TravelStream™ news feed for member paul_lucy on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/paul_lucy en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:27:43 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1208896140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1208896140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1208896140/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:27:43 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Foz de Iguacu, State of Parana, Brazil

Tues 22 April
New language, currency and food! I have finally got tropical fruit juices and they really are amazingly good here.

We walked to the bus station to find the bus for the National Park. A security guard decided to escort us to the office (not sure because we looked dodgy or stupid or because we walked through the wrong entrance...) we paid the money, didn´t get a ticket, went through a turnstile and then went to get on the bus. There was a turnstile at the front of the bus which confused us until one of the passengers motioned to us to get in the entrance further down the bus. Weird.

We started to worry we had got on the wrong bus as we stopped at the airport but luckily it was just on the way. We eventually got to the National Park and enjoyed walking round the trails again. Not as many on the Brazil side. They do have more activities but you have to pay extra for them. We saw lots of beautiful butterflies and saw rainbows in the water near the falls and birds darting in the spray.

We then left the park to get on a helicopter ride but it was R$150 each and they did not take credit card. So we headed to the bird sanctuary which was really good and we managed to get a picture of some toucans - not the same as in the wild but they are beautiful birds.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1208808960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1208808960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1208808960/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:26:18 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Puerto Iguazu, Litoral, Argentina

Mon 21 April
Luckily the smoke was blowing a different direction so the domestic airport was open and our flight left on time to Puerto Iguazu.

We arrived at about 2pm, checked into our hostel and wandered around town for a bit. We had some lunch and then chilled out in the hostel for a while. We had takeaway pizza at the hostel which was pretty novel as we haven´t done that since we left NZ.

Tues 22 April
We checked out of the hotel this morning and left our luggage there. We then took a bus to the National Park and spent most of the morning and afternoon walking around the trails. The Devil´s throat was really impressive and we did manage to get a few photos without soaking our camera! The best views were on the Inferior trail where you could see the Devil´s throat and the Superior trail waterfalls. In between trails we managed to see a Toca toucan which was stunning but were too slow with the camera to get a shot (I blame Paul).

In the afternoon we went down the Macuco trail which was about 6km round trip. We managed to see HUGE ants, a woodpecker, a racoon and lots of butterflies. The waterfall at the end was just a trickle so we had a snack and then turned back.

About half way down the track we saw a couple looking into a tree and then spotted a monkey. It was swining, climbing, eating and scratching! Just as we were starting to get neck ache he swung deeper into the jungle.

We walked for about 2mins and then came across about 15 monkeys swinging, scratching and climbing above our heads, It was absolutely amazing to see and they were so close to us. We took a lot of pics! Unfortunately it was difficult to get good photos as it was so bright behind them.

We headed back to the hostel to collect our bags and got a taxi over to the Brazilian side.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sunday 13 April
We got a taxi to the hotel (centre of BA) and crashed for 5 hours, waking at lunchtime. We were starving by this point as we had not had breakfast on the plane (they served it at 4am!) so we went hunting for food. We walked past so many Macdonalds and Burger Kings it was unbelievable. We did look at other restaurants but nothing took our fancy so we cracked and went to burger king.

We walked around for a while and went to Plaza Mayor where Evita did her famous speech. We were feeling very tired still so went back to the hotel for a couple of hours sleep and then went out for dinner at an expensive restaurant which we were not that impressed with.

We were surprised by the weather today as it was quite cold and overcast.

Monday 14 April
Today it was a lot warmer and blue skies so we decided to go wandering again. We spent most of the day walking around taking pictures of the centre. We also went into a couple of shopping malls which were filled with designer shops. Not really dressed for going into those!

Tuesday 15 April
We again spent most of this morning walking. This time we walked to Costanero which is apparently the place to go running at lunchtime for porteños (locals). It is near a reserve which we didn´t walk around as we were too tired from walking to it!

We have booked accommodation in Palermo and San Telmo for the next few days so we could see different barrios (suburbs) in Buenos Aires.

Wed 16 April
We movd to Palermo today which is a lovely suburb of BA. We spent most of the day walking, again, round the parks.

We thought someone was having a big bonfire in the evening as it was quite smokey.

