After 123 days I finally left Bolivia, although I managed to get a job in the hostel I was staying in in La Paz, it was time to go, and leave my new favorite country and head into Peru, first stop Cusco, the Inca capital! We arrived at 5am and I found a rundown hostel by the bus station until I could organize myself and find somewhere better, I had also organized my first couch surfing experience and was excited to meet my with my host Annibet a lovely Peruvian girl who had agreed to host me for a few days, after I met up with her the following day, she showed my round the town, we eat Civiche and drunk Pisco sours, how more typical could I get, I was in Peru! Then we explored the town and walked up to the ruins a bit outside of the town called Sacsayhuaman, and then got horses to explore other ruins which was interesting, first experience of Incas, of which now I am ruined out! She showed me the nightlife in Cusco which it is famous for! I then organized my Machu Picchu trek, I did not do the Inca trail as it was very expensive and I didn’t reserve it but I did a different cheaper option called Inca jungle , which involved downhill biking, hiking a section of the Inca trail, Zip-lining, swimming in Hot Springs and many other fun exciting things including opening the only bar in one of the tiny towns in which we were staying, drinking too much Inca tequila and therefore having to carry our guide home on the shoulders of one of the other group members, which was fun at the time, but not at 6am when we had10 hours to hike, no one felt great the next day!
Once we reached Machu Picchu, which involved climbing up 3000 steps at 5AM to see the sunrise which was covered by clouds anyway, we were so tired me and some other members of my group went to sleep, yes I had a nap at Machu Picchu, one of the new wonders of the world!
Once back in Cusco I had to sort out my lost passport, which I lost before Machu Picchu helped by a bad batch of food poisoning, no sleep and being in a rush, I still don’t know how I lost it, as I was sure I put it back in my bag, but the culmination of events was not the best way to start the trek, passportless! Once I had the police report I was able to keep travelling, Arequipa was my next destination, so after a night bus, I then was up at 3AM 5to start another trek into the second deepest canyon, deeper than the grand canyon, we saw condors at breakfast and went down 1000 m by lunch, it was a busy day! The next day was spent chilling in an Oasis at the bottom, followed by the inevitable assent, at 5AM, which was very challenging, especially when there were lazy people on mules which were running past you as you were sweating and using you legs!
Arequipa was beautiful, but I had a date with the UK consulate and my mother and had to head on, however my path was stopped by the Peruvian miners, who had decided they needed better working rights and more autonomy over the mines and therefore blocked the Pan-American highway with rocks, trees, telephone poles and themselves, 100000 of miners in 3 different towns! After 2 nights and one day of being in a standstill in these tiny town in the middle of the desert it was time to go, me and some gringo friends, walked through the picket line of these miners, who were all shouting and rather angry, definitely a thing to add to the experience list, and to attempt to get transport to the following towns, and repeat the escapade twice more, the last resolved in us walking about 5km in the desert to get the last transport to Nasca, and then Ica, where we finally arrived to go to Huacachina, an Oasis in the middle of the desert, this was beautiful but there are not many things to do, other than drink and sand board, which we did the next day, a lot of fun, especially going down sand dunes of board travelling really fast and being transported ins Sandbuggies! As we had done the two things to do in Huacachina, we were out, to Lima.
Arriving at nighttime I was amazed at the 6 lane motorways and Mc Donald’s signs, to me it seamed just like the US, but with a city the same size of London, what else was I to expect! I was then very disappointed by the UK consulate as it was not open on a Friday, as well ad taking long lunch breaks, they now decide Friday Is the weekend, I would usually agree to this, but when it does not work in my favors, the Latinos should get there act together, especially the British ones! Anyway, as there was nothing I could do I was then reunited with my mother after 5 months it was nice eating delicious food and staying in Hotels! She decided we couldn’t wait for the consulate to reopen on Monday so we went to Huaraz ,a mountain town, 7 hours north east of Lima! Yay, more mountains to climb! Mum was very impressed by the bus companies, of course we went with the poshest one and had nice days doing some hiking, swimming in Hot springs and seeing lovely turquoise lakes, it was a nice break, but after returning to Lima, where we stayed in the Hip, modern part, which was full of nice cafes and art galleries, there was even a Sofa café which looked more in place in Islington than Lima! Mum then left me to return to London and I am back solo, although I am never really solo, there are so many travelers, until I sort out my passport situation, then I’m headed to the beach and then Ecuador!
I am now reunited with a Camera, so if it doesn’t get stolen again you should be able to see what I have been up to, not just imagine, from my great description! Sorry for the essay, lots of things have happened; I hope to be more to the point next time!
