Miss Mash and Me...

We checked into Hotel Prisma which was perfectly nice however lacked the atmosphere of our hostel. It was however a luxury to have a nice private hotel room, bathroom and even a TV! We went downstairs to attend the first meeting with our group and were also given a canvas bag each to put our stuff in which would be carried by the porters. We were allowed 5kg including sleeping bag and mat so this instantly transformed into 2kg. Anything over we would have to carry ourselves. This lead to a fun filled evening of packing!

The next morning we set off after a nicer than usual free breakfast to the Sacred Valley. We boarded a mini bus with the rest of our group and headed upwards into the mountains, stopping along the way to view the city Cuzco from above. We visited an example of a traditional site where indigenous women work weaving yarn made from alpaca and llama wool into intricate tapestries and woolly hats and scarves. We also had the pleasure of entering a guinea pig farm consisting of several hutches looking more like a pet shop than the source of meat destined for human stomachs! Lunch was at an extravagant buffet restaurant which included what Miss Mash and others reported as the most amazing cheesecake - passion fruit of course as typical in South America.

After lunch we took the bus onwards to a small town called Ollantaytambo known for its vast steps which were built to guard an Inca fort against the Spaniards in one of the only battles the Incas won. We climbed the steps and admired the view of the valley and town below. This made us feel a bit short of breath and slightly concerned for the actual trek! We had to remind ourselves of course that the altitude was to blame - nothing to do with our fitness! Afterwards we checked into a sweet little hotel and then headed back into the town centre to pay the local market a visit and see what bargains were to be had. We decided upon Andean cross pendants which symbolise the indigenous beliefs. We then had a relaxing coffee in "Inca Bucks" the Peruvian attempt at a Starbucks - clever! The Peruvians do need to realise however that they often confuse a cappuccino and a latte which prompted Miss Mash to speak one of her first whole sentences in Spanish to a local "quisiera mas leche por favor"!

The next morning was the start of the Inca Trail and we set off on our 4 day hike all feeling clean and refreshed after a good nights sleep in a warm and cosy hotel bed...

The first day was fairly gentle, with only "Peruvian flats" to deal with - which although by no means a flat trail, were mild compared to the strenuous uphill to follow the next day in order to reach the "Dead Woman's Pass" at 4200m above sea level. You were really reminded of your fitness level when the small Peruvian porter men ran passed in sandals carrying tents and gas cylinders on their backs!

The remainder of the day was downhill to reach our campsite where the ever doting porters had set up all our tents and had dinner on the go served in our dining tent! The rest of the trek was a mixture of downhill, uphill and the famous Peruvian flats. We slept in tents for the duration of the trek and were awoken by the offer of hot tea and soothing sounds of the Peruvian panpipes played by the guides. True to form this did not make me the experience of getting up at 5am any more enjoyable for me and Miss Mash and I still took part in our usual morning squabbles! On the last night the campsite had a few more facilities including showers which felt amazing! we were served a cake by the porters (kudos for baking after a day trekking!) and enjoyed a couple of drinks with the guides at a bar!

The final day of Inca Trail was an even earlier start and the heavens had opened and filled the sky with torrential rain! We battled through and once crossed the check point, second to the Argentinians who our guides ever so wanted to beat, we were all highly motivated to reach the Sun Gate and catch first glimpse of Machu Picchu! The rain continued and as we hiked, someone cried out behind me that there had been a mudslide, not wanting to turn back for fear of getting behind the group I continued thinking this was nothing. On reaching the Sun Gate however we realised that all the groups behind us had indeed been cut off by a mudslide which had blocked the path! Luckily no one was hurt and everyone was safe, and we felt luckily this had not hindered our journey. We waited at the Sun Gate for the clouds and mist to clear and eventually we could see the magnificent Machu Piccu in the distance!

It wasn't long before we reached Machu Picchu and now the rain had cleared to leave a still grey but brighter sky and an unbelievable feast for the eyes! After a guided tour we spent a few hours in awe, walking around taking in the views and of course the best part, getting a Machu Picchu stamp in our passports!

We took the bus back down to a small town called Aguas Calientes for lunch. It felt really weird to be transported by bus, seeing everything through a glass window after spending days with only our feet to carry us and feeling at one with our natural surroundings. At lunch our guides had pre-ordered a guinea pig for us to try which was served roasted whole with its tiny claws spread-eagled! I can't say whether or not I enjoyed the interesting tasting meat as in my head I knew I was eating a rodent!

We took a bus back to Cuzco and after a well deserved shower back at the hotel we headed out for a giant burger at Los Perros followed by a bit of a dance at Mama Africa's, however I didn't last too long and slept extremely well that night!

