Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Mon 22 - Thurs 25 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Mon 22 - Thurs 25 Sept 08
Had a quiet last few days in Rio. Priority Monday was to book bus from Rio to Porto Seguro which is a resort in Bahia region north of Rio. 18 hour journey so decided to go overnight from Wed evening.
Went to Rio ´´Carnival of Culture´´, young people performing on a stage - some ballet and traditional brazillian dancing, very good.
Spent some time on Copacabana beach, very relaxing and pleasant.
Must mention reception staff at Atlantic Copacabana Hotel, really helpful, brilliant.
Wed evening got to bus station by taxi OK, took 50 mins, very bad traffic here. Very efficient at bus station, luxurious bus, slept most of the way.
Now Thursday and installed in hotel in Porto Seguro, right next to sea front and main area of town, here for 2 weeks so should be good. Nice room, helpful people. Bigger pool but a funny shape as they do in hotels. Nothing exciting planned so will be a few days to next blog.
Take care everyone, All the Best,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Wed 17 - Sun 21 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Wed 17 - Sun 21 Sept 08
Hello again, here I am reporting from Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro
Wed 17 evening still in La Paz, went out to meal and show. Thought I had ordered lamb kebab but it turned out to be llama on a stick, very tasty but a bit chewey maybe it was one of the llamas that carried our packs on the trek, maybe not, buffet excellent though. And the show, wow, started off with 2 guys on fiddles one big one tiny originally made out of armadillo shell beautiful sound very good musicians; next a bigger band adding drums, multiple bamboo things they blow down and a flute player, about 16, brilliant. Excellent show so far but next the dancers, wow, lots of colour and fast movement, 3 girls and I think there were some blokes too, lots of different flambouyant costumes, all very entertaining.
Thurs 18 up early, 3 flights, La Paz to Lima, bit of a rush in Lima to catch connection to Sao Paulo, collect bag, check in again, long wait and qs there for final flight to Rio, bag arrived OK, then taxi to hotel, no problems.
Fri 19 quiet day, got some clothes washed, walked along promenade of Copacabana beach, lots going on incl football, volleyball etc., what a great place. Very easy to walk around here, most of streets are one way, the traffic stops at red lights and pedestrians cross on green pelicans. Quite disciplined unlike Peru and Bolivia where adherence to rules of the road appear to be voluntary. Looked everywhere for guinea pigs, couldn´t find even one, missed out in Peru and Bolivia where they are a delicacy, they have them running around their houses, (mostly one room per family) and cook them for special occasions but none in Copacabana so probably won´t get to eat one now. Never mind maybe they´ll let me look after one from CPS in the summer hols.
Atlantica Copacabana hotel has tiny pool on roof so had a swim there, very pleasant in this hot weather. (the sea is very rough, slopes down steeply with awkward currents and is slightly polluted so decided to give it a miss dont want to drown or worse have tummy upset half way thru hol)
Sat 20 spent some time on beach today, very nice views all around I dont know how some of these girls cover so much with so little. Another swim in pool and booked all day trip tomorrow, morning to Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer monument) and Sugar Loaf in the afternoon.
All the Best to Rick and Lucinda, hope they had a great day.
Sun 21 Morning trip thru Rio, sharing bus with people from Columbia, Equador, US, London, India, China, Argentina, Sweden and Beirut; saw some sights incl iconic Maracana Stadium, built to hold 200,000 for 1958? world cup, now all seating for 90,000+. Next up steep switch-back hills thru favellas (poor residential areas) then Tijuca Forest (lots of trees). minibuses, lift, escalators and steps finally get us to base of monument. It´s huge and imposing giving a feeling of awe when standing right under it. Fantastic views of Rio all around. Met and chatted with Neil from India (now living in Oman), a world traveller on steel busines and Jo from Kent attending a therapists conference in Brazillia. Then to lunch, talked football with Neil and couple from Argentina. Loads of food, tried everything, no idea what some of it was but all very tasty, think there was some suchi, chefs came round with chunks of beef on skewers prizing bits off onto your plate if you wanted it, each skewer had number referencing cut of animal to diagram on place mat, brilliant stuff.
Time to confess, on way up to Corcovado saw Sugar Loaf cable car dangling in mid-air so exchanged Sugar Loaf afternoon trip for evening football match in Maracana Stadium. This proved a good move. Terrific atmosphere inside massive stadium, Flamengo vs Ipatinga, great build up to game, home fans eccstatic with 1 - 0 result. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being in this great home of football, host to world cup final in 2014.
A special day.
All the Best to everyone,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Wed 17 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Wed 17 Sept 08
Tour of the city of La Paz today.
First to colonial (old) city, including the La Paz ´´Wall St.´´, City Hall and Main Square. Buildings around main sq. incl both houses of government, Senate and Representatives, The Sepulcre of Santa Cruz (more later), a 16th century palace now a museum, and the Cathedral which took 250 years to completion in 1965. The Cathedral´s alter is a scaled down copy of the one in St Peter´s, Rome. One of the Chapels is dedicated to the Madonna of Copacabana. 20 years ago, 93% of the population declared themselves catholic, but now that there is much more religious tolerance and it is no longer the state religion, only 57% are catholic.
In 1953, the indiginous population became citizens, but alcoholism is the worst social plague here. Protestants from Canada and US have put programmes in place that help those addicted, and our guide`s wife also helps these people.
Santa Cruz was the first mixed race hero, his father was a Marquis and his mother one of the last Inca royalty.

