kjp

We arrived back in La Paz this morning (before 7am from the night bus), after several days 4WDriving around in the salt flats, and Bolivian desert. Some really great scenery, was really good to be out in the country again (as opposed to cities or towns). I have a few days in La Paz. Today is a rest / organisation day (night buses aren´t conducive for sleep when the road is dirt (unsealed). Need to sort out Chile. Tomorrow, day drip to Tiawanoca ruins (predates Inca by a fair bit).

All going well.

There doesn{t seem to be much to do in Uyuni, except wait until 10.30am when we go to the Salt flats for 3 days. Should be good, supposed to be excellent.

Two shops say {Internet{, but do not have internet access. This internet cafe has {broadband{ speeds that are slower than dial up. Awesome stuff.

So things are going pretty well. Bolivia has been interesting so far - La Paz, Sucre and Potosi. Uyuni (now) is just a staging town for the Salt flats, I think. Yesterday morning went to the Casa de Moneda (I think), which is were all the coins were pressed for quite a while. Was interesting to see how it used to be done. Were some good paintings there too. Scenery from Potosi to Uyuni was good. Road was not sealed, so it was a bit bouncy. A few of the corners on the mountain were a bit average (blind without guard rails and only one lane...). It took us a bit less than 6 and 1/2 hours (includes a half hour break), to travel something like 220km....

Ahh well, next few days should be good. I made a mistake when packing for this trip. I brought the day pack that comes along with my main pack, however, it{s a bit small - I should have brought one of my bigger day packs. (Just taking daypack to salt flats).

By the way, left brace equals apostrophy. Punctuation on this keyboard is all over the shop. Sometimes keyboards are ´´normal´´ keyboards, but with re-assigned punction, sometimes, keyboards are nonstandard with n with tilda, but sometimes other variations...

Should go. Next check will be in four days time back in La Paz.

In Potosi now, about to leave for Uyuni and 3 days in the Salt Flats. Should be good, but basic, apparently. Sucre was good, Potosi is a mining town, but very dodge conditions. Did the mine tour, comment was that I was too tall for a Peruvian mine. True!. Somewhat uncomfortable being in the middle of a mine with dynamite being blown up maybe 50 - 100 m away...

In Sucre now, pretty interesting town. Spanish colonial stuff. Lots of white buildings, cleaner than La Paz (hardly anyone selling stuff on street corners, etc). Today done three main things - visit the chapel that´s been there since 1600s that has many painting from 1600s crazy very beautiful paintings etc. Visited a textile museum which was actually really interesting about the local indigenous peoples. Also went to the world biggest section of dinosaur footprints which was reasonably impressive but a bit tacky as well.

I´m now in La Paz. As expected, it seems less developed than Peru. At least initial impressions of airports and a 1hr walk around the city to get some cash and water and 2 bananas and a little bread (lunch was iffy). Noticable that i´m now high up. After Cusco I´d gotten used to the lower altitudes of the jungle (which was an excellent few days) and Lima. Annoyingly, my room is on the fourth floor. No lift...

Do some touristy things (churchs, museums) tomorrow, then to Sucre after that.

This is from an email. If you´re not interested in my bodyly functions, don´t read on!

Now is the first time that I´m sitting at a computer for hr or so (I´ve had brief times at freebie hotel internet). Went horse riding earlier this afternoon, but came off. OK, nothing broken, just a bit sore and don´t feel like wandering around. Apparently my saddle wasn´t on tightly. My clean clothes get back in 1.5 hr, so catch up on internet stuff.

I´m in Cusco at the moment (got back yesterday from the Inca Trail). Tomorrow we go to the jungle. Inca trail was a really great 4 day bushwalk, however, I found it particularly tough. For a few days before the start of it, i´d had a bit of diahorrea (sp?). The afternoon before, I basically vommitted up everthing from that day and the previous day as well. Also, I hadn´t been having 3 full meals since ?? for a while sometime (not full appitite). On the evening before the inca trail start day, vomitted up half a bottle of water with hydrolyte as I was drinking it. Excellent.

