Zipping through Peru

Hi All (Franky here),

We're now in Quito, Ecuador, having sped through Peru after the trek to Machu Picchu.

The trek was amazing. The first two days we climbed up into the mountains, to the snow line on Mount Salkantay. The altitude made things difficult: with the highest point being at 4650m above sea level.

But we had a good group: all great people, and we were all of about the same ability, so didn't hold each other up too much. The guide Alex was very encouraging and friendly too; as well as being a machine (last year he walked the route we took three days to do in 7 hours!).

The secret weapon in the team was our cook (AKA César del dulce amor). First lunch we were very surprised to have a full-on three-course meal, and he only got better. He even flambéed us bananas in rum one night!

We came back down from the mountains through valleys and cloud forest filled with orchids and hummingbirds. Beautiful. Exotic fruits were growing along the way : avocados, coffee, grenadillas, tiny wild strawberries, physalis - all very tasty.

The fourth day we caught tantalising glimpses of Machu Picchu across a valley: in the photo you can see it on the far ridge.

We got to Machu Picchu on the fifth day early morning, where our welcoming party was waiting:

The morning mist enveloping the area made it look even more dramatic:

After a tour around the ruins, we climbed to the top of Wayna Picchu, the mountain nearby. The views were incredible, but it was more impressive due to the climb itself - the sides were sheer, so any slip and it's curtains. Needless to say, we took the steps back down very slowly (see photo).

We also saw a very evocative bridge the Incas made... they were in the process of cutting a path, which includes the bridge, into a sheer cliff, when they abandoned the site. The path is not overgrown, as you can see in the right of the photo, so the cliff has a green streak across it.

I haven't uploaded any of the normal pictures of Machu Picchu, as the internet's full of them.

Back in Cusco we celebrated in style with the mandatory Pisco Sour(s):

Since then we've bussed down to Arequipa for a day's sightseeing, including a huge convent complex and Juanita, the girl sacrificed by the Incas at the top of a mountain. She is nearly perfectly preserved, as she was frozen in the ice for centuries... an affecting sight. We also had our first bowls of ceviche: cold raw fish marinated in lime juice. Exquisite for a few mouthfuls, but your stomach gets a bit cold after a while.

Yesterday, we also managed to fit in a couple of hours in Lima, walking on beaches before we were warned off by locals - "Muy peligroso..."

And today is our first full day in Quito, Ecuador, but it's rained so hard that we haven't seen or done much. Tomorrow we're off to the Galapagos Islands for 6 days. Can't wait...

Hugs out to all - it's not long till we'll be catching up face-to-face.