Our Itinerary

20/05/2016	Sydney 12.30pm    to   Santiago 11.10pm
21/05/2016	Santiago 7am to Lima 8.50am (10.5 hours layover)
	7.20pm to Arequipa 8.50pm
22/05/2016	Arequipa overnight bus to Cusco
23/05/2016	Cusco
24/05/2016	Cusco to Agues Calientes
25/05/2016	Machu Picchu
26/05/2016	Agues Calientes to Cusco
27/05/2016	Cusco to Puno
28/05/2016	Puno to Lake Titicaca
29/05/2016	Lake Titicaca to Puno
30/05/2016	Puno to Copacabana to La Paz (Bolivia)
31/05/2016	La Paz
1/06/2015	La Paz to Rurrenabaque
2/06/2015	Amazon Jungle
3/06/2015	Rurrenabaque to La Paz to Santiago
4/06/2015	Santiago
5/06/2015	Santiago  2.30pm
6/06/2015	Sydney   17.45pm

Thursday 19th May, 2016

Newcastle to Sydney

Mark and Lauren are at work and little Abi is at school so Elkie and I are home on our own. I have a lovely day with our precious two-year old bubba. After Lauren picks Abi up from school, she drives us to Hamilton Station. Both the Dollies cry as they always do when we say goodbye. Poor Lauren says, “next time, get a taxi”! Ha ha

At Sydney’s Central Station we catch another train to St James and we’re at Jillian’s by 6.30pm. Here we meet up with Michael then the four of us head down to the East Sydney Hotel for trivia where Tam joins us as well. She’s very sophisticated these days.  After winning trivia, Mark, Jillian and Michael stay up for a drink while I go to bed. 

Friday 20th May, 2016

Sydney to Santiago

By 8.30am we’re up and walking through Hyde Park on this beautiful sunny day. The airport train takes us from St James straight to the International Airport. As we book in, the check-in lady smiles, “two seats with the third seat blocked”. Not sure what this means. Hopefully she means that we have an empty seat in between us.

We buy McDonald’s downstairs then get a call from Julie and Steve. After meeting them at the check-in counter, we all go through immigration where we buy alcohol and relax in the massage chairs.

Our plane is an hour late but it’s all good as Mark and I do have a spare seat between us. After we’re served dinner Mark drinks 3 1/2 small bottles of champagne and I have a half. We dose off and on and I’m even able to lay down. We both watch a few movies to pass the time on this 14-hour trip to Santiago, Chile’s capital.

As we near the coast of South America breakfast is served then we’re excited to suddenly see the range of the snow-capped Andes Mountains as we make our descent.

At 11:30 am we land in a hazy but sunny sky. Off the plane we need to pay $117 US each called a Reciprocity Fee – some bullshit money raising ploy. Anyway, we go through immigration, baggage and customs and then withdraw cash from an ATM. One Australian dollar is 500 Chilean peso. 

It’s only a half hour taxi ride from the airport into the city at a cost of AUD $40. This area is fairly unappealing but the Paris-Londres area where we’re staying is lovely.

By the way, this Paris-Londres area is at the intersection of two streets. One called Paris and the other Londres (Spanish for London). Get it?

Our driver drops us at the wrong hotel so we need to drag our packs along the narrow bumpy cobbled streets. Guide book info is that these 16^th century winding lanes are the oldest in Santiago. They’re lined with beautiful European-style buildings, some are elegant mansions while others are now cafes, restaurants and hotels.

This includes the gorgeous old Hotel Paris Londres where we’re staying tonight. The building is built on a corner and a bargain at only AUD $60 per night.

Mark and I have a beautiful corner room with French doors onto a balcony with the sun pouring in. Our room has a king-sized bed, a TV, a big bathroom, an embroidered lounge, two lounge chairs, a writing desk, a big old cedar wardrobe, two windows with lace curtains and window shutters opening inwards, a parquet floor, a chandelier and an elaborate ceiling. Wow, we’re so lucky! 

Ready now to explore, we all set off along some busy roads to the lovely mustard-yellow Neptuno Fountain which is the entrance to Santa Lucía Hill (Cerro Santa Lucía). This is a hilltop park so we follow a narrow winding path to the top. With musicians and lots of friendly tourists and families, the atmosphere up here is so nice plus the bonus of panoramic views of the city and the mountains beyond. We can see why the park is called a true green haven in the middle of the city.

Back down on the flat of the historic Paris-Londres area, it feels a bit like The Rocks in Sydney. Julie and I visit a shop in an old building with a beautiful stained-glass ceiling but don’t buy anything then we all have pizza and ‘happy hour’ margaritas and beers in a laneway before moving to a moody bar where the others drink red wine.

Mark and I are almost falling asleep so we’re home by 7.30. Julie and Steve go back out but we’re too tired although we wake at 12:30 with noisy people in the foyer and garbage trucks outside. Also, our bed is actually two single beds pushed together and I keep falling between the crack. Just as well the room is beautiful.

Saturday 21^st May, 2016

 Santiago to Lima to Arequipa

After the alarm wakes us at 3am, Mark has a shower and packs then we all catch a taxi to the airport in the dark.

This morning we’re off to Peru! Our plan is to get to Arequipa in the south of the country but, with no direct flights from Santiago, we need to fly first to Lima, a thousand miles north of Arequipa, then fly back down to Arequipa tonight. This suits us anyway as we can now spend a whole day exploring Lima.

But now, ready to leave Santiago, the check-in staff want proof of us leaving Peru. They want to know what flight we’ll be on or where are our bus tickets?

Firstly, why does Chile care about how we’ll be leaving Peru and secondly, we don’t have plane or bus tickets because we don’t know what we’re doing yet. They’re not happy but, seriously, are we the first people to ever do this? Bizarre!

Before boarding we all sit down for breakfast of coffees and tea with toasted sandwiches then take off at 5:45am with Mark and I at the back and luckily with three seats again. I sort of sleep while Mark watches his favourite Game of Thrones.

At 8:30am we land in Lima, Peru’s capital. I’d read about Lima’s garua, a fog and haze created when the cool winds from the Pacific Ocean meet the warm winds from the desert, and here it is. This fog/smog/haze is nicknamed Le Gris meaning ‘the grey’ which it certainly is! But the temperature is a pleasant 19°C so no problem.

Before leaving the airport, we use an ATM (1AUD equals 2.5 Sol) then store our big bags and just carry in our day packs since we’re only here for eleven hours then catching a plane to Arequipa tonight.

A taxi gets us into the city in no time where we’re dropped at Plaza de Armas in the historic centre. It’s super important as it’s one of the oldest places in all of America as well as being the centre of the Spanish conquest. The plaza today is surrounded by cathedrals, palaces and museums but we won’t have time to visit them all.

Nearby is the Gran Hotel Bolivar which definitely is on our list. Built in 1924, it became popular in the 1940’s when movie stars like John Wayne and Ava Gardner were just some of the famous guests. But we’re not after a room, just morning tea which we have in the lovely cafe/restaurant. The tables are covered in white linen tablecloths, which matches the posh wooden panelling, marble bar and chandeliers. We all settle in for tea and coffee then Julie and Steve order a healthy mushroom soup while Mark and I pig out on cheesecake with peaches and blueberries. Even the toilets are gorgeous – marble with a brass door.

From here we make our way to the north side of the Plaza de Armas to the Government Palace for the daily Changing of the Guard. As we get closer we can hear a brass band belting out traditional favourites and modern Latin pieces like everyone’s favourite, El Condor Pasa. This Andean folk piece was written over a hundred years ago but made world famous in 1970 with Simon and Garfunkel’s version. We’re to hear it constantly for the rest of the trip.

With lots of other tourists, we stand outside the tall iron gates, which are protected with soldiers carrying guns, to watch the guards marching in red, white and blue uniforms to eventually ‘change the guards’ – an excellent half hour experience.

Next is a chocolate museum where we drink chocolate tea made from cocoa seeds. From here we wander up to Bar Cordana, a one-hundred year old Italian restaurant. This is a stepping back in time experience with the interior much as it’s always been – mud walls, granite floors and a huge antique timber bar. The food is excellent as well.

I order calamari with rice and salad, Mark has pork belly and Julie and Steve have beans. Then we watch a young girl prepare us all our first Pisco Sour while a guy outside is playing a pan flute – what else but El Cóndor Pasa! Mark, Julie and Steve have another Pisco Sour but I feel Piscoed out already.

By the way, Pisco Sour is a traditional Peruvian cocktail made from pisco brandy, lime juice, syrup, egg white and bitters. It’s actually Peru’s national drink and we’re to have many more before this trip is over.

