On the first live blog post in ages I can tell you we are sitting in Miami airport waiting for a flight connection back to the UK. We spent last night in Belize City before catching a flight to Miami this morning.
As you will see there are a bunch of posts that takes the blog right up to date, finally! The first of the new ones is Inca Country. Hopefully they came through in the correct order.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Friday, 15 May 2009
You Betta Belize It
Placencia, although connected to the mainland, has the look and feel of a tropical island paradise - white sandy beaches, blue sea and palm trees. Does anything say paradise like a palm tree? The town has two streets, well one road and a footpath, lined by colourfully characterful wooden houses. It's hot and humid, but things are kept relaxed by a welcome sea breeze, and this place is relaxed to the max. This place is sooo laid back opening times are merely a suggestion.
There are dive operators here running trips out to the reef and other activities like manatee and whale shark dives. The whale shark dive is very tempting, but don't start for two days. It's coming up for a full moon which is a good time to see them here this time of year, but the best chance is in five days, two days after the full moon. We think about staying, but want to head north to spend a week on Caye Caulker. In the end we are happy to stay for two nights not doing very much and stick to the plan vowing that one day we'll see them possibly even from up north.
Early starts are a feature of travelling in Central America and leaving Placencia is no exception. We are taking the 5:50am bus north to Belize City. It's good to get on the road early when there is a travel day ahead. You never know what may happen and if that is nothing then there is more time to relax once there. The bus travels up the spit towards Dangriga where we must change. Except we meet the B.C. bus leaving town and switch on the road side. Remember what I said about connections happening. The new bus driver is a nutter! He drives the fastest yet, which is fine until it starts to pound with rain and he doesn't ease up. There is a near miss while attempting to overtake and we know it's crazy when even the locals look nervous. One woman shouts "Mr bus driver man, please slow down. You ain't in no hurry". The driver is heedless. We do make it to Belize City without further incident where we walk to the water taxi terminal catching the noon ride to Caye Caulker.
A member of a chain of islands running parallel to the mainland coast inside the barrier reef, small Caye Caulker is a much anticipated tropical island destination. Sadly we are disappointed! We get a nice condo with kitchen, but the supermarkets are badly stocked, especially for the price. Our first dives, to the Turneffe Atol, are unimpressive, as is the dive operation - Frenchies. Their attitude appears disinterested and the divemasters obviously think they are far cooler than we do. We begin to wish we had stayed in Placencia.
Thankfully, after a bumpy start, Caye Caulker grows on us and we fall for it's charms. The palm trees, blue seas, sandy lanes, golf carts and bicycles. The local dialect sings caribbean, it's english but not as we know it. We sus the food shopping. We do more diving with a different outfit to the famous Blue Hole. The dive is deep and pretty dark, but the limestone stalectites are awesome. The Caribbean and grey reef sharks top it off! The other two dives at lighthouse reef are good too, we see dolphins above us. A first for us. We do a great trip snorkelling the local barrier reef seeing plenty of life including Nurse Sharks and stingrays. We wanted to see Manatees, but no sign. There wasn't enough people to run a trip to the reserve at Swallow Caye as things are a bit slow on the Caye right now. Well things are always slow here, in fact a plaque on arrival instructs you to 'Go Slow', but with the season ending and the world economic situation things are slooow. Nevermind, another time.
By the end of our week here we don't want to leave, but this is the end of the travelling. The finale. It's a strange feeling. Like the end of the summer holidays, seemingly endless and suddenly it's school tomorrow. Ok, so our adventure isn't really over as a new life in Australia awaits, but the month of travelling in Central America has been amazing and leaves us wanting more. We would come back and there are still new countries to visit. Until next time...
There are dive operators here running trips out to the reef and other activities like manatee and whale shark dives. The whale shark dive is very tempting, but don't start for two days. It's coming up for a full moon which is a good time to see them here this time of year, but the best chance is in five days, two days after the full moon. We think about staying, but want to head north to spend a week on Caye Caulker. In the end we are happy to stay for two nights not doing very much and stick to the plan vowing that one day we'll see them possibly even from up north.
Early starts are a feature of travelling in Central America and leaving Placencia is no exception. We are taking the 5:50am bus north to Belize City. It's good to get on the road early when there is a travel day ahead. You never know what may happen and if that is nothing then there is more time to relax once there. The bus travels up the spit towards Dangriga where we must change. Except we meet the B.C. bus leaving town and switch on the road side. Remember what I said about connections happening. The new bus driver is a nutter! He drives the fastest yet, which is fine until it starts to pound with rain and he doesn't ease up. There is a near miss while attempting to overtake and we know it's crazy when even the locals look nervous. One woman shouts "Mr bus driver man, please slow down. You ain't in no hurry". The driver is heedless. We do make it to Belize City without further incident where we walk to the water taxi terminal catching the noon ride to Caye Caulker.
A member of a chain of islands running parallel to the mainland coast inside the barrier reef, small Caye Caulker is a much anticipated tropical island destination. Sadly we are disappointed! We get a nice condo with kitchen, but the supermarkets are badly stocked, especially for the price. Our first dives, to the Turneffe Atol, are unimpressive, as is the dive operation - Frenchies. Their attitude appears disinterested and the divemasters obviously think they are far cooler than we do. We begin to wish we had stayed in Placencia.
Thankfully, after a bumpy start, Caye Caulker grows on us and we fall for it's charms. The palm trees, blue seas, sandy lanes, golf carts and bicycles. The local dialect sings caribbean, it's english but not as we know it. We sus the food shopping. We do more diving with a different outfit to the famous Blue Hole. The dive is deep and pretty dark, but the limestone stalectites are awesome. The Caribbean and grey reef sharks top it off! The other two dives at lighthouse reef are good too, we see dolphins above us. A first for us. We do a great trip snorkelling the local barrier reef seeing plenty of life including Nurse Sharks and stingrays. We wanted to see Manatees, but no sign. There wasn't enough people to run a trip to the reserve at Swallow Caye as things are a bit slow on the Caye right now. Well things are always slow here, in fact a plaque on arrival instructs you to 'Go Slow', but with the season ending and the world economic situation things are slooow. Nevermind, another time.
By the end of our week here we don't want to leave, but this is the end of the travelling. The finale. It's a strange feeling. Like the end of the summer holidays, seemingly endless and suddenly it's school tomorrow. Ok, so our adventure isn't really over as a new life in Australia awaits, but the month of travelling in Central America has been amazing and leaves us wanting more. We would come back and there are still new countries to visit. Until next time...
Three Country Hop
We leave Roatan on the early ferry to La Ceiba and get a taxi to the bus station. We arrive at the bus station just after our bus has left. The taxi driver speaks to a bus employee who calls the bus. The taxi driver then drives us to the bus just on the edge of town. That's the thing about Central America, connections happen. The bus is going to San Pedro, one of Honduras's biggest cities. From there we get a micro bus to the port town of Puerto Cortes. It's a packed bus and just outside the town at a police checkpoint the guys on the bus are scanned for firearms. Apparently women don't carry guns!!
We find a basic, but fine, hotel and take the air con this time. It's acceptabley only a few bucks more. We are here to catch the tuesday ferry to Belize early the next day. Thing is there doesn't appear to be a ferry on a tuesday anymore, as the guidebook suggests. There is however a bloke with a pick-up. He offers, for a fee, to take us to Puerto Barrio in Guatemala to catch the ferry there. The crossing there is shorter and cheaper, and we could get there by bus for cheaper than the bloke, just not in time for the crossing today. He does say it's free if we don't make it. Thus we take the offer beginning our most epic journey.
Speeding towards the Guatemala border in the back of a pick-up we can't help wonder if we've been had. The guy said some things that we didn't completely belive, but if the truth is he's just a bloke with a truck who has seen an opportunity to make some dollars then you have to appreciate that. Anyway the journey is pretty cool experience. Just outside Puerto Cortes we pick up another person.
We clear border control easily, this guy appears to do this run alot as he seems to know the people here, and carry on to Puerto Barrio in plenty of time for the ferry. We are stamped out of the country after all of an hour in it and wait for the 10am crossing. The extra person turns out to be Tim from Germany who is on a short break from volunteering in Honduras. We are travelling to the same place.
When we say ferry we really mean water taxi. It's not a big boat. It is fast though and blasts across the calm waters of the caribbean sea to Punta Gorda in southern Belize. Whether lucky with the weather or what we are glad of the fine short crossing. The longer trip in a similar sized boat had the potential to be much lumpier.
