Hello from Peru!

Well here we are again. Have finally made it to a computer for an update and we have made progress with our travels too. As from yesterday we are in Peru! And a very clammy Peru it is too.

Since our last communication we have seen so many sights and have so many photos – again! Plus we have been very energetic too. Perhaps we will be okay climbing the Inca Trail yet?!

Our first adventure since the last update was to climb and bike down Cotopaxi which was absolutely fantastic but also freezing when you were near the top of the mountain. The walk to the refuge was really hard and as we were gasping for air and sliding back down in the ash, I was thankful that Mark had talked me out of climbing to the top (which would occur at midnight so not even the views to make up for the cold or energy consumption!) Fortunately when the cloud cleared we were able to see the snow and glazier at the top of the mountain which was amazing and made the effort well worth it. Then the cycle down which was fun to and Mark managed to crash into a rock and fly off his bike to land running! Apparently the acrobatics were most impressive a fellow cyclist said. (I missed them – shucks!)

We have also been exploring local markets which was most interesting. We went to an animal market where sheep, cows, goats, llamas etc were for sale, a guinea pig market (hard to stomach after having so many as pets but they were still alive at this point and oinking like they do!) and a couple of other normal markets too. The markets were all really colourful and Mark did well at making friends with the locals as per the photo!!

We have also seen loads of rural Ecuadorian countryside and are amazed at how much litter they chuck everywhere. Especially as they seem to live off the land so it’s hard to understand the use they have for so many plastic containers? We also cannot believe the size of the houses – tiny with little bare yards around them and no gardens and yet they do seem very content especially the babies who sit on their mothers back quietly even when she is busy digging the fields!

However they do have some really spectacular countryside (where there aren´t towns and hence litter!) As sampled near Vilcamba when we went on a 2 day horse tour up to the Podocarpus National Park (one of the last places the Spectacled bear is found). The ride was fantastic, right up into the mountains with no car access. We were riding on the edge of a steep drop along the river and the horses were so good. Thankfully! We then stayed in a little lodge up in the mountains. It was definitely one of the best things we have done so far this trip.

Several of the towns in Ecuador have turned out to be very interesting. Riobamba had a big carnival going on whilst we were there and it really did put English carnivals to shame. So many people were dancing and had fantastic costumes. Cuenca was Mark´s favourite town and had some pretty, old buildings. However my lasting memory of Cuenca (and maybe Mark´s too) was attempting to go to the Cahas National Park and getting all set up with our walking gear, then getting to the park but not knowing where to get off the bus, eventually asking the conductor who did not know where we were either and by this time being totally surrounded in fog so staying on the bus a while longer before finally jumping off the bus, waiting for 15 mins in the fog to then get on another bus to drive for an hour back to where we should have got off the bus (we think – still aren´t sure!) How confusing and very frustrating!

So anyways all in all, it has been an interesting time. With several ups and downs – the Devil´s Nose train ride being one of them (the railway that is on a vertical slope) and here we are now planning what to get up to in Peru. So far it has shown several differences from Ecuador but we will see soon enough so until next time, take care and have fun!