From here we do a walking tour ending up back at the park to the Basilica of San Francisco where we take up a one-hour tour of the catacombs for only two dollars. We wait in an oak-lined room with a vaulted ceiling until our lovely lady guide turns up. We love her immediately as she asks, “Is anyone afraid of small spaces or being in a cemetery? The brave people come with me. The men can stay here”.

The basilica is massive with gardens and a fountain in the central courtyard plus a Harry Potter-like library holding 25,000 books. Beneath in the catacombs, the skeletons have been dismantled, with different bones separated into different areas. In one section, hundreds of leg bones are macabrely displayed in circular patterns with skulls adding to the decoration! Whose idea was this??

Now we need to get back to the airport, so we grab another taxi outside. The traffic is horrendous, so our driver decides to take a detour on a rough, rocky road but we end up with a flat tyre. Worried that we’re running late, we can’t wait for the poor man to change it so we pay him 50 Sol then jump onto a bus with a friendly lady conductor.

Back at the terminal we pick up our bags, check in and find something to eat. I’m feeling really dizzy. I’m wondering if it’s caused by the malaria tablets which I’m pretty sure has happened on other trips. I’ll stop taking them.

The flight is only an hour and a half from Lima to Arequipa which is nestled in the foothills of the Andes at 2,800m above sea level. Even though it’s dark, we see snow on the mountains as we descend.

At 9pm, we disembark on the tarmac with a beautiful full moon above us and snowy mountains behind. No need for immigration or customs, of course, because we’re still in Peru so we’re in a taxi before we know it arriving in the centre only twenty minutes later. Even though I’ve booked a hostel, the staff has no idea who we are despite me showing printouts from Expedia.

They’re very apologetic and ring a pensione down the street. A nice man comes up to get us and, although the place is a bit of a dump, we’re too tired to look any further. Mark and I are given a tiny room and a tiny bathroom with Julie and Steve somewhere upstairs.

We decide to look for a place to eat close by and come across a busy bar area. It’s Saturday night so the upstairs bar we choose is packed but we manage to get a table on a mezzanine level overlooking the pumping action below. We all love the very rustic, dark atmosphere and young vibe. Mark and Steve have beers, Julie a Piscoe Sour and I have a Cucaracha – tiny but deadly – plus we all have pizzas.

From here we wander around the streets where young people are drinking in big groups on the pavement. Next minute a tank on wheels drives past blasting them with water! Bloody hell!

So now we head back towards our pensione where we’d seen a bar nearby, but it’s closed so we sensibly go to bed.

Just as Mark and I are about to fall asleep, a heavy wooden slat from under the bed crashes to the cement floor and I end up with my arse in a hole. We both lay there silent for a while thinking ‘whatever’ but then suddenly we can’t stop laughing that we see it as no big deal. ha ha. We’ve stayed in worse places than this.

Sunday 22nd May, 2016

Arequipa to Cusco

This morning, we sleep in until 8 o’clock. Mark and I climb up to the sunny rooftop where a snowcapped mountain looks incredibly close. This is the dormant volcano called Misti, one of many that surround Arequipa. From here we also have a good view of the town with church spires and cathedral domes. It’s a heavenly warm day with air as clear as crystal.

Meeting up with Julie and Steve, we all walk down to a travel agent to book tickets for a sleeper bus to Cusco tonight. It will leave Arequipa at 8 pm for the ten-hour trip. We have the choice of ‘semi-coma’ or ‘full coma’ which means the seats lie flat like beds – ‘full coma’ please!

Now we head off to check out the town. The streets are all paved with slippery cobblestones and lined with wooden planter boxes filled with small trees. Most of the colonial era buildings are painted white with huge studded wooden doors and lots of archways. 

Soon we can hear a marching band coming from somewhere nearby and we find it at the stately Plaza de Armas, the gorgeous Central Square fringed with tall palms and pink flowering Oleander with manicured grass, wrought iron lamps, pines, flowering gardens and an impressive fountain in the centre. All this under a gorgeous blue sky.

The Plaza is surrounded by the Basilica Cathedral and arched two-storey baroque buildings with shops on the bottom and cafes above. These are all made of a white volcanic petrified ash called silar and why Arequipa is also called the White City.  

Soldiers in a variety of uniforms are lined up in the sun obviously preparing for some sort of parade. The four of us sit on a verandah overlooking the Plaza to have breakfast of mango, banana and sliced almonds with yoghurt and drink fresh pineapple juice. 

Looking down over the square we can see hundreds of people in Peruvian dress ready for the grand parade which goes on forever. The parade also includes traditional dances, colourful floats and marching bands. This is to be the first of many festivals we’re yet to experience in Peru.

By now the temperature has really climbed, so we head back to our rooms to change into cooler clothes. Here we also pay for another day as, even though we’re leaving tonight, we still want our rooms for the afternoon. 

From the hostel we walk to the Monasterio Santa Catalina and pay for a one-hour guide for just the four of us. Built in 1579, the scale of the monastery is immense, almost a city within a city. Under the Silencia arch, the guide shows us the novice cloisters where girls only twelve years old lived without speaking for four years. All they did was study and pray. For one hour every week they could talk to their family through the gate but the nun had to cover her head and her face.

As a show of family honour, the families actually paid a dowry to have their daughter here, usually the second daughter. After four years the girl decides if she wants to stay or go. If she goes then she’s shunned by her family and her community so most of them stayed although they could never see their families again.

We’re shown their sad little bare rooms. Strangely they did have a servant, usually a poor Indian or black slave who cooked, cleaned and worked in the gardens while the nuns prayed all day. I think I’d rather be a slave! 

Next we visit the Orange Cloister with orange trees and geraniums in the centre where the older nuns, those over sixteen, lived in houses painted in gorgeous blues and Indian reds, some of them with murals. Later we’re shown a big bath in which the nuns bathed only seven times a year.

Now we wander around the narrow streets lined with small houses then visit kitchens and dormitories which are now art galleries. Then, of course, there’s the impressive church where the nuns were hidden from the public and the confessionals where the nuns confessed of dreaming of some painting of a naked man. God love them!  Then from the roof we have wide views of the old town and again the volcano behind us.

Leaving the Monastery, we catch a taxi to Akipa on the other side of town. This is a touristy place with different eating areas both inside and in the gardens with the best seafood chowder and salads we’ve had anywhere. All this while being serenaded by a guy playing guitar and singing then back to our rooms for a sleep and to pack for tonight.

On dark we find a small pizza restaurant around the corner. This is very Peruvian with stain washed walls, an arched ceiling, an open fire, a tiled floor and wooden tables and chairs with a huge net-like pendant lights. Mark and Steve have a couple of beers while Julie and I have two Pisco Sours.

Time now to leave so after checking out, we catch taxis to the bus station, kindly waved off by our host. For some reason the taxi guy Mark and I have drives like his life depends on it the whole way. Glad to reach the bus station in one piece.

Before boarding we buy chocolates, chips and cream biscuits to keep us amused on the long trip. Our seats are all upstairs towards the back with beds that lie completely flat. Pillows and blankets are supplied plus we have a TV screen and little fold up tables. This is so impressive and topped off with a host dressed formally in a white shirt and dark jacket.

But you can’t have everything, as they say, as the food is disgusting. I give mine straight back while Mark eats chicken and rice. After watching tv for a while we settle in for a sleep. Sometime during the night Mark and I even manage a snuggle – ha ha.

For the entire trip the terrain is mountainous with endless bends, so it’s hard to sleep and poor Julie even throws up. Apparently, the road is also narrow with terrifying drop-offs so it’s probably good that it’s too dark to see a thing. And besides the twisting road, we slow to a stop at countless speed bumps. It’s cold as well so we’re thankful for the many blankets but we’re all awake for hours till we finally arrive in Cusco at 7 am. It’s very cold!

Monday 23rd May, 2016

Cusco

From the bus station the four of us catch a taxi into the historic centre with its cobbled streets and the World Heritage site of Plaza de Armas surrounded by churches, restaurants, travel agencies and old shops. 

We drag our backpacks uphill to a pensione that we’ve chosen online but they only have one double left so we walk back down to the Plaza then up another street to Hostel Suscia II. Julie and Steve can have a room straight away while Mark and I need to wait till 10 o’clock, sitting inside the inner courtyard. 

Later we have breakfast at a colourful cafe overlooking the Plaza then I have a shoe shine. 