Thurs 17 April
Today we got the subte (subway) and train to Tigre to go to Parana Delta which was about 1.5hrs from BA. The train cost us 40p for a return journey! Slight excitement on the train when, after people getting on at a stop, suddenly everybody stood up an rushed off the train. No announcement or anything. We just followed everybody else but then everyone got back on and we still do not have a clue what happened.

We decided to not do a boat tour but to take the residents boat to Tres Bocas and got off there to explore for a couple of hours. We had a nice lunch by the river but what we didn´t realise was how built up the area was so there was not a lot of wildlife around.

Friday 18 April
Another lazy start to the day. We did find out today what the smoke smell was... farmers have burnt some of their scrubland and have caused huge fires which were engulfing BA in smoke.

In the afternoon we to the subte (which was rammed, felt like a sardine and it was only 2pm. It always seems to be rush hour on the subte here) to Recoleta so we could visit the cemetry. It was similar to Punta Arenas with hige mauseleums but there was a lot more wealth and famous figures here, including Eva Peron.

Saturday 19 April
We moved to San Telmo today. We drove past the Obelisco and could hardly see it because of the smoke. It was much worse today.

We booked to go see a Boca Juniors football match which was spectacular. We were picked up and taken for pizza and beer, then onto the match. A little disturbing for me, but we were in the terraces. We all managed to squeeze down about 10 rows to stand together. The aisles did not exist so you had to squeeze past other spectators. As soon as we were at our spot I knew I was going no where until the game had finished!

The first half was pretty dull apart from the fans singing songs. The second half was excellent with 3 goals. When Boca scored the first goal it felt like the whole stadium was shaking, lots of cheering, singing, stamping and jumping. We could see the opposite terrace and it was a sea of jumping people. The second goal was for Rosario which didn´t get celebrated but another song was sung. The third goal was Boca´s and the stadium erupted again, even louder this time to a point where I thought I might have to cover my ears!!

Sunday 20 April
Today was the market in San Telmo which was really good. The market mainly had antiques but we found a few street performers and musicians. One group had even moved a piano out onto the street to play!

In the afternoon we went to the cinema and saw Shine a Light (Rolling Stones) which was not what we expected. We thought it was a documentary but it was a gig with a few flashbacks. Not impressed.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207921920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207921920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207921920/tpod.html Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:54:33 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Lima, Peru

Friday 11 April
We overslept this morning and had a late breakfast at the hostel (we are staying in Hotel TAC again as there was no room in the hostel, we pay the hostel and have breakfast there each morning). We bought lunch from Wongs (love that supermarket) and after 3 attempts, finally got a taxi to Lima Centro (the taxi drivers didn´t want to go there as there were road works).

The centro was quite nice, so we spent a couple of hours walking around. My favourite statue is at San Martin plaza, mainly because the artist made a mistake. Instead of a flame on the lady`s head (to symbolise eternity) there is a llama. Apparently flame and llama are very similar in spanish..... I thought it was hilarious and it looks so silly with this llama on her head.

In the evening we went to Larcomar for dinner which had fantastic views of the sea. It´s a shopping mall carved into the cliffs which also has restaurants, a cinema and ten pin bowling.

Saturday 12 April
Another long day today as our flight to Bueons Aires is at 1.30am tomorrow morning. We checked out of Hotel TAC, left our bags at the hostel and went to three museums: Archeology, History and Larco (ceramics). The Archeology museum was really good and we finally got some pictures of some erotic pottery... would make a fantastic xmas present... ok, maybe not.
Next we got a taxi to Larcomar and had lunch there and went to the cinema to see 10,000 BC. The only thing we didn´t think of was how cold it would be in the cinema. The weather has been quite nice in Lima, hot in the day and colder at night.
We went back to the hostel for a couple of hours and then walked to Parque Kennedy and to Pizza alley for um, pizza. After dinner we had an hour to kill before the taxi arrived to take us to the airport.

The flight was very smooth but I had trouble sleeping so was a little bit zombie like when we arrived in Buenos Aires at 7.15am.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207424160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207424160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207424160/tpod.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:25:17 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Huaraz, Peru

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=46583&l=b61cc&id=551865803

Sat 5 April
Surprisingly the bus trip was fine, with hardly any wibbly roads. Paul slept very well and I was not too bad. We had the posh cama seats again and they are fantastic. We arrived at 6.40am to drizzle and no pick up so we asked a security guard to let us know what price to pay to get to our hostel and he then hailed a taxi for us.

