Saturday 16th October - Lake Titicaca

Hired a boat to go and see the Uros Islands. The islands are actually reeds and root mass approx a metre deep.

Were shown a demonstration of how the people cut the roots and overlay reeds until they have a stable (-ish), dry-ish habitation. The fishermen on these islands are supposed to have black blood and cannot drown. They have coppery skin to reflect the sunlight. And they are very good salesmen. the inevitable textiles were spread out for us to buy, with the plea that the people cannot survive without us tourists buying their goods.

The second island fed us fresh trout - the freshest I can remember tasting. In the afternoon, got a tour to the Sillustani peninsular to see the round tombs built by pre-Inca and Inca people. Beautiful countryside, and an interesting day out. How on earth these people built structures with blocks of stone the size of a Smart Car, measuring the joints to create tight fits, up to 40 feet high, is quite staggering.

Stopped at a smallholding on the way back to town and tried some local food including edible clay. Multi-storey guinea pig houses out back.

Alpaca for dinner, yum!

Friday 15th October - Train to Lake Titicaca

Posh train to Lake Titicaca. Wonderful old-fashioned carriages, and we were not confined to our seats - there is a bar with seating area, and an open carriage at the back. Stunning scenery, from lush fields with crops, livestock - Llama, Alpaca and even Vicuna, to lakes with pink flamingos, and women in local dress shepherding their herds. Really lovely, nice service, good meals and wine etc. Again, regaled with a band, a fashion show, and Pisco Sour-making demonstration. I enjoyed every minute, but Patrick was not feeling great, and could not get comfortable in the seats which were designed for smaller folk. Booked into the Camino Real Turistico, and after a quick wander, feeling the high altitude (c. 3800 metres), gave up and went to bed.

P. Sad to leave the Pariwana. A friendly, fun place.

Live music in the waiting room, Peruvian canned music on the train - not much silence allowed. 9 hour 10 minute train ride chugging up to 4000m.

We stopped off for a buying frenzy en route!

Altitude sickness is not fun!

Thursday 14th October - Cuzco

Took cab to Tambo Machay, with intention of walking back via various ruins to Sacsayhuman and to Cuzco. Beautiful morning turned into rainstorm. Cold and thoroughly wet, we sheltered in a cave/fissure in a hill, with the wind whistling through it, as though the gods really resented our presence. Eventually gave up, walked down the longest set of steps to a good local restaurant halfway down the mountain. Sat guiltily watching local women doing some hard work rebuilding steps that had been washed away by the previous year's floods. The women here are obviously as strong as the men and there is certainly no discrimination against women doing the heavy work.

Wednesday 13th october - Cuzco

Helen's birthday, and funeral. Thinking of all the family, and really wishing I could be there. I know Mark and Tony would ensure a really good send-off for Helly.

Off to Koricanchi Museum and a couple of local museums of folklore. Also visited a church in the Plaza des Armas.

Had dinner at an Italian dinner in the square and watched a young band play.

Tuesday 12th October - Machu Picchu

Up at 5am to get the bus up to MP again, to wander on our own with fewer people around. Got as high as we could on MP itself (beyond the Watchtower), and contemplated crossing to the Inka Bridge, but the path was horribly open, and I had done enough clinging to the mountain side with one eye closed against the drop. We walked down the steps to Aguas Caliente, through the cloud forest, which was lovely. Lots of bird life and butterflies. Stopped at the MP museum, which we really should have visited before going 'up' (no one told us about it!). Had a wander around the attached jungly gardens, which was lovely, especially as we were accompanied by a big dog who took it on himself to show us around, even sticking with us as we walked back to Aguas Caliente via the campsite and butterfly house. Got train back, entertained by the stewards/stewardesses doing a model show, performing the Inti Raymi dance in full costume (a mishmash of Inka midsummer celebrations and slightly later Christian stuff). Back to Cuzco and to the Pariwana.

Monday 11th October - off to Machu Picchu

Train ride to MP, through some incredible scenery - Sacred Valley, all lush green and looming mountains. Train dropped us at Aguas Caliente. We checked into Sanctuary Hotel, right on the roaring river, and got the bus up to MP. We hired a guide who gave a very interesting explanation of how MP is considered to have been a centre of government, intellectual thinking, mystical gurus. Books have also suggested it was a trade gateway to the jungle on the other side of the Andes, with their greater choice of food, medicinal plants etc. The guide obviously loved it, and said he never got bored as he got great spiritual strength from the place. I on the other hand, was simply scared of the heights. I thought I would be ok after years of skiing, but this represented the type of open spaces that make my knees literally crawl... We had to go down some steps that at first looked as if they were on the edge of an abyss, and I'm ashamed to say I nearly sat down and wept. Vertigo is no fun. However, it was a wonderful experience to see the sheer scale and imagine how the stone was cut by hand, and fitted together so exactly. Skill you cannot imagine nowadays, even with the all the power tools B&Q can supply. Wonderful to be higher than the swallows darting around, but I have to admit that although the guide recommended we climb Wayna Picchu, I did bottle it.

