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!!!