Sunday, 10 July 2011
Macchu Picchu -. whose idea was it anyway?
Macchu Picchu - the best of times, the worst of times (actually it wasn´t that bad, but aiming for dramatic effect!)
Roo suggested we went on a 4 day trek to Macchu Picchu whilst still recovering from giardia. I said she was off her head mad and we should get the train, but she insisted and if you know Roo, persistence (not to be confused with stubborness) is a fine character trait of hers, along with patience (HA!)
We just got back from Macchu Picchu yesterday. It was increible. We started off at 4,000 meters in the snow and mountain biked into the jungle at 1200 meters on the first day. All the food and accomodation was included, but we had to carry water and all our clothes and given that we really did experience 4 seasons in one day, that was quite a lot! The accomodation - oh my days - basic doesn´t do it justice. The first night we shared with 3 computer programmers (all male), two from Holland and one from India, who had lived in LA since he was 19. All tremendously sweet people, except for their snoring, which was EPIC! No sleep at all. They remain sweet people, but I´d rather share a room with a herd of elephants!
The 2nd day started early, up at 6.30, to a breakfast of banana pancakes, which was delicious and off walking by 7.30. When Ebid (our guide) said we would be walking for 9 hours, I just assumed he was exaggerating, so in this mistaken belief, we all dorbed war paint from a plant used for dying alpaca wool (it´s just come off my face) and started enthusiastically up the track. We mananged to leave Ed a postman from England behind and had to go back for him: For Ed, the whole experience must have been a busman´s holiday as we walked and we walked, first through the jungle, then through the jungle up a moauntain, then down the mountain through the jungle and across a number of Indiana Jones style precarious bridges. Roo said she wanted to throw herself off the edge on a number of occassions as she was so tired, it would have a been easy to do, as health and safety regulations have yet to reach Peru, but thankfully she didn´t and we stuck together through it all.
Finally we reached the river and as the shadows lengthened and the end came mericfully in to view, we were taken literally (and metaphorically) for a ride across the river on a cable car, pulled by hand (uno sole por favor!), then on to the hot springs,changing behind and hut (losing our dignity for the 2nd time in a fortnight) - but it was worth it. Roo was in a really bad way - walking isn´t her thing. Hurting people on a rugby pitch is her thing - it doesn´t really transfer as a skill in this situation. We arrived in Santa Teresa and were delighted to find we had a room to ourselves and the door in the room, which I assuned to be a cupboard, was in fact a bathroom! Oh the JOY! The water, alas was cold, but we braved a shower anyway. Dinner was a subduded affair, which was enlivened when the two auusies, two scots, two Beligians all ordered Pisco Sours and went to the discotechque. Roo was still on anti-biotics, and as I get drunk on a rum truffle we decided to retire to our salubrious accomodation and we were in bed by 9pm. At 2am, we were awoken to a rendition of Oasis Wonderwall, followed by a romp through hits of the ´80´s and ´90´s by the kids returning from the club!
Day 3, another pancacke breakfast and a short taxi ride to the zip line station, zip lining down 6 cables along the canyon, which I´m gutted to say we didn´t do because Roo was poorly, but it looked amazing, with each cable being 2000 ft in the air. This was followed by another 3 hour trek along the river around Macchu Picchu mountain. Roo by this time had lost all feeling in her legs and feet, so marched on, shut off from the world by her ipod like a woman possessed. I couldn´t keep up with her. We arrived in Aguas Callientus at 3pm. The sole purpose of this town is to support the tourist trade of Macchu Picchu, every shop is geared to sell things for toursits, you even have to walk a secretious route through the covered market to get to the train station. They even have a special tax, just for tourists! The day we arrived was the 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham ´discovering´ Macchu Picchu, even though there were indigenous families living there already! There was a huge celebration in the town and at Macchu Picchu and according to Ebid, Lady Gaga and Chakira where performing there. We never found out of this was true, but there was certainly a big party going down up there! The accomodation was the worst yet. It´s hard to express in words, except to say that the only saving grace was that there was a hot shower. We hung the wet towels out to dry overnight and in the morning, they were more wet than they had been. The whole room was damp beyond belief and by all accounts, we were really lucky with the room we were given. Some of our fellow travellers had a window, with no glass, which is actually just a hole in the wall and froze all night.