Next we visited a section of the city that has been preserved by the city government. It is quite a large area of 16 &17 century spanish houses with narrow streets and lots of history. We fought our way through hordes of schoolkids to a remarkable museum containing ceramics 5th century BC to 12 c AD when the TIWANAKU (this is the correct speling) civilisation disappeared and later. The ceramics from the height of the Tiwanaku period are beautiful and very well made. Also Inca headpieces and many other items made of gold, some 24 carrots which is white gold and very soft. Also a remarkable bowl found on a lake titicaca beach by children estimated to date back to 7th - 6th century BC. This bowl has a snake around the edge and pictures of a Condor and giant frog; but most interestingly and very intriguing to historians, it has a lot of writing around the inside of the bowl that is identical to that found in Assyria, middle east, from the same period. This implies that there was migration or trade between the middle east and south america 600 years BC.
Also in the museum are recepticles for drug taking, probably weeds from the jungle similar to marijuana. The Incas and dynasties before them subjugated their people by freely supplying drugs that kept them dopy and malliable most of the time.
The Incas apparently discovered the wheel but not the axle. I struggled a bit with this piece of information. Why bother to invent the wheel without the axle. Perhaps they all drove around in wheel-barrows.

Next to Killikilli hilltop, 3,600 meters above sea level and 600 above the centre of the city. Killi is a flower. The plural is formed by repeating the word hence lots of these flowers is killikilli. Personally I think geraniums is easier that geraniumgeranium. From Killikilli you get an excellent view of Mount Illimani, 6,500 metres and snow-capped. Beautiful and imposing today in the sunlight. Then to bus again and passed replica of the Lower (underground) Temple of Tiwanaku. Sadly no time to visit the original which is some distance away.
Then we passed by a major development of a Central Park which appears mainly for youth sports and children,s playgrounds. An excellent project. 50% of La Paz population is under 18. (also, 50% is 100% indiginous ie pure indian/pre-spanish) The public university has 70,000 students. There are also 23 private universities. As in Peru, education is high priority here.

They didn´t like MacDonalds here though. Several were opened and then closed. Bolivia is the only country in south america with no MacDonalds.

Next to Moon Valley which is very interesting but nothing like the moon surface and it`s on a hill. Only recently did some french geoligists, by drilling deep down, discover that it is solidified magna from a volcano that never properly erupted. All the volcanos in Bolivia are dead and this might have been the last attempt at an erruption in the area. Will try to post a picture later.

Lastly to the Witches Market. Actually not witches at all, this name was dreamed up for the tourists. It is really a Magicians Market. Lots of amulets and lucky charms that you can get blessed to acheive your worldly wishes.

Now 4.30 (5 hours behind UK) and back in the Hotel Plaza (very nice but a bit chilly, excellent breakfast). Going to show + meal tonight with 6 others from the group. 3 flights tomorrow to get to Rio (La Paz to Lima, Lima to Sau Paulo, S Paulo to Rio. Will report on show from there.
All the Best,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Tues 16 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Tues 16 Sept 08
Left Copacabana 9.30am, into bus for long drive around Lake Titicaca. Bolivian Guide Antonio (who took us around Copacabana and Cathedral yesterday) excellent, very knowledgable, almost intelectual, very good english. Told us about Tiano culture which was pre-inca and existed for many centuries, high altitude potatos, and uv rays 3x stronger in this area having very damaging effects on plankton in the lake and tourists, and the highest yaght club in the world.

There had been a snowstorm last night, still some snow along sides of road, fresh snow on mountains.

Bolivia gained independance from Spain 183 years ago since when there has been some democratically elected leaders but also lots of dictatorships, military and otherwise. However they have just celebrated 25 years of uninterupted democracy, a record since independance.

