The Jones': September 2011

Day 15: Saturday 10th September – Sunday 11th September

A picture on the oh so fantastic American Airlines!

Some of our favourite photos!

Our last day and in true trip style we got up at 4am for a 4.30am taxi to the airport. 7.30am we flew to Miami again with AA with no TV’s and only the movie Thor to watch! We had 4 hours in Miami where we found a nice Corona bar and had some good old American chicken wings and cocktail before getting the next flight (no alcohol on the plane - $6 per drink!). However, there was TV’s on the second flight! We arrived back in London at 8am on Sunday morning truly exhausted and wishing never ever to hike anywhere again! Sunday we after a nap, loads of laundry we spent the day relaxing in all our luxuries – toilets, showers etc! Back to Work on Monday!

Day 14: Friday 9th

Some plants/flowers from the jungle - so pretty!

Also so many beautiful butterflies.

Awesome pineapple plant - I hadn't seen one before - very exciting

Today we left the lodge at 7.30am and again took the 2 hour boat ride, 1 hour bus ride and then the 2 hr flight, as we where going back to Lima, which meant the plane stopped in Cusco but we stayed on as more people where picked up! It was quite like a bus really! We got a transfer back to the hotel; well the bus broke down in the parking lot so we got a transfer with another group of Gap travellers. We go to their hotel there was quite a scene as the bus blocked the road whilst the people got off. Angry locals hit the bus whilst the English tourist yelled at our tour guide to get the bus boot open so they could get their luggage off. Finally we after a long time of this the driver went 20 seconds up the road so he could get the bus door open around the parked cars! So entertaining though! From leaving at 7.30am we made it to the hotel in Lima at 5pm! We had a few hours re-packing as we leave tomorrow before we headed out for our last meal in Lima. A nice meal was had then a visit to a local pub where disgusting beer and sangria was had before we headed home.

Day 13: Thursday 8th

Above: The boat we took across the lake

check out the thing josh is holding, it grows on this tree's trunk! Above is them all on the floor - got to be carful during the season they drop as they are really heavy! Also when they are cracked open they stink!

The fig tree that takes over other trees!

the small boat being bailed out!

Can you see the trantula the guide is enticing it out of it's hole with a stick!

the parrot at the lodge - he spoke spanish - 'Hola'

Sadleback tamerin monkey

Cayman

An early morning of 5.30am (and I thought these where over) as breakfast was at 6am. When we woke it was pouring with rain so we waited back an hour before heading out! Again with all our long clothes on – only this time with the rain jacket – the good thing was the rain had cooled it down to 27 degrees but no change to the humidity! We went on a short boat ride then started our trek to see what we could see. The highlights where a massive tarantula and the strangler fig trees that ‘take over’ other tree’s! We took a ride across the lake in this tiny boat that they had to bail all the water out of before we got in! We saw some beautiful birds and some bats and on the way back we fed the Parana from the boat – how exciting. Back at the lodge for 12 for lunch. After lunch we had an option of going to visit a plantation but I was so tired I slept all afternoon, meanwhile Josh drank beer and played Jenga in the bar! Although this was not all wasted as Josh saw some saddleback tamarind monkeys whilst he was playing and got some good photo’s with our new camera. We went out for a night boat ride at 7m to spot Cayman. When we came back we saw a porcupine – from a distance! He was crawling under the lodge and when we shone our torch on him he looked fluorescent yellow! He also had a huge long tail - no picture sorry!

Day 12: Wednesday 7th

The boxed lunch on the boat above
Our boat - below

All the stamps in our passports, 4 from the Inca Trail with the last one being as we entered Machu Picchu and the one from the amazon!

Hippo-rat!

Birds nests that hang from the tree!

Butterflies!

