Amazon to Lima

Woke up to a serenade of jungle sounds. Such a lovely wake up call! A little later there was added something sounding like fighting monkeys. 

Lay there and listened for a while, what a great finish of the first part of this trip. Tomorrow a new adventure starts, new country, new group. 

When leaving the bungalow "Homer", the lodge parrot sat on the veranda as saying goodbye to us.

After breakfast we took the boat downstream and back to town. To the office to repack and off to the airport. 

The flight took us from the jungle in Puerto Maldonado via Cusco to Lima. Back where everything started. 

A last dinner with the group, a few drinks, hopefully some sleep will finish this part of the trip. 

Tomorrow morning, early, I'm off to the airport again. This starts to look like my job days. :)

See you in Equador! 

Amazon jungle

Amazon Jungle

The last adventure on this part of my trip is the Amazon Jungle. 

We flew from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, a flight of 35 min. I thought it would be a tiny little plane going there, but it was surprisingly an Airbus A380. 

When arriving in the jungle the heat and the humidity slaps you in the face. Phew!

We got taken to the travel providers office to repack our luggage and only bring a small bag with the essential stuff for a few days in the jungle.

After a 2-hour boat ride in a speed boat we reached our lodge. An Eco lodge.

We are four (2+2) in the bungalows. Here is running water. The water is warmed with solar panels, meaning, no sun - no hot shower. 

The bungalows has no electricity. Candles and lighters are provided. The main area; dining room, bar, reception have electricity four hours a day starting around 5.00pm. 

First evening after dinner we took a short walk in the dark. We found some insects to bugger with our torches. 

After a short (hung in the bar last night) but really good sleep it was time for an early star to explore the jungle. 

The boat took us a short distance upstream where we got off and had a walk to a lake . We again saw some insects, a small little frog, plants etc, but the best part was when our guide managed to get a tarantula out of her nest. Really cool!

During this walk the rain in the rainforest got worse and worse. By the time we got to the little lake the rain was quite heavy. From the barge on the little lake we managed to see some birds; stink bird, heron (white), kingfisher, macaw, toucan and some other small ones, most of them in a very far distance.

On the other side of the lake we took a walk to see two very big and very old trees. The rain was now so heavy it was difficult to see anything. We headed back to the barge, over the lake, cross the vegetation back to our boat, and back to the lodge. 

Before lunch we had time to dry and get a bit cleaner.

After lunch a few of us sat chilling on the porch when one of the guides came running asking us to come. There was monkeys in the trees. Small saddle  tamarinds. It was awesome to see them jumping around in the trees. 

After a while we had to leave though, because it was time to go visit one of the local fruit farms. 

It wasn't really like a farm that thought of, it was more like a piece of land looking like a forest of mixed fruit trees and plants. We got to taste most of them too.

In the evening we went for a tour on the river in the dark to try and spot caymans. Our guide was amazing. By sweeping a strong flashlight along the river banks ha managed to spot the eyes and the boat took us really close. 

It was an amazing experience to be on the river with only the stars as lights (except for the searching torch) and surrounded by the sound of the jungle. 

On return dinner was served and than some of us sat in the bar for a while before we headed back to our bungalows for a last night in the jungle.

Cusco

Today was a recovery day after the trek and for some a hard night out last night.

We all have very stiff and sore legs. Some went for massage to make it better.

I spent the day mainly walking around town, organising money and looking in shops and markets.

I also went to the Inca museum. A museum that could have been really interesting if it had been looked after a bit better. There are some really great items, but the information is bad and mainly in Spanish. 

Late afternoon a big part of the group went to the cinema. I didn't want to see Hobbit, so I stayed at the hotel. So did my roomie. We took a stroll around town and brought,some,take away pizza back.

Then it was time to pack bags again. Tomorrow we move into the jungle.

The Inca Trail

The Inka Trail

It's here, the day I've been looking forward to with mixed feelings. Very excited but also a bit worried. Will I make it? 

We had to weigh in our luggage. Max 6kg to be carried by the porters. Our own day bag can weigh whatever, that one we have to carry ourselves. Mine was over 12kg (scale only got to 12)!! That was including almost 2,5 litres  of liquid and my camera (can only blame my self for having such a big camera)

We are 10people in our group. We were taken to the first check point called "82km" for passport control and stamp of course! Then it all started!!

First day is a hike of 11 km in mixed terrain, going from 2800-3000m.

Not too bad, but pretty hard. 

Second day was worse, it is the worst of the four days. A hike of 9km only, but going from 3000m via 4200 to 3600 is hard, I can tell you that. Even harder in rain. I was so shuffed when I reached the campsite that day! I made it, the hardest part of the trail was done, climbing "Dead Woman's Pass"

Day three, Christmas Eve, started a little bit earlier than yesterday. At just after six we left the camp for a 16km hike to our last campsite. The first two hours were really hard going up, only a hundred meters or so in altitude but it was very steep steps. After just a few minutes I struggled, I had no control over my legs, I got no respond. But with a lot of willpower and a few tears I made it. Then we had to go down, down and down 1100meters in total. It was all uneven steps and slopes of wet uneven stones suppose to be flat. That is not done for me and my eyesight. Having trouble measuring distance makes it very difficult going down these stairs. I had a hard day, but I made it.

