OMG.. It's Machu Pichu (and my birthday)

Last night (12Nov11) we decided to go VERY early to Machu Pichu by bus... for a number of reasons.  Avoid the afternoon crowds and see the site in the early morning to witness the morning mists rolling in and out through the surrounding mountains.  (I can´t believe that as I just wrote that I became quite emotional at recalling the memory and vision... what a sook!!)


Anyway, for the 13th Nov, we decided on breakfast at 5:30am to catch the 6am bus to the site.  In my morning haziness, I am wondering why everyone is at breakfast as some have decided on a later visit to the site.  As I am eating breakfast, a cake with one massive candle emerges from the kitchen and my fellow travelers start singing happy birthday.  I was totally overcome by surprise. It was so lovely that people I had only just met a few days ago would make the effort and Mario our tour leader would put into action covert plans to find a cake in this tiny town... plus I got a home made card from Karen that was signed by the group.  It was really quite touching.

Morning surprise.

So, after the surprises and well wishes, back to business of getting to the site. We walk to the bus stop, get on board and take the massive switch back road up to the Inca and Quechua peoples' Machu Pichu site.  This road is pretty daunting but after "Blind Corner" Juan whose driving habit of overtaking trucks on blind corners caused the group some concern, it wasn't as challenging as it might have otherwise been.

About to board

View of the mountains from the switch back road and bus trip up

Having just arrived at the site.

I need to cut a long story short because I want to share the highlights and keep some memories sacred and only for me. If I still used a film camera, I´m sure I would have taken 50 rolls of film in just the first 10 mins of setting eyes on this magical place. The rolling mists were like beach waves coming and going; hiding and revealing themselves through the surrounding mountains... almost like playing hide and seek with the viewer.  I sat up high with my legs dangling over the edge just in total silent awe of such beauty.  I am not surprised the Incas picked this site.  To be greeted each morning with such natural beauty would have been just as amazing back then.

Early morning mists in the mountains

Playing hide and seek

Amazing creations from both mother nature and humans

We had a good hour to ourselves before our official tour of Machu Pichu started so I just soaked it all up in silence.  Taking in every inch of detail of the place from where I had perched myself.  And the day just got better and better.  Our tour guide was wonderful, knowledgeable and kept the fact short and sweet. He didn't need to bang on about every inch of Machu Pichu as I have found some of our guides did at other sites and tours. He knew his stuff and knew it well.  We visited the Sun temple, the moon temple, the houses of the privileged as well as the workers, the stores and the sun dial that had the exact marking of the summer and winter solstice.  We saw the upright flat rock that had been precisely carved to imitate the massive mountain directly behind it. Gawd, this place just couldn't stop being amazing.  The lush green terraces were kept under control by the free labour of alpacas and llamas used as local gardeners. And always in view, the massive surrounding lush green mountains.

Bucket list item achieved

Later on in the morning, after our tour and after the morning mist had burnt off, I decide it was time to head towards the Sun Gate and see it from there.  It was a moderate uphill slog so the mantra "deep breaths, small steps" kept playing in my head to make it up there.  However, when I got to the first outpost half way up, I knew I didn't need to go any further. This was where I needed to be and I sat down at this spot. For a good 30-40 minutes I shard my present with this beautiful creation from the past.  Just me and him, in silence... plus the cute little lizardy, skinky thingy that just kept running around me and chased and caught a fly right up close to my leg.  That 30-40 minutes was my birthday present to me.

View from up high towards the Sun Gate

My little Peruvian totem animal.  Seemed to pop up everywhere

 After heading back down to rejoin the group for lunch, we found our tour leader Mario back in town and sat on the balcony at one of the many restaurants for lunch . I had my birthday cake placed in front of me and during lunch, Mario arranged for a Peruvian band to come upstairs and sing happy birthday in English and Spanish.  The table next to ours, full of intrepid hikers, also joined in the singing. It was a total hoot!!

