south america 2008

Hi everyone! 

We have been travelling around quite a bit and doing so much it has been difficult to find time to check in. 

It took a day and a half to arrive due to a night´s stopover in Salt Lake City.  When we arrived in Peru it was around midnight, so we went straight to the hotel in Miraflores (Hostal el Patio, a totally cute little place full of flowers and patios)  The next morning we went back to the airport and caught a flight to Cusco.

Cusco is 3200m above sea level, so I was concerned about just flying in and getting altitude sickness.  We both held up pretty well, only being a bit more tired than usual whenever any walking up hill or steps was required.  Cusco was a great place, old stone streets that were so narrow a car barely fit down them in lots of places, many old churches and building, great restraurants and shops and lots of people vying for you to take a photo with them and their alpacas or to buy souveniers from them.

We went on a tour of the Sacred Valley that visited some historical sites of the Incas, and some small towns.  We both really enjoyed that.  Some of the kids trying to sell you things really got to be too much, they would follow you for blocks pleading and saying the bit of English they know.

The next day we went to Maccu Pichu.  M.P. was an amazing place, it totally impresses you as to how they built all that on the top of a mountain, and the vistas from up there of the surrounding mountains are really impressive.  We went in one day on the backpackers train which we both agreed was horrible.  It took 4h15m to get there, then you had to try to find out where in the town at the base of MP to buy your entrance tickets (very confusing), then another bus ride.  So by the time we got up there we only had 3 hours and then we had to leave for the train home, it was a truely long day.  The train itself was the most uncomfortable thing, no leg room at all and passengers are facing eachother so you end up interlocking legs with others and then not being able to move for those 4 hours each way.  If we had it to do again we would definetely stay overnight at one of the towns closer and then be able to go and spend a whole day, and break up that train ride.

After that we left Cusco and flew to Juliaca and our hotel picked us up and drove us the hour into Puno.  Puno is on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigatable lake in the world (on the other end of the lake is La Paz, Bolivia).  We are staying in a better hotel here just cause it is pouring rain most of the time and pretty cold in the evenings.  We definetely wanted heat and hot water!  We are going to wander today and find out about getting out to visit some of the islands tomorrow.  They are made of reeds, everything, the ground and the houses and even the boats.  I´m sure we are going to be soaked! 

The best thing we have seen about this town so far is their main street is full of really nice looking restraunts and cafes, and in the evening there are no lights so everything is done by candelight, so you get romantic dining whereever you go!  That goes for the shops also, we went into a pharmacy that we though was closed cause it was so dark but there was a person there with his candle.  Makes it a bit difficult getting back to the hotel until we really know where we are going, as you can´t even read the street signs to see where you are going. 

I should also mention that we have been trying the local things, like coca tea and leaves (which are supposed to give you a bit of a buzz and help with altitude) and the alpaca meat (it was actually really good!) and Scott says he is going to try the guinea pig before we leave.  Shopping has also been great, but we are pretty limited by the size of our sole backpacks and the fact that we still have chile and argentina to go through. 

Well we are off to find somewhere to do laundry, write more later!