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Hey,
Been almost a month! Done ALOT!! Sorry havent had the chance to update this sooner.
Pretty much, from Lima we meet some of our group for the Inca trail in the hotel. Then flew to Cusco the next day. In our group there was me, Josh, a couple from Australia (Lisa and Matt - both pharmacists), A guy from Norway (Jaren - journalist), a guy from South Africa (Kylan - works offshore in Scotland), 2 ladies from Scotland, live in EDINBURGH! (Jess and Carrie) , a couple from Australia again (Vanessa and Michael). Then in Cusco we meet 2 other girls (Becky and Lilly) both from UK in gap yr. So same age as Josh and me.
Soooo.....the INCA TRAIL! Firstly Lisa had some antibiotics on her to help Josh so lucky he was feeling fine by the time we started the Inca trail. Unfortunately he gave it to me though. So from the first day I was ill, not really badly but it wasnt fun. The Inca rail s hard!! Cusco s about 3600m above sea level so when we landed we felt the lack of oxygen straight away. It was horrible, you would get out of breath just walk ing up the road! After a day or so we got used to it.
The first day of the tour, we went to the Sacred Valley where we visted loads of Inca ruins and found out about their population and communities. We also went to a local community where we all bought warm Alpaca hats, scarfs, gloves, jumpers etc! V V useful at night. That night we entered into the official Inca trail site, after hours of waiting because our cook had forgotten his papers! We camped there that night. The first night of me being ill :(
The 2nd day we were up and left by 7.30am ready for an 11km hike. It was hard as we were at altitude. Fortunately there were 13 in our group and we had 18 porters, including a chef. The porters each carried all the tents, food, our 6kg duffle bags etc. 30kg each porter! We had max 5kg day bags each! Yet the porters in their sandals always ran past us, having camp set up for when we arrived! AMAZING!! We got to canp about 3pm and just relxed. Early nights as eveyone was tired!
The 3rd day we left at 7am. This is the hardest day. We had camped at 3000m and had to clmb to 4200m in one day! All uphill! This is the worst day....never ending steps!! The last bit is even called the dead womans pass! I was the most ill on this day and so it killed me! Lisa had a calorie couner on and all day we burnt nearly 5000kcals!! We got to 4200m, then had an hr climb down to our campsite. There we thought the hard bit was over!! Kylan had bought rum so everyone had rum and tea!
The food was amazing on the trail and we had sooo much Coca tea from Coca leaves, it really helped with Altitude sickness!
The 4th day we left at 6.30am. 16km we had to do. And it was hard! Up and down the whole time. Today we saw some Inca ruins as well. It was our last night and we stayed at this place where we camped but it had showers and a bar so could all be clean!! Bring on the last day....Machu Picchu!!
The 5th day. MY BIRTHDAY!! Got up about 5.30 and hiked to the cloud gates where we saw the clouds clearing and saw the Machu Picchu. It was gorgeous! We got there before the tourists came on the train and got great photos. We stayed there for the morning with Aly our tour guide explining things to us then got the train back to Cusco. The train was v v funny. Had a fashion show and a weird masked dance going on!! OMG we were all tired, my muscles were aching like mad but as it was my birthday we all went out for dinner where the group had all bought me a cake. Half carrot, half chocolate! Then went out out! Our group was great! Even Aly the tour guide came! Michael was the oldest at 33. But we all got on really well and could banter and have a laugh! To be honest I think our great group really made the Inca trail!
Anyway after a few more days in Cusco Josh and I went to Arequpia. We stayed there 3 nights and did the Coca Canyon tour. We met up with Remco, who came to the Amazon with us and we did it with him. The Canyon was beautiful and we were very lucky with the weather, we saw loads of Condors and again got some great photos! We also had a fun night Go Karting at the hostal before leaving the next day.
We then went to Puno, which is where Lake Titicaca is. Supposedly the highest navigatable lake in the world! We did a tour there where we visited some floating islands, man made with reeds, then stayed on an island for a night with a local family. The host family cooked for us and even dressed us up in traditional clothes and we went to a fiesta where there was a live band and we ALL danced! Looking like idiots. But it was great fun.
After the Lake Titicaca tour we stayed in Puno another night, where we re-tried guinea pig and it tasted alot niced than in Ecuador. Kind of between chicken and rabbit. V v little meat though....mainly bone. The next day we got a bus.....only 7hrs to La Paz! Across the boarder.....it was defniitely the easiest boader corssing we have done as it is all done for you on the bus pretty much.
LA PAZ......BOLIVIA!!!!! We got here a week ago and are finally leaving today! It is a huge city....but it is sooo clear how poor Bolivia is. We stayed in the Loki hostal, and Irish owned hostal....that pretty much is a party hostal.
Last Tuesday we went to San Pedro Prison.....an illegal tour! Read Marching Power....it is about the prison!
Tuesday was also St Patricks Day and as we were in an Irish hostal it was a mental night! Our dorm had 2 aussies in who were v v into drugs and as drugs are sooo accessible here it turned into the coke room....which was rather annoying.
Sadly in La Paz both Josh and I got food poisoning.....different days! Had to get antibiotics and all sorts of drugs from the doctor but now I am feeling great. It is because we have both been ill we have ended up staying so long.
We have also visited the witches markert where you can buy some crazy stuff.....such a dead llama foetuses or dead animals......weird.
We have also been to the Coco museum where we found out about Coca leaves and their amazing properties and their use for cocaine making as well.
Josh and I have met some guys, there are 10 in total who we are now going to Potosi with to the mines. They are all british and our age. I am the only girl :( The guys are all great and get only really well with them. I think am just going to miss female conversation! And for instance last night we went to watch some wrestling. It was the most random thing I have ever seen! Midgets fighting......men beating up women....and men fighting with slabs of meat, smacking each other. There is no heath and safety....one guy with the meat even came into the crowd.....pushed over the barrier.....threw chairs and slapped ppl with meat.....Salmanella anyone?! V v funny but again you can imagine how much the guys loved it.
Anyway this is quite a brief overveiw of the long needed updated post. Will talk much more in detail when I see you all.
Next we are going to the mines in Potosi then Uyuni Salar (the salt flats) then Argentina. Only 3 and a half weeks left!!
Hope you are all well.
Amy xxxx
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