We made it! Our final destination for the South America leg - Peru's largest city by a long way, Lima. This city is seriously big and consists of a number of neighbourhoods over a vast geographic area. Unforetunately it's not really built for tourists, but more about this below.
We caught a crappy cheap local bus with Soyuz from Ica to Lima to save some pennies. Total cost was s/22 per person for the 4 hour journey.
As mentioned, Lima isn't the most tourist friendly city. There really isn't much to do or see that you can't do or see bigger and better elsewhere. We stayed in Miraflores which is an upmarket, afluent suburb outside the centro. It is typified by big houses and new apartments, most of which have huge security fences and private security guards. Very reassuring. Given the demographic, everything in Miraflores is overpriced (by Peruvian standards). So what is there to do and see in Lima? Well, as mentioned, not much.
More plazas - Plaza San Martin and yet another Plaza de Armas. Like most Peruvian centres, Lima's was again in reasonably good condition.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
More exciting is the Polvos Azules market just on the outskirts of the centro adjacent to the freeway. Here you can buy almost every DVD or video game ever created in pirated form. On top of this, there is a plethora of cheap electronics, clothes and all sorts of other stuff at discount prices. Word has it if your camera is stolen, you can buy it back the next day from Polvos Azules. We're uncertain if there is any truth behind this. Regardless, if you're in Lima, it's definitely worth checking our Polvos Azules. It's not as though we really stretched ourseleves, but it was the most intersting thing we did in our 5 days there.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
At the end of the day, Lima is just a big city. If you want an intereting 'big city', it's probably best to look somewhere besides Lima in my opinion.
The rest of our time was spent doing administrative tasks for our upcoming USA and Europe legs.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Huacachina, Peru
From Arequipa we again headed north towards Ica, and back to sea level. Ica itself is less than cool, however just 15 minutes in a taxi or tuk-tuk will land you in Huacachina - a small resort town nestled within an endless horizon of sand dunes. Quite cool indeed.
Long story short, if you go to Peru and don't do this, you've done yourself a great disservice.
The town is completely geared towards tourism consisting only of hostels, hotels, restaurants and sandboarding tour agencies. Who cares though? Why would you need anything else besides going sandboarding and dune buggying in a place like this? For the price of s/35 (s/45 if you want to use a modified snowboard rather than a sandboard), you can get a two hour sand buggy with a driver that borders on crazy, and a ride down 5-6 sand dunes within the surrounding parks of Huacachina. 'Awesome' is the only word to describe. So much so that we decided to stay an extra night so that we could do it again (and probably would have stayed another day or two if we didn't have a flight to catch).
The first day we opted for the modified snowboards, perhaps biting off more than we could chew with zero snowboarding experience between us. The agency was kind enough to let us take them out for a quick practice before the actual tour and we managed to get a reasonable grasp of it, or so we thought. The dunes we practiced on were a bit more tame than the ones within the park. After a few stacks on the tour, I turfed the snowboard for a standard sandboard. Nick persisted with not much luck and ended up looking like a sand castle.
Despite our lack of success, the buggy tour well and truly made it an excting afternoon. The next day we swallowed our pride and turfed the snowboards, preferring to go face down on the sandboards which is the fastest way to get from the top to the bottom. So. Much. Fun. To take things to the 'next level', one of the pro-boarders from the agency came with us on the second tour and took us to some of the steepest and longest dunes in the park.
Long story short, if you go to Peru and don't do this, you've done yourself a great disservice. Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Arequipa, Peru
From Cusco we headed south to Arequipa. In retrospect it makes much more geographical sense to go to Arequipa enroute to Cusco, but it served as a nice 2 day stop off and relaxation point, as Puno did after La Paz.
Arequipa is nestled between a series of mountains and a volcano which provide pretty extreme multi day trekking opportunities over 6000m above sea level. There are also trips available to the neaby Colca Canyon whichfor some reason has it's bridge at the bottom, rather than traversing the top. Regardless, our impeding flight from Lima to Miami, and with better things on offer in Huacachina, trekking wasn't really on our agenda (maybe next time friend?). Instead we used the time to take in the world heritage city centre (5 block radius from the Plaza de Armas) which is host to some rather nice restaurants and bars, and presents a very European feel. Along with Potosi, Bolivia, it is probably one of the better examples on colonial archetecture in South America.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
Despite not really 'accomplishing' anything in Arequipa we weren't too fussed after a pretty solid last 5 weeks.
