0158 Tinajani Canyon to Lake Titicaca

27^th Nov

Woke up to temps of about minus 2 deg C.  I knew it had ben cold because I was warm when I awoke at 4 am, but then was freezing by the time I got up at about 6.30 am !!  But thankfully the strong winds of last night had died down so we hadn’t blown away !  But there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and when the sun came out over the top of the canyon walls, it quickly warmed up – Well, as much as it ever does when you are at 4000 metres.  At these altitudes it can be really hot when you are in the sun, but if you get in the shade, or the sun goes behind a cloud, you realise the air temps are pretty low !  Anyway, the canyon was just as stunning this morning as it had been last night, and we had breakfast enjoying the scenery.  The farmer came round to see how we were, and we gave him some plantains we had bought yesterday thinking they were bananas !!  Yuk when you try to eat them raw like bananas, but fine when they are fried like crisps / chips !  Anyway, the farmer was pleased with them, and we left to drive out of the canyon and back to the main road to continue our way to Lake Titicaca.

0157 Cuzco to Tinajani Canyon

26^th Nov

 

We need to get moving if we are to be in Santiago by the 17^th December, and with the delay in Cuzco for a couple of days while we sorted out the bushings on the car, it has taken another 2 days away from us.  So today we had to hit the road south – But first a couple of things needed doing.


 

0156 Cuzco - Again !

24th Nov

Early start and off to the Toyota dealer in downtown Cuzco, with fingers crossed that a) they would have the spare parts we needed, and b) they could do the job for us without delay, and without booking in for a service !  We found them no problem (getting to know our way around Cusco now), and they didn’t seem particularly perturbed that I had no booking.  They found someone who spoke English and he confirmed he could replace the bushings, and in addition do the oil change I requested. So after getting stuff out of the car, we were told to be back to pick the car up at 6 pm.   So we got in a taxi and set off to spend the day doing something (we didn’t yet know what) in Cuzco. 
 

0155 Ollantaytambo to Cuzco

23 Nov

The wonderful thing about paying a few soles to camp in the secure grounds of a hotel is that the price often includes a hot shower and the use of toilets, as well as sometimes breakfast as well !  So once we had packed up, we showered and enjoyed some huevos revueltas before heading back towards Cuzco.

Troopie’s suspension has “squeaked” for a while, and although we greased it regularly, recently the squeaking has got a lot worse.  During a routine undercar check the other day I had noticed that a couple of rubber bushings in the rear suspension were breaking up, which rather annoyed me since these were knew before I left Aus, and should last more than 30,000 kms.  One option was to hope to get to Santiago and then bring some new bushes back in from Aus at Christmas time, but over the past couple of days we had decided that the safer option was to try to see if the Cusco Toyota dealer had any bushings to fit my car, and if so, we knew we had a good campsite to stay in while they were done.  And although Troopie is not due an oil and filter change for another 4000 kms, if I got that done at the same time it would mean we wouldn’t have to do it again until Santiago or later.  So instead of heading to Lake Titicaca and Bolivia from Ollantaytambo, we decided to head back to Cuzco the way we had come a couple of days ago, and on the way try again to find the Inca crop growing amphitheatres, and also go to some Sunday markets in Chincheros on the way.

0154 Machupicchu

22 Nov 

We decided not to try for the first bus.  We had a guide booked and he wasn’t going to be there until 7 am, and assured us we would be OK both weather and crowds wise.  But we woke up at 5.30 anyway, and after a quick breakfast, headed down to the bus stop, and ended up on a 6.10 bus, which after the amazing switchback ride up the mountain, dropped us at the entrance at 6.40 am.  We decided to just relax and enjoy everything so sat and waited for our guide Jonathon to arrive, and once he had, we went through the gates and into the site.  It is quite a hike up a twisty and steep path before you get anywhere or see anything, and you need to stop to catch your breath a few times on the way up.  S

uddenly you come out from the path, and see the well known scene in front of you.  It is a very special moment for everyone, especially if you have been waiting your whole life to be here.  The sun was behind clouds when we first got there, but at 7.45 am, as we stood there, the sun slowly came out from behind the clouds, and gradually lit up first the top of Huaynapicchu, then slowly the whole complex below us, little by little.  It was almost as good as being there at dawn, and was just the most amazing sight.