The late morning day is a beautiful one, if a tad humid, when we clear the none to busy Belize border. It's a short sweaty walk to James bus station where we catch the noon bus north to Mango Creek. Again it's old American school buses. Our final destination for today is Placencia which occupies a position on the southern tip of a sand spit running down from the north. Mango Creek is a stop where we catch the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi to Placencia. About the same size as the international boat this morning, this time it's a short zip through mangroves to the west edge of town. We walk to a hotel and take a room. Our travelling for today is done.
We find a basic, but fine, hotel and take the air con this time. It's acceptabley only a few bucks more. We are here to catch the tuesday ferry to Belize early the next day. Thing is there doesn't appear to be a ferry on a tuesday anymore, as the guidebook suggests. There is however a bloke with a pick-up. He offers, for a fee, to take us to Puerto Barrio in Guatemala to catch the ferry there. The crossing there is shorter and cheaper, and we could get there by bus for cheaper than the bloke, just not in time for the crossing today. He does say it's free if we don't make it. Thus we take the offer beginning our most epic journey.
Speeding towards the Guatemala border in the back of a pick-up we can't help wonder if we've been had. The guy said some things that we didn't completely belive, but if the truth is he's just a bloke with a truck who has seen an opportunity to make some dollars then you have to appreciate that. Anyway the journey is pretty cool experience. Just outside Puerto Cortes we pick up another person.
We clear border control easily, this guy appears to do this run alot as he seems to know the people here, and carry on to Puerto Barrio in plenty of time for the ferry. We are stamped out of the country after all of an hour in it and wait for the 10am crossing. The extra person turns out to be Tim from Germany who is on a short break from volunteering in Honduras. We are travelling to the same place.
When we say ferry we really mean water taxi. It's not a big boat. It is fast though and blasts across the calm waters of the caribbean sea to Punta Gorda in southern Belize. Whether lucky with the weather or what we are glad of the fine short crossing. The longer trip in a similar sized boat had the potential to be much lumpier.
The late morning day is a beautiful one, if a tad humid, when we clear the none to busy Belize border. It's a short sweaty walk to James bus station where we catch the noon bus north to Mango Creek. Again it's old American school buses. Our final destination for today is Placencia which occupies a position on the southern tip of a sand spit running down from the north. Mango Creek is a stop where we catch the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi to Placencia. About the same size as the international boat this morning, this time it's a short zip through mangroves to the west edge of town. We walk to a hotel and take a room. Our travelling for today is done.
Honduran Bay Island
Our first mission in West End is to get sorted with some diving. We choose Reef Gliders, a pleasant little operator with a couple of small boats which zip out to the reef just off the coast. Journey times are no longer than 15 minutes. The reef is part of the world's second largest barrier reef that stretches all the way from Mexico and here is a protected marine park The diving is nice and easy, but not fantastic. There is not much life or colour compared to the Red Sea for example. There is consistently good condition coral including fans and tube sponges.
We still do ten dives each over five days out of our seven on the island. West end is a great place to be with it's single sandy street lined with restaurants, dive shops and palm trees. The mini supermarkets have enough stuff to get by with fruit and veg sold from the back of pick-up trucks. The self catering probably does cost less, but it's actually just nice to make our own food without having to go out and find places everyday. Our studio is also a very pleasant place to hang out.
We take a walk down the picturesque coast to West Beach. It has a beautiful beach good for swimming, but is more resorty. We prefer the easy going, relaxed caribbean vibe of West End. It's character and charm simply draws people in. The kind of place where three days turns to ten months! It happens to many who stay and do their divemaster course. Reef Gliders had a bunch of trainees. The instructors are happy because they don't have to lug gear anymore.
We drag ourselves away after a week, a long time in one place for us. Could we have stayed longer. Without plans and a booked ticket home I think we would have.
We still do ten dives each over five days out of our seven on the island. West end is a great place to be with it's single sandy street lined with restaurants, dive shops and palm trees. The mini supermarkets have enough stuff to get by with fruit and veg sold from the back of pick-up trucks. The self catering probably does cost less, but it's actually just nice to make our own food without having to go out and find places everyday. Our studio is also a very pleasant place to hang out.
We take a walk down the picturesque coast to West Beach. It has a beautiful beach good for swimming, but is more resorty. We prefer the easy going, relaxed caribbean vibe of West End. It's character and charm simply draws people in. The kind of place where three days turns to ten months! It happens to many who stay and do their divemaster course. Reef Gliders had a bunch of trainees. The instructors are happy because they don't have to lug gear anymore.
We drag ourselves away after a week, a long time in one place for us. Could we have stayed longer. Without plans and a booked ticket home I think we would have.
To the Islands
Five in the morning and it's quickly getting light on Ometepe. We are already standing at the bus stop. The taxi here was too expensive and there is a direct cheap bus to the ferry port at Moyogalpa. Twenty minutes later the bus arrives and we are on our way for the first leg of a two (and a bit) day journey north to the Bay Islands of Honduras. The bus takes two hours and we get the 7:30 ferry with a few minutes to spare. It's a passenger ferry and the crossing is lumpy. At the San Jorge terminal a direct bus to Managua is waiting. It's an express bus and the journey is pretty smooth. Luckily a woman selling Pan de Queso gets on and we have a cheap breakfast. These well worked connections mean we arrive in Managua by eleven. Taxis wait at the bus station, it's funny how a simple "No" halves the opening price. Once a price is agreed we go to the Tica bus station and walk round the corner to a hotel and get a room. Our bus from here leaves in the morning, so we have an afternoon to kill. The area is called Barrio Martha Quezada and has no street names. Instead addresses are given relative to the Tica bus station! Near the hotel is Loma de Tiscapa, a hill topped by a black iron silhouette of Sandino (a liberal revolutionary) although it looks a bit like a giant wild west motel sign. There is a good view over the city to lake Managua. The hill is deserted apart from two snoging couples and a guy that blows a whistle at you if you stand on the concrete benches.
We kill some time in a nearby mall. It's a pretty basic, but at least it has food. And air con, unlike our hotel room. Well, it does, but it doubles the price to plug it in! It didn't seem worth it, until maybe in the hot night when the draft from the fan gave the impression the big ants (from the bathroom) were crawling on me! Not the best night sleep.
Five am on a sunday morning and the coach leaves the Tica bus station on it's way to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The journey takes about eight hours and is fine. The are announcements, but entirely in Spanish leaving us in the dark for the two stops we make. One at the boarder and one a police check. We just copy everyone else and nothing major happens. Arrival in Tegucigalpa begins the usual taxi negotiations. It's not too far too our hotel, but I was beginning to wonder if the taxi, or at least the exhaust, were going to make it!! They did. We are just killing time here. Our destination in Honduras is the island of Roatan, part of the bay Islands off the north coast. In the morning we take a small turbo prop aircraft, via a quick touch down in La Ceiba to Roatan airport. From there it is a taxi ride to the small town of West End where we find ourselves a nice self catering studio including a balcony with table, chairs and a bay view. We are here for a week. It's feels like the travelling has stopped and a holiday has begun.
We kill some time in a nearby mall. It's a pretty basic, but at least it has food. And air con, unlike our hotel room. Well, it does, but it doubles the price to plug it in! It didn't seem worth it, until maybe in the hot night when the draft from the fan gave the impression the big ants (from the bathroom) were crawling on me! Not the best night sleep.
Five am on a sunday morning and the coach leaves the Tica bus station on it's way to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The journey takes about eight hours and is fine. The are announcements, but entirely in Spanish leaving us in the dark for the two stops we make. One at the boarder and one a police check. We just copy everyone else and nothing major happens. Arrival in Tegucigalpa begins the usual taxi negotiations. It's not too far too our hotel, but I was beginning to wonder if the taxi, or at least the exhaust, were going to make it!! They did. We are just killing time here. Our destination in Honduras is the island of Roatan, part of the bay Islands off the north coast. In the morning we take a small turbo prop aircraft, via a quick touch down in La Ceiba to Roatan airport. From there it is a taxi ride to the small town of West End where we find ourselves a nice self catering studio including a balcony with table, chairs and a bay view. We are here for a week. It's feels like the travelling has stopped and a holiday has begun.
