Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The Trip North


Well all i can say is that its been an experience.
We left Santiago on a bus which took us directly to Arica in the north of Chile, about 28 hours, we had salon cama, which is somthing like buisness class on a plane.
Once you get about 500km's north of Santiago, things turn very bleak, nothing around but sand, more sand and....even more sand.



At the base of the Morro de Arica, this lump of rock was an important strategic position in the war of the pacific between Chile and Peru in 1880.
but its still it's just a big rock.


Driving around the valleys of Arica, we hired (I Hired) a ute shown and we went for a little play. couldn't do very much because the 4x4 was playing up, bugger. at leased we got if for half price.


Heading up the side of a valley where the green stuff stops.


On top of the Morro de Arica. I think they knew I was coming.


After a few days, we left Arica and crossed the border into Peru. We arrived in Tanca on the other side to arrange a bus to Cusco, Cruz del sur which is the best company didn't have any seats so we let ourselves get hijacked be these 2 touts who took us to another bus depot. They were full of promises about same good service, direct route, bla bla bla. It turned out that we were on a Hillbilly bus, the bloddy thing stopped at every place that had more than 2 houses, and sometimes just on the side of the road for fun. The trip to Cusco lasted 20 hours, I thought the next stop was going to be Rio.


This is what you look like after you've been on a bus with the entire population of Peru, no sleep for 20 hours and having to suck on coco plant sweets to combat the altitude.


Finally we arrive in Cusco.
After finding our Hotel, cleaned up and went to get something to eat.

The hats cost about $1.50 from a street vendor, of which there are shitloads.


You can't move on the streets of Cusco without someone coming up to you trying to sell you a tour, food, trinkets, hats. Apart from the police, there are guards who blow whistles to stop the vendors from hassling people too much, fat lot of good that does.
Bad news.
The Inka trail is fully booked up, no places til mid april. so we are just going to have to take the train. hopefully I'll get to climb the peak behind machu pichu thats alway in the photos,.
Ok. Time to go. hope you are all well.
bye for now- til the next post.

1 comment:

Wobler said...

Yo Pete and Marg
Pitty about the machu pichu thingy.
its a good way of getting info back to us in the civalized world via this blog. Keep it up and stay safe.