Next stop: sandboarding (or a hospital bed) in Huacachina!
Arequipa is nestled between a series of mountains and a volcano which provide pretty extreme multi day trekking opportunities over 6000m above sea level. There are also trips available to the neaby Colca Canyon whichfor some reason has it's bridge at the bottom, rather than traversing the top. Regardless, our impeding flight from Lima to Miami, and with better things on offer in Huacachina, trekking wasn't really on our agenda (maybe next time friend?). Instead we used the time to take in the world heritage city centre (5 block radius from the Plaza de Armas) which is host to some rather nice restaurants and bars, and presents a very European feel. Along with Potosi, Bolivia, it is probably one of the better examples on colonial archetecture in South America.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
Despite not really 'accomplishing' anything in Arequipa we weren't too fussed after a pretty solid last 5 weeks.
Next stop: sandboarding (or a hospital bed) in Huacachina!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Cusco, Peru (inc. Machu Picchu)
After being released from the medical clinic and a quick day of rest, I finally headed north towards the Inca capital of Cusco to catch up with Nick who was due to set of on the Lares trek the next morning. As well as being the point of departure for almost all treks and trains to Machu Picchu, Cusco was one of the more picturesque cities we had seen in a while (more on this below).
With the delay from Puno, I quickly set about finding a 2 day/1 night tour (via train) to the famous Inca ruins. After much searching the cheapest price to be found was US150 all inclusive. My original plan was to simply go to Peru Rail, source my own accomodation in Aguas Calientes and hike up to Machu Picchu the next morning. After careful consideration, the time and effort of this wouldn't justify the negligible savings on offer (approx US15). Furthermore, Peru Rail is still in shambles after the land slides earlier this year, and to catch the train involved a series of local buses to Ollantaytambo, and another Peru Rail bus to the makeshift station in the middle of nowhere.
Long-story-short, the organised tour went smoothly, and by virtue of the cheaper train being overbooked, I scored a free upgrade to an earlier departing 'new backpacker' train, arriving back to Cusco at 9ish pm, rather than 2ish am.
The one downside was the tour of the ruins was due to be at 10.30am with Cosmos Tours. Not a big deal as I arrived at 5.30am, but the adjacent mountain of Waynapicchu (glorified viewing platform) only has a 7am and 10am timeslot (200 people each) due to safety. The tour time forced me to do the former which was prior to the masses of fog clearing from the ruins. The result was effectively no view. To make the situation worse, it was clear by 10.30am as I reached the bottom. Anyway, I won't rant on about Incan society, culture etc as I don't really know much about it, but I find the cities location complexing.
On another note, we heard of another Inca site, Choquequirao, approxiamtely 2 days trekking each way (no trains or buses) that was discovered in the 1940s, is still being uncovered, and is considered to be better, bigger, cheaper and whatever else than Machu Picchu. The tour companies seemed to think it would have similar popularity in about 10 years (after Machu Picchu perishes from over-tourism?). Hot tip!
Despite Machu Picchu, Cusco is quite a tourist friendly city with a plethora of poor quality and inexpensive restaurants, bars and nighclubs. By playing off the relavent promoters against each other one can have an extremely cheap night of drinking. During the day, there are a couple of aesthetically pleasing Plazas (de Armas and San Francisco) which were the sites for a number of May celebrations over the weekend and the centre of Cusco's (apparently all legitimate) massage industry. Unforturnately the massage industry isn't exactly bookig and they get close to zero business.
"Hello friends, massage"
"No, gracias"
"Maybe later? Maybe tomorrow, friend?" (as you're about 10m away)
There is also an abundance of cheap markets and stores to buy 'artesian' wares (we're still convinced that there is a massive factory somewhere in Bolivia or Peru manufacturing this gringo clothing and accessories). Bargaining is an absolute must - I managed to get a Inca-style stone box thing down from S/120 to S/50 (probably could have tried for more as it's realistically worth S/25).