Nicaragua
The flight lands at the capital's, Managua, small but nice airport after a short flight. Formalities done we are greeted by the official taxi 'salesmen'. Knowing we can get a regular taxi across the highway the price is quickly reduced to an acceptable amount and we get in.
We are not staying in Managua, but heading straight to Granada so our destination is the microbus station. Only the cab driver takes us to a regular bus station. We are a bit out of practice on this and before we can explain the trunk is open and the touts (for want of a better word) have our rucsacks out and are moving towards the buses calling Granada. The rickety old yellow school buses do go to Granada is just that the microbuses would be faster and more comfortable, but we are here now. We get our bags back and agree the price in US and we are on. There is no malice here it's all just a bit fast and in your face, although the guy does try a fiddle with the exchange rate as we pay in Cordoba, but we are on to that. From this point on we are in control of our bags, although this turns out to be the most chaotic experience. It's an express bus which really means direct as it stops frequently leaving Managua, the conductor leaning out the door shouting the destination - "Granar, Granar, Granar".
Arrival in Granada after about an hour is a calm affair. This is fitting of the towns relaxed vibe. We sling on our packs and walk to our accomodation. We booked a private room with bathroom in a hostel, but when we arrive it's not available. The room that is, is grim. We hear a couple next door whacking a cockroach. I go across the road and check out another place, it's twice the price, but five times as nice. We move! Then it is time to relax.
Founded in 1524 on the banks of Lake Nicaragua Granada has a wonderfully restored colonial center with bags of charm. Rustic roof tiles on warmly painted building house stylishly characterful bars and eateries. Ironwork doors allow a view of elegant villas, the living rooms just on the other side, open to the refreshing breeze. The town is popular with north americans, more than expected, some or all ex-pats who have started businesses. It's sensitive though, we see no MacDonalds or Starbucks here. Just wandering the streets is pleasant. The leafy main plaza has a good craft market. The only disappointment is the lake side, a walk from the center it is lifeless, an area of restaurants and playgrounds is empty, possibly popular in season with families.
I don't think eating out is cheap by Nicaraguan standards, but at 5US$ for a good main there are no complaints. In one place we pick for a beer the chef gets chatting to us over the spelling of Mozzarella for the menu he is printing. Upon learning where we are from he quizzes us about what good whisky he should get for the bar. We give him our opinion and in return he gives us some tips on our next destination. His beer was more expensive so maybe the advice is included!!
Our next destination is the Isla de Ometepe, twin volcanoes rising from the waters of Lake Nicaragua a few miles apart and joining together. It's a chicken bus ride south to Rivas and a taxi to San Jorge to catch a ferry to the island. It's a car ferry over choppy water, the TV shows the worst Latino R&B I've heard along with cringe worthy videos. We suffer this for an hour, but the goal is worth it. We get a water side cabin in Playa Santo Domingo, a short row of building lining the dirt road between the volcanoes. It's so relaxed, waves constantly lap the black sand beach giving the feeling of being at the seaside. Food options are limited and more expensive than Granada, but we get by!! We do a couple of things in our two and a half days here other than relax on the veranda! We visit the Eye of the Water at the center of the island and a popular swimming spot with locals. It's a short walk away, but we get rained on along the way. We also take a trip to Finca Magdalena to see the petroglyphs - old indigenous rock carvings. We are underwhelmed, but the bus journey there over poor dirt roads is fun and the clouds lift over the volcano peaks revealing the highest near perfect cone.
We are not staying in Managua, but heading straight to Granada so our destination is the microbus station. Only the cab driver takes us to a regular bus station. We are a bit out of practice on this and before we can explain the trunk is open and the touts (for want of a better word) have our rucsacks out and are moving towards the buses calling Granada. The rickety old yellow school buses do go to Granada is just that the microbuses would be faster and more comfortable, but we are here now. We get our bags back and agree the price in US and we are on. There is no malice here it's all just a bit fast and in your face, although the guy does try a fiddle with the exchange rate as we pay in Cordoba, but we are on to that. From this point on we are in control of our bags, although this turns out to be the most chaotic experience. It's an express bus which really means direct as it stops frequently leaving Managua, the conductor leaning out the door shouting the destination - "Granar, Granar, Granar".
Arrival in Granada after about an hour is a calm affair. This is fitting of the towns relaxed vibe. We sling on our packs and walk to our accomodation. We booked a private room with bathroom in a hostel, but when we arrive it's not available. The room that is, is grim. We hear a couple next door whacking a cockroach. I go across the road and check out another place, it's twice the price, but five times as nice. We move! Then it is time to relax.
Founded in 1524 on the banks of Lake Nicaragua Granada has a wonderfully restored colonial center with bags of charm. Rustic roof tiles on warmly painted building house stylishly characterful bars and eateries. Ironwork doors allow a view of elegant villas, the living rooms just on the other side, open to the refreshing breeze. The town is popular with north americans, more than expected, some or all ex-pats who have started businesses. It's sensitive though, we see no MacDonalds or Starbucks here. Just wandering the streets is pleasant. The leafy main plaza has a good craft market. The only disappointment is the lake side, a walk from the center it is lifeless, an area of restaurants and playgrounds is empty, possibly popular in season with families.
I don't think eating out is cheap by Nicaraguan standards, but at 5US$ for a good main there are no complaints. In one place we pick for a beer the chef gets chatting to us over the spelling of Mozzarella for the menu he is printing. Upon learning where we are from he quizzes us about what good whisky he should get for the bar. We give him our opinion and in return he gives us some tips on our next destination. His beer was more expensive so maybe the advice is included!!
Our next destination is the Isla de Ometepe, twin volcanoes rising from the waters of Lake Nicaragua a few miles apart and joining together. It's a chicken bus ride south to Rivas and a taxi to San Jorge to catch a ferry to the island. It's a car ferry over choppy water, the TV shows the worst Latino R&B I've heard along with cringe worthy videos. We suffer this for an hour, but the goal is worth it. We get a water side cabin in Playa Santo Domingo, a short row of building lining the dirt road between the volcanoes. It's so relaxed, waves constantly lap the black sand beach giving the feeling of being at the seaside. Food options are limited and more expensive than Granada, but we get by!! We do a couple of things in our two and a half days here other than relax on the veranda! We visit the Eye of the Water at the center of the island and a popular swimming spot with locals. It's a short walk away, but we get rained on along the way. We also take a trip to Finca Magdalena to see the petroglyphs - old indigenous rock carvings. We are underwhelmed, but the bus journey there over poor dirt roads is fun and the clouds lift over the volcano peaks revealing the highest near perfect cone.
Panama City
It's about 9am on the 16th of April when we arrive at Panama airport. We have a hotel and transfer booked. Our original hotel was upgraded a while ago because of complaints, but the new one turns out to be a bit snooty and stiff. I get told I can't wear flip-flops to breakfast, although I see a guy the next day wearing Tevas! They do however let us check in early and we crash in our room believing we are just too old. The day is a write off basically, but it's ok as we have two more and only 'Thee' canal is on the list.
It's about half ten the following day when we arrive by taxi at the Canal, Miraflores Locks, visitor centre. Taxis in Panama City have no meters, so it's a case of asking the price and saying yay or nay. There are three sets of locks on the canal (two here in the south and one in the north) and the Miraflores lock visitor centre features a museum/exhibition, cinema showing a canal doco, a restaurant and a locks viewing platform. To small boats are traversing the locks when we arrive. There is live commentry as it happens! The announcer proudly stating the locks fill by gravity alone. There are two locks in parallel looking smaller than we expected. We take in the museum and then learn that a cruise ship will be traversing the locks an hour early at 2pm. It's a bit of a wait, but we do it to see something big go through. It's only 15mins early, but it is huge. A Panamax, we learn, squeezes through with only two feet a either side. Four 50 ton locomotives chained to the liner at each side keep it in straight. Passengers line the deck and cabin balconies, some with banners which the announcer excitedly reads out.
It's a slow process and we leave after a while. We walk to the highway to catch a bus. Eventually one actually stops and the waiting crowd gets on. We hope it's going to the center. The buses here are old american school buses, pimp'd with colourful paintjobs, bigger(well louder) engines and pumping a stereo blasting out latino grooves. We arrive somewhere we think is close to the old center, but somewhere we don't really want to be and everyone gets off. We do to and them jump in a taxi. We get the bus experience and save five bucks!!
