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Beth´s world trip
So, we have arrived in Peru! First stop Puno, which is very nice but it was only one night before our overnight stay on an island in Lake Titicaca (the Peruvian side). It was very tourist orientated but it was great fun. We stopped off on the reed islands on the way which was bizaar, ppl live on islands made of reeds, in houses made of reeds, with boats....made of reeds and eat...reeds!! Then we went to one of the main islands to meet our family, they performed the traditional dance and split us into groups. We got to eat the traditional food, lots of watery soup and rice dishes and then they dressed us up in the traditional Peruvian outfits and we went to a hall and tried to dance. it was well funny, they were huge colourful belts and my new 'mum' kept following me round tightening up my outfit - apparently Peruvian women don't need to breath, it was like wearing a corset!
We got a boat back to Puno the next day, and I was reaallly sea sick which was bad timing as it was Selina's birthday! Still we all went out for a meal and managed to get Selina up on the stage in the restaurant with two guys in bird costumes dancing around her. Then we all went to a club, hogged the dance floor and requested music we knew all night!
Then we drove to Cuzco. Loved Cuzco. On the outskirts it was rough but the city centre was lovely and we managed to find a couple of places that served recognisable food! Of course from Cuzco the next stop is the Inca trail!
We did the four day hike to Machu Pichu. It was amazing but my god it was hard work in places. The second day is 7km uphill and 4km downhill called dead woman's pass, 3/4 of which is steps!! I didn't think I would be able to bend my knees the next day. The scenery was unbelievable and the porters..........we had a 71 year old carrying our stove. We had 3 course meals twice a day and the best breakie ever. On the last night we bought them all a beer, and I got given a note from one the younger ones to tell me that he loved me!!! Mind you, think that's all the English they know, twas very amusing and Jane took the piss for the next couple of days.
After that we had a couple more days in Cuzco before a visit to Colca Canyon, where you get to watch loads of condors circling the canyon. Am sure I mentioned last time about how the truck broke down, well it happened again on our way back from Colca. We ended up getting a free dinner and making our way very late to a town called Arequipa. After Arequipa we drove on our new truck jack to Puerta Inca and stayed the night by the beach. Then we got to Nasca, where we got to see lots of mummies and the Nacsa lines, I dint do the flight as I was travel sick again, yippee!!
Then we had our last stop before Lima, in Paracas. Here we got on a couple of sand buggies and were taken for a mad ride through the dunes. We all went sand boarding, which was great fun before arriving at camp, a hollow between the dunes. Here they fed us bbq and practically poured pisco sours down our throats. We did a little more sand boarding in the dark which was well funny and then we literally picked our spot and slept on the sand. Great fun but my trainers will never be sand free again!!
Then we arrived in Lima. We all went for one last night out.......................and I had my camera stolen!! : ( luckily I downloaded my photos after the Inca trail but I still lost loads.
so I spent the next day looking for a police station, which was an adventure all by itself!! I got directed all over the place and in the end a policeman made me sit in the back of a police car on the main square (oh and this was on the national day so it was packed) whilst another car came to pick me up. Everyone was looking at me like id been nicked and the copper didn't speak any English! when the other car arrived there were 3 coppers in it!!! Ironically I would have killed to be able to take a photo! They did take me to the police station but it was the smallest one I had ever seen and the guy I gave the details to put his sim card in my phone and managed to copy his numbers to my phone!! Was well dodgy but very funny.
Ok, so that's you up to date til the end of the tour, shall bore you all with Buenos Aires next time as my fingers have had enough!! as am sure have your eyes!
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