So much to tell!
So...I trekked an alternative route to Machu Picchu called the Inka Jungle Trail which was fantastic. We left last Friday and started with a day of mountain biking! We reached 4300m and cycled down hill for about 5 hours through the jungle which was beautiful and so much fun. We reached our first stop, Santa Maria where we had dinner and stayed the night. I was with a great group of people including 2 english boys who spoke no spanish and 2 chilean people who spoke no english so it was great for my Spanish as I ended up translating alot! The next day we began the trekking which started up a mountain which was exhausting as the jungle is really humid and the mountain was pretty steep! We joined onto an orignal Inca trail and snaked around mountains in the most beautiful valley. After walking for several hours we reached natural hot baths which were very much appreciated! So warm and in such an incredible place in the middle of the jungle covered mountains. We continued to Santa Theresa where we had dinner then went to a Salsa club which was more tiring than the walking! so much fun thoug! The next day we walked for a while along the river with fantastic views of Machu Picchu itself which looked scarily high up....We arrived in Agua Calientes and prepared ourself for waking up at 4am the next day! We began our climb at 4.30am up Incan stairs for an hour and half which was pretty tricky but totally worth it!
We arrived at the runis themselves at about 6am to see the ancient city covered in mist (as romantic as it sounds the unbelievable amount of tourists did take away from the magic a bit! especially as they had all just come up in the bus and in my opinion did not deserve to be there!). The mist cleared as the morning went to to reveal the incredible city buit ontop of a mountain! We had a tour around the runis which was fascinating then climbed the uneven steps up to Huaynu Picchu (the mountain at the back of the classic view of Machu Picchu) which again was pretty tiring but so worth it as the views from the top were incrdible! We then had time to explore Machu Picchu alone which was great. The ruins are so sureal and in just the most incredible setting surrounded by mountains. I absolutely loved it and cant believe that after thinking about going for so long I finally made it!
Unfortunately it took forever to get back because our guide told us the wrong time for our train so we missed it and had to get one at 12.30 at night and because of various strikes we got home at 5am!
Since then I have been working in the hospital which has been fantastic. I am now working with the Servicio Psicomotricidad...dont know what it is in English but it is really interesting. The children are so sweet, I will really miss them when I leave. Still loving life in Cusco, lots of my friends are here so it is really good fun. I got to work behind the bar at a club where I know some of the people who work there the other day which was fun! Lots of free drinks!
Everything is great and I am gutted that I only have another week here. I will definitely be back! Ah well, more places to go and people to see! xxxxxx
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Sunday, 10 May 2009
CUSCO!!
Hi everyone,
I have been in Cusco for a week already and time is flying by as always! I have my own little flat next door to the student residence which is really nice (sadly I think I have to move out and into the residence soon because I didn´t pay for the private room and someone else wants it!). We are about a 15 min walk from the centre and about a 10 min walk from my project.
I am working in a clinic for disabled children which is fantastic. This past week I have been a personal assitant to a language therapist so I find the children, bring them to therapy and help with the therapy itself which I absolutely love and is making me think about different career options....! I will be helping out in physical therapy either this week or next. I then play with the children whilst getting them ready for lunch. I feel like I´m really helping because there are so few nurses that the children really don´t get any attention so I love playing with them and showing them the affection that they really need. I help with lunch which is always tricky as over half of the children need to be fed and aren´t always willing to eat! We then wash the children and they have a nap for the afternoon. There are 50 children living in the clinic and there is a school attatched which I get to go and help in too. The children come from all over Peru as this is a really great clinic and one of the only good ones in Peru. I head home at about 1.30ish which is great.
Cusco is incredible! So much to see and do and for some reason alot of the friends I met backpacking are here too so I know lots of people. The city itself is full of Inca stone work and beautiful colonial churches and buildings. Today we went off to Pisac in the Sacred Valley which has incredible Incan and pre-Incan ruins. There are also so many amazing markets with Peruvian clothes and souvenirs which I can´t get enough of! The night life isn´t quite up to Buenos Aires standards but its not bad! It is perfect as I work in the mornings then have the afternoons to explore. I am planning on going up to Machu Picchu this Friday which I can´t wait for.
Overall absolutely loving Cusco. Yet another place that you all have to see! You would love it!
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I have been in Cusco for a week already and time is flying by as always! I have my own little flat next door to the student residence which is really nice (sadly I think I have to move out and into the residence soon because I didn´t pay for the private room and someone else wants it!). We are about a 15 min walk from the centre and about a 10 min walk from my project.