We get the cab to a mall near our hotel. This and other elements of Panama are very american with all the usual trappings like big name food chains all over. Apparently there is a big US ex-pat community here. The currency here is the US dollar with the country making good amounts from the canal. The cruise ship we saw paid $230000. If I remember correctly the average is about $80000 and the record $32000. One guy swam the canal for $0.36 if you fancy that!
New Panama City is seriously highrise, but a small old centre still exists. Occupying a headland jutting into the Pacific, Casco Vieja has a mini Havana look about it with newly restored period building standing next to crumbling old ones. Views stretch down the coast to the contrasting skyline of modern Panama. It's quiet down here, we wander for a bit until I annoyingly get grit or something in my eye and we in back to the hotel. Later we make like the locals of the area and in to a well known american style restaurant. The menu is american, but the service needs a little work. Tomorrow we have an early(ish) flight to our next county, skipping over Costa Rica to Nicaragua.
We get a transfer to the airport from the hotel, probably a rip off but it's easy. The driver who is Panamanian talks, with an american accent, to us about whisky after asking where we are from! Tell me, does anyone in Scotland drink Johnny Walker??
It's about half ten the following day when we arrive by taxi at the Canal, Miraflores Locks, visitor centre. Taxis in Panama City have no meters, so it's a case of asking the price and saying yay or nay. There are three sets of locks on the canal (two here in the south and one in the north) and the Miraflores lock visitor centre features a museum/exhibition, cinema showing a canal doco, a restaurant and a locks viewing platform. To small boats are traversing the locks when we arrive. There is live commentry as it happens! The announcer proudly stating the locks fill by gravity alone. There are two locks in parallel looking smaller than we expected. We take in the museum and then learn that a cruise ship will be traversing the locks an hour early at 2pm. It's a bit of a wait, but we do it to see something big go through. It's only 15mins early, but it is huge. A Panamax, we learn, squeezes through with only two feet a either side. Four 50 ton locomotives chained to the liner at each side keep it in straight. Passengers line the deck and cabin balconies, some with banners which the announcer excitedly reads out.
It's a slow process and we leave after a while. We walk to the highway to catch a bus. Eventually one actually stops and the waiting crowd gets on. We hope it's going to the center. The buses here are old american school buses, pimp'd with colourful paintjobs, bigger(well louder) engines and pumping a stereo blasting out latino grooves. We arrive somewhere we think is close to the old center, but somewhere we don't really want to be and everyone gets off. We do to and them jump in a taxi. We get the bus experience and save five bucks!!
We get the cab to a mall near our hotel. This and other elements of Panama are very american with all the usual trappings like big name food chains all over. Apparently there is a big US ex-pat community here. The currency here is the US dollar with the country making good amounts from the canal. The cruise ship we saw paid $230000. If I remember correctly the average is about $80000 and the record $32000. One guy swam the canal for $0.36 if you fancy that!
New Panama City is seriously highrise, but a small old centre still exists. Occupying a headland jutting into the Pacific, Casco Vieja has a mini Havana look about it with newly restored period building standing next to crumbling old ones. Views stretch down the coast to the contrasting skyline of modern Panama. It's quiet down here, we wander for a bit until I annoyingly get grit or something in my eye and we in back to the hotel. Later we make like the locals of the area and in to a well known american style restaurant. The menu is american, but the service needs a little work. Tomorrow we have an early(ish) flight to our next county, skipping over Costa Rica to Nicaragua.
We get a transfer to the airport from the hotel, probably a rip off but it's easy. The driver who is Panamanian talks, with an american accent, to us about whisky after asking where we are from! Tell me, does anyone in Scotland drink Johnny Walker??
Quito
There are two main areas to Central Quito, the New Town and the Old Town. The New Town has most of the services and the Old Town is historic colonial. We are staying in the Old Town in a guest house we booked a long time ago when still working and it is NICE! A beautifully restored and converted colonial villa run by a mexican born, US citizen and his partner. The breakfast was superb and filling. The roof terrace complete with fantastic views over the old town and surrounding hills. Also the Cerro Panecillo with the Virgen de Quito statue atop. We visit this Mary statue during our time here. Apparently it's not safe to walk so grab a taxi, once we find one prepared to use the meter. The weather is threatening and the top all but deserted, so we ask the driver to wait while we have a quick view of the city
Quito isn't reportedly the safest city. Central areas during the day are fine. There is a massive armed police presence on the streets and security guards with pump action shotguns at banks and shops. At night however the old town virtually empties and taxis are essential, and don't they know it. Taxis are plentiful, but the meter is off and the price inflated. Negotiating with the drivers is a pain, but that's what we do for the three nights we go to the new town for food. The first time for one last meal with the overland gang.
The well preserved/restored Spanish colonial streets and plazas of the old town are a great place to wander and watch the world go by. Quito is a long thin city. Expansion in width prevented by mountains. A cable car leads up from the city for views of Quito and the nearby volcanoes, but the cloud hangs too low. We content ourselves to visit Parque Itchimbia, with it's elevated location and 19th century german glasshouse. Once a market now an exhibition space. A nearby cafe has an excellent view of the new and old towns and we sit and listen to the thunder and watch the rain roll in. Our room is a nice place to be so we head back to kick back before our last night in South America. We are meeting Riki and Renee, it's Riki's 30th birthday the following day. We have a fine meal and wine and then in to a bar. We have fun playing pool with the locals, but time evaporates. We have a 4am flight to Panama. We make it ok, but it's our first all-nighter of the trip.
Quito isn't reportedly the safest city. Central areas during the day are fine. There is a massive armed police presence on the streets and security guards with pump action shotguns at banks and shops. At night however the old town virtually empties and taxis are essential, and don't they know it. Taxis are plentiful, but the meter is off and the price inflated. Negotiating with the drivers is a pain, but that's what we do for the three nights we go to the new town for food. The first time for one last meal with the overland gang.
The well preserved/restored Spanish colonial streets and plazas of the old town are a great place to wander and watch the world go by. Quito is a long thin city. Expansion in width prevented by mountains. A cable car leads up from the city for views of Quito and the nearby volcanoes, but the cloud hangs too low. We content ourselves to visit Parque Itchimbia, with it's elevated location and 19th century german glasshouse. Once a market now an exhibition space. A nearby cafe has an excellent view of the new and old towns and we sit and listen to the thunder and watch the rain roll in. Our room is a nice place to be so we head back to kick back before our last night in South America. We are meeting Riki and Renee, it's Riki's 30th birthday the following day. We have a fine meal and wine and then in to a bar. We have fun playing pool with the locals, but time evaporates. We have a 4am flight to Panama. We make it ok, but it's our first all-nighter of the trip.
The Overland Ends
Otavalo lies a short distance north of the capital Quito and also a little north of the ecuator, our first venture into this hemisphere on this continent. We are back in the fresher climate of the mountains at 2530m and the weather is stormy. The nighttime brings thunder and lightning with rain crashing down minutes after us returning from our evening meal. We have eaten in an Italian called Fontana di Trevi, recalling our visit to the real thing in Rome which seems so long ago now.
The town itself is a bit concrete, but the market here in Otavalo is regarded as one of the best in Ecuador. We have intentions to peruse after an 'admin' morning, but rain in the afternoon dissuades us. This is our final full day of the overland also, so must pack everything once again. This includes all our camping gear which has lived on the truck for three months. We don't have much extra stuff and the packing goes surprisingly well. Craig is going home from Quito and we take the offer of sun, insect and bite cream as he clears out a few things.
It's a few hours drive to Quito, but first we must stop off at one more thing - The Ecuator. The line runs just north of Quito and is marked by two sites. The Mitad del Mundo, a leisure complex of restaurants and gift shops and the huge ecuator monument and line as determined in 1736 by a french expedition. There is also the Museo de Sitio Intinan which has original and replica building featuring indigenous customs. Oh, and it also has the actual ecuator!! The Mitad was close, but GPS revealed the line to pass a couple of hundred meters away here. The guided tour includes some ecuator related experiments including: balancing an egg on a nail, it's supposed to be easier-the successful get a certificate; a strength test where someone can pull your raised arms down without resistance on the ecuator but not off it-this amazingly happens; the coriolis effect draining water experiment where the guide admits we are too close to the ecuator to see the real effect. It's a fun place. We visit the Mitad after for lunch, but it's a bit lifeless. Apparently it's still popular with locals, maybe not today because it's Easter monday?
