Day 15

So this is the cobbler. and what a cobbler!

This morning we were in Aguas Calientes and now we are back in ***** Cusco. We are back in the same room and it is good to be somewhere familiar after days of moving about Peru.

After breakfast, which was peruvian magic as usual with sumptuous fruit, we went to the public hot springs where D had been two years ago. Now they charge for the key to the locker ¡20p! and for the use of the baths. In the hottest bath we met Mamma Lima, a lovely large lady who was trying in vain to reduce her double chins and who was kindness itself telling us where the hottest part was, to bury our feet in the sand and giggling girlishly at complements about Peru, the food, the landscape and the people.

Back to the hotel and Margaret will tell you about the orchids!

The hotel we stayed in last night is very eco-friendly: they grow their own tea and coffee and use them in the hotel. They do a lot of preservation too. We went with a guide to see the kinds of things that were growing naturally and have some lovely photos of orchids. It is not the season for orchids so there weren´t as many as we would see later. Gorgeous nevertheless. Our guide, Carmen, was lovely: she said that I didn´t speak Spanish with a foreign accent.

Train and bus and back to Cusco. Having a lazy evening after re-sorting and re-packing our luggage. Don´t know about blogging tomorrow, but we´ll soon be within communication distance. Thanks for reading this, bye bye.

Day 14

Wow! Today was Machu Picchu - and pictures cannot tell the tale.

First of all though we went back to Ollantaytambo to look again at some of the Inca architecture and to visit a house where the family still live in the Inca way with guinea pigs eating on the floor and the skulls of the ancestors in a sort of shrine. Fascinating!

Narrow gauge rail journey to Aguas Calientes and bus up along hairpin bends and deep gorges to Machu Picchu.

The place really benefits from an informed guide with a love of the place. He explained such a lot we would not have known without hours of study. Best to wait for the pictures and an explanation of the ruins ... and why we left Wanne Picchu untouched.

The hotel is breathtakingly beautiful and we can hardly wait for the orchid tour tomorrow before we head for the hot springs.

Then back to the luxury of the ***** hotel in Cusco for the last night in Peru.

Thanks for the comments Lisa and Jenny.

Take care! See you soon ... unless we get a better offer.

xxxx Us

Day 13

And ths has to be THE most amazing so far.

We left Cusco at nine and followed the road we had taken yesterday to the sacrifice labyrinth.

Then before the Sacred Valley we visted the royal cleansing site at Tambomachay where I had met Nely .. remember Ma I looked simple in the photo? ... Jose our guide recognised her photo, she is in hospital but we mer her brother and daughter ... gret jubilatons ... bought an incan calendar and they gave ua presents of two scarves. Wait for the photos! And we left with Jacinto saying "Que dios les bendiga" "God bless you."

From there we went to Awana Kancha which is a community of severl families who rear llamas and so on. We were able to feed the nimals, then to see some of the dyeing process. All very thoughtfully set out. Needless to say the visit ended at the shop -beautiful stuff. Quote "Cn we just get to the Sacred Valley and leace Marks & Spencers behind?"

We forgot to tell you hat in our 5* hotel last night, our blanket was trimmed with satin on all four sides!

We checked into our next hotel - wait for the photos!

Lunch: we sat down but the tour director had disappeared. So was here a price limit to what we could order? We all st there wondering BUT we were able to choose whatever we wanted from each of the three courses, and it was wonderful.

The downside was tht after only half an hour we were off again, this time to see the sacred temple at ollantayambo, 500 or so steps up!! But it was worth it - huge granite blocks more than 6 feet high were plced together to collect the correct light from the sun at the solstices and equinoxes, the stones having been carried from one mountain, across a valley and up another hill, a distance of about 4 miles! Boy were the Incas devoted to their gods!

Machu Picchu tomorrow - wow! Going o read e-mails. Have YOU sent anything? x x x x

Day 12 !!!!!!!!!!!!1

now we forgot to tell you about the guys who kept cleaning the windows in the observation car of the Orient Express, even when they were not dirty AND there was a lassie doing great Spanish dancing.

Last night I had a pisco sour in the hotel, the best!, and the bitters was the in the sign of the hotel!

Today has been my day for showing Margaret round cusco, the navel of the wotld!

We visited the church of Santo Domingo which I had seen earlier when I was looking for camera batteries BEFORE the shops were open but Mass was being said and I heard the Consecration and the Lord{s prayer in Spanish.

