Peru

At the Ecuador/Peru border we were met by a host of taxi drivers offering to take us across to the Peruvian immigration office and then on to where we could catch a minibus to the next town. After choosing a friendly guide (or did he choose us?) we walked across a bridge that spans the no mans land between the two countries. A chaotic and unruly affair where officials didn´t appear to care who came and went and the bridge was crowded with street vendors selling everything from sweets to pet monkeys! We went through immigration on the other side without any problems and got back into the taxi.

The driver had tried explaining to us (in Spanish) that he could take us to the next town for $30 but we explained that we just wanted to be dropped where we could catch much cheaper minibuses, which we knew ran between the border and the next town. After what we thought was his understanding we drove on.

After a few minutes we started to question where he was taking us as it seemed as though we had left town, which we had! A frustrating 10 minutes ensued during which we tried to figure out what he was doing and insisting on. He appeared to be trying to explain that these public minibuses, that the guide book had advised on, did not exist. All this whilst minibuses drove past us in both directions! The taxi driver soon changed from a friendly amigo into an annoying asshole! We asked the driver to turn around which he eventually did after much persistence. At this point he turned around and started lowering his price! We got him down to $15 which wasn´t bad given the distance and so decided it would be easier to carry on with the taxi.

With the drama over we turned back around and onwards in the right direction. About a minute later the police pulled us over. Out stepped two of Peru´s finest, sunglasses on and thankfully weapons still holstered. One officer spoke to the taxi driver who seemed to be snivelling for his life and the other spoke to us, in Spanish of course, none of of which we understood. The whole time we were just waiting for them to make us a little poorer, but that never came, and after a few minutes the driver had obviously answered their questions sufficiently and we were back on our way. A great start to Peru we thought.

After a few brief stops along the coast we headed to the town of Huaraz which is situated in the Cordeilla Blanca mountains i.e. the Andes. We used the town and it´s great cafes (good coffee is surprisingly hard to find as they export most of the good stuff) as a base for some hiking. We spent a great 4 days on a trek passing small villages, snow capped mountains and lakes. It was particularly nice to have our gear carried for us by donkeys and our tents and dinner waiting for us at the end of tiring day. We were also lucky to have a decent group of fellow hikers who we taught the infamous game of ´Spoons´ to which was a great way to keep warm during the freezing nights. For Phil the nights were not only cold but also long since he could not sleep at altitudes over about 4,500 metres (one sympton of altitude sickness). Even with a little insomnia the trek has been a highlight of S.America so far.

After hiking through the mountains we decided we ought to try and summit one. Once we´d decided on a suitable mountain and with an experienced guide and cook (we could get used to this) hired we set off to base camp. This was a long and steep 4 hour hike carrying all of our equipment. Once at base camp we rested and ate before going to bed early (no sleep for Phil) for a 2.00 am alarm call.

The first half an hour involved a scary climb over steep rock made all the more nerve wracking due to the complete darkness surrounding us. Once we reached the edge of the glacier we stopped to attach our crampons to our boots and rope ourselves together. We assume the rope was there for our safety rather than a way of ensuring that if one falls we all honorably fall together! The next 4 hours were a gruelling but exhilirating countless number of steps to the summit just as the sun rose. An unforgettable experience and sense of achievement and hopefully not the last of its kind (well maybe for Katie!).

From the mountains we headed south to Lima for a few days where we treated ourselves to the cinema and popcorn for the last installment of Harry Potter. When you haven´t seen much decent TV for a while Harry Potter is like watching The Godfather; dramatic!

After Lima we headed to a small resort called Huacachina. Once a gettaway for the wealthy their houses are now hotels and hostels for tourists and backpackers which all surround a desert oasis that is backed by giant sand dunes. This was the setting for a few days of sand boarding. Unfortunately there are no sand lifts although there were dune buggys which took us on a tour of the arabian like sand dunes and to the top of some of the steepest for our boarding pleasure.

Our next notable stop was the city of Cusco from where we travelled by train to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu has to be one of the best preserved archaelogical sites that either of us have visited. Probably not because of human foresight but rather due to its fantastic remote setting at the top of a forested mountain among a tightly wound valley.

From Cusco we travelled to Puno, a town on the shore of Lake Titicaca and our last stop in Peru. From Puno we departed on a painfully slow boat tour of the lake´s islands which involved a brief stop on the famous floating reed islands. These islands made solely from reeds are unfortunately completely overwhelmed by tourism and we expect only now exist for that sole purpose. Still an interesting albeit tainted experience. A more unique and traditional experience (although tourism will soon leave its mark) was the overnight stay on the island of Amantani. On this island, 3 hours from the mainland, lives a small farming community. On arrival we were met by a host family who provided us with food and a bed for the night. Another situation where some conversational Spanish would have been nice!

Once back on the mainland we headed to the Peru/Bolivia border and on to La Paz. We chose the quicker and apparently more chaotic and dangerous border crossing and were met by a quiet and sedate town. Lonely Planet you´re full of crap, stop you scaremongering! That being said we did have our bags searched by Police on the Peruvian side. One officer took a keen interest in Phil´s stash of varied foreign currency whilst we kept a close eye on him in case he tried some Paul Daniels slight of hand magic! Just as well we´d just released the rare collection of Amazonian animals we´d colllected and consumed the remaining kilo of contraband for brunch!