The Mighty Inca Trail

The next four days of our trip were possibly the most physically & emotionally demanding challenge of my life. The morning of departure brought on nausea, panick attacks & just a few thoughts of "Is it too late for me get out of this?".

We were collected from the tiny square in Ollantaytambo by bus & were driven to kilometre 82 on the trail. This is the official starting off point for the Inca Trail. Before we set off we were introduced to all of the porters (the true heroes of the trail) & were all pretty tickled when we introduced ourselves one by one & they gave us each a round of applause!! It would seem they are happy to clap anything.....even a simple thing like saying our names correctly. After the introductions we watched with horror as they loaded up over 20kgs each onto their backs  & went trotting off ahead of us.

Photo: At the start....before the hurt began!


Our first stop was the first checkpoint to have our trail permits checked (there are only 200 hikers allowed on the trail per day plus all the porters etc) & we also had our passports stamped with the official Inca Trail stamp. Then we crossed the bridge & onto the actual trail.

Photo: Piece of piss mate!



Now, in hindsight, the first day was easy.....or as Julio would say "Piece of piss!!". The start was certainly a stroll. Very flat, wide paths surrounded by beautiful scenery & topped off by spectacular weather. We were thinking we were rockstars as we chatted our way along the path.....that was until around kilometre 7 when the path took a turn for the worse......it went uphill.....sharply!! Hmmmm.....this is what we were all afraid of.....a bit of hard work! It wasn't too bad though & eventually we made it into our camp for the first night. Of course our gorgeous porters clapped us all in like victorious soldiers even though they had already arrived, set up all our tents, dining tent, cooking tent & had our 3 course meal on the go! See what I mean about heroes??

Photo: Honey, I'm home!!



That evening we sat down for our first dinner. Really, the food on the Inca Trail deserves an entire blog all of its own. If it is not enough that our amazing team of porters carry all our personal stuff they also carry all the sleeping stuff, cooking equipment & food, they also treated us like absolute royalty. Dinner, as I mentioned was 3 courses, lunch was always 2....& I mean fully cooked meals. Soup, meats, vegetables, salads, rice, desserts (chocolate pudding - OMG!!).....all cooked using whatever they could carry & served to us at a table clothed table on silver platters complete with vegetable carvings!! I am not joking!! Incredible!

Photo: Presentation is everything.....apparantly!



It doesn't end there either. In the morning we received the dreaded wakeup call - 5am. The porters though, bless them, would come around & shake our tents & say "Buenos Dias!"....(mornin')...then about 10 minutes later they would arrive again, unzip the tents & serve us cups of tea in bed! Another 10 minutes would go by & they would come back with a small bowl of warm water, soap & paper towel for us to wash our faces. All of this while it was still dark outside. Then we would get up for breakfast......cooked breakfast! Pancakes, eggs, rice, toast, hot chocolate.....yummy! By 6am we were all brushing our teeth & the porters would already have our tents down & packed & would be packing up the kitchen & dining tents. CRAZY!!

Photo: Brush, brush, brush......clean teeth!!



So morning 2 & we were on the trail by 6.15am ready to tackle 13kms straight uphill. When I said day 1 was easy, let me put it to you this way. We all had our ipods with us....you know, just incase anyone needed a little "quiet time". Well, by about 6.25am most of us had them cranking....not a good sign! Most of the remaining trail is original (about 95% of it) which means that instead if enjoying gently meandering, bulldozed, smooth walkways we found ourselves scrambling up giant, uneven stone steps which were sometimes 6 inches wide sometimes 3ft wide......get the picture.

Photo: Despite the toxic stairs we did occasionally stop to admire the view!!


