| I fully understand why so many tours in the | | | | down throwing tons of snow and ice high into the |
| Guerba brochure visit Peru and Bolivia. With great | | | | air and showering us with an amazing snow fall! |
| food, impressive Inca and colonial architecture, | | | | From the sacred mountain we descended to |
| lovely people, snow capped mountains, ancient | | | | Hayalabamba, where we joined the classic Inca |
| pathways and good value for money, both | | | | trail and headed up towards our camp just before |
| countries are fantastic.My wife Lorraine, eight | | | | 'Dead Women's Pass'.Our path then followed the |
| other travellers and I were on the 'Inca Highlands | | | | contours of the rugged landscape like a giant roller |
| Trek' a 16 day tour of Peru and Bolivia including an | | | | coaster passing through cloud forest adorned by |
| extended 6 day trek to Machu Picchu. The first | | | | orchids, Inca tunnels and ancient ruins. At Intipunku |
| main highlight of the tour was the laid back and | | | | (the sun gate) we were rewarded with our first |
| rather crazy town of Copacabana on the shores | | | | view of Machu Picchu. It is amazing. Without going |
| of Lake Titicaca. This historic town is dominated | | | | into another long line of adjectives, it is even |
| by the cathedral, where the priests not only care | | | | more impressive than I expected. Another great |
| for human souls but along with the pagan witch | | | | plus with the Inca trail is that the main highlight is |
| doctor they also visit the car park to bless all | | | | at the end of the trek, rather than a mountain |
| manner of vehicles!Copacabana partyAs our visit | | | | peak where on reaching the top you then have |
| coincided with the festival of the Southern Cross | | | | several days to trek out. With the promise of a |
| star constellation, party spirits were in full flow and | | | | relaxed exploration the next day, we left the |
| parades of marching bands and dancers wound | | | | ancient city and took the bus to our hotel in |
| their way around the streets through the night | | | | Aguas Calientes. Despite our weary legs, we |
| and well into the following day. After these | | | | partied well into the night.From start to finish our |
| celebrations, an early night was called for in | | | | guides Raul & Demas, our cooks and an army |
| preparation for our boat trip to the Island of the | | | | porters made our trek as enjoyable as possible, |
| Sun and our introduction to high altitude trekking, | | | | just so you can imagine how good the food |
| where we visited the Inca ruins where the Inca | | | | was.The following day we had the big tour of the |
| creation legend began.Over the next few days | | | | site before heading back to Cuzco and then on to |
| we followed the shores of Lake Titicaca back into | | | | Lima. At this stage of the tour, having worked as |
| Peru. We crossed the Antiplano, stopping at | | | | a tour leader in Africa for 6 years, I was struck |
| various Inca sites as we headed for Cuzco, a | | | | by how well everything worked during our tour - |
| fascinating city that was later explored and | | | | it took extremely bad weather to finally disrupt |
| explained on our guided tours. The wide variety of | | | | the tour. As we waited with the passengers from |
| nightlife and restaurants allowed us to experiment | | | | the earlier flight at Cuzco airport, Lima airport was |
| with the many local delicacies such as Guinea pig | | | | still fog bound and flights were backing up by the |
| and Llama kebab, with the latter proving to be | | | | hour. Our onward flight connections were looking |
| my favourite by far!Magical snowfallOur 6 day | | | | unreachable. After a call to our Cuzco office I |
| trek started in the village of Mollepata and | | | | found out that ourCuzco transfer manager was |
| followed the little used Inca pathway up the | | | | at the airport already sorting things out. "Elvis is in |
| Apurimac Valley to our camp at the base of the | | | | the building" I was told. Having never met him, I |
| sacred 6,271m mountain Nevado Salcantay. We | | | | encountered many strange looks and enjoyed a |
| were rewarded not only with fantastic views but | | | | few good comments as I went round the airport |
| as we trekked toward the high pass the following | | | | asking, "Are you Elvis? |
| day, a huge part of one of the glaciers crashed | | | | |