In the tour group there are 8 people plus guide (quite cohesive group). all are pretty social. (incidently, 6 are women...) anyhow, of the 8, 1 doctor, 1 training doctor, 2 experienced nurses. After a bit of talking with them, got some drugs from the doctor and that stopped the sickness. in the morning of the first day (4am like). felt better, had half a roll from b´fast. but feeling slightly better, but so that´s a good enough sign. Walk for 6 hrs in the morning / early evening, but then vomitted lunch when we got to camp. The guides and cook were really good to me - getting me to drink teas of celerary . mint . and something else (good for stomach apparently). But for the entirity of the 4 days, could not eat anything in full. typicallying having about 1/3 the standard size plate. and then I usually just ate anyhting the consistency of baby food / rice / simple veges. First day I felt that i didn´t have the normal power in my
legs, especially uphill. the Second day is a walk from 3200m (?) up to 4200m up and was quite difficult. made it in the end, but slower than the rest of the group. But I did the uphill bit in a bit over 4 hrs, so I haven´t anything to be ashamed of. Bit less than 1.5 hr download (very difficult, as is all on uneven stones but all wet due to mist and slight rain, and some werer very steep). Got into camp as the rest were eating lunch. But then when I had my lunch, could only eat the liquid part of the chunky soup and a tiny bnit of bread... Was safe though. Two guides for the group - one leading, one tail end charlie. so he was with me all, which was reassuring. groups were coming in several ours latter after I´d had arvo kip. 3rd day was a little steep up but mostly flat and several very cool inca ruins, so ok for me. fourth day (yesterday) was very early (pre light) start to get to Machu Picchu. spent the morning there
- amazing place. that lunch - I had soup which I finished all of, which I´m happy with. Dinner last was out at trendy restaurant (I wouldn´t usually go there if it was in Oz, but here it´s cheep so go with the rest of the group**), and ate most of a burger, but not all of salad and chips (I felt hungyry, and then full, unlike previously when I just could eat anything). Not local food, but wanted something Kevin stomach friendly. In the few days of the inca trail I´ve lost a fair bit of weight (too thin)... So I´ll trying to fatten myself up. lol. Apart from my illness, the inca trail was excellent excellent great walk. The food served up was great (unfortuntely I had to abstain from the yummy bits). Gucci camping.

** although tonight I´m planning to not go out with them as they´re going to another ´´expensive´´ place, but I found a tiny local place nearby at lunchtime, so want to go back there.

I have some great photos, but I can´t seem to get them off the camera. I still have serious space issues, onto my fifth of 5Gb for the entire trip - still 3.5 weeks to go.. eeek. I´ll be deleting some tomorrow on the flight.

Keyboards over here have crazy punctuation!

Hmmm, my mp3 player is still charging. So, some more: going back in time a bit. Before Cusco (the first time) was Puno, on the edge of Lake Titicaca. There was one night homestay which was great. We (myself and the other bloke on the tour who I´ve been sharing hotel rooms with), stayed with a family of three (mum, dad and son). Although son (10? yo) was youngest of 8? or 9? - others having moved out married etc. Life for them is very simple, farming. Electricity for lighting in the rooms and one very old portable radio. Kitchen / eating area very small, simple food. But great to share meals with them. Evening of that night was dress up in local traditional clothes, and trad dancing at local hall. Good fun. Yes, there´s photos - stuck at this stage on the camera. Afternoon coming back on one of the reed islands, was interesting. Also that afternoon went to xx? can´t remember name, an incan burial ground near Puno with all the
burial structures. Interesting and scenic.

IF you are interested (get it), for your information, there´s pretty much nothing surrounding Machu Picchu other than cliffs.

In Cusco. Fairly long bus ride today, made longer by a gear box problem on the bus. Late lunch was very yum sandwich, and passed a street parade for the festival of some saint or another... Homestay at ake Titicaca was excellent, except that the day going out there I went to the dunny more than usual . I must have had something bad the night before. But great experience with the homestay family.

Keyboards here are a bit hit and miss, especially for punctuation, which this machine doesnt do dashes...

Bus ride from Colca Canyon to Puno today (on the edge of Lake Titicaca (sp?)). Going to islands tomorrow for homestay. Cold here, and not much oxygen. Colca Canyon (past couple of days) was great as well - high up too. Very impressive scenery. But getting used to the altitude. HAven´t got around to sending postcards. That will be a job for Cuszco, probably.

I´ve got major space issues on the camera. Well, memory card actually. I´m 1 wek into a 6 week trip, but am 2 fifths of primary space used up.. eek!. HAve also got 4GB flash drive to use as well.

Everything going great.

in Nazca. Had flight over the lines this morning. interesting crazy stuff. Just the small plane made some tight turns!! Ballestinas (sp?) islands many birds. Sea lions are awesome!!!

bought a inca music bird at a pottery shop - forgotten name of. overnight bus to arequipa tonight. all going well. am well (physically). tour group going well - good bunch.