Lunch was eaten in silence......we were all shattered! Our goal for the day was to reach Dead Woman's Pass (or the nipple as it is commonly called). It looks like a woman's profile including her boobies....so to the nipple we headed. I started the ipod on Rob Thomas which went well, then I changed to John Mayer....not so successful. I got so angry with him as I traipsed up the hill that I started to shout at him. I am serious - I had to turn him off or I might never have been able to listen to him again. I finally settled on Pink. She rocked me all the way to the top....& trust me, there were times when I thought I wasn't gonna make it. The final set of stairs to the top were killers, made all the more difficult by the having the end in sight. We all made it though & it was quite an emotional moment......only tarnished by the knowledge that after a quick stop at the top we still had to go down a few kms down the other side.

Photo: Yeah....we totally made it!!!

Photo: Uhhh-Ohhh!! What goes up must some down!



We made it to our campsite though & day 2 was done....all 13kms of it! Oh, I forgot to mention that in the mornings when we left we were all given a little snack box with a chocolate bar, piece of fruit, cereal bar or other goodies & we also got afternoon tea when we arrived in camp. Fresh popcorn, bikkies & jam & hot drinks......sooooo freakin spoilt!!

That night we may have played an UNO marathon & we may have even taught Julio & Arnan (his assistant) how to play. It's amazing how competitive a group of people (who could barely walk not 2 hours earlier) can get when UNO cards come out. It was another early night though as we really were all shattered. Day 3 & it started off the same as all the others.....early wakeup call, breakfast, brush teeth & walk!

Today was all about going down......for 14kms! I may have mentioned that going up I wanted to die but now I take that back. Going down was hell....my knees will never be the same again. It was during a particularly steep section that one of the girls may have gotten caught up in her notoriously unruly walking sticks. So Jo goes down like a sack of spuds & we all scramble to help her up & make sure she's ok etc......in the meantime, instead of saying "Yeah, I'm ok"....or "Shit, I'm hurting"....Jo starts to sing "I'm a survivor ....." (Beyonce style) from flat on her back on the trail! It was so funny we made her reinact it for Julio to video!

Photo: Not more stairs going down!!

Photo: Yes....the socks make me walk better!!


The other highlight of day 3 was the chance to have a hot shower at the campsite. Sure we had to pay for it, queue for over an hour, had no towels, the bathrooms were flooded & the water was actually cold....but it was a great relief anyway! We were also so excited to be reaching the end in the morning that we were a bit hysterical.....I may have cried cos I missed my rabbie & Beks may have cried cos a Shania Twain song came on & reminded her of her Mum line dancing!! (The next day Char may have cried because she had to throw her sandwich out too!!)......do you get the picture.....we were all a bit tired & emotional!

Day 4 was a 3am wake up call......yes, 3am!! At 4am we headed to the gate that leads out onto the trail. Unlike the rest of the trail this part is gated & the gate doesn't open until 5.30am & we needed to be first in the queue. Finally the gates opened & we were off....as fast as our decrepid, old legs would carry us! Turns out there was really no hurry cos by the time we got to the Sun Gate the mountains were cloaked in fog & cloud.....& it was raining :( So we left the Sun Gate & kept going towards Machu Picchu. There is a spot you can sit & get your first glimpse of the ruins but unfortunately they were also under cloud. To keep our spirits up while we waited, Julio got his bamboo flute out & played us some tunes.....amazing! The sound of the flute floating through the clouds as we caught glimpses of the ruins for the first time made an emotional day even more emotional.

Photo: Ready or not Machu Picchu, here we come!!


Finally we made our way down onto the ruins & what a maginificent sight they are. Well worth the 4 days of extreme trekking....but we did all turn into self righteous, entitled, trekking snobs as we pushed our way past the shiny, happy people who had caught the train up that morning, walked for 10 measly minutes & were then complaining about how tired they were!! Are you freakin serious??? So after averting a couple of near homicides we spent a couple of hours exploring the ruins & taking about a million photos. The ruins are amazing & gorgeous & all those things but I really think that the enjoyment came from the struggle to get there. You know.....all those cliches about it being about the journey.....well, I kinda get it now!!

