Jelly legs

I can hardly walk after today´s adventure.

When a guide tells you that a trek is moderate to difficult, don´t listen. This ´walk´was bloody hard!!!!! In fact it wasn´t a walk, it was a climb. On the way back I was on my arse half the time cause it was so steep and slippery and I can´t believed I literally abseiled down a waterfall without any equipment. But it was amazing, and unlike anything I have ever done before. The whole day feels like a dream, which is perhaps why they say La Cordillera Blanca is the most beautiful place on earth.

Off to get the night bus, dont think i will actually be able to move by the morning!

A few more pics as this comp is uploading them quickly

this is the waterfall we rock climbed down

the other side of the lake... check out the colours

the hillside walking back

Some of the local ladies sporting very attractive 10 gallon style hats. They dont like there pic taken so had to go for the bum shot instead.

Got this little rascal though... check out the rosy cheeks (very common with the indigenous people for some reason.... not sure if its to do with inbreeding?!)

Laguna Churup

So jude and I didn’t really think too much about this trip to Laguna Churup (cheers clarky for the tip) just that it was 7 hours long. Only at the end of it did we realize that we’d walked 35K up and down rocky mountains. It was well worth it, especially to see jude having to do some rock climbing next to a waterfall, which she says she detests but appeared to get on with it pretty well. Also we got to go through the local village on the way back (couldn’t fit the pics on) which was interesting. They bring a new meaning to the word minimalistic. All you need to live is a wooden hut with a grass roof, and you’re made!
We’re now off on a night bus to Lima to chill, eat, sooth our tired bodies, and try and not get robbed!

p.s. I just found the widescreen button on the new camera, so apologies for going overkill


Jude with our guide Mao on the way to the Lake

jude and I at the lake. Its 4450m high, and not surprisingly ice cold

Me climbing down past the waterfall. I wish i could have taken a pick of jude, though i dont think she would have been happy for you to all see her scared white face!

The local farmers doing there stuff

Lake churup is up on the right. The glacier peak is about 6500m high

Huaraz and Laguna Llanganuco

So it seems that disaster has struck again where the camera is involved. This time we seem to have somehow lost all of the pictures on the new camera. So again we're in the same position we were in after the robbery, using this blog as out only means to remind us what we've done. Therefore Jude and I have come up with various plans, the likeliest being me turning into a robocop half camera half man. Thankfully not too many good pics were lost, apart from one of the locals cooking the jungle rats on wooden poles (very inviting!!)

After jumping on a night bus from Truillo we arrived in the second largest mountains region in the world of Cordillera Blanca, in the main town of Huaraz. We were lucky enough to have the most perfect weather, so instead of relaxing and checking out tours we jumped on a bus, and then a taxi for a few hours up very bumpy roads to get to Laguna Llanganuco (1 of over 160 lakes within the region). Jude thought it was the prettiest thing that we had seen since travelling, I’ll let the pics tell the story below. Since then we have decided to go tomorrow on a 7 hour trek into the mountains to reach another more beautiful lake. Will hopefully have pics on that unless the camera decides to turn on us in the mountains!

Its possible to get little wooden boats and go across the lake

I've never seen such turquoise water

Farmland with the glacier looking almost fake in the background

This is to the right of the lake (above is to the left)



The mountain range going off into the distance

Linea Luxury

Last night we took a night bus from Trujillo to Huaraz. We went VIP which meant we got a reclining seat, loads of leg room, a pillow, blanket and a sandwich...and it wasn`t cheese and ham, we got chicken! I got loads of sleep and would definitely recommend Linea for comfort. On borading the bus we were searched and finger printed, so we felt quite safe too!

Huaraz is a bit chilly as it´s at 3100, we can see snow capped mountains from our room. Off to look up what trips we can do as the treking here is supposed to be amazing.

Peru!

Bye Bye Ecuador!


Hello Chan Chan, Peru and tiny Tim
Chan Chan is the largest pre-Columbian city in South America. It was constructed by the Chimor civilization and was built between the 9th and 15th centuries, so it´s very old and a bit crumbly


Strange looking hairless dog local to the region which is supposed to be much hotter than normal dogs so they have been used for people with artritis

Huge mud walls at Chan Chan.
The walls were made of adobe brick and then coated with a mud-like material to form a smooth surface.

Intricate designs were carved on the walls. Most of the carvings at Chan Chan feature ocean-related motifs, most likely due to the city’s proximity to the coast and the water.


Ecuador seems like a distant memory now we have arrived in Peru. First impressions were not great... the bus took us along the most disgusting stretch of road imaginable. Rubbish was everywhere and a putrid rotting fish smell was only superseded by wafts of raw sewage. Pleasant.

You´ll be pleased to know that our opinion of the country has now greatly improved, although it is much more crowded and busier than we expected.

After entering at Piura (crazy, noisy place) we booked ourselves on a bus to Chiclayo. We collected a young German girl on route (we seem to be attracting them) and after a couple of hours of conversation felt very old!

In Chiclayo we went to what the Lonely Planet describes as the best museum in Peru, it was interesting but I couldn´t tell you that much about it as all the information was in Spanish! Lots of nice necklaces and tombs though.

We´re now in Trujillo. Great beach nearby, we went yesterday which just happended to be an amazingly sunny day (it´s rubbish today) so needless to say Tim and I are a little burnt. Off in a couple of hours to Huaraz on a VIP bus, who knows what that means but it cost a little bit more so we´re hoping we get some sleep!

More pics from the farm

A jungle cats having 40 winks

jude finding a new friend

A tapir relaxing in the sun

these birds are the symbol of guyaquil


me chilling at the farm with a very very large dog