We were shown the Inca ruins inside the church and it was explained how their inward leaning construction withstood the great earth quake of 1950 which detsroyed some of the colonial church built over them. Quote, "Have these been restored then?" end quote, no comment!

We went then to the "head of the puma" the fortress built to guard the city and had an amazing view of the Main square and the whole city and airport.

Afterwards was Q'onqo, the place of ritual sacrifice of animals in a kind of subterranean labyrinth. It was VERY cold there, perfect for embalming the sundered hearts.

Lunch was at my favourite "Fallen Angel." Just as good as two years ago ... a huge fillet steak with a sauce of your choice for about seven quid. We were in a patio painted blue with clouds and there were mirror balls reflecting the sun ... a piece of paradise.

Two glasses of peruvian wine lead to a siesta! This was followed by a sauna and jacuzzi in the spa and here we are.

Margaert here ... where are your comments? Last night we did the Herald crossword (quite a thrill after so long), so we are hoping to do the same tonight. Hope yous are all happy and well. x x x

Day 11

Whaow!!!!!! each day gets different> just as good but oh so fabulously different and we think our mind cameras are going into overload. Just as well as M has no more batteries for the camera.

We left Puno on the Orient Express run train for Cusco at 8>00 am and it was beyond all expectation. The decor was fantastic and the observation car staight out of the movies.

So much has happened that we will not get things in the right sequence but here goes.

Maybe the first highlight was lunch where we ate so well> Andean salad, carrot and aubergine soup, chicken with pineapple and our favourite lucuma mousse dessert. But the sevice! It was like synchronised swimming! Each waiter of a team of four laying the dishes in perfect timing.

The scenery climbing one thousand metres from Puno to the hight point at Las Rayas at 4,800 and back to Cusco at some 3,000 was like Peru in miniature from the high plain to the mountains and back to the high plains ... from cows to llamas to cows. ... from the plains to snow covered mountains to the high plains.

And you should see our hotel room! check out www.libertador.com.pe and look for the hotel in Cusco. It is luxury personified. There are even fresh flowers in the lav.

To go back to the train... D and I were the only ones who had dressed appropriately poshly for the journey and we were complimented several times on our good taste. But I'll never wear that bra again!!! That's a story for back home.

On the train we had a modelling session of very expensive alpaca wear, of gorgeous silver, of how to make a Pisco sour .. you'll all love it... to some Inca fella doing somethng with incense and Coca leaves.

A very memorable 10 hour experience.

Tomorrow we get a long lie. We have a morning tour of the city, and the afternoon at leisure. Chris and Jenny ... we are going to try the free spa.

See you tomorrow.

Day 10

Hello again! We have had a great day out on Lake Titicaca and feel fresh and sunny.
Forgot to tell you about the hot water bottles in Colca Canyon. They were very, very welcome.

Our first stop today was on the floating island of the people of Uros. Lovely welcome and magic artefacts. One Granny was not too chuffed at a tiny nick in a 20S note, but we appeased her with a better note.

Olga was a consummate saleswoman.

On to a reedboat catamaran to the next island. The people were wonderful. David bought panpipes with music - he hasn´t started practising yet - you´ve all got that to look forward to!

We then went on a boat to the Island of Tequile where we had to walk up a very steep and windy road almost to the top. It was worth it though! The people sang, danced and played instruments for us. One of the women has taken a video and has promised to send us a copy of the dancing.

We had a glorious meal there: amazing vegetable soup, fish freshly caught in the lake this morning, and mint tea, which was very refereshing.

Our time on the lake was completely unforgettable.

We went to see a boring English-built steam ship, then back to the hotel for a rest.

Forgot to tell you that M was breengin´a bit in the r oom this morning and stubbed her toes. They are a lovely black and blue and are fair stoonin´. But that´s nothing like the pain that the sick folk with us have suffered.

See you tomorrow in Cusco after the Orient Express journey.

Day 9

Hello again. We have to explain about last night´s rushed blog. In the hotel you had to knock at the computer room door and the wee mannie connected you to reception for your alloted time. When we chapped at the door last night it was our guide Jorge who opened the door and although we tried to explain that we had to contact reception in order to pay, he said just go ahead. So we were a bit feart about getting caught out!

Thanks to all of you who have commented on our blog: Chris, Jenny, Lisa, the Midds (Julie, will you please show ma what to do?) And the rest of you, get commenting.

Correction from last night before David does today,s fabulous story. When I was writing last night about seeing a wolf, David kept saying that he didn´t remember seeing one, and of course I was insistent. But it was a fox!

David has some quotes from yesterday:

"How many more times will I have to get off this bus?"