Photo: Llama cuties

Photo: How's the serenity!!


We were heading back to Cusco but to get there we first stopped off in Aguas Calientes for really bad, overpriced pizza & then caught the train home. What a ridiculous train trip it was too! I think we were all a bit delirious & in need of a decent, hot shower & a soft bed......but what an amazing few days!!

Photo: I desperately wanted to take this little guy home :)

Poooooooo-no....I mean Puno, Peru!

After spending another day in La Paz (recovering from the trauma of Death Road) we jumped back on the truck to head over the border from Bolivia to Peru. Again, it was another easy border crossing & before we knew it we were in Puno....hehehehe!

Photo: Straight over the border we stopped on the banks of Lake Titicaca for a photo op.



The next morning we were due to leave for a visit to some Islands for an overnight homestay. Unfortunately Andrew had hurt his back earlier in the week & that morning he collapsed on the floor while getting out of bed.....hmmmm, not a good sign....so, no Island visit & homestay for us. Instead we spent a couple of days in Puno while Andrew got better & I found the best cake in town!

When everyone else got back from the islands, Charlotte & I decided to dye our hair, so off to the supermarket we went to buy a couple of packet dyes. Then it was back to the hotel where we became hairdresser extraordinaires!! Well, we managed to get most of the dye on our hair & not on the walls, floor or towels & everyone was happy.

Photo: Salon de Puno!


Our new do's were debuted at a local restaurant that had great mexican but they didn't cope that well with such a big group cos when we ordered 4 large jugs of Sangria they nervously mentioned that "they are 14 Solas each!"....which is about $4!!

The next stop on the Peru trail was Cusco. Cusco is the starting off point for most people who come to Peru to trek the famous Inca trail....& coincidentally that is why we were there too! We all gathered around like nervous kids on the first day of school for the pre-departure meeting with our guide Julio Cesar. He proceeded to explain to us what we could expect over the coming days & we proceeded to become terrified! Julio is such a character, his english is funny & he loved to tell dirty jokes.....which were mostly lost in translation but he laughed so hard it was difficult not to join in.

For the Inca Trail each person is allowed one duffle bag, containing up to 5kgs, which is carried by the porters. Anything above the 5kgs you have to carry yourself so it was a long night spent packing the bag, running it to reception to weigh it, running back to the room to unload.....(hmmmm, I can get away with 1 t-shirt for 4 days with no showers right???)......& repeat! Eventually we got there & then it was time for bed.....for a very restless night sleep!

The Inca Trail is 4 days but before we started we had a day excursion to the Sacred Valley via Sexy Woman....I mean Sacsayhuaman! Sacred Valley was a small taste of what was to come at Machu Picchu but at least it was a chance to do some climbing at altitude....where it was discovered that chances are, we are all gonna have heart attacks & die!!

Photo: Not even half way up.....kill me, kill me now!!


On the way to the Sacred Valley we stopped off at a small animal shelter where we saw the freakiest looking dogs ever! They are of the local Peruvian variety & they are hairless except for a mohawk & some fuzz on the end of their tails. There were also some really cute cats & a couple of giant, disgusting condors who came swooping down over our heads during feeding time.

Photo: Ewwwwwwww

Photo: Soooooo cute!!


We stopped for lunch at Pisac, which also included a quick power-shop around the local markets....where I resisted buying more knitwear....only because I knew I would have to carry it for the next 4 days!! After a night in Ollantaytambo it was time to start the trek..............4 days of madness!!

Death Road.......

So, I might have mentioned in a blog many moons ago that I would catagorically NEVER EVER get on a bike EVER again! So how did I find myself at the top of a mountain about to shoot downhill, 64kms on the world's most dangerous road?? The answer is.....well, I'm still trying to figure that out. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that everyone else was doing it.....& no, I don't need to hear the whole "If everyone else jumped off a bridge....." scenario. I guess I figured that if everyone else can do it, why shouldn't I. This particular road has been named Death Road not only because it is considered the world's most dangerous road but also because many people have died driving along it. These days, there is a nice sealed alternative so there is no need for cars to drive down it anymore.....a minor fact that obviously alluded the half a dozen or so cars & vans that passed us along the way.