Today we have to book tickets for Machu Picchu but we need our passports so Jule and Steve race back to the hotel to pick them up. Mark and I buy our tickets then I have a photo taken with a lady in a traditional multi-coloured dress holding a baby llama. It’s one of the very touristy things you have to do here in Cusco.

I might add here that we’ve been told that there’s a chance of us getting altitude sickness (also called acute mountain sickness) here in Cusco at 3380 m above sea level. This could mean headaches, fatigue, dizziness and nausea but the chances of getting really sick aren’t very high (a pun). But about twenty years ago, Mark and I had a young, fit and healthy friend who was so sick she had to be flown back to Lima. Apparently it has nothing to do with age or fitness levels so I might be ok because I’m old and lazy. We’ll just have to wait and see. 

But back to our plan for today which is to do a City and Surrounds bus tour. We meet Julie and Steve at the travel agent then find seats on the top deck for the best view. We drive around town then uphill to see the Inca site of Sacsayhuaman which overlooks the city and consists of a series of terraces made up of enormous stone blocks.

Driving further, our guide asks us to get out to see “a very special” site which doesn’t look special at all. It’s just a reedy pond with ducks swimming around. It must have some special significance but no-one gets it. Everyone is thinking ‘what the hell’ and one lady announces, “it’s not true. He’s making it up.”

Later we stop at a shop and told to get out again while they lock the bus. A salesperson gives us the big sales pitch about alpaca clothes but they’re all pretty horrible. 

On Pukamoqo Hill at the huge statue of Cristo Blanco (White Christ), lazy me doesn’t bother to get out. It’s cold on the bus roof but I can see the massive statue from here anyway! Totally bored with this tour!

But I think everyone is glad to get back to Cusco where the city tour is supposed to continue but half the bus jumps out at the first traffic light even though they try to stop us. 

Back at the hotel, we have hot showers then meet Julie and Steve at 6 o’clock to look for a travel agent to book an Agues Calientes and Machu Picchu trip.  We’ll need to hire a driver to take us there but this guy can barely speak English and Mark isn’t happy with him so we walk to another agent. Here we meet Alfredo who does speak English. But he says we have a problem because we don’t have the train tickets so we need to change our plans.

So, for US $258 each we’ll get picked up at our hotel, driven through the Sacred Valley, visit the Pisac market then drive to Ollantaytambo, a train to Agues Calientes, hotel for two nights, bus to and from Machu Picchu, a train back to Ollantaytambo and a bus to Cusco. Sounds like a good plan but we’re spending money like water! We also book bus tickets to Puno for Friday leaving from here in Cusco. 

All sorted, we head back down to the plaza then find a cute, cobbled laneway where we eat at a tiny restaurant with a pizza oven keeping us warm. Dinner is beautiful enchiladas while an old man plays a pan flute and guitar. I request El Condor Pasa just for the hell of it. We generously buy his CD which we’ll never play again.

We move to a bar near the hotel for drinks then Mark and Steve go back to the room while Jule and I have just one more. Go to bed! 

Tuesday 24th May, 2016

 Cusco to Agues Calientes

For some reason we’ve been awake since 3am but only get out of bed at 5:45 when the alarm goes off. We shower and pack before Mark makes us hot chocolates downstairs. 

Alfredo picks us up on time at 6:30. He tells us that we’re only allowed 8 kg on the train so we’ll have to repack at Ollantaytambo Station and send our big packs back here with him.

Setting off north-west out of Cusco, we pass the Inca ruins that we saw yesterday then head towards the Sacred Valley. Part of the tour price is to visit a condor place, an alpaca farm and the village of Pisac.

Arriving first at the condor place, it looks closed but we really want to see one so we all jump out and bang on the doors to try and wake someone but no luck. 

Nearby is the alpaca farm. It’s a pretty place built on the side of a hill where we see llamas and alpacas and explained the differences which are that alpacas are smaller and have shorter rounded faces and finer hair but, grossly, they both spit!!

Our guide also demonstrates natural dyes and we finally get to see a condor and it’s huge!! But it’s also stuffed! We’re shown the fifty-five varieties of corn on display then shown how they make cochineal from the cochineal insect. All interesting.

But more interesting is seeing a group of local ladies walk past in their bowler hats with babies strapped to their backs. 

Continuing on, we stop at a couple of viewpoints to look down on the amazing landscape of the Sacred Valley which stretches sixty kilometres between the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo. With a backdrop of rugged mountain ranges and snow-capped peaks, the Valley is green and fertile.

Down on the valley floor the houses are dotted about, mainly roughly built and made from mud and straw with clay tile roofs. They all look either not finished or abandoned. Don’t know what the story is there.

Way below is the rapidly flowing Rio Urubamba which not only irrigates the Valley, but it actually formed it in the first place. Winding downwards we arrive at the small colonial village of Pisac where we pull into a cobbled square next to a sprawling market. At one stall we meet a friendly man called Bruno who’s selling interesting weavings so we tell him we’ll come back after breakfast. This we have on a sunny rooftop terrace – omelettes, scrambled eggs, jam on buns, tea and coffee. 

I take a picture of a lady in a wide skirt and bowler hat carrying long grass on her head. I must say, these traditional outfits for the ladies are far from flattering! 

Back to the market we can’t find Bruno but come across another stall where we buy a long woven wall hanging. I know just where we’ll hang it.

Moving on from Pisac, we drive beside the Rio Urubamba with a backdrop of a rugged mountain range. From time to time we pass more Inca ruins – they seem to be everywhere! 

Arriving in Ollantaytambo around mid-morning we decide to have a quick look around. It’s a small, picturesque town with vast ruins running up the hill directly behind it.

We get out at the busy Plaza de Armas which has a small park in the centre but nothing as spectacular as those in Cusco or Arequipa. Narrow cobblestone streets lead away from the square while the square itself is surrounded by cafes and market stalls where all the ladies are wearing their bowler hats and traditional skirts selling alpaca scarves and other Peruvian curios. Steve tries on lots of different hats for fun but we can’t stay long as we have a train to catch! This is where we will catch the train to Agues Calientes and Machu Picchu. 

So, from the market Alfredo drives us to the station on the edge of town down a winding cobbled road. We unpack our bags and transfer them to smaller packs. Alfredo will take the others back to Cusco. 

Now he leads us down to the quant little station where lots of people are boarding the train just about to leave. On the platform Mark and I buy cowboy-style hats for eight dollars each – a bargain but we do look a bit tragic – Machu Picchu try-hards! – ha ha!

The train is quite luxurious compared to the ones we’re used to in South East Asia and India. Mark and I have seats facing Julie and Steve with a table between us while we’re served coconut and passionfruit cocktails plus ginger ale with star anise and ginger. With the big windows and glass in the ceiling, we have great views of snow-topped mountains on our right and on our left the beginning of the Inca Trail which looks dry, barren and rocky. This is a popular walking trail that takes between three and five days to reach Machu Picchu! No, thank you very much! 

The entire way we follow the fast flowing Urubamba River which has lots of rapids while steep canyon walls rise up on the opposite side of the train. Unexpectedly we find that we’re actually descending in altitude as, even though Machu Picchu sits on top of a mountain, it’s still only 2410 m above sea level while Cusco is 3380 m above sea level. 

Disembarking at Agues Calientes, we meet a guy outside the station with a ‘Mark Gavin’ sign – that’ll be us – so we follow him through the market across the stream to the town. 

This is so unique with no vehicles except for the buses going back and forth to Machu Picchu and the only way to get here is by train like us or to walk in via the Inca Trail. Again, no thank you very much!

Surrounded by cliffs, mountains and the river, Agues Calientes is a compact tourist town that should be fun for a couple of nights. And despite it catering to every tourist service imaginable, its wonderful setting still makes it a special experience. 

Our guide leads us up and up alongside the river to Pumas Pensione. Our room is on the first floor with a big window overlooking the town plus we have two beds and a big bathroom – quite posh for us actually.

After dumping our bags, we meet Julie and Steve near the bridge to have lunch at a table on the footpath. Julie and Steve have salads, I have an enchilada and Mark has an alpaca steak. The boys also have a huge beer. 

Julie and Steve decide to go for a walk but Mark wants have a nap while I have a great massage for $20. I also buy wristbands and a leather fridge magnet for Jackie but there’s really nothing much else I want to buy. Back to our room, Mark is sleeping so I write in the diary. 

Later we wait in the foyer for our guide to meet us with our Machu Picchu bus tickets. He’s supposed to be here at 7 o’clock but arrives late then when he realises that we only speak English, he tells us that we have to wait another half an hour while he finds an English-speaking guide.