Sadly the taxi driver did not know where our hostel was and the people he asked didn´t know either. After about 20mins we finally found it. We checked in and went to bed as feeling a little dizzy and breathless from the altitude.

We got up an hour later, had a shower and went up on to the roof top terrace for breakfast. We´ve got a good view from the rooftop including snowy mountains :)

We walked around the centre for a while and booked two tours: Chavin de Huantar and Llanganuco Lakes. We´re still suffering from altitude sickness, mainly headache, nausea and dizziness (symptoms get worse if we walk to quickly!).

In the evening we had the open fire lit for us which was lovely. It´s quite cold at the moment and we do not have heating in our room so we spent most of the evening by the fire.

Sun 6 April
We did hardly anything today, just acclimiatizing, surfing the net and reading books. We did manage to go to the museum to see lots of stone carvings.

It rained really hard this evening. When we went out for dinner (Chilli Heaven, which was a fantastic restaurant where Paul had a Thai green curry and I had burritos) one of the main roads was a river. Luckily we were able to dry out in front of the open fire again.

Mon 7 April
Paul wasn´t feeling too well today but we decided to go on the tour to Chavin anyway.

We went up for breakfast and found we had a clear view of the mountain ranges including Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru at 6,768m. There had been a fresh dump of snow as it had rained so hard last night, yet this morning you would have never known it had rained.

Our tour was supposed to start at 9am but as it is low season we were put in a bus with other tour groups. We had hired an English guide so we could understand the history of the ruins.

We drove for about an hour through Ticapampa, Recuay and arrived at Laguna de Querococha which was surrounded by mountains. We stayed for 15mins and then drove up to the highest point at 4,513m. We started to drive down to Chavin (3,100m) and stopped for lunch.

After an hour we drove 10mins to the ruins. Just as we arrived a huge thunder storm arrived in the valley and it started to rain. We started to walk the circuit, looking at the plaza but then it started to rain really hard then hail so we went undercover for a few mins for the rain to stop.

It evenutally stoppped and we carried on looking at the ruins. The temple entrance had 7 large white stones then a column, then the entrance, another column then 7 large black stones. The white stones and column represented female and the black stone and column represented male.

We walked underground to see accommodation, possibly a prison and a house. We saw an original figurehead on the side of the temple. There were 56 figure heads - all different designs. It is thought that they are modelled on leaders.

After the tour we drove back to Huaraz - 2hrs 45min. As we drove up and down again we both developed headaches from the altitude. If you have taken a water bottle on a plane and looked at it after you have descended - that´s how my head felt!

Tues 8 April
Feeling much better today after a good nights sleep. Another beautiful clear morning with views of the mountains, so we decided to take a taxi up to a Mirador behind our hostel. The mountains near to us cleared just in time for our arrival.

We met up with three people from our hostel at 11am and took a taxi to Monterry to the hot water pools. These are the first hot pools we have been to that a) were not very hot, b) the water was a lovely brown colour, and c) where a dead snake was found in the water.... ok, it was only small but it wasn´t nice and it made me realise that I could not see anything through the water and I´m sure mummy or daddy snake were around somewhere... on that thought we got out and showered (the water was hotter than the hot pools!).

We got a bus back where we were wedged into our seats. I did not fit at all at most of my body was hanging off the seat in the aisle, but it was only 80c each.

We did a bit of shopping in the afternoon, did some reading and enjoyed toasting by the fire again.

Wed 9 April
It was a little cloudy today so not a good sign for our trip to Llanganuco Lakes but it is not raining.

We were at the office at 9am and were collected on time. Again because of low season we were in a bus with other tour groups. Unfortunately this meant we then had to go and pick up other people which took about an hour, we then stopped to fill up with petrol and then we started the tour. By this time, Paul and I were really frustrated as the best time to see any mountains is in the morning and we had just wasted most of it.

We stopped at Carhuaz for a look round the plaza and saw the most colourful queue for the bank ever. Lots of women (not sure where the men were...) in traditional dress in bright colours. The stop was supposed to be 20mins but the rest of the bus ran on Peruvian time so it was 35mins. Argh!

