Peru

Today we set off early to take a boat trip out to the Ballestas Islands, a protected area that is home to Humboldt Penguins, Peruvian Pelicans, Peruvian Booby, Neotropic Cormorants, Inca Terns & Sea Lions.

Today, we travelled from Arequipa through the Colca Canyon to Chivay. We passed through many small villages in the rugged volcanic landscape, where farming was still the major source of work & way of bringing money into the local economy.

Today, I joined a few others on another short tour of Cuzco to a few buildings we couldn't see previously because they were closed due to the bank holiday.

After yesterday's long day, I was glad to have a lie in this morning. After breakfast, at around 8:30 am, I sat in the lobby, just watching people coming & going. One of Peru's biggest football teams stayed in the same hotel as us & I talked to a few of the players in the lobby.

This morning, I ate at the breakfast buffet, & drank one or two cups of Coca tea that I had gotten used to on this trip. 

Today, I flew from Heathrow in London to Lima in Peru via Madrid in Spain with Iberia Airlines. Getting to the airport was easy. Tony, a friend of mine, took me to Heathrow & because of a clear run, we were there an hour before we needed to be.

After breakfast & the obligatory coca tea, we set off this morning for Cusco, it will be a long day in the coach. Our tour guide, Rosario, overslept this morning and was met by a rousing cheer when she climbed on the bus ten minutes late.

After a long flight & long day yesterday, today felt like a lie-in when getting up at 7 am. After breakfast, I went for a short walk around Miraflores before leaving the hotel around 1 pm to begin our journey to Chincha.

My flight from Madrid to Lima was uneventful, but as normal, I could not sleep on the plane. After twelve & a half hours in flight, the plane landed in Lima & I was glad to get off & to have arrived in Peru.

I woke up today very excited; this was why I came on this trip. Today, I would be going to the place my dad always wanted to go but couldn't because of his health. It was the day I would visit Machu Picchu.

Today, we set off early for a long drive down to Arequipa. We passed back through the sun-baked, arid desert plateau we crossed yesterday. 

After a good breakfast buffet this morning at our hotel in Cusco, we set off for a tour of the Sacred Valley of The Incas.

Today, after a breakfast buffet & lots of Coca Tea, I joined the coach, ready for the journey to Lake Titicaca. We retraced our route out of the Canyon, passing strange-looking moss that can live for 500 years & when touched, it feels more like a rock than moss.

After breakfast today, we left the hotel for the short drive through Puno to the pontoon, where a boat took us out onto Lake Titicaca.

Machu Picchu was one of the places my dad had always wanted to go to and never went to because of ill health. Because of my dad, I started looking into Machu Picchu to see what it was, where it was and why he wanted to go there.