Learned more about fish in lake. Kingfish, a bass-like fish, was also introduced. These were even more agressive than the trout, consuming local varieties and trout alike. Hence all trout in lake are now in farms, penned in hundreds of square enclosures and well organised.
Also in the lake are giant frogs, discovered by Jaques Cousteau who became famous decades ago for his underwater filming. These frogs live very deep, are blind and no longer amphibeous, having lost the function of their lungs. Apparently 3 french gastronomic companies got very excited about these giant frogs and wanted to eat them, as the french do. However, being blind, the reproductive cycle is very long, with these frogs spending a lot of time trying to find each other in the deep water to mate, so the supply would quickly dry up and the french abandoned their project.

The lowest temperature recorded in the lake this winter was minus 13 degrees centigrade in July. However the lake never freezes due to evaporation causing a mist over the water.
There are thousands of kilometers of terraces around the lake, but most are no longer worked due to the high labour requirement and better prospects in the growing cities and the tourist business. Productivity has also fallen, presumably due to reduced inputs of labour, nutrients and management of water. The incas used complex systems including capiliarity and osmosis, and were getting 36 tonnes per hectare according to records, this is not much less than in some modern advanced countries. But now around the lake they are only averaging 7 tonnes.

There is a very special island called Sun Island where there are remains of temples built 600 - 400 BC. The Tianco civilisation disappeared around 12th century AD, no-one quite knows why.

The Andes stretch from Alaska to Anarctica. The are 2 arms of the mountain range just here and we drove through the valley between them, an awesome experience.

Crossed the lake at its narrowest point between the big and little lakes, on a passenger ferry which was a very basic boat with just enough room for the 17 of us and lots of water sloshing around under the floor. The bus went across on a pontoon just big enough on a chain pulley system looking very odd sitting barely above the water line in the lake. We all got across safely.

Arrived La Paz which was created in 1548 following a 3 year spat between rival spanish factions after which mother spain ordered that a new city be built called Our Lady of The Peace = La Paz. There were 8 million? streams running into the valley chosen for the city, and the spanish soon noticed the local indians were finding gold in them. This made the new city very popular among spanish tourists of the day. The population today is 1.2 million and it is full, being surrounded by steep hills and mountains. A new extension of the city has grown on top of the surrounding hills whose people are seeking independance from the old city government.
There are 2 main cultures in La Paz, Andean and ex-European, but also asian (mainly japanese and indian) and african. The japanese grow rice and export lots of it, and the asian indians control the digital/photo/stereo sector. A cosmopolitan city, very crowded and busy, La Paz is also the seat of national government. The President is based here.

Walked through part of the city this afternoon, in a group led by Claudia. Visited an ATM and shopping centre. Got bored and came back to hotel with part of group to update blog. Not supposed to go out on my own, even in daytime, so can`t just wander about as I like to do sometimes. 6pm now, dinner at 7.30, one couple leaving tomorrow so will be farewells after 18 days.
Take care everybody, All the Best,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil 14,15 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil 14,15 Sepr 08
Sun 14 Left nice Hotel Casa Andina Puno early to board boat accross Lake Titticaca to take 15 of us to 3 inhabited islands. Titticaca is 165 kilometers long, 60k wide, 8,500 sq ks with depths ranging up to 288 meters. This is a lot of water. Originally sea water cut off from the ocean 10,000 years ago, it is now fed by 6 rivers and flows out through one rived that dissipates across Bolivia. It never reaches either the Pacific nor Atlantic Oceon. Some salt remains, but mostly fresh now.
First visit was to a man made island. Driven from Puno centuries ago, indiginous people first lived on boats then developed skills using the reeds to create islands and homes far from the invadors. They cut large sections of underwater reed root which then float to the top. These are dragged to the nearest beach to dry out, then lashed together to form a large area which is towed back out into the lake to the chosen position. Then cut top stalks and leaves of reeds are layed accross, first layer one way second at right angles etc until a floor that can be walked on is formed. The reeds are layered to a higher level for houses and other structures. They have to keep topping up the reeds and every 4 or 5 years, replace the whole island. There are hundreds of these reed islands, each containing 5 to 10 families, all with intricate interlocking cultural and spiritual customs. 526 families, 3,000 people in total. We visited one of these reed islands called Titimarka and were treated to a demonstration of how the islands are made and shown some of the foods and fish they eat. The ladies in out group dressed up in local costume with much giggling and hilarity. A small group of us were invited into one home by one of the three sisters who live in it. She spoke quite good english, attended a high school on land nearby and wants to be trained for the tourist industry. These people are very traditional in their ways and also very switched on. I bought a very nice blanket for Leon, it shows the Aconda, Puma and snake whick are central symbols top the Incas representing the heavens in which the Acondas fly, the ground on wich people and pumas live and the underground inhabited by snakes. I hope he like it.

