Hi all,
During our week in Buenos Aires, Alicia took us to many places that we had not visited before. We saw the beautiful sights around Belgrano. This suburb is very close to the city and is very much like South Yarra back home. The streets are beautifully cobblestoned with huge trees and magnificent homes. We also witnessed Alicia´s great nephews baptism, which was an honour. It is very much like the services at home. We met many of her relations including her 89 year old mother who is very sprightly for her age. We also went to Agustins birthday party and again met many other relations. We really do feel part of this family and hope one day they can visit Australia.
There has been a very cold Winter chill here. We had planned to go north to Cordoba and Mendoza, but it started to snow so we decided to go somewhere warm, so here we are in Rio de Janerio.... yes that´s right... RIO. We arrived here on Monday and caught a bus for a 3 hour trip to Buzios. This facinating fishing village was made famous by Bridget Bardot. During the day all the tourists and village people, all go to the beach and around 5pm when the sun goes down, they all disappear to there homes or hotels, change and head for the night spots. Well this was an experience we will never forget. What a great 4 days we had here. First of all we had to shop for summer clothes as we only have hiking gear and winter gear. I loved it.
We went on a boat cruise around all the small bays, swimming off the boat and drinking wine and eating prawns. What a life!!
The fish restaurant are amazing, thank god I can now eat after one month of rice and water. The good thing about that was that I lost 5 kilos.
Today we had to leave this beautiful oasis and we are now in Rio de Janerio. Sadly it is misty, raining but still warm. Hopefully tomorrow we will see the sun and beaches.
Next week we are back in Bs. As for a week before heading to Sydney. The time has just flown but we are really getting tired of airports, buses and living out of suitcases.
We cannot wait to see Australian shores again.
See you all soon. Love always. Maxine and Robert. Here we are known as Roberto and Macini.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Photos at last......
Here are a few photos. The photo of me with the llama is on the way to the glacier at Huaraz. Robert said to tell you all that the llama is on the right.
The water in this lake is crystal clear and the colour is magnificent. The other photo is also of me with the sunset in the background... this was taken in the desert when we stayed at the Huacachina oasis. YES, there is an oasis in Peru. The other photo of all the children was the last day in Chapuca when all the children and mothers gave us a farewell party.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Last week in Peru
Hi everyone,
Tonight we leave Peru after 2 months of travelling this great country. We still have another 3 weeks of our holiday to spend in Argentina and Uraguay.
Since our last blog a week ago, we were going to travel north to the beaches but we were told the weather was not good, so we headed to the Cordilleo Ranges where the snow capped mountains are white all year round. We travelled by bus for 8 hours through desert, beaches, mountains, farming land and snow areas, to a place called Huaraz. This is a beautiful town and full of hikers, trekkers and mountain climbers. In 1970 there was a tremendous earthquake which killed 70,000 people in Huaraz and the sourrounding districts. It is so sad to see the devastation of entire towns and villages. One town called Yugay was rebuilt further down the valley but the original town has been left as a huge cemetry with 18,000 people buried under the stone rocks and rubbish. You can see the remains of an old bus sticking out of the ground and the tops of palm trees that were buried also.
We spent one day horse riding starting at a little village called Olleros and continuing on for four hours into the high mountains through many rural farming villages. The weather started off fine and sunny but as we climbed into the higher ranges, the wind was blowing directly off the snow capped mountains and glaciers and luckily we had our coats and warm Peruivan hats.
This was a fantastic day and was followed by a picnic in the nearby pine forest with our guide.
Another day was spent at the ruins of Chavin which precede Muchu Picchu by 1,500 years. This site was the original place for Peruivan culture.
We also visited many pottery factories and would love to bring some home in a crate.... maybe another time.
We finally caught up with Harry Hilderbrand. Harrys father is the chemist in Benalla and Harry is the second in charge of Markham College here in Peru. He has been living here in Peru for 11 years with his wife and new baby son and we spent the morning talking of his experiences organising the students at his school who raised money and helped rebuild the villages effected by the earthquake in 1997 which killed 500 people in the town of Chinca, south of Lima.
We have visited many wineries here in Peru. Some of them still use the old method of stamping the grapes and use equipment that is over 500 years old to process the wine.
Until next time, hope you are all well and we look forward to seeing many of you next month.
P:S. We have been receiving a few Facebook messages on our email, but unfortunatley our Facebook is down at the moment and we cannot reply. Please wait till we get home and we can fix things up.
Love to you all. Maxine and Robert. xxxxx
Tonight we leave Peru after 2 months of travelling this great country. We still have another 3 weeks of our holiday to spend in Argentina and Uraguay.
