Arrived in Cusco after a long night and many Spanish movies...this bus was 21 hours long and not quite as fancy as the last one but we survived! It is raining here on and off and a lot cooler now that we are up in the mountains again...we drove along some seriously high roads in the night after travelling down the coast for a while...even saw people sandboarding in the immense dunes...was a rough ride with all the switchbacks but beautiful and very green. The green was a nice change from the desert like atmosphere around Lima. Francis drove us to the bus and we cannot say enough about how at home he made us feel...so far away from home...maybe he will come to Canada sometime and we can return the favor! Just checked into the hostal and made arrangements to travel to historic Mancchu Picchu tomorrow...up at 5:45 to eat and head for the bus...then train...then the bus again. Looks like we have ath day at the 4 sites and then repeat the whole process in reverse. Will be a full day of activity as we do not arrive back in Cusco until early evening. we were greeted by a local lady bearing a sign with my name at the bus today and she has totally hooked us up...even got us Coco leaf tea...which is delicious and great for the stomach and high altitude headaches...really fixed my bus belly! Total overland travel is now at 110.5 hours! Off now to explore the townsite...a lot bigger here than I anticipated!

Wow!! What super pictures. Sounds like you guys are having a blast. What's with Ferg and the bugs? Maybe should consider another aftershave..... Take care, travel safe and enjoy

Busy, busy, busy...not even sure where to start...Had a beautiful last sunny day in Mancora...surfers paradise! Caught the overnight bus at 7pm headed to Lima and what a bus...had never seen the likes. Two stories high with reclining seats, A/C, men's and women's bathrooms and even 2 small meals served to you in your seat. The highlight of the drive was definitely meeting Judy Harvey and her husband...they are from High river Alberta and a super cool couple...lent us their Lonely Planet and even passed on a roll of Cdn. TP, they own rollover dog food and sell their stuff at Wall-mart if you have a dog! Really enjoyed this chance meeting! We all made it to Lima, although in 17 hours instead of the anticipated 14...buses are not that reliable down here but the ride was as comfortable as possible. Ferg had another encounter with mysterious bugs in the night though...I escaped unbitten...curious phenomenon! We headed from the bus to Miraflores...located right on the cliff area above the beach...very nice and trendy part of town. The drive in was very different terrain wise...the last 2 hours into the City of Kings was largely desert and then gave way to the city. Was breathtaking though with the ocean on one side and huge mountains of sand on the other. We are staying not far from the Ovalo Guitierrez at the Auberge Miraflores...this place is awesome with super cool decor and tonnes of photos of past guests adorning the walls...now our photo is here too! The host of the house is Francis and he is simply put...a Wicked guy...very outgoing, helpful, and friendly...not to mention very knowledgable. He helped us get settled and oriented and then we went down towards the ocean and the Larcomar shopping mall to find food for our bellies. Breakfast on the bus considted of a hamburger bun with a slice of cheese...not exactly gourmet. We had lunch at the trendy Cafe Cafe...allegedly one of the places to see and be seen in Lima. afterwards we navigated the switchback stairs down to Rodondo beach and walked down the coast to the Playa Costa Verdes historic pier...daquari's at La Rosa Nautica were the perfect end to a long day...we enjoyed the sunset from here and then headed back up the 'Malecon' or embankment and over to Parque Kennedy to see dancers performing and the local artisans and their paintings. Didn't take long to fall asleep and that was a good thing because the next day was action packed! Francis offered to take 5 of us...an English girl and two guys from Dublin out to see the Inca ruins at Pachacamac. On the way we stopped at Prohvilla...a swamp located right on the ocean well within the city itself...it is home to 87 species of birds (both local and migratory) and 54 different plants! 31km southeast of the city we arrived at an extensive archelogical complex that is made up of palaces and temple pyramids...construction dating back to 200AD...even 1000 years before the Inca. Here we wandered through the Templo del Sol and other sites before breaking for lunch and enjoying a local favorite...Chicharron - pork with sweet potatoes, red onions all piled up together on a bun...nice fish fillet for me...Yummy! After lunch we returned to meet two wild looking Peruvian dogs...quite a sight with no fur...but sporting mohawk tufts of hair...neat creatures. At this spot we visited the Palacio de Las Mamacuna or the 'house of the choosen women'...here Inca warriors chose their brides...women of all ages lived together and perfected thier artisan skills...learning from each other. After this the 6 of us piled in the BMW...a now perfected skill and headed downtown to the older part of Lima...we saw numerous historic sites! First we viewed Cerro San Cristobal a 409m hill northeast of Lima atop which sits a cross built in 1928...then the Museo Taurio...a cool bullfighting arena wher young boys were learning the tricks of the trade...very old building with beautiful chapel attached...even Picasso has paintings here. Explored more of the Plaza de Acho and then crossed over the bridge to see the original walls of the city. From here we saw the Iglesia de San Francisco which was built in the 17C. Further downtown we visited the Plaza Mayor or Main square which was the site of the Spanish founding of Lima by Francisco Pizzaro...a huge bronze fountain was erected here in 1651. Here the Peruvians declared theri independance in 1821. Also on this square is the Cathedral, Archbishops Palace, and City Hall...all new buildings constructed after the earthquake of 1940 which destroyed the small shops that originally occupied this area. A bullring and scaffolding also occupied this site and those condemned during the Holy Inquisition were exectued here. On the corner of the plaza is the statue of Pizzaro on a horse...moved from it's original central location to alter the view of the horse's backside away from the church. Other sites visited included Government Palace, Las Nazaernas Church, Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Iglesia de la Merced, and the incredibly carved Palacio de Torre Tagle...every carved face is different...incredible detail. We cruised past Casa de La Riva Aguero and Cas de Osambela before heading back to Miraflores early evening...I'm sure I am only touching on the highlights...we had an amazing day...nothing like having a personalized local tour of an incredibly beautiful and old city...Thanks Francis...you made our day! Today we are hanging out at the house and getting mentally prepared to head to Cusco...at least 20 hours straight by bus...time to visit Manchu Picchu. Lima was great and we will miss the people and beautiful architecture! Hope all is well at home! Kris& Ferg.