Next to another reed island, Jachachaywa, where a wedding was underway. Bride and Groom, little bridesmaids, presents including an MFI wardrobe and a band continually playing and clearly in need of the practice. Lots of booze and soft drinks. The celebrations go on for 10 days. The men who drink the most gain some special standing in the newly weds future family.

Then on to Taquile, a large normal rocky island with a very important Headman who has even made an official visit to England. Long walk up to our rooms carring our back-packs. (Puffed a bit). Shown local produce, said to be the best woven and knitted wear in Peru. Only the men are allowed to knit. The do it VERY tightly. A boy is not allowed to get married until his knitted hat can hold water without leaking. The women weave. Beautiful stuff. Had soup for lunch, their soups are amazing, then walked to the top of the island, over 4,100 meters above sea level - more experience of not enough oxygen. Religious site, pre-inca ruins, and pictures of sunset then down for dinner. Soup again, had seconds, then white (rainbow?)trout, very fresh and perfectly cooked, plus local potatos, some a very strange shape, sort of cylindrical and wrinkly. White and brown trout were introduced by americans in 1958, first welcomed by locals but then bigger trout ate all the local fish, they all died out except 2 varieties. Not so pleased now.
Rooms very basic, shared with Ray and Stewart, bed quite comfortable with loads of thick blankets, Rumours of minus 5 degrees at night proved unfounded, it was cold but bearable. No hot water. Slept like a log.

Monday 15th today, 6am breakfast, then boat (saw some ducks) back to Puno. Bought snacks, bunch bannannas, 2 snickers bars, 2 packets buscuits, bottle water, 15 sols < 3 pounds in tiny shop from two lovely ladies who only had 4 teeth between them. Onto bus, stopped for group photo, still the 15 of us, then to border with Bolivia. No problems. On to Hotel Gloria in Copacabana. Yes Copacabana Bolivia, the first Copacabana whose meaning is origin of water viewpoint. A priest promised the Madonna he would name the next place he visited after this town, then got shipwrecked off Brazil hence the name there.
The Madonna is The Queen of the Nation, very important spititually, culturally and politically, including to non-catholics.
There is a huge church here with a special chapel containing The Madonna. Her clothes are changed daily, three times a day during special festivals. All of her clothes are jewel encrusted and beautifully embroidered. Families deprive themselves over long periods to save money to buy her an item of clothing. Tens of thousands visit the town, church and nearby hill in pilgrimages, a bit like Lourdes, sometimes 40,000 on a special day.
Bought t shirts for me, Philip, Wayne and Leon. Philips is a classic.
On to La Paz tomorrow. No troubles here or there, but a strike up north apparently.
All the Best,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Fri'Sat

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Fri'Sat



Friday rest day visited inca museum fascinating stuff 1000BC to 1400AD weapons, stonemason tools, pottery (some 1 metre high), pins, spoons, waeving instruments and loons, whistles, musical instruments, all well presented in a yniversity building near the main square.



Back to hotel, informed by manageress that Cindy and Dianes rooms walls are original inca stone walls. Next to hotel is archeological site and this plus hotel atea was home of one of the great inca kings.



Evening taken by Claudia to show. Brilliant. It was a story-fable about an inca girl who died to save her town. Teriffic dancing and choreography with visual effects and actors swinging about in the air in all directions. Great stuff, really enjoyed it.



Saturday, journey Cusco to Puna, everyone else went in train, second best scenic train journey in the world ( London to after Birmingham? I think someone was pulling my leg there) but no ticket for me aaaaaaaaaaaaw! But I went in minibus, just me and Claudia and driver ha ha, on road that mostly followed railway so saw all the scenery, stopped twice to visit ´sistine chapel of america´ and fascinating arceological site (more later), had amazing lunch, help yourself so went up 5 times including 2 puddings, journey took 3 hours less so had lie-in and saved 150 us dollars less 5 pounds for lunch ha ha.



Claudia excellent guide (with us to end of trip in La Paz), took me around Raqchi, the archeological site which includes the 500 year old central wall of a temple, 92 meters long and about 12 meters high, 1.7 to 3 meters wide. The bottom about 5 meters is made of huge stone blocks perfectly fitted together by the incas. the next 7 meters is made of clay, soli, silicon , other minerals, straw and other stuff and has amazingly survived 500 years. Also saw sets of houses, qolqas = large storage buildings, artificial lake, an inca wall surounding the town, inca bath places and part of an inca trail through the town. A great place to visit.