Next stop was Yungay where there are supposed to be fantastic views of Huascaran but it was covered in cloud. Yungay was completely demolished in 1970 after an avalanche of 4m of rock, mud and ice. 92 people survived as they were at the cemetry which was high enough to protect them. 20,000 people died in the avalanche. We went to the cemetry and saw where the old town plaza used to be.

We then drove for an hour to Llanganuco Lakes passing through some impressively high cliffs. It was about 2pm when we arrived so we bought lunch for 4 soles which was deep fried bread and choclo (corn on the cob with huge corn). We walked for an hour around the lake which at times was turquoise when the sun shone and grey when the sun was behind clouds. It was a beautiful place but again we were slightly frustrated as we didn´t really have enough time there.

Next we drove to Caraz for ´lunch´at 4.30pm. Half of the bus did not eat as it was too late. We did not as we had planned to go back to Chilli Heaven for more curry.

We eventually got back to Huaraz at 7.30pm after two stops (sweet shop and ceramic shop). We headed straight for dinner and had curry, burrito and tiramusu. Very tasty.

Thur 10 April
No mountain views this morning so we spent an hour on the internet and then packed our bags. We then headed out to do some shopping and went to the local market. We did walk past some guinea pigs that were bald, on their back with a slit down the stomach to show off their internal organs. Some of you will be happy to know that we did not get a picture. I was fascinated and disgusted by the piles of guinea pigs. With not a fridge in sight...

We had a quick lunch and then caught a taxi to the Movil Tours terminal and got on our last long bus journey. We started at 1pm and arrived in Lima at 9pm (8 hours). The road was quite windy at first and only straightened out when we got down to the coast (after 4 hours). The worst part was when a girl started to sing along to a ghetto blaster who was tone deaf and liked to try and hit the high notes. Luckily this was for only 1.5 hours... after the movies had stopped (Runaway jury and Duplex).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207423320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207423320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207423320/tpod.html Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:51:38 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Huanchaco, Peru

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45713&l=c6a81&id=551865803

Thurs 3 April
We were collected at 8am this morning and driven to Huaca de la Luna where we walked around on the 5th floor (top) of an adobe pyramid. It is being excavated but we could see some intricate detail on the walls which were buried. Amazing colours. The images were of the decapitator who made human sacrifices.

We also had a view over to the Huaca del Sol which does not have funding to excavate at the moment. It is higher, they think 11 floors.

Next we went to Movil Tours to book our overnight bus to Huaraz tomorrow,. We then drove to Chan Chan which was huge. We walked around 1 of 8 palaces. It was a labyrinth of corridors and the details were stunning. The sea was important to them so they have lots of waves, fishing nets, sea otters, pelicans, cormorants in the wall designs.

Next was the rainbow temple which has huge protective walls and some intricate designs on the temple walls.

We went back to Huanchaco to watch the sunset and have barbecued fish (Corvina) which was v tasty.

Fri 4 April
We packed and left our bags at the hostel whilst we went into the centre of Trujillo. Another public bus which was an experience. Same as Lima but it was smaller so Paul hit his head on the door entrance even though he was bent double! There are a lot of speed humps around here and the driver decided not to slow for them so it was a bit of a rough ride. Luckily the ceiling of the bus was high so we were not hitting our heads!

We thought we were going to Trujillo Centro (as that was what they were calling) but the bus went past it and was carrying on somewhere else, so we got a bit lost. We took a taxi to the centre (luckily we did as we were going in the opposite way!) and walked round the plaza for a while and then stopped in a cafe for some cake :)

Another bus home, this was not a shuttle bus so not quite as rough but just as interesting!

We are now waiting for our night bus which is at 9pm tonight. We are going to be travelling from the coast back into the mountains, up to 3,000m so we are expecting a windy road and not a lot of sleep!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207089480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207089480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207089480/tpod.html Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:49:53 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Chiclayo, Peru

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45713&l=c6a81&id=551865803

Tues 1 April
We arrived at 8am in the morning after an ok sleep. The cama seats were really comfortable and we were so tired from the past couple of days that we slept pretty well. We found a taxi with a Cruz de Sur staff driver. He recommened a hotel and we decided to go there (it was near the one we were going to stay in anyway).

We had a shower, changed clothes and then arranged a tour to Sipan and Tucume for that day, to be collected in 10mins!