Hi Fergus and Krista: Sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. Keep on having fun!

HEy Kids Sounds Like your having a blast, pics look great. I wish I could be there. Maybe I'll come visit. See you tommorrow!! thanks for the contact Ferg.

Loved all the pics and especially the one of of your beautiful feet. Never seen another set like them. Hope the bus ride is the most and will be looking forward to the next update. You guys should be inthe Tourism Industry. Take care and continue to travel safe.

Last day in Mancora, another hot one but the wind is blowing pretty hard on the beach. Checked out and are playing around town waiting for the bus at 7 to Lima. Ferg tells me this will be the best bus I have ever been on...non-stop and they even serve 2 meals. This option shaves 2 hours off the trip but we still will not arrive until 11AM...14 hours! Bogata to Popayan still has the record so far. Had a great dinner last night...(may turn into a shrimp)...and a beautiful walk on the beach to take some photos this morning before the wind picked up around lunch. Must have been 6 guys out kiteboarding in the wind today...man do they ever fly!
Ferg is busy updating the album and searching online for our next place to rest our heads in Lima...looks like we will stay there for two nights. After Lima it is on to Cusco for all you tracking us in the Atlas. Ciao!

TIAWANACU, Bolivia (AP) -- In the ancient temple of a lost civilization far from the Government Palace, a barefoot Evo Morales will ask Andean gods for help and guidance Saturday on the eve of his inauguration as Bolivia's first Indian president.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to converge on the archaeological remains of the Tiawanacu civilization that flourished around 5,000 B.C. near the shores of Lake Titicaca, 65 kilometers (40 miles) outside of La Paz.

There, Morales, a U.S. critic who won by a landslide on a leftist platform, will be blessed by Indian priests who consider themselves inheritors of this pre-Incan culture, which had no written language and disappeared mysteriously.

