We are in the bus station now on the way to Lima. Here´s my last upload for Arequipa Pics.

Cool Place this.

This white stone is beautiful.

We are on our way to Lima Tonight.

One Night there then Sao Paulo, Jo`burg and…. HOME. Yippee.

Thank you Otti and Guenter for the Tickets to George. I wasn`t looking forward to the bus

SEE YOU ALL SOON

:-) 

Last few days in Peru.. thank goodness they are here.

Beautiful stonework and architecture everywhere

monastery                                      staircase

CATHEDRAL by night

Market places

No comments

It`s been a while since we`ve had time and decent internet connection to write.

Ines at Tiwanacu Main Temple

Travel in Bolivia is so different from Peru, it´s a lot poorer and there are very few comforts along the way. Unless you are specifically in a tourist town like Copocabana, you struggle to find basic items. Definately no good coffee, even when we try and explain what we are looking for we either get a blank stare or a downright unfriendly vibe. Oh well, when in Bolivia, drink Coca tea. It`s probably more useful…

At Tiwanacu we met an exceptional guy called Jose, I think I mentioned him before but he`s worth mentioning again. He has a little hostal just outside the back exit to the main site. He`s very helpful and friendly. It is a farm though so you can expect tractors and diesel trucks to start up ( and idle forever ) at the crack of dawn.

Puno Cathedral

The Tiwanacu site was really amazing, considering that the culture began around 700 BC and continued till over 800 AD.  We all had very strong dreams on the two nights we spent here. it is very bleak and cold though and Wendy was sick so we quickly moved on to Peru again.

The border crossing at Desaguaduero is no fun at all. Its jam packed busy with all sorts of vehicles, animals and people. We got across smoothly though and caught a bus to Puno ( 7 Soles each)

Puno is right on the edge of Lake Titicaca . It`s main noteworthy points for backpackers are very fast, cheap internet; cheap accomodation with HOT water and a wonderful fresh market, also cheap.

Mark and Wendy on the bus

We head off to Arequipa on Monday. We are taking the Ormeno bus which I highly recommend to travellers in Peru. Good prices and good value, regular service everywhere. Arequipoa is home to the very best of Llama wool products, Volcanos and stunning architecture.

It`s such a change going to Bolivia from Peru. The Locals in Copocabana are very tourist sated and are quite unfriendly. Fortunately the young couple at Hostal Gabriel were awesome and very helpful.

The one thing I really enjoyed here is the bread. They make amazing little rolls and corn Tamales here, very worthwhile. Internet sucks and is very expensive. I´ve had to wait till now to upload photos.

The Church is quite beautiful and is dedicated to the Virgen of Copocabana.

Every weekend the priests are out blessing Cars, minivans, Buses and trucks as well as people…

here`s us in front of a newly blessed “collectivo”

All in all good fun

lots of spraying of champagne and confetti as well as firecrackers.

Mark and Wendy have gone off to see Angel, the shaman,  a few times but Ines and I are giving the Ceremonies a skip for a bit. We went out to the Island of the Sun for two days and that was pretty tough. it`s quite a bit over 4000 m at the top and you culd definately feel it. We are all spotting blood from our noses and even simple inclines are hard work after 5 minutes!

I woke up at sunrise of the second day and took some photos of The cordillera Real mountains with my phone. Pity the big camera is full. I`ll have to post those pics when we get home.

From mountains

From mountains

From mountains

We finally left Copocabana after much to-ing and fro-ing. We caught the 8 oclock bus to La Paz and then a “collectivo” straight out to Tiwanaco.

I`ll leave further comments to Ines.

Suffice it to say that Tiwanaco is really cool. Had amazing dreams both nights we stayed there.

ok got to go

 chat soon, Lance

ps: anyone offering a lift fron Jo´burg to Knysna or George please contact lance on

lancepaint@gmail.com tks 

Finally we are back in Puno, where cabinas de internet abound. We arrived about two hours ago after crossing the border from Bolivia back into Peru. We spent the last two days at Tiahuanaku. What an amazing site…. Quite alien in feel, with pieces in the museum that have the same alien faces as the pieces at the Inca Baths in Copacabana. Tiahuanaku the ” town ” itself is very rural and doesn´t really cater for tourists. There is one hotel and a few run down hostels. Hot and good food is hard to come by so yesterday all we really ate were a few dry rolls and cookies. Before we came to Tiahuanaku, we spent two nights at the Island of the sun at Copacabana. Lance will probably post some photos from there just now. It was absolutely beautiful. One literally feels on top of the world with the amazing crystal clear lake below. It was very cold though and as soon as the sun goes down a very strong cold wind starts up and then you hope you never get stuck there without shelter.