Best three course birthday lunch ever.  Peruvian Beer, nachos and cake

Later in the day, we collected our belongings and headed for the train station but not before meeting up with Tim the New Zealander (long story from the night before, don´t ask), having a few farewell drinks, being shouted a strawberry and almond cocktail by the bar tender in honour of my birthday and finally dragging ourselves to the train.  It was late.. slow.. dark and some knobs had left their windows open so our train carriage soon filled up with the most massive moths I have ever seen.  Picture the waiter in our carriage swotting moths with his serving tray, most amusing! We finally got back to the Ollantaytambo to be greeted by "Blind Corner" Juan for the night drive back to Cuzco at 9pm... Let me tell you, that was an interesting drive. I finally crawled into bed around 12am.  What an amazing day, an amazing birthday and an amazing place!!

Best mojitos in town

THANK YOU PERU!!!!!!!

Forget the Hike! Take the train...

We returned to Ollantaytambo by bus today (12Nov2011) to catch the train to Machu Pichu.  Along the way, we stop and watch a guy making mud bricks from a landslide that occurred opposite his house.  The Peruvian Government workers obliged and pushed the landslide results off the road and near a location where he could make good use of what nature provided.  Very innovative these Peruvians!!

Making bricks from landslides.  Is this the Peruvian version of making lemonade from lemons?

Amazing produce.  I love this different coloured corn

Free range guinea pigs for dinner

Street in Ollantaytambo... our guide Mario

We board the Machu Pichu bound train and nothing could have prepared me for the wonderful scenery we went through. The train track goes right along the river bank through lush green forests and terraced fields.  The river (and this is pre-wet season) is storming along. I can't believe how beautiful the trip is... Listen up folks, you don´t need to walk there... catch the train!!

Train ride along the river bank.

We arrive at the little town who´s sole purpose is to shelter and feed the visitors and hikers.  Not much to do other than sleep, drink and eat as the whole place is hotels and restaurants. Mind you there is a beautiful river right through the middle of it and massive lush mountains surround it. There is even a train line for easy access to transport that goes right past the shops... (only kidding about easy access.. you still have to go to the train station!)

River through the town

All aboard.. or you can go shopping instead.. your choice!

For a town full of hotels, ours turns out to be a DISASTER!!!!  Talk about one star... or maybe even 1/2 star (and I am seriously being generous). My initial room has no external window but has a window and a full frosted glass wall facing the dining room.  Yes, that is right, I can open the window in the morning and order my coffee from the waiter standing at the buffet.  NOT!  Did I mention the stinky bathroom?  Why wouldn't it stink... THERE ARE NO WINDOWS!  So, I immediately request, no actually, demand a new room which is slightly better except for the missing glass in the window and the unobstructed view the hotel next door has right into my bathroom. *sigh*

Hotel that had a view into my room

The layout of the stairs in the hotel reminds me of a Salvador Dali painting but in 3D to the extent that as you open the door to some rooms you have an unexpected step down.  This caught one of our group off guard and she fell and hit the corner of furniture strategically placed for maximum impact.  GAWD!  Anyway, long story short, much blood, much calling for our guide, medics and hospital and 6 stitches later, she rejoins our group determined not to miss the Machu Pichu site tomorrow.  What a trooper!

As mentioned, tomorrow is the day... when I finally achieve a goal I have been dreaming about for ever (and I didn't have to work up a sweat)!

Cheers!

Just a quick Cusco summary

The next few days in Cusco are amazing. I wont go into too much detail so I´ll list the highlights.

1. A good night's sleep finally!!!  Trust me, at altitude, that IS a highlight.
2. Sacred valley with Juan 1 (local tour guide) and Juan 2 (bus driver) and to Ollantaytambo and return via Pisac.
3. In Pisac, we ate at the Blue Llama and were nearly blown off the balcony by the heavy winds.  
4. Instead of visiting Salt Pans and Moray by bus again, I stayed in town and found the locals´ food and wares market... better value and hanging with the locals.  Sat next to some art students and watched the world go by for ages. 
5. Bought some baby alpaca wool... Am planning at some stage in the future to knit something... maybe!
6. The market was full of interesting sights which included the meat section in aisle 12.  I've never seen the lips and nose of sheep for sale before.. nor a bucket full of frogs ready for the picking.  Beside the bucket they had skinned frogs legs ready to go.  Am not sure there was enough meat to warrant the effort though.  Wish I took a picture!
7. I notice Canadian Moe (Maureen) from our group walking the street and nearly burst a heart ventricle chasing her down to hang out for the day.
8. Caught up with the rest of the group when they returned for dinner at the only Irish Pub in the Square in Cusco.  

