tough. I menaged to drive the oxcart for the fun of the locals and also to get bitten by a TAFANO (big horse fly), Olivia got eaten by moskitos. The ranch is really in the middle of nowhere with a sky roof shower and a open air toilet (also known has atomic center). Only complaints: the moskitos that bit us non stop for 3 days ignoring the repellent and team efford to kill them. We managed to see pink river dolphins, many birds with their babies and a lot of cows. We also fished some piranhas and put them back in the water. It is a nice experience. On the way back our 4h horse ride was really nice, my horse sprinted ahead of everyone elses, Olivia's mule tripped up as often as possible, frequently in small puddles. Oh and she also got off the horse with 4 ticks on her legs and waist, which prompted a quick striptease that got the jeep driver back in a good mood. I only brought back 2 sucking friends. Thanks Patricia and Emma for the anti tics tools. The 4WD on the way back got stuck in the mud, but we are use to it by know and with a big wood post, taken from a close by river bridge, we managed to pull it out of the puddle.
Back in Rurrenabaque we made friends with the 2 guides, young chap Ector and Erwin. Ector took me to play football in the local tournement, 1 bolivianos each insciption, 6 people team. Since no one had money I sponsored my team, 6 bolivianos is 1 chf. We managed to win the first 15 m. game thanks to a gringo gol (I am talking about myself off course) and won 12 bolivianos. 2nd game I almost collapsed from the heat and I could'n believe it when a spider monkey crossed the filed. We eventually lost 1 - 0 and went home. By the way thanks to the betting system I got my 6 bolivianos back.

Campesinos driving oxcarts come in all shapes and forms...

Erwin dangling a piraniah caught by our local campesino, senor Yardini.

Spot the parrot.

What three days in the pampas and jungle did to Olivia's ankle.

TRINIDAD - RURRENABAQUE - BOLIVIA:
We are travelling in the Bolivian lowlands, wet, humid and very hot. Our cucaracias bus reached Trinidad on time 6.30 am we have now 2h to get our small airplain flight to Rurrenabaque. But the weather conditions in Bolivia always play strange games with aiplanes especially with small ones... the flight from La Paz never reached Trinidad and our departure is delayed for God knows how long. We wait and wait at the airport and finally get to fly at about 12.30. It is a gorgeous flight, we are in a Cessna with 12 seats, 2 pilots and an extra guy, the plane is minuscule but brand new. The views are incredible, big rivers doing many curves in the middle of the amazonias jungle of Bolivia, it will be a 45 minuts flight with one stop in San Borja, kind of 500 Km that in this period of the year will take you 3 days by 4WD becasue of the water. We land in Rurrenabaque, famouse place for Jungle and Pampas excursion, in a grass airport piste. The pilots are excellent - obviously or i would not be writing this would I?!
Rurrenabaque is a small village between the cordillera of the andes and the amazonian jungla, near by a big river that every year floods the village. We will spend 1 day looking for the best Tour agency to go fot 3 days adventures.

Our private jet - not bad for backpackers!!

View from the sky of the tropical forest and its many rivers.

PORTO SUAREZ - PANTANAL - BOLIVIA:
We finally get to Puerto Suarez, I have to say that we had some problems on the trip again. It took us 23h insted of 18h for a mix of reason, a strike from 2am to 4am with campesinos blocking the railway, a baby cow that unfortunatly got stuck under the first wagon of the train, various stops for all passengers to have brekfast and lunch at various train stations.
Porto Suarez is a small village on Laguna Careces, part of the Bolivian Pantanal (wetland) were WWF Bolivia has an office. We get to know the local WWF officer and we spend some time together for dinner and business. The next day we contact Mr. Oscar Quiroga a spanish biologist who organizes excurtions on the pantanal of Bolivia and Brasil (next door). We soon realized we are the only tourists around and Quiroga is the only tourist travel agency, the price for the excursion is as result astronomical. We start by boat at about 8.00 and we travel for the whole day, we managed to see alligators, kaimans, giant river otters, caipibaras, many birds and big fish. We also have a good lunch in brasil with fried fish and tipical fagiolada. No Caipirinha at luch time unfortunatly.
Back at the hotel we also get a new good surprise, 100 bolivianos that were in Olivia's purse in the hotel room are gone, the hotel owner looks like he doesn't believe that someone of his staff has done it , a big plot I rekon, we drop it because is a matter of 16 chf only.
From Porto Suarez we will travelling back to Santa Cruz by train, this time pretty fast and efficient for the same price ticket (God knows why). From Santa Cruz night bus to Trinidad still in the lowlands.
This time Olivia went nuts because at about 7 pm few, some, many, tons of cucaracias came down form the bus ceiling into to the seat, bundgy jumping from the ceiling. I am too tired to care and sleep all the way trough, Olivia on the other hand continues her crusade into the early hours trying desperately to massacre the whole contingent. a happy night.

Fishermans on Rio Paraguay, Brasil/Bolivia.

Pantanal Boliviano.

Caimanes on the shore.