0153 Cuzco to Aguas Calientes

21 Nov 

Cold weather and altitude seems to do funny things to diesel engines ! The big German trucks seem to have the most, and this morning Manfred and Karin left in a cloud of smoke !  Hope it gets better as they get lower and warmer !

Then it was our turn – Off to Machupicchu, but first we had to go into town to get some money from an ATM

that is “friendly” with our card ! That done, and a quick photo of Troopie in the main square in Cuzco, we headed out on what we thought was the correct road, past some extensive Inca ruins very close to our campsite called Saqsayhuaman (commonly called “Sexy Woman” ruins by everyone as that is how it is pronounced !)   It was shortly after that that we realised we while we were indeed on a road to Machupicchu, it was not the road we wanted !!  So after some well intended turns and detours, we unfortunately spent the next hour or so lost in Cuzco !

0152 Cuzco

19th and 20th Nov

We have now been in Cuzco for 2 full days.  We were going to go to Machu Picchu today but found we were unable to get the train times we wanted, so delayed it by a day.  Not a problem as this is a delightful town.

0151 Curahuasi to Cuzco

18^th Nov

We awoke this morning to the almost perfect view over the mountains surrounding Curahuasi – I am not sure whether campsite views can get much better !!  We packed up and then went down to the house for a shower and breakfast before getting on the road by 8 am in order to get through the roadworks.  A hot shower made the morning even better ! Home made bread from hand ground wheat grown in the garden, fresh local avocado and cheese – I mean, why on earth would we want to leave this place ?

0150 Huashuccasa to Curahuasi

17^th Nov

We got up at 6 am – I won’t say we woke up because I don’t think either of us slept much all night.  The altitude was affecting us quite badly – Sleeping at just under 4500 metres (that is almost 15,000 feet in the old measurements !) left us quite breathless all night – About every third breath has to be a really deep one because otherwise you feel like you are suffocating.  In addition I had a splitting headache – Janet is on a diet of Panadol for her knee and this seems to prevent her getting headaches.  I also had a really upset stomach, but I think this was just altitude as well rather than anything we had eaten. So we weren’t in very good shape when we started the day. And as we started up the car to get moving, Troopie obviously decided she didn’t like altitude and freezing temps either, and started missing and blowing white smoke out the exhaust !  (I might add that during the night we had ice rain (almost hail but different), snow, and rain !!)  No tornadoes though, fortunately !!

0149 Nazca to Huashuccasa

16^th Nov

Slept in a little, so the lazy day started well.  When I came out of the car I saw all the tents from the tour group were gone – They had already packed up and left.  Bother – I was going to ask the 4WD coach drivers some questions about secure parking in Santiago.   No big deal, so I started fiddling with a few things, had breakfast, and was still fiddling with things when I noticed Andre and Monique packing up – What was going on ?  Then Janet came down from the lobby area and said that everyone was leaving because there was a major power failure in town that would not be repaired before 4 pm that day, so there would be no charging of computers, and of course no wifi.  So no point in staying here then !  So I grabbed a quick shower before the hot water ran out too !  But it was 10.15 by the time we packed up, and 10.30 before we hit the road after getting fuel, and we knew we had a long drive ahead across some major mountain passes, with not much civilisation in between, so we were going to have an interesting time finding somewhere to sleep tonight ! 

0148 Paracas NP to Nazca

15^th Nov

Woke up at 6 am on this beautiful deserted beach in Paracas National Park.  Bit of a strong smell of fish in this area, but that is to be expected – That is what Pisco does – Process fish.  Explored the seemingly abandoned hut / restaurant near us – Hmmm – A few things look fresh and lived in……….

Then I notice a head sticking up in one of the several fishing boats anchored just off shore – There is someone in there !! Gradually a few more heads appear !  Seems they were sleeping in their boats.  About 7 am a car comes down onto the beach and goes to the restaurant !  It definitely isn’t derelict or abandoned.

Then a decrepit old bus comes down to the beach and about 10 people get out and start turning ( or doing something) to the piles of seaweed on the beach – We nearly drove over it last night – Thank goodness we didn’t as it appears to be someone’s “crop” !!

