UYUNI Day 4

We get up at 5.00 am and leave the Salt. Hotel to drive out on to the salt flat just as the night sky, almost imperceptibly, starts to change colour. After driving for about an hour across the white expanse we stop and get out of the jeep to watch dawn break. In the space of 20 minutes the sky changes colour through all shades of blue and indigo to bright pink until the sun actually peeps above the horizon. Only then do we get to appreciate the vastness of this place.

The pure white salt flats cover and area of some 11,000 sq. kms all ringed by mountains in the far distance. The salt is pure white but is tinged pink in the early morning light. Apparently it is 2 metres thick and sits on a sea of salt water. We just stand and marvel at this amazing sight and listen to complete silence, one of the few places in the world where this is still possible.
We head of deeper into the Salar to Isla del Pescado a small hill/oasis where we and several other jeeps all stop whilst our respective cooks prepare breakfast. Whilst the cooks are about their business we climb up to the top of the hill for spectacular 360 degree views of the Salar. The hill is around 200m high and, I am not sure but was probably once a coral sea mount. Now it is covered with giant cacti, some apparently 500 years old.

After breakfast we head off in splendid isolation into the salt flats.we drive for an hour or so across the perfect white plains seeing no one else. We eventually stop to take some of the photographs which are de rigueur on a trip Uyuni. Most of the photos on the blog were taken by Alfredo who must have done this hundreds of time before. Some were more successful than others but judge for yourself.

We continue on our journey to the edge of the Salar, stopping at a small museum ( closed). As we get out of the jeep we meet a couple of cyclists cycling across the Salar from end to end which seems a bit crazy but then we remember our Belgian explorer friend that we kept bumping into around the continent who actually walked from end to end! (I wonder how he is getting on kayaking around Lake Titicaca.)

We finally reach the edge of the salt flats around midday and head back to civilisation in the form of. Uyuni town. As we drive into the dry dusty town we immediately think that we made the right decision to use Tupiza as our base. It really is a much nicer place to spend a few days. The first thing we notice is that the entire town is surrounded by piles of litter. Why do the people allow their town to get into such a state?

We drop Liboria off at a small hostel so she can prepare lunch whilst Alfredo takes us off to the "Cementario del Tren", the train graveyard. On the outskirts of the town this dusty place houses countless derelict trains dating back to whenever trains were first used here. A must for any train enthusiast. The trains are in a pretty sorry state but are fascinating nonetheless. Apparently one of the trains bears the bullet holes inflicted by Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, try as we might we couldn't find a trace!

After our final lunch our tour officially ends but we are hitching a lift back to Tupiza with Alfredo and Liboria. The drive is long, taking around 6 hours. We are happy but exhausted and REALLY looking forward to a hot shower! I can only imagine how tired Alfredo must be feeling having driven all that way with virtually no roads to speak of or indeed, any signposts. I have the greatest admiration for the guy.

In all, one of the most amazing four days we have spent in many years travelling.

Surely it is time for another chapter?

Are you still in Arequipa?

Or were you kidnapped by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

We must be on the same wavelength mlgb, just this minute finished! Yes still in Arequipa and loving it!

Avrooster, no not kidnapped but did serious think about staying around to search for Sundances gun - apparently there is a $2 m reward for the person who can find it - seriously!

Anyway, the next episode

FROM BOLIVIA TO ARGENTINA

We have enjoyed Bolivia immensely but it is time to head on south to Argentina and Salta, a place we loved the last time around. would it be the same?? It is a long journey so we decide that rather than waiting for a bus, to jump in a taxi and get a head start to the border some two hours away. Thankfully, the road to Argentina is one of the few in Bolivia that is halfway decent. We hit the Bolivian border town of Villazòn ( not the complete dump we had been told,) where we change what left of our Bolivanos into Chilean pesos and then cross the bridge on the border.