The Andean Sistine Chapel of America was very old 1572 and beautiful. It had an array of intricate artwork + loads of paintings by well known artists + gold plated woodwork and frames everywhere. A beautiful building in a small otherwise very ordinary village called Andahuaylillas in the middle of nowhere.

Now in Andina Hotel in Puno on edge of Lake Titycaca. Got to go now for evening meal, All the Best,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Thurs 11 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Thurs 11 Sept 08
Official tour of Machu Picchu with Claudia. Bussed up the switchback hill, half an hour, and in through the ticket office. There are thousands of tourists here but Claudia does an excellent job.
We are 2,432 meters above sea level on the side of a granite mountain in semi-tropical highland jungle. The rocks are mostly light grey in colour with a high content of quartz, mica and minerals which was used by the andean masons to construct a magnificent complex of buildings here.

It is believed that Machu Picchu was occupied by an elite section of the Incas, and its existance was not known about by the various non-inca tribes that had been subjugated by the Incas. Hence when the spanish came, and the non-incas told them all they wanted to know about the hated Inca empire, Machu Picchu remained undiscovered by the invaders. For some unknown reason, the Incas later abandoned Machu Picchu. Maybe a combination of disease, inability to trade sufficienly and greater opportunities in the spanish society.

In 1911, after some years searching for the fabled lost Inca city, Professor Hiram Bingham, an american, found the heavily overgrown ruins with the help of Melchor, a farmer, not our porter of course, it was a long time ago. With a young child as a guide provided by Melchor, Bingham discovered the Royal Tomb, the Principle Temple and the Temple of the three windows. Bingham removed tonnes of artyfacts and transported them to the USA with the promise that they would be studied and returned. Peru is still waiting, and its government is trying to get the USA University that has them to honour Binghams promise.

The name Machu Picchu comes from the mountain which had been given that name by the local people for many centuries.

Over the years since 1911 and still ongoing, the Peruvian authorities are uncovering and restoring this Inca city. They believe that up to 100,000 people lived here. It has a township area, terraces for agriculture, storage buildings, Royal enclosures, temples and towers, a guardhouse, gates, pathways and steps, and an astrological observatory. The sun was especially important to the Incas and they used the observarory to determine what time of year it was for sowing seeds, planting crops and harvesting.

The whole thing is a remarkable feat of stone masonry and building. Whilst it follows the contours of the mountan according to Incan custom, it was clearly a complete city providing all the requirements of the sophisticated and complex society that the Incas clearly sustained and continued to develop.

Am now in the little modern town at the bottom of the mountain, leaving at 3.30 by bus for Cusco where we have a "free" day tomorrow so no update planned for a couple of days.

Saturday we´re off the Lake Tittyhaha I think.

All the Best,
John

Peru,Bolivia,Brazil Wed 10 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Wed 10 Sept 08
Yesterday evening 5 of us had excellent farewell to Veronica meal in a restaurant on one side of the central square of Ollataytambo. I had alpaca steak, perfectly cooked. A group of musicians started to play, we were the only diners that evening, they turned out to be students earning some money to pay for their further education. The main guy was very good, I bought their CD to play to anyone who is travelling in my car instead of Laura Nyro.
Early (again) next morning said a sad farewell to Veronica and boarded train then bus to Machupicchu. The 4 of us walked the last section to the ruins of the settlement that the spanish invaders never found. It was eventually abandoned by the incas whose numbers had fallen from 20 million to about 6 million due mainly to disease, small pox etc. It was rediscovered in 1911. Since then, the overgrowth has been removed to reveal the walls of buildings, paths and terraces collectively forming a remarkable township perched high up in a remote part of the mountains.
We had a look at one side of the site, watched a bunch of indians practicing inca dancing for a "movie", then walked the trail up to the sun gate which is the end of the traditional tourist inca trail where the rest of our original group were due to arrive at 2pm. In fact they straggled in over a two hour period, we saw half of them arrive then returned to our hotel in the modern town below.
Visited the hot springs but had a few beers overlooking the pools rather than get wet. Bought a T shirt with a picture of a llama spitting at its handler (or a tourist?). Another evening meal, this time with the whole group, listening to their experiences. Some of them had been very poorly indeed with the altitude sickness.
Formal tour of Machupicchu tomorrow.
Now 10.40pm, ready for bed. All the Best,
John

Peru,Bolivia,Brazil 6 - 9 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil 6 - 9 Sept 08

Spectacular, Exceptional beauty, an amazing place.