Morales will walk onto the Akapana pyramid, put on a red tunic with gold and black detail, and accept a baton from the priests that symbolizes his Indian leadership. Morales will then walk alone and barefoot into the Kalasasaya temple before coming out of the entrance to greet the crowd.

Then it's party time in the city of Tiawanacu, which prepared a cake, made from the local grain quinoa, large enough to feed 40,000 people. The decoration features Morales' face and the sacred Andean peak Illimani.

Hey guys, Krista I still cant believe how much you write! Where is Fergus the whole time your doing this, off drinking beer? But Im glad you write so much and in such detail. It really allows for people to actually get a sense of what your doing. Well its spring time in Freddy, no snow, I mean none. You picked a good winter to leave ferg, not missing much in the way of snow. the bar is still going good. talk to you soon.

Super udate Kris , makes us feel like we are almost there. Continue to have a super time and take care of each other.

Well, it sound as though everything is going well. Glad to see a site we can follow your trip. Take care and travel safe. See yaz soon.
Cheers Babs

Wow- Mancora is certainly a hot spot in more ways than 1...today it is well over 35 degrees and not even lunch time yet. Ferg scored us another fantastic place to stay...Las Olas is located on the best section of beach and is pefectly laid out and landscaped...there is even a turtle that lives and tours around the courtyard all day. We checked in two days ago around 1:30 and we lucked out and got the best room in the house...really nice after having been up for almost 30 hours straight! We are on the top level with a private patio situated 20 meters from the beach...the sound of the surf at night is cathartic! Spent most of the first day relaxing and sleeping in the sand...found a great place to have some good old American stlye pizza for supper and then after reading on the deck called it a night. Las Olas includes breakfast in its rates and the next morning we went down to eat beside the seaside...quite a treat and really good food with freash baked bread. Went swimming and then out for a midday lunch...most places down here offer a daily special...set menu for a great deal...we had Langostinas...which are King Prawns...at least 3.5 to 4 inches long- huge! I needed a lesson on how to get at these guys...was messy but well worth the effort...at the end of the meal we even got homemade ice cream with chocolate and coconut...great cheap lunch. Back to the beach and more swimming and then we went into town to buy a bottle of wine and update the photo album...I also managed to find a great handmade, hand-dyed skirt from 2 local girls on the side of the road...very cool and comfy...perfect for evenings here. Ferg scored some fried dough rings with syrup while I was occupied and attracted yet another category of insects...hornets this time! Bugs love this guy! Back at Las Olas we enjoyed fresh handmade chocolates of caramel and pecans and a few glasses of wine on the deck...we spend a lot of time out here reading and watching the sights. The best surf spot is right out front and late in the day the waves are really pumping...last evening there was a guy kite boarding as well...looks like a lot of fun...he bailed quite far out in the ocean though! Had a late dinner and and early morning. Another great breakfast...omlettes with veggies and avacado...fresh squeezed pineapple juice and baked bread...then we headed off to the mud baths. This was quite an adventure...the spot was literally 30 minutes out into the countryside and we travelled there by Tuk Tuk on dirt roads and rocks. Tuk Tuk's are like monster garage creations...essentially a motorbike with a benchseat extended out the back with two wheels on both sides...like a big trike...not a ride for anyone who gets remotely car sick...Wes you could attest to this I'm sure. I saw my first Iguana today...they are super fast and this guy was about 3 feet long...also saw about 200 goats. This area was like a barren desert...wondered how they even got enough to eat. When we finally arrived there was a bubbling hole in the ground with murky water and boards to frame up the hole...we were the only ones here! The water was very warm and the bubbles tickled but overall it felt good on the muscles after some strange sleeping positions on several busses over the past few weeks. We were glad we went early as the afternoon heat would likely have made it an extremely hot affair...very neat experience and we were glad we ventured out...was great to see more of the country off the beaten path as well. We like it here so much that we have decided to stay another night before haeding inland to Lima late tomorrow...hoping to travel overnight as we think it will be a long ride. Will be tough leaving the coast but we are both browned up and excited to see more of this country. Peru is great and the people are very friendly! Hope all is well, Kris.