Peru Round Trip- Lima, Cusco etc and back

LIMA

We had a really early flight so we had to leave our hostel really early so booked a taxi for 3:45 a.m. ouch! We didn´t really get much sleep the night before, about 4 or 5 hours at the most, but still was better than having to sleep at the airport where we probably wouldn´t have got any because we would be watching our belongings etc. When we got the flight, which was ok we were a bit thrown because our ´free pick-up´didn´t arrive so we went to the taxi counter and booked one from there, these are official taxis, you tend to pay more but you pay upfront and it is the safest way to get to where you are staying. I think we paid about 6.50 for 2 of us which is not too bad. When we got to our ´flying dog´hostel we realised that there were about another 3 hostels around with the same name, so we were very lucky he took us to the right one! The hostel is nice, our room is brand new, think they only finished the room a few days before. So that is a luxury! We are staying in an area of Lima called Miraflores, it is one of the nicer areas and there is a street with lots of nice restaurants on and it seems safe enough to walk around. There were lots of protesters on our drive through the city and when we arrived there were a few riot police standing around the Plaza de Armas, which was a bit worrying at first but most of the protests were in the centre so didn´t see any in full swing!

The following day our main aim was to book a bus to head south, either to Puno or Arequipa but because of the protests none of the buses seemed to be going and we didn´t really want to be stuck in Lima because there isn´t all that much to do here so we went to the Áerocondor flight office and booked a flight from Lima to Cusco the next day. This was good but think they put the prices up because none of the buses were leaving Lima. For dinner I had vegetable lasagne which had loads of cheese and no tomato and Jamie had this peruvian dish with chicken which he seemed to like. In our hostel there is a guy who works there who is the spitting image of jack black! He even has the cd of jack black´s band, so just had to get a photo!!

CUSCO

Before we left for the airport we made sure we had time for our free breakfast (fried egg, toast, tea, jam and butter). Our flight was quite good, we got free drink, cake and peanuts- although Jamie still thinks that Spicejet in India was the best! We booked to stay in one of the Flying Dog Hostels in Plaza de Armas. We have our own room with own bathroom and we get free breakfast (it consists of free bread roll, jam and butter, tea and juice) which is better than nothing I suppose.

The following day we got really annoyed because when we arrived we asked to stay two nights and then suddenly they don´t have any room for us. They asked us to go to the other Flying Dog hostel. Then the next day the same thing happened and they didn´t have room, grr and they were faffing around so we just found another hostel and then went back to get our bags, they were really annoyed because they had then moved people around to make room for us but we told them we couldn´t wait around all day for them to sort it out so told them to stuff it! Just so sick of being lied to and being messed around! We then went to one of the ruins called Sachsayhuaman (Sexy Woman!) which has very impressive views of the city. It is about a 10 min trot up the hill, past the church. There was a condor everyone was watching at the top of the hill, some men then went and got him (we wondered what they were gonna do with it) but they ended up being from a conservation society, this bird was huge and they let us take photos. We went to book our trains tickets to Machu Picchu but when we got there the backpacker trains were booked so we decided to get a bus and stay at one of the towns with some ruins, Ollantaytambo and got the train from there.

OLLANTAYTAMBO

So the following day we left Cusco and headed to Ollantaytambo. We had to get the public buses and go through a town called Urabamba, this took about 2 hours. It was all ok apart from the minibus where they crammed in so many people I thought it was gonna topple over. How many people can you fit into a minibus? About 30 I think! The town is really small so we didn´t have to walk far to get to the main square. We walked up one of the narrow streets and found a hostel with an engish guy working in it. The room was really cheap, about 5 quid between us, but then again it was VERY basic and we had to share a bathroom. We went for a walk and found a nice cafe in the square run by a midget. Was a bit disappointed because they can´t seem to cook chips here. We found somewhere for dinner which did nice pasta. Went back to the hostel and watched smallville, brilliant! The fort here is amazing, the stones are absolutely huge and apparently they carried them from 5k away to built the fort- wow! It is funny when you visit the market here, coz whenever you look at something people approach you and ask if you want to buy it and because I like to look it annoys me a little bit. So I have developed a sneaky look so I can have a little peek at it, without them noticing- it is working so far!

AGUAS CALIENTES (MACHU PICCHU)

The following day we had to get the bus to Aguas Calientes (MP) for 9am. We had breakfast then went to the station and queued with 100s of other tourists. The train was about 15 mins late. It was quite a nice train. You have to pay extra to go on a ´backpacker´aka tourist train. They don´t seem to let foreigners go on the same train as the locals, which is a bit of a shame coz it prob would have been more fun (and cheaper of course!). It took about 2 hours to get to Aguas, although it is only about 70km away! The mountain view was amazing from the train, couldn´t stop myself from taking photos. Aguas is not as ugly as everyone makes out, I thought it was fine. Ok it doesn´t have any character and it wasn´t very well thought out, but it is ok to stay for a night or so. We are staying in a little room above a shop. The lady is really nice and we got a good price. Although the shower isn´t that warm, but then again I don´t think we have had any in Peru. It is good besides the noise you get from the street kids playing late at night. We headed to the hot springs in the evening. It wasn´t as hot as in NZ but then again maybe we felt the warm more because it was so cold outside! Someone said to us that it was dirty water, think that is the minerals from the rocks that does that!

