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Planes, Trains & Automobiles

18/4/2014

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The last 10 days in Peru have been a blast with one major factor being that I have been living the high life thanks to my mum. You know you are in for luxury when someone meets you at the airport with a sign and your name...You don't get that at bus stations and hostels!! Every airport or train station there was a rep awaiting our arrival...every morning there was a taxi picking us up for another tour...have not had to plan or think or lift a finger and has been awesome...a taste of the high life!! This is down to Llama Tours who have done a great job in organising a top trip. The nice thing about this section of my trip has been the numerous flights and luxurious train rides compared to the uncomfortable bus seats.

Another comforting factor has been the great people we have met along the way. Our fellow travellers have been of a mature nature but have had the same energy and enthusiasm to travel as both mum and I. Sharing Machu Picchu with Ian and Heather and the Andean Explorer/Puno with Wendy and John has showed me that travel later in life isn't about cruises and socks n sandels...although John's Moon Boots to dinner was a step too far!! We had some giggles and fun times not least helped by numerous Pisco Sour's...my mum being the instigator with 10.30am our earliest drink!!

Our daily routine was to find the nicest hotel and have a Pisco Sour to relax from the day activities...our first night involved Cuy a local Guinea Pig...very meaty taste like pigeon...luckily saw them alive the next day otherwise might of had second thoughts to eating pet Snuffles!

Travelling with your mum does create some awkward situations...one bel-boy thought we were on our honeymoon...Awkward...then someone on the Andean Explorer didn't believe we were mother/son...think they thought I was older than I look!!

We started our Peru trip in Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Our tour guide Yashira was a gold mine of information and facts that explained life in Peru during the Inca times. But what really blew me away were the ruins and architectural designs of the Inca people to make these temples, terraces and palaces. The various blocks of rock fitted perfectly with one another so much so that you couldn't fit a piece of paper between them...all made by hand and when you see the terrain you appreciate how hard it was to create these amazing sites. You also have to remember that the altitude in this area is between 2700m and 3300m...given I struggled to walk up stairs how they did heavy lifting who knows!!

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Before and after my guinea pig...luckily I saw the before after the meal!
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Cuzco life...as well as the Peruvian version of Coldplay! Spoilers on the Tuk-Tuk are the envy of every Kevin!
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Sacred Valley speaks for itself...puts Bob The Builder to shame with the quality of work...although Coca Tea delays were a common occurrence

The highlight obviously was Machu Picchu which is a wonder of the world...and WOW what a site to behold...meets and exceeds expectations!! Some do the Inca trail and walk into the site for sunrise...for the glamorous travellers like ourselves we took the scenic train with a see-through roof along the river valley to the site and with our pinky out drinking Coca tea it was a fine way to arrive...much different to the Inca's before us!!

The site is huge and will let the photos below do the talking. Many great views and stories had us captivated for hours...just a shame had to share with the numerous tourists. Without mum in tow the following day I climbed Wayna Picchu above Machu Picchu for excellent views...highlight being the mist clearing as I got nearer the top to reveal the beauty of the place.

The train journey back was amusing as mum got pulled up to model some alpaca clothes using the carriage as her catwalk...after a few wolf whistles from the SAGA crowd she unfortunately had no takers...and for the shawl! Luckily she was already on her 3rd Pisco Sour to help with the "Blue Steel" pose.

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The train to Machu Picchu was the only way to travel...mum decided to turn the carriage into a catwalk without the aid of any Pisco Sours!
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At any moment of the day and angle/position the ruins were amazing and definitely earned their "Wonder" status
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Proof we made it to the top...thanks to the bus...but do not underestimate the altitude...steps can make you look like an overweight slob (present company excluded)

The Machu Picchu train was good but the Andean Explorer put it to shame...armchairs, linen table clothes and teak toilets meant this was a luxurious way to travel from Cuzco to Lake Titicaca. Highlight was the open carriage at the back next to the bar to admire the glaciers and villages up to 4300m in altitude. Like true Brits when we heard on the tannoy that free Pisco Sour was in the bar Wendy, John, mum and myself scrummaged to the bar to maximise our opportunity for a refill. By the time of the Pisco Sour making course in the afternoon we were well oiled and we all had a great laugh sharing stories...it was a shame it all had to come to an end...gave me the taste to do more trains journeys like Trans-Siberian and bullet train...perhaps another sabbatical?!?