We arrive in Quito around 4ish on the afternoon of the 13th of April just over 3 months from starting in Rio. We have travelled 13768km since Ushuaia and a total of 21341km on Guss from Rio. We stop at a truck park on the outskirts of the city and get taxis to our respective accomodation. This is officially the end of the overland trip. Riki, Renee and Guss are getting time off before doing it all again. Craig, Uli and Yana are going home and Nora flys to Rio. We are going to Central America, but first there is Quito.
The town itself is a bit concrete, but the market here in Otavalo is regarded as one of the best in Ecuador. We have intentions to peruse after an 'admin' morning, but rain in the afternoon dissuades us. This is our final full day of the overland also, so must pack everything once again. This includes all our camping gear which has lived on the truck for three months. We don't have much extra stuff and the packing goes surprisingly well. Craig is going home from Quito and we take the offer of sun, insect and bite cream as he clears out a few things.
It's a few hours drive to Quito, but first we must stop off at one more thing - The Ecuator. The line runs just north of Quito and is marked by two sites. The Mitad del Mundo, a leisure complex of restaurants and gift shops and the huge ecuator monument and line as determined in 1736 by a french expedition. There is also the Museo de Sitio Intinan which has original and replica building featuring indigenous customs. Oh, and it also has the actual ecuator!! The Mitad was close, but GPS revealed the line to pass a couple of hundred meters away here. The guided tour includes some ecuator related experiments including: balancing an egg on a nail, it's supposed to be easier-the successful get a certificate; a strength test where someone can pull your raised arms down without resistance on the ecuator but not off it-this amazingly happens; the coriolis effect draining water experiment where the guide admits we are too close to the ecuator to see the real effect. It's a fun place. We visit the Mitad after for lunch, but it's a bit lifeless. Apparently it's still popular with locals, maybe not today because it's Easter monday?
We arrive in Quito around 4ish on the afternoon of the 13th of April just over 3 months from starting in Rio. We have travelled 13768km since Ushuaia and a total of 21341km on Guss from Rio. We stop at a truck park on the outskirts of the city and get taxis to our respective accomodation. This is officially the end of the overland trip. Riki, Renee and Guss are getting time off before doing it all again. Craig, Uli and Yana are going home and Nora flys to Rio. We are going to Central America, but first there is Quito.
Welcome to the Jungle
We leave Pequeno Paraiso at head down out of the cloud forest towards the rain forest. It's raining still, the wipers pack up and Riki stands in the rain to fix them. On the stereo is Welcome to the Jungle, The Lion sleeps Tonight, Jungle Boogie etc. This is fun. The thought of the jungle trip isn't! I don't know if anyone is really looking forward to three nights in a rain forest lodge with the possibility of tarantulas falling out of the thatched roof onto our heads in the night!! We arrive at the river and load our bin bags of clothes into long narrow boats. Called canoes, they are wooden with a cover and small bench seats. It's a short ride to the lodge on the boat, the outboard nipping us through the water quite fast. Cruising the light brown Rio Napo is enjoyable and we use the canoe many times over the next two and a half days.
The lodge itself is a bit disappointing, but the jungle trip turns out to be very good as is Fausto, our guide. He plays darts like he is throwing a spear. He has fun and turns out to be pretty accurate in our nightly darts games. The upside to the lodge is our room has a sealed wooden roof and therefore no tarantulas. Surprisingly, and thankfully, there are no mosquitos here either.
Trips from the lodge include: a rain forest walk where Fausto shows us the native flora explaining the uses by indigenous people and fauna including lemon ants and a poison arrow frog; an animal sanctuary featuring monkeys and two Ocelot amongst others; a local museum where we see more local objects and have a go of a blowpipe, none of us hitting the target in two attempts; a visit to a village shaman who performs a clensing ritual on Yana; on a plantation where we see the process for collecting the Yucca root and making the beverage Chicha.
The highlight is rafting back down the river from the plantation on a homemade balsa wood raft. The river flows quite quick with some fun low grade white water in places. Halfway down Fausto sends the boat to get us each a beer. We cruise the rest of the way beer in hand, the sun even comes out, jealous looks received from another raft.
Returning to Guss to head to our next destination a big spider crawls out from behind a sheet on the truck noticeboard! Luckily we are giving Fausto a lift and he removes the unwanted stow away for us. Even he uses a plastic bag, apparently it bites!
The lodge itself is a bit disappointing, but the jungle trip turns out to be very good as is Fausto, our guide. He plays darts like he is throwing a spear. He has fun and turns out to be pretty accurate in our nightly darts games. The upside to the lodge is our room has a sealed wooden roof and therefore no tarantulas. Surprisingly, and thankfully, there are no mosquitos here either.
Trips from the lodge include: a rain forest walk where Fausto shows us the native flora explaining the uses by indigenous people and fauna including lemon ants and a poison arrow frog; an animal sanctuary featuring monkeys and two Ocelot amongst others; a local museum where we see more local objects and have a go of a blowpipe, none of us hitting the target in two attempts; a visit to a village shaman who performs a clensing ritual on Yana; on a plantation where we see the process for collecting the Yucca root and making the beverage Chicha.
The highlight is rafting back down the river from the plantation on a homemade balsa wood raft. The river flows quite quick with some fun low grade white water in places. Halfway down Fausto sends the boat to get us each a beer. We cruise the rest of the way beer in hand, the sun even comes out, jealous looks received from another raft.
Returning to Guss to head to our next destination a big spider crawls out from behind a sheet on the truck noticeboard! Luckily we are giving Fausto a lift and he removes the unwanted stow away for us. Even he uses a plastic bag, apparently it bites!
Into Ecuador
Entering Ecuador is straight forward even though the boarder town here is rammed with shops and people, definitely the busiest we've seen in South America. The landscape changes quickly from the desert into lush tropical vegetation. This begins to change soon too as we climb back into the Andes, the tropical vegetation giving way to, the still lush, but cooler sierra. We, again, see women in Andean dress similar to Peru. Houses and vehicles display boards bearing the pictures and slogans of electoral candidates. We learn later that voting is compulsory and drinking alcohol is banned for 48 hours prior to voting day!!
Our first stop is the city of Cuenca with it's well preserved colonial centre. The town lays at 2530m and has a pleasant climate of warm in the day and cool at night. Other than the centre the attraction is the hat makers, for it's here that the Panama hat is made. We visit a workshop where the hats are made by hand, each one starting the same before being pressed into various shapes. The shop sells the traditional style hat ranging from 15 to 200 dollars!! The difference in quality is obvious. The officiall currency of Ecuador is the US dollar by the way.
Moving on from Cuenca we follow a winding road through the always green Andes to the town of Banos. The name means baths in Spanish and is from the local thermal pools provided courtesy of the still active Tungurahua volcano. We are not staying in Banos, but 17km east near Rio Verde at the small resort of Pequeno Paraiso. Located on the edge of the Rio Verde river canyon it occupies a beautiful cloud forest location. It's part run by Rich, an ex-Drago driver from Dundee. It's a camping spot for our tour, but Lou and I upgrade to a room and are glad we did as it rains heavily at night. We have three nights here, but you could easily spend five doing any number of activities from canyoning to white water rafting, mountain biking to climbing. We are not doing any of these (I'm resting my shoulder) instead doing a couple of the many walks available in the area.
The first is to the Pailon del Diablo a short walk away. The tall thin jet like stream of water crashes into the pool below. A series of viewpoints allow you to get up-close-and-personal. For the second walk we catch we catch a lift in the back of Rich's pickup to the start point up the valley. The walk is on the other side of the canyon and is accessed by a tarabita. Think glorified shopping trolley on wires spaning the gorge. Not one for vertigo sufferers it zipps along at a fair ol' pace, stopping three quarters of the way to admire the nice Manto de la Novia waterfall. We return further down by similar, though calmer paced, means and catch the bus back to Pequeno Paraiso for some chill out time. We had caught the bus previously on a trip into Banos and they certainly don't hang about. You know it's fast when the locals look concerned! Flagged down anywhere on the road it's off almost before you are on and barely stops for you to get off!
Our company for the chill out time are three lovely dogs, three generations, all different. The grandma with three newly born puppies... Ahh. The mother (affectionately nicknamed Tripod) a shaggy, last of eleven, furball that hops along on three legs, the fourth a short birth defect. The black son completes the unexpected family.