0147 Lomas de Lachay to Paracas NP

14^th Nov 

We woke up still in heavy mist that coated everything in dampness.  It was really eerie – we could literally only see a few yards – Which explained why we found ourselves camped in a day parking area, and hadn’t even been able to see the toilets that we just on the other side of the track !!  No point in walking anywhere, so we had breakfast and headed back down the trail to the Ranger’s Station. This reserve is a weird area – In the middle of desert, it only rises about 500 metres ASL, but is almost always covered in this thick mist which provides so much moisture that plants grow here.  One of the plants is a kind of vine that covers other normal plants with a web like coating.  Most odd.  Anyway, back down, a quick Buenas Dias to the Ranger’s and then back on the road south.

0146 Chimbote to Lomas de Lachay

13^th Nov

Got up, had our breakfast, got the (almost dry) laundry off the line, and set off south. Had a humorous thing happen while packing up – The workmen doing repairs around the resort used a wheel barrow to try and collect some large sheets of steel reinforcing mesh.  After that method didn’t work too well, they came over with their donkey and cart that they had brought in last night loaded with old maize plants, and loaded the mesh onto the cart.  I watched them move off, and the immediately took a corner too sharply and the mesh sticking out on one side caught a pole – The donkey stopped quickly, but donkeys don’t back up so they had to shuffle the mesh around to get past the pole.  Then, as they disappeared behind  ramp I heard a crash and suddenly the donkey appeared in the air on the other side of the ramp – The mesh was sliding backwards and had tilted the donkey up in the air !!  But this tilted the cart more, so all the mesh fell off, and with no weight on the cart the donkey returned to earth and disappeared from my view again.  It all happened in a split second, and while I am sure the poor donkey didn’t enjoy it much, it really was quite hilarious to see, and evidently had happened before because neither the donkey or the men seemed particularly fazed by it.

Off down the road, lots of rice, sugar cane, artichokes (I think) and other crops being grown along the way.  Fairly built up with small towns to start with, and eventually we reached Chimbote at about lunch time.  As we drove through, we found a big shopping centre and dove off the roundabout into the car park – We had a number of things we needed.  Great shopping centre, and not a lot of people there – And one of the things I needed was hearing aid batteries – I am sure I packed enough for the trip, but I can’t find them right now, and within the next week or so will go deaf when they run out – Doesn’t worry me but might get Janet upset !! Never ever thought I would find them over here as they are quite specialised, but we found a Radio Shack shop in the mall and hey had them – Cheaper than in Aus too !!  Then we headed into the supermarket – We normally carry enough food for 3 – 4 days – That is about the max we can carry due to the size of our fridge.  Turned out to be a really well stocked supermarket, and found everything we needed, including a 6 pack of beer for about  $4 !!  After we had put everything in the car, we found a good sup of coffee to take with us, and also some empanadas and churros, so we called that lunch and then headed on our way.

As we headed south down the coast, we soon got back into the desert scenery, and I am afraid that was all we had for the rest of the day, so if you think there are rather a lot of sand dune photos today, you are correct – That’s what we had all day too !!  But when you see some of the photos, I think you will agree they are rather stunning – It was like driving across the moon.  Great road (although still under construction in some places, causing delays), and just incredible sights all the way. Not far south of Chimbote we saw a sign to Tortuga ((Turtle), a little village down on the water, so we went down the dirt road to check it out.  Turned out to be a delightful little fishing village with lots of restaurants and bars along the front, all very friendly and waving to us as we passed (probably wanted us to come and eat their sea food !!).  If we had been there in the evening it would have been a great place to stop, eat, and camp on the beach.  But we had to keep moving south, so after a quick look, headed back to the main road.

Here is someone in politics round here called Waldo, and his name, or the letter W, has been painted everywhere.  We have christened him Wally, and everywhere we look we see the letter W and ask “Where’s Wally?”.  (Hey, it gets a bit boring in the car sometimes !!)