Quiet evening in town and early night before an early morming tomorrow.

Saturday 9th October - Cuzco

Wanted to go horse riding around Sacsayhuman (Sexy Woman as Patrick calls it, along with Oliver Tambo for Ollantaytambo...). Arranged it, and was collected by taxi from Cuzco. Asked Patrick to see me safely on horse. Nice lady persuaded P. that a strong enough horse was available for him, and P. agreed - crazy fool. Apparently we were to venture off on our own. A few commands from me persuaded my horse he had a rank amateur on his hands, so he started barging into Patrick's horse. The young boy gave up and starting hauling Santiago, my horse, by a leading rope. Patrick had to follow - at this point I started to doubt the wisdom of this arrangement. It has been 30 years since I rode a horse, and Patrick has had a couple of outings, 20 years ago. Then it started raining - hard. An hour later, we were at the highest point. Both cold and miserable, and so were the horses. Patrick's had a mind of its own and simply picked the easiest route, and kept dropping behind. I was very concerned that the horses would bolt for home soon....We bailed out and caught a bus home.

Went to a gig at the Municapal Hall - Jaime Guardia and Pepita Garcia. Made the mistake of running up two flights of stairs - 6 minutes to recover!

Move to Pariwana tomorrow, yay!

Friday 8th October - Cuzco

Tour to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Corrao, Chincheros. Coach tour of the Sacred Valley. Lots of very high, very impressive Inca ruins, interspersed with shopping opportunities. How many textiles are there available to buy! Surely there is an overstocking situation here?? Good day though. Back at the hotel, Patrick put up with me wallowing in the Facebook entries. Difficult not being with the family at this time. Hotel de la Jeunesse deserves a mention for the being the most run-down hole we have had the mis-pleasure of staying in. Broken tiles (earthquake damage), dirty paintwork, scruffy kitchen and eating area - yuk. We have booked into the Pariwana Hostal for last day before Machu Picchu, and afterwards.

Jilll did major shop and kitted herself out Peruvian stylee.

Thursday 7th October - Cuzco

Whooooooo - high altitude here (c. 3800m). Tried coca leaves, but still felt awful. Sitting on a high stool in the upstairs of a restaurant finally threw me. Felt faint and sick, as if I had the worst hangover ever. Had to sit on a low chair, as if the few inches would help. Recovered after eating soup and taking a Soroche pill. Learnt via Facebook yesterday that Helen had lost her struggle with CF. Have known all Helen's life that her time would be short, and she managed against the odds to have a relatively good innings to reach 31 - better than the expected age span. Still difficult to comprehend though - we had all hoped she would have a lung transplant and have a few good years left. My heart went out to Tony, Doreen, Andy and the rest of the family. Friends and relatives started leaving messages on FB which seemed fitting somehow, and a wonderful confirmation that she was indeed a special young lady who seemed to inspire love and respect from a lot of people. Our breathlessness up here brought home to me how horrible it must have been for Helly, fighting for the next breath.

The Hostal was not anywhere near as good as the reviews suggested and we're in search of a new home as soon as we can. The hotelier sold us tour as soon we arrived. Lesson #1 don't buy things when you're knackered.

Did an impromptu tour of Cuzco on a lovely old tourist train.

Going to the Sacred Valley tomorrow.

Wed. 6th October - Miraflores, Lima

Having done a bit of research online, and convinced ourselves there was a good side to Chorillos, we took a taxi again, but in the daylight. Taxi driver again nonplussed. We found a restaurant we had seen online, called the Salto de Fraille (Brother's Leap - another monk, this time one whose heart had been broken, so jumped off a cliff into the sea!) The taxi driver was willing to show us the restaurant, but told us firmly it was too expensive! He actually showed us the small group of shoreline restaurants I had originally read about, where the fishermen sell their day's catch, but warned us not to eat there without a taxi waiting - even in daylight. Admittedly it was the last bit of civilisation for miles, but just how dangerous could it be?? We were not willing to test this rhetorical question however, and scuttled back to Miraflores. Spent a second mortgage on coffee at the odd LarcoMar shopping centre.

Finally made it to the incredible Water Circuit in Lima. 14 water based installations. Wow!