Day 4: up at 2.45 am to get the 5.30 bus to Macchu Picchu. Most of the group walked the 2000 steps to the top of Macchu Picchu mountain, and we take our collective hats off to them but by now, we were both so tired and Roo was stiill recovering from Gairdia that so we elected to take the bus. We arrived at Macchu Picchu at 6am, queued to get tickets to Wynapicchu, the mountain that overlooks Macchu Picchu, but the allocation of 400 had mercifully gone before we got to the front of the queue. We had a tour of the site until 9.15ish and fell asleep in the sun until 11.30 - BIG mistake! Dazed from sunstroke, we had a little more wandering left in our legs and negotiated the hundreds of steps over this incredible site. Exhausted, we got the bus back down the mountain, ready to catch the 6.15 train to Ollyatatambo, before finding Bus Pedro to get us back to Cusco for 11pm. It was the most brilliant and exhausting thing we´ve ever done and apart from the organisation and awful accomodation I wouldn´t change a thing (I´m not sure Roo would agree however!)
What we have learnt during our time in Peru
The spanish are disliked here, a abit like the English are disliked by the Scots ;). The Quechua are very bitter about the invasion 500 years ago, and haven´t got over it at all. Everyone claims to be a Quechuan which infers they are related to the lost incas (Kings of the inca culture), in a similar way that some people in England like to think they are a direct decendant of King Arthur!
Apparently there are 3 ways to get rich in Peru, become a drug dealer - coca plant is everywhere and farmers make a lot of more money selling it to the drug manufactures than the government. Number two, become a politician. The police and government are completely corrupt and if you´re in charge you can do anything. Everyone is open to a bribe and it´s part of the way things get done, or not as the case may be. And finally, find Inca gold. The museum here is full of enormous pots which were filled with gold, made as offerings to the gods by the incas. The pots are there, but the gold is gone. All the kids want to become archeologists or anthropolgists so they can excavate and take what they find. There are stories everywhere of porters and tour guides becoming wealthy having found Inca gold in the jungle and selling it on the black market. Who knows if any of this is true, but there were 32 candidates for the local mayor elections in Cuzco and coca plants are everywhere, and there isn´t a single piece of gold in the inca musem (I checked!)
Never the less, Peru has character, a bit like a wayward child has character. I like it here and would come back again definitely.
On to volunteer placement number 3!
Vamos Amigos!
Loads of love to all,
Emma and Roo xxx
Roo suggested we went on a 4 day trek to Macchu Picchu whilst still recovering from giardia. I said she was off her head mad and we should get the train, but she insisted and if you know Roo, persistence (not to be confused with stubborness) is a fine character trait of hers, along with patience (HA!)
We just got back from Macchu Picchu yesterday. It was increible. We started off at 4,000 meters in the snow and mountain biked into the jungle at 1200 meters on the first day. All the food and accomodation was included, but we had to carry water and all our clothes and given that we really did experience 4 seasons in one day, that was quite a lot! The accomodation - oh my days - basic doesn´t do it justice. The first night we shared with 3 computer programmers (all male), two from Holland and one from India, who had lived in LA since he was 19. All tremendously sweet people, except for their snoring, which was EPIC! No sleep at all. They remain sweet people, but I´d rather share a room with a herd of elephants!
The 2nd day started early, up at 6.30, to a breakfast of banana pancakes, which was delicious and off walking by 7.30. When Ebid (our guide) said we would be walking for 9 hours, I just assumed he was exaggerating, so in this mistaken belief, we all dorbed war paint from a plant used for dying alpaca wool (it´s just come off my face) and started enthusiastically up the track. We mananged to leave Ed a postman from England behind and had to go back for him: For Ed, the whole experience must have been a busman´s holiday as we walked and we walked, first through the jungle, then through the jungle up a moauntain, then down the mountain through the jungle and across a number of Indiana Jones style precarious bridges. Roo said she wanted to throw herself off the edge on a number of occassions as she was so tired, it would have a been easy to do, as health and safety regulations have yet to reach Peru, but thankfully she didn´t and we stuck together through it all.