This is Vladimir who turns up with another guy from the bus depot. Now they want our passports which they’ll bring back in another half an hour. By 8.30pm we’re still waiting so Julie and Steve find a nearby restaurant while Mark and I wait till they eventually arrive. 

Finally sorted, we all have pizza for dinner and very generous happy hour drinks – four for the price of one!  After Pisco Sours and beers we’re in bed by 10 o’clock.

Wednesday 25th May, 2016

Macchu Picchu

Today we’re about to visit one of the New Seven Wonders of the World – the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu! It’s one of the main reasons we’ve come on this whole trip and is on just about everyone’s bucket list.

Mark and I had a good sleep last night but Julie and Steve were kept awake by loud music and people partying. At 7 o’clock we all head to the top floor for breakfast but there’s nothing much left. There’s shit everywhere, dirty cups and plates with two ladies washing up cups and looking for a match to light the stove to boil water. One comes back with a lit candle. We think they must work here but they’re just guests like us. Everyone is rolling their eyes and saying, ‘what the fuck?’ Someone finds a few stale buns but, forget it, we’ll grab something to eat later.

Descending the many steps through town to reach the square at the bottom then up along the river to the bridge there’s a long lineup for buses – a very long lineup but they come every five minutes so we shouldn’t have to wait too long. We buy more stale salad buns but then find fresh salad sandwiches. Things are looking up.

The bus is $28 US each for the half hour trip up the mountain. This is a zigzag route with long valley views and the river below. At the entrance to the site hundreds of people are already waiting in line. The site has a limit of 5,600 visitors per day which is why we had to buy tickets a few days ago in Cusco.

Vlad said he’d meet us outside the entrance at 9 o’clock so in the meantime, we buy hot chocolates in a cafe overlooking the ravine on this beautiful sunny day.

At 10am we follow him to the viewpoint. And here it is! Machu Picchu looking exactly like every photo we’ve ever seen. It really is spectacular made even more spectacular because of its stunning natural setting on a mountain ridge with the eastern Andes stretching either way into the distance.

Vlad tells us that it was built by the Incas in the mid-fifteenth century when they escaped invasion by the Spanish conquistadors then, for some reason, abandoned about a hundred years later. From that time it remained hidden until Hiram Bongham stumbled upon it in 1911.

From this vantage point, we can see the size of the site which is crisscrossed by stone terraces creating walkways and stairs. Vlad also points out the iconic Huayna Picchu Mountain directly behind. Lots of people climb it which he says takes one hour to get to the top and only five seconds to get to the bottom. He’s happy with his joke.

We visit temples and houses which have two floors – the top floor was made from wooden rafters then bamboo placed on top and covered with mortar. Of course, all that’s left today of any of the buildings is the stonework of the walls, the roofs having disintegrated long ago.

After the tour, we sit on a wall to eat the sandwiches that we’d brought with us but we’re in trouble because apparently you can’t bring food in here – fair enough, we didn’t think about that.

Mark and I decide to go back to town but Julie and Steve stay to do extra walks. The thing to do here before you leave is to get your passport stamped. We do, then wait in a long queue once again to catch the bus back down into town. Funny thing is a man in front of us says he’s waiting for his ‘family’ so we say ‘okay no worries’ but then ten people soon turn up and it’s obvious they’re not his family at all. He’s just getting paid to stand in the line while these lazy arseholes just chill out in the cafe. Wish we’d thought of that. Ha ha

But we only wait 30 minutes and it’s a nice ride back even though it’s scary looking over the edge. We’re dropped in the square then climb up to our guesthouse to grab our swimmers before walking up to the hot springs.

Here we hire a towel and pay 10 sol each. We try both the warm pool and the hot pool – we love checking out hot springs wherever we go. Lots of local tourists and families are having a rip roaring time making it an even better experience.

Back to our room to shower and change then Mark and I head down into a narrow street to a cute cafe where we sit right on the footpath for Mark to have beers and we share a guacamole dip with freshly cooked corn chips while we play chess.

Julie and Steve turn up about 5 o’clock – they’ve just got back from their walk. We all meet in the foyer at six then set off down to the restaurant. Mark has the local delicacy – guinea pig. He says it’s disgusting with not much meat and tough as an old boot. I have quesadilla, Julie avocado salad and Steve has a steak. Steve also tries some of Mark’s guinea pig and hates it too. By the way, it’s pouring rain!

Thursday 26th May, 2016

Agues Calientes to Cusco

Today we’re returning to Cusco via Ollantaytambo. We meet Julie and Steve in the foyer at 7:15am and walk to the cafe where we bought sandwiches yesterday. We have breakfast while watching tourists lining up for the Machu Picchu buses. On the other side of the bridge, we check out a small market on the way back to the train station. Peruvian placemats and two cushion covers will be nice mementos to take home.

We’re back on the same Peru Rail train that brought us here two days ago. With the huge windows and glass ceiling we get to experience the same wonderful views. We drink almond tea and coffee as we slowly pass by the snowy peaks of the Andean mountains on our left and the rushing Urubamba River on our right. The train stops at one stage where a young village lady with a baby on her back and a very bent over old lady are standing by the tracks. We give them money and snacks through the open top window. 

Disembarking at the lovely Ollantaytambo train station, we walk up through the market. We’re supposed to catch a bus but we discover that there aren’t any today because it’s a Cusco public holiday so we need to get a driver with a car. Mark rings Alfredo who organises a local man called Armando to drive us back to Cusco through the Sacred Valley.

The four of us squash into his car and ask him to take us to Salinas de Maras on the way back. These are the famous Peruvian salt pans. After paying the 10 Sol each entry fee, we need to walk through a market where we buy a bag of salt, local snacks, mandarins and a piece of moonstone. 

Emerging from the market, the thousands of small salt pools are spread out before us with an amazing landscape beyond. Mountains overlap far into the distance with a glimpse of the valley in between.

The pools themselves are a sight to see as the sun reflects off a blinding light from the pure white salt. Google says that the thousands of salt pits that have been dug into the mountainside are fed by a super salty underground spring.

The collection process is that the workers block off a pool then when the intense sun makes the water evaporate, salt crystals are left behind that are then gathered and sold. After a few days, the pool is re-opened and the process begins again.

We all head down to walk amongst the pools to get a closer view and watch the harvesting of the salt. Incredible to think that this same process hasn’t changed since the days of the Incas.

Moving on towards Cusco, Alfonzo stops at a lookout where a young girl holding an alpaca is selling local trinkets. We buy dolls and maracas as presents for home.

Back in Cusco there’s a stuff-up at the hotel. They can’t locate our packs but we eventually find that they’ve actually put the wrong name, someone called Natalie Johnson, on our stored bags and room reservations. We’re dealing with a weird woman with painful eyebrows, a white face and bright blue eyeshadow.

Julie and Steve walk to Alfredo’s travel agent to try and sort it out but he’s at the festival. Another guy comes out to help and we’re eventually given rooms each but we have shared bathrooms – no problem.

Julie and Steve leave for the boot shop while Mark and I check out the festival and the cathedral. The streets are packed with excited families so it’s a lovely atmosphere. We do see a poor deformed man in a wheelchair with one leg sticking straight up into the air – just saying. 

The festival today is extra special. It’s part of Holy Week and today is the majestic Corpus Christi procession which is a celebration of the arrival of Catholicism to the region during the Spanish colonial era. 

Every year fifteen images of virgins and saints from the city’s main churches are dressed in their finest robes and carried in a procession to the cathedral in Cusco’s main square.

Each effigy competes with the others to be picked as the ‘best dressed’. As the tall effigies make their way around the plaza, bands of musicians play and the traditional “chiriuchu”, cold guinea pig, is eaten by the thousands of visitors. We’ll pass thanks!

We run into Julie and Steve when we all cram in with the rest of the crowd to watch the festival. Later we find a busy sunfilled cafe on a verandah overlooking a small square for drinks and guacamole. Afterwards Mark buys three T-shirts and I buy eight scarves and dolls then boots near the guest house.

At 6 o’clock we set out with Julie and Steve to a nearby upstairs restaurant. It has the usual rough walls painted gold and red with ethnic tablecloths and timber furniture. The food is good – I have an avocado salad and chicken soup while Mark and Julie have baked trout and Steve has stuffed chilies and soup.

An early night.

Friday 27th May, 2016

Cusco to Puno

This morning we’re leaving Cusco for Puno as we make our way towards Bolivia. We’re up at 6:15am for showers and to pack then downstairs we’re given juice, coffee and a hot chocolate.

