Peru and beyond.

Hola, we made it to Cusco and it is such a beautiful place. We were sad to leave Eco Truly in the end, the people there are very lovely and the animals that Roo adopted wouldn´t fit in her rucksack so we had to entrust them to Uncle Ben, Aunty Corla, Barbs and the others to take over feeding duties. I know they are in VERY safe hands.

The journey to Cusco was another marathan (22 hours, but at an average of 30km p/h to avoid falling off sheer cliff faces. It made ventures to the banos (loo) even more  precarious than usual (will explain in a mo).The scenery was/is spectacular here, and for lots of the journey we were above the level of the clouds. Cusco is really high up, and altitude sickness is something we have to keep an eye out for, except I don´t know what to look for - better check! We are planning to stay here for a wee while and be tourists. Having not met any native English speakers for 6 weeks, we´re now surrounded by them and there is now a dearth of native Spanish speakers, so my limited spannish is slowing ebbing away to being non-existent again, I´m back to dropping casually into French at times of linguistic pressure, which was what I was doing when I first arrived, but it is quite nice to be able to have an idea of what´s going on.

Talking of banos - both Roo and I have been sick, we´have giardia - not nice. It´s a little parasite that camps out in your intestine and is really common in places with poor sanitation (I googled it, can you tell? :) ), we had to spend a small fortune to have it diagnoised which is done by offering a poo sample in an egg cup! Dignity gone. So now we are both on anti-biotics and will be good as nearly newish in a few days.

We are planning to trek to Macchu Picchu in a few days time and then we´ll start our volunteering at the community recycling project in Cusco. We´re have internet access here too, which is nice, so please say hello if you get chance because we can reply.

Adios from Peru.

Loads of love to all,

Emma and Roo xxx

PS. Roo said to tell you, that we can´t put the frigging photos on, but we will perservere!

Eco Truly

We've been at Eco Truly for a week now and met some lovely people. We get up at 7am for a morning yoga class flollowed by breakfast which usually consists of veg soup! Then we work until lunch, weeding or chopping veg and then have a free afternoon to chill out or go into Chancay. The village is a Hare Krisna community and everyone wakes up at 4 am to go to temple, Emma has participated in this once, its not really my thing! We are back to pooing in a bucket and have to endure cold showers, but we're grateful that there are any showers at all! We'ew starting to get itchy feeta again and cant wait to get to Cusco and do some jungle trecking and exploring Inca ruins. We have met some lovely people here though, We're travelling to Cusco with Tracey from Oz and Jo from England. Luckily Jo speaks Spanish so at least we won't get on the worong bus.
Unfortunately we still cant find any computer able to download our photos but we will keep trying.

Lima adventures!

Tonight is our last night in luxurious conditions. Tomorrow we travel to Eco Truly village to volunteer for 2 weeks. What we have seen of Lima has been amazing- emma is currently in bed, recovering from 2 delicious pisco sours! Today we spent a while in the national museum, we were not prepared for the exhibition about the terrorist attacks in peru- harrowing. It is amazing how little we both know about the history of latin America. We commiserated with dinner- sea food for me! Pisco sours all round, which are our new favourite beverage, especially mango flavour! We are looking forward to a bit more work as 3 days in the city is enough for both of us and we can't wait to get to Cusco and conquer Machu Pichu. Speak soon, Roo c

On our way to Lima

We made it! A month after arriving in Tunuyan we are staying in a hostel in Mendoza awaiting our bus ride to Lima tomorrow morning. We were sad to say goodbye to margot, facu, lucky, Vicky, Samu and Lucio not to mention Humo, all the rabbits, chickens, mango and her mum!
The Andes looked spectacular this morning, and for the first time since we arrived we didn't have to break the ice on the water bucket when we had a wash!
Everyone said that we would have an incredibly memorable experience and Tunuyan certainly proved that. This morning as we walked to the cabin to say goodbye to the facu and lucky, they were both doing their yoga routine in longjohns in the woods! Brave for all concerned.
The twins were as sweet as ever and we wish them and their parents all the luck in the world trying to sort out a place to live.
The bus ride to Mendoza was luxury and the first time we'd sat on a chair with a back for a while. Exhausted, I fell asleep. We also had a shower, another first in a month! before you all recoil in horror, we have had a few washes in 3 inches if water whilst in Tunuyan, but that's it. It was incredible to feel clean again, but we both had to change out clothes because all we can smell is smoke - which, strangely and worryingly were more or less oblivious too before! I guess other people who didn't live like the woodland creatures Roo and I had become would have noticed it more! We will sign off now and add photisonce we garrice in Lima until then buenos noches amigos. :)love emma and Roo x