From c*** of the Rock Lodge with a 4:30 am start to the Crees Manu Learning Centre - two hours by car then another 40 mins by boat. We're in the jungle proper now! Is so tranquil here, and we're the only guests. Saw and did some amazing things, inter alia; - spotted about eight COTRs (including some really close and a female; early start paid off!) - about three more troupes of different monkeys throughout day - a highway of leaf cutter ants. Then some monkeys...

First day of trip down into Manu National Park. 6:00 am start, our guide is Ronnie (nice bloke, bit of a nerd but that's what you're after), and driver Fernando. Started with a stop to get some delicious fresh bread (made with anise and brown sugar) from a town famous for it on the way. Stopped at some other towns were we collected some yellow gear for nye. Spotted some birds on the way but no sighting of a c*** on the Rock. We did, however, spot some monkeys by ...

Machu Picchu day!!!! 3:30 am start. Managed a brief squeeze of success in the squatting position at about 4:30 am. Only about two hours of walking, most of it manageable except for one set of stairs that - if it was anywhere else - would be called a wall. Elistan set a cracking pace out front and Yennifer and I were the only ones walking with him. He told us that the spiritual thing he did yesterday was at the spot on the trek were one of the people in his grou...

Day three - prob more exhausted at the end of today than yesterday. The bowels still refuse a modicum's movement, which is increasingly concerning for my gait. Elistan had to leave part way thru trek to do something "spiritual" - wouldn't say what. Walk downhill was a killer. Two solid hours of walking down very steep steps - walking through clouds at times. Jen went a bit delirious when we saw a so vivid double rainbow. We were f***ed by the end and glad it's al...

Day 2. What a killer. f***en hard climb up so many stairs. Got pretty bad stomach cramps - from either altitude, food or my inability to use a squat toilet. Which are f***ing disgusting at the best of times and certainly on this trail. Jen was very patient with me though when I was finding it tough, she's a good chick. We had three up hill climbing stages, two of which were very tough with the unrelenting steps, gradient and altitude. We reached 4215 metres abov...