We arrived in Cusco at 4am on New Years Eve to a cold and busy bus station. As soon as I heard the words "Puno, Puno, Puno, Puno" being shouted at the top of the lungs of the ticket touts at any passerby, I thought that's it, I had to get out! We arrived at Loki and luckily there were beds waiting complete with duvets (one of the reasons I love Loki hostels!).

Unfortunately Miss Mash woke up feeling very ill indeed and her condition deteriorated as the evening approached. There was no New Years Eve celebrations for her and before I could make a decision whether to stay in with her or venture down to the bar, I woke up and it was a minute to midnight! Keeping Miss Mash company, I watched the fireworks out of the dorm balcony. It was funny to watch the family who owned the shop opposite set fireworks off right in the street, with the youngest son lighting them and running away - a far cry away from the health and safety regulations back home!

For the following six days we had time to kill until the start of our Inca Trail. This boded well with Miss Mash needing to rest and recover and Cusco being such a lovely city. Cusco has an abundance of restaurants, bars and shops in and around the Plaza de Armas (main square) whilst retaining its quaint Andean feel. We bargained our way through the shops and markets acquiring more jewellery and alpaca goods and ate at some well needed good food (not always easy to come by travelling South America!). The two recommendations would be Jack's Cafe and Los Perros which serve burgers so big that sharing is necessary!

We were sitting eating breakfast one morning and to our pleasant surprise we spotted the two Irish girls who we had travelled with in Bolivia, sitting at the table across from us! They had just got back from their Inca Trail and had returned to Cusco. They were mid trek over New Years, so were having a belated celebration that evening and so we joined them for dinner and drinks with some of their friends at a restaurant called Fallen Angel where once inside we easily felt could have been in a trendy restaurant in London. The tables were vintage bath tubs filled with water with a glass top and inside there were live gold fish swimming around! The meal was a bit pricey but we splashed out (well all but Miss Mash who wisely decided to not eat to be on the safe side) and the cocktails were yummy. Afterwards I went to Mama Africa, the local nightclub packed with backpackers and locals and seemingly the place to be in Cusco after dark! There was undoubtedly a good mix of music from Snoop Dog, to Kings of Leon to Latin American salsa music!

We booked to go white water rafting the day before we were due to start our Inca Trail and the 8am start was tough after our plans for an early night the night before were discarded in favour of another night out at Mama Africa with some Australian guys we had met at the hostel. Two of the guys we had previously met at our hostel in Arequipa at Christmas and they were keen to confront why Miss Mash had ignored them on New Years Eve when they bumped into her on their night out...it turns out someone who looked very similar to Miss Mash must have been out that night as the guys were convinced she was just trying to blank them pretending not to speak English!

Feeling hungover and tired trying to get down a couple bread rolls, we sat on the bus on the way to the river on which we would be rafting. Once there we put on wet suits and life jackets and were given the obligatory "safety talk". We ended up on the raft with the least people with just us and two other English guys. This meant I would not be able to sit at the back and pretend to row! Despite the hangover the rafting was really fun with the rapids reaching level 4 which is quite high. As we approached each rapid, our instructor who was sat at the back of our raft would instruct us on whether to paddle forward or back and how hard. Each rapid had a different nickname which described the nature of it. One of them was called the "popcorn" as the raft got shaken about and the scariest was called the "grand canyon" as our instructor told us we would get sucked down into the rapid and we would have to all dive inside the raft and the paddle hard to get out. He also told us that it was quite likely our raft would capsize as he wanted to go straight into it because it would be more fun, unlike all the other groups who went around the edge. It was certainly exhilarating and luckily narrowly avoided our boat tipping upside down! The day ended with a nice lunch and wine and then we got the bus back to the hostel.

The next day was the official start of our 7 day Inca Trail and we were raring to go. On looking up the details however we realised in fact the first few days were visiting the Sacred Valley and "Day 1" literally entailed checking into a hotel and attending a group meeting with our guide that evening....so the logical thing to spend the day doing was squeeze in a bit more shopping (and not forgetting a much needed bit of laundry).

We arrived in Copacabana, a small beach town bordering the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca - the highest lake in the world at 3800m above sea level. With Miss Mash feeling unwell and the altitude making us both feel short of breath we walked to find a hostel armed with all our baggage. We headed to "Hostel Sonia" which was recommended in the Lonely Planet and proved to be a snap at 30 Bolivianos each (less than £3) for a private ensuite twin room!

The next couple of days, Miss Mash continued to feel very unwell and I myself was not feeling great so we took it easy and enjoyed the laid back beachy vibe of the town. Along the main street down to the lake there were lots of little market stalls and shops selling all your must have Alpaca goods! It was really cold too so we ventured out of our flip flops and donned our walking boots, thick socks and hats! Being fed up with sugary white bread, we went on a mission to find anything edible and whole wheat. I was excited to find a sign outside a restaurant advertising "hole wheat bread" inside! But there was not one staff member let alone customer to be seen so this was short lived and we admitted to defeat. I did however discover the wonders of the "Polleria" - a bit like KFC but with rotisserie chicken and very cheap.

