Puno/Lake Titicaca

Well, after a 10 hour train ride from Cuzco, I made it to lake Puno. Now I know 10 hours seems like a long time to be on a train (And it is) but this was unlike any train ride I have ever had. There was like music, fashion shows, bartending courses and other entertainment as well as a beautiful 3 course lunch (I had alpaca loin with balsamic dressing, Scalloped Chicken and Cous cous and a passionfruit mousse..delicious). They also served an afternoon tea with a sampling of sandwiches and deserts. On top of that, the train ride takes you through some of the most breathtaking mountain ranges. Another option would have been a 60 dollar bus ride which takes like 2 or 3 hours but I am glad I opted for the train. The only down side of the train is that it takes you through some of the highest points in Peru. Until last night, I had no real issues with altitude but on the last leg of the train ride I got the worst headache I have ever had and I couldnt seem to shake it..Today is a beautiful day here on the lake..I am however missing my tour of lake titicaca and the uros islands because I was up all last night with my head in the toilet..Dont know whats happening there..maybe something I ate or maybe dehydration..anyway Ellen is gone on the tour and I am glad she did..I guess I will take a walk around and get a lay of the land. Tomorrow I begin my trip back to canada...It will certainly be a long day of travel. I catch a plane from puno to lima around 8am, then wait in lima until 2:00am the next morning for my flight to toronto and then finaly to deer lake..During my stop over in Lima I am going to try to find the local mazda dealership and see how things are done in Peru...almost everybody here is a skilled negotiator so I can only imagine how slick their car salesmen are!

Machu Picchu!!



Well, Yesterday I arrived at Aquas Calientes - A small tourist village settled at the base of Machu Picchu. After much chaos and Confusion getting from the train to the hotel (due to false information given by the tour operator) We finaly made it to our Hotel. The place is called Hatun Inti and it was probably the nicest place we have stayed so far..Each room is equipped with a jaccuzi bath, rain shower, wood burning fire place, big tv and other comforts..I was very impressed..the best part is, It is literaly on the river..I open my bedroom window and there is the sacred river..You can hear it rush by as you lay in bed at night..very nice. Anyway Machu Picchu was totaly Amazing..For anyone not familiar, it was the Incas last refuge..A city on top of a mountain that the spanish never found..It was discovered 100 years ago by an american explorer. Shortly after it was featured in national geographic and blew up in popularity after that. A while back it was named one of the 7 man made wonders of the world! When you are standing up there, looking at the city they made, and the surrounding mountains and scenery you cant help but be in awe..The Incas were early astronomers and the whole place is filled with objects and rocks that tell time, the date and all sorts of things..also on their shortest day of the year (our longest day in north america, june 21st) Many strange and interesting shadows are cast..All sorts of strange things happen there on that day actually. Its just a place filled with mystery and its super cool.
Today I am bumming around Aguas Calientes, waiting for my train back to cuzco..I have about 7 hours to kill and I have already walked around town twice. I am currently in an internet cafe sort of place that is right on the road/train track...People keep trying to sell me weed..one guy tried to sell me a gram of cocain for 5 dollars.. I am thinking I should take them up on it..nothing else to do today! hahah.. Thats a joke. Anyway I guess I will go mingle with the travelers and see what there is to do in this place. Cuzco Tonight, 10 hour train ride to Puno Tomorrow..Cheers!!!

Dustin



My First Glance at Machu Picchu



Sacred Valley

Today I spent 11 hours exploring the remains of the inca empire...I was completly blown away..the structures they built..the archetecture..their knowledge of astronomy and the stars..so far ahead of their time. They built walls in ways that humans can´t replicate today. I visited about 5 different inca cities today. It is way too hard to explain the scope of what they built but I took some pictures which I will try to post tomorrow. Tomorrow morning ( or in about 5 hours) I will be getting up and heading to Machu Picchu by train. This is supposed to be the pinacle of ancient inca cities however it will be hard to top what I saw today. Either way, I am excited! I will be staying at the base of machu picchu in a town called Aguas Calientes (Hot Water - So called for its many natural hot springs) for 2 days. From there I will be coming back to cuzco for one last night. Since I have been getting up every morning at 4 and 5 AM I have not really got to enjoy the nightlife here to its fullest. I plan to do so on that last night in cuzco..There is a party going on here 24/7. After that I will be taking a 10 hour train ride to a place called Puno which is situated on lake Titicaca...I can´t say that with a straight face..titicaca. I will be in puno for 2 nights then begin my journey back home.

Notes:
-The markets here are intense..and the people selling stuff on the street are even more intense..I am enjoying bargaining with them though..Its nice to be on the other end of negotiations for once.
-Up until last night Peru was a contender in the south american FIFA cup...This is a big big deal to peruvians and the whole place was going crazy...When there is a game on, the streets are dead..Almost EVERYONE is watching the game somewhere..