We have trekked for 4 days through the Andean mountains of Peru, up to the highest pass at 4,575 meters, and down through the Sacred Inca Valley. Led by Veronica and 5 strong support team more of whom later, we followed inca trails level with the snow line, then descended into small plains and valleys. We met families and groups of people who live and flourish in this harsh environment, with mountains towering over them all around, beautiful landscapes from which they forge a living. These people are skilled in many ways, crop and livestock farming, preparing wools as described before and weaving, trading and travelling long distances to do so. School is compulsory for the children and they also walk a long way every school-day.

The most important person in our team, after Veronica, was the cook. His name is Juan and he had an assistant, Isac. The porters were led by Herman who kept close to us with his horse. The other porters, Raimundo and Melchor, went ahead each day with gang of llamas (pronounced yamas here) carring the tents and most of our gear. Camp sites were set up and made ready before our arrival each day. The dining tent had a table and 5 chairs for Veronica and us 4 trekkers. Lunch, tea, dinner, all superb, more later.

My fellow trekkers (are there 2 ks in trekkers? please let me know) were Stewart, Ray and Cindy all from West Australia. A great group, we gelled really well, with Stewart and Ray cracking jokes and all of us laughing much of the time.

Day 1, 6th, we were driven to Testayoc and left with Veronica and tha porters to start the trek which was up and up and up and up........
Now I must mention the effects of altitude. You can,t get enough oxygen into your lungs, however fit you are. Our time in Cusco and Ollantaytambo had helped us to adapt but this was something else. I had to open my mouth and nose and take in as much air as possible, it was very hard at times. Up and up and up..... Met Katy Magaly and her brother Joel on the way, then their father who told them to go with us to the camp site. They were very shy but enjoyed the experience and we chatted with them through Veronica a lot. Spanish is not the first language of the people who live in these remote areas, and Veronica is learning their language.
We all made it in good time according to Veronica to our first camp site at Tastayoq, 4,100 metres. It was bloody cold. Had a welcome cream corn soup and a salad for lunch, popcorn for tea and a beef meal and pudding for dinner.
My feet were frozen all night. Didn't get much sleep.

Day2 7th Porrige and bread and lovely marmalades for breakfast then up, up, up ........ to Huaraqtanqa Pass entrance, 4,480 metres. Saw Andean geese, a mountain caracara (a type of falcon) and an Andean Gaviota. Met Lilia, 9 years old who brought some woven goods up to us from her mother who was weaving and watching over some sheep further down the valley. This was in the middle of no-where. Mountains all around, and this lady, Beatrice, sat on the grass weaving with her 9 year old daughter. They come from the village of Ramira and are part of the Patacancha community. We went down to Beatrice, looked at the things she had made and bought a few things. I bought a nice llama each for Jo and Faye. The whole thing was an out of this world experience. Especially when I put my hand on a grassy mound which left me with a hundred prickles in my hand. I felt better about it when Veronica was helping me to pull them out.
We camped at Sondar Mayo, 4,420 metres, even colder. Lunch, tea and dinner all delicious, including pumpkin soup at some point. Bedtime, filled 2 bottles with hot water, wrapped them and put them by my feet. A better night's sleep.

Day 3, 8th, more porrige and eggs and bacon and marmalade on bread and up, up, up .... to Halancoma Pass 4575 metres, the highest point of our trek. Beautiful scenic views all around, we have had these all the way, but now we are level with the snow line. Breathtaking, literally.
now down, down, down, to the village of Pallata in the Patacancha Valley. Met more ladies and children, all in traditional dress with beautiful weavings. Cindy bought an incredibly colourful blanket. Passed small farms with cattle, pigs, llamas and horses. Photographed wild flowers, orchids, lupins, polylepis, red kanta, got one great picture of Veronica holding a ladies slipper bloom.
Special dinner today, our last night, with wine. Veronica definately a bit tipsy.
We are much lower altitude now, slept like sleeping beauty.
Camped at Pumama rea, just below an archeological site of an Inca Temple. Fascinating ruins designed with zig zag walls to honour lightening.

Day 4, 9th, today, followed Inca Trail along the side if the Inka Secret Valley. Followed incredible Inka aquaduct which is part of a network of constructed water-coursed supplying terraces down through the valley. Tremendous engineering. More vegetation, flowers, trees now. Eventually on to road ind in to Ollantaytambo. On the outskirts, came to a primaryu school having a pet animal competition. Each child had dressed up their pet with coats, pants, hats etc, there were, dogs, ducks, a baby llama, a baby goat, with teachers with clip-boards judging. We were invited in and the kids loved it.

