Lima, Peru

Back on the coast and down to sea level after 2 months at altitude, and nothing but overcast skies. I'm staying in the upper class neighbourhood of Miraflores, walking around it feels like I could be back in Australia. Lots of parks, manicured lawns, leafy streets and western shops. The local supermarket even sells an assortment of domestic Australian beers; VB, Fosters, Crown Lager and Carlton Cold. I could even buy Tim Tams if I needed!

I spent a few days in Lima relaxing and wandering the streets after a hectic few weeks in Boliva and Peru, the nights aren't as cold now that I'm (temporarily) not at altitude but the lack of sunshine and clear skies will take some getting used to.

Fingers crossed the skies clear as I head further north so I can spend some quality time on one of the many Peruvian beaches.

More photos here

Ballestas Islands, Peru

Another early morning, this time to the coastal town of Paracas where I was to visit the Ballestas Islands, also know as the poor man's Galapagos. It was an eerie sensation to drive past endless sand dunes blanketed in thick fog, especially after having brilliant sunshine almost all the way through Bolivia and Peru.

On the three hour boat ride where I saw tens of thousands of birds (mostly pelicans and boobys), several sea lions, penguins and dolphins. The clouds didn't clear the whole time but the seas were calm and I enjoyed the tour around the islands, where huge amounts of guano are currently being mined.

More photos here

Huacachina, Peru

My next stop was at the tiny oasis town called Huacachina. I could walk around town in under 5 minutes, so there wasn't much else to do than jump in a sand buggy, tear around the dunes and try my hand at sand boarding.

I knew I was in for a wild ride when the buggy that arrived had leaf springs front and rear, not to mention a driver with a crazed look in his eye, but it was great fun. I'm pretty certain I will be finding sand in my hair for the remaining three and a half months of my journey, the perils of letting my hair grow long.

More photos here

Colca Canyon, Peru

From Cuzco I caught another freezing bus (complete with ice on the inside of the windows) to the town of Arequipa. Dominated by the volcano 'El Misti' (5800m) we spent the night before leaving the next morning at 3:00 AM to Colca Canyon for a three day hike. At 4160m deep, it has twice the depth of the Grand Canyon and is the deepest canyon in the world.

Day 1.
After a much needed coffee and lots of bread rolls, our first stop was at 'Cruz del Condor', a series of concrete lookouts built on the edge of the Colca Canyon. What followed was an amazing display of the grandeur of nature, when as many as 15 condors glided along the canyon walls, riding the hot air currents generated by the morning sun for over an hour. Unbelievable to get so close to such amazing birds!

We then arrived at Cabanaconde where we began our 1200m descent to our first overnight stay. The deepest part of the canyon was still 35km down river, and we descended at a leisurely pace in three hours. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, reading and sleeping in the balmy weather.

Day 2.
We awoke late and set off to 'The Oasis', it was another easy walk over 'Peruvian flat ground' (constantly up and down, on average it is flat). After 3-4 four hours we arrived to our second overnight stay, a bunch of bungalows surrounded by manicured lawns, pal trees and a really refreshing pool, fed from the nearby river. Again it was a relaxing afternoon, spent reading and listening to music.

Day 3.
What goes down must come up, so at 5:00, we set off to climb 1200m we descended on the first day. It was still dark when we left but after 45 minutes twilight came, by the time it was 7:00 I was back at the top, basking in the morning sun. Another relatively easy walk (compared to what I have done recently) and we walked another 15 minutes to a well deserved breakfast.

Off we went back to Arequipa, stopping at a few places on the way. One place, Colca Valley, was a stunningly gorgeous view of terraced farmlands and scenery, easily one of the most beautiful views on my trip so far, and so unexpected.

We arrived back to Arequipa in heavy traffic around 5:00 PM, due to the start of the city's independence celebrations. Off on another bus tonight, heading towards the coast of Peru. Hopefully warmer weather will follow...

More photos here

Machu Picchu, Peru

The day had finally arrived...

Up at 4:20 AM, we arrived to the bottom checkpoint (2000m A.S.L) just before the opening time of 5:00 AM, and already a line of people had begun to form. Minutes later the gates were open, and after a short queue getting my ticket checked I was on my way!

With a head torch to guide me in the darkness I made my way up the endless steps (I was told over 2800) for 35 strenuous minutes, I arrived at the top checkpoint (2400m A.S.L) out of breath and drenched in sweat, and waited for the main gates to open at 6:00 AM.

When the finally did I rushed inside to get my first awe-inspiring view of the ancient ruins, it did not disappoint!

I ran around taking photos before our official guided tour started. The history of the ruins is quite interesting, and we were led around the significant sites before we were left to explore on our own.

During this time the sun peaked over the surrounding mountains, the view was simply breathtaking.

