Her name was Lola....

Leaving Puno was a relief and crossing the border in to Bolivia gave me the usual tingly feeling of excitement, wondering what to expect of the new country, how would it differ from Peru (the ladies hats are different - but more of that later). It's a shame that our last stop in Peru was Puno, it does absolutely nothing for the country - thank god for the Peruvians that they have Cusco and Machu Picchu!

The border crossing was as straightforward as it had been crossing from Ecuador to Peru - the bus stops, we all disembark, we all walk to the two Peruvian offices to get stamped out and then walk a short distance past the 'Bienvenido A Bolivia' sign and get stamped in then everyone gets back on the bus and we're in a new country and on our way.

Adios Peru, Buenos Dias Bolivia

Abs and I had agreed that if Copacabana wasn't our kind of place we would stay for one night and then head straight to La Paz - turns out Copacabana and more specifically Hostel Olas is absolutely our kind of place! 

A couple that we met in Quito had recommended Hostel Olas and as with Killawasi Lodge in Yanque we had booked only one night and as with Killawasi, the moment that we arrived we knew that we wanted to stay for longer. The room was a beautifully designed split level 'apartment' with two bedrooms, a kitchen, small dining area, small log burning stove and private garden with hammocks and floor to ceiling stained glass windows - it was perfect. 

Room with a view..... and wine

Aside from walking in to the town to go to the market for quinoa, vegetables and wine we didn't leave the hostel - it really was idyllic with a stunning view across a deep blue and sparkling Lake Titicaca, so much more tranquil than the Peruvian side. It was an absolute treat to go to sleep with the curtains open and to wake looking at such an amazing place.

But, all good things must come to and end, we have Death Road to cycle (my insurance policy is with World Nomads by the way) and the salt flats at Uyuni to explore and so we must get the bus to La Paz.

See you there.

Raine x 

Your Not So Lucky House Hostel

So back to Puno and why it's my least favourite place.....

We arrived in Puno a little later than expected and we hadn't booked a hostel so we went in search of one, our first stop was Your Lucky House Hostel, not so lucky it turns out, it was a complete dump and there was no way that we were staying there, I don't think the woman who answered the door to us was staying either as she'd left before we'd got our back packs on.

Anyway after a short walk we found what appeared to be a perfectly good hostel a street away and negotiated the room rate down from 110 Soles per night to 140 Soles for two nights.

I quickly logged on and we had an email from Steve inviting us for dinner at his hotel, considerably more upmarket than our hostel so we jumped in a cab, it was later than we'd planned though and so when we arrived they'd already finished their dinner, which was fine we ordered our customary Pisco Sours (they took 20 minutes - more upmarket but way too slow....). After dinner we split a bottle of Peruvian red, it was ok a little heavy and a bit port-like but fine.

On Saturday we were up and out at 6:15 for our trip to the Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca - whilst the islands are completely over run with tourists the concept of the Islands and the way of life which still exists today is extraordinary.

Uros

We visited Uros an island made entirely of reeds including its foundations inhabited by five families. I do wonder how much longer these villagers will be living this primitive way of life, I suspect not for long.

When we got back to Puno at 5pm we collected our bus tickets for Copacabana on Sunday and after a quick beer en route to the hostel and dinner it was another early start which is when my dislike of Puno was cemented. Over all it's just a completely non-descript and charmless city which became even more charmless when we tried to check out of Hostel Monterrey. At 6am we went down to breakfast to be told there was none and then when we paid the night watchman went to our room and returned telling us that we had broken the toilet in the room and would need to pay - the toilet in the room was broken and we had asked them to fix it on three occasions - a dreadful scam.

Looking forward to Copacabana.

See you there.

Raine x

Our Tune

On Friday morning we took a taxi to Chivay, the next town on from Yanque, we had considered staying here and I'm so glad that we didn't as it was tourist central, a real contrast to Yanque where it felt like we were the only people there.

Our bus left for Puno at 13:15 and I don't know why but to date this was my favourite bus journey, which is a little ironic as Puno, our destination was my least favourite place - but more of that later back to the journey.....