Sipan was our first stop where the royal tombs and adobe pyramids were. The contents of the tombs are now at the museum (that we visited next) but they had replicated how the items were found. The tombs are one of the richest in the entire Americas - we didn´t really appreciate this until we went through the three floors of the museum and saw the contents. Some of the items were exquisite and the detail was amazing, especially when the Moche were in power from 200-600AD.

We had lunch and then onto Tucume, valley of the pyramids which has 26 adobe pyramids. Forgot to say that our tour was in Spanish so we missed some of the vital information, especially here as we were really tired by this point.

Wed 2 April
No breakfast today so we had to go looking for something. We found a cafe with continental breakfast which, bizarrely was rolls with chicken, cheese, cucumber and a drink.

We then took a taxi to the Emtresfer bus terminal. Our taxi driver was really helpful and arranged for someone to meet us in Trujillo. After the three hour bus trip we were met by Cesar who had fantastic English and was also a guide. He offered to take us to Chan Chan and Huaca del Sol y Luna and arranged with the taxi driver to driver us around - for a really good price.

We drove to Huanchaco and arranged for the driver and guide to collect us at 8am tomorrow morning.

Couldn´t find an internet cafe to phone my dad on his birthday, so I am dedicating the following paragraph to you Dad as I know you would be really interested in it...

Toilets in South America
1) toilet paper goes in a bin, not down the toilet
2) Torres del Paine - o/s toilet: bit of wood on the floor with toilet seat shape hole (wood flexed when stepping on it)
3) altiplano toilet - no toilet, go in a field that is awash with other people´s, erm, business
4) Crap on a plate (Paul´s term), toilet bowl that is v high and a small section of water at the front.
5) DIY toilet, Ruta 40, Arg: fill a bucket of water and pour down toilet (as no flush)
6) Toilets plumber for small people: we´ve had a few where our knees and forehead have touched the wall opposite.
7) Toilets on buses - the worst ones have a seat on a hinge which the ladies have to put down and sit on to keep in place. The hard part comes when you have finished and try not to forget that you have to keep one hand on it to keep it down otherwise you hit yourself. Also entertaining when going round bends...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207002660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207002660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1207002660/tpod.html Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:47:44 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Paracas, Peru

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45713&l=c6a81&id=551865803

Mon 31 March
We walked to the port (about 2mins) and got on a new speed boat with about 40 other people. Our first stop was the Candelabra, 177m tall and a metre deep, built on the side of a hill protected from the wind. Salt was placed on the outline of the image and is now solidifying.

Another 15mins and we were approaching Islas Ballestas. Suddenly there were birds everywhere. We saw humboldt penguins, cormorants, boobies, seagulls, pelicans and sea lions. Every 4 years they farm the guano (bird poop) which is a fantastic but expensive fertiliser.

The final stop we saw a couple of penguins mating and the nursery beach where sea lion pups were learning to swim and, disturbing, it really sounded like a swimming pool as the noise was being echoed off the surrounding cliffs.

Our bus was late collecting us so we did not arrive in Lima until 7.30ish. We had to pick up our backpacks from the hostel, grab some food and then go back to the bus terminal for a 9pm overnight bus to Chiclayo.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1206638160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1206638160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1206638160/tpod.html Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:46:42 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Lima, Peru

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45713&l=c6a81&id=551865803

Thur 27 March
We were on the boat by 6.30am this morning, back at the port by 8.20am and at the airport at 10ish. Our flight was not until 11.50am so we had time to look around some of the shops. We bought some Brazil nuts which are coated in icing sugar which are really good and I bought some more banana chips which are also really tasty.

Our flight stopped at Cusco to pick up and drop off passengers and then we were on our way to Lima (1 hour). So today we covered all three areas in Peru - jungle, mountains and coast!

We were met at the airport and taken to a taxi. The hostel was fully booked but they have arranged another hotel for us and we have breakfast at the other hostel and they are helping us with our bookings and info.

We met up with David, one of Paul´s old work colleagues and went out for a drink and dinner.

Fri 28 March
We had a nice lie in today and basically did nothing most of the day. We spent the evening with David and his flatmate Lilyana. We caught a bus to Baranco which was quite an experience as
1) There are no bus stops
2) No bus companies
3) No numbers on the shuttles so the conductor shouts where the bus is going to
4) Get on as quickly as possible as the bus driver does not wait for you to get to your seat.
5) Wedge yourself in the seat - designed for smaller people!
6) It stops anywhere and everywhere as long as you hail.