Our first stop is the city of Cuenca with it's well preserved colonial centre. The town lays at 2530m and has a pleasant climate of warm in the day and cool at night. Other than the centre the attraction is the hat makers, for it's here that the Panama hat is made. We visit a workshop where the hats are made by hand, each one starting the same before being pressed into various shapes. The shop sells the traditional style hat ranging from 15 to 200 dollars!! The difference in quality is obvious. The officiall currency of Ecuador is the US dollar by the way.
Moving on from Cuenca we follow a winding road through the always green Andes to the town of Banos. The name means baths in Spanish and is from the local thermal pools provided courtesy of the still active Tungurahua volcano. We are not staying in Banos, but 17km east near Rio Verde at the small resort of Pequeno Paraiso. Located on the edge of the Rio Verde river canyon it occupies a beautiful cloud forest location. It's part run by Rich, an ex-Drago driver from Dundee. It's a camping spot for our tour, but Lou and I upgrade to a room and are glad we did as it rains heavily at night. We have three nights here, but you could easily spend five doing any number of activities from canyoning to white water rafting, mountain biking to climbing. We are not doing any of these (I'm resting my shoulder) instead doing a couple of the many walks available in the area.
The first is to the Pailon del Diablo a short walk away. The tall thin jet like stream of water crashes into the pool below. A series of viewpoints allow you to get up-close-and-personal. For the second walk we catch we catch a lift in the back of Rich's pickup to the start point up the valley. The walk is on the other side of the canyon and is accessed by a tarabita. Think glorified shopping trolley on wires spaning the gorge. Not one for vertigo sufferers it zipps along at a fair ol' pace, stopping three quarters of the way to admire the nice Manto de la Novia waterfall. We return further down by similar, though calmer paced, means and catch the bus back to Pequeno Paraiso for some chill out time. We had caught the bus previously on a trip into Banos and they certainly don't hang about. You know it's fast when the locals look concerned! Flagged down anywhere on the road it's off almost before you are on and barely stops for you to get off!
Our company for the chill out time are three lovely dogs, three generations, all different. The grandma with three newly born puppies... Ahh. The mother (affectionately nicknamed Tripod) a shaggy, last of eleven, furball that hops along on three legs, the fourth a short birth defect. The black son completes the unexpected family.
North Peru
Out of Lima the desert continues as we follow the coast north to the surf town of Huanchaco. We arrive as the sun is setting over the ocean. It's a pleasant beach, traditional reed fishing boats are stacked against the beach wall, the black shapes of surfers speckel the waves.
Near here in the desert we have more pre-Inca ruins. Peru had more than just Inca and Nazca we learn! We visit one of the nine compounds that formed the once great adobe city of Chan Chan home of the Chimu people. They were conquered by the Inca in the late 1400s. Further inland are the Huacas del Sol and de la Luna, once great Moche pyramids now erroded ruins. Built layer over layer, the moon temple has preserved brightly painted wall carvings between them, the only archeological site we have seen with colour.
In the afternoon a few of us go surfing. I've not surfed for ages, but start well catching a few good waves. Renee does the best overall, catching more waves overall.
The morning brings an early start with a breakfast stop along the way in a deserted car park. It's a long drive to Punta Sal in north Peru. We detour via the Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipan containing good displays of artifacts recovered from the nearby Moche site of Sipan - a tomb of the Lord of Sipan. We take a guided tour, but only have an hour. A fact the guide seems disappointed at, but she does a good job rattling through the information.
Another sunset heralds our arrival in Punta Sal. Julian and Louise are also staying here in the beach front accomodation. It's scorching hot for our free day. We try to play beach volleyball in the morning, but the sand is just too hot. Later we play for about two hours before sunset. We cook of the truck for what will be the last time. We make chicken fajitas which seemed fine, but later a few of us visit the toilet a bit more than desirable and Riki is sick on the beach!
In the morning I wake up with an intensely painfull right shoulder. Not entirely sure why, a combo from surfing, volleyball and sleeping on it badly is the only guess I have. Can you pull a muscle sleeping??
Near here in the desert we have more pre-Inca ruins. Peru had more than just Inca and Nazca we learn! We visit one of the nine compounds that formed the once great adobe city of Chan Chan home of the Chimu people. They were conquered by the Inca in the late 1400s. Further inland are the Huacas del Sol and de la Luna, once great Moche pyramids now erroded ruins. Built layer over layer, the moon temple has preserved brightly painted wall carvings between them, the only archeological site we have seen with colour.
In the afternoon a few of us go surfing. I've not surfed for ages, but start well catching a few good waves. Renee does the best overall, catching more waves overall.
The morning brings an early start with a breakfast stop along the way in a deserted car park. It's a long drive to Punta Sal in north Peru. We detour via the Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipan containing good displays of artifacts recovered from the nearby Moche site of Sipan - a tomb of the Lord of Sipan. We take a guided tour, but only have an hour. A fact the guide seems disappointed at, but she does a good job rattling through the information.
Another sunset heralds our arrival in Punta Sal. Julian and Louise are also staying here in the beach front accomodation. It's scorching hot for our free day. We try to play beach volleyball in the morning, but the sand is just too hot. Later we play for about two hours before sunset. We cook of the truck for what will be the last time. We make chicken fajitas which seemed fine, but later a few of us visit the toilet a bit more than desirable and Riki is sick on the beach!
In the morning I wake up with an intensely painfull right shoulder. Not entirely sure why, a combo from surfing, volleyball and sleeping on it badly is the only guess I have. Can you pull a muscle sleeping??
A Line through the Desert
The journey away from Arequipa descends from altitude towards the coast. As we drop the landscape changes dramaticaly, gone are the green Andean hills replaced by desert. This is the coastal desert of Peru a continuation of the Atacama from north Chile which stretches north to Ecuador. It's a long drive through the sand and rock to the small bay of Puerto Inca. There is little more than a small resort here, but it's a pretty bay. We camp on the beach. The Inca in the title refers to some ruins visible on the bay's rocky coastline, but no-one makes the trek, instead content to chill out and play volleyball in the morning. We play against a Tucan group who we have seen occasionally over the last few days. It's one all by the time we leave at 1pm.
Back out on to the desert highway, sometimes half buried by drifting sand, we head to the town of Nazca. Famous for drawing lines in the desert, the Nazca are Peru's other well known civilisation. We are there to see the lines from the air in the morning. A little before Nazca town we stop at something else they did. Mummify bodies! These visible, along with random bones and artifacts, in open tombs recovered from the desert after grave robbers had their pick. Hair is still preserved on many skulls. The tour is good and interesting, but also a bizare and almost comical sight. It all looks a bit too naff to be real.
The Nazca flight is good, but not for the sensitive of stomach as the pilot pitches the plane from left to right to allow a downward view for the passenger on either side of the light aircraft. It's good to see from the air and get a perspective on the number and size of the various parallel and trapizoidal lines. Big, but still smaller, are the drawings including a humming bird, Orca and monkey. The childlike drawing of the, so called, Astronaut doesn't seem to fit and amuses our group. Leaving Nazca we stop at a viewing platform for another glimpse of two designs. Obviously limited compared to the air it's still good to see both and it's only 1 Soles!
Heading north the rocky desert changes to sand dunes as we approach the oasis town of Huacachina. We are here for sandboarding, well Lou and I are skipping this optional activity and wave goodbye to the others as they leave for a night in the sand. The town is the very definition of oasis. A small lake, lined by palm trees, surrounded by sand dunes. The dunes rise steeply up from the edge of town suggesting a lack of permanency to the place. I climb a big dune for sunset, my altitude training helping with the climb!!
North along the highway to Lima we detour to Paracas National Reserve. We rest the night in a resort style hotel, but not before getting bogged in sand for the first time, and this in a town street. Sandmats and a local digger are employed to free Guss!! Paracas is a coastal reserve and includes the Ballestas islands which are the destination for a morning cruise. Well not for me as I feel sick with an upset gut. A temporary side effect to the anti-malarials we recently started taking in preparation for Ecuador. Lou goes and enjoys the trip. The islands are home to many seabirds and sealions. The downside is the smell!!
One last stop before hitting Lima is the town of Pisco (the namesake of the national drink - Pisco). Well not Pisco exactly but close for a distillery tour. Less obvious than Capel in Chile Renee spends a while at the solid gates before we are allowed in and taken on a tour followed by tasting.