The scenery was wonderful and we saw one of the best sunsets that I've ever seen but I think what made this my favourite bus journey was the music. I started the trip making random selections from my iPod but an hour or so in I started being much more selective, listening to tunes that reminded me of people and places.

I got quite emotional listening to Wires by Athlete, although this song wasn't published when Harriet had her accident when I've listened to it since it makes me think of her then.

I listened to She's a Rebel by Green Day and I was transported back to my Sky Dive with Tony, one of my most unforgettable days.

Ordinary World by Duran Duran got me thinking about Stu as I often do. 

Telephone by The Gaga & Beyonce had me back on the dance floor of The Shadow Lounge with Marc. 

A stroke of genius by someone at Wandsworth council a few years ago convinced me that Starlight by Muse is without a doubt the best piece of music to use for a firework display - I'm sorry to have missed this years display at Battersea park which Caroline and I usually go to.

We Found Love by Rhianna got me thinking about Adrian, not because we found love, obviously, but it was one of the songs playing when we went to the club after my 40th birthday dinner last year - I was so chuffed that you and Ian were able to be there.

Forever Autumn from The War of the Worlds is a sad song that I know my Mum loves, Come on Feel The Noise by Slade would have made me smile more than this one but there are limits to what I'm prepared to have on my iTunes account! (Ab's doesn't have the same reservations so I smiled when we listened to Sylvia's Mother by Dr Hook last night).

My Dad got an entire albumn, and a two CD one at that - I listened to A Night on the Town with The Rat Pack from end to end - they don't make them like they used to.....

A bit of HardFi, particularly Feltham is Singing Out got me thinking about the driest county in England and some of my favourite road trips round the M25.

Oh and JT, for the same reason that I don't have Slade on my iPod I also don't have 'I've got no Strings' by that little wooden boy that we both know and love but trust me if I'd have had it I would have listened to it and thought of you.

So, I guess it's obvious really it was my best bus journey to date because I had some quality time to think about you all - please know that I do a lot and whilst I wouldn't swap this trip of a lifetime for anything I'm so looking forward to seeing you all next year.

Raine x

Oh and I have a late addition, Abs has introduced me to Ben Howard and from the amount that we're playing his albumn I have no doubt 'Keep your head up' will become our tune.

Condor Spotting

The reason for travelling to Arequipa was to visit Colca Canyon - it's the worlds deepest canyon, twice the depth of the Grand Canyon and famous for its condors. We looked at the tour options and whilst we are of course tourists ourself the trip really did look too touristy and so we arranged with the tour company to do an edited version.

We arrived at Arequipa bus terminal a little before 11am, to the sound of the panpipe version of  'When a child is born' by Johnny Mathis blasting out around the terminal. Our bus journey to Yanque was uneventful though longer than expected. The landscape had changed again, lower, browner and even more baron hills.

The bus stopped in a fairly remote looking place and we, along with a local young mother of two, were the only people to disembark we clearly looked lost and she kindly offered to walk us to the Plaza de Armas.

Killawasi, our hotel was perfect - with stunning views from our room so perfect in fact that we arranged to stay for another night.

The view from our room in Yanque

At 6:30 on Thursday we were picked up by the tour group, as anticipated it was very touristy stopping repeatedly en route to Colca Canyon to allow us to photograph local children dancing, local children with pocket sized versions of sheep and alpacas and adults with condors - these were not pocket sized by any stretch of the imagination.

A pocket sized alpaca

Not a great shot but a condor none the less

I wasn't feeling great when we got back, fairly sure that it's the altitude so I went to bed for a few hours - Abs walked in to town and was 'mugged' by four 4 year olds, the story she relayed was hysterical......

Next stop Puno to visit the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca - see you there.

Raine x 

Amigas?

We got back from Machu Picchu at 7pm and after narrowly missing a hailstorm, picking up our backpacks and showering we were on the overnight bus to Arequipe at 8:30. 

