My Journey Round The World

Copacabana… Not the best city I ever saw, even if the cathedral is quite a monument – renovated for Jean-Paul II visit’ in 1988, also interesting is the small room with candles on the left side of it. Walls are totally black because of the candles smoke and full of drawing – wishing from people , and ok, the view of the Lake Titicaca from the hill El Calvario – 4 000 metres high! – is absolutly amasing for the sunset… My plan was to go to la Isla del Sol… Unfortunately that Sunday it was the Bolivian President election, nothing was allowed to move, bar and shop waren’t allowed to sell alcool… So nothing moved from the all day, regarding alcool it was another story!…

We were all stuck in this little paradise where I ended up with 3 friendly french couples (Perrine & Sylvain, Julie & Thibault, Anne-Laure & Jean-Francois). As we could’nt really do anything, we decided to have a big picnic with local products – avocado, bread, cheese, water melon, mangos, Bolivian Wine… in front of the Titicaca Lake! We finally had a great afternoon!!!

Well arrived in Bolivia! Lucky me I managed to get a 90 days stamp instead of 30 on my passport.

Today president election in Bolivia… Nothing was moving… Absolutely nothing… I was supposed to visit la Isla des Sol, well, we were all ready on time but stayed at Copacabana with no way of escaping this little town! Luckily it was sunny, I met 3 French couples & guess what… We had a big picnic on Lake Titicaca border, with Bolivian wine, cheese, guacamole homemade by ourselves… Nice afternoon! Let see what will happen tomorrow…

Thanks for your messages! I loved to read it

With Gregoire we’ve also visited Chinchero – known as the birthplace of the rainbow, Cusco flag (Ariane you would have love that, you left too early!) a tipical Andean village – sorry no picture I forgot my camera that day! – after Ariane left us.

Cusco is a pretty city and I really enjoyed resting there after this intensive Inka Trail as well as this more than 80 days travel for now… I had a lovely backpacker hostel – Pirwa http://www.pirwahostelscusco.com/ – with really friendly staff – compare to the more high class hotel we had for this 2 weeks except in Arequipa –   in the lovely San Blas district. I love the San Blas area with these narrow little streets full of stairs – again! – the huge Plaza de Armas, this so many restaurants where you can test many different food as well as great sweets and the peacefull atmosphere of the city even if it’s pretty touristy! While walking around yesterday, I even met a japanese women and her little girl in traditional japanese dress – funny to see the face of the locals in front of another traditonal clothe, so unusual for them I would guess… I also cross a manifestation on the Plaza de Armas – for clean water if I get it well??… – really interesting to see natives with their local clothes mix with people dressing in a more occidental way! Pity I didn’t have my camera again!

Last lunch in a lovely restaurant with a test of 3 different potatoes – ok over 3 000 different species, it’s not much but still before heading to Bolivia – Copacabana tonight

 

WE DID IT!!! I’m so glad After such a long and quite difficult trek, we had 2 hours guided tour on the ruins and then free time We could have climb more… But I have to say that after this 4 days walk and the cloudy weather, I didn’t really feel like hiking more than necessary. Our guide recommended us to go to see the Inka bridge… Well, really interesting… wooden bridge… More than 15mn walk announced for a… wooden bridge… Scenic wasn’t as nice as the Machu Pichu site especially because of a factory and electricity pole in the valley but ok, we made it and came back with the rain… again… but we were use to it now

I have to say that since this trek – which was a kind of test, as yes, I take that as a physical as well as a mental test, which I wasn’t really expecting before! – I’m feeling pretty good, more quiet – well not when internet isn’t working properly! , serene… Somehow mentally free, as someone said to me… I don’t really know if this is because of:

• the trek,
• my friends around for 2 weeks,
• the rest I just had in Cusco,
• my travel since more than 80 days now…

I guess this is a combination of all and it’s absolutly a pleasant feeling! I’m really happy for choosing this way at this time of my life! The only thing I’m missing a bit is you… Knowing how you are, what’s happening in your life… I’ll be glad to have more news from you :)

As some people are curious about it, I’ll start to update you on this part

So, I did the most famous trek in South America – The Inca Trail – with my friends Ariane & Gregoire who came to join me for 2 weeks. To give you an idea, this trek was: 45 km long, 6 000 steps, 4 walking days & 3 nights under the tent – and mostly under the rain!!!… I have to say that it was pretty hard & I really wonder the 2nd day after arriving at the camp site absolutly soaked, what I was doing here!!!

As they said to us before the trek, during the short info-training session:

• 1st day is easy – Starting from km 82, everybody is happy to start this famous trek, plus it was sunny at the beginning…
• 2nd day is a challenge – Indeed!!! 1 000 metres difference in height & a way down really stiff with rain which make it even more slippery! First pass at 4 215 metres – I thought I wouldn’t manage to climb the last steps, lucky me Gregoire stayed behind, always supportive!
• 3nd day is unforgettable – Well… We didn’t see much… It was really cloudy as well as rainy for the most part of it… But yes, the road seems really beautiful, changing from mountains to jungle. After lunch, it start raining. Gregoire went to the camp site in less than 2 hours – guides normaly plan 4 hours, following the porters pass – who seems to make it in 1 hour! Ariane & I walked 2 hours non-stop with Ben before reaching the terraces where the rain finaly stopped! :) We could enjoy the beautiful view & make pictures with Ben & Andreas before going done to the unbelievable last camp site!
• 4th day is unique – YES it is!!! 2 hours walk & more steps before reaching Intipunku at 2720m – we did worse - & entering the Machu Pichu by the Sun Gate… Amasing & so rewarding after such a long trek… Lucky us cloud were away for a while

We were 11 in the group: 6 Australian girlfriends travelling together for a while, Ben – an English guy & Andreas – a German woman, plus 2 guides: Ronal in front & Dorian-Hugo at the back. 10 porters all together carrying: materials & food. It was great to arrive at the camp site for lunch &/or in the evening & have everyhting ready! Little tea-time after each walk, delicious lunch & dinner, wake up with coca tea – to avoid altitude sickness – great breakfast to give you energy for the day. It was amasing how they could cook in such condition. I enjoyed every pieces!

Arriving at the last camp site was a bit of a shock… All the tents were set around a hard building where you could have beers & hot showers – good after 3 days intensive walk but long queue, so with Ariane we only had a cold shampoo. It was quite unreal to eat with your trek-team there in our dinette plates in such a noisy room. Back to civilisation after a bunch of nature! We even had a fight just in front of us… Too much alcool maybe…

Ok, we did it!!! I’m so glad It was hard, cold & wet but worth it!!! I felt so happy when reaching Intipunku & discovering the Machu Pichu site via the Sun Gate… Such a reward… You forget – for a while – that you’re still wet since 3 days, you were really cold on the 2nd day – sleeping at more than 3 200 m in your wet sleeping bag full of humidity with your survival cover… The view is so amasing… I have to thank Ariane & Gregoire for being so supportive during this journey!

They are really cute… I know what I’m talking about, I used to have up to 27 of them when I was a child! However here, this is a regional dish – tasting a bit like rabbit – and Ariane’s favorite!!!

You cannot visite a country without trying to test all the traditional and local food it offer… So did we…

Last night before the 4 days trek to discover Machu Pichu… After Arequipa, Colca Canyon trek – which was pretty hard one, I’ll tell you later  - Puno with the Uros & Taquile Islands, Cuzco & it’s beautiful region, we are looking forward for the amasing journey! Pictures & comments – I still need to tell you about Costa Rica which was great! – will follow soon… Ariane need to come back to France