Harry Kipper

Posted from Arequipa by Chris, 10 Feb 09 at 05:02

Found we have cable TV for first time in ages and seen the news about the bushfires in Victoria. Hope all our friends and colleagues are safe and well - please let us know you are ok.
Nightmare bus journey from Puno yesterday. It set off an hour late due to the carnival, broke down up in the mountains, had to wait an hour while they replaced a suspension doodah thingy then was further delayed by snow and fog!
Still, lunch was ok - if a little weird. If you are of squeemish nature dont look at ... [Read More]

Lake Titicaca

Posted from Lake Titicaca by Daryl, 08 Feb 09 at 16:00

After a fascinating 10 hour drive through tiny villages of thatched mud huts and other rural delights, across mountain plains, we arrived at Lake Titicaca.

Again. news of our imminent arrival had gone before us and there was another carnival in full swing. We were delighted that we could watch it from our hotel window, including a firework display. Our enthusiasm plummeted at 3 am when they were drunkenly playing the same old tune off key

After a couple of hours sleep we were up for a day ... [Read More]

Machu Picchu

Posted from Cuzco, Peru by Chris'n'Daryl, 07 Feb 09 at 17:39

Next was the big one - Machu Picchu. This involved a 4 hour train ride which zigzagged backwards and forwards up the mountain as it was so steep. The visit was well worth it as the place is magical, not just the ruins but the fact that they are at the top of the Andes (so handy). Every time you looked down you felt heady, both with the altitude and the visual impact of seeing a tributary of the Amazon several thousand feet below. We had to go up and down steep steps with no safety barriers - Per... [Read More]

Sexy Woman

Posted from Cuzco, Peru by Chris'n'Daryl, 07 Feb 09 at 17:23

Flew into Cuzco at 3,300 metres, where you could immediately feel the air was thin. The airport was so designed that the first thing you had to do was drag your suitcases up a steep slope. There was a lady at the top selling oxygen We've always got it free in the past but I bought some just in case.

By the time we reached the hotel and had climbed up one flight of stairs with the cases we were done for, and spent the rest of the day in bed watching cable TV - good excuse. We felt breathless j... [Read More]

More disasters

Posted from Lima, Peru by Daryl, 07 Feb 09 at 17:16

My bag got nicked in a restaurant in Lima. In retrospect Chris saw a man throw his coat over the back of my chair and look a bit dodgy. So.. credit cards, camera and mobile phone gone. The lack of camera means no more pics on the blog as we can't upload from Chris' at the mo. It's a bummer but we're very philosophical about it - things can be replaced (but probably not by the insurance company!) Despite this, we liked Lima and don't feel disheartened

Street Carnival, Lima

Posted from Lima, Peru by Chris'n'Daryl, 02 Feb 09 at 17:30

Arrived in Lima eventually (a marathon haul) but worth it because they put on a huge street carnival for us for our first day.

Hilarious flipping through the TV Channels last night - Channel 9 News. Eth Eth Eth Eth, Boutros Boutros Galli, Chris Waddle.
And the weather here? SCORCHIO

Spotted on the BBC World Service you are having a bit of snow back there in UK. Get rid of before we return please.

We have a huge centrally located hotel room for about 30 pounds and food is so cheap. Las... [Read More]

What day is it?

Posted from Santiago, Chile by Daryl, 31 Jan 09 at 14:16

Update: credit card arrived at the eleventh hour after we told the receptionist we couldn't pay the bill without it. Journey to Peru our most complicated yet - flight back to Aukland, flight to Santiago, Chile, 9 hour wait at airport for plane to Lima Peru. Total travel time around 30 hours. We tried to book that time in a posh executive lounge but decided against it when it turned out to be full of noisy kids and executives screaming into their mobiles. We went back to the pleb's lounge for a ... [Read More]

Tribal Village

Posted from Nadi, Fiji by Chris, 29 Jan 09 at 22:41

Last full day in Fiji we decided to get some culture so took off to the mountains to a 'tribal village'. We were greeted by the Chief,deciding to skip the Kava - spit welcome ceremony then were escorted up through the jungle (more mozzies)for a refreshing dip in a cold waterfall. Daryl fell over 3 times, lost her glasses (later recovered in a stream)and got caked in mud as the ground was still waterlogged from recent rains.
Our 'ethnic' meal was served on plastic plates decorated with cartoon a... [Read More]

Desert Islands

Posted from Nadi, Fiji by Daryl, 28 Jan 09 at 21:25

Had a bit of computer trouble at the end of our NZ trip and then escaped to remote islands, so no blog for a bit. Now in Fiji where it's very hot, very beautiful and the people are really friendly.
Nadi, the capital, is still shut after the floods but luckily the hotel we had booked is 8 Km away and OK apart from the roads being destroyed. We stayed for 2 nights on Bounty Island where Celebrity Island was filmed (not that we ever watched it- even if we did we wouldn't admit to it). Did some gr... [Read More]

Reprise - Glow worms and hot pools

Posted from Rotorua by Daryl, 22 Jan 09 at 01:46

After sorting the domestics (mainly the Fiji debacle) we visited a Maori village and watched the welcoming ceremony and a show involving much sticking out of tongues and girls slapping themselves with plastic balls to make music. We also saw Kiwi birds (equally silly, with their round wingless bodies and long pointy beaks).

The Waitomo caves were fun. We caught an underground boat which floated through deep caves where the roofs were studded with a million glow worms. Glow worms don't have a... [Read More]