Got to go now for farewell to Veronica evening meal.
All the Best,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil 5/9/08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil 5/9/08
Left Cusco by bus to Chinchero, an Inca township on the trail between Cusco and Machu Picchu. It has been an agricultural community for centuries, they have found pottery from 1500BC. The surrounding hills and valleys are covered in terraced plots growing a variety of crops, everything you can think of including 160 varieties of potato. (Peru supplied Europe during potato famines 18c?). This is a very striking place, with its Inka stone walling and backdrop of the Andes all around.
We were taken to a courtyard where a group of ladies in traditional dress (which they wear all the time anyway) have set themselves up to demonstrate wool cleaning, dyeing, spinning and weaving. Very impressive using a host of natural resources to very effectively wash and make colours for the wool, which is from alpacas (the best quality) and sheep. Startlingly colourful array of things they have made to sell displayed under lean-tos in their yard. Bought an orange bobble hat and belt for myself and some nice things for Jo and Faye. The wool is very soft and cosy.
Driving on to next stop, the bus seems tiny in these awsome landscapes, huge plains and hillsides divided into millions of plots, all surrounded by snow-capped mountains looming over us.
Most of the higher plots are tilled but empty, just a few showing green shoots of their spring crops pushing through. There are some large fields that look as though they have had grains harvested some months ago. They do grow wheat and barley here as well as lots of maize.
Descended into The Inca Sacred Valley. Stopped to walk for two hours, the first part through a huge series of terraced salt ponds, where very salty water from a mountain steam is directed via a network of channels into hundreds of these ponds. About 6´´/150mm deep, the water evaporates leaving pure salt which is manually harvested to supply this whole region. The whole thing, which has been in operation for over 2000 years, is owned by the community.
Next lunch in a Willkamajo restaurant. Wow, brilliant, 4 buffet courses as much as you wanted, salad, soup, spaghetti with beef, chicken,roast potatos, selection of puddings, I had 2, a strawberry thing and a lime jelly.
On to Ollantaytambo, the premier town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. A beautiful place, massive mountains seem almost on top of us all around. I am in their internet shop right now, on the edge of the town square. Flowers in the gardens, including a long red bell shaped flower that was the Inca´s sacred flower representing water, a vital resource for this sophisticated agricultural society.
Overnight here then the treking begins tomorrow. May not be internet shops on the trail so may be a few days before next blog.
This is a great place to be,
All the Best,
John

Peru, Bolivia,Brazil 4.9.08

Peru,Boliivia,Brazil 4.9.08
Met new guide, Cusycoullour. Her name means Happystar = Venus.
Today is for touristing Cusco. This city was the centre of the Inca Empire which was huge in the years before the spanish stuck their oar in. The stratagy of the Inka Kings was to employ diplomacy when setting out to absorb neighbouring communities, doubtless in conjunction with a show of force. They also incorporated the new tribes´ religious beliefs and ceremonies into their own, thus avoiding resistance on this basis. (Maybe christian and moslem empires could have learned something from these people)
The Incas were actually just the latest (and last) of a series of rulers of this part of the world. Civilisation here had been developing over thousands of years, resulting in sophisticated agriculture and building practices in particular, all inherited and developed further by the Incas.
We visited Qorikancha. Under spanish rule, this had become a Dominican monastery, but they built this on top of an Inca set of buildings that formed the centre of Inca rule and religion in Cusco and hence their empire, and in their minds therefore - the world. The Incas called this place The Royal House of the Sun. In modern times, the Peruvians have uncovered and cleaned up remaining inca structures and their stonework is breathtaking. Huge stone sections perfectly fitting together, with no morter, but lumps and grooves that key in exactly, a kind of ancient tongue and groove in stone, but on a massive scale. Remarkable to see.

Next a drive up and up and up to the top of a hill overlooking Cusco to a place called Saqsaywaman. An amazing series of stoneworks integrated into natural rock formations in places, a massive area that took tens of years maybe centuries and millions of workers to create. Huge stones quarried and transported from hills miles away. In one hillside, they created three massive zig-zag lines of stone walls to look like lightening flowing down the hill. Incredible stuff.
Sadly, after their civilisation was superceeded by the spanish invadors, millions of Incas were destroyed by disease imported by europeans, mainly smallpox from spain.

Got a photo of me standing with a genuine Inca Chief - only 1 sol = about 20p.