Arrival in the Peruvian capital is late afternoon. By all accounts Lima is unsafe at night, but taxis are cheap and plentiful. We go out, as a group on foot, to a nearby square for a leaving the tour dinner for: Julian & Louise, Jacqui, Brianny, Bec. We don't really have much to see here so the following day Lou & Renee go shopping for a long sleeve top in preparation for the Jungle and I sit in the Mall and try to blog. In the evening we join the local well off locals in well off Miraflores doing the 'western' thing and go bowling.
Back out on to the desert highway, sometimes half buried by drifting sand, we head to the town of Nazca. Famous for drawing lines in the desert, the Nazca are Peru's other well known civilisation. We are there to see the lines from the air in the morning. A little before Nazca town we stop at something else they did. Mummify bodies! These visible, along with random bones and artifacts, in open tombs recovered from the desert after grave robbers had their pick. Hair is still preserved on many skulls. The tour is good and interesting, but also a bizare and almost comical sight. It all looks a bit too naff to be real.
The Nazca flight is good, but not for the sensitive of stomach as the pilot pitches the plane from left to right to allow a downward view for the passenger on either side of the light aircraft. It's good to see from the air and get a perspective on the number and size of the various parallel and trapizoidal lines. Big, but still smaller, are the drawings including a humming bird, Orca and monkey. The childlike drawing of the, so called, Astronaut doesn't seem to fit and amuses our group. Leaving Nazca we stop at a viewing platform for another glimpse of two designs. Obviously limited compared to the air it's still good to see both and it's only 1 Soles!
Heading north the rocky desert changes to sand dunes as we approach the oasis town of Huacachina. We are here for sandboarding, well Lou and I are skipping this optional activity and wave goodbye to the others as they leave for a night in the sand. The town is the very definition of oasis. A small lake, lined by palm trees, surrounded by sand dunes. The dunes rise steeply up from the edge of town suggesting a lack of permanency to the place. I climb a big dune for sunset, my altitude training helping with the climb!!
North along the highway to Lima we detour to Paracas National Reserve. We rest the night in a resort style hotel, but not before getting bogged in sand for the first time, and this in a town street. Sandmats and a local digger are employed to free Guss!! Paracas is a coastal reserve and includes the Ballestas islands which are the destination for a morning cruise. Well not for me as I feel sick with an upset gut. A temporary side effect to the anti-malarials we recently started taking in preparation for Ecuador. Lou goes and enjoys the trip. The islands are home to many seabirds and sealions. The downside is the smell!!
One last stop before hitting Lima is the town of Pisco (the namesake of the national drink - Pisco). Well not Pisco exactly but close for a distillery tour. Less obvious than Capel in Chile Renee spends a while at the solid gates before we are allowed in and taken on a tour followed by tasting.
Arrival in the Peruvian capital is late afternoon. By all accounts Lima is unsafe at night, but taxis are cheap and plentiful. We go out, as a group on foot, to a nearby square for a leaving the tour dinner for: Julian & Louise, Jacqui, Brianny, Bec. We don't really have much to see here so the following day Lou & Renee go shopping for a long sleeve top in preparation for the Jungle and I sit in the Mall and try to blog. In the evening we join the local well off locals in well off Miraflores doing the 'western' thing and go bowling.
South Peru
We depart Cuzco with a suitably enthusiastic send off from Team Canada. Hilda comes with us for one more day to take us round one last Inca site - The Viracocha Temple, with mostly only one major wall standing it is however the only Inca site we've seen with surviving adobe bricks built on the classic stone blocks.
The temple is right on the outskirts of the adobe village of Raqchi where we are spending the night with the local community. We are split amongst a few families, Lou and I stay with Delores. We have a few reservations about the stay as we are staying in someones house, eating with them, but unable to have a conversation. In the end the stay turns out ok. The area produces pottery and Delores gives the group a demonstation in the traditional method. In the afternoon her son takes us to pick corn. Scheduled for the evening is a gathering and dance. Just as we are about to leave Delores dresses us up in traditional dress. Lou gets layers of skirt, tops and a nice hat. I get a wool poncho and hat. She then leads us to one of the other houses in almost total darkness! We arrive early and are sitting wondering if we are the only ones who will be dressed up, maybe the joke is on us? Thankfully everyone else arrives in similar get up and looking just as daft. You need to be local to pull it off we thinks. A well wishing ceramony is followed by dancing around a fire, a circle is formed and and the ladies pull the guys into the middle and then proceed to take out the rope and whip the blokes! Apparently it's a cheeky dance for naughty men, and it is a good laugh.
We all get small pottery gifts when it's time to leave the village and drive the mountain road and 4400m pass to the town of Chivay. It's a long drive with freezing pee stops and arrival is after dark. Chivay is just a night stop with an early rise to see Condors in the Colca Canyon. We collect a guide, but no expected transport, so take Guss on the beautiful if somewhat precipitous drive. The canyon is the deepest in the world, but our destination lays short of that. Instead stopping at a Condor viewing point. The valley is green from the rains and cloud hangs in the valley. The best sighting, of course, happens when Lou and I are in the toilet, but we do eventually briefly see these huge birds. May to December is apparently the best time though.
We retrace some of the mountain road on the way to Arequipa in south Peru. Retaining some colonial charm the cities center piece is the Santa Catalina Content. Founded in the 16th century it's walled 2ha of colourful, spanish looking, streets allowed visitors in 1970. We take a very good guided tour learning about the fascinating completely secluded lives of the nuns. The living quarters, paid for by the large dowry required to enter, preserved in time. After the tour our guide suggests a place for local Peruvian food.
Lovers of the cute and furry may wish to skip this paragraph... for the local delicacy is cuy - guinea pig! Not fancied as an evening meal it is recommended as a lunchtime bite. Served deep fried it is flattenned, but otherwise whole, ours was male!! The limited meat is like dark chicken and the skin like pork crackling and goes well with a beer.
It's in Arequipa that we say goodbye to Emma. It's not an official section end, she tagged along for a few extra days.
The temple is right on the outskirts of the adobe village of Raqchi where we are spending the night with the local community. We are split amongst a few families, Lou and I stay with Delores. We have a few reservations about the stay as we are staying in someones house, eating with them, but unable to have a conversation. In the end the stay turns out ok. The area produces pottery and Delores gives the group a demonstation in the traditional method. In the afternoon her son takes us to pick corn. Scheduled for the evening is a gathering and dance. Just as we are about to leave Delores dresses us up in traditional dress. Lou gets layers of skirt, tops and a nice hat. I get a wool poncho and hat. She then leads us to one of the other houses in almost total darkness! We arrive early and are sitting wondering if we are the only ones who will be dressed up, maybe the joke is on us? Thankfully everyone else arrives in similar get up and looking just as daft. You need to be local to pull it off we thinks. A well wishing ceramony is followed by dancing around a fire, a circle is formed and and the ladies pull the guys into the middle and then proceed to take out the rope and whip the blokes! Apparently it's a cheeky dance for naughty men, and it is a good laugh.
We all get small pottery gifts when it's time to leave the village and drive the mountain road and 4400m pass to the town of Chivay. It's a long drive with freezing pee stops and arrival is after dark. Chivay is just a night stop with an early rise to see Condors in the Colca Canyon. We collect a guide, but no expected transport, so take Guss on the beautiful if somewhat precipitous drive. The canyon is the deepest in the world, but our destination lays short of that. Instead stopping at a Condor viewing point. The valley is green from the rains and cloud hangs in the valley. The best sighting, of course, happens when Lou and I are in the toilet, but we do eventually briefly see these huge birds. May to December is apparently the best time though.
We retrace some of the mountain road on the way to Arequipa in south Peru. Retaining some colonial charm the cities center piece is the Santa Catalina Content. Founded in the 16th century it's walled 2ha of colourful, spanish looking, streets allowed visitors in 1970. We take a very good guided tour learning about the fascinating completely secluded lives of the nuns. The living quarters, paid for by the large dowry required to enter, preserved in time. After the tour our guide suggests a place for local Peruvian food.
Lovers of the cute and furry may wish to skip this paragraph... for the local delicacy is cuy - guinea pig! Not fancied as an evening meal it is recommended as a lunchtime bite. Served deep fried it is flattenned, but otherwise whole, ours was male!! The limited meat is like dark chicken and the skin like pork crackling and goes well with a beer.
It's in Arequipa that we say goodbye to Emma. It's not an official section end, she tagged along for a few extra days.