On across this incredible moon scape.  Yesterday my comments about northern Peru may have been a little harsh, but we have realised (and also read in guide books etc) that northern Peru really is somewhere that is almost forgotten, little is known about, and not many tourists come here.  Most tourist fly in to see Machu Picchu and Cuzco, and that is all they see.  This northern part is very different, very poor, but has this amazing desert scenery for mile after mile – Neither of us realised that most of NE Peru was one enormous desert !  But we are slowly getting used to it – It is just SO different from everywhere else we have been – All the other countries are not really that dissimilar, but Peru really is very different in so many ways, and that took us by surprise.  The driving is still atrocious, and the rubbish issue really is a major problem, but many of the other issues we are slowly getting used to. 

The poverty is pretty extreme, and out in the desert we frequently see whole area covered in houses made from a kind of reed matting.  The wind here is constant in the desert, and we can’t believe the matting would provide much protection, but that is what they often use.  Then there are some areas where they have what look like plywood houses – Just single room square boxes spread out over the desert.  Most odd.  There are also hundreds of long low sheds, with some accommodation around them, and we think these are chicken farms.  We will find out tomorrow.

Additionally there are a lot of reed matting houses / structures beside the road that seem to be tyre repair places and supply fuel. We even drove right around one when we needed to make a U turn at one stage, and even then we still were not absolutely certain what they did.  Just odd that there are so many, and all laid out the same.

At about 4 pm we came to Paramongo, where there are some old ruins beside the road dating back to pre Inca times.  There are a LOT of old ruins and historical sights on this road, but not many are easily found or accessed.  Paramonga is right beside the road, so even we couldn’t miss it !!  We paid a few Soles to the man on the gate, Carlos, and headed into the impressive castle like ruins.  The complex was built by the local Chimu people before Inca times, so this could have been built in about 1200 or earlier.  Constructed entirely from adobe, from the top there are commanding views over the desert coast in either direction – Today one over looks vast sugar cane fields, formerly belonging to eh American Grace Corporation.  IN contrast to the verdant green of these fields, irrigated by the Rio Fortaleza, the fortress stands out in the landscape like a huge, dusty yellow pyramid.  In the late 1400’s it was conquered by the Incas, and in 1533, Pizarro, the first Spanish conquistador in the area, described it as “a strong fort with 7 encircling walls painted with many forms both inside and outside, with portals well built like those of Spain, and two tigers painted at the principal doorways”.  It is indeed an amazing structure, and other walls can clearly be seen on surrounding hills – It was evidently once an enormous structure.

We were chatting to Carlos when we came down, and he explained that originally, from the air, it was built in the shape of a llama, and outside of the llama shape it was encircled again by buildings in the shape of a puma.   Interesting – Similar to the ruins we saw at Ingapirca in Ecuador that were also in the shape of a puma. It turned out Carlos was also a tuk tuk driver, and we had a bit of fun in his tuk tuk with him !

After leaving Paramongo, we had to get going if we were to reach our camp site at the Lomas de Lachay Nat Park some 100 kms further south before night fall.  Luckily the road was pretty straight and road-works free, and we just made it to the park as darkness fell.  We are in thick mist here tonight, and can see nothing, so will have to describe where we are tomorrow morning !!  Suffice it to say that it certainly seems like yet another wild and interesting camp site, in keeping with our recent run of amazing ones !

Photos are here https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0140ChimboteToLomasDeLachay?authkey=Gv1sRgCNTB46m74ZieIw#

0145 Lambeyeque to Chimbote

12^th Nov

Very pleasant surroundings to wake up in on our first morning in Peru !  There was  conference going on in the main rooms so by the time we had breakfasted, showered, and packed up, no one was around so we just slipped out and found our way back onto the main road in Lambayeque.  I include the photos so you can understand some of our misgivings as we drove in last night !! 

First it was into and through Chiclayo, and I have to say that I presume there was a garbage collection strike in progress because I have never seen such a filthy town in my life, with highly smelly garbage strewn everywhere.  If there wasn’t a garbage collection strike on, then god help this place. Everywhere you looked it was horrible, and even as we moved out into the countryside / desert, there was still rubbish everywhere – Definitely the worst we have seen on the whole trip. 

0144 Macara, Ecuador to Lambeyeque, Peru

11^th Nov 

Today was just another of those amazing days when you do a trip like this where you haven’t got a clue what to expect, what you have read about it turns out to just not be what you find, and you keep getting surprises all day – I think one of the most common and frequent things we say is “I don’t know quite what I expected from such and such a place (or thing or country), but it wasn’t anything like it actually is !”.

