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Global Adventure '06
hola from Peru everyone,
well what a super few weeks it's been, I've just added a few more albums to the website, and I thought I'd write and tell you a few of the things me and claire have been getting up to. Claire has had a cold pretty much since La Paz, still to upload pics, (salt flats pics, promise soon) there is so much to tell you, but i'm not sure I can remember it all. We missed out on Lake Titicaca, we saw it from a distance and I think I have one photo. Big shame, but at least it meant I didn't have to dress up in a traditional costume. Plenty more has happened, we've seen inca funeral towers at silustani, inca terraces and buildings at sacasy waman (sexy women it sounds like). We've walked the Sacred Valley, palaces and temples, cliff top pathways only just big enough for one person to walk along 1000's ft up and through tunnels in the mountains. Tried chi chi beer, made from maize. Wonderful Cusco and the inca walls. Some of which were used in Motorcycle Diaries. We even met some of the cheeky rascally boys who actually were in the film, so they said. As they told us about the 12 sided stone, representing i think the twelve tribes, and one of the sacred animals, the puma. Incas saw sacred animals in pretty much anything, especially llamas. Then there was the Real Mcoy, an establishment where you can get beans on toast, boy, i-ve missed that and pg tips tea. MMM. All that before we even stepped foot on the inca trail.
Then 4 days of the most exhilirating, fantastic experiences of my entire life. With a positive attitude, I was more than able to cope with the physical and mental battle of the inca trail. Even the really steep bits which was pretty much all of the second day. Poor Claire struggled with her cold, but she made it, and I was chuffed to bits for us both as we made the final walk. Getting up at the crack of dawn, walking several miles each day, fed with loads of quinoa, soup and bizarro food combinations which mainly consisted of carbohydrates, including the awesome, mild curryish soup with chips in the soup. Our guide JC, Julio Cesar and not Jesus Christ was a legend. Although he could go on sometimes. But we loved him and he did a super job of getting us through the trail. Along with our 27 porters for 19 of us. The worst bit was the going down, it took that much more concentration, and on the third day there was lot of going down steep slippery worn smooth steps. We were all pretty knackered by the time we reached the final day and our early morning start took its toll with one of our group Ollie, fell 150 meters straight off the edge of the path, only the second fall in 100s of trails for JC. He would have been fine, but then a puma attacked him, which he fought valliantly, only to be then attacked by an anaconda. JC like the wind flew Tarzan Stylie to Ollies rescue and it was only by sheer luck and the always helpful condors who had also flown to the scene of the incident to offer assistance. Okay so maybe I went a bit far, but JC did tie lots of jumpers together and pull Ollie to safety, and gladly all Ollie had to show for his 20m fall was a few scratches and aches, which we were all very relieved about, him being such a nice chap. We were also very relieved for his wife Becky who had to watch the whole thing.
So needless to say we made it to Machu Pichu, famous for being the group that had almost lost one over the edge. It was very British stiff upper lip how Ollie poked his head up which apparently looked very small after falling 20m and said, its allright, im ok. Sterling. We were even talked about on the train home and in the restaurants in Agua Callientes. Famous by association.
After Machu Pichu, we chilled in Cusco for a few days enjoying the nightlife, Cathedral, Inca museum and Sunday roast at Real Mcoy, top 4 hour lunch extravaganza. Well deserved. Pub quiz and dancing all night and then the bus next day to Colca canyon to see condors, which we did, see the pics, and then last night we arrived in Arequipa for our first camping where we had to put up the tents, which was again followed by a night out exploring the haunts of the white town so named because lots of the buildings are made from a very pretty white stone. The journey to Arequipa took us to the highest point on our journey almost 5000m above sea level, very cold here, before our descent to 2000plus metres. Arequipa very european very different to the rest of Peru that we have seen, and very geared up for everything the traveller could need, and also the first time that the day has felt warm for quite some time. This morning we checked out Juanita a 500yr old mummy who was sacrificed to the volcano god by the Incas. She was only 12 or 13 when she died. Pretty much perfectly frozen with all her insides still inside. Lots of activity around here with volcanoes in the past few years even.
As Im sat here typing a demonstration is going on outside, my second today. It is a very politically motivated part of Peru, wanting independence fromn the rest of Peru, it is very different.
As with all our adventures so far, we have met so many great and varied people all with one common bond, the desire to see the world. Its a fantastic way to live. Less than 2 months to go, So far the moneys holding out, and my new idea is to maybe come back to Cusco, and help street kids get homes and learn spanish. I have not a clue. One things for sure at the moment, I dont want this to end, and on that note, I bid you all a very fond farewell.
Lots and lots of love,
Pedro y Clarita
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ps. I apologise for the lack of punctuation, my keyboard only has commas and full stops.
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