The majority of travel across SA is done by bus, they're comfortable and the experience is much like travelling premium economy/business class with some airlines. We had a hot meal of chicken which was good then cold drinks - while we were eating we watched an episode of Downton Abbey and then it was time to sleep, well it was for me as when I'm tired I can sleep through pretty much anything but Abs had to endure the SA bus journey phenomenon that is an action movie played at full volume for three hours!

I woke up at 5am about an hour before we arrived at Arequipe, the sun was up and the landscape had changed dramatically, the green rolling hills had been replaced by much lower hills which were yellow and brown in colour.

We arrived at our hostel at 6am and surprisingly we were able not only to check in but to have breakfast as well  - located 10 minutes from the bus terminal and 10 minutes from Plaza de Armas in the centre which was perfect.

Arequipa really isn't much to write home about although we did have very good meal at ZigZag, the number 1 restaurant in the city, Beef Carpaccio and a 'Sexy' Salad with a couple of glasses of red. We also had an  hysterical and slightly stilted conversation in Spanish  with a lovely man and his family as we waited to be seated, we talked about where we'd been and where we were going and he enthusiastically reinforced our decisions "ah, si muy bonito', before comically trying to establish whether we were friends or 'friends' - we weren't even wearing our lesbian walking trousers or matching jumpers!

God I miss wearing a skirt and heels :-)

Raine x

What Hiram Bingham saw......

We travelled to Ollyantaytambo by minibus on Tuesday morning to catch the train to Aguas Calientes which is the town closest to Machu Picchu. We travelled in 'Vistadome' class, one down from the Orient Express and a couple up from Backpacker.

The train to Aguas Calientes

The views were amazing and the anticipation was building for all of us knowing that we only had one night to go until we arrived at the City of the Incas.

We were up at 4am on Monday as we were keen to be on one of the first buses that drives you the 30 minutes up to Machu Picchu and after a fried egg roll and a cup of coca tea we were on our way.

When we arrived at 6am the cloud was low and the sun wasn't up - when we walked through the entrance gate I had the same feeling of anticipation and expectation that I'd had since 4am but so far it felt like a tourist attraction without much going for it - and then bang!

Not a word I use often; awesome!

For the next two hours the clouds rise and fall exposing and then concealing various parts of these fascinating ruins. Hearing the story of their discovery and getting a better understanding of the history of the Incas is both sad and fascinating. 

Hiram Bingham an American explorer discovered the ruins in 1911. I was surprised at both the size and the completeness of the ruins which only became a tourist attraction in 1980. The ruins are approximately 60% original, 30% reconstructed and 10% in need of renovation. Without a doubt there's still more to be discovered in the vegetation of the lower lands but apparently this will be left for later generations to discover.

"All things are impossible until you've done them" - Fransisco

4:30am felt like a very early start after our night on the Pisco's..... but we made it to the bus for 5am.

We drove for an hour or so from Cusco to get to the start point of the trek and before we set off Cirillo our chef set us up for the day with the most amazing breakfast of pancakes, fruit salad and quinoa porridge.

The first day which is supposed to be the easier day was made considerably harder by the persistent rain, which by nightfall had turned to snow - thank goodness for our co-ordinating alpaca jumpers, hats, gloves, socks and for the playing cards that Francisco our guide brought with him. After a few rounds of 'Shit-Head', which was quite funny and 'Nervous' which was hysterical we'd forgotten how cold it was and that we had to be up at 5am!

Time for bed..... I hope no polo playing argentinians see this!

Day two saw us reach the summit of Sicllakasa Pass at 4,750m - it was hard work in the cold and the altitude - I'm not sure whether the coca leaves have a physical or psychological effect, but I chewed them at every opportunity and when I wasn't chewing them I was drinking tea made from them.

Although I found the walking hard I really enjoyed it, unlike the Inca Trail which sees 500 walkers set off each day we didn't see one other walker for the duration of our trek. We were however regularly mugged by the children from the local communities that we walked past - who on seeing us from afar ( to be fair I was hard to miss in my electric pink 'Mac in a Sac'!) - ran some significant distance up hill to meet us and ultimately beg for sweets, unfortunately we didn't know that this was going to happen and so the best that we could do was give them our snacks of apples and granola bars - which were received with varying levels of enthusiasm. I love this picture that Abs was able to capture - caught whilst Abs was trying to make her smile - without the smile this is one of my favourites (the granola bar was swiftly stuffed up her jumper as soon as she got it).