We woke up in our little hotel 3 kms from the Peruvian border, found that if you waited long enough the water really did come out of the shower hot, and then had a delightful little breakfast (included in the $15 pp hotel fee) of fresh juice, coffee, cheese (local) toasted sandwich, and then a little bowl of scrambled egg.  We left the hotel very content with its service – It really was a great little hotel in the middle of a little country town – Most unexpected while we had been driving round in ever decreasing circles looking for it last night !  We left town by driving through the middle including the main square and the church – Quite a nice little town.

0143 Podocarpus NP to Macara

10^th Nov  

It was still raining when we woke up, but luckily by the time we had finished breakfast it had stopped, and although the pack up was wet, at least we were able to stay dry while we did it. 

The drive down the mountain in the daylight was then stunning, not only because this time we could see the drop offs (and they were on Janet’s side, tee hee), but also the views over the mountains with the clouds surrounding us were very special.  Some amazing flowers on the road side on the way down, too.   What a great way to start a day !

0142 Ingapirca to Podocarpus NP

 9^th Nov

Woke up at 6 am to a clear and cold, but beautiful morning, overlooking the ruins, and llamas feeding in the field opposite.  How much more Ecuadorian can you get ?

I was outside fiddling when a chap came down the hill and said good morning – Got chatting and it turned out his name was Richard, and he was an American from Washington DC who worked for the Organisation of American States (I think), and used to live in Ecuador.  He was in Quito on a conference and decided to hire a car for a week or two and drive round some of his favourite places.  While we were chatting a local blind man came through with his pole he used for touch, and we were worried he might bump into my car so Richard took his arm and guided him around – And it turned out Richard was fluent in Spanish and was chatting away to him to find out where the guy was from and where he was going.  After we had put him on the right path, he got totally confused and it took Richard several minutes before he could explain which direction was the right one !  Anyway, a fascinating talk with Richard for half an hour, with a lot of local insights.

0141 Guayaquil to Ingapirca

8^th Nov 

 

When we checked out in the morning, we found we didn’t have to pay anything for parking the car for the past 6 days, so the added expense of staying in the nicer Holiday Inn instead of a local hotel was more than justified.  So we left with a smile on our faces.  Right outside the hotel, on the road, were a group apparently having a picnic !   We were so surprised – No one Picnics down here – They all eat at roadside restaurants  So we had to take a photo !!

0140 Galapagos Day 5

7^th November

Our last day !  The days had passed so quickly – probably because we ever had a moment when we weren’t busy doing some high energy activity, and had dropped into bed exhausted every night !   Today we had to be up at 6 am so we could breakfast and leave the boat by 6.45.   We did so, and as soon as we landed in Santa Cruz I headed straight to the ATM that I knew would accept my card.  I had experienced trouble elsewhere with ATM’s and we had literally paid out bar bill and wet suit hire on the boat with our last dollar – In fact Janet only paid $5 for a drink that should have cost $7, otherwise we would have been washing dishes !  But got some money from the ATM, and then we set off to the Darwin centre where they breed the Galapagos Tortoises and raise them until they can fend for themselves in the wild.  They are gradually building up the numbers on all the islands, which is good to see.  After a quick walk round the centre, and seeing lots of small tortoises (of varying sizes) we had to jump on our bus that took us back across the island towards the airport, across the little water taxi ride, and then another bus to the airport at Baltra – The reverse of the route Janet and I had come in last Sunday, but this time we had Enrique arranging everything for us – much easier !   We just made it to the airport in time, bought a couple of souvenirs from the expensive airport gift shops, and all jumped on our plane to Guayaquil (and, for some, to Quito.)

0139 Galapagos Day 4

  6^th November

Overnight we had moved west and we awoke anchored off the coast of Floreana Island.  After breakfast, we were off in the rubber duckies for more adventures.  On the way to the beach we passed some small rocks sticking out of the water, and spotted several blue footed boobies on there, along with a pelican.  So we spent a few minutes with them, and then heading in to the beach we saw a large heron looking for fish on the edge of the rocks, so went over for a closer look.   And then, before we could reach the beach, a large turtle swam past, and after giving us some lovely sights of him just below the surface of the clear clear water, he stuck his head above water for a breath right beside the boat !