Photo: Here we go........


So I put my fear aside & signed up. We started off by riding about 20kms on the sealed rode before we hit the real stuff......dirt! Arrrggghhhh! By the time we hit the dirt, it had fairly started pissing down so it was a bit slippery. After a while though I actually came to enjoy the dirt road. In some spots the track was a car width wide with a sheer drop of a couple of kms down.....not that I looked at that, I was too busy trying to make sure I didn't fall off :)

Photo: About 2kms up on the the side of a mountain.......


Speaking of falling off, poor Charlotte managed to fall off on the sealed road, whilst travelling at about 30kms per hour. Nasty! She was relatively ok but that was her ride over. We all took great delight in checking out her bruises for the next month as they turned from blue to green to purple to yellow then to black.....pretty!! Plus she got the crash site named after her - Charlotte corner will be added to all the guide books I'm sure!


We stopped regularly for breaks, which in reality was just a chance for us slow ones in the back to catch up. The day continued like this until the final couple of kms. Now, it is important to remember that I had had almost nothing to eat in the past 5 days & the final stretch was on the flat. They tell me it was flat but I felt like I was cycling straight up the side of a mountain. I thought I was going to die....I just had no energy to keep peddling. Somehow I managed to make it, despite regular request from Andrew for me to get in the support vehicle. I was being a stubborn cow & there was no way I was getting in the van! Once I wobbled off the bike & sat down, the tour leader for the ride came over & asked if he could do anything....I must have looked like death. Once he found out that I had been sick he disappeared for a bit & came back with a packet of pills. Antibiotics that he had been taking for the previous week for exactly the same thing. The saddest part for him was that he was actually supposed to be trying out for the Bolivian National Downhill Mountain Bike squad for the next Olympics & he had been too sick to tryout.

Photo: River crossing :)


So after we all recovered for a bit, we headed (this time in the vans!) to our lunch spot. A little hotel with showers (cold), a pool & a massive buffet lunch. Then it was back in the van & back to the town of La Paz. While in La Paz we also went on a city tour. This time it wasn't on foot, as La Paz is massive, but we jumped on a massive coach & drove around the town jumping off at all the points of interest. Unfortunately it was a Monday so all the museums were closed & about half way through it started to hail. Not normal hail....not even hail the size of soccor balls like at home...no, hail like razor blades. We just had to run to the site, take a quick picture & run back to the safety of the bus. Not much fun really. It did fine up for long enough for us to venture out to the Valley of the Moons. A collection of strange rock formations that is basically being choked by the expanding city. A bit weird really!

Photo: A building........duhhhh!!!

Photo: Sooooo cute!


From La Paz, we headed across the border into Peru....our first stop Puno! Yes, I know, Poo-no........still makes me laugh!!

So I forgot to mention in the last blog about the other Tucan truck we came across in Salta. They were supposed to stay at the campsite that was under renovation so they had also been moved to the same campsite as us. The were travelling in the opposite direction as us & some of them had been on tour for over a month but for the others it was their first night in the tent. Now, I don't claim to be a camper but I can tell you that when this other group arrived I turned into the biggest camping expert in the world! Ok, so the tents come from the 80's. You know? The triangle tents complete with tent pegs & poles inside the tent. We were lying on the ground having our movie night when they arrived & they had the priviledge of erecting their tents right in front of us. The Aussie couple closest to us weren't too bad but the rest of the group were an absolute disgrace. The worst were a couple of girls who, when offered help, snottily responded with "We know how to do it!". Over 2 hours later they gave up & went to bed in a strangely lopsided & not too water proof tent...all we had to hope for was some rain!