Tomorrow, we're off to Machu Pichu by train.

Cyas

Beautiful Cusco

Hi All,

Have been a little lapsed in posting on the blog.. but come on... am in Peru and have been seeing some amazing sites.  So, now that everyone else has gone and I have a day to myself before going to Ecuador tomorrow, I am going to post some stuff from the last few days.

So, this one is all about Cusco... Beautiful Cusco!

We boarded our flight and even though last night I though to myself,  "Hmmm...alcohol at altitude is not a good mix", after this LAN flight, I needed some hard core comfort.  This is the first time I have ever got off a plane shaking!  I mean, our tour leader Mario sitting behind me even said he was never flying again. Seriously, was this pilot on training wings or what??  I understand when you fly over mountains to expect some turbulence, but "what the??" on the two landings we had from Arequepa to Cusco approaching the runway sideways and up and down.  Holly molly!

Proving I had actually arrived in one piece

 

Part of the Main Square

I loved this blue colour that they used on their buildings

The town is beautiful.  We are still way up in altitude, its still tough to walk, talk and breath at the same time but nothing is going to stop us.  So after arriving and settling in its off to explore the town and the main square.  How beautiful.  I have to mention that each square we have seen has a massive Catholic cathedral (thanks to the Spanish colonisation) and beautiful Spanish influenced building with little wooden balconies surrounding the squares. I'm sorry I haven´t posted any photos, its just that subsequent computers don't have the equipment I need to upload.  When I get back home, I'll oblige.

 

Anyway, I've noticed that you can't help but eat light meals at altitude. I sit at the table totally hungry and after a couple of mouthfuls, feel totally full.  It's really bizarre actually.  Anyway, we went to an expat Melbourne born Aussie´s restaurant which is a fusion of Australian and Peruvian food (Two Nations.. worth a look if you are in town) and then took a slow stroll back to our hotel.

The usual Christ on a Hill

The next morning, we meet the rest of the group.  Another ten folks join our little herd and I think its going to be a fun group.  Lots of laughs and everyone seems to get on well.

Catch ya later!

POSTSCRIPT: Whether you believe or not, I thought I'd share an interesting photo I took near the back of the Cusco Cathedral.  It is full of either spirit orbs or reflections, you can make up your mind.  A couple of facts about the picture.  It was taken without a flash and the next photo I took seconds later with a flash has none of the orbs in it nor was the lens dirty and there doesn't appear to be anything in each spot to cause the reflections...

Orbs or what?

Next picture I took without a flash seconds later

Just saying folks... just saying...

Arequipa and beyond

 Well, its been a while and a few more things have been taken care of.

The keyboard I am typing  on has is totally dodgy and the space bar has decided to work 2 out of 3 times so i will not be writing much... here´s just a snapshot of the last  few days.

• Flew to Arequipa in the morning and basically acclimatised until our city tour in the afternoon.
• Amazing city square and we had a tour of the Santa Catalina convent and catacombs as well as the city cathedral.

• The next day, we took a 2 day tour to Colca Canyon / Colca Valley and stayed at an Eco-lodge in Chuvay.  Read eco = no heating at altitude!! (See 4 below for more details.)
• During the 4 hours drive to Chuvay, we stopped at a lookout where you are surrounded by the three main volcanoes in the immediate area.  Altitude?  4900m... and I survived.  Mind you I basically shuffled  to the shop and the loo.  Lucky we had a 40min stop.  Would probably only have made it to one of those locations even if they were both next door to each other!  Also bought bright green alpaca socks... which came in might handy that night!  (See 3 above for more details.)
• Best hot springs around in Chuvay.  Clean, sulphur-smelly, wonderful location, relaxing and not too many folks to crowd you out.  Was a truly magical time-out from our on-and-off-the-buses activities.

• That night we had dinner and a cultural show where I decided I was going to steal the little boy who was "playing" in his dad´s band.  He would have been all of 6yo and had the stage moves of Elvis... too cute!!