We saw a few people making notes when buses stopped. They apparently sell info to the buses to say if anyone else on the same route is in front, how far ahead and how many people were on the bus.

We had a lovely meal at Javier´s and then went to a bar for a drink before heading home (taxi this time tho!). We felt a tremor at 1.30am just before falling to sleep.

Sat 29 March
Woken up by a really strong tremor so we dressed as quickly as possible and left the hotel. We walked over to our hostel (where our breakfast was) and found out that it was 5.4 on the richter scale and the epicentre was 15km west of Lima.

In the afternoon we walked to Huaca Pucllana which was an adobe temple and is in the shape of a pyramid. It is in a residential area of Miraflores, so is surrounded by houses. Apparently there were 43 other similar pyramids in Lima but most have been destroyed through development.It must have taken thousands of adobe blocks to create it. It´s really well preserved because it was covered in sand and excavation has only recently started. Also they hardly have any rain at all so the bricks are in fantastic condition.

Sun 30 March
We spent the morning at Parque del Amor sitting in the shade (v hot today). Our bus to Paracas left at 1.30pm but it had a problem with the air conditioning - it was like we were back in the jungle! We had to switch buses and then we were on our way.

When we arrived in Paracas, we were met by a few touts and took a taxi with one of them to a hostel we had spotted on the way in. It was good (meaning clean, hot water and water pressure) and breakfast was included. They also arranged for us to go to Islas Ballestas the next morning.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1206377880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1206377880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/paul_lucy/southamerica/1206377880/tpod.html Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:43:35 -0400 Homeward travels!

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Tambopata National Reserve, Peru

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44961&l=bb90d&id=551865803

Mon 24 March
Our flight was only 30mins to Puerto Maldonado. Hard to believe that we were looking at Inca ruins yesterday and now, only 30mins away is jungle. We were descending for most of the flight as Cusco is about 3,300m.

We stepped out of the plane and were hit by a wall of heat and humidity. We were met at the airport by our guide, Jennifer who was assigned to look after us. Our group consisted of Paul and I which was fantastic (it can be up to 10 people per guide).

We took a bus to the office where we left our large backpacks and then took the same bus to the port (about 45mins away). They gave us some snacks which were banana chips (like crisps which were really nice), brazil nuts, a small banana and a drink.

There were about 10 tourists on the bus to the port and all of them were heading to the other jungle lodge which was 45mins away. Our lodge, Refugio Amazonas was 3 hours by boat. This meant we were further away from the town and should be able to see more wildlife (hopefully!). On the way to the lodge, we saw some macaws at a clay lick and a side necked turtle.

After arriving we walked to the lodge which took about 15mins through jungle. We were given fresh juice on arrival (much needed as it was hot and a little sweaty after the walk!) and were taken to our room. The centre of the lodge is the bar/eating area, from here there are 3 wings which contain 8 rooms each. None of the rooms have windows, doors or electricity. We had a curtain as our door, x5 kerosene lamps which were lit before sunset and blown out at 9pm (by the housekeeper), we had two beds which had mosquito nets, a hammock and a view of the jungle. It was amazing. The shower was only cold water but it was so hot that you didn´t really want a hot shower. Just took a bit longer to get under it :)

We had a drink at the bar before dinner and it suddenely started to pour with rain, heavy rain. At 7pm a bell was rung to let us know dinner was served. There was a large tour group on one of the tables, and lucky for us they left the next morning and we had the lodge to ourselves (with another couple) the next day.

We did a check of the room with our head torches (after we had been walking around in the semi-dark in bare feet we thought we should make a check first!) and found a couple of random insects but nothing too scary. We got into our beds and re-arranged the mosquito nets and waited for the lamps to be turned off. When they were, it was so dark! Every now and again a flash of lightening lit up the sky and in the middle of the night sometime, it really started to pour heavily.