We queue for ages as we watch the hundreds of traders carrying all manner of large sacks across the border from Argentina and get chatting to a German couple who seem a bit lost as to where to go next. Eventually we all get to the immigration window and get our exit papers stamped by the Bolivian police. All very straightforward but where to go next for our Argentine paperwork. Everyone else starts to walk off across the bridge towards the Argentine border town of El Quiaca, but, out of the corner of my eye I catch another policeman in a different uniform behind a glass counter, tucked away around a corner next door to the Bolivian guy. No signs or other indications but this is indeed the Argentina immigration office so I call everyone back to get there stamps. We met an Irish couple in Bolivia who were worried sick that coming the other way, they forgot to get their Bolivian stamp. We were all taking the mickey, but so easy to see how that could happen!!

We walk the mile or so to the bus station to get the bus to Salta. At the station there is the usual bunch of con men all trying to persuade us that their bus was the best/quickest/ cheapest. Eventually we select a "direct" bus to Salta. Five hours later and of course it is not direct and stops in Juyjuy where we have about two minutes to change buses for the next leg to Salta where we will spend a couple of nights sorting out car hire etc. before heading off on a trip to Cafayate and Cachi etc.

Salta does not seem to have changed much at all. Still one of our favourite cities in South America. Our first job is to change some US$ at the "blue dollar" rate which is some 60% better than the official rate. All highly illegal of course but, given the state of Argentinas economy, all the locals are busy exchanging their pesos into hard currency to protect their cash from yet another catastrophic devaluation that wiped out their savings a few years ago.

An Argentinian friend had recommended a money exchanger to me so we went to visit him in the back room of a coffee shop to change some $$$ all very easy and much better rates than from an ATM or bank. It makes Argentina an affordable destination. Having said this, we did find out later that the police and security services had organised a crackdown in this area a few weeks ago and were arresting the money exchangers and their customers and carting them of to jail in a fleet of vans!

Having had a couple of not very good meals in Salta we decided for our last night in town to cook ourselves at the hostal. We went to the supermarket and bought a very large chunk of fillet steak for an absurdly low price of around £5 the same piece back home would have costa round £30! It was superb!

In the Morning collect our rental car from Hertz and head off to Cachi. The journey takes around 4 -5 hours and the scenery gets more and more interesting as we wind our way into the mountains, stopping along the way to admire the views that so impressed us the last time we visited. Unfortunately, although the skies are blue,everywhere is very hazy due, we think to dust storms blown up by the stronger than usual wind which seems to be affecting the region.
Parque Nacional los Cardones, a semiarid landscape filled with cacti, sage, and limestone
Cachi is a small town/large village which has a very pretty plaza surrounded by white buildings including a small church which is standing room only on Sunday morning. We stop for a quick lunch of empanadas before heading of in search of a place to stay. We drive about 10 kms out of town to Finca la Paya, a beautiful place we stayed at on our last visit. Unfortunately it was closed. Worse, although it still seemed to be operating as a hotel, it did seem to have decline somewhat and now looked a bit down at heel. The swimming pool was dirty and the place generally looked a bit scruffy. Not at all how we remembered it. We head back to town and look at a few places before settling on a small hospedaje,Don Arturo. As son as we walk through the door I realise that we had stayed here before! Cachi is more touristy than we remember but we still struggle to find a place to eat. It is not high season and some places are closed. We settle upon Oliver's on the main square and have a really great pizza and a bottle of Malbec. One of the few places in the world I suspect where a great bottle of wine is half the price of the pizza!

In the morning we decide to head on down Ruta 40 but not before we have visited the cemetery atop the hill outside of town. The road winds around the hill all the way to the top. Along the way there are signs depicting Christ on his way to the crucifixion which gradually get more gruesome as you ascend. Once at the top the views of the town and the quedabra are spectacular, or at least they would be if not for the dust haze.

The cemetery itself in pretty impressive covering most of the flat top of the hill. Lots of ornate family crypts, some in a good state of repair, some have fallen down exposing the contents!!! Definitely worth a visit but it doesn't always pay to look too closely!

We leave Cachi on Ruta 40 which is the longest road in Argentina and runs from El Quiaca on the Bolivian border to Ushaia at the southern tip of South America. This is one of one of the greatest drives in the world and we will cover only a small section as we head off towards Cafayate, one of the premier wine growing areas in Argentina.

