Last day in Peru

Well, I managed to see the Nazca lines, though it wasn´t looking promising for a while. When we got to Nazca in the early afternoon it was misty/dusty and you couldn´t see more than a few hundred yards ahead. The morning started cloudy and dull, but eventually brightened up and we flew just before noon. The lines were clear and fairly easy to spot, but they act like you´re taking an international flight, with departure tax, boarding gates and full security scanners!

 

Now all I need to do is get up at 2am for my 5am flight to Panama City, then Newark, New Jersey and finally Manchester.

Goodbye to the Amazon - almost

Well, I´ve not been able to keep this blog uptodate much, but the trip down the Amazon was fantastic. Actually we spent most of our time in a tributary to the Amazon called the Marañon. Mornings were spent either bird watching, dolphin watching and fishing, or hiking through the jungle. After lunch we did another bird survey. Then after dinner we went out looking for caimen (alligators) to capture and measure.

 

Now that I´m back in Iquitos things are getting a bit complicated. I had planned to fly out early this morning, get the coach from Lima to Nazca, and then fly over the Nazca Lines tomorrow. The trouble is the airline put my flight back by 12 hours, so I now miss the bus and can´t get to Nazca today. I´ve booked a hotel in Lima overnight, and thanks to a Peruvian and Roger, a Spanish-speaking fellow Earthwatcher, I was able to postpone the flight for a day. I´m not sure about the coach, I may have to buy another ticket. Oh well. Hopefully I´ll be able to update this further tonight, when I get to Lima.

Sailing down the Amazon

Well we sailed up river for 2 days (actually the Maranon, which is a tributary of the Amazon). We've now moored up at the mouth of the Samiria from where we'll be going out in small boats to do the actual data collection. That is if we can drag ourselves away from high tea.

Back in Cusco

Spent yesterday messing about on Lake Titicaca. Visited the Uros floating islands, made from reeds, then on to Taquile for lunch. Today I had the "pleasure" of a 7 hour bus ride back to Cusco, just so I can fly back in to Lima early tomorrow morning. I worked out that I´ve spent 5 days travelling for 1 day actually site-seeing! Oh well, life will be a lot easier when I´m sailing down the Amazon (I hope).

Already at Lake Titikaka

Not been able to post an update since I landed in Lima.

I flew straight out the next morning to Cusco, then a taxi and a local minibus to Ollantaytambo, where I caught the train to Agua Calientes, just below Machu Picchu. Stayed overnight by the railway tracks, then caught the bus up to Machu Picchu for dawn. Back to Cusco the same day on the slightly nicer explorer train. Then today I caught the tourist bus to Puno, by Lake Titikaka, passing over La Raya pass at 14,750 feet. They had to turn the bus´s airconditioning off just so it could make the climb.

Tomorrow I´m off around the lake, then back to Lima, via Cusco, to meet up with my Earthwatch group on the 28th.

Arrival in Lima

Weather in Lima is similar to Manchester!

Looking forward to 5 hours sleep before I need to be up, to get to the airport for my flight to Cusco.

Night night.

Nearly time

Less than 24 hours to go. Got my packing done (mostly), just sorting out a few odds and ends. Don't know when my next update will be, but hopefully it will be from Aguas Calientes. See you soon.

1st post

Less than 1 week before I start off, and I'm still busy planning my trip :-)
Well, I know where I want to go. I just need to check times, buy tickets, book hotels...