Day four, Christmas Day. The wake up call came at 03.20. It was time to get a good position in the queue to get in to the national park and reach the Sun Gate for sun rise. We got a pretty good position. Gate opened at 05.30 and our last 5km started. About halfway we reached the Sun Gate. The clouds hadn't managed to rise so it was thick as a glass of milk. Disappointing!

We continued to the "post card spot" but still same thing, clouds.

I didn't even wanted to think the thought that we were not to see this miracle place due to weather. 

However a bit later it did clear up and in front of us we had this magnificent place, Machu Picchu. What a feeling.

We were guided around parts of it and was then to explore our selves.

I left just in time for the rain to arrive. 

The group met up in a restaurant in town before taking the train from there. Mission was now completed and at the hotel we had a Christmas dinner waiting.

In our group we had as mentioned 10 hikers and also one guide, one assistant guide, 18 porters, a waiter and a chef. 

The porters are amazing. The organise everything around the campsites, meals and carrying all the stuff this same way as we hike. 

The rules now is that every porter can't carry more than 30kg. But hey, that is a lot on this trail. This poeters are amazing, they more run than walk with their big packs on their bags. Our youngest porter is 19 and the oldest 80!! 80, can you believe it?! 

The experience was amazing. The trek was very hard at times but in the end it was well worth it.

Sacred Valley

Today we left Cusco with only a small little bag each, all we are allowed for the trail. Today we started our adventure towards Machu Picchu. No trekking today though. We had a look around Sacred Valley.

First stop was a community where G Adventures (the tour operator) is running a local project for the women, a weaving and sewing studio.

We learnt about the different icons on the their materials. We also got shown how they make and die the alpaca and Llama wool. All with natural plants and materials.

We got to feed the Llamas and Alpacas, however they had probably got fed already, since they started to spit on some of our group. Not me though.

After some view point stops we reached our next stop, an Inka Ruin. It was awesome to wonder around this ancient place with so much history. It was steep and hard too! 

For good reasons, they always put the storage areas for the crops on the top. Why? Because this is where the wind blows and keep the crops fresh longer.

After a great tour around the place it was time for lunch.

Lunch was at another of G Adventures projects. We were given a fantastic lunch with only local dishes. Very nice and very generous! 

It was a bunch of very full people that stepped back on that bus making the last bumpy ride to. The hotel in Ollantaytambo. 

Here we made the last physical activity for the day, another Inka Ruin. It was massive and fantastic to explore. Me and two of the group spent quite some time exploring this awesome place before heading back to the hotel.

A good dinner, an nice shower and an even better night sleep is all that's standing between myself and a great adventure... 

Puno to Cusco

There is not much to tell about today really. 

We are half way through the tour and today we went from Puno to Cusco, a bus ride of about eight hours.

We stopped at the highest point between these cities, 4435m where also the Andes meet after a split and split again. 

Late afternoon we arrived in Cusco and had a wander around town. It's a quite nice town centre around the main plaza. Looks a lot like other places we've been though.

We had some time to gear up, because tomorrow we leave Cusco for the Sacred Valley, and then it's time, time for the trail.

Before dinner and packing for the trail we had a briefing, this is now going to happen. I hope I'll make it! 

The little bag of thinks I can bring is now packed. I'm a bit nervous, but very excited. 

I might be able to make contact tomorrow, but if not I'd like to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Titikaka Lake to Puno

Day 10 Titikaka Lake - Puno

I woke up rather early after a chilly night. We were told to be ready by 7.30. Today we were meant to help with the shores on the farm. My family wasn't really good at trying to tell us what to do. I went to the kitchen and then I was welcomed in. I wasn't asked to help or do anything until I asked.

Breakfast was as uncomfortable as dinner last night. Sitting there at the table by our selves overlooking the rest of the family coming and going.

After breakfast it was quiet for a long time and only smiles were exchanged. 

Finally we were asked to come with to look after the animals.

First we fed the cows and the donkey, and then the sheep were to be taken for a walk and later taken two or three at the time to a different place where they should stay and feed for the day.

We were now meant to help in the garden or on the fields, but instead we got standing on the beach while our man talked to a neighbour. 

After at least half an hour we were asked to move a pile of big rocks closer to his garden. I was now rather frustrated so I just put my head down and carried this stupid rocks. Let's see how the body feels tomorrow.

Before we left we had to survive yet another meal. The lunch was so big I couldn't finish it. 

Finally it was time to say good bye and get back on the boat heading back to Puno.

I'm not sure what I feel about things like this. It is suppose to be genuine and give some insights to the culture, and I partly enjoy it. However, it doesn't feel genuine. For example, the part of the house we stayed in was so much higher in standard then the parts the used for them selves, which we didn't get to visit, apart from the kitchen. Anyway...

Back in Puno I had a lovely and warm shower, then I just shilled for the rest of the afternoon.

For dinner tonight we ordered the most famous dish of them all from Peru, guinea pig. Luckily we only ordered one for the table.

I never thought I would react much, but hey, that was difficult. I kind of lost my appetite when this little thing came in, cut open and butterflied, a bit of aluminium foil around the feet and head with teeth, laying on a bed of vegetables and ironically enough, a red sauce.

I tasted it, but it was difficult to eat after that first sight. Don't know how to describe it since I had to force my self to eat it. But hey, I did it!