Lance is busy checking for bus tickets back from Joburg to George. We didn’t realize that we are coming back just as the holidays start and of course plane tickets are out of the question because the prices are three times as high. Even bus tickets are more expensive and almost sold out. And we are at the end of our journey and so is our money. I will be very, very, very glad to be home when we finally get there. Three months is a long time to be on the road……………. ( anyone wishing to donate some money at this stage is more than welcome.. :-)  Click here for account details )

Now I am tired and very dirty ( Tiahuanaku also didn’t have any permanent water, hot or cold ). We have been travelling since this morning, through a most unpleasant border post with many, many people and animals and rickshaws and vendors. And of course the border officials picked on us to search for Drogas…. Oh yes… halfway to Puno after about 4 hours of travelling and about two more to go, I suddenly realized that I really urgently had to pee…Now!            I was sitting all the way at the back of the bus in the corner and had no way of getting out to ask if they could please stop somewhere in the next town so I could go to the loo. Lance then went to ask them and the Woman just shook her head. About 5 minutes later there were some roadworks and the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere. The woman called me and said that now I could go and pee. There was not one rock or bush in sight where I could ” hide ” And on top of it there were about 20 full taxies parked behind our bus. I had no choice but to do what I had to do in full sight of everybody with only Lance shielding me. Oh well.. It wasn’t so bad and the relief was definitely worth it. In fact it was quite liberating…….. Ja ja the joys of travelling in cheap South American buses.

Ok thats it for now. We will probably stay in Puno or go on to Arequipa, depending on where it will be cheaper for us. Arequipa is on the way back to Lima and aparently very picturesque.

Only 10 more days and then we will be back home…… See you all soon :-)

This is a very special place.

Cathedral of the Virgin of Copocabana

We went to the Inca Baths just outside of town and had a look around the museum. There are some very strange things in that little museum like the bits of pottery with alien looking faces, triangular with slit eyes….. (twilight zone music playing in background) and a mummified person sitting in a glass case. Yesterday I climbed the hill outside of town , from the top you have a view of the whole of Lake Titicaca and the town as well as the peninsula …. Awesome.

We`ll be going to The Island of the Sun for three days to do Huachuma Ceremonies at the Birthplace of the Sun and some of the other very ancient Sites there.

Copocabana Bay, island of the Sun far left

 After that we go to La Paz for a day and then another ceremony at Tihuanaco, Maybe we even get to meet the  guardians of the site who are descendants of the original people.

Rock Art a -la -me           and      Copocabana Bay 

Then It`s back to Peru.

 We`ll stay in Puno and travel to the Amuru Muru Doorway and then a few nights at an untouristed site on one of the Islands.

Then it`s only a few more days and we`ll be home.

I must say , we are really looking forward to Woolies Organic Coffee and fresh salad!

ok time to go

Chat soon

What an eventfull few days. The bus trip was not the most pleasant but the scenery made up for it. It´s the dry season so all is stark and full of contrast. The border crossing was easy for mark and ines as they travel on euro passes but wendy had to pay $130 to get into the country and I had a real run-around in Puno to get my visa.

at Angels House

Copocabana on the shores of lake titicaca is a wonderful place. Muych touristed but it doesn´t matter. Angels house is about half an hours walk out of town and is so beautiful. We´re all moving in to a small hostel next door …right on the beach. It just could not get any better.

Angels Place

our faces are wind burnt and it is very cold up here morning and evening but the day´s are PERFECT. We ´ve had fresh trout for dinner or lunch almost every day here….hmmm, yum .

The lake and environment is very special. Soon we go to the Island of the Sun and a little later we´ll overnight at the sacred site of Tihuanaco.

It´s bem a very pleasant introduction to the mountains and the Lake.

I´m looking forward to the next few weeks.