I am working in a clinic for disabled children which is fantastic. This past week I have been a personal assitant to a language therapist so I find the children, bring them to therapy and help with the therapy itself which I absolutely love and is making me think about different career options....! I will be helping out in physical therapy either this week or next. I then play with the children whilst getting them ready for lunch. I feel like I´m really helping because there are so few nurses that the children really don´t get any attention so I love playing with them and showing them the affection that they really need. I help with lunch which is always tricky as over half of the children need to be fed and aren´t always willing to eat! We then wash the children and they have a nap for the afternoon. There are 50 children living in the clinic and there is a school attatched which I get to go and help in too. The children come from all over Peru as this is a really great clinic and one of the only good ones in Peru. I head home at about 1.30ish which is great.
Cusco is incredible! So much to see and do and for some reason alot of the friends I met backpacking are here too so I know lots of people. The city itself is full of Inca stone work and beautiful colonial churches and buildings. Today we went off to Pisac in the Sacred Valley which has incredible Incan and pre-Incan ruins. There are also so many amazing markets with Peruvian clothes and souvenirs which I can´t get enough of! The night life isn´t quite up to Buenos Aires standards but its not bad! It is perfect as I work in the mornings then have the afternoons to explore. I am planning on going up to Machu Picchu this Friday which I can´t wait for.
Overall absolutely loving Cusco. Yet another place that you all have to see! You would love it!
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Saturday, 2 May 2009
New chapter....
Hi there....
I had a fantastic weekend with my friend Rachel in La Paz, so much fun and such a great city. From there I went with a group of 6 or us to Copacobana (by Lake Titicaca, not the one in Brazil!). The bus journey was incredible if not a little precarious when we got a ferry across the lake and the bus was rowed across in a gondola! Beautiful views though of the incredibly blue lake and the snow capped mountains behind it. We stayed the night in the small town of Copacobana and headed to the Isal del Sol (island of the sun) early in the morning. We trekked from one side of the island to the other stopping at incan ruins and the sacred rock where the incan sun god was said to have appeared. Stunning panoramic views the entire way made up for the steep climbs made more tricky by the altitude and my chest infection (nothing to worry about by the way, just a bit of a cough!). Such a great group of people so we had so much fun. We stayed the night on the island in a hotel with the most incredible view of the mountains for sunrise for a mere 1 pound 50 per night! The sun set was incredible and we star gazed until it was too cold to sit outside! I decided to stay on the island another night because the others were heading back to La Paz. I explored a bit more and relaxed on the most tranquil and peaceful island in the world!
I then headed to Puno which is not a very attractive or exciting town but is on the edge of lake titicaca and provides tour to los Uros, the floating islands which were amazing. People literally live on reeds anchored to the bed of the lake! Very touristy but understandabe as they have no other income. I spent today sorting myself out with a peruvian phone and doing my washing before starting my nest project tomorrow in Cusco. I can´t believe how fast time is going and I am sad to have finished backpacking for the time being but so excited about starting my project with disabled children in Cusco. It should be great!
Love to everyone and I will keep you posted. By the way I have lost my camera lead so no photos for the moment! sorry!
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I had a fantastic weekend with my friend Rachel in La Paz, so much fun and such a great city. From there I went with a group of 6 or us to Copacobana (by Lake Titicaca, not the one in Brazil!). The bus journey was incredible if not a little precarious when we got a ferry across the lake and the bus was rowed across in a gondola! Beautiful views though of the incredibly blue lake and the snow capped mountains behind it. We stayed the night in the small town of Copacobana and headed to the Isal del Sol (island of the sun) early in the morning. We trekked from one side of the island to the other stopping at incan ruins and the sacred rock where the incan sun god was said to have appeared. Stunning panoramic views the entire way made up for the steep climbs made more tricky by the altitude and my chest infection (nothing to worry about by the way, just a bit of a cough!). Such a great group of people so we had so much fun. We stayed the night on the island in a hotel with the most incredible view of the mountains for sunrise for a mere 1 pound 50 per night! The sun set was incredible and we star gazed until it was too cold to sit outside! I decided to stay on the island another night because the others were heading back to La Paz. I explored a bit more and relaxed on the most tranquil and peaceful island in the world!
I then headed to Puno which is not a very attractive or exciting town but is on the edge of lake titicaca and provides tour to los Uros, the floating islands which were amazing. People literally live on reeds anchored to the bed of the lake! Very touristy but understandabe as they have no other income. I spent today sorting myself out with a peruvian phone and doing my washing before starting my nest project tomorrow in Cusco. I can´t believe how fast time is going and I am sad to have finished backpacking for the time being but so excited about starting my project with disabled children in Cusco. It should be great!
Love to everyone and I will keep you posted. By the way I have lost my camera lead so no photos for the moment! sorry!
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