Inca Country
We weren´t holding much hope of liking Cuzco as we approached from Puno. The description "Gringo Capital of South America" conjuring the wrong impressions. Thankfully then the actual Cuzco was a pleasant surprise. Yes, it has all the trappings of a major tourist centre - Tatt shops, street hawkers, fast food, Irish Bars, but the city center has retained some character, charm and subtlety combined with great independent cafes and restaurants.
Once the centre of the Inca world, Cuzco city center features Inca stonework along many streets, these now used as the basis for newer buildings. Spanish colonial features strongly too giving Cuzco the most complete old town character we´ve seen in South America this far, with the Plaza de Armas the centre piece with it´s Cathedral and Colonnades.
Of course it´s Inca the brings the gringos here and we are no exception. Our itinerary includes the Sacred Valley, a community trek and the icon of Peru that is Machu Pichu. Joining us are three guides: Hilda, Fernando and Luis.
The first stop out of Cuzco, overlooking the city is the Inca site of Sacsayhuaman. Probably a temple it has fine examples of Inca walls made of massive stone blocks cut perfectly to fit together without mortar. Next are the ruins of Pisac featuring tombs cut in the cliff face, fine terraces and the Hitching post of the Sun. The later used a in winter solstice ritual performed to keep the Sun from leaving the planet all together.
After lunch in Pisac town Louise gets a white knuckle taxi ride back to Cuzco as she is not doing the community trek. With no desire for high altitude walking she is looking forward to a few days in Cuzco. The rest of us continue on to our first camp on the trek at the community of Quisharani. We are not doing the classic Inca trail, instead a trek over four nights visiting remote Andean communities finishing by getting the train to Machu Pichu.
The trek features a very remote (we are the only ones on it) trail with three days of walking, two taking on high passes of 4400m and 4800m. It´s camping, but easy camping with pack horses and llama carrying the equipment, our stuff other than day packs and the crew setting up the tents and doing the cooking. We don´t go hungry that´s for sure. Riki and I are tent buddies again.
The mountainous landscape is sparce, but green and in that respect not too dissimilar to the highlands of Scotland, scale and altitude aside. Straw roofed stone huts adorn the valley sides and floors. Most people handle the altitude walking fine, even still there are plenty of breaks. The most breathless is the 4800 pass where drinking and walking are one or the other activities. Almost from the get go out of the first camp we have an extra walker join us, a dog appears from somewhere and follows us the entire way to our pickup point. The so named "Bob Barker' gets plenty of tip bits and rests the instant we do.
Dragoman started the trek with Andina Travel. The aim to assist the communities with improvement projects. Our first camp is at the community of Quisharani where we get a lesson in the local language of Quechua. It's even in the local school house. In the morning we get involved in varnishing some new tables until the young kids take over! After a 5 hour walking day we arrive at Cuncani. The local football side recieve new football shirts and some of us play against the team. Altitude and the lumpy muddy pitch may not be a good excuse for losing, but I'm going to use it anyway. Ok, they were better too!!
The third day is the longest walking at 8 hours and includes the highest pass finishing at the remote speadout community of Paccha. The fourth day takes us, past an Inca Tambo (travel Inn!), to our pickup in Urumbamba where we say our sad farewells to Bob Barker. We assume that he will walk back, maybe with another group. We travel to the town and Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo. The Inca ruins cling to the steep valley walls rising up from the town. Like many Inca sites they are unfinished (the Spanish cut that short) and works in progress can be viewed for an insight into the construction process.
In the morning it's an early rise to catch the train to Machu Pichu. Well, the train travels a valley to Agua Calliente where a bus traverses multiple switchbacks to the lower entrance. The landscape here is very different to our trek. Steep sided valleys and blunt cone mountains are covered with thick lush cloud forest. It's hot too, but a good day for views. Wanna Pichu is completely visible as the classic backdrop to the dramatically situated ruins of Machu Pichu. We do a good three hour tour. It great to be here, but something lacks. I begin to wonder if I should have done the classic trail and walked here.
Returning from Machu Pichu we take the train back to Ollantaytambo. Bizarrely the train staff put on a Alpacca knitware fashion show as we travel. Unexpected, but funny. We finish the day with a bus transfer back to Cuzco where we have two nights.
Once the centre of the Inca world, Cuzco city center features Inca stonework along many streets, these now used as the basis for newer buildings. Spanish colonial features strongly too giving Cuzco the most complete old town character we´ve seen in South America this far, with the Plaza de Armas the centre piece with it´s Cathedral and Colonnades.
Of course it´s Inca the brings the gringos here and we are no exception. Our itinerary includes the Sacred Valley, a community trek and the icon of Peru that is Machu Pichu. Joining us are three guides: Hilda, Fernando and Luis.
The first stop out of Cuzco, overlooking the city is the Inca site of Sacsayhuaman. Probably a temple it has fine examples of Inca walls made of massive stone blocks cut perfectly to fit together without mortar. Next are the ruins of Pisac featuring tombs cut in the cliff face, fine terraces and the Hitching post of the Sun. The later used a in winter solstice ritual performed to keep the Sun from leaving the planet all together.
After lunch in Pisac town Louise gets a white knuckle taxi ride back to Cuzco as she is not doing the community trek. With no desire for high altitude walking she is looking forward to a few days in Cuzco. The rest of us continue on to our first camp on the trek at the community of Quisharani. We are not doing the classic Inca trail, instead a trek over four nights visiting remote Andean communities finishing by getting the train to Machu Pichu.
The trek features a very remote (we are the only ones on it) trail with three days of walking, two taking on high passes of 4400m and 4800m. It´s camping, but easy camping with pack horses and llama carrying the equipment, our stuff other than day packs and the crew setting up the tents and doing the cooking. We don´t go hungry that´s for sure. Riki and I are tent buddies again.
The mountainous landscape is sparce, but green and in that respect not too dissimilar to the highlands of Scotland, scale and altitude aside. Straw roofed stone huts adorn the valley sides and floors. Most people handle the altitude walking fine, even still there are plenty of breaks. The most breathless is the 4800 pass where drinking and walking are one or the other activities. Almost from the get go out of the first camp we have an extra walker join us, a dog appears from somewhere and follows us the entire way to our pickup point. The so named "Bob Barker' gets plenty of tip bits and rests the instant we do.
Dragoman started the trek with Andina Travel. The aim to assist the communities with improvement projects. Our first camp is at the community of Quisharani where we get a lesson in the local language of Quechua. It's even in the local school house. In the morning we get involved in varnishing some new tables until the young kids take over! After a 5 hour walking day we arrive at Cuncani. The local football side recieve new football shirts and some of us play against the team. Altitude and the lumpy muddy pitch may not be a good excuse for losing, but I'm going to use it anyway. Ok, they were better too!!
The third day is the longest walking at 8 hours and includes the highest pass finishing at the remote speadout community of Paccha. The fourth day takes us, past an Inca Tambo (travel Inn!), to our pickup in Urumbamba where we say our sad farewells to Bob Barker. We assume that he will walk back, maybe with another group. We travel to the town and Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo. The Inca ruins cling to the steep valley walls rising up from the town. Like many Inca sites they are unfinished (the Spanish cut that short) and works in progress can be viewed for an insight into the construction process.
In the morning it's an early rise to catch the train to Machu Pichu. Well, the train travels a valley to Agua Calliente where a bus traverses multiple switchbacks to the lower entrance. The landscape here is very different to our trek. Steep sided valleys and blunt cone mountains are covered with thick lush cloud forest. It's hot too, but a good day for views. Wanna Pichu is completely visible as the classic backdrop to the dramatically situated ruins of Machu Pichu. We do a good three hour tour. It great to be here, but something lacks. I begin to wonder if I should have done the classic trail and walked here.
Returning from Machu Pichu we take the train back to Ollantaytambo. Bizarrely the train staff put on a Alpacca knitware fashion show as we travel. Unexpected, but funny. We finish the day with a bus transfer back to Cuzco where we have two nights.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Update
Arrived in Belize yesterday.
As for the story, I have done loads of it on my phone, but have been unable to send them since arriving in Central America. In about ten days hopefully a bunch will appear. I'll keep doing the map though.
As for the story, I have done loads of it on my phone, but have been unable to send them since arriving in Central America. In about ten days hopefully a bunch will appear. I'll keep doing the map though.
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