At the Condor cross, designated by the Peruvians as the best place to view the birdies,"They´ve picked quite a good place to see them!" and so to today:

We left at 08:00 for Puno on lake Titicaca and the poor driver had to stop fairly soon because a channel had flooded and his codriver had to get out and lay stones to help the big Mercedes bus across. There was ice at the side of the road. It is winter!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a stop at Chivay where we photoed the Midgie motor (dustbin lorry) which played rockabye baby in the capital of the Colca canyon. Ten minutes previously we had come on to tarred road, albeit with holes. it was a relief after the stony rocky road to Dublin.

On the way to the high plateau we were told about "chuño" a freezed dried potato of the highlands, a delicacy. The potatoes are frozen in the rivers for 15 days, removed, peeled and left to freezedry on the ground. The process takes a month.

We got to our highest point of the holiday, 4,800 metres above sealevel where we saw the cairns giving offerings to the gods.

Lunch was at the Reserva Aguda Blanca, a packed lunch which was delicious.

We contiued through the high plateau filled with herds of llama, tails up, and alpaca, tails down.

This blog seems to be taking on the kaleidoscopic nature of the day: mountains, plateaux, rivers, birds, people. The pictures and us will explain more! Honest!

We had our first glimpse of the lake shortly before we arrived in Puno where there were celebrations in full flow for independence day. No more Spaniards! Wait till you see the pictures of the costumes!

Off to see the lake before bed and a tour of the floating islands tomorrow!

8:30 start!!

Day 8

Hey folks you wouldnt think it could get any better but what a day we have had! It has to be admitted though that we had a siesta this afternoon although surely we can be forgiven as we were up at 5.30 for a 6.30 departure.

We set off back along the rickety, stony single-track road re-doing the journey of last night down to the hotel. It was pretty scary with big drops to one side but we´re here to tell the tale. The views were magnificent - pre-Incan terraces, glaciers,(source of the Amazon), lakes, animals. The bus had a lot of difficulty getting over the raised channels carrying water as it had to rev quite hard.

We went to Condors´Cross where we saw huge condors circling around. We saw an Andean rabbit and a fox, a wolf, a parakeet, a humming bird´s nest, aloe vera plants, wild lupins, vetch and so on and so on.

Most of the terraces are cultivated but there are also squares of land bordered by stone dykes. They grow cactuses on top so that animals cannot get at the harvest.

There are no tarred roads at all in the valley because most of the work is agriculture and the farmers don´t want traffic on the roads where they drive their anumals.

We were in one or two villages. In the church in Maca we saw the statues on the platform ready for the Independance day parade tomorrow.

Off to dinner - see you tomorrow.

Day 7

And they get better and better but for some 7 poor people the altitude is beginning to tell. They missed the monastery this morning which was fascinating and had spent really bad nights. Even on the bus here some had to be given oxygen and a nurse has been in attendance since we arrived here.

We left Arrequipa around ten and climbed the Chachani extinct volcano. There are 90 altogether in Peru but only half a dozen are active.

What a trip of ice, birds, llamas, alpacas and at one wonderful stretch we saw many beautiful vicuñas: they are so very elegant. Experience of a lifetime.

We had a "comfort" stop late morning and bought granny´s biscuits.

Lunch was very good vegetable soup with maize, trout and pancakes with elderberries.

Some poor souls could not face it.

The cafe was within Colca canyon and not too far from our hotel.

After we were settled in the room we headed for the thermal baths`(that is thermal and not terminal as Margaret read it!) They were at 37 degrees and stupendous. We shared a cool beer and it was good to stand up in the cool and sink back into the warm.

Now off for our evening meal. Watch this space and feel free to comment!

PS we hope Chris and Jenny you are settled down.

Day 6

Today has been quite an easy day - we visited a cathedral, a monastery and a mummy museum. We stopped first of all to look along the valley of the river with twin volcanoes on either side - wonderful - wait till you see the photos!
We had the afternoon to ourselves so we just plittred about the city, looking at shops, people watching, drinking coffee, having a great time.
We are back at the hotel and have looked in again at our wonderful up-graded room - wait till you see the photos!
Tomorrow we are travelling again, but we have yet another wonderful day to look forward to - watch out for the photos!

Chris and Jenny - how was the flitting? We have been thinking about you. Honest!

See you all tomorrow - this is good fun.

Day 5

Yous will not believe this! Ten hours on a bus? Short blog? We´ll see! ¡a ver!