The road out of Cachi is just dirt and gravel but in pretty good condition. Nevertheless I am happy we got the additional insurance for the car as stones are flying up and taking chunks out of the paintwork! All good fun pretending to be a driver on the Dakar rally which follows this route along the Valles Calchaquies (even if the car is only a Chevrolet Corsa, at 1400cc, hardly the most powerful car on the road!). An hour or so on we stop off at Molinos, a one horse town if ever there was one, just to admire the church and the Hostal opposite. The church is very pretty and, as it is Sunday,is packed out with people standing outside the doors but as the church only holds about twelve people! it is hardly surprising.

Continuing on along the winding road, we stop at various places along the way to admire the views which are amazing. Eventually we reach arguably the most scenic part of the route the Quebrada de las Flechas ( the ravine of arrows) where the rocks have been formed by erosion into arrowhead shapes. We climb up to a mirador to take in the views and take some photographs of this incredibly beautiful but barren landscape.

It is now late afternoon so we press on to Cafayate to find a place to stay for the night. Eventually we leave Ruta 40 and get back onto Tarmac roads. The drive has been fun but it is such a relief not being shaken to bits!

We decide to spend a couple of days in Cafayate to chill out and sample some of the fantastic wines in the vineyards for which the areas are famous. We find a nice Hostal, La Penable in the corner of the main plaza, dump our bags and head off to a bodega to sample some wines.

Unfortunately, we have hit Cafayate on a Sunday and Monday when not too many of the bodegas are open. We start off with a small bodega in town, Nanni. One of the cheaper vineyards we sample a number of their wines including a Torrontes, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec. All are pretty good, especially the Torrontes so we buy a bottle for later!

Over the two days in town we check out a few bodegas and vineyards including;

El Transito - organic but not great wine
Dos Hermanos - hugely impressive vineyard and hotel complex out of town, sadly the vineyard was closed!
El Porvenir - the nicest of the wines we tasted and the most friendly, entertaining guy to show us around.

Favourite wines? Torrontes reserva and Tannat reserva, both from. El Porvenir

The next day we decide to walk to a goat farm out of town have a look around. We arrive too early for the tour but they kindly let us have a look around on our own. I am not sure whether there is a breeding season for goats but there are hundreds of baby goats all over the place! In amongst the goat pens there are lots of chickens and ducks as well. The baby goats, some only a few days old, are really cute. Afterwards we spend half an hour chatting to the woman in the shop and sampling some of the numerous varieties of cheese on sale. They are all delicious and quite unlike the goat cheeses we have had back home.


The last time we stayed in Cafayate, I can recall not being that impressed but this time we really did enjoy it. Not often that the second visit improves ones opinion of a place.

From Cafayate we return to Salta along RN 68 heading north through the Río Calchaquíes Valley and on to the Quebrada del Río de las Conchas (Canyon of the River of Shells). Lots of interesting crimson covered rock formations, the most interesting are Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), El Anfiteatro (the Amphitheatre), and Los Castillos (the Castles) all are a lot busier than the last time we were here as we seem to have hit them as the tour groups from Salta arrived.The scenery on this section of the route is particularly impressive.

Heading back to Salta we have decided to stay with Alex and Rejike at Casa Hernadez in Salta. We stayed with them on our first trip to the region five years ago shortly after they opened and loved the place. We were welcomed like long lost friends and had a really great time staying with them.

We had one of our best meals on this trip so far at a restaurant recommended by Alex, Tosca, a new parrillada restaurant in San Lorenzo. Highly recommended is their Bife de Chorizo (tasty, tender and enormous!) and their degustation menu, a normal argentine parrilla or mixed grill but delivered piece by delicious piece!

Returning our rental car, we book our bus tickets to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. Thankfully, the mountain passes which had been blocked by snow the previous week have now reopened and we are able to get a bus out early the next morning.

A FLEETING TRIP THROUGH NOTHERN CHILE

An early start to get the bus from the station in Salta to our next destination of San Pedro de Atacama. Fingers crossed that the passes have remained open.

We head off towards the Andes once more stopping off at Purmarca renowned for its wonderful scenery before windingever upwards through the mountains and crossing the. Salineras Grande the spectacular salt flats ( although not a patch on Uyuni!). As we continue onwards towards the Atacama desert and the border we get to appreciate what a spectacular journey this is. Clearly the guy in the seat in front of us thought so too as he did not stop taking photos for the entire journey ( I do mean entire - 20+ photos before we even left the bus station???).

