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