Can you spot the granola bar?

We were so lucky, not only with the group that we travelled with but also with the team from Llama Path, the tour company we used. Using just one calor gas burner, Cirillo our chef prepared some incredible food, each meal consisted of three of more courses ranging from wontons and apple puffs to steak & special fried frice and even a beautifully iced celebration cake for breakfast (there is a god) on our final morning.

Mmmmm, cake for breakfast......

The Lares trek is a great alternative to The Inca Trail (which you have to book six months in advance), it's a shorter trek which goes higher; you don't experience the 'thrill' of walking through the 'Sun Gate' and descending to Machu Picchu but the scenery is spectacular and there's something special about only seeing locals and not hundreds of other tourists on the build up to seeing one of the worlds most amazing sights.

See you in Machu Picchu!

Raine x 

Radio Silence

After a Pisco sour and a G&T we met up with Steve for dinner at Incazuela then another Pisco at The Fallen Angel - probably not the best prep for Machu Picchu, any way it's done now.....

In four hours time we'll be starting our trek so I'll be incommunicado for at least the next four days.

Looking forward to updating you after the trek.

Raine x

Magic Eye

This morning, after a false start when we walked to the 'best place for breakfast' in Cusco only to find that it doesn't open until 11:30..... we grabbed what quite possibly actually is the best breakfast in Cusco at Jack's and then took a taxi to Saqsahuaman (for ease it's pronounced Sexy Woman).

Can you see the sexy woman, it's a bit
like a 'magic eye' picture.....!

We took a guide which was money well spent. Carmen was able to tell us exactly what it was that we were looking at, at both Pisca and Ollantaytambo we looked and then retrospectively asked the gods of Google what we'd seen.

Following the siege of Cusco in 1536, the Spaniards used Saqsahuaman as a source of stones for building 'Spanish Cusco' - only the stones that were too big to move remain at the site (one of the stones weighs approx. 140 tonnes - unsurprisingly that one's still there!).

Our afternoon was spent shopping for Alpaca jumpers for our trek, whilst the days are warm we've been warned to expect night time lows of -3 as we head to Machu Picchu. We managed to find just what we were looking for and paid 100 Peruvian soles (£24.00), for two hand made alpaca jumpers.......

Baby alpaca born a couple of hours before we got to Sacsayhuaman

Crazy 'puli' alpaca 

I feel bad that I ate one now.......

Raine x 

Inca Kola

At beer o'clock on Monday we took some time to pull together an outline plan for the next few weeks. We've booked to stay on what looks like a beautiful estancia two hours south of Mendoza, in Argentina, for Christmas and so we have a lot of ground to cover (2200 miles by bus) to ensure we're there by the 23rd December.

Planning was hungry work so we went for dinner at Inkazuela - Peruvian beef & Aji stew and a glass of malbec followed by an early night with a cup of coca tea (much to Marc's disappointment - I appreciate the feedback).

On Tuesday morning we took a 'Collectivo' - a shared minibus - to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley to look at the Inca ruins. 

Ollantaytambo

I had my first and possibly last bottle of Inca Kola today, it's just like Irn Bru but luminous yellow. However, if it has the same hangover healing properties as Irn Bru I may keep a bottle in reserve for the morning after the night we find the worlds best Pisco Sour!

How is it possible for a drink to be this colour......?

Talking of Pisco Sours.... We ate at Limo Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar last night, I had Pork loin and black quinoa ragout - preceded by a Maracuya Pisco Sour - oh my goodness - it was absolutely scrumptious (thanks Marc).

Do we even have maracuyas at home, I may not come home if we don't.

Raine x

I have a favour to ask, well three favours actually....