Eventually we reach the border. Strange that in the middle of nowhere this is one of the most modern border crossing we have experienced. Just like a modern airport. Once through the immigration procedures we continue on to San Pedro passing through yet more stunning vistas, quite similar to those we experienced in Bolivia which is unsurprising as it is all part of the same geographical area, political borders apart.

Eventually after a very long journey we arrive in San Pedro, a dusty desert town if ever there was one. The adobe building all look the same and we haven't a clue which way the main square is so, together with a Portuguese woman, we jump into a cab in search of the town plaza. It turns out that the driver doesn't have a clue either so we drive around on a tour of SPdeA for 15 mins!

Eventually we find the plaza and set off to find a place to stay for the night. We immediately appreciate just how expensive this place is. $75 a night for a place which would have cost $10 in Bolivia and, even in Argentina only $25.

This place is only small but is heaving with backpackers the "awesome" count as we wander the streets rockets! Eventually we find somewhere to stay, not great but will do for a night or two and then head off for a long overdue beer.

We find a place on the main square and order two beers. The waiter seems a little put out that we don't want to eat. Halfway through our beers the police arrive and send the entire staff into a panic. Our waiter reruns and begs us to order a bowl of French fries as, if he is caught serving alcohol without food it is an on the spot $200 fine! Seems a bit harsh but we comply anyway.

We check out a few tours but these seem extraordinarily expensive i.e. three or four times the price of tours elsewhere - welcome to Chile the most expensive country in South America ( although SPdeA is probably the most expensive place in the country). We decide to go with our original plan which is to head straight on to the coastal town of Iquique before heading north to Peru.

We head off to a couple of bus company offices to buy tickets, checking the prices at a couple. We quickly realise that they are selling out fast and, having put a couple of seats on hold we literally run back to that office ahead of a group of six French backpackers who are also looking for a way out of San Pedro. We get the last two seats to Iquique via the mining town of Calama.

We had read about Calama and how it was the site of the largest open cast mine in the world but were not prepared to the reality and the sheer size of the mine. It took almost an hour for us to drive past it. The tiny vehicles we saw in the distance, we later saw up close and even the wheels were something like 5 metres in diameter.

Basically, the drive from San Pedro to Iquique is a drive through the Atacama desert, the driest area on the planet, some parts of which have never seen any recorded rainfall. At first the desert scenery is fascinating, but after. A while it does become a little tedious. The road is at first pretty good but as we approach Iquique, it turns into a very rough road again and we arrive in Iquiue about10.00pm after a 10 hour journey. We dump our bags and immediately head out to a Sushi bar for some much needed raw fish and Sauvignon Blanc.

Iquiue is a great town to spend a few days. Quite a culture shock aftersome of the more remote places we have been to. This is a modern thriving city with a terrific seafront area complete with pacific rollers crashing in and the usual complement of surfers riding the waves. There is also a nice colonial area not far from where we are staying complete with vintage trams, period casinos and a plethora of nice restaurants. In all a nice place to spend a few days

Our hotel is in the centre one block back from the sea and we are awoken to the sound of military bands parading up and down practicing for the Independence Day celebrations. Thisturns into a full blown military parade so we go outside and watch for an hour or two as Chile's finest parade up and down strutting their stuff. There seems to be a mix of regular and reserve forces, old and young, male and female, some far more fearsome than others! All very stirring stuff.

We stay for a few days to sample the terrific fish here and eat several times in the food area of the Mercado Centenario. One stall we go to has a terrific set lunch including the best fish soup we have ever tasted.

Iquique is definitely worth a visit if travelling through Chile if only for a night. It is time for us to move on for us and we jump on our next bus to Arica, close to the border with Chile. The bus journey was scheduled to take 5 hours but the bus arrives in Iquique 2 hours late. No explanation, but we later found out that the highway from Santiago had been closed due to a large lorry falling over on top of a cabineri car!!! We finally arrive in Arica around 1.00am about three hours late. Thankfully, our hostal owner is around to let us in and even gives us a glass of juice and a slice of cake. Even more surprisingly, when we are shown to our room, we realise that we have stayed here before!!