A couple of days later, both feeling a bit better we headed down to the beach and hopped on a boat to Isla Del Sol (made up of a remote North and South island). The day started with miserable drizzle reminiscent of english weather and the boat was the slowest ever, making for a long journey. Once there we were a bit confused as to how we know which direction to walk in, but once we got going a route became evident. We had about 4 hours to reach the end of the hike so to catch the last boat back to the mainland. With the time pressure and definitely feeling the altitude I found the hike pretty hard, however the views made up for it. We also came across several children local to the island who were very business intuitive. They carry around baby llamas, put their traditional dress on and then charge for a picture with them. Charging just a Boliviano, Miss Mash posed for a picture and handed them a coin. There were three kids and they proceeded to indicate they meant 1Bs each. So we handed another over a 2Bs coin and thought we were settled, but the deal then changed to 3 coins! We had had enough by this point so proceeded to walk off, however the kids walked after us pointing at Miss Mash's backpack. We tried in our best to explain that we had given them enough money until it became apparent that it was in fact the biscuits in the outside pocket of Miss Mash's bag that they wanted! This became a trend as we continued walking, with almost every child stopping Miss Mash for a biscuit!

Along the way we met a friendly Brazilian guy from Rio with Bolivian heritage who became Miss Mash's new walking companion as I trudged along behind! The two of them reached the end where the boat was waiting to depart and I still had to make it downhill to the beach. I tried my best to up my pace, which was difficult as downhill I resemble an old age pensioner, cautiously trying to avoid falling and breaking a hip! Whilst stumbling down, I was then faced with a troop of donkeys walking uphill just to throw in an extra obstacle! Eventually I made it to the boat just before it set sail for the long journey back. On the way we stopped at a floating reed island, which was disappointing as it was clearly formed from decking kept afloat by empty soda bottles! It was however covered with reeds and had carefully crafted huts and a horse which Miss Mash mounted and toppled over which everyone on the boat cheered at! We arrived back in Copacabana and had some lunch with the Brazilian guy and then went back to our hostel for a rest. That night we met him for dinner and were joined by some other Brazilian travellers, which was interesting as the language kept switching between Portuguese and English!

The next day was our last in Copacabana and we spent it shopping! This was our last chance to take advantage of the great value of the Boliviano and Bolivian prices so we went a bit mad, buying jewellery and numerous alpaca accessories. It was a nice day with the sun finally warming the town up to a temperature where we could walk around without the trusty fleece! There was lots of commotion amongst backpackers who appeared to be waiting for buses. Eventually we discovered there was a big strike in La Paz due to increased fuel prices because of illegal exportation! Luckily our bus complete with driver was awaiting to whisk us away to Peru! This unfortunately meant another stop in Puno bus station after crossing the border, however this time it was a quick transfer onto another bus to take us to Cusco!

We arrived in Arequipa - Miss Mash feeling queasy after a bus ride of winding roads.  We took a taxi to our hostel (Point) and enjoyed a lovely breakfast outside in the sunshine!  We went for a wonder into the centre which was really pretty and had a look around the bustling markets, brimming with locals getting prepared for Christmas eve celebrations.  We had a nice lunch overlooking the main square.  Forget "A Partridge in a Pear Tree" - more like "A Pigeon in a Palm Tree!"  It was pretty surreal as there were hundreds of pigeons perched in the bark of the large palm trees in the centre of the square.

We arrived back at the hostel in time to watch Elf and get in the Christmas spirit!  Point was a very close knit hostel and the building like a big house so felt very homely!  Unfortunately the DVD did not hold out and it got stuck before the end.  Christmas Eve in Peru is celebrated almost in the same way as New Years Eve, so everyone holds a celebration and sets off fireworks at midnight!  This bodes well with the fact it was my birthday that day - so double celebration!  Everyone in the hostel was better prepared than us and got dressed up in Christmas costumes; some of which were pretty amusing!  We all played drinking games consisting of a Christmas version of ring of fire which included rules such as "Feliz Navidad!" where everyone has to down their drink.  We also played giant Christmas jenga, with all the blocks covered in wrapping paper!  Being my birthday I got bought several drinks and vodka jelly shots and Miss Mash had organized a birthday cake for me... When it was coming up to midnight we all went up to the roof terrace for the countdown to Christmas and then watched hundreds of fireworks going off around the whole city!

