Monday 23 July 2007

The most dangerous road in the world... twice


La Paz is at 3660m, so still suffering from the altitude clearly I would follow all logical advice to rest, drink lots of water and stay as low as possible....

Hmmm, well the not-so-sensible part of me hired a mountain bike, got a bus to 4850m and then cycled 69km down the world´s most dangerous road. Great fun (although the 10km of uphill cycling on gravel and sand at >4000m was a a tad tricky), and I managed not to go into freefall over the 600m cliffs, so was all good =) The end of the road is at only 1200m, so got a few lungfuls of decent oxygen, before getting back in a van which drove back up the road I´d just cycled down; much worse in the van than on a bike!

Monday 16 July 2007

Machu Picchu


Unsurprisingly one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" (announced the day I arrived in Cusco), Machu Picchu was pretty spectacular. Getting there wasn´t exactly as planned (see below!), but once I arrived it was great =) Looks like a postcard... actually no, it´s better than that, and there are friendly llamas everywhere.

Had a tour around the ancient Inca city for a couple of hours, and then spent another few hours exploring the terraces. Unfortunately, depspite arriving at 08.30 the quota of 400 people had already started to climb Huayna Picchu, so had to make do with the Sun Gate - which was still a fantastic view!

Will put some photos up when I can get a computer to talk to my camera...

Friday 13th


I´m not superstitious, but this Friday 13th was one of the worst days ever. I remember very little of it all, but generally involved being hauled off my Inca trek with altitude sickness.

During the preceeding forty-eight hours, breathing got more and more difficult, my entire body became agonisingly painful, I could barely stand up becuase I was so dizzy, and my head was excrutiatingly sore. On Thursday I stubbornly (aka stupidly) forced my way to the 4450m pass, but my body couldn´t take another two days without oxygen. So frustrating, but they reckon I had HACE so there was really no option.

Monday 9 July 2007

Harder and harder to breathe


Finally arrived in Cusco. 3500m. Not enough oxygen.

Staying in a little tiny hostel up on the mountain side with an awesome view over the valley. Such a relaxed place compared to non-stop Lima... although there are a few too many gringos here. Llamas and goats wandering the streets, and hidden markets through every doorway off the quaint little alleyways.

Start on the Inca trail tomorrow, so over and out for a week or so...

Thursday 5 July 2007

Hola from Lima


Drunk Polish builders, bomb squad at every junction and roundabout, bag and body searches, flight confusion, and lost passengers. Then I finally took off from Edinburgh. Met Dad at Schipol - very odd...

Scenery flying into Peru was spectacular, the mountains are immense - I don't know words big enough to describe, and really bizzare to fly below the horizon... Arrived in Lima late afternoon, and then to a hostel in Miraflores... driving is mad, but nothing compared to Vietnam! - and only one minor collision on the forty minute drive.

In summary, I am alive.

PS - I offically hate Orange (rather than the usual disliking); they said my mobile would work here, but it doesn't - not even in Holland - so I cannot send nor receive anything =(

Monday 2 July 2007

Thirty six hours, and counting.

Flights booked; one night in Lima sorted; after that, who knows. About six weeks to meander through Peru, Bolivia and Chile, and then another month or so to further fulfil the wanderlust…

You all know I’m categorically useless at keeping in touch, but will write on here when I can.

Lfsx