In the morning we get our bearings and head off into town which, due to the continuing Independence Day celebrations is closed for three days!! Everybody is busy partying or parading. The army and navy are very much in evidence but are nearly outnumbered by the gauchos and their horses. Quite a mixture and a real party atmosphere which, as we will find out, will continue on until dawn for the next few days. Chile is not the place to catch up on sleep around Independence Day.

Arica seems a little more grubby than we remember from our last visit with quite a few homeless people on the street, surprising, given that Chile is one of the most developed nations in South America. Nevertheless it is a nice town with a fascinating port and dock area with fish markets and street stalls all around. One of the first stops we make is to see the pelicans and sea lions which inhabit an area right inside of the docks just next to the area where the fishermen clean and prepare their fish. It is possible to get within a couple of feet of the sea lions although anywhere within 10 yards the smell of their "fish breath" is pretty overpowering!

The fish here is as fresh as it gets and very inexpensive and, despite the aforementioned fish breath, we search around and select a couple of tubs of freshly made ceviche for lunch and a swordfish steak for dinner back at the hostel. The freshest and best fish we have had since a sashimi breakfast in Tokyo's Tsujuki fish market a few years back.

Over the next couple of days we check out the various sights in Arica, or at least those that are open. One we enjoyed was a walk up to El Morro de Arica a hill right next to the dock area which, after a steep climb, affords great views of the city, beaches and surrounding desert.

Only a brief vist to Chile and it is time to head for the border once again. We walk to the bus station early in the morning to avoid the Independence Day crowds and get a share taxi to the border where we will cross to the border town of Tacna in Peru. This border crossing has a bad reputation for scams and rip offs but the border post is all very modern and the process of getting through all seems very straightforward. Taking our passports, our taxi driver even fills in all the forms for us! Once through the immigration formalities she then drives us to the bus station for our onward bus to Arequipa.

Choice of two buses and boy do we pick the wrong one. We choose the lower deck and end up surrounded by a variety of Peruvian youngsters all of whom insist on playing music on their phones ( all different of course) at the same time as the movie was playing. It was not a relaxing trip but during the 7 hours that followed we managed to tune out and I resisted the temptation to collect the phones and throw then out the window. I must be getting more tolerant...

I do think it is a shame you didn't take a tour or two in San Pedro. Despite the prices and the number of visitors, more so because of the holidays, there are tours which are unique to the area. Most places in Chile offer a much wider variety of pricing for lodging but San Pedro is a one business town.

Just to add a side note, Fiestas Patrias is not Independence Day. The 18th celebrates the first meeting to consider and plan for independence (much like the Continental Congress in the USA?) and the 19th is Army Day. Independence Day is actually in February.

Huentutu, Thanks for correcting my misunderstanding re Fiesta Patrias. It makes a bit more sense of the celebrations now. The "army day" particularly when we saw a huge variety of armed forces, many of whom were receiving medals etc. it was one hell of a party with music going on until dawn for the whole three days.

You may well be right regarding missing out on some of the tours but on a long trip such as this we have to pick and choose the the tours we go on in terms of cost. Having seen a wealth of amazing sights in Uyuni coloured lakes, volcanoes etc. etc, I rightly or wrongly felt that it would be much of the same in Atacama. The two tours which did tempt us were the Taito geysers ( but we had seen many of these in New Zealand) and, the stargazing tour but we vacillated over the cost ($38 pp for a few hours) and when we returned to book they were full)

I was aware that San Pedro would be one of the most expensive places, even by Chilean standards but was still quite shocked by the cost / quality ratio of accomodation there.

I think we will save our pesos to return and visit Patagonia and the far south next time!!

UP to date at last! I am posting aboard an Oltursa bus from Arequipa to Lima ( and it works!)

AREQUIPA

The bus ride from the border was not the best we have had so we were relieved to finally arrive at Arequipa bus station even if we had read the dire warnings of how dangerous it was and how we should never get into a taxi outside the station for fear of kidnap and robbery. It all seemed very peaceful and organised, at least for South America.

