hey all, so its been a while since i updted as not had any internet access and if we did it was pretty rubbish!!!

So back in Lima now and absolutely shattered, we head out to Ecuador tomorrow. So here is what we been doing.

We flew out to Puno, which is the highest city in Peru, at just under 4000m above sea level. And boy does altitude make you sick! banging headache, constant nausea and breathlessness. At that altitude its the equivalent of only having one lung working. Just to put it into perspective, 4000m is about 14000ft, and you jump out of planes at 10,000 ft.

In Puno we visted the Funeral Towers, which the Incas used for burring the important surrounded by offerings like Cocoa leaves etc. Our first inca site, was good, but everyone felt rough from the altitude!!

In Puno we were advised to drink Cocoa leaves, which really does help with the altitude, and they dont make you high at all, (Cocoa leaves as in cocaine leaves). So we pretty much lived on cocoa in Peru, as most of the place is very high.

Our second day we took a boat out on lake Titicaca, the weather was cold, but beautiful clear day. We went to one of the islands and met the locals. They all still wear traditional dress, and keep ceremonies, its like a trip back in time really. We ate a wicked grilled fish lunch (cost peanuts) and then went onto another island. Most of the food in Peru consists of Corn and potatoes (they have 400 different types of spud!) and thats what you eat alot.
We stayed on a homestay that night on one of the islands on lake Titicaca, with Rachel and Armando, and their three children. In the afternoon we played football, tough at that altitude, and then returned for dinner. The courses were corn soup (tastes better than it sounds) rice and veg, with a fresh picked mint tea (which i politely passed on). That night we went to a local community dance type thing, where you wear traditional dress, coloured skirt, a top with an intricately woven pattern, (all the men do the sewing here, its like a right of passage, when a man can sew, he is ready to find a wife) and a shawl headscarf thing. Then we had to dance! and at altitude, thats tough! its was a bit like the hokey cokey but with intricate leg movements, I was rubbish, but Dave and Rachel seemed to be having a whale of a time!!!!

That night was pretty tough, the house had no electricity, the bathroom was outside, and a look but you poured water down it to flush it. The bed was the most uncomfy thing in the world, and id my back in, but as ever Dave slept fine!!

The following day we visited the floating Islands of the lake. They are made with mud tethered together, reeds and almost a criss cross thatch of reeds. And they actually float around the lake. That was amazing, walking on a floating island, and they have to use boats to get anywhere!
When we got back to Puno I soon realised I had missed my hands with the suncream, not good. At altitude, on a clear day with teh water reflecting the sun, I had 2nd degree burns on both hands, which were now so swollen and blistered they were about twice the size! (but fear not, due to some Auzzie Savlon, our first aid bandages and gauze and some very careful looking after they are not bad anymore, red but no scars!)

We then took a bus from Puno to Cuzco, which took about 6 hours. Although, public buses in peru a really good, even dave had enough leg room! Cuzco is lower than Puno, and was far easier to breathe, the altitude is not so bad. When we arrive we stumbled upon a ceremony for St Don Bosco, whose remains were in Cuzco Cathedral that night. They walked his body through the streets followed by children in traditional dress, and some in conquistador outfits, Spanish face masks with the lighter skin and big noses, and holding alcohol bottles, and dancing a dance that resembles a drunk!!! (they dont like the Spanish too much out here).

We went out for dinner that evening and Dave ate Alpaca metballs!!!! Eurgh!!!!

The following day we went off with our guide Demas and went off to the Sacred Valley, and saw some inca ruins, I bought an alpaca sweater for 25 soles (4 to the pound so bargain). We staying an an awesome hotel that night, which was like shangrila, with waterfalls and lodges, we had a fireplace in our room!ANd then we begain the Lares trek.

The Lares trek is absolutely beautiful. We began at the hot baths, which were Rank to be honest. But after that, the Andes are stunning. It was quite hard going at first, the altitude and pretty steep hills. Alot of the paths you usually use have been washed away in the flooding. Words cant describe the waterfalls, and scenery of the trek. Although if you have seen the episode of top gear in bolivia on the death road, that was pretty much what the bus ride into the valley was like!!

The trek gives you a wicked 2 course lunch, which is always soup and then the main is rice and potatoes and then something else. One of the people on the trek had a calorie counter and he said he burnt 4000 calories on the first day. Its mental. YOu get tea, which is popcorn and toast, and then dinner which is three courses, soup your carbs and pud. Pretty good.
The second day fo teh trek was the hardest by far, you climb up almost a shear face to 4700m and then its soo cold, and the air is so thin its tough to breathe. And with our luck it begain to piss with rain, so even harder. We all got soaked. That night it was minus 5 and we pitched our tents next to a mountain with snow all over it. We used our bottles to fill up with boiliung water and used them as hot water bottles to keep warm, even then it was freezing.
The next day we staggered on to the final stretch of the trek, downhill through rolling hills waterfall crossings and the most stunning lakes ever. Peru is possibly the most beautiful country in the world for scenery!

At this point we would usually got to matchu pitchu, but because of the slides, WHich our gide was trekking through, it was closed. He said he walked past the dead argentinian girl who was covered in her tent as she slept, and the dead tour leader who was washed in a slide as he guided a group. He was stuck in Ollyantaytambo for 5 days, as only those who could pay thousands of dollars were getting airlifted, and he had to take his group across a bridge which was soon after washed away. Mental. The destruction is still evident, entire communities around cuzco are just mud now, no houses. As you drive around the destruction is plain to see. And apparently the Peruvian government is more concerned with the helping CHilie in its earthquake (a far richer country) that loads of aid is not going to the poorest out here.

Anyway, we went to another site in teh sacred vally instead which was amazing. and that night we stayed in Ollyantytambo.

Following day we went to some more sites and them back to Cuzco. Cuzco is amazing, the shopping the markets the cafes, its mint!!! We went out and bought CDS from a local market, then hit some cocktail bars. We playe dour CDs in the bar, and tried loads of local drinks Pisco made from chilies which was hotter than the sun, and pisco from purple wheat. The drinks were wicked!

After recovering from our trek in relaxing Cuzco we flew out to Puerto Maldonaldo, which is in the amazon. ANd believe me, JUNGLE IS MASSIVE! all you can see is trees and brids and stuff. Oh and BUGS!!! We had to take a moterized canoe and then a jungle walk to our lodge whcih was wicked. All on wooden stilts and no electricity just candles. The rooms had beds and hammocks and no window on one side, just jungle. we could see monkeys eating from our room. We went on a trek to the treetop tower so you can see above the tree canopy and look out. We went on a 4am night trek to a lake to see birds and wildlife. We had a mating spider in our bathroom whcih then when we got back was eating its mate! Even the lodge guy we got to come kill it was scared of it! and Dave made friends with a cat!

OK Have to dash will finish up later. Possibly no internet in Ecuador as on a boat so will speak soon!!