Our lodge

Today we got picked up at 9.30am – it was about 15 minutes to the airport where we got a plane for 30 minutes to Puerto Maldonado. We had to re-pack those belongings we needed for the jungle into a duffel bag – no weight limit this time thank goodness. We then took a bus ride down to ‘Hell Port’ where we caught this little boat for 2 hours to the lodge. On the way we went animal spotting and saw the largest rodent in the world – it actually has webbed feet and goes into the water to escape it’s predators – we nicknamed it the hippo-rat! We had a nice picnic lunch on the boat before arriving at the eco-lodge- Tambopata Lodge. The lodge is located in the Tambopata reserve in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle. It’s really pretty but hot! It was 35 degrees when we arrived with 95% humidity. We had a nice rest in the hammock for a few hours and Josh enjoyed a beer. We had a short presentation on the animals in the jungle at 6.30pm – insects, snake, Cayman (alligator family), hippo-rat, jaguar and puma, before having dinner. After dinner we went out on a night walk to spot noturnal animals. Check out the clothes that we are wearing! There are mosiqutos everywhere so you have to wear long sleeves and tuck your top into your trousers and your trousers into your socks – so very unattractive but since I am sporting 28 bites from the hiking – count me in!

Day 11: Tuesday 6th

Cusco by night above and below the roasted guinea pig!

Today was a free day in Cusco and thank goodness because I was shattered. We had planned to look around the city but I felt so sick I stayed in bed until 3pm and only got out because we had booked a one-hour massage – which was amazingly worth it! Unfortunately it did not do enough to revive me and after getting KFC I went straight back to bed. Josh went out for dinner with the group as it was the last night for 3 people who where going home. Tomorrow the rest of us head off to the Amazon.

Day 10: Monday 5th

At 3.30am we got the wake up call so that by 4.15am we where waiting at the last checkpoint so we could begin the hike to Machu Picchu and see the sunrise at the Sun Gate! We waited and hiked for about an hour to the Sun Gate, where we took some lovely photos and we where the second group to arrive! We then left Machu Picchu to use the toilets, get coffee and re-enter. We had a tour around the site for a couple of hours and then wandered around on our hour. We walked up to the Inca Bridge, then left Machu Picchu totally exhausted and totally amazed that we actually managed to complete it! We caught the bus into the local village for lunch where I purchased a t-shirt “I survived the Inca Trail” as I was so proud of myself. We met up with our entire group and caught the public train back to Cusco! We arrived back at 7pm and had a great shower and went out to dinner and back to bed by 10pm!

The inca bridge - check out the pathway down to the pass!

Day 9: Sunday 4th

And yes another 5am wake up and hiking at 6.30am. We walked the 16km and saw a number of Inca ruins and wild Lama! The difference between Albaca and Lama is that Alpacca have short ears anda squashed face whilst Lama are taller with a longer face and ears. The first Inca site we saw was a resting place for the urnner who would run as far as Lima – to deliver Fish to the King! We did a little uphill over Runkuraquay Pass at 3900m, and then had a nice lunch. We then headed back along the Inca trail – including through a tunnel made by the Inca and along a wall they made – it was really amazing. On our way to the last Inca site we saw a Tucan! The last Inca site of Intipata was where we saw the wild Lama. 20 minutes later we where back at camp having another sink was – well I was Josh went for another cold shower out of a hosepipe! Dinner and bed tonight at 7.30pm as tomorrow we leave at 3.30am!! Tonight we met the cook and all the porter san gave them a ‘thank-you’ card and a tip. Tomorrow they leave us at 3.30am and go back on the train to Cusco. The porters where all quite young – there where 13 of them and 1 cook to 8 of us. Our head porter was 21 years of age and he had been a porter for 5 years! They now have an age restriction and they are not allowed to be a porter until they are 17. A detail I have failed to mention over our trip was the toilet facilities – if you could call them that! My preferred choice was the Inca Toilet – AKA the bush – but this was only allowed for number 1’s! For 2’s you had to brave the squat toilet, which wouldn’t have been so bad except it not only did not flush but toilet paper was not allowed to be put into it so if you where lucky there was a stinky bucket collecting toilet paper in the corner of the room, if you where unlucky then the paper was just thrown in the corner! In this last place the toilet was so disgusting as people where clearly not skilled at using the squat and missed – need I say more! Let’s just say for 4 days I used only the Inca Toilet – I now cannot wait to have a shower and use the toilet!