As we had rented a small apartment for a couple of weeks rather than a hostal, it presented a challenge to explain to the taxi driver exactly where it was. We eventually found it but not before we had 20 mins of the taxi drivers very strong opinions on tourists, the government and other taxi drivers!

We arrived an hour early and Sod's law dictated that the person who was meeting us had gone out to lunch. With an our to kill we did the same and ended up at MamaCocha, a cevecheria, just around the corner. As it turned out this happened to be one of the better restaurants in Arequipa, serving up a modern twist on Peruvian cuisine. We chose a fish and seafood parrillada. Delicious.

Having been on the move for 4.5 months we had decided to stay put for a while. The apartment is basically a converted and extended garage in the garden of a large house in the upmarket suburb of Cayma/ Yanahuara. Small but comfortable with everything we need includingour own kitchen so it will be nice to cook our own meals for a while. We also have use of the garden and barbeque, all forr much the same cost as a nice hostel in this city.

Unbeknown to us, when Carolyn booked this place, Cayma and Yanahuara districts are home to some of the best restaurants in the city, some of which we will get to try out over the coming weeks. First, we get to reacquaint ourselves with. Peru's second city.

We walk the 20 mins from the apartment into the Plaza de Armas, still one of the most attractive plazas in South America. Unfortunately, it is still heaving with touts trying to sell tours and restaurants and souvenirs! Best just to ignore everyone and keep walking, even if it does seem rude at first.

We do pop in to one reputable agent that we know of just to get some information on treks into the Colca. Canyon. He advises us that the canyon is off limits at the moment due to recent volcanic activity in the area and, as a consequence they are only running an "emergency" programme which didn't actually go into the canyon for safety reasons. We decide to leave it a few days and check the situation again.

A few days later we are sitting in our apartment and feel what we think is our neighbours moving their furniture around. This goes on for few minutes and gets stronger until we feel the floor shaking. We then realise that as the floor is concrete not wood, that this must be an earthquake. Later on which switch on the TV news and see that Arequipa region has suffered a quake registering 7.0 causing some damage to buildings and destroying a number of highways! Suddenly, hiking in a canyon 3000 metres deep doesn't seem such a great idea! Speaking to the local people we find out that this volcanic activity has been going on for several months and that the canyon has been closed on and off throughout this time.

Our time in Arequipa is quite leisurely and is mostly spent walking the streets exploring some of the churchs, streets, and markets of the city. The architecture here is unique in Peru, mostly colonial in style but built of the "white" ( grey really!) volcanic stone known as Sillar. Indeed Arequipa is known as the white city.

Arequipa is surrounded by mountains most around 6000 metres high which makes for a spectacular backdrop to the city. Just about everywhere you go in the city there are fantastic views, although the recent eruptions have made those views a little hazy and, apparently have caused some breathing difficulties for some people in some areas. The best views of the mountains are around sunset when the snow capped peaks turn a vivid pink.

There are dozens of churchs in Arequipa and we visit but a few of them, all are worth a look but the most spectacular of all is the famed Monasteria de Santa Catalina which is in effect a city within a city. It occupies a whole block just north of the Plaza de Armas.

There are swarms of guides hovering around the entrance all eager to show visitors around but we decide it would be more fun to wander around alone ( and listening to a few of the guides explaining stuff to visitors,it was the correct decision!).

The complex covers an area of some 20,000 m2,most of which is open to visitors. The current complement on nuns is housed in a separate, new part of the convent which is off limits. We explore all the parts of the convent, from the comparatively basic and ascetic novices quarters to the more ornate and elaborate chapels.

A great way to spend a few hours but I do feel that the 35 soles (approx $14) is a bit steep, but that seems to be the way things are going in Peruvian tourism at the moment - i.e. charge as much as it is possible to get away with! The fee to enter the Colca Canyon doubled a year or so ago and is now 70 soles and has to be paid by everyone even of just visiting Chivay the town at the head of the Canyon.