We awoke Christmas morning slightly worse for wear after the previous nights festivities.  Miss Mash opened her Christmas present from her mum which was a whole stocking full of gifts - one of which a travel diary which Miss Mash will one day start!  We had a mostly lazy day, but did go for a walk into the city centre, which seemed more busy than expected and some shops open.  That night after watching a film, we sat down eagerly awaiting our Christmas dinner.  We needn't have bothered, it was an awful combination of turkey, apple sauce, green beens mixed with dates, nuts and mayonnaise and wait for it...cooked carrots mixed with peach slices!  Miss Mash and me definitely need a belated christmas dinner on our return in March.  The rest of the evening we spent playing cards.

On boxing day we did an open top bus tour of the city as we felt there was more exploring to do and thought we'd take the easy way, more so we wouldn't get lost.  The tour was good and we stopped off at different points including a place where they manufacture llama and alpaca wool place and a view point to see the El Misti volcano.  The negative for me however was a stop at a ranch where there were way to many horses strolling around for me to feel safe enough to get off the bus!  That evening we went for dinner at a pizza restaurant, claimed by the lonely planet to do amazing wood oven pizzas.  The pizzas were good, however I was not and all of a sudden felt very ill just once we ordered and thus was embarrassing to have my plate cleared with almost a full pizza moved around to look like I had eaten some!  

After the dinner catastrophe we went back to the hostel, said our goodbyes to everyone and made our way to catch the bus to Copacabana, crossing back into Bolivia.  What we were not anticipating was another 4 hour stint in Puno bus station in the early hours of the morning! Never again do I want to be in that bus station!  

Once back in La Paz after what I find a frightfully nauseating plane journey, we claimed our free breakfast at Loki (hostel) and said our goodbyes to our Irish friends who were moving on ahead of us to make their Inca Trail.  Then it was just Miss Mash and I alone again.  We set off into the city centre to explore and also visited the Coca Museum, and after a lot of reading we had learnt all about the coca leaves the locals are forever chewing!  We bumped into an English guy from our hostel and grabbed a Turkish lunch which made a refreshing change!  That evening we drank at the hostel bar and got chatting to quite a few people.  An Australian guy (who roughly resembled a larger Dane Bowers) that we met in Buenos Aires appeared intoxicated and  started his own personal karaoke session - I think Miss Mash thoroughly appreciated him singing in her ear!  We also got chatting to 3 young Australian girls from near Sydney, and we were shocked to find out one of them earned the equivalent of almost £15 an hour working behind a bar - no wonder people don't tip in Australia!  We then found ourselves chatting to a couple of friendly guys who were traveling a bit together - a random combination of a German and a Mexican!  We finished the night going for a drink in the bar of another hostel (Wild Rover) once ours shut which was pretty messy...we went to bed glad to be returning to Loki!

In the morning we dropped off some laundry and then headed to the bus station with the German and the Mexican we had met the previous night  , taking advantage of their navigation skills!  It was such a luxury being with a Spanish speaker; the Mexican kindly sorted out our bus ticket to a Arequipa (our next stop and first destination in Peru) however the last bus was earlier than thought due to the border closing time - we realized our laundry would not be finished.  The Mexican guy was great and got our laundry back for us.  

All that was left to do now was for me to sort out a new immigration slip that I had lost so that I could cross the border of Bolivia and Peru that evening.  My translator in tow (gotta love the Mexican!) we went to the immigration office and the guy took one look at my passport and asked why the stamps were smudged.  The Mexican guy explained for me about the rain in the jungle and him and the guy conversed for a short while longer before he turned to me and translated that the date of when I entered Bolivia had washed off and therefore without proof off this date he was not going to provide me with the slip and thus not be able to exit the country!  As much as i loved Bolivia I had no desire to remain in the country illegally, but the guy stood his ground and until I had a bus ticket etc to prove my date of entry I wasn't going anywhere.  So after a dash back to the hostel and retrieving a bus ticket of proof that Miss Mash had found, the Mexican guy and I practically ran down to the office only to find it had closed for siesta.

Defeated we decided to head down to the prison where you can do a tour.  It is illegal and you pay the inmates for the pleasure - lots of backpackers do it and it known to be safe.  The prison is almost it's own city within the city of La Paz - for example the inmates have their children living with them and there are schools for them to attend.  Unfortunately the day we were there, there was something going on and we couldn't get to go in which was a great shame.  So after some "almerzo" (a set lunch for a fixed cost found all over south america - usually very good value) we returned to the immigration office and luckily sorted out a new immigration slip and stamp to prove my date of entry - situation sorted!

We later got on our bus to Arequipa with a long wait at the dreaded Puno bus station for 4 hours and it was freezing! Eventually first thing in the morning our connecting bus turned up and we could continue on our journey.