The birthdy day start at 6:15 with prezzies! A flahing tee shirt, a reverse clock AND a share of an Oxfordshire vine which was registered online in Nazca! and a birthday card.

Missing form yesterday´s:
The toilets in yesterday´s hotel had an automatic seat protector. Italian! A red button made the plastic protectort slide round!
Quote from fellow traveller, "The thing is, no matter where you are, China, Africa, the scrambled eggs are so much better than at home."

From the same guy, " the Nazca lines were not really very impressive." Pre-christian, with little winter mini tornados to keep them clear and centuries of wonder? Who is he kidding?

By the way there has been no rain in Ica since 1998, the year Maria Reiche died.

Lookimg for the ultimate adrenilin rush? Forget the expense of Alton towers! Just take a coach ride south from Nazca on the Pan American. The constant is that the pacific is on the right. And that ends the constants. The sea changes from blue to green to brilliant white, from being at road level so it has to be swept clean of sand daily to being dizzily below you. And to the left? Desert, knife edge dunes, rocks, pebbels, a*m*z*n* striations, reddish blueish pinkish greenish sandyish.

Where the road had to be swept, we had Pacific paddle! Margaret´s crocs got wet!

Next dtop for coffee where we bought tiny finger length bananas and an old guy asked me if I was cold. It is winter here: like a fair Scottish summer´s day!

We stopped at Riconcito Turjillo for lunch. Lovely lunch which ended, courtesy of Cox and King´s, with an enormous candled birthday cake and locals and tour sang.

And on to El Cabildo hotel in Arequipa. Up and down so many valleys and hills.

Seems to me strange to travel through such scenery and spend your time reading about where you are going next? Takes all sorts!

The check in had a surptise. Because it´s my birthday we were upgraded, thanks C&K, to a penthouse suite with balcony! Can´t wait to see the view tomorrow!

See yous tomorrow!¡Hasta mañana!

¡day4!

This has been, for the most part, a day of sweet, sweet leisure. The morning was spent bird watching. Margaret saw the first: a hummingbird who posed on a branch for her ¡when she did not have her camera! there were vermillion flycathcers who swept from a favourite post, and mocking birds.

And that´s the wild life! In the grounds were chickens and ostriches, cows and horses, peacocks and guinea fowl and later we saw parrots and a white heron.

It was great enjoying the superb clear weather and the peace of having nothing to do but anticipate our helicopter flight over the Nazca lines.

We read and watched the birds and wandered and at 11:30 reported to the heli-pad. There were three seats at the back and one at the front with the pilot. We "lost" the toss and David Taylor was co-pilot. Not the one you are thingking of: acomplete stranger, nice guy! Really it was better in the back.

The ride felt really safe and secure and the views of some of the most famous of the geoglyphs astounding. Teh sheer scale of the plain was breathtaking and we had just read in the Sunday paper of damage being done to these lines by unregistered gold miners who use them like roads to extract the results of their labours with illicit techniques involving mercury.

Recent droughts have forced some poor people to these extremes where they cannot afford the necessary protective gear.

We plittered about again in the afternoon after some food and went to see the aquaducts. Somewhat reluctantly it has to be said because we had seen, after all, these unremarkable holes from the air.

How wrong can you be? Jorge, our guide, explained that these subterranean channels were built by the original Nazcas thousands of years ago. There are 36 such aquducts in Nazca and they still supply sweet water. We tried some. The spiral descent to the channels plays an important part still in ceremonies particularly on may 15, the birthday of Maria Reiche - the German mathematician who spent many years studying the lines.

The group left the hotel at six, now 6:45, to go into Nazca city for a meal and a look around the shops. We were waiting for the bus when Margaret said, " Do we really want to go into the town?"

Nuh! so here we are blogging and enjoying the peace and quiet and thinking of you all.

Two flights were missed today and they will go early tomorrow morning so we have the chance of a longer lie tomorrow. Lewis, C&K guide said we could wait until we heard the second helicopter take off around 7:30.

I asked Lewis, in Spanish, if the second hlicopter had a different sound. He laughed and said that it sounded more tired.

Long trip to Arequipa tomorrow.

¡Watch this space!

Day 3

We forgot to tell you that we saw vultures in the centre of Lima yesterday - honest. And it was overcast in Lima because it is winter and the fog comes in from the sea.
Anyway Day 3 started with our departure from the hotel at 6am {breakfast at 5!}
we then set off on the Panamerican Highway starting throught the very poorest shanty towns south of Lima and going south with the Pacific rollers on our right.

The fog kept us company as we watched the huge sand dunes roll by.