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Do you notice a theme??? Yes mum and an alcoholic drink...the G&T swapped for a Pisco Sour...think on a permanent basis!! Highlight of the trip being the train...what a way to travel...could get used to this!! Note the books on the line ready for a potential sale...also saw food and car parts
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Ascending from 3300m to 4300m and down to 3800m meant breathtaking scenery around every bend...open window at the back meant great views although felt like Butch Cassidy could arrive on horseback any minute!!

For me this was Lake Titicaca part 2 as have already visited from the Bolivian side. Once again it was still impressive...highest lake in the world. We went to go see the floating islands where a community lives...islands, houses and boats made from reeds. Although Disney-like it gave an insight into their strange existence. After walking into one home to see how they live I emerged in traditional dress with the lady heavily hinting that we should get married...although the altitude makes you think fuzzy I politely declined and said will call back in a few years time should I still be single!!

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I got married off at the floating village although the lack of Wifi meant she is coming back to London!

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and so as I write this blog from the hotel lobby but my old travel existence must continue so to bring me back to reality with a bang I have booked an overnight bus journey north to do some trekking with the obligatory hostel dorm the following night.

Not many people have the pleasure of sharing travel with their folks but I am lucky that I was able to share 3 weeks in Peru with my mother. To share the amazing experiences together and to give her the opportunity to come to South America has been fantastic...Probably doesn't do my street cred any good but I don't care!!

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Zig Zag

24/3/2014

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With my friends Ellen and Nikita allowing me to jump on their coat tails and feeling hungover we all ventured to Copacabana and Lake Titicaca (Borders Peru and Bolivia) ... which is the highest lake in the world at 3800m. You begin to realise everything is high around here and not to be forgotten even when walking up stairs!

We checked into our hotel accommodation ... yes a hotel ... it had been a few weeks for me and months for Ellen and Nikita. For $22 we splashed out! Las Olas is essentially an Alice in Wonderland themed place ... we turned down the snail house for the castle ... A 3 story building with a turret on the top overlooking the lake. I got the lower Little Merman shell bed (thanks Phil for the pun!) ... A ginormous suite and the only thing missing was the mirrored ceiling! The hotel also had a guitar for Nikita to serenade us each night with some Ed Sheeran and a hot tub with llama's to enjoy (not in the hot tub - that would be wrong as they can't swim). We had hot water bottles given to us every night and apart from leaving the toilet seat up occasionally I was a perfect room buddy! This was what we all needed after partying very hard in La Paz. It meant we had take aways for the first 2 nights and egg sandwiches for breakkie...a back packer treat! Although did venture out for one night of trout ... the only fish living in the lake.

Copacabana (Brazil's poorer cousin) has numerous islands and villages ... the highlight of which is Isla Del Sol (Island of Sun). A very slow boat ride for 2.5hrs ... swimming was faster! But well worth it, the highlight being the pre-Inca ruins where rituals on virgins were performed due to them believing it was where the sun was born. We also took a taxi tour of the mainland with Miguel to the local villages to get some stunning views of the the lake, Isla Del Sol and Isla Del Luna. The highlight was walking through a mock-English village with cobbled streets called Sampaya. The only thing missing were the scones and jam.

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Alice in Wonderland vs Little Mermaid!! Views weren't too bad either!!
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Bolivian village life
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Isla Del Sol and the pre-inca ruins providing the scenic highlights of Lake Titicaca
My journey at the moment is a little zig-zag in terms of efficiency of routes and bus rides. I headed to Peru for 5 days to Arequipa and Colca Canyon which meant another country but also another stamp in my passport. I should hopefully make it back to London with a spare page otherwise Mr Consulate will be getting a visit - or I am not coming back!

The reason for coming to Peru briefly was that it is not on my trip next month with my mum so as it was only a 6hr bus ride from Copacabana and I heard it was worth visiting...FOMO (Fear of missing out)!

