Peru

13°09´S, 72°32´W

Posted on by Nisa Patel

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13°09´S, 72°32´W
Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu, Peru

Inca Trail

Cusco- 17.12.10
– a really cool town
– former Inca capital

Ccaccaccollo Community -18.12.10
– local women spinning, dyeing and weaving llama and alpaca wool

View of the Sacred Valley

Ruins at Pisac -18.12.10
-Military centre

Market at Pisac Town

Ollantaytambo -18.12.10
– Administrative centre
– Ruins
– hotel built upon old Inca ruins

Inca Trail Day 1 -19.12.10
– Beautiful sunny day
– Trekked KM 82 to Wayllabamba (11km)
– Camp at Wayllabamba (3000m)

Inca Trail Day 2
– Tough day trekking
– Wayllabamba to Paqaymayo (12km)
– via Warminusca (Dead Woman Pass – 4215m)
– Camp at Paqaymayo (3600m)

Inca Trail Day 3
– Rain rain rain
– Trekked Paqaymayo to Winaywayna (16km)
– Camp at Winaywayna (2650m)

Inca Trail Day 4
– Early start- 03.30 rise
– Trek Winaywayna to Machu Pichu (5km)
– Rain and fog at The Sun Gate
– Sun appears as we arrive at Macchu Pichu (2400m); after seeing all the complex, taking our pictures and having a moment of peace, the rain slowly returned
– Amazing!

– The whole experience consolidated our belief that at any given moment, you always get exactly what you need, and nothing more.
– The fog, our long journey around the mountain, and our ultimate realisation of our goal-which for so long remained out of sight- made us think first of the concept of maya, and then of the ego, and how we may overcome these by adapting the way we think.

Return to Cusco -22.12.10 to 26.12.10
Markets
Met Jan the Man- (Vanisha’s sister, who is actually called Janisha!)
Ate at shocking Indian Restaurant Maikhanna- Navita, the owner, had the bedside manner of an Air India air hostess. Buffet food distinctly average. No a-la-carte option
Xmas Eve markets
4 hrs of Rummikub in Australian bar
Played ‘Kings’ and ‘Ring of Fire’ which led to a drunken dinner followed by spiritual discussion
Hamel hungover for Xmas dinner at Real McCoy

Ayuhuasca and Shamans have evaded us this time, and so we wil return one day.

15°37′S, 71°38′W

Posted on by Nisa Patel

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15°37′S, 71°38′W
Arequipa/Coporaque-Colca Canyon, Peru

Arequipa/Coporaque-Colca Canyon, Peru

Coca tea, coca leaves, green teeth, numb tongue, no altitude sickness
Vacunas, Alpacas, Llamas,
Flamingoes, Condors
Trekking
Hot bath-smelly but natural

14°43′S, 75°08′W

Posted on by Nisa Patel

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14°43′S, 75°08′W
Nasca, Peru

Nasca, Peru

On the UK FCO website has a warning about flying over the Nasca Lines, but having closed down 4 out of the 7 operators and pushed their prices up, we were sufficiently reassured.

For us, seeing these mysterious Lines was one of the main reasons for coming to Peru, and so we took the flight, and are so glad that we did.

The question still remains, ‘Who put them there and why?’
Our theories:
Hamel-
… drawn by people of an ancient civilisation using advanced technology that is no longer known about.
The reason- probably a good one, but I haven’t figured it out yet. I like the idea about them being a depiction of a Shaman’s dream though.

Nisa-
… drawn by aliens to demonstrate their existence.

We then had Pachamanka for dinner.

12°02′S, 77°01′W

Posted on by Nisa Patel

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12°02′S, 77°01′W
Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima

A big city, but we live in London, so not much to say:

Day 1
Inca ruins at Pachacamac- ‘he who animated the world’ -they say this complex was the site of an important ceremonial centre for 1000 years before the expansion of the Inca empire, named after the powerful Wari god, now it’s mostly rubble. As we stood in the fog at the top of the Temple of the Sun, we couldn’t help feeling Pachacamac had already left, and taken the Sun with him.
More ruins at Huaca Pucllana- we didn’t pay to get in
Walked and walked and walked around all of Miraflores

Day 2
Centro by public bus
Lots of Cathedrals and Churches
Saw changing of the guards at Presidential Palace
Felt drunk and ill after one Pisco Sour at the Gran Hotel Bolivar, where the poison was invented

Met up with group for next GAP Adventures tour- Hamel second oldest after Manny (group leader), but generally seem a nice bunch- 3 people were missing, due to arrive later- we were told one was a South African

A little note on Manny- Homer J Simpson once observed that only 2 types of people wear Hawaiian Shirts- Manny was not wearing a Hawaiian shirt when we met him, but due to both the reasons Homer cites, I bet Manny has a closet full of them!

Went to bed after dinner, and heard 2 new male guests arriving, one with a South African accent, the other Australian- they promptly dumped their bags, and made plans to go out on the town.
We were rudely awoken at 6am the next morning by returning male Australian voice, who proceeded to tell his friend loudly how despite a night spent trying to impress an ‘ugly girl’ with his ‘size 45’ feet and the ‘big wallet in his pocket’, she would not give up any more than a kiss, as she was a ‘modern Mormon’ (yeah right!- that’s what she tells you fella), leaving him utterly frustrated and testosteroney!
Spent the next 2 hours lying in bed praying these were not the missing people in our tour group…

Pisco

… our prayers were answered, we had alternative South Africans

Pisco was hit by earthquake 3yrs ago.
Overnight in one of the only hotels still standing.
Given Cocktail lesson on roof terrace – shown how to make Pisco Sour.
Played ‘Hand Game’, Fuzzy Duck, 21 and Chinese Whispers.

Ica

4 shots at the Pisco distillary at Ica before midday.

Huacachina

Desert Oasis
Sand dune buggies and sandboarding. Great fun.