On our many forays into the city centre we come across many demonstrations, usually against the government and usually about something over which the government has little or no control but such is the way in South America. The last time we were here was when Arequipa was hosting Peru's national marching/ dancing band competition which went on for a couple of days and was great fun. This time, we happen across something a little less grand but just as much fun, the local catering and tourism college annual parade. We found it quite by accident, first we hear the band and then around the corner come the students all dressed in their chefs whites, followed by the receptionist in their smart suits then come various troops of dancing girls and boys. All are having a really great time. What the musicians accompanying them lack in musical ability, they make up for in unbridled enthusiasm! This is what Arequipa is all about!

The area we are staying, on the border of Cayma and Yanahuara is a really buzzing area with lots of shops, markets, restaurants and street stalls. Yanahuara particularly has some great little streets and alleys to explore as well as some pretty little churchs, but most tourists probably come here for the great views of El Misti, the cone shaped volcano which dominates the city.

Having come to the end of our two week stay in Arequipa it is now time to move on so we buy our tickets for the overnight bus to Lima. At 15 hours, it is not the longest bus journey we have taken on this trip but we have opted for the Cama service which provides bigger, lie flat seat/beds, a food service and even wifi, so it should not be too onerous.

Sounds like a nice stay in Arequipa. You will just have to return to visit Colca Canyon. can't believe I have been following your TR for four months already. Time sure does fly. your reports have fascinated me.

Wow crellston, 7.0 is a major quake!

Hope you are having a good time in Barranco also.

Today I did the hike around Cuycocha and wanted to cry a few times!

Glad you are enjoying the TR yestravel as I did yours around SE Asia. Time does indeed fly ever more quickly!

Mlgb, I think I did cry when we did the hike around Mojanda lakes which is in the same sort of area as Cuyococha. I remember praying that the taxi driver would return to pick us up otherwise it was another 10 kms back to the hostal.

Barranco is great although we are having to move to another apartment as the owner of this one failed to mention she is building another floor on top of this one!! Quiet and restful it is not!

Oh details, details. Minor construction.

Time for a Lima/Barranco update? Have you managed to try emolientes, picarones and yuquitas (cart near the Balta station)?

Hope you are still going to Ayacucho and that the weather holds out, cusp of rainy season now.

Also although you do not sound like musem people, I hope you make it to the Amano. It is free, only two rooms and by Spanish language tour weekdays at 3 pm.

Call (51)1-411-2909 to reserve M-F. Follow up with expensive ice cream at 4D.

Been to Balta station many times but have not noticed any carts! Will keep an eye open for them next time.

Arrived in Ayacucho this morning exhausted after very little sleep despite travelling Cruz del Sur Suite class! Why is it that every time I get on a bus I get the family with the screaming kid in the seat behind?? Mind you, I can't really blame the child as we were being thrown from side to side for most of the trip! At least no one needed to use the complementary barf bags,

I don't know what the town was like when you were here mlgb but the authorities have decided to dig it up! All the major streets around the main square have had 10 feet deep ditches dug down the middle of each street and the main square itself is about 30 % under rubble. At least it hasn't started to rain - yet!

Been to few museums in barranco. The contemporary arts place had only one room open but that was quite an interesting photography exhibition and Testino is on the list for next week. Will add Amano to said list..

There was only one ditch on one side of the plaza when I was there. They said it had to do with upgrading the storm drainage system. Hope they get further along before the rain really starts.

I thought you were going to fly to Ayacucho?

Yuguitas were usually there in the morning. Stay on the right hand side of the street, they were nearly at the end of Pierola as it reaches the big street that separates Balta station from the Metro store.

Picarones Mary in Park Kennedy are the best.

We were going to fly to Ayacucho mlgb but after a cost/ benefit analysis i.e. the flights leave at 7.00am meaning leaving at 5 we opted for the bus!

BARRANCO

Five years ago our first taste of South America was in Barranco after a very long flight from New Zealand via Santiago. We loved it the first time and, having stayed in Miraflores a few month ago we decided that for our final month in South America we would try to get back to some form of normality by renting and apartment here.

After yet another long (15 hours) overnight bus journey we arrived at the Cruz del Sur bus terminal jumped in a cab and eventually found the apartment we had arranged, tucked up an alley behind security gates next to the biggest Chifa ( Chinese restaurant) in Barranco. A pleasant enough place even if it did have a faint aroma of special fried rice! We quickly unpacked and decided to catch up on some sleep for a couple of hours. After 30 mins we awoke to the sound of a pneumatic drill right above our heads. The owner of the apartments had omitted to tell us that she was adding another floor and that the work would be going on for the next week. Oh well, no sleep and time to search for another apartment!