My first bus ride in Peru was special compared to the others, I would like to say that having the toilet locked all the time was new - but no. It was the awful stench from the bus and passengers (mainly coming from the guy next to me and I washed in the morning!) Also during the journey every hour someone comes on to sell you food but gets off 5km later into the wilderness I assume they get a lift back to where they started. To finish the journey off a guy with speakers comes on for 30 mins - I initially thought he was preaching but it turns out he was selling nasal spray! Bizarre...but anyway I bought nothing and learned that I need to ensure a bus has a toilet and good facilities...aka "cama" But this is obviously different in every country you go ... the joys and fun of being on the road!!

Arequipa is Peru 2nd largest city and is surrounded by volcanic mountains and is due a big eruption within a year! Good timing on my behalf! It is a lovely old city with plaza's, cathedral and convents for a bit of history. I had some good meals and nights out... I tried llama and alpaca ... tastes just like chicken! The issue being not many gringos (tourists) were out in the town and the enticement of free drink was enough to keep me out ... despite compliments of "dancing well for a Brit" from a Dutch friend ... the nightclub with 2 people in it (1 attached, the other a lesbian) is not ideal stomping ground so like all Brits on tour I resorted to drinking games to continue the night. Which meant I felt terrible the following day, I'm getting too old for this.

The great thing about travel is stumbling across random things ... I went from Starbucks to eating cheese ice-cream to a convent to a body building championship to a chicken shop to a supermarket selling tuna called "Fanny" all within 2 hours!


Arequipa is famous for having the Colca Canyon and Condors to view within driving distance if you call 4 hours nearby. It was worth seeing although the 2.30am start was not very welcome ... the Condors are big but we were not close enough to do the trip justice. Colca Canyon is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and I also threw myself onto a horse for an afternoon...our guide ran this dodgy stables with 15 dogs that also needed a comb. The horses were smaller than UK horses which provided a bit more comfort as my horse 'Nacho' was prone to rearing! The best bit was our trekking guide ... a short plump sleaze who decided to woo the 2 girls at the half way point with Salsa dancing lessons that providing me with much entertainment ... the offer of one-on-one lessons after hours provided us with numerous giggles as we recounted the stories back at the hostel. Needless to say it was very cool to canter along the river with mountain scenery but won't be recommending a visit to the stables unless you're accompanied by someone else!

Zig-zag time continued so I took an overnight bus from Peru to La Paz ... one night in La Paz for a long awaited Ruby Murray and quad biking before another night bus to Argentina and a flight to meet Mrs P in Buenos Aires on 31st March ... oh, did I mention a harvest wine festival in Salta that I have to attend? Life is once again tough being on the road.

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Some of the daily scenes from life in Peru
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Some of the night scenes of Peru (plus hangover coffee!!)
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Many characters and tastes of Inca life...including my special drink - fruit, egg, beer, honey, condensed milk plus other random ingredients that didn't translate...meant I was up for hours!!
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Is it a bird...is a plane...no it's an idiotic bloke in desperate need of a haircut...although going for the local llama look!! As you can see condors do exist just a long way away and those that came closer I couldn't snap quick enough.
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Carniv...oh!

10/3/2014

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So when you think of South America you think...

a) Football

b) Music / Dancing

c) Carnival

(d) Drugs if thinking of exports


So having not done any of those so far you would think for Fat Tuesday I would at least be able to tick off Carnival...well I failed!! (To be fair this weekend I have seen a few late street processions but poor quality)

I did try to see carnival but to be fair I have seen some of the best scenery out there this past week in the Atacama desert (Chile) and Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia).

Apart from the photos below to show you the scenery they have moved the Dakar rally here...see some stunning footage from stage 8 to give a flavour of what my eyes have marvelled on.
So after a 23hr bus journey with my travel pal Ignacio we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama...the tourist town/western film setting location for the main attractions of the Atacama Desert...it sits at 2,400m a.m.s.l

Few factoids on the desert...driest hot desert and oldest desert on Earth! Essentially the driest place on Earth...and covers 41k sq miles.

So after arriving at our hostel run by table tennis loving potheads we set about planning our time here in Chile and for getting to Bolivia and Salar De Uyuni.

Atacama is known for geysers (the spitting kind not council estate yobo's!), salt plains, thermal springs and stunning scenery. Due to all this it is a fairly active area for seismic activity. 

Saw sunrise over the geysers; swam in thermal baths; swam in Dead Sea equivalent (although told not as salty); 4x4 over mountain passes around 5,000m. The scenery is that of Mars and the moon and in fact NASA has used it to test vehicles. It is also known for the star gazing qualities and has the clearest skies in the world...would love to tell you more and get geeky but didn't manage to do the tour.