Finally we reached the river and as the shadows lengthened and the end came mericfully in to view, we were taken literally (and metaphorically) for a ride across the river on a cable car, pulled by hand (uno sole por favor!), then on to the hot springs,changing behind and hut (losing our dignity for the 2nd time in a fortnight) - but it was worth it. Roo was in a really bad way - walking isn´t her thing. Hurting people on a rugby pitch is her thing - it doesn´t really transfer as a skill in this situation. We arrived in Santa Teresa and were delighted to find we had a room to ourselves and the door in the room, which I assuned to be a cupboard, was in fact a bathroom! Oh the JOY! The water, alas was cold, but we braved a shower anyway. Dinner was a subduded affair, which was enlivened when the two auusies, two scots, two Beligians all ordered Pisco Sours and went to the discotechque. Roo was still on anti-biotics, and as I get drunk on a rum truffle we decided to retire to our salubrious accomodation and we were in bed by 9pm. At 2am, we were awoken to a rendition of Oasis Wonderwall, followed by a romp through hits of the ´80´s and ´90´s by the kids returning from the club!
 |
| Maybe we should have trained for this! |
Day 3, another pancacke breakfast and a short taxi ride to the zip line station, zip lining down 6 cables along the canyon, which I´m gutted to say we didn´t do because Roo was poorly, but it looked amazing, with each cable being 2000 ft in the air. This was followed by another 3 hour trek along the river around Macchu Picchu mountain. Roo by this time had lost all feeling in her legs and feet, so marched on, shut off from the world by her ipod like a woman possessed. I couldn´t keep up with her. We arrived in Aguas Callientus at 3pm. The sole purpose of this town is to support the tourist trade of Macchu Picchu, every shop is geared to sell things for toursits, you even have to walk a secretious route through the covered market to get to the train station. They even have a special tax, just for tourists! The day we arrived was the 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham ´discovering´ Macchu Picchu, even though there were indigenous families living there already! There was a huge celebration in the town and at Macchu Picchu and according to Ebid, Lady Gaga and Chakira where performing there. We never found out of this was true, but there was certainly a big party going down up there! The accomodation was the worst yet. It´s hard to express in words, except to say that the only saving grace was that there was a hot shower. We hung the wet towels out to dry overnight and in the morning, they were more wet than they had been. The whole room was damp beyond belief and by all accounts, we were really lucky with the room we were given. Some of our fellow travellers had a window, with no glass, which is actually just a hole in the wall and froze all night.
Day 4: up at 2.45 am to get the 5.30 bus to Macchu Picchu. Most of the group walked the 2000 steps to the top of Macchu Picchu mountain, and we take our collective hats off to them but by now, we were both so tired and Roo was stiill recovering from Gairdia that so we elected to take the bus. We arrived at Macchu Picchu at 6am, queued to get tickets to Wynapicchu, the mountain that overlooks Macchu Picchu, but the allocation of 400 had mercifully gone before we got to the front of the queue. We had a tour of the site until 9.15ish and fell asleep in the sun until 11.30 - BIG mistake! Dazed from sunstroke, we had a little more wandering left in our legs and negotiated the hundreds of steps over this incredible site. Exhausted, we got the bus back down the mountain, ready to catch the 6.15 train to Ollyatatambo, before finding Bus Pedro to get us back to Cusco for 11pm. It was the most brilliant and exhausting thing we´ve ever done and apart from the organisation and awful accomodation I wouldn´t change a thing (I´m not sure Roo would agree however!)
What we have learnt during our time in Peru
The spanish are disliked here, a abit like the English are disliked by the Scots ;). The Quechua are very bitter about the invasion 500 years ago, and haven´t got over it at all. Everyone claims to be a Quechuan which infers they are related to the lost incas (Kings of the inca culture), in a similar way that some people in England like to think they are a direct decendant of King Arthur!
Apparently there are 3 ways to get rich in Peru, become a drug dealer - coca plant is everywhere and farmers make a lot of more money selling it to the drug manufactures than the government. Number two, become a politician. The police and government are completely corrupt and if you´re in charge you can do anything. Everyone is open to a bribe and it´s part of the way things get done, or not as the case may be. And finally, find Inca gold. The museum here is full of enormous pots which were filled with gold, made as offerings to the gods by the incas. The pots are there, but the gold is gone. All the kids want to become archeologists or anthropolgists so they can excavate and take what they find. There are stories everywhere of porters and tour guides becoming wealthy having found Inca gold in the jungle and selling it on the black market. Who knows if any of this is true, but there were 32 candidates for the local mayor elections in Cuzco and coca plants are everywhere, and there isn´t a single piece of gold in the inca musem (I checked!)
Never the less, Peru has character, a bit like a wayward child has character. I like it here and would come back again definitely.
On to volunteer placement number 3!
Vamos Amigos!
Loads of love to all,
Emma and Roo xxx
Friday, 1 July 2011
Thursday, 30 June 2011
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!
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!
Friday, 24 June 2011
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.
Unfortunately we still cant find any computer able to download our photos but we will keep trying.
Saturday, 18 June 2011
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
Sunday, 12 June 2011
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
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
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