1. I have completely exhausted the use of the word 'delicious' and with so many more restaurants to visit and Pisco Sours to drink can I ask you to use the 'comment' function on the blog to extend my vocabulary and let me have some alternatives.

2. Abs and I have a pack of playing cards but only know one game between us and we're not quite sure that we're playing that one correctly - if you know any good card games can you use the 'comment' function on the blog or email me with the rules - we're going trekking on Friday and I suspect the nights will be long....

3. Finally, and this is a long shot I know, but if you know how to change a pair of slightly too big jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of converse into a sexy dress and a pair of heels I'd really appreciate it - I curse the size of my backpack!

Raine x 

Pisac

On Sunday we were up and out before 7:30am, Cusco is so pretty with its narrow streets and colonial architecture we were keen to take some photo's in good light - unfortunately even at 7:30am we were too late as the sun was already too high in the sky.
As our travelling stocks of Marmite and Earl Grey are running low we decided to breakfast at the Real McCoy, a gringo hangout which serves both of our favourite breakfast staples - it was dreadful, which I guess we could have predicted (it was a big step away from our normal selection method for restaurants - typically determined by their ranking on Trip Advisor).
A little after 8am we caught the local bus to Pisac which is in the Sacred Valley about an hour from Cusco. When we arrived we took a taxi up to the ruins, the agricultural terracing and Q'allaqasa (citadel) are really quite impressive. 

Citadel at Pisac

The ruins were busy, full of big tour groups travelling by bus with many people trying to 'bag' the sacred valley in one day, with time on our hands we took the long walk back down the hill - no one else walked down which is a shame for them, it was a lovely walk that finishes on the edge of Pisac market.

Taking a breather

Fruit & Veg market

We spent the rest of the day at the market before catching the bus back to Cusco at 4pm - it was a great day that ended with a very nice meal of Cauliflower soup and vegetable tempura and of course a Pisco Sour, after all we are now on the hunt for the best one in Peru - happy days.

Raine x

Great weather, great food, great city.....

Cusco is a beautiful city and on first impressions it's going to more than make up for the relative disappointments of Banos, Alausi and Cuenca.

We've been spoilt with the weather, for the past three days Cusco has been bathed in sunshine with temperature up in the mid to high 20's.

 La Catedral, Plaza de Armas

The main square has lots of outside seating areas, typically balconies of the bars, restaurants and cafes - great vantage points for people watching and of course our customary pre-dinner Pisco Sour - which is fast becoming our cocktail of choice. There's a fantastic selection of restaurants here, I think my favourite meal so far in Cusco was at Uchu; shrimp & Maracuya ceviche followed by Alpaca steak cooked on a stone (it was so soft, almost like butter) and served with chilli & peanut mashed potato - gorgeous!

During the day the square and the streets off of it are all bustling with tourists and traders, after 6pm I don't know why but it takes on a distinctly Christmassy feel.

Cusco at night

This city is going to keep us busy and I know that we're going to love it.

Raine x

Reflections of Ecuador

We arrived in Cusco on Friday - it's a wonderful city and as I write this update we are sat having lunch on the balcony of really good organic restaurant called Green's, it's just off the main square which in Inka times was known as Huacayapta (warriors square), and is now known as Plaza de Armas.

Before I start enthusing about Cusco a quick summary my memories of Ecuador.

Bus journeys were novel for a number of reasons, the hawkers selling CD's, crips, ice lollies, fruit and hot banana loaves (so good and only $1). On the overnight buses we think we worked out the usage policy of the on board toilet, women can request the key from the conductor and men can pee at the side of the road when the bus stops which it did frequently. 

There are no prams or pushchairs in Ecuador, none. Children are either strapped across the back with a sheet or carried in arms - often being breast-fed on the move.

Almost everything is closed on Sundays and it's illegal to buy/sell alcohol - we were told that in restaurants they can sell alcohol with food but this seems open to interpretation, in Quito we could in Cuenca we couldn't.

The sun sets on Ecuador

Highlights: The Travellers Inn Hostel; Learning Spanish; Maracuya Juice; Cotapaxi; Otavalo; Friendship bracelets and the ever present smell of Eucalyptus on bus journeys.