 

• Next day, off to Colca Canyon to see Peru´s condors in the wild.  We were there for an hour (after a 2+ hour drive) and as we were getting ready to leave, four of the buggers turned up and decided to put on a show.  I still managed to get some shots.  If you are interested in black dots against a blue sky, am happy to post!

• After a 5am start that day, we finally drove back to Arequipa at around 5pm.  A mojito and light dinner was the trick for a good night sleep.

• Today, was technically a free day but our guide Mario found a Agro Fair and we decided to go.  Agro as in agricultural, not a "biffo" type of fair.   It was great as it was purely filled with locals and there was food tastings... think Easter show but heaps teensier. We saw an Alpaca judging and took photos of best Macho Alpaca in show AND I bought a hand woven throw made out of Alpca straight from the lovely lady and her husband who wove it.  I was SO excited... what a tourist!

Anyway, that´s enough for now.  I was going to post some photos with this but the pooter doesn´t have USB ports... so maybe from  Cusco which is where we are heading tomorrow!!

Cyas!

POSTSCRIPT: Back home now so photos have been added for this post.  Enjoy!

Lima Peru

So, just a couple of quick notes on my first couple of days here.  I didn´t realise how much a disliked Egypt and how much it had influenced my thoughts of going to a third world country again until I arrived in Lima, Peru.  To say I am relieved about NOT reliving my Egyptian experience is not saying enough.. so I just want to list a couple of  measures to paint the picture.

1. In Egypt, taxis getting your attention with their car horns was akin to having your skulls crushed by baseball bats whilst here in Lima, they achieve the same results with a gentle poke in the arm kind of tooting
2. I can cross the roads here and have attempted and succeeded on several attempts all day (I won´t mention that one bus though... nor the red light he ran... nor my rude words...) whereas in Egypt, not on your life unless I was being piggy-backed by a local.
3. Respect, respect, respect. As a woman travelling solo, being treated with respect by the men here in Lima and not like a chattel to be accosted, yelled at and abused if you didn´t accept any of their offers (like in Egypt), is a wonderful thing.  
4. Finally, not being fleeced. There doesn´t seem to be a local price and a rip-off tourist price like in Egypt.  If there is, it can´t be too much of a mark-up because I haven´t felt it.

Yay, my faith has been restored in travelling to exotic places again.  Thank you Peru, I own you heaps.

So, Miraflores is lovely.  Its a newer part of Lima; ritzy, coastal and just plain pretty.  Massive cliffs down to ocean and in the distance a huge crucifix and Jesus statue that they light up at night.  Funnily enough, being a massive Catholic population, there are condom ads everywhere... Hooray!  Intelligence and common-sense prevails.

I´ve even heard Crowded House played in restaurants here... I´ll not get into the who owns C.H. argument, but it was nice to hear a familiar tune whilst eating dinner by the coast.

The lovely older style houses are dotted around the place amongst new builds and high-rise.  Unfortunately, there are plenty of casinos dotted around the place too; large and small.  Pity!

´
Am totally loving this trip so far and I haven´t really been anywhere. I think it's the shear relief of being free to walk around the place and not stress about who I´m about to offend (see list above).

If in Lima, Miraflores is a definite destination.  Pretty and clean (oh, did I mention doggy dos everywhere but not like in Paris... oh and there are tonnes of cats that seem to live in a central park area... they all looked pretty healthy though so that was a bit weird!).

Chao for now.. or should I say... Damn it, I´ve forgotten how to say bye in Spanish already!!!

¿Como se dice.. see ya later?













Let the Count Down begin...

So, here I am again, getting ready to once again muse over my trips.  This time around, it's South America.  I'll be visiting the places I have dreamt about for eons, making sure I get a decent mix of culture and nature in the one birthday trip.  

First off will be a tour around Peru and of course landing in Machu Pichu on my birthday (couldn't have asked for more really!) and finishing in Bolivia.  From Bolivia, a flight to Ecuador where I join a cruise around the Galapagos Islands.  Finally, I'll be treating myself to three decadent, "four star" days in Quito before flying home at the end of the month.

I hope you can "virtually" join me on my trip and even though I'll be a tad busy, I hope to find some time to fill you in and maybe post some pics... if I can work out how!

Cheers!