Tues 25 March
We were woken up by Jennifer at 4.30am, to have breakfast at 5am, find some wellies (gum boots for any Kiwis that are reading this) that fitted and to be at the boat at 5.30am to go to the macaw clay lick. The boat trip was 20mins and we then walked through jungle for about an hour and arrived in time to hear lots of parrots and parakeets calling. Unfortunately about 2mins after we arrived a huge bird of prey appeared and landed in the trees near the clay lick and scared off most of the birds. Not good. We stayed for maybe 40mins but no other birds appeared, though we did see some kingfishers and a couple of green parrots. On the walk back we stopped at various points with Jennifer explaining the flora and fauna around us.

We had a couple of hours to relax in the hammock and read our books. Lunch was at 1pm which was lomo saltado (beef strips, tomato, rice, onion and chips) and a dessert. We were joined by another couple and their guide Luis who we would be going to Oxbow Lake with in the afternoon (at 3pm).

We put wellies on again (as most of the tracks were muddy and wet) and walked to Oxbow Lake (about an hour). This trail was alot wetter and muddier, you would put your foot down and could feel it sinking and wondering if you were going to lose your wellie! We saw a few insects on the way down but our favourite were the Leaf Cutter Ants who were taking bits of leaves (all cut in exactly the same shape) back to the nest. The line of ants went on for quite a while and we found the starting point where they were coming down a tree.

We went in a canoe across the lake which was really peaceful until some macaws flew above us - very noisy birds! We spotted some bats sleeping on a log and a few other birds and parrots. We crossed to the other side of the lake and walked for 25mins to a large tree and then back in the canoe to do some fishing (didn´t catch anything tho).

The sun was setting by this time which was lovely. We saw more parrots and a toucan and could hear Howler monkeys calling to one another (sounds like the wind) before getting out of the canoe and walking back. The walk back was a lot more entertaining as it was completely dark now, so we had our headlights on and were trying to negotiate the mud. In the end, we just walked really fast and slipped and slided a few times. It was still hot and humid so we were very sweaty when we got back.

We had a cold shower and then went for dinner. Jennifer and Luis let us know that we would be going out on a boat at 8.30pm to do some cayman spotting, which consists of a large torch being shone on the shore as the caimans eyes reflect the light. We managed to find two caymen, an owl and a nightjar. The boat trip was lovely and cool and we could see lightening in the distance from another storm but further away from us.

On the walk back to the lodge Luis stopped to point out various insects including a stick insect and an insect that looked like a leaf. We really enjoyed it but did not have our camera so we are going to ask Jennifer to do another night walk tomorrow (if nothing else is planned).

Wed 26 March
An amazing day today. We were up and out of the lodge by 5.30am, walking 20mins to the canopy tower which is 30m tall. Mist was hanging over the trees which looked stunning. We saw toucans, macaws and parakeets. At 7am we returned to the lodge for breakfast.

At 8.30am we walked for about an hour down a muddy trail to the mammal clay lick. We saw a bat and a wild turkey. Paul spotted a howler monkey climbing down a tree. It was bright red and moving quite slowly. Three others followed and after 20mins we saw them climb back up the tree and swing through the trees. Absolutely amazing to see.

On the way back, we saw a snake on the trail. We thought it was really tiny until it moved and then realised we could only see about 1/3 of it! It moved so fast as well (luckily away from us), we think it was about a metre in length. We also saw more leaf cutter ants and saw a hermit hummingbird which was so small we could hardly get the camera to focus on it!

We then went on another trail through Brazil nut trees, where Jennifer explained that they are now protected and monitored by the government. The fruit from the tree (in a large casing) contains about 25 nuts which then need to be opened to get to the nut. Bags are filled which weight about 80 kilos and are then carried down to the river. I think it was about 120 soles for one 80 kilo bag.

We were back at the lodge in time for another lovely lunch. We had time to chill in the hammocks before heading across the river to a farm. We were shown lots of fruit trees, a medicinal garden and we walked through a banana plantation. A lot of the fruit we had never heard of before.

After dinner, we went on another night walk down to the steps to the boat. We spotted lots of different insects including one fat spider that was pretty big but harmless. We sat on the steps and looked at the night sky which was so clear and bright. After a few mins lightening lit up the sky, the storm was quite far away from us but it was amazing to see the trees lit up.

We had our last beer and coke at the bar this evening and found ourselves translating room numbers for an English and American tour group.

Our last night of scanning the floor with our lights to make sure we are not going to step on something evil!
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