Mark and I had slept well but Julie and Steve had loud people outside their window. They’ve had bad luck with noisy rooms. 

Alfredo rings me at reception ‘sorry but need to pay $3US for car. You go to Salinas’ – for God sake! We leave 40 Sol for him at the desk then jump into a taxi to take us to the bus station. Even though it’s early the town is busy already.

At the bus station we all look for something for breakfast. In a tiny basic cafe Mark and I have chicken soup – potatoes, chicken, dried potatoes and cassava with parsley on top. A bargain for 12 Sol ($5). All the food here is local even a plate-sized flatbed with slabs of cheese on top.

The bus arrives and we’re very happy to see it’s quite fancy with all the seats upstairs. This will mean good views all the way. A young guy gives us a rundown about the trip and we even have Wi-Fi and TV screens like on a plane. Apparently, it will take at least seven hours to get to Puno but with comfy seats that even recline, it should be an easy trip. 

We watch Seven Years in Tibet on TV but spend most the time watching the scenery of craggy mountains, deep valleys and winding rivers. We see a train in the distance and pass through small villages all made of red/brown mud houses. The sky is a perfect clear blue – no pollution here.

The road is winding but in good condition. For hours we climb slowly upwards sometimes passing shallow, fast running streams. In some villages kids are playing soccer in the school grounds and we pass men carrying heavy bundles of sticks on their heads. Strangely ladies are working in the fields wearing their big skirts and bowler hats and others are working on the road with their big skirts but with hard hats. But on the whole, we see very few people for the entire trip. Where is everyone? 

As we climb higher the clouds seem to be on the same level as us and even the distant snow-topped mountains are on the same level. Bloody hell, how high are we? 

Later we pass a wide river with people washing their clothes and laying them out to dry on the riverbank. Sheep and cows are grazing on the valley floors while we pass cornfields, cornfields and more cornfields. 

Around midday, we stop for petrol and lunch at a roadside restaurant – chicken burgers and ice creams. About 2.30pm we arrive in Juliaca the only big town we’ve come across. It’s pretty awful and very commercial with big piles of dirt on the way in.

An hour later we reach our final destination of Puno, 4000 feet above sea level. The bus station sits on the edge of Lake Titicaca where we plan to visit tomorrow. We pile into a couple of tuktuks to take us to Hostel Pukara where we meet the lovely Rosa on the desk.

Both our rooms are on the fifth floor so with no lift, it’s a long hard walk upstairs due to the high altitude. We both have private bathrooms and our room has a great view but it’s cold so we turn the heater up to high. Mark reads and watches television while I have a shower but it takes forever to even get a trickle of warm water to come through.

At 6 o’clock we meet Julie and Steve in the foyer then find a dark atmospheric bar for drinks. Julie and I decide to go back to Pukara to book a two-day trip to the Titicaca Islands with Rosa – a bargain at only 120 Sol each ($48 AUD) which includes pick up from the hotel, a boat out to the reed islands of Uros, a night with a family on Amantani Island, a visit to Taquile Island and all meals included.

Now Jule and I find a travel agent where we find another switched on lady who books us bus tickets to La Paz in three days time crossing the border near Copacabana. For dinner we find a cute restaurant with excellent food – lasagne, spaghetti and pizza with red wine for Julie and Steve, beer for Mark and Bacardi for me. Now we find another bar in walking street and sing along with the band. Another early night.

Saturday 28th May, 2016

Puno to Lake Titicaca

Waking at 6:30 am, we pack what we’ll need for our two-day trip into our small green backpack leaving our big packs here at the hotel. After showers we have breakfast on the sixth floor. Big windows on two sides give us scenic views of the city and the water beyond.

Breakfast is pineapple juice, watermelon, papaya, bread rolls, jam and scrambled eggs. A big improvement on the crappy breakfast we had at Aguas Calientes. There’s even a lady cleaning up and she’s cooking the eggs as well. The downside is that Steve has been sick all night and now has a headache which won’t be great for him going on a long boat trip today. 

The four of us meet downstairs at 8 o’clock. The weather is cool this morning so it’s nice to wait outside in the sun for our minivan. A young woman turns up so we follow her around the corner to pick up the van at 8:15.

This is the beginning of our two day/one night trip on Lake Titicaca. The Lake is actually part of the border between Peru and Bolivia with its claim to fame being that it’s the highest navigable lake in the world.

From here we drive to the wharf where we buy mandarins and chocolates. About thirty of us board the boat while Bruno, our driver/guide, gives us a rundown on the Lake and the trip we’ll be doing over the next couple of days. He speaks in both Spanish and English.

From Puno it takes about 25 minutes to reach Uros, one of Lake Titicaca’s famous reed islands. From a distance we can see the ladies lined up on the edge of the island. They’re wearing brightly coloured traditional dress and giving us waves and smiles. They look so cute but to be honest it’s a bit staged and touristy.

Each boat must be allocated a separate island as we can see others close by. Jumping off, we all sit in a semi-circle on rolls of reeds while Bruno explains how the indigenous Uros people live on these floating mats of dried totora, a reed-like papyrus that grows on the lake itself. They even build their boats and houses from the reeds and make a living out of fishing, shooting birds and tourism, of course.

A sweet lady called Gloria takes me and a few others to look at her house and gives us the big sell. Mark is suss and stays outside. I look at some horrible pillowcases. We don’t want any but they don’t give up. Feeling guilty we do buy a pendant, two wooden pipes and two pottery cups that we doubt will make it home in one piece.

Steve is feeling even worse so he goes back to the boat to lie down while the rest of us hop on spectacular looking reed boats – like something out of a Viking movie. For about half an hour we’re rowed across to another island with lots of other reed boats tied up to the edge. We buy coffee, tea, an apple tart and a banana tart then have our passports stamped.

Back on the boat we leave the reed islands behind and head into the vast, open waters of Lake Titicaca. I do like saying Lake Titicaca! And the Lake is huge! It’s a massive 8,000 sq kms, 200kms long and 80kms across at its widest part.

For a few hours we head towards the isolated island of Amantani, passing Taquile Island which we’ll visit mañana. Speaking Spanish already! Under clear blue skies the scenery is beautiful with snow-covered mountains across the lake in Bolivia.

At the jetty at Amantani Island we follow Bruno up to a grassy patch near the blue church. Here we meet the mamas! Each couple is allocated a different mumma who we’ll stay with tonight. Mark and I are introduced to Beatrice and follow her up the hill. We’re to find out that her house or ‘casa’ is the highest house on the island. Just my luck! I hate walking especially up hill and I keep asking her how far? She keeps pointing upward. Are you fucking kidding!

Fun fact is that there was once a police presence here but, as they had nothing to do, they left and now any discipline is carried out by the people.

On the bright side of walking so far is that we get to see a lot more of village life. The island is inhabited mainly by people of Quechua origin. All the women wear traditional dress and a young boy is herding a group of sheep. Oh, and Beatrice is knitting the whole time as she walks.

We see that the island is terraced with hillsides planted with wheat, quinoa and potatoes while we pass grazing alpaca and sheep. And because of the steep terrain there are no cars or any other sort of motorised transport. This means total peace and quiet!

Finally at her house, we meet Juan, her husband. Impressively he’s also president of the community and is strikingly dressed in black pants, a white shirt and a black cowboy hat.

The house is simple, made of mudbrick with an iron roof. It has two floors with the kitchen in a separate building while the whole house is built around a hard packed earthen courtyard that our room overlooks. This is on the second floor with three windows, one looking out to the massive lake. What a view! Okay, maybe the walk was worth it after all.

Our room is very cute with green rendered walls  and the two beds covered in brightly coloured ethnic spread. Soon we’re called for lunch which is in the dark very rustic kitchen. Wow, this is brilliant! Mark and I eat at a long wooden table sitting on long bench seats. We’re given mint tea where the hot water comes from a thermos then lunch is vegetable and quito soup followed by potatoes, cassava, tomatoes, lettuce and fried cheese.

In hand gestures, Juan asks if we’d like to climb the mountain? Wait! What?? When he sees our faces he puts his hand together in a sleeping position and we say “si, si”!! Much rather sleep than climb a bloody mountain.

Then he does a dancing movement. Do we want to go to the fiesta tonight? Again, “si, si”. Soon Beatrice brings her knitting to our room and we buy two woven hats for the dollies.

Now we sleep till 7 o’clock when Juan knocks on our door for dinner. With no electricity, there’s only one small candle in a corner of the kitchen. This is the real deal and what we love most about travel. Apparently, they have no running water either!