We stopped for my (David) first Inca Cola at El Piloto and bought a newspaper which told us that today is National Pisco (local brandy) day and that illicit miners are using the Nasca lines as highways to remove gold from their mines, polluting the place with mercury!!!!!!!!!!!!

We stopped at Picaras - quechuan for high winds - to get on the boat trip. Whaow! Half an hour out to the guana covered rocks and an hour round them. There was a family of dolphins in the bay at Picaras - residents apparently. We saw sea lions male and female on the odiferous rocks, boobies, penguins, Inca terns and pelicans . Apart from the smell, only down wind, it was magic. People actually live there every seven years to collect the shit. The first time the guana was thirty metres deep!

When we got back to land about twelve we saw the first of a Peruvian BLUE SKY! And the sun came out and it has stayed with usa ever since from a blue, blue sky.

Along the stupendous sand dunes to Ica, birth place of Ronaldo our guide, and home to a famous winery and of a pisco maker called Picasso in whose grounds we enjoyed a magic self service lunch. I like the raw fish in lime juice - ceviche.

We crossed the sand dunes to the oasis, Huacachina - she who makes you cry - wait for the pictures.

We are now banned from using the word am·z·ng!

At the oasis they were sand boarding and taking buggy rides.

Finally around seven we reached our hotel having crossed the plane where the Nazca lines are.

Internet access is free - for the ONE computer we dashed for.

See you tomorrow when, young man, I hope my grammar may have improved.

Day 2

This is Margaret. We met our leader Luis after a superb help-yourself magic breakfast, and set off at 9.00 am. Super bus and super driver.
Oh we forgot to mention that when we were going to the hotel the driver came across a road that was blocked - and he wanted to go down that road. Our guide jumped out, removed the sign, the bus continued to our hotel!!

We went to a colonial mansion, to the cathedral, and to a monastery. We were supposed to go to another church, but there was a funeral on. Just as glad we didn´t go in!

Lunch was in a private house - starters, nibbles, drinks, wine, water - and what food. The owner, whose family has lived in the house since the 1700s, showed us around and even ate with us. What an honour!

We are back at the hotel and have a 6 o´clock start tomorrow: night night, see you tomorrow! x x x

Arrival at hotel

We were met with courtesy and efficiency at the airport and our bags AND ourselves were quickly taken to the hotel. Whaow you want to see it! Gob smackingly posh, just like home - NOT!

Wait for the photos.

We got to our 12th floor room and moments later the bags arrived! our bell boys were Paul and Alesandro.

Showered and fresh we went downstairs to the super bar for two pisco sours. David had shellfish of course. Margaret enjoyed her first pisco sour with a few fags ! civilised country - the pianist was cool!
and off to our huuuuuuuuuuuuuge bed! Good night!

The adventure has started

chris dropped us at Bath station at 21:30. boarded the London train at 21:56 heading for London. REading was the third stop along the line, our destination. Just after we had been warned about speaking with mobiles, a man with a VERY loud voice told the whole carriage about One foot in the grave and went on to Dad´s Army. the sweetest words we heard were, "this is our stop."

There was a "suited" man who had not paid his fare who had an argument with the conductor. He was heading fore London but the conductor decanted him in Reading.

There was bucketing rain in readin and only two other passengers on the very well driven trip to Heathrow. (met them later in the QUEUE!)

the airport was deserted apart from a helpful, pleasant young scot who directed us upstairs where we had mineral water and a comfy seat and panicked when the departures EVENTUALLY appeared without Lima!

An Australian couple was there at the back of one who were waitning for their noon flight to Tenerife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was the school grooup from hell, abandoned by a teacher at the end of his tether who had told them to stay with their luggage. They did´nt. they DID give eachother rides on luggage trolleys down the ramp.

at three am Margaret discovered a notice for the flight and we escaped from the minilouts.

downstairs there was a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge queue for the 6:20 flight to Mdrdid, whose check in time was 5:00am. our check in time was 4:30m although our flight was 7:30 and they told us to go back upstairs and wait for a check in call. we all refused because we had been there for hours.

the flight was delayed and the weather was disgusting and when we did take off it seemed an eternity before we cleared the clouds. we arrived late in Madrid and neither of us had eaten since Bath. It is now 14:30 plane time and wer are starving. We met one or two of our group but no names yet.

still starving. Scabby heided weans - do not draw nigh!! but Hey ho this is exciting.

meal at 2:45 no choice - only pasta, rest delicious.

we are seated in 46D&E although we were second and third to book in.