South America

Peru

2006-01-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

Final stage of trip, a 6 day excursion into Peru. Peruvian-Chilian border crossing

between Arica, Chile and Tacna, Peru

En route to Cuzco, we stop off at Arequipa for roast Alpaca

Tender loving care of our meat that tastes somewhere between duck and pork

Plaza de Armas, Arequipa

Cloud capped peak looking over the cathedral of Arequipa

Plaza de Armas, Arequipa from the roof of our restaurant

Rodrigo and I on the roof

Arrival in Cuzco, the toursit mecca of Peru, on the second morning.

Plaza de Armas

Classic cars of South America

Third day, I set with my guide Chique on a three day trip from Cuzco, through El Valle Sagrado and following El Rio Urubamba towards Machu Pichu. En route we pass pueblitos and the subsistence farming of the campesinos

Urubamba

Inca monument in Ollataytambo

Having left Ollataytambo we head up by bus into Cordillera Malaga and zigzag through perilous mountainous paths. Reaching the summit and snow capped peaks of Nevado Veronica, 5,700M we descend towards the jungle only to run into a landslide

With only one road connecting both sides of the mountains we leave our bus and cross the landslide to catch another connection

View down into the jungle as we descend towards Santa Maria

Inca trails running throughout the mountainside

From Santa Maria we hitch a lift on un carro, an egg truck, which runs twice a day delivering local produce to the mountainous villages

Some Peruvian kids are also hitching a lift with us on their way home from school

Heading towards Urpipata

Having jumped off the truck at Uripata, we descend down some authentic Inca trails towards Rio Urubamba

My guide, Chique

Having spent a night in Santa Teresa on Rio Urubamba we set off at 2.30am to catch another carro and by 3.30am we start our ascend of Mount Llaqtapata by moonlight

The hillside from Mount Llaqtapata

A claim to ownership at the top of the mountain

From the top of Mount Llaqtapata we get our first glimpse of the South face of Machu Pichu

A quick descend towards Machu Piccu and we are able to take a welcome dip

Southern face of Machu Pichu. Agua Calientes is situated on the other side

Crossing the river towards Agua Calientes

7am the following day. Early morning at the top of Machu Pichu, the "lost city of the Incas" unearthed by the Americans in the early 20th century

The picture postcard portrait of Machu Pichu "old mountain" with Huayna Pichu "young mountain" in the background. This is the view from Intipunku, the Sun Gate. It is the first sight of Machu Picchu that hikers following the Inca Tail get

Granary stores of the Chequa people at Machu Pichu

Living quarters. Population approximately 1,000. The higher up you live, the higher your social standing.

Huayna Pichu

The famous stepped vegetation of the hill dwelling Chequa

Chequa masonry. The finest masonry was saved for the religious temples

Temple of the Sun

Tame Alpaca that seem to revel in the attention from all the tourists

Inca Art. A representation in the rock of the mountain behind

Mid-morning as trainloads of tourists arrive from Cuzco

Vertigo down from Machu Pichu towards the valley below

Scenery reminiscent of the opening sequences of Jurassic Park

Looking towards Machu Pichu from the summit of Huayna Pichu

Endless vegetation in the valley below

Relieved after a knackering climb up Huayna Pichu

At the summit of Huayna Pichu

Fifth day, before dawn at the Chilean-Peruvian border en route to Santiago. Cuzco to Santiago is a 50hr bus trip

View over the Andes from the plane en route to London via Madrid

Argentina

2006-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

2 day trip to Argentina. Pullman bus ride from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile to

Salta, Argentina (13 hours)

Paso de Jama, Andes border patrol between Chile and Argentina, 4,500M. Severe shortage of oxygen. Not recommended with a hangover
Our erratic driver across the Andes
View from "Hotel" Florida, Salta
From the top of Cerro San Bernado, reached by the gondola from Plaza San Martin
Salta, an old colonial town, built in a valley and flanked by various mountains

Plaza San Martin

Crossing back over the Andes towards San Pedro de Atacama

Bolivia

2006-01-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Bolivian-Chilean border at C. Pesos in the Andes at 1,500M
Laguna blancha frozen over
Alex & Ollie with Volcan Licancabur in the distance
The Bolivian Andes, red & white barren landscape

due to the presence of Borax and Sulphur which is mined

Geiser de Sol de Manana

200 degrees centrigrade and stinking of sulphur

Reminiscent of a thunderbirds set

A Bolivian highway

Laguna roja with flamingos in the distance

Our refugio on Laguna Colorada

-10 degrees at night. Breakfast served at 6am

La Roca Piedra

Heading towards the salt plains

Feeling on top of the world!

Wild Alpacas

Pueblo boliviano

Sunrise at Chuvica

The Colque party bus with our English speaking guide Chino and driver

London medics Ollie, Tom, Alex and Ben

Crossing La Salar de Uyuni

Salt crystals at close-up

View from the top from Fischer Island overlooking 64,000M tonnes of salt

A very old cactus

Evidence

Fischer island, an old Inca ritual site filled with cacti

Artistic photo from bus

Toyota quatro a quatro

Inexplicably regular hexagons formed in the salt plains

Chino & driver

Self portrait in the water underneath the salt plains

Hotel de Sal and some very breakable salt chairs

Local villager mining for salt

Local artisan selling a multitude of salt sculptures

The market at Uyuni

Lady selling spices & dyes in Uyuni

Beware the dodgy tour operators

Chile

2006-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Santiago de Chile

Providencia, Santiago looking towards the Andes

Pichilemu con Josefina, Mama y Abuela

Palacio Vergara, Vina del Mar

Port of Valparaiso from Vina del Mar

Los ascensores de Valparaiso

El faro de La Serena

Looking down the lighthouse at La Serena

View from the Pisco distillery in the Elqui Valley

Comfort on the first night at Hosteleria San Pedro de Atacama
La Plaza, Toconao

An obedient photogenic llama

"Beware the Alpacas"

Kid playing in Toconao

The Altiplano, Miniques lagoons
The Altiplano, Miniques lagoons

A curious desert fox

Fighting pins & needles at 4,500M

Reflections on the altiplano

Miscati Lagoon

San Pedro's answer to Mount Rushmore

Caves at the end of the bike trail out of San Pedro

A cavernous sunlight

Valle de la Luna at sunset

En route to Valle de la Muerte

Our guardian at the Garden of Eden

Valle de la Muerte

Sandboarding on the dunes

Adam, Natalie, Nicky & Ollie at Valle de la Luna

A volcano from Valle de la Luna

Final night together in Casa Export before Bolivia trip

Ben, Tom, Adam, Natalie, Nicky, Ollie & Tom

Adam shows our guest a few of his moves

Riding through the Oasis at San Pedro on Macondo

Marcelo and I back at basecamp

Dusty Caracoles de San Pedro de Atacama

Merchandise for sale in Artesania off the main Plaza

Ollie

2006-01-26T10:59:00.000-08:00