Here Juan introduces us to eight-year-old Yazmin and two-year-old Joseph. We give them kangaroo key rings that we’ve brought from home.

Juan and the kids are already eating dinner at another table while Beatrice serves us then sits in the corner. Mark and I hope that she’s already eaten or is this a cultural thing? We don’t know but dinner is good – vegetable soup again then spaghetti.

Meanwhile Juan hasn’t drawn breath and Mark takes a video which makes the kids very excited.

After dinner Beatrice hands us ethnic outfits then helps us dress. Mark is wearing a big poncho with a knitted hat while I’m sporting a white blouse with colourful embroidered flowers, a huge blue skirt with a black cap on my head. Ha ha We look ridiculous.

So, all dressed up, we follow Juan down the hill to the school hall where a three-piece local band dressed in blue ponchos with white trim are in full swing. All the locals are dancing in a circle holding hands then in pairs. Mark and I join in to dance as well. Even though this is an organised thing it’s brilliant to be amongst the locals.

A really fun night but now it’s time for bed so back up the hill in the dark with Juan. It’s hard to breathe in this high altitude and I can feel my heart racing. Back home we use the loo then clean our teeth outside under the stars – about a million of them. We sleep well under a mountain of heavy blankets.

Sunday 29th May, 2016

Lake Titicaca to Puno

Awake at six when I jump into bed with Mark. We watch the beautiful sunrise over the lake then nod off to sleep till seven when we dress for breakfast which is back in the kitchen with Beatrice. This morning we have pancakes with jam, mint tea and herbal tea.

It’s time to leave so Juan, Jasmine and Joseph line up for a family photo. I give extra cuddles to Beatrice and we give her $20.

Now we follow Juan back down the hill to the boat which only takes about twenty minutes. Much faster going down than up! We see other groups walking down the other side of the valley from the houses they’d stayed in last night. Even though it’s sunny with blue skies, it’s quite cold and I really need my hoodie. Luckily, it’s warmer on the wharf.

We can’t see Julie and Steve and we’re worried that Steve might be sick so we ask Bruno to find out where they are. He then very importantly delivers a farewell talk on the dock while all the mummas line up to say goodbye. Soon we’re relieved to see Julie and Steve coming down the stairs. Their host had stuffed up the time.

Leaving Amantani Island we set off for the one-hour trip to Taquile Island with Bruno standing up the front talking non-stop being a total pain. At Taquile we pull into the bottom of a steep cliff so it’s a strenuous fifteen-minute walk to the top where we find a stone archway with clear views of the snow-topped Bolivian Andes.

Bruno is showing off his amazing knowledge again. We’ve had enough of him and don’t listen. From here it’s a thirty-minute walk up to the square to see the ‘knitting men’ but they’re not here. We ask Bruno. “Maybe because it Sunday” – whatever, so we look in the craft shops but we’re a bit bored.

Then I realise I’ve lost my treasured marcasite bracelet from Calcutta so I buy a 40 cent woven one from a little girl in traditional dress to replace it. Not quite the same but special anyway.

Now we walk through the narrow streets of town and find a few very basic cafes that look good. Meanwhile, Bruno keeps stopping to show off how clever he is about plants etc. He points out Quechua, Peru’s pretty national flower, while a local man shows us how to make shampoo from a plant. He grinds leaves between two rocks then strains them to make a soapy liquid which he washes through sheep’s wool till it comes out snowy white.

Bruno explains all the clothing and what it means then another man comes out to play an Andean flute – we give him a tip. Later we pass ladies herding sheep then stop at a family home for lunch in a pretty sun-filled courtyard surrounded by flowers. At long wooden tables we order lunch of vegetable and quinoa soup, corn chips with salsa, grilled fish with rice, potatoes and salad. Then, of course, out comes the mint tea.

I need to use the loo but it’s full of wee wees and no bucket to wash it down so I’ll have to hang on. Time to leave the island, so to get back down to the boat, we descend five hundred stone steps with a few stalls set up along the way.

By 12.30pm we’re back on the boat heading towards Puno. All the islands we pass are rocky and barren except for dry grasses with no sign of life anywhere. Some islands have reeds growing along the shore while others have small boats pulled up on the bank. The water is clear with no rubbish at all. The surface isn’t as calm as yesterday – a bit choppy but still it’s a fairly smooth ride.

Mark and I have the shady side today so I can look out the window while Mark reads for the three hours back to Puno.

Tonight our room has a single bed, a double bed and a sunny bathroom. We jump into a hot shower together then wash our clothes which Mark hangs to dry under the air conditioning.

At 6 o’clock we meet Julie and Steve downstairs. The nearby walking street has a great looking restaurant so we drop in for dinner. Mark has an alpaca steak but my spaghetti bolognaise is horrible.

Later we walk back to the first bar that we went to on the first night we were here. Mark orders weird cocktails like a mojito that comes out in white blobs like eyeballs each one sitting on a spoon. I try one but it comes straight back up, literally shooting out of my throat onto the floor – ha ha – all class!  Now he orders a pink Piscoe ice cream thing with bright pink blobs of alcohol on top then another cocktail of Baileys, Bacardi and chocolate balls.

Steve is still not feeling great so he and Julie head back to their room while Mark and I buy knitted hats from a lady on the footpath outside our hotel.  

Monday 30th January, 2016

Puno to Copacabana to La Paz (Bolivia)

We’re up at 6 o’clock to catch a taxi to the bus station which is situated right on the water. Here we pay a departure fee then get rid of our Peruvian money by buying a few lollies and a shawl. The weather is crisp again today but the sun is shining in a cloudless sky.

We wait about half an hour before we can board the bus then climb to the top section. It’s narrower than the Cusco to Puno bus but at least the seats can recline. The road is quite winding today. Snowy mountains loom in the distance while we follow Lake Titicaca the whole way.

After about three hours we stop at Yunguyo to change money – $1 AUD equals 4.5 BOB (Bolivian Boliviano) – and a kilometre later we all pile out at the Peru border. Here we walk up the hill through “no man’s land” then check into Bolivia immigration. We’re in Bolivia!!

Back on the bus we head for Copacabana only fifteen minutes away. Here we store our bags at a small travel agent before walking down the main street to the water where lots of boats are waiting to take tourists for trips to Isle de Sol or Isle de Luna.

The main street is lined with cool restaurants and lots of travellers are wandering around. We all have hamburgers in a garden restaurant then race back to catch another bus. This is very cramped with a crazy woman wanting everyone to close the windows. A young girl up the front tells her to “shut up and stop annoying everyone”. Ha ha

After a couple of hours we reach the Tiquina Strait which connects the towns of San Pedro de Tiquina and San Pablo de Tiquina. No bridges or ferries here so we need to cross by boat. At the wharf we buy tickets then we all cram into small boats to cross to the other side. Mark and I are squashed inside the cabin with a crazy woman who keeps farting. When we get off she’s yelling out something we can’t understand. Mark says ‘I hope she’s after a toilet because she just dropped her guts on the boat!’

 Meanwhile our bus has been driven onto a narrow wooden barge which is slowly making its way towards us. God only knows how this thing stays afloat!

Back on the bus we experience endless roadworks and traffic jams especially as we become closer to La Paz. At one point we even have to turn back and find another way. 

At last we’re here in La Paz, Bolivia’s capital. We’ve read about its spectacular setting sitting over 4,000m above sea level – six hundred metres higher than Cuzco! Actually, it’s the highest capital city in the world!  Very cool!

We’re finally dropped at the bus station where we catch a taxi to the Anata Hostal in the historic area where we only pay 100 BOB or $20 for our room which has a single bed, a double bed and a bathroom. Being on the bottom floor it’s quite dark but the fabulous atmosphere makes up for it. Julie and Steve are upstairs which looks down onto a central courtyard.

After getting settled we all walk up the street in the dark to look for a travel agent to book flights to Rurrenabaque. And why do we want to get to Rurrenabaque? Because it’s the Amazon!

A bus would take up to twenty hours but a plane only 45 minutes so it’s a no-brainer! The first travel agent tells us there are no seats left for Rurrenabaque but we’re determined to get to the Amazon so we keep searching for another agent. This one has seats for Wednesday and coming back Friday at $660 per couple – we book it.

Dinner is lasagne and chicken schnitzel. Home early to bed.

Tuesday 31st May, 2016

La Paz

Dad’s birthday today – happy birthday in heaven beautiful daddy.

We don’t leave the room till 8.30am then meet Julie and Steve downstairs. We all have freshly made pineapple and orange juice made on the street then set off along the iconic cobblestone streets in the historic colonial centre.