Lowlights: Banos; Spiders and Learning Spanish.

Brace yourself for Cusco - it's a great city and I already have lots to tell you about it.

Raine x

LGSO Christmas Concert

The LGSO will be playing their Christmas concert on Sunday 9th December - if you're going to be in London and need something to help get you in the Christmas spirit you can buy tickets online now (www.lgso.org.uk)

They will be playing:

Slavonic Dances
Snow Maiden Suite
Suite from The Nutcracker

At:

St Suplchre-without-Newgate
10 Giltspur St
London
EC1A 9DE

Raine x

Raine x

Border crossing

On Thursday a taxi picked us up at 05:30 to take us to Loja, the bus terminal from where we caught the bus for the five hour journey to the border followed by a further three hours on to Piura where we were staying for the night before flying via Lima to Cusco.

We met up with Steve who we'd originally met in Quito and shared what was a completely uneventful bus journey.

Ab's and Raine arrive in Peru

The change in scenery is dramatic as we cross the border, the mountains disappear, replaced by vast open plains and a lot of litter! 

We pass numerous huts at the side of the road, hives of activity with Peruvians bagging up limes (for the ceviche and not the G&T's I imagine).

Our hostel in Piura is very basic but we're leaving for Cusco at 6am so it's not a big deal. We dump our bags and head out for a bottle of Cristal - no, for those of you that know me well, unfortunately not the champagne but a Peruvian beer, which was very good and considerably cheaper.

After a very nice dinner of a pineapple, avocado and corn timbale followed by a traditional beef and banana chip dish it was off to bed in readiness for our 8am flight to Cusco.

Expectations are low following the relative disappointments of Banos, Alausi and Cuenca but my fingers are crossed.

Raine x

They shall not grow old......

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Raine x

This is more like it......

We took a two stage approach to our trip from Cuenca to Vilcabamba, a shared taxi (which is a really common way to travel) to Loja bus terminal and then a local bus to Vilcabamba.

Izhcayluma (or Ichacanicha as we called it) was our accommodation of choice for night one. It was 2k out of the town and there are two reasons to stay here, the views and the toasted sandwiches - whilst I would have to concede that the views could be equalled in other parts of Ecuador, the bread could not!

The view from the restaurant at Izhcayluma

The following morning we checked in to Hostel Rendezvous in the town. After checking in we went for a walk, it was a hot day and so we put on our shorts and with a look of 'Happy Hikers' about us we headed off. The walk wasn't well marked but we worked it out and got to the village of San Jose where we bought an ice cold coke. As we were trying to navigate our way back we met some Ozzie ex-pats who told us two things, firstly it was a difficult walk back and we should share a cab with them and secondly that you should never wear shorts in Vilcabamba - when I looked down at my legs I saw that there were small drops of blood all over them - we were warned to expect to feel like we wanted to 'rip our legs off' overnight - why did no one warn us about the sand flies....?

In spite of the bastard sand flies I'm glad we stopped off in Vilcabamba but I'm ready to leave Ecuador now, I'm looking forward to finding out what Peru has in store for us.

Raine x

Cuenca

Having made the decision to ditch the train ride in Alausi, we caught the first bus out of town, we were the only people to board the bus at 06:30 but by the time we were 20 minutes into the journey the bus was full. The four hour journey takes in some beautiful scenery, some unimaginably tight bends and some pretty scary overtaking manoeuvres but the journey ends well and we arrive in Cuenca at about 10:30.

Cuenca is a colonial city and we arrive in the midst of the residents celebrating their independence.

There were some beautiful buildings

I sat in La Merced, the central plaza which is full of people watching a procession of beauty queens, cars and bands - it was very noisy, but as soon as the last car passes by everyone leaves and I'm left sitting in the sun with only a handful of other people. 

I'm sorry to say that I didn't particularly enjoy Cuenca, it lacked soul and I was grateful that we were only spending two days there before heading to Vilcabamba.

Raine x