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So it has been a while since I last wrote a blog. So much so that I am now in a different country, But before that, here is a bit about my eventful last few days in Peru...
I had a few free days in Cusco, so on the first day we decided to go horse riding and see some of the ruins. It was a 4 hour trip. I called my horse Roxy until I realised that it was a male and quickly Rocky was the new name. My horse and Izzy´s (called Jorge "w****-Hay") insisted on riding together, with mine being at the front of the group. All well and good until someone tried to overtake and mine would gallop and Jorge would bite. They were not trained like horses back at home you had to really pull them to the left or right.
We stopped off at the Temple of the Moon ruins where we saw sculptures of the Snake, Puma and Condor, not to mention the female body parts to represent fertility. When we went back to our horses, Rocky and Jorge were grazing away from the rest of the horses. Once Izzy and I jumped on they started to trot off - we had to be rescued. The paths we went on were stupidly steep and on the edge of a cliff. It was like the Inca Trail all over again but this time on a horse who could not stop slipping like a donkey on ice.
Anyway, as if that wasn´t enough, the next day we decided to go moutain biking. The following happened:
1. Sarah got hit by a car in Cusco.
2. The bikes were not ready in time.
3. We had to ride through the centre of Cusco in heavy traffic.
4. We used a local bus and I had to help get the bikes on the roof.
5. I ended up going down the wrong steep path and had to push my bike back up.
6. We ended up on a downhill extreme moutain bike track (along the south inca trail - we were not told about this!)
7. We were at high altitude so it was difficult to even ride on the flat.
8. I got chased by a dog.
9. The toilets were the worst we had seen.
10. We ate in a weird road side shack.
11. Izzy got a puncture which took and hour to fix because the guy had the wrong tools and so I had to use my pen knife!
12. Izzy almost fell over a very steep cliff.
13. Sarah went over her handle bars but managed to regain control.
14. I got two knots in my chain (bike broke)
15. Izzy and Laura got chased by bulls
16. Izzy and Laura had to take the broken bikes back on a local bus full of men.
17. We rode to the bus station after them, in the dark, with no lights, overtaking tuk-tuks
18. I had to jump start a coach!
19. I was next to a window on the bus which wass rattling so much I had to have a translator to talk.
20. Lara´s saddle fell off.
All in all, not the biking be anticipated. When I get home, I will be looking at my bike with distain.
Anyway, on to better things, we went to Lake Titicaca and did a home stay. It was brilliant. My Papa and 8 Sisters and 1 brother for the night were so nice. I took them gifts which they loved and they dressed me up for the Fiesta that we had in the evening where we learnt how to dance their local dances. We also played football with the guys which was such a laugh! (I coughed up blood at one point, JD had a nose bleed, Izzy bust her leg...all in all they ruined us).
Anyway, I could go on for ever but you may as well just check out the pics. I am now in Boliva (La Paz) Wow. What a culture shock. So far it is nothing like peru. People have said it reminds them of India. Very poor. There are 6million people live in Boliva 3million of which live in La Paz so you can imagine how crowded it is. The roads are crammed and you just have to walk out in front of lorries and buses otherwise you will never get across. Nevertheless, it is all very cheap. $1 gets you 7 Bolivianos. Which works out as about 1 Bolivinao is 10p! I had big Quesidillas for lunch, bottle of coke and a massive piece of pie for 50 Bolivanos, so about 5 quid! (We stayed away from the dog foetus, sparrow heads and trotters that were on offer in the market)
Anyway, that brings you pretty much up to date. Start the Boliva tour tonght. One more day in La Paz and then we are off the to salt flats where I am told it can reach mins 20 celsius.
So if you do not hear from me for a bit...I am probably an ice cube.
Hasta Leugo!
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