The area is vibrant with people selling local food from street carts, others trading vegetables and meat on the narrow sidewalks and the inevitable Bolivian cholitas. These women are from the Indian Aymara tribe whose colorful dresses and bowler hats have become a symbol of Bolivia itself.

On Calle Colon, Mark buys brightly coloured ties for the guys at work then we all find a cafe with passport size photos of tourists and foreign coins under glass on the table tops. Lunch is chicken plus coffees for the coffee addicts and hot chocolate for sugar addict me. Wandering through the busy streets and crazy roundabouts, we’re looking for the cable car station.

Here we buy tickets for the red line to Estación Teleferico Cementerio. It’s only 60 cents each to the halfway point where we can see Cementerio General below. It’s huge, spread over three kilometres and nothing like our cemeteries at home. Instead of ground burials, Cementerio General has rows and rows of walls where the tombs are stacked on top of each other. Each tomb has a glass plated front with an inscription, a photo, flowers and things that were special to the one who has passed away.

Mark and I buy purples flowers for Angie, her favourite colour, then wander along the walkways to look for a young woman who died at 28, the same age as our beautiful girl. After much searching we find her. Her name is Suzanne. Inside her glass tomb is her photo, vases of flowers and three shot glasses. We think she and Angie would have really hit it off so we place flowers for her and for Angie. Now a funeral passes and I can’t stop crying, crying for our little one.

We buy tickets to the next stop at the top of the hill and see a car squashed front first in a deep crevice – apparently it had gone over the cliff ‘s edge and we wonder if the driver is still in there. No way really to recover the body – a grisly thought!

Despite the dead body, the cable ride is worth it for the spectacular views. La Paz is spread out below us and into the distance are the snow-covered peaks of Illimani. The area is shaped like a bowl with the terracotta buildings of the city covering it all even up the dizzying sides of the Altiplano. Not surprisingly, the wealthier people live in the lower centre while the less affluent live on the steep sides. So, the poorer you are the higher you have to live. Obviously having a view isn’t a bonus here.

Outside the cable car station we grab a taxi to take us to the Witches Market. This really lives up to its name with dried baby llamas hanging from the roof and lots of herbs and leaves. Anyone for a dried frog or llama foetus?

For lunch we eat at an English pub where we all laze around on comfy lounges and order steak rolls with mustard plus chips and salad – huge meals! After lunch we decide to split up to shop. Mark looks for soccer boots for Elkie and I buy shoes for Lauren and some scrunchies and jumpers for the dollies. I also buy a bag to take to the Amazon.

Back to Anata Hostal, we sort out our bags for Rurrenabaque then jump into bed to watch an episode of The Apprentice UK. I get up at 5 to shower and wash my hair then I take the laptop out to the dining room area to upload Facebook photos of the trip.

On dark we all find an upstairs restaurant with two choices of rooms, Angel’s or Devil’s so we choose the Devil’s Room. We’re given a free plate of fresh fruit which the waiter explains – custard apple, passionfruit and two types of potatoes that Bolivians eat as fruit. Dinner is chicken curry and alpaca burger then head home at 9:30 as we all have a very early start in the morning.

Wednesday 1^st June, 2016

La Paz to Rurrenabaque

The alarm wakes us at 4:45 am when we pack and catch a taxi at 5:15. The streets are dark and empty as we drive up the winding highway to the top of La Paz which looks pretty with twinkling lights far below us.

The taxi drops us at the International Airport but at the desk we’re told we need to go to TAM which is the military airport. So back in another taxi we drive for about ten minutes still in the dark.

At the TAM terminal we show our flight tickets to a guy wearing military uniform. We’d planned to just take small packs with us and leave our big bags at the airport but, with no baggage storage, we check everything in then buy tea, coffee and stale cakes. That’s all that’s available in this crappy terminal. And it’s freezing!! 

The so-called Departure Lounge is a bit warmer but has only one small heater for the whole area which is bare and grubby with rows of seats around the walls. To pass the time we eavesdrop on a Chinese girl from New York and her friend flirting with a couple of Asian guys. The plane is scheduled to leave at 7o’clock. All our hand luggage is lined up in the middle so labradors can sniff our bags but then an announcement at 6:30 tells us that the plane has been delayed till 8 o’clock because of bad weather in Rurrenabaque. Then there’s another announcement to say the plane won’t leave till 9 o’clock because the weather still hasn’t improved.

So now we head upstairs for a cappuccino, hot chocolate and cheese and tomato toasted sandwiches. We’re sooo bored because there’s no wifi in this shithole. Later the airline gives us water juice and bread rolls – and the toilet stinks by the way!

More delays so upstairs again for another ham and cheese sandwich then I sit outside in the sun to paint my nails and write up the diary.

By now we’re wondering if this flight will ever happen but then at 12 o’clock we finally take off with two seats each on either side of the plane and Julie and Steve opposite. In line with the rest of our shit morning, we all have a good view of the wings.

Leaving La Paz we fly in circles to rise above the mountains when we can see dry La Paz on one side and misty rainforests on the other. Rain pours down most of the way on this four-hundred kilometre flight and the wind makes it rocky and a bit scary. 

By the time we land in Rurrenabaque the rain is just sprinkling but that’s okay as we love the tiny simple airport surrounded by thick tropical vegetation. We’re in the Amazon!! 

Outside we wait for our ‘free’ pickup which never comes so we share a taxi with two Aussie guys and another guy called Juan Carlos who might be from our travel agent. Hard to work him out. Seems a slimey little shit. 

To reach Rurrenabaque we drive along a cobbled road, very muddy with lots of puddles. At the Sunset Tourist place a young woman tells us that’s because of the plane delay, it’s too late for our tour but we can go at 8am tomorrow. This will mean that we just do a day trip instead of staying overnight in the jungle. For fuck sake!

Oh and we can’t get a refund and we also have to pay for our own hotel tonight. Totally fucked up and Juan Carlos has his grubby little hand out for payment. That’s the trouble with booking tours beforehand which we never do. But this time we didn’t have a choice as we’re so limited with time.

Now Juan Carlos drives us to an ATM then to the Oriental Hotel near the Beni River. We park opposite the church while markets are set up in the park and music is playing so it’s not all bad. And the sun has come out as well! After we’re shown to our rooms, we all walk down to the water for lunch. A side street is lined with little open-fronted shops selling everyday things to the locals.

The waterfront is busy with lots of people wandering around made busier as it’s a public holiday but not sure what for. Ferries and punts carrying cars cross back and forth to a small community on the other side of the river. Lunch is in a restaurant with a tall thatched roof called La Cabana opposite the ferry ramp. We all order different things but everything comes out looking the same ha ha.

Julie and Steve decide to head into town while Mark and I walk back to the hotel butrun into a couple of Moto guys. It takes a while to explain that we want them to drive us around town but finally, with some basic language and lots of hand gestures, we decide on 20 BOB. Riding around on motorbikes is one of our favourite travel experiences especially in small places like Rurrenabaque. So, on the back of a bike each we take off through little town centre.

From here we putput out into the trees and a more rural area where locals are sitting outside their homes and we can smell sweet wood smoke. The road is cobbled and teeth shattering and it feels like my brain is crashing around in my skull. Back down near the river the surface is extra muddy and slippery so that Mark and his driver almost slide off. 

Getting dropped at the ferry wharf, we wander back to The Oriental where we chill out watching The English Apprentice and pack our day packs for tomorrow. We’d like to have a nap but the windows have fly screens instead of glass and loud music is coming from the park and a woman is singing hymns from somewhere else.

With no chance of a sleep we think we’ll check out the church – just one more church please. Anyway, we’re in luck as a ceremony is happening where a procession carrying small versions of the Virgin Mary makes its way along the street then down the aisle of the church to the altar. 

Later we meet Julie and Steve and decide to visit the Mosquito Bar first. But we love it and don’t leave. It has a moody rustic atmosphere and besides they have cheap Pina coladas and pizzas. On the way home we drop in at the park where a band is playing on a small stage surrounded by people drinking beer and getting totally pissed. The market stalls are still open and it’s all so cute. Bed with earplugs as the music is still blaring till 4.30am. Oh and it’s pouring rain! 

Thursday 2nd June, 2016

Amazon Jungle

At 6:15 am we’re up to pack for the jungle. This time we’ll just take our small packs and leave our big ones here at the hotel. 

Even though the music in the park has stopped, we can hear loud classical music coming from somewhere else. For the jungle we’ve been told to wear long pants and shirts with our walking boots and to plaster ourselves in mozzy repellent.