Highlight for me was Ignacio and I hiring a 4x4 for 2 days to explore ourselves the beautiful landscapes this place has to offer...essentially an awesome road trip listening to tunes, racing up dunes, improving my truckers tan and nearly hitting a duck!! My driving bravado nearly got us stuck in the sand but fortunately Ignacio didn't have to push and get a mouthful of sand! Sitting out in the desert eating a sandwich overlooking some stunning lakes and salt flats was a good alternative to Carnival!

About this town for anyone that goes...there are 25 operators of tours to Salar De Uyuni...price differences of $20 for a 3 day trip...all have mixed reviews...all put you in alright accommodation...all follow the same route. Makes decision making confusing and the topic of conversation with all travellers. My business hat says guarantee top accommodation, food and 4x4 then people will gladly pay more...nobody has entered the middle ground of backpackers with cash who want a top experience. Unfortunately my Chilean Dragons Den application did not come back!!

Thankfully Ignacio speaks Spanish as his parents are Cuban so has come to the rescue many times...most memorable was me asking the Cambio to change 4 days into Boliviano's the required currency. The laughter from all in the shop made me realise "quatro-dias" is not 40!

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Some unusual creatures were spotted in all types of strange locations!
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Road trip!! Meant some amazing places and views that were jaw dropping...some even inspired Salvador Dali!
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Flamingo porn! After a while it becomes "not another bright coloured lake with flamingos"
Salar De Uyuni and 3 days in a 4x4 with 4 other randoms was the next stop on my global tour...the highlight of anyone visiting SA...essentially in most people bucket list. Well the 4 randoms turned out to be great people from UK and Denmark...the Danes have a great sense of humour!

Few factoids of Salar De Uyuni...worlds largest salt flat at 4k sq miles.

Anyway the scenery is fantastic and don't think my photos do it justice!! We saw many lakes of greens, whites, blues and reds. Numerous flamingos...well too many to be honest!! But the highlight of the tour being the salt flats themselves for sunrise. This was the last day so a great build up to get there. Had a great laugh in the car watching the mountain and volcanic scenery fly by...sharing travelling stories and listening to music. The accommodation was basic and the 2nd night our hotel was made of salt...although rather annoyingly the floor was loose salt which meant salt got everywhere!! In terms of remoteness there is no phone reception and the hot water (and the water) lasted about 30 mins...luckily I made it before the 30 mins was up!! Martin in our group was mid hair wash so was not a happy camper!!

Most important thing to note about this trip is the altitude...now as a seasoned pro at altitude thanks to Kilimanjaro I was not worried but sleeping at 4,400m was the same as my highest sleep at Kili...therefore really had to watch out when walking around the lakes/hostel. Means it gets cold at night to below freezing in summer. Just shows you what a barren and harsh landscape it is...all the more impressive when you see llama and flamingo surviving at this altitude.

The main draw obviously is the salt flat which at this time of year is impressive. Still a little water so has great reflective properties of the mountains but means get to drive across the salt plains at speed to find our spot to do the famous perspective photos...google image Salar de Uyuni and you will see what I mean. Meant many hours on the salt plains having fun and playing around.

As I said at the start these 2 places are stunningly beautiful. Patagonia in the South is mountainous and meant more physical exertion...these are amazing in their own way due to the expansive vistas, coloured lakes and scenery like you don't get anywhere else on Earth.

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Team Salar De Uyuni!! A place that didn't disappoint...reflection and expanse meant a great time of year to explore
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Lake after lake after lake...
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Pantone colour scale got a lot of inspiration from here! Majestic pink...
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Sometimes the altitude makes you go loopy!!

Now I am firmly in Bolivia planning the next few weeks of the trip. Jaguars, death roads, ancient ruins and jungle are all on the list!! Bolivia is a great country so far and the people friendly...probably due to all the coca they eat/drink! Also very cheap...decided to check myself into a B&B single room with en-suite to catch up on sleep (dude in hostel last night was a snorer), do some admin, some washing plus the breakfasts here are bacon and eggs!! So splashing out in Bolivia terms here is $17 a night...yup the travelling playboy of luxury i have become!

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