I walked around for several hours before heading up to the sun gate. From there it was back to the main area and off to climb Machu Picchu Mountain (3200m A.S.L). If the first 400m was tough, it was nothing to climbing the next 800m of very steep steps to the incredible view of the summit. In the heat of the sun I was soon completely drenched in sweat, not surprisingly I drank over four litres of water that day! I sat on a rock overlooking Machu Picchu for close to an hour, until I was sufficiently recovered to climb back down the steps to the ruins.

Late in the day, it was time for a rest. I lay down on one of the numerous grassy terraces and had what was probably the greatest view for a power nap I have ever had. In the late afternoon I wandered around a little more, taking my last view of the incredible place before heading back down the mountain for some much needed rest.

I arrived back to Aguas Calientes around 6:00 PM after spending nearly 12 hours on the mountain, Machu Picchu lived up to expectations and more!

More photos here

Inca Jungle Trek, Peru

From Cuzco I set off on a four day/three night adventure trek, the forth day spent visiting the world renowned site of Machu Picchu.

Day 1.
We set off from Cuzco and made our way past Ollantambo and the Sacred Valley, where we stopped at Abra Malaga (4200m A.S.L) and set off downhill on our mountain bikes. Very similar to 'The Death Road' in Bolivia, it was an exhilarating downhill ride through amazing scenery.

The road was paved all the way and is much wider than it's Bolivian counterpart, but it was a great rush to scream down the mountain road. We finished four hours later around 1200m A.S.L and drove further on to the small dusty town of Santa Maria.

After a late lunch I changed into my 'beach wear' for a 90 minute attempt at white water rafting. Leading the way at the front of the rubber dinghy it was much more fun that I was expecting (I was told by other travellers not to get my hopes up) and trying to navigate the Level 2 rapids was great fun. By the end of the trip I was completely soaked, and we had descended another 200m. Great start to the tour.

Day 2.
The next stage was supposed to be a nine hour trek through the jungle and along the ancient Inca Trail. The next day we set off on a very leisurely walk, seeming to stop at expensive stalls (each complete with a monkey tethered nearby to the delight of tourists, disgusting) and rest more than we walked! I quickly grew impatient, I was expecting a decent walk but it was nothing of the sort. We did walk along 500m of the original Inca trail, and while the view was great it was only for a short while.

After a very long lunch we set off once again at a slow pace and stopped at a small stream feeding the larger river nearby, it was time for a refreshing swim after a day of hiking and sweating. It was ice cold but it was amazing to laze in the river and watch the sun turn the mountains to gold, easily the highlight of the day.

We stopped once again at some nearby hot springs, eventually reaching Santa Maria by catching to a ride in the back of a truck. Our guide pushed getting taxis but after our insistence on hiking he talked a local into giving us a lift.

Day 3.
A short drive from where we stayed was the next 'adventure' of the tour, zip-lining! After a brief safety lesson we climbed a nearby hill to the first zip line. A nice way to get started, the short ride gave a great view of the local mountain ranges and of the river below. The second line was over 1100m, 'one of the longest' in South America. Again it afforded a great view but I didn't get the adrenaline rush I was expecting. The last two lines were the same again, criss-crossing the river. We arrived at the end of the last zip line to a suspended wooden platform where we had to rappel back down to the ground.

We left in a van once more and soon arrived at a hydro-electric power plant near the town of Aguas Calientes. After lunch we walked along a still-used train line, past the gorgeous Urubamba river and in the shadows of the adjacent mountains either side.

We caught our first glimpse of the ruins of Machu Picchu as we walked three hours to the charming (but very touristy) town of Aguas Calientes. After dinner we had an early night, as the next day we were to awake very early in the morning to trek to our final destination, the epic Machu Picchu....

More photos here

Football, Peru

Today I attended a Peruvian football match between Cuzco (the home team) and Lima. The quality of football was well above what I was expecting, some great footwork and some nicely taken goals were on offer.

The supporters for both teams were very passionate, the riot police earned their money protecting the opposition players and the referees from projectiles (riot shield tunnel) but weren't quick enough to stop a bunch of away supporters from breaking through the gates at half-time and running down into the changing rooms.

Cuzco just held on to win the match 2-1, and I made it out of the stadium and back into town without getting stabbed or being involved in any riots, always a good end to the day.

Pics taken from my phone

Isla del Sol, Bolivia

Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is an island on the southern end of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. At 3800m A.S.L it is also the largest lake in South America. Straight from another lucky bus journey from Rurrenabaque to La Paz I continued on to Copacabana, a small town on the banks of Lake Titicaca. As soon as I arrived I caught a leisurely ferry across to Isla del Sol, where the Incans believe the Sun God was born.

After lugging my huge backpack up very steep winding steps I managed to find some cheap accommodation and explored the southern end of the island. I spent the afternoon navigating the rocky trails, and walked to the lookout at 4077m for an amazing sunset.