Breakfast is in the little dining room where we meet a friendly group of people. We’re served rolls, butter, jam, coffee, tea and grapefruit juice. At the desk we order two tuktuks to pick us up at 7 o’clock to take us to Sunset Travel. We have to wait awhile so Mark buys water from a small shop across the road.

Piling into the back of a jeep we head down to the river where we meet Fernando, our guide. “Spanish?” he asks hopefully but “English” we say. We also meet our driver then they both help us down the riverbank to a waiting longtail boat. The seats are small and simple but padded so comfy enough.

We set off across the river to the Madidi National Park office. Here we jump out to slip our way up a muddy bank to fill out forms and pay the entry fee. Seems like this cost isn’t part of the tour. Yes, shit tour!

Back in the boat we pull on our raincoats because guess what? – it’s raining! About ten minutes later we stop again for Fernando to climb up another muddy bank and hand in our forms. But the good thing is that even though it’s raining it’s not too cold and the raincoats are keeping us warm.  Our longtail makes its way up the winding brown river which is so shallow in parts that Fernando has to lean out over the front to give our driver directions.

He also keeps up a running commentary as we head further upriver. Apparently Madidi covers 19,000 square kilometres from the Andes to deep into the Amazon which is the tropical lowland rainforesty bit where we are now. Our one-day tour doesn’t allow us to explore any further. 

For three hours we see a few birds but nothing else. Rurrenabaque is the ‘gateway’ to the Bolivian Amazon, so maybe it’s because we’re just on the edge, but we haven’t seen another living thing! Forget sloths, piranhas, jaguars, pink river dolphins and toucans! Nothing! Maybe it’ll be better onshore. 

With the rain putting a ‘damper’ on things, this place isn’t exactly living up to our expectations of being a ‘jungle paradise’ as Madidi is touted as.

What is nice, though, is the mist hanging in valleys and clouds on the mountains. Fernando points out a monkey profile on a cliff face then describes the vegetation and animal life. At least he’s excited! We sort of understand what he’s saying.

At 11 o’clock we pull into the jungle camp where we would have stayed last night. It looks so good. A few large thatched huts are dotted around an open area. Inside are raised wooden frames covered in mattresses for beds draped with mosquito nets hanging from wooden beams. The big kitchen hut is open on three sides where local ladies are cooking for a small group of people already here. They’re probably the lucky ones who got to stay here last night.

 We watch Fernando sharpen a hatchet knife then he makes us tea and coffee.  I need the loo and find a tiny jungle hut with just a hole in the ground.

Now the four of us follow Fernando into the jungle for a one-hour walk. We tramp along the jungle’s muddy floor as he shows us different medicinal plants as well as the plants that are poisonous which we get from his vomiting and pooping actions. Actually, it seems that most plants here are poisonous. He points out ants that will kill you as well. Bloody hell!

Later he picks up nuts from the ground that he says he’ll use to make jewellery for us. He shows us leaves that can be used as cups and how to hack through the jungle with his knife. He seems to love it all. Mark and Steve have a go as well while Julie and I wear crowns he’s made from jungle plants. Very attractive!

Fernando tells us that he was one of eight kids and the rest have of gone off to the big cities but he loves the jungle so he stays. Apparently, we can’t see any monkeys or snakes because they’re hiding from the rain.

Arriving back at the camp lunch is ready – beef, coleslaw, rice and  fried bananas.  Nothing much to do so we chill out in hammocks and I have a sleep. Mark takes photos of me with my mouth open – rude! Later Fernando makes jewellery but this whole thing is getting boring so I move over to the mattress. I’m so tired today.

We leave at 4 o’clock and set off in the longtail for Rurrenabaque. No rain but I put my pants on my head to keep the wind out of my ears. It’s a lovely ride back and quicker because of the current going our way. The rhythm of the boat makes us sleepy and I even doze off on Mark ‘s knee for a while.

As we near Rurrenabaque we pass other longtail boats some piled high with bunches of green bananas. The sky has cleared and the sun is low, beaming gold across the water.  

We’re back in town by 6pm and have photos with the lovely Fernando. We even meet his little boy also call Fernando. He’s happy when we give him $20.

Julie and Steve head into town while Mark and I head back to the Oriental for showers, a snuggle and Mark reads a book in the hammock outside our room. On dark we all walk to a French/Italian restaurant – nice but a bit expensive so we find another bar which is trying to imitate The Mosquito but failing badly.

After a cocktail each we all make it back to The Mosquito where the television is showing operations on animals. Why?? Julie asks them to change to a music video and they do.

Back at the Oriental, we start to pack for tomorrow. No loud music tonight.

Friday 3^rd June, 2016

Rurrenabaque to La Paz to Santiago

This morning we’re leaving Rurrenabaque and catching a plane back to La Paz. The alarm goes off at 6:15am when we pack then jump in a van at 7 with Juan Carlos. He drives us to through the wet streets to the TAM office in town.

Yes, it’s raining again but we ARE in a tropical rainforest after all! At the office we check in our bags which are loaded onto a bus. For some reason we need to wait for an hour before boarding ourselves. It’s even wet in the bus as the roof is leaking onto the floor through the light fitting. From here we drive to the airport and of course the plane is late. We’re just worried that, because of the weather, we could be sitting here for hours like on our trip over.

Mark buys a coffee from a cafe then we both go back later to buy tea and kill some time. We talk to a Spanish girl called Monica. She’s been here for a week volunteering in a refugee camp as well as visiting the pampas and the jungle. Like us, she didn’t see any animals in the rainforest except for two snakes. Her guide says “you sooo lucky.” WTF is going on? She said that he reckons that because of global warming, the animals are going deeper into the jungle. Sounds logical. 

Our plane arrives about 12 o’clock as the weather has thankfully cleared. We all have better seats today so we can watch the views as we fly over the Cordillera Real Mountains.

Our plan is to reach Santiago in Chile late tonight but it’ll be a bit of a mission to get there. This first flight takes us back to TAM airport where we catch a taxi to La Paz’s International Airport. We’re a bit early so we all have Subway upstairs then wander around using the massage chairs and posting photos on Facebook.

Our LAN Airways flight leaves an hour late landing at 7.30pm in Iquique, a coastal town in northern Chile. We check our bags through customs then head up to the boarding gate. I ring Lauren for news from home. Abi is going next level in public speaking – so cute – while Elkie is being naughty and grumpy – little darling. They’re supposed to be getting a big storm there tonight.

We take off at 9:30 pm landing two hours later in Santiago. Grabbing a taxi into town we find that it’s raining here as well.  At the Casa Mosaica hotel there’s a problem with the booking. Probably my fault and no room for Julie and Steve. The young girl takes them to a hostel around the corner. I hope it’s okay.

Our room is big but cold although the bed is comfy and we have a warm doona. After a long day we both sleep solid but with earplugs as our room looks over the street, noisy with people partying. 

Saturday 4th June, 2016

Santiago

After a sound sleep, we wake to find that we love Casa Mosaica. Our room called Isabel Allende has so much colonial character with wooden window shutters iand polished floors. We do have a private bathroom, but it’s down the hall.

We find Julie and Steve’s place just around the corner then we explore Santiago for the rest of the day, some bits together and some bits we split up.

Naturally, we must find the Plaza de Armas where musicians are playing in a rotunda, then we visit churches, an art gallery, a museum and the amazing street art in the Barrio Franklin area.

Around noon, we visit the Mercado Central in the downtown area of Santiago. Thisis the city’s fresh fish market including lots of small seafood restaurants within its wrought iron interior. In one of the tiny restaurants inside, we have a wonderful authentic lunch – cheap too! As we eat we’re serenaded by an old man playing a guitar and singing to us.

Later we cross to the close by La Vega which is the fresh fruits and vegetable market. These markets are always our favourites wherever we travel – always colourful and interesting to see all the varieties so different from home.

Probably the best attraction, though, is the funicular ride up San Cristobal Hill. We wait in a line to catch the historic funicular that runs 485 meters to the top where we have a panoramic view of Santiago with its surrounding hills and, of course, the ever-present Andes Mountains.

Later the four of us meet up in a bar for dinner, last beers and last margaritas.

So, thoughts on the trip. Lots of experiences – Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, the Amazon, three capital cities (Lima, Santiago and La Paz), festivals and so much more. But for some reason we didn’t fall in love. Back to our happy place in Asia next trip.

Sunday 5th June, 2016

Santiago

Today we’re all flying home. Our flight leaves Santiago at 2.30 pm

Monday 6th June, 2016

Sydney Land in Sydney at 5.45a