Since our last blog a week ago, we were going to travel north to the beaches but we were told the weather was not good, so we headed to the Cordilleo Ranges where the snow capped mountains are white all year round. We travelled by bus for 8 hours through desert, beaches, mountains, farming land and snow areas, to a place called Huaraz. This is a beautiful town and full of hikers, trekkers and mountain climbers. In 1970 there was a tremendous earthquake which killed 70,000 people in Huaraz and the sourrounding districts. It is so sad to see the devastation of entire towns and villages. One town called Yugay was rebuilt further down the valley but the original town has been left as a huge cemetry with 18,000 people buried under the stone rocks and rubbish. You can see the remains of an old bus sticking out of the ground and the tops of palm trees that were buried also.
We spent one day horse riding starting at a little village called Olleros and continuing on for four hours into the high mountains through many rural farming villages. The weather started off fine and sunny but as we climbed into the higher ranges, the wind was blowing directly off the snow capped mountains and glaciers and luckily we had our coats and warm Peruivan hats.
This was a fantastic day and was followed by a picnic in the nearby pine forest with our guide.
Another day was spent at the ruins of Chavin which precede Muchu Picchu by 1,500 years. This site was the original place for Peruivan culture.
We also visited many pottery factories and would love to bring some home in a crate.... maybe another time.
We finally caught up with Harry Hilderbrand. Harrys father is the chemist in Benalla and Harry is the second in charge of Markham College here in Peru. He has been living here in Peru for 11 years with his wife and new baby son and we spent the morning talking of his experiences organising the students at his school who raised money and helped rebuild the villages effected by the earthquake in 1997 which killed 500 people in the town of Chinca, south of Lima.
We have visited many wineries here in Peru. Some of them still use the old method of stamping the grapes and use equipment that is over 500 years old to process the wine.
Until next time, hope you are all well and we look forward to seeing many of you next month.
P:S. We have been receiving a few Facebook messages on our email, but unfortunatley our Facebook is down at the moment and we cannot reply. Please wait till we get home and we can fix things up.
Love to you all. Maxine and Robert. xxxxx
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Discovering the ruins in Peru
My, hasn´t time flown. We have now been travelling for 2 months and are starting to feel a little weary.
Our two days in Machu Picchu were awesome. This is our second visit to this lost city and it was still as inspiring as our first trip 10 years ago. We noticed quite a big difference in the village below MP called Aguas Calientes. The streets are now formed and many of the restaurants have improved their standards. We stayed one night here in a hostel. It was very clean, comfortable and only 60 soles per night ... that would be $27.50 Aus. We met some Aussies in Cusco and the same couple were in Aguas Calientes, so we had another long chat over a drink. We also met a couple from Hampton and they knew customers in our shop at Black Rock. We made plans to have dinner with them that night at our hotel in Ollantaytambo. This we did and we had a great evening. It is such a small world talking to this wonderful couple as we had so much in common.
The next day was the longest walk I think I have ever done. 4 hours through valleys, farm lands, Inka terraces, through creeks to a height of 14,000ft. At the end of this walk which we were totally exhausted, we came across a secluded area of another lost city. There was no one else there, besides a few locals farmers which we started to converse with and we handed out chocolate to the children. It was well worth the climb and on the way back it took only 2 hours as we had some help from the local children who showed us a short cut down this goat track and across the terraced hills.
The next day was a transport strike in and around Peru, due to overcrowding of buses and taxis and the government are going to clamp down on them. Because of this strike we had to get to Cusco a day earlier and find accomodation near the airport. This accom. was very basic... and I MEAN BASIC....... only 20 soles a night ie. $8.00 Aussie. In the morning we only had to cross over the road to the airport and had to wait seven hours for our flight to Lima. When we arrived in Lima we found the strike had been cancelled. Oh the joys of travelling.
At our hotel in Lima we now have 4 lots of luggage stored there as well as luggage in Buenos Aires. We will need a crate to come home with!!!!!
The next day I was still quite ill after not eating for 10 days.... only eating dry biscuits and drinking gaterade.... all due to food poisoning in Cusco. Rob was getting quite concerned so off to the Anglo Americano Hospital in Lima I went . After many tests and consultations they found NO parasite... much to my relief.... and now I am on quite a lot of medication and starting to feel better.
We have now travelled south to ICA. A city about four and a half hours from Lima. We are based here for four nights and are doing many sights such has the Nasca Lines, Ballestas Islands, Paracas...a small fishing village and National Park.
The Nasca Lines were great. We flew up in a light aircraft.... 6 seater.... and the pilot would circle each set of lines twice ,which have been inscribed in the soil for over 600 years. These lines depict animals, birds etc and are hundreds of meters long and wide. To follow the mystery - look up www.nasca.com
The Ballestas Islands are islands full of many varieties of bird life, seals and all marine dwellers. This boat trip took about two hours from the coast and luckily the conditions were perfect because of Robs motion sickness. Then onto a fish restaurant in the National Park. One of the best fish restaurants in the world... and we mean that. They bring in the fish, scallops, prawns, squid, etc to your table on the beach and you select what you would like and cook it before your eyes.