I awoke the next morning at 5:00 to walk the 16km round trip to the Northern end of the island, home to some interesting archaeological ruins. I set off under a full moon, rarely needing my head torch unless I passed under the shadows of trees or buildings. I made good time and was rewarded for my early start with a stunning sunrise.

I passed some ancient ruins, the site of the birth of the Incan Sun God and past a ceremonial sacrificial altar. Very interesting walk. I returned to my hostel exhausted but exhilarated, had a much needed coffee and returned to Copacabana.

The first week of August celebrates Bolivian Independence, so I hiked up the central hill along with hundreds of locals for a great view of the city. Unlike the locals, I did not get roaring drunk nor did I get blessed by having an live armadillo rubbed all over my body.

It was time to leave Bolivia after having spent a great six weeks there, only two weeks more than my visa allowed! It was a stressful 15 minutes at the border control, but I managed to make it to Peru without being detained!

More photos here

The Jungle, Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

Still looking for the proper Amazon experience I booked a three day tour into the Jungle. Early morning we set off from Rurrenabaque in a motorized canoe for a three hour boat ride up the El Beni river, then took a branch of the Tuchi river to Madidi national park. After a brief 10 minute walk through the jungle we arrived to our basic jungle accommodations. A few thatched wooden huts and a camp kitchen, no electricity bar a generator for the water supply.

That afternoon we set off into the Amazon, long pants and shirts and covered with 80% DEET (have a read of the instructions / precautions some time, truly scary). We saw few animals but were told of many traditional uses for the astounding number of plants and trees. After another brief shower (where much of the water didn't seem to make it past the canopy) we returned to camp for a candlelight dinner. We delayed our night-walk through the jungle due to the rain in the afternoon, we crawled into our mosquito nets and called it a night.

I was awoken in the early hours to a tremendous storm, through the early hours of the morning to the afternoon I did not let up. Grey skies as far as the eye could see, and a constant downpour of heavy rain. The camp quickly turned to mud and halted and chance of hiking that morning. Instead we made handy crafts, I'm now the proud owner of several rings made from some Amazonian nuts....

We decided to hike in the afternoon through muddy paths and swollen streams, my boots were caked in a later of clayish mud within minutes. Again, we saw few animals apart from some pigs, and wandered through the jungle for several hours with our guide macheteing away at rogue foliage.

Back to camp, we hiked at night in one last vain attempt to see some animals, but with the full moon blazing in the sky it wasn't to be. Still, it was an experience to walk the Amazon during the night.

The next day we went Piranha fishing, this time I had slightly more success, catching a solitary yellow Piranha. After the rain it was hot and humid, we spent the afternoon back on the canoe to Rurrenabaque.

Again, the tour was a disappointment although mostly due to chance. It was pleasant to hike in the jungle but the main attraction was to see all the different types of animals (Jaguars, Tapirs, Anteaters etc)

More photos here

The Pampas, Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

From La Paz I headed north to Rurrenabaque, from 3700m down to 105m. The weather was fantastic, I was able to wear t-shirt and shorts again!

I survived the notoriously bad 18 hour bus trip (I got lucky, several people days before me were delayed an extra 10 hours due to road slides and muddy roads) and arrived at 7:00 AM in the morning. The road from La Paz was very poor, the Death Road lives!

I immediately booked a three day tour into the Pampas, and after a quick breakfast I set out on a three hour 4wd ride to the town of Santa Rosa, where we set off up the Yacuma river in a motorized canoe until we arrived at our camp. Very basic wooden accommodation overlooking the river, surprisingly the mosquitoes weren't too bad.

We spied a lot of native birds, turtles and caimans on the trip up river to the camp. That night we again took to the river in search for more caimans, it was quite surreal to see a pairs of luminescent eyes dotted along the river.

The next day we motored to a large field in search of an anaconda. Our group eventually found a small (approx 1.5-2m specimen) which was quickly surrounded by all of the other groups and passed around so people could pose for photos, it felt like a circus. Not cool....

That afternoon a brief rainstorm hit, I sat out on the observation deck in my raincoat listening to music as the rain fell. After an hour or so the rain cleared up and we set out on the canoes for a spot of Piranha fishing. Although the rivers seemed very healthy (plenty of bait fish, birds and animals) I only caught one small fish. It didn't help that the fish were tiny and our hooks were huge, but a poor tradesman blames his tools.

The final morning we set off in search of some dolphins that we had recently spied in the river. None were found, but we anchored for a brief swim. Very refreshing after the heat and humidity of the previous days, and thankfully the nearby caimans kept their distance.

We returned to Rurrenabaque in the afternoon, nice to have a shower and sleep in a decent bed.

While the tour wasn't awful, it was definitely not the highlight many people had described to me. I have been spoilt by my few trips to Darwin, whereas the Pampas definitely felt like a second-rate cousin.

More photos here