I´m back in Cusco again and have plenty of adventures to report.

I took the 4 hour train ride to Machu Picchu, nearly a fortnight ago now. Apart from treking(!) its the only way to reach Machu Picchu and it runs alongside the river, providing idylic views. Considering the english prices they charge for the train, it was pretty cramped and uncomfortable and at times I felt I could have walked faster! So you then take the bus that winds its way up the huge mountain.

And then it hits you... the enoromity of this fabulous Inca construction, built in the 16th century AD. It really can´t be described in words but you´ll see from the photos, why its the biggest tourist attraction in Peru. Its a proper Inca settlement built in the mountains complete with agricultural terraces, houses and temples. The three hours I was there wasn´t nearly enough but I managed to climb to the top of the largest surrounding mountain to enjoy the magnificent views. Then it was back on the bus, and the train, for another uncomfortable journey back to Cusco.

The day before I had been to a hospital for a routine checkup following my operation in Rio. The doctors told me that altitude sickness should only last for 3-4 days and given Dave´s predicament at that time, his situation became slightly more serious. So I escorted him in the ambulance back to the same hospital, only for him to be diagnosed with an infection and put on antibiotics.

I had been planning a possible visit to the Amazon Jungle throughout the previous week. Its coming to the end of the tourist season, inland of Peru as the rainy season is supposed to have started by now, although we´ve seen little evidence of it yet. Lots of companies offer 4 day tours to the jungle and this is the most popular, but these tours only visit the cultural zone, which is basically the tourist zone of the Manu jungle. If I was going to do the jungle, then it was going to be done properly - by visiting the Reserved zone aswell on an 8 day tour. I´m normally not keen on paying for tours as its an easy way to get ripped off then you can usually figure out how to buy transport and entry independently. Tours to the jungle are reknowned for something going wrong, so I had done plenty of research in trying to choose the right tour company. So there I was, in the Manu Expeditions office at 10pm, having been climbing all over Machu Picchu all day, being persuaded to invest US$600 by the other, mostly english speaking potential particpants. We left the next morning, along with the 4 day tourists, for a supposedly 10 hour journey to the first stop, the Cloud Rainforest. However, all was not to go to plan...

For those of us that were comprehensively educated, you´ll remember the state of the buses that took us to school everyday. Think of the oldest type of Whippet coach and you won´t be far off from realising the state of our bus. By the third breakdown, people were beginning to become agitated. The tour guide announced that once again the bus had been fixed and we eventually arrived at the start of the rainforest. By now it was dark and raining heavily, and in the rainforest this means pitch black. There were no passenger lights. The bus would stop for a moment. Not another breakdown? And then it would continue. Until around 9pm, when the guides went to investigate why there was an empty truck blocking the dust track in front of us. They came back to report a ´big problem´. There was a 20m landslide ahead and the road was blocked. So we had two options. We could either walk to the lodge with the guides for 3 hours (in the dark and driving rain) or wait in the bus for 4 hours until they would supposedly arrive with a replacement bus on the otherside of the landslide. I chose to stay in the bus. 3 out of 15 passengers chose to walk with the guides. Having been in the bus for over 12 hours, it had already become uncomfortable. The rain had begun to drip into the bus and onto us all, which I can only attribute to chinese water torture. So sleeping was not an option. 1am arrived - no sign of the guides. 2am, 3am still nothing. Breaking the silence, a french guy began to rant and shout. Girls started to cry. It really was a sorry situation and probably the worst night of my life. At 4.30am the sun began to eclipse the branches outside the bus. As you know, I´m a reasonably proactive person and not having been awake for 21 hours, was keen to do ´something´. Most of the other passengers were tired and annoyed and I couldn´t persuade anyone else to walk the 10 miles to the lodge. So off I went on my own, clambering over the landslide and off down the cliff edge track (approx 300m drop into the valley) descending through the clouds and rainforest. It was the best walk I´ve ever done and the 3 hours just flew by. But could I find the lodge? Oh no. So I ended up checking into a nearby hotel until Yo-yo, our guide for the 8 day tour, found me a few hours later. By this time, the peruivans had cleared the landslide and the bus had just about managed to get over the newly built track. The replacement bus that the guides had gone to find, had been stuck in another landslide, further into the rainforst. What a start!