Anyway, back to Uyuni! As I said previously, we were in Uyuni to see the Salt Flats. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't the greatest day for me tummy wise but the place still made quite an impression. First stop was the salt factory.....huh? Who would have thought they would actually use the salt for stuff! After the salf factory we stopped at a small market area where I was even too sick to buy knitwear! We did however have time for a spot of Coca tea. Cocoa tea is the stuff that all the locals swear by to help with altitude sickness (Uyuni is at an altitude of 3,670m) & an array of other illnesses....I was hoping it was herbal version of Imodium myself :) We also got to check out a hotel made entirely out of salt - called the Salt Hotel....go figure! The main reason for the visit however were the Cactus & Fish Islands. Both within eyesight of each, the former covered in giant cactuses & the latter shaped like a fish....apparantly!

Photo: Work your magic coca tea!!

Photo: Probably not a great idea on a dodgy tummy :)

Photo: Salt.......everywhere!!

It is here that we had lunch & a walk around the island. Well, I didn't but everyone else did. I sat in the shade & waited for everyone to get back....& tried not throw up....or worse. I was joined by one of the other girls, Jo, & the Tour leader who were both in the same boat as me. After about an hour, Jo & I both felt well enough to make the short climb to the first lookout. It was an easy climb, maybe 20 steps but obviously it was too much for my delicate constitution cos once I got to the top I promtly threw up 3 times (nearly on Jo) & had to rush back down to the toilet. Sorry Jo!!

Photo: Before vomit......don't worry, there's no after shot!!

Then it was out onto the salt flats for the silly photos that everyone takes (see below for examples).

Photo: Go "The Animal"!!

Photo: Mmmmm....nutella!

Once it was time to leave, we had a 2 hour journey back across the salf flats to the train graveyard. A group of trains, stored on tracks & slowly rusting away. You could climb all over them & they made for some spectacular sunset shots...but of course, I stayed in the car, flat on my back, trying not to disgrace myself again. Sorry Jo!!

Photo: Train graveyard



The hotel could not come quick enough, so it was straight to bed for me. The next morning we headed back to Potosi for the night & the following day it was time for La Paz.....& the site of our next big challenge - Death Road Mountain Bike Ride....Aaarrrrgggghhhh!!!

Welcome to Bolivia

We settled into our new home in Salta...that is once the 300 school children vacated the camp site....leaving behind only their pee in the pool! Eeeewwwww! That evening we all had a religious experience - & yes, you guessed it, it was food related. We went out for dinner in a dodgy looking little restaurant in town, complete with plastic chairs & paper napkins!! It was, however, the most amazing, mouthwatering, melt-in-the-mouth steak anyone had ever eaten. I will never be able to enjoy a steak again!

Photo: Mmmmmm....steak.....just steak!!


The next morning we headed out to a ranch to go horse riding with some Gaucho's or Argentinian cowboys. The horses were lovely & even a couple of people who have never ridden before & are terrified of horses braved the ride. We meandered along the local dirt roads & had a sneak peak over the fences into the lives of some of the locals. Acres & acres of crops lined both sides of the road & every now & then we would spot someone working in the fields. Man it was hot though! A couple of us even had a little gallop which was fun...even though my trusty stead was not so impressed with being asked to move his arse! Poor Andrew got such a quiet horse we nicknamed him Mule.

Photo: Giddyup

Photo: That's how the real gaucho's get it done!


By the time we got back to the ranch lunch was ready. That't right, they even fed us. An amazing Argentian BBQ with all sorts of meat, salads, breads & delicious homemade sauces. Oh, did I mention the red wine? Yup, homemade wine too! Our gracious host Enrique was a classic....he made sure your glass was never empty & heaven forbid you say no to extra helpings....you either got more anyway or copped a bollocking in a mix of Spanish & English :) A wonderful way to spend the day.