[PHOTOS PENDING]
With the delay from Puno, I quickly set about finding a 2 day/1 night tour (via train) to the famous Inca ruins. After much searching the cheapest price to be found was US150 all inclusive. My original plan was to simply go to Peru Rail, source my own accomodation in Aguas Calientes and hike up to Machu Picchu the next morning. After careful consideration, the time and effort of this wouldn't justify the negligible savings on offer (approx US15). Furthermore, Peru Rail is still in shambles after the land slides earlier this year, and to catch the train involved a series of local buses to Ollantaytambo, and another Peru Rail bus to the makeshift station in the middle of nowhere.
Long-story-short, the organised tour went smoothly, and by virtue of the cheaper train being overbooked, I scored a free upgrade to an earlier departing 'new backpacker' train, arriving back to Cusco at 9ish pm, rather than 2ish am.
The one downside was the tour of the ruins was due to be at 10.30am with Cosmos Tours. Not a big deal as I arrived at 5.30am, but the adjacent mountain of Waynapicchu (glorified viewing platform) only has a 7am and 10am timeslot (200 people each) due to safety. The tour time forced me to do the former which was prior to the masses of fog clearing from the ruins. The result was effectively no view. To make the situation worse, it was clear by 10.30am as I reached the bottom. Anyway, I won't rant on about Incan society, culture etc as I don't really know much about it, but I find the cities location complexing.
On another note, we heard of another Inca site, Choquequirao, approxiamtely 2 days trekking each way (no trains or buses) that was discovered in the 1940s, is still being uncovered, and is considered to be better, bigger, cheaper and whatever else than Machu Picchu. The tour companies seemed to think it would have similar popularity in about 10 years (after Machu Picchu perishes from over-tourism?). Hot tip!Despite Machu Picchu, Cusco is quite a tourist friendly city with a plethora of poor quality and inexpensive restaurants, bars and nighclubs. By playing off the relavent promoters against each other one can have an extremely cheap night of drinking. During the day, there are a couple of aesthetically pleasing Plazas (de Armas and San Francisco) which were the sites for a number of May celebrations over the weekend and the centre of Cusco's (apparently all legitimate) massage industry. Unforturnately the massage industry isn't exactly bookig and they get close to zero business.
"Hello friends, massage"
"No, gracias"
"Maybe later? Maybe tomorrow, friend?" (as you're about 10m away)
There is also an abundance of cheap markets and stores to buy 'artesian' wares (we're still convinced that there is a massive factory somewhere in Bolivia or Peru manufacturing this gringo clothing and accessories). Bargaining is an absolute must - I managed to get a Inca-style stone box thing down from S/120 to S/50 (probably could have tried for more as it's realistically worth S/25).
[PHOTOS PENDING]
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Puno, Peru
We made the executive decision to skip the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, and headed straight into Peru to Puno.
Famous for it's floating reed islands approxiamtely 30 mins by boat, we set of to the marina in search of a bargain tour. There was no shortage when we arrived all of which were offering the same package under a different name. We opted for the half day tour which set us back PS15. Paying anymore than this is quite simply getting ripped off. The boat ride in itself was quite pleasant and provided a great view back to the town of Puno nestled on the hill. After arriving at the islands we were given a quick demonstration on how the islands are made, and then the locals promptly opened their market stalls to flog their crappy wares to all the tourists. After about 20 minutes, we were hustled onto a small reed kayak and went to an adjacent island where we were offered more crappy wares. The long story short is that the reed islands exist as a tourist trap.
To redeem the days events, we took a half day tour in the afternoon out to Sillistani - a series of inca ruins on a peninsula, some 40 minutes from Puno. Our guide (who spoke 8 languages) gave us the background on the ruins, their significance in the inca empire and some of the rituals surrounding it. Following this we were free to walk around, take photos and enjoy the location at a perfect time of the day as the sun set beyond the nearby mountains. This definitely redeemed the woeful tour of the islands.
The next morning we were set to catch a bus up to Cuzco, however after throwing my guts up all night I was in no condition to go anywhere except a medical clinic. Nick moved on in order to secure his impending trek to Machu Picchu as my food poisoning set in. Thankfully an afternoon in he medical clinic on an IV drip fixed everything and it's all back on track. Hot tip: discount omlettes aren't always as good as they first appear.