Out of the Jungle..into the Mountains!!

What a time I had in the amazon..Just a mind blowing place. Everything is alive and everything is beautiful...some highlights include climbing above the jungle canopy to watch the sun rise, spotting every bird imaginable, swinging in a hammock under a thatch roof during a lightning storm and so much more. Our lodge was amazing and comfortable..the guides were great as well! As fun as it was, I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved to get back to civilization and have a warm shower and wear dry cloths...everything in the rainforest is wet! Always! haha. Currently I am at my hotel in Cuzco. Cuzco is a beautiful and lively city steeped in architecture and inca culture. I visted a few cathedrals today as well as some ancient Inca ruins. I will be in this area for a few days hiking around and then thursday I will be heading to Machu Picchu! That is sure to be a good time. I am feeling some minor effects from the altitude here in cuzco. At 12,000 feet even small tasks such as walking up 10 stairs can take your breath away..Some people get very sick and bad headaches but thankfully I am not experiencing any of this! I will throw up a few pictures or maybe even a video if I can figure out how...Good night for now!

Dustin

ps. I have a cellphone for inbound calls..if anyone needs to contact me or wants a fun drunk dial, send me a message and I will give you the Number! Also, I lost my phone cards, money, birth certificate, credit cards and debit card in lima airport...so don't expect any calls home mom!

Lima

Well, after 26 hours of travelling we made it to Lima.. We had some delays and minor difficulties but it all worked out! Our hotel is absolutely amazing. It is a small art and scultlpture studio that has been converted to a hotel.. There are only 4 or 5 suits. The place is filled with art and sculptures by a famous south American artist Victor Delfin...The best part is he still had a working studio here!!
Anyway today Ellen and I took stroll into Miraflores, limas entertainment and business district.. What we planned as a leisure stroll turned into an epic afternoon. We decided to go paragliding off the cliffs of Lima.. This was a truly amazing experience.. Basicaly you strap on to a dude with a parachute and jump off a cliff.. The up-wind from the ocean allows you to fly around and maintain altitude! I have lots of video and photos that I can't add right now because I am on my iPod. We also ate lunch at what has to be the finest restaurant I have ever eaten in. We sampled some of perus best fresh seafood dishes, great wine from chile and a surf and turf including octopus, bass, giant shrimp, squid, chicken and sirloin steak. Great value for money too! Tonight we plan to check out limas night life. Tomorrow we head to the amazon So i don't expect to be able to update this for a few days.. That's all for now! Check back in a few days!
Love,
Dustin

I should pack a bag...or learn spanish..or something

So my flight to Peru leaves around 5:30am on Friday morning..So far my preparations consist of buying an international Phonecard and some socks.This makes me slightly apprehensive. Many people are telling me " Don't worry about it..being unprepared is half the adventure" or "Just bring some cloths and buy whatever you need down there!".. If this wasn't my first time taking such a trip I may be more inclined to take their advice. In any case I am starting to get excited for the trip. Here is a brief overview of some of the places I will be Visiting. The Plan is to post on here every other day with a location update, a few pictures etc so you (Friends and Loved ones) can keep up to speed and know that I am not dead or kidnapped by rebels.

View Larger Map

We will be flying into Lima around 12:30am Saturday morning. I believe we will be spending sunday night there as well. From there we fly over the Andes and Into Puerto Maldonado - A town in the Amazon. This town acts as a jump off point for most Amazon Excursions. From here we will be taking a boat up the Tambopata River (A Tributary to the Amazon River) to our Lodge where we will spend the next 3 days. During our time there we will be observing wildlife through some trekking. There is also a large Tower in this area which reaches above the jungle canopy. It is used for studying Birds..I am very excited to get up there. By day 4 or 5 we should be heading to Cuzco. Here we will explore remnants of the Inca Empire. This should include a day on Machu Picchu as well as a trek along parts of the Inca trail which contains many ruins of their lost civilizations. A few days later we will be headed to Puno via Train to visit Lake Titicaca. This is the Largest Lake in South America. It sits 3,811 m (12,500 ft) above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. Not too sure what we are going to be doing there. Figure that out when the time comes I suppose. So that's the plan! I forgot to mention that while this was originally a solo trip, I am now being joined by my good friend Ellen Tomie. She is from Nova Scotia but we met while attending University in Corner Brook. She is pretty easy going so I expect her to be a good person to be travelling with. I suppose I will update this thing again from Lima...That's all for now.. Love you all and thanks for the support!

Dustin

It Begins

This is my first ever blog post. At this point I really have nothing to say. The reason I created this blog was so my friends and family can keep up with me on my up coming adventure to Peru. I will be departing Deer Lake Newfoundland July 15th. I thought a blog might be a quick and easy way to give everyone updates while on the run. Stay tuned!