0138 Galapagos Day 3

Galapagos Day 3 - 5th November

Woke up at least partially refreshed, and found we had moved again during the night – Now we were at Espanola Island, and anchored off Gardner Bay.  Out of the cabin window it was partially cloudy, and a couple of other boats were moored off the beach as well – almost the first time we had seen other people for a couple of days !   While we were waiting for breakfast and having coffee, lots of little stormy petrels  were around the boat, dancing on the waves as they delicately scooped up plankton or other similar food sources off the top of the sea.  Amazing to watch them.

0137 Galapagos Day 2

Galapagos Day 2.  4th November

 

Overnight we had motored round to the northern end of the island and this morning we had a 12 kilometre walk planned, up through the lava fields to Galapaquera.  This was to be the most strenuous activity we had, and we were up at 5 am for a 6 am breakfast in order to leave the ship by 6.45 am.  We made our own sandwiches and took extra water, and after a wet landing (towels provided in order to dry our feet before the long hike), we found ourselves on a beautiful white sand beach, and apart from our group there wasn’t another soul in sight  In fact, we weren’t to see any ne else for the entire morning, which was great.  We set off through the dry scrub.  We hadn’t gone far before we found our first tortoise, resting under the protection of a bush.  Now we really felt we were in Galapagos !  As we continued along the trail we continued to see frequent tortoises, although all were stationary under bushes, just watching us as we passed ! 

0136 Galapagos Day 1

Galapagos Day 1 - 3rd November

First morning on Galapagos, and it is a good one !  Delightful little hotel / hostel called Cabanas Pimampiro, and even though they are a bit out of “town” (Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the “capital” of the archipelago) and up the hill, since it is only a $2 taxi ride anywhere, not an issue.  Fernando the owner is a delight, the rooms are excellent, and free breakfast this morning was just perfect.  And what’s more, they have the first version of the “electric shower’ (that I have mentioned several times previously since my first experience with one in Guatemala, mostly in frustration, and have never seen produce hot water) but this one works !!   Excellent.  So we start the day well and head off down the hill to meet our cruise ship and head out into the Pacific Ocean around the islands, hopefully a LOT calmer now than it was yesterday when we came over from Santa Cruz on the boat ride from Hell !  (Jamie, this one made our sail down the coast look like a walk in the park !!)

0135 Guayaquil to Galapagos – What a wild ride !

2^nd Nov.

When we booked our last minute Galapagos tour when we were in Quito, one of the issues we knew about was that we could not fly direct to San Cristobal to meet our cruise ship on the morning of the 3rd Nov because it is a public holiday / long weekend in Ecuador this weekend so all the locals are travelling and the flights are booked solid.  Seeing as our cruise ship departs at noon on the 3^rd Nov, the only way we could meet our ship before it sailed was to fly to Balta on the 2^nd, and then spend the day travelling to San Cristobal. Since they are on two totally different islands separated by a lot of miles of Pacific Ocean, this was to be no mean feat, especially for me since most of you who know me well will know that public transport is NOT one of my prime strengths – It fact it could definitely be called my prime weakness and the thought of catching a bus or train on my own fills me with fear and loathing !

0132 Guamote to Guayaquil

1st Nov

When we arrived in the tiny mountain village of Guamote just as the sun went down last night (about 5.30 pm0, we looked briefly for a suitable hotel around the cobbled streets, but found nothing at all.  So we went to the local petrol station on the main road and asked if we could spend the night there, to which they agreed no problem.  They had a nice little gravel section hidden down the side, so we set up there, cooked our supper, and went to bed.  Just over 3000 metres, and it was cold - So back to winter sleeping bags and liners again !!

Woke up to a glorious sunny but very cold morning, and one of the local dogs had taken watch over us as he lay on the bank in the morning sun !! A quick breakfast, fill up with diesel (not too painful at $1 per gallon !) and set off south towards Guayaquil.  Only 150 kms - Should be there in time for morning coffee.................Ha ha.