Hello all
After a somewhat lengthy delay here we are again (it has only been one month since our last update - when you are on a very long holiday sometimes it is a bit hard to keep up with the admin)
to be honest, we have been going through something of a philospohical dilemma along the lines of "are all people who fill in travel diaries just a bunch of trumpet blowing tossers that everyone who is at work hates". you will be pleased to know that we came to the conclusion that they are not so here we are to annoy you/bore you/drive you mad (please delete as appropriate) with what an amazing time we have been having.
Latest highlights include:
People continually assuming that i (dave) am german
Finding out that the Spanish for sticky tape is Durex
Me (dave) winning a game of bingo played in spanish on a bus full of peruvians
Ness ordering a beer in her best spanish and being brought out a lovely beer stroganoff
Being cycled across the Peru-Bolivia border
Finding out that one can still look very cool on a dancefloor in hiking trousers and "technical" hiking sandals
Right then, on to a more chronological description of things
The trek around (by around we mean up and down - 11 passes over 4500m) the Huayhuash was truly incredible and if we had had the foresight not to lock all our photos in our bags which are currently in storage awaiting the 18 hour bus ride we have to take this evening (see, this travelling lark is not all lounging around in hammocks and hot springs) you would be able to see just how incredible - just wait another month for the next update folks.
It was just the two of us (and a guide and a donkey driver and four donkeys and 12 days of the most stunning and varied landscapes you are likely to see - (yes I know, photos photos photos)).
The most interesting part of the trip brought us face to face with a peculiarity of peruvian culture (never wanting to say "i dont know" when asked a question, even when you are a mountain guide and the questions are "where are we?" where are we going?" and "why are we going down there when it looks very dangerous and seems to involve a mixture of rock climbing and canyoning?" i(dave) had to produce angry dad and give the guide a word or two of advice on how to deal with sketchy situations (tell the truth and dont run off like a headless chicken trying to find a way down when you are lost). we lived to tell the tale.
From there it was 20 out of 22 hours on a couple of buses (one of which I won the bingo on - unfortunately the prize was a return trip on the same bus rather than anything remotely useful - there also seemed to be some resentment that a gringo had won and I fancy the bingo caller did not want an on bus revolution on his hands).
Arequipa was the next stop (Peru´s poshest city) from where we decided that after 12 days hard hiking what we needed was another 3 days hard hiking so we went down into the Colca Canyon (which is twice a deep as the grand canyon so all you americans can stick that in your pipe and smoke it). the best bit of the trip was getting up close and personal with some 3 metre wingspan condors - truly unforgettable (oh, and did i mention the afternoon we spent lougning about in hot springs drinking cold beer in an oasis at the bottom of the canyon (how IS work everbody - maybe we came to the wrong conclusion about people who write travel diaries (or maybe it is just us two that are tossers)).
It was in the aforementioned hot springs that we met Ralf the german (who does acutally look like a german unlike me(dave) and Rita and Sean the irish people.
They were our partners in crime for our one (and so far only) big night out. too many caipirinhas (those of you at our beards and wigs leaving party will know only too well what they can do) and too much time on a dancefloor in sandals.
the famous names continue -from Arequipa it was to the shores of Lake Titicaca from where we went to a couple of islands (Uros and Isla Del Sol) and had a lovely time there too.
More buses have led us to our current location - La Paz. the bus journeys have so far proved ok - better than for some irish lads we met who shared their cheap bus with a dog that did a big poo right next to them - imagine being cooped up for about 6 hours right next to a smelly dog turd - nice.
La Paz is a very groovy city in an unbelievable location - 3700m above sea level and in a big canyon (more photos forthcoming honest). Very cool.
This afternoon we head for Santa Cruz nad then ( hopefully) to a little town called Samaipata which is suppose to be very scenic.
Adios Amigos.