Next back to the main square of Cusco for a set lunch - only 15 sol for 3 courses and my lucky day it was another member of the groups birthday so we all had a piece of his chocolate birthday cake.

Then on to the Cathedral also in the square. As has happened so many times, the conquerers destroyed the previous civilisation´s religious building, in this case the Incas´, and built their own in its place. An impressive structure with much gold leaf covered carvings and valuable paintings.

I like Cusco, it´s more like a town than a city really, buzzing but not cold and impersonal. I would recommend it to anyone but remember the altitude - 3,500 metres I think. The effect is like a combination of a mild hangover and motion nausia in a boat.

We´re on the move again tomorrow. All the Best to everyone,
John

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil 31 Aug - 3 Sept 08

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil 31 Aug - 3 Sept 08

31 Aug
All day flying via Madrid, arrived Lima 5pm, 6 hrs behind UK. Met by Omar, a student of languages, now learning italian to add to spanish, english and french.
Long drive thru Lima then only time for short walk around hotel in evening.

1 Sept
Good breakfast, joined group of 15 in lobby then early departure for flight over Andes to Cusco then Puerto Maldonado where met by our jungle guides, Fernando (from Cusco) and Lennie (a member of one of the local native communities).
From Maldonado, a long drive on dry earth roads through areas cleared of jungle, some cropping and livestock but mostly sparse wild new vegetation where earlier crops had used up most of the nutrients in the soil.
Then a long river trip (a tributory of the Amazon) (lunch on the boat was rice and veg in rolled up bannana tree leaves) followed by a trek through dense ancient jungle to The Lodge. Stopped to admire white caymen, side-neck turtles, hawks high up in the sky, macaws in the trees, many types of birds and butterflies on the way.
The Lodge is all timber, thatch and bamboo with many rooms for visitors. Very basic, but with an en-suite bathroom and running (cold only) water. The shower is very refreshing. Bedroom and bathroom each have one end wholly open to the dense jungle 2 meters away. Oil lamps and a candle for light. Mosquito net over the very comfortable bed.
Afternoon straight out for trek in the jungle, introduced to a brazil nut tree - coconut type shells containing 10 - 25 nuts fall in Dec - march when whole families are licensed to collect and sell them. Then dusky monkeys darting through the trees quite close to us. Fascinating.
Back to lodge for dinner (excellent) then jungle trek to 37 meter/120ft tower to admire the canopy. (I reluctantly agreed to forgo this pleasure to look after the bags at the bottom)
Back to Lodge, good nights sleep, woken by something falling onto the net over bed, pitch black, continual din from the open jungle a few meters away great stuff.

2 Sept
Wake up call 4am, breakfast 4.30, depart 5am for Chimbadas Lake. Herons, other lakeside birds, more macaws, tookans high in the trees hoping around and making a lot of noise, splashing in the water of giant otters further up the lake. Fishing for pirannah, caught 2, beautiful fish, put them back in the lake. Back tto Lodge.
Another trek to a hide to watch macaws licking salt. They stayed high up in the trees due to a hawk circling nearby, but Fernando got an excellent photo for me through his telescope.
Back to Lodge, free time, I lay in hammock in room only to be treated to a bunch of saddle back tamarins passing through the jungle right outside my open-ended room. What a great place this is to be.
Another excellent lunch then off to visit the local Shaman = doctor. He is an expert in preparing medicines and potions for the local people who cannot afford the town doctors and hospitals. He had some very potentially useful sounding potions. We all had our faces painted to encourage the good spirits to watch over us. On the way back, crossing a narrow bridge over a shallow water course, interrupted a opossum wrestling with a cane toad in its mouth just feet away from me. Wow. More monkeys in the trees, got some decent photos. Evening with Lennie in the jungle, only 5 of us volunteered to join her with torches searching for spiders and other various night-time creatures.
Stood on a line of ants, thousands of them carrying bits of leaf to their nest. They seemed quite angry. Managed to shake most of them off my boots. Lennie not happy.

3 Sept
7am breakfast, 8am departure, trek to river, disturbed copyu next to path, it froze then made a crashing noise as it ran from us. Back to Maladonado and sad goodbyes to Fernando and Lennie. Flew to Cusco where I am entering this blog in internet cafe. Have walked aroun the city a bit and like it much more than Lima. New guide Claudia here. 3000 meters plus so much cooler at night. Hotel very nice, friendly. Every one here very friendly, professional, efficient. All very impressive. Meal in restaurant, local food, starter especially enjoyable, a new taste to me. Back to bed now.

A great first few days, the jungle is an amazing place, lovely people. All the Best, John