We decided to get up for sunrise, so we left by 4am. But as we were walking the heavens opened (hey this is meant to be the DRY season!!) and of course we didn´t expect it so didn´t have waterproofs etc with us which was a bit of a pain. So had to go back and get our coats etc which set us back a bit. And when we finally reached Machu Picchu it was raining (!) and dark of course. Didn´t get much of a sun rise anyway. The weather cleared up, thank god and we were able to do some walks around MP. First we walked to the drawbridge, then we got a guide between us and another couple. She was ok, gave us lots of information. She was quite difficult to understand at times but I was glad we got one because there is so much to understand. MP is not only an amazing structure, it is huge up and is made up of many different areas. At different times of the year, namely the summer and winter solstices and in the temple of the moon during the summer solstice and shaft of light enters the window and illuminates it. How clever is that? It only happens on this one day at 6am in the morning and never again for a whole year. Plus it is called the Lost City of the Incas because it was re-discovered in 1911 and was abandoned by the Incas, for what reason it is unclear. But I think that´s what makes it so fascinating. MP is not the best we have seen as regards to ruins, but it looks the most impressive with its location, MP mountain behind and surrounded by cloud it looks fantastic whatever the weather!

NASCA

When we returned to Cusco we decided to book a bus to Nasca, we paid a bit more for a more comfortable bus but thought it was worth it because it is not meant to be a good ride and I wasnt feeling too well. We decided to visit the doctor as I still wasnt any better, they did a few tests including a blood test and then the nurse handed me a cup and said 'poop', me and Jamie were in stitches! The doctor said that I had food poisoning (salmonella and giardia- parasitis he called it) so I had loads of tablets to take until I was to feel better. We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner but I only ate half a chimichanga because this band came in and we ended up being right next to them and I thought my head was gonna explode!

Anyway got the bus to Nasca and it was horrific. Horrendous and not a good journey to do when you are not well! The fact that we paid extra didnt actually make much difference, it is the uneven roads that are the problem. The bus was rattling all the way, bumping up and down not to mention the windy roads, so now and again the bus would swing right, and then left. Trying to go to the toilet left me traumatised and covered in my own piss. Not good. There was a baby on the bus, god knows who idea that was. The journey was horrendous for the adults, let alone a poor little baby!

Anyway we arrived in Nasca some time the next morning and I was still feeling like I had just got off a fair ground ride (however this one lasted for 12 hours!!)  so the thought of doing a flight over the lines left me feeling even worse. Plus the flight is maent to make you feel queasy, think I would have probably been sick. Jamie didnt look too good either. Oh dear. Nasca  is a bit of a dump so we were quite glad to leave. The following day Jamie still wasnt well so we decided to get the posh bus again on our way to a town called Huacachina, althought we had to endure a Hilary Duff film ( I was almost tempted to do the bus trip again, instead!) which wasnt the best choice, lets be diplomatic.

HUACACHINA

When we got off the bus we found a couple of people wanting to go to Huacachina too so that made the taxi ride a little cheaper. We found a nice room, which was 60 soles, quite reasonable we had own room with bathroom and was very clean. We also had a pool. Right next to it was this HUGE sand dune, I have never seen anything like it, it was amazing.

The following day we went for breakfast next door in Bamboo cafe run by an english lady and her husband. So had proper tea, which was nice. It is really hot here. We went for a walk around the lagoon and bought some suntan lotion because we definately needed it. In the afternoon we decided to go sand buggying on the sand dunes, where they gave you sand boards. It was definately the craziest and most dangerous thing I have ever done. Imagine this, a rickety metal buggy, a mad driver, going up steep sand dunes only to have to endure and almost vertical drop the other side. I thought I was gonna die! I couldnt look quite a few times because I didnt want to witness my last few moments. The whole thing was terrifying and when we got off to do the sand boarding I was still shaking! It was just like being on a rollercoaster, without all the safety measures! I was the worlds worst sandboarder and the dunes were so huge, I being such a wimp slid down the board on my bum coz I couldnt be bothered falling on  my arse anymore. In the evening we folllowed a german tour group who led us to a good spot for sunset. It was really nice seeing the sun set, surrounded by sand dunes. We ran down the dunes at the end (I still cant get all the sand out of my shoes!).

The following day we headed back to Lima. We had to get one of the local buses. The only annoying thing is they dont seem to do any stops for the toilet, you think that they would do one given that people are on the bus for 5 hours! When we got to the bus station we just got a taxi straight to the airport. Think we had done all of Lima now anyway.