On the way back to ICA, we stopped at Pisco where the earthquake struck in 2007. The devestation here was unbelievable. It was so sad to drive through the ruins and empty blocks where once were shops and houses. A lovely old church... approx 300 yrs old.... had collapsed and 400 people inside were killed.
People are still living in tents made out of plastic sheeting and bamboo.
Our hotel here in ICA... is in a beautiful oasis. Actually it is 5 mins out of ICA. You cannot believe it until you see it. This oasis in the middle of the desert, surrounded by palms, sand dunes, hotels and restaurants. The sand dunes around the oasis are 400 mt. high.
We have been in the sand dune buggy and Rob went sand board riding. YES that´s right. Down the sand on a board on his stomach and I have film to prove it....
The buggys are so powerful they race across the sand dunes at up to 80 km a hour. We did this for one hour and then sat on top of the sand dunes and watched the sun set.
Many pictures taken here, but I have left the cord back in Lima and cannot put them on the blog yet.
This is our last day here before we start back to Lima. Bye everyone.
From NANA AND PAPA TO BE. WOW!!!
Our two days in Machu Picchu were awesome. This is our second visit to this lost city and it was still as inspiring as our first trip 10 years ago. We noticed quite a big difference in the village below MP called Aguas Calientes. The streets are now formed and many of the restaurants have improved their standards. We stayed one night here in a hostel. It was very clean, comfortable and only 60 soles per night ... that would be $27.50 Aus. We met some Aussies in Cusco and the same couple were in Aguas Calientes, so we had another long chat over a drink. We also met a couple from Hampton and they knew customers in our shop at Black Rock. We made plans to have dinner with them that night at our hotel in Ollantaytambo. This we did and we had a great evening. It is such a small world talking to this wonderful couple as we had so much in common.
The next day was the longest walk I think I have ever done. 4 hours through valleys, farm lands, Inka terraces, through creeks to a height of 14,000ft. At the end of this walk which we were totally exhausted, we came across a secluded area of another lost city. There was no one else there, besides a few locals farmers which we started to converse with and we handed out chocolate to the children. It was well worth the climb and on the way back it took only 2 hours as we had some help from the local children who showed us a short cut down this goat track and across the terraced hills.
The next day was a transport strike in and around Peru, due to overcrowding of buses and taxis and the government are going to clamp down on them. Because of this strike we had to get to Cusco a day earlier and find accomodation near the airport. This accom. was very basic... and I MEAN BASIC....... only 20 soles a night ie. $8.00 Aussie. In the morning we only had to cross over the road to the airport and had to wait seven hours for our flight to Lima. When we arrived in Lima we found the strike had been cancelled. Oh the joys of travelling.
At our hotel in Lima we now have 4 lots of luggage stored there as well as luggage in Buenos Aires. We will need a crate to come home with!!!!!
The next day I was still quite ill after not eating for 10 days.... only eating dry biscuits and drinking gaterade.... all due to food poisoning in Cusco. Rob was getting quite concerned so off to the Anglo Americano Hospital in Lima I went . After many tests and consultations they found NO parasite... much to my relief.... and now I am on quite a lot of medication and starting to feel better.
We have now travelled south to ICA. A city about four and a half hours from Lima. We are based here for four nights and are doing many sights such has the Nasca Lines, Ballestas Islands, Paracas...a small fishing village and National Park.
The Nasca Lines were great. We flew up in a light aircraft.... 6 seater.... and the pilot would circle each set of lines twice ,which have been inscribed in the soil for over 600 years. These lines depict animals, birds etc and are hundreds of meters long and wide. To follow the mystery - look up www.nasca.com
The Ballestas Islands are islands full of many varieties of bird life, seals and all marine dwellers. This boat trip took about two hours from the coast and luckily the conditions were perfect because of Robs motion sickness. Then onto a fish restaurant in the National Park. One of the best fish restaurants in the world... and we mean that. They bring in the fish, scallops, prawns, squid, etc to your table on the beach and you select what you would like and cook it before your eyes.
On the way back to ICA, we stopped at Pisco where the earthquake struck in 2007. The devestation here was unbelievable. It was so sad to drive through the ruins and empty blocks where once were shops and houses. A lovely old church... approx 300 yrs old.... had collapsed and 400 people inside were killed.
People are still living in tents made out of plastic sheeting and bamboo.
Our hotel here in ICA... is in a beautiful oasis. Actually it is 5 mins out of ICA. You cannot believe it until you see it. This oasis in the middle of the desert, surrounded by palms, sand dunes, hotels and restaurants. The sand dunes around the oasis are 400 mt. high.
We have been in the sand dune buggy and Rob went sand board riding. YES that´s right. Down the sand on a board on his stomach and I have film to prove it....
The buggys are so powerful they race across the sand dunes at up to 80 km a hour. We did this for one hour and then sat on top of the sand dunes and watched the sun set.
Many pictures taken here, but I have left the cord back in Lima and cannot put them on the blog yet.
This is our last day here before we start back to Lima. Bye everyone.
From NANA AND PAPA TO BE. WOW!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
