Livin La Vida Boca

Machu Picchu, Puno, Arequipa and La Paz

Despite our experiences in Cusco we had a wonderful time visiting Machu Picchu, Puno and Arequipa.
We set off early on the ascent to Macchu Picchu in order to get tickets for Wana Picchu. Only 400 people can climb this each day. We left at 4.00am and were at the summit by 5.00am- a good time considering we were told it should take 1h 30m. The photos without doubt tell the story of this place but it was interesting to hear the different theories about what it was used for and who built it. Personally I think the Incans took the place by force then used it as a strategic point for the nobility.
Puno was the starting point for a tour of Lake Titicaca- we did a day trip out to the floating islands where the Aymara people live. Forced to build islands out of the reeds to escape persecution it was fascinating to see how they have adapted their lifestyle. There are over 60 inhabited islands around 40 min by boat from Puno.
After our visit to the floating islands we continued to another Island inhabitated by another indigenous minority who continue to live traditional lifestyles. We were lucky enough to visit on a special holiday which provided a visual feast as the locals celebrated in true style. There clothing was spectacular and colourful.
We next made our way to Arequipa to visit the second biggest tourist attraction in Peru- Colca Canyon. While not as spectacular as Fish River Canyon in Namibia we were able to view the South American Condor in full flight. With a wingspan of over 3m it was truely spectacular.
Finally we made our way into Bolivia with a brief but eventful stop in La Paz. At over 3500m above sea level La Paz is the highest capital city in the world. La Paz is without doubt one of the most scenic places we have visited. Surrounded by snow capped mountains including the impressive Illimani at 6300m. During our stay we visited the local witch markets where we bought plenty of spells and potions to bring goodluck and prosperity to all. We did however decide angainst the Llama foetuses as we thought customs may have a problem with this.
I went and visited the San Pedro Gaol, which is literally run by the inmates. Some of the inmates have there family with them and live in relative luxury- many of the cells include plasma screen TVs. I took a few snaps but I was soon after approached by some police who made me delete the photos.
During our time in La paz I also inadvertently stumbled upon another protest and got a great insight into Boloivian culture when the tear gas came out. Now before you worry mum everything is okay- it was only a mild hit but all the same a bit unpleasant. As I write this we are in Uruguay and have exactly one week before we arrive home.... looking forward to seeing everyone soon.

You havent been to Cusco unless............

Since our last blog a lot has happened. We made our way from the Galapagos into Peru passing one of the most interesting boarder crossings we have encountered- interesting in so much as it didnt really exist. Luckily the bus company knew where the offices were so we could get our passports stamped. We visited Trujillo, a layed back surfing town with perfect right handers around 3 to 4 foot that seem to go on forever. Not only is it a great surfing spot but it is also the home of some very ancient pre incan ruins belonging to the Moche and Chimu people. The chan chan civilisation at the time of its existence was home to the largest city in the world. From Trujillo we had a brief stop in Lima before taking the incredibly long bus journey- almost 24 hours- to Cusco. As our blog title suggests Cusco really represented for us the end of our trip- despite the fact we still had 4 weeks to go. Who can beliveve our time has gone so fast.
Before arriving in Cusco we were warned that it was very touristy and that we needed to have our wares about us. We were presently surprised to find a beautiful city with an exquisite main plaza, unfortunately our first impressions wouldnt be our last. To be brutally honest we really had a nightmare of a time.

• You havent been to Cusco unless you book a tour and the tour doesnt include anything for which you paid.
• You havent been to Cusco unless youve been held hostage from 12.00am to 2.30am on a bus before the police are called to resolve the situation.
• You havent been to Cusco unless you get charged for your accommodation twice.
• You havent been to Cusco unless a protest delays your bus for 2 days.
• You havent been to Cusco unless a protest delays your bus for 5 hours and the military needs to come in to clean things up.
• You havent been to Cusco unless a protest delays your bus for 5 hours and stones are blocking the road.
• You havent been to Cusco unless a protest delays your bus for 5 hours and you have to get out of the bus and carry your 30kg of baggage 3km and then board another bus which is then delayed.

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. The surprising thing was when we explained this to locals they just thought it wasnt funny. Our discussions with other tourists seem to point to similar experiences. We therefore have some good recommendations for anyone who considers going to Cusco.

• When booking a bus do so directly with the bus company.
  
• When booking a tour have low expectations to avoid dissappointment.
• When getting a cab agree the price beforehand and make sure they are not charging per person.
• When getting a cab always have the correct change for the fare.
  

All in all we remained bouyant throughout our time and learnt a lot about ourselves during the experience.