Last Day in Greece

We have been visiting mum's friends in Athens over the last two days and I have to be honest and say its not exactly the way I wanted to end my holiday. I've been listening to three widows debating each other over who's got the most pains, who's taking the most medication, who's children don't care about them the most and who's the most alone in the world. *sigh*

The last week in Crete was over in a flash. We had all these last minute things to take care of and before we knew it, we were having our last meal in the village with my Great Uncle Chris (my maternal grandfather's only surviving sibling of 13) and Great Aunt Katina. He is 81 years old and all of us held onto a piece of the sombre and dampening feeling of dread as the time approached to leave them. Tears and well wishes flowed like the natural drinking springs we found all over Crete and with a heavy heart, Great Uncle Chris acknowledged that due to his advanced years, this was the last time we would ever lay eyes on each other.

When left Crete, mum and I wrestled for window real estate on takeoff to watch the mountains and coast of Crete disappear behind us. Without a word, we looked at each other when the island was no longer visible and with tears in our eyes, silently acknowledged our sadness that we may in fact never return and if we did, too many things would be too different.

Now, I am just looking forward to the upcoming fights and the last few hours in Athens. Its horrible wishing days away now but I just want to get home. There is nothing more to be done here. Nothing more to see and no one else to greet with big bear hugs.

London tomorrow for an overnight stay and then onto Sydney and a third summer in a row!! Gawd help us with the heat!

Thanks for dropping by and reading my rantings over the past 2 months! I hadn't anticipated being anywhere near a computer but its been fun recording (albeit sparsely) and sharing my experiences with you.

Cheers!

A word on Egypt Air.... >8-(

Subtitled: Cranky Pants time.

Undoubtedly the worst airline on this earth.

Going to Egypt:
1. Chaos getting on and people bringing on hand luggage that eerily resembled loosely wrapped goats and bee hives.
2. Pilot decided it would be a good idea to make the roughest turns he could possibly do in the air without a wing coming off.
3. During the "meal" from the most unfriendliest female flight attendant with attitude... "Oh you want vegetarian, never mind" and walked off.
4. The same attendant opened a big bottle of lemonade; spraying its contents all over me... "Oh, never mind, its just like water!" I was half expecting to be inundated by the above-mentioned bees once they got a whiff of all the sugar contained in the "water" that I had just been bathed in.
5. The plane was taxiing for both take off and after landing and passengers are strolling around the plane, opening overhead luggage compartments.
6. My personal favourite: the guy from the last row; overhead bags in hand heading to the front of the plane just as the wheels touched the ground so he could be the first one off.
7. I am vindicated in my comments about the pilot because everyone on the plane clapped when we touched down.

Leaving Egypt:
1. Same chaos, same goats, different looking beehive type packages!
2. This time grumpy male attendant who didn't bother with cooler lemonade. Instead, he decided to splash what was left in the coffee cup of the person sitting opposite me all over me and then walk off without acknowledging my baptism.
3. Same same when the plane landed... Everyone was up and about whilst the plane was hitting the ground and not a single word from the flight crew.

Traveller beware... DO NOT FLY EGYPT AIR.. EVER!!

You have been warned

Athens and Ferry Boat to Crete

I arrived back in Athens on the 16th August and travelled by bus, train, bus and feet to a family friend's house to stay; recover and head back to Crete.

As soon as I slipped inside the apartment, all gloves were off:

OK Tina... you will now have a shower and when you finish you will sit down and eat 7 times your body weight before bedtime. I have every kind of food known to man in the fridge and by the time you shower and change into your jammies for the designated afternoon snooze, it will be laid out on the dinner table in front of you.

Hello!!!! All I want is a cup of tea and a biscuit.

You can have that after you eat everything on your plate.

Oh God help me!!

That conversation was repeated for two days until I was scheduled to leave on an overnight ferry cruise to Crete.

Overnight trips to Crete are actually quite lovely. You leave when all the lights at Piraeus come on and watch them fade in the distance as you set sail south. Then if you're lucky and have a smooth sea, 9 hours later you're heading into Souda Bay at dawn and watch the coastline in the dim light come into view. If you got up early enough you can be sipping a coffee from the many food stores on board whilst watching the boat dock and everyone offload themselves and their cars, trucks and packages that again look like loosely wrapped goats... hmmm!

I'm back home!