Luckily the search did not take too long and we found a nice, brand new apartment in a ten storey block close to the border with Miraflores. A bit out of the centre but very convenient and, nobody drilling away above our heads.

Barranco has changed quite a bit. It is now much more gentrified and less run down than on our previous visit but still retains that village within a city feel. Lots of artists around, art gallery's, nice restaurants, bars and coffee shops abound. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean it is a great place to stay and we like it a lot.

Nice to finally unpack and having access to a kitchen means that we can do some proper food shopping so we head of on a reccy of the local supermarkets, food stalls and market to stock up on supplies.

Not exactly living like locals but we are certainly getting to meet a few and, considering that Lima is a huge city it is amazing how friendly the Limeños are. Everyone, even people in the street will smile and say buenos dias or tardes. Much more polite and friendly than most other major cities. There is however, one exception, the Limeño lady "of a certain age". It seems that past that certain age they have their good manners surgically removed. Give up a seat for one on a bus and expect in return, not a smile or a thank you but a scowl. Stand in a supermarket queue and don't be surprised if some little old lady barges in front of you without a moments thought. Bizarre and more than a little annoying. Rant over.

We had originally planned to stay at the South America Explorers Club but they had recently move premises. We had a quick look at the rooms which were not great and the shared bathrooms which were disgusting and moved quickly on. Not sure what is going on with SAE but apart from the Cuzco clubhouse which is run by a delightful and efficient Russian couple the rest have been pretty dire in terms of the facilities and services they offer. Oh well! We I've and learn...

Barranco is stuffed full of museums and galleries which we plan on exploring over the coming weeks but to get our bearings we walk to Miraflores and to the Larcomar shopping mall to the iPeru tourism stall. Built into the cliffs overlooking the ocean, this is a spectacularly located bunch of shops and restaurants. They have a La Lucha outlet ( our favourite sandwiches) where we stop for lunch. Across the road is the JW Marriott hotel, one of the best in Lima. We pop in to book a table for their renowned "all you can eat" Sunday buffet that weekend.

Lima is the largest city in the world not to have a mass transit system and, in a city of 12 million souls this means that getting around is a challenge. There is the Metroploitano bus route which runs in its own lane more or less a straight line through the city meaning that to get anywhere else not on that line means jumping off at the nearest point and getting on one of the 6000+ collectivos ( old battered buses of varying sizes. Once you get to grips with the system it is surprisingly effective although still taking a long time to get around it is perhaps arguably quicker than taxis which tend to get snarled up in the horrendous traffic. On the subject of taxis, it seems impossible for one to drive past us without blasting there horn! Bearing in mind we like to walk a lot, this can get more than a little wearing. Even when walking against the traffic in a one way system they will still blast away and try to pick us up?? One thing I will say in favour of Lima's taxis is that they are the only one who don't deliberately aim for you when crossing the roads! Zebra crossing here seem to be a sign for drivers to accelerate, especially if a pedestrian is crossing!!

Since being here we have tried a number of restaurant and bars with varying degrees of success. We have now learned to completely ignore review sites as few bear any resemblance to reality. However, one place I would recommend for anyone coming to this town is the JW Marriott Sunday buffet - great food, unlimited Pisco sours and superb views over the Pacific Ocean. However, do be aware that this place is frequented by the aforesaid Limeño ladies and they allow NOTHING to get between them and their food....

Very funny re the "ladies" although I cannot recall having any run-ins.

How did you find your new apartment, just walkabout and look for signs?

Hope you are enjoying Ayacucho despite construction.

"We have now learned to completely ignore review sites as few bear any resemblance to reality"

Confirm!! That's truth.

Are you still in Lima or will you return?

We are still in Lima having returned from a midweek visit to ayacucho which was also great. Enjoyed Ayacucho a lot despite the very long times to get there and back. We leave next week for London. Will we return? Well, there is a possibility we may well pass through on our way to the sacred valley next year where we are considering helping out at a guesthouse. We will see....