Tuesday 5th October - back to Lima

Stayed at Inka Lodge, in Miraflores, in a room on the roof that felt like a garage - very odd. Followed my mild obsession to find out if the coastal town of Chorillos was any more interesting than Miraflores. Asked the taxi driver to take us somewhere to eat in Chorillos. We knew this was an unusual request for a tourist, but did not expect to be taken to a huge shopping centre.. suspect this was a worried taxi driver's way of fulfilling our request, and keeping us safe. The shopping centre was the most depressing place, and for the first time I was overwhelmed with a longing for home. Partly due to worrying news from home that Helen is terribly ill. Partly due the depressing feeling that everyone was being sold a North American dream of happiness - people were queueing at the bank, presumably for loans, and the tvs and white goods were stacked up to improve people's lives. I know it's understandable that everyone wants to see progress and modern improvements, but after Otavalo, it was somehow a bit sad.. Took a taxi back to Barranco, and went to the lovely Mirador bar, stopping en route for a drink in an old railway carriage which used to be used on one of the many now-defunct railway lines. The carriage was built in England and shipped over in 1820.

Monday 4th October - Quito

Sadly checked out from the Hostal. Luis picked us up and took us down to Quito, again a beautiful drive. Families farm the land seemingly by hand, and apparently organically, as the land is so fertile (due to the volcanic ash), there is no need for fertilisers. Checked into the Travellers' Inn, a bit quieter than the last Quito hotel. Still a bit of a wrench coming back to hectic Quito after the calm of Otavalo. Ate at an odd restaurant who's theme was a famous monk who used to slip out of the Monastery to visit women, and climbed out by standing on the shoulders of a handily placed statue of Jesus. Eventually the statue sighed and said 'Brother, until when?' which brought the Monk to his senses, and back to the fold. Drank my first (and last) Cuba Libre. Frankly...yuk.

Sunday 3rd October - Otavalo

The Hostal's friendly taxi driver, Luis, took us to Parque Condor, to see a collection of hawks, eagles, owls, Condors - all either rescued or donated, so they live in aviaries, or are tethered. Fascinating but sad to see these birds - healthy but defeated looking - who should be soaring amongst the mountains. We watched a display of some of the birds too, in an amazing setting - an amphitheatre on a green mountainside from where you could watch the birds swoop away and come back to the handlers. Odd to see the iconic American Eagle in the flesh! Back to the Dona Esther for the BEST meal yet, or for a long time - Chicken in Ecuadorian chocolate sauce, and bananas baked with chocolate & rum sauce with little chocolate pearls. Patrick had to roll me upstairs to bed...

Saturday 2nd October -- Otavalo

What bliss, travelling to a town with the express intention of shopping! Oh for a bigger bag though! Still, managed to buy a couple of hats, small picture, wood carving, and Patrick gave in to his wish for a Charrango. Local women here have a strict dresscode of long straight skirts with white blouses and a sort of cummerband embroidered in reds and blues. Black hats completed the picture. The less formal outfit seems to be full skirts with the blouse, and the black hats. Makes for a very decorative feel around the markets, and made me feel a complete scruff in my travel get-up. All the women seem very attractive. Oh, and all the men have the most amazing long black hair. No one seems to go grey unless very elderly. The life here is comparatively prosperous, life-expectancy is long, and everyone seems happy - lots of smiling faces. It seems such a healthy place - fresh air, local fresh food, music, community. In the afternoon, escaped the commerce by visiting the Peguche waterfall, lots of birdlife and nice green countryside. In the evening, ate on Sucre Street, slight mistake as this seems to be the street the young lads drive slowly up with the huge sound systems in their cars going full blast. Looked for a local Pena where there was live music, but the 'show' didn't start till 10pm, and we just can't do late nights - maybe the altitude still making us tired, or just very relaxed from all the fresh air. As luck would have it, we found a bar with a band playing, so were treated yet again to the inevitable Guantanamera, La Bamba and bloody El Condor Pasa.

Friday 1st October - to Otavalo

Riots settled so we could fly as planned. Flew into Quito, and took a cab to Otavalo up in the mountains, famous for its markets. Drive was long and very scenic - the most lush, green and fertile countryside we have yet seen, despite the mountainous terrain. Checked into the Dona Esther Hostal - a wonderful place, arranged around a courtyard filled with flowers and greenery. Room was whitewashed with dark wood and a comfortable bed. Restaurant was candle lit and inviting, we had dinner here, serenaded by the local pan pipe and Charrango band. The food was very good too. Immediately extended our stay by one day - having six weeks to play with is such luxury.