Famous for it's floating reed islands approxiamtely 30 mins by boat, we set of to the marina in search of a bargain tour. There was no shortage when we arrived all of which were offering the same package under a different name. We opted for the half day tour which set us back PS15. Paying anymore than this is quite simply getting ripped off. The boat ride in itself was quite pleasant and provided a great view back to the town of Puno nestled on the hill. After arriving at the islands we were given a quick demonstration on how the islands are made, and then the locals promptly opened their market stalls to flog their crappy wares to all the tourists. After about 20 minutes, we were hustled onto a small reed kayak and went to an adjacent island where we were offered more crappy wares. The long story short is that the reed islands exist as a tourist trap.
To redeem the days events, we took a half day tour in the afternoon out to Sillistani - a series of inca ruins on a peninsula, some 40 minutes from Puno. Our guide (who spoke 8 languages) gave us the background on the ruins, their significance in the inca empire and some of the rituals surrounding it. Following this we were free to walk around, take photos and enjoy the location at a perfect time of the day as the sun set beyond the nearby mountains. This definitely redeemed the woeful tour of the islands.
The next morning we were set to catch a bus up to Cuzco, however after throwing my guts up all night I was in no condition to go anywhere except a medical clinic. Nick moved on in order to secure his impending trek to Machu Picchu as my food poisoning set in. Thankfully an afternoon in he medical clinic on an IV drip fixed everything and it's all back on track. Hot tip: discount omlettes aren't always as good as they first appear.Sunday, May 2, 2010
La Paz, Bolivia (Part 2)
After returning from the Amazon we had 5 days to get stuck into the Bolivian capital. Having already experienced the 'death road' before our Amazon adventure, we got cracking on the rest of what La Paz had to offer. Sadly, there wasn't much to float our boat but ill try anyway.
Our home for the next 5 days was the infamous Wild Rover Hostel. The Wild Rover has built it's reputation as one of, if not the best hostel in South America and I have to agree. It is quite easily the best hostel we've stayed in thus far - quality rooms, clean bathrooms, top staff and a bar that cranks every night without fail.
Despite the hostel probably being the highlight, La Paz (like all South American cities) is home to a number of plazas - most of which are rather impressive. The two we visited were the Plaza Murillo (sp?) and Plaza San Pedro which also comprises the now infamous San Pedro prison which has become extremely cotrovercial after the release of te book 'Marching Powder', subsequently leading to riots and the ending of tourist visitors in early 2009. As it turns out, the book has now been flogged off to Brad Pitts movie company. Good to see the western world profitting from the misery of Bolivian prisoners and their families.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
For a more bizarre experience, we set off to the Star of India curry house where Nick prepared to test himself (mainly his digestive system) against South Americas hottest curry - the Vindaloo. A packet of tissues and numerous beverages later he proved triumphant and earnt himself a tshirt to boot. As an observor, it looked like a painful experience.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
Besides this there's not much else to La Paz besides a series of nightclubs geared towards gringos, and a plethora of markets selling every counterfeit item one could imagine. Simply, La Paz is a big gritty city, but is complemented by it's setting within a giant valley. In my opinion, as fun as it was, it still doesn't come close to Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires.
Next stop: Peru
Our home for the next 5 days was the infamous Wild Rover Hostel. The Wild Rover has built it's reputation as one of, if not the best hostel in South America and I have to agree. It is quite easily the best hostel we've stayed in thus far - quality rooms, clean bathrooms, top staff and a bar that cranks every night without fail.
Despite the hostel probably being the highlight, La Paz (like all South American cities) is home to a number of plazas - most of which are rather impressive. The two we visited were the Plaza Murillo (sp?) and Plaza San Pedro which also comprises the now infamous San Pedro prison which has become extremely cotrovercial after the release of te book 'Marching Powder', subsequently leading to riots and the ending of tourist visitors in early 2009. As it turns out, the book has now been flogged off to Brad Pitts movie company. Good to see the western world profitting from the misery of Bolivian prisoners and their families.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
For a more bizarre experience, we set off to the Star of India curry house where Nick prepared to test himself (mainly his digestive system) against South Americas hottest curry - the Vindaloo. A packet of tissues and numerous beverages later he proved triumphant and earnt himself a tshirt to boot. As an observor, it looked like a painful experience.
[PHOTOS PENDING]
Besides this there's not much else to La Paz besides a series of nightclubs geared towards gringos, and a plethora of markets selling every counterfeit item one could imagine. Simply, La Paz is a big gritty city, but is complemented by it's setting within a giant valley. In my opinion, as fun as it was, it still doesn't come close to Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires.
Next stop: Peru
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