People were all very annoyed and most wanted to get a new bus straight back to Cusco. We were all told that we had to continue to the next town. So another 2 hours in the bus without incident and little sleep, it was time for white water rafting down the Alto Madre de Dias River which was only a grade 2 so it was fairly easy. Swimming in the river was brilliant because of the current ie moving along with virtually no effort. Thankfully that was it for the bus and we boarded the motor boat, which was to become our method of transport for the next 6 days, and a short journey to Erika Lodge. The next morning was our first real jungle trek which ended at a zip line, or death slide, as has been known in Graveley. Flying through the trees on a pulley was as thrilling as you can imagine. Then it was time to say goodbye to the 4 day tourists and we continued up the river for around 9 hours, now as a group of 7. As well as myself this consisted of two graduate english doctors, Juzer and Ruth, multilingual Antonio from Spain but living in Cambridge, nr Boston, USA, Igor from Slovenia (who became quite a character by the end of the trip) and Michael and Janne from Denmark. We had two Peruvian boatmen and Gloria the cook, aswell as Yoyo the guide. Everyone´s travelling tales were most interesting and I learnt quite a bit from what they all had to say. Whilst I was keen just to experience the amazon jungle, it soon became clear that everyone was most interested in the animals. And the binoculars and cameras would appear at Yoyo´s every mention of anything. We saw herons, stalks, eagles and macaws (parrots) among a mulitude of birds. We also saw two caiman´s (small crocodiles) and quite a few monkeys. We stopped off at Boca Manu which is the last settlement. Juzer, Antonio and I came proudly strolling back to the boat with a whole crate of Cusquena (beer) and wine. Whilst they grow coca leaves virtually everywhere in Peru (used in tea and for other medicinal purposes) we later found out that Boca Manu is a major producer of Cocaine. We stayed in a nearby lodge and went for a night walk. The noctural insects were available to see in all their glory, during our night walk. They create quite a concerto at night and I was fascinated by the sounds. Ear plugs were the only answer to finally fall soundly asleep in mosquito nets, having covered ourselves in Deet. I was hardly bitten at all during the whole tour.

The next day we set off on a further 6 hour trip, now on Manu River, to the furthest lodge. We stayed here for two days which were by far the best, as the density of ecology was at its greatest. We stopped off at an office to sign into the reserved zone. On our various treks through the trees and at ox-bow lakes, we saw giant otters, wild pigs, loads of macaws and monkeys. The secret in attracting monkeys we learnt, is to shake small trees. Then the monkeys notice you and begin to group together to protect their area. They climb down from the highest parts of the trees and try to throw branches down to hit you. This is absolutely brilliant fun and was for me, the best part of the whole tour. We also went to visit a native indian lodge where they were selling various bags, weapons and musical instruments. And afterwards beat the indians at football.

Then it was the start of the long way back home. Nearly 10 hours in the motor boat meant we were all becoming far less interested in the latest bird to fly past. The travelling became more and more tedious. We stopped off to sign out of the reserve zone, only to be challenged to another game of football. Reading back my last blog post, I suppose you could say what happened next was ironic. Or perhaps it was because I was wearing sandles, that I fell awkwardly, heard a nasty crunch and quickly realised I had twisted my left ankle. Luckily, there were no more treks planned as for the remainder of the trip, I was once again the patient, complete with painkillers and a walking stick. Very close to arriving at the bus, the motor boat became stuck on an under water ridge. So everyone but me and the cook had to walk the rest of the journey. I suppose you had to be there! The bus journey back was seamless with no breakdowns at all. After 10 hours of boring travel we arrived back safely in Cusco.

Now I had expected to fly to Lima fairly quickly to meet Dave. However Dave had stayed in Cusco having met a Peruvian friend. Just a couple of hours before I arrived back he had heard that his grandfather had passed away - very sad. This is something we have both been dreading. So not for the first time, and no doubt not the last, we are once in limbo. Dave is currently contemplating flying back to England for the funeral. I´m flying to Lima on Friday to spend the weekend there. And then onto Buenos Aires on Monday. Whether Dave is coming with me, I do not yet know! The last few days I´ve spent not doing much at all, just relaxing and contemplating a brilliant week in the jungle.

Lastly I will address Tom´s messageboard comment, which I´m quite sure was written in gest. I´m writing this blog as much for me as anyone else. I´ve been on the recieving end of some of your travelling tales over the years and completely appreciate that reading travelling adventures on a cold, rainy day in england, can be depressing. So I really won´t be offended if you choose not to read all my ramblings. Just be assured that I´m going to write whatever I like and for however long I choose! So this blog will not be edited to suit your 15 minute lunch break! Peace to you all.