Photo: Mmmmm.......delicious :)


The rest of our time in Salta was spent wandering around the town, ate waaaaay too many empanadas & watching, movies on Gemma's laptop, in our sleeping bags, under the stars! Bliss!!

Photo: Movies under the stars


From Salta we headed to Tupiza, nothing to say really....oh, except that in the restaurant we had dinner in, they had a rather interesting mural on the wall.....of a rock shaped like a willy!! Yes, Tupiza was then known as the penis rock town! Plus it was the first town we stayed in, in Bolivia.

Photo: Welcome to Bolivia!


Then to Potosi.....a town out of control. As we alighted the truck a couple of blocks from the hotel, we were all very excited to see a little fair in full swing, complete with about 5 jumping castles. By the time we checked in, dumped our stuff in our rooms & headed back out into the street all hell had broken loose. It turns out that the town was celebrating their Anniversary & kind of like Labour Day in Australia. The streets were all closed & there were thousands of people milling around wearing their Sunday best. Then the parades began......& they went until 2am....complete with fireworks, crackers & gunshots! Andrew had left with most of the group on a tour of the local silver mine (not for me - small, dark spaces are not my cup of tea!) & by the time we walked back from where they left from we were being crushed amongst all the tiny Boliviano people...they are small but freakishly strong!

Photo: Crazy Bolivians!

Anyway, back to the mine tour. I didn't go but by all accounts it was pretty cool. It seems the highlight for everyone was when they got to buy dynamite then have their photos taken holding it while it was lit....yup, nuts....all of them!!

Photo: See.....Loco!!

From Potosi we headed to Uyuni...not before getting bogged on a side road that had been put in as a detour while the exisiting road is being sealed. Luckily for us one of the dozer drivers saw us sinking deeper & deeper into the sand with every rev of the engine & he drove over & pulled us out. Oh yeah, the same day I also  I got sick....again!! A few of us were a bit off colour & we were all spending a lot of time in the toilet. Unfortunately I ended up being sick for over 10 days & even taking antibiotics but that's a story for a later date!

Uyuni is famous for one thing....it is the starting point for the thousands of tourists who flock there to see Bolivia's most famous tourist attraction - the Salt Flats.

P.S. If you're as geographically challenged as me you too would have thought it would make more sense to find the Salt Flats in Salta........ummmm, did I say that out loud???

Photo: Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn for the second time this trip

A shaky welcome to Salta......

So our trip into Salta, Argentina was interesting to say the least! We crossed the border with no problems & continued on our way. It had been decided earlier in the day that we would drive as far as we could to get close to Salta (if not all the way). So at about 6pm we started looking for somewhere to stop for dinner.....that & the fact that we were running out of fuel....& we didn't have driving lights on the front of the truck.....which is illegal in Argentina!! We stopped at the first servo we found & were going to cook dinner there too....until we spotted all the wild pigs running around & the shack in the corner serving as the local pub....hmmmm, I don't think so! We kept driving until we found a slightly less dodgy servo where Andrew wired up lights to the front of the truck so we could keep driving. Eventually we stopped at around 7.30pm to cook dinner...where we were only stalked by some feral looking dogs!

Photo: Even the locals gathered to watch the "Loco gringos"

Photo: Dinner time :)


Soooo, not bad so far. We drove on.....& on.....& on....until we finally arrived in Salta at about 2am & rocked up to the front gate of the designated campground to settle in for the rest of the night.....ummmm, morning!! That was until the security guard came out & told us that it was actually closed for business as it was under renovation....& had no running water! Huh? What's weirder is that they had sent the tour leader an email confirmation for the booking the day before. O-kay.....so we drove around Salta for the next hour looking for another campground with no luck. We ended up back at the first campground where the extremely drunk security guard ended up letting us in. With no running water, all the girls went off into the darkness to look for a "lady-loo", which would have been fine if the security guard & his rabid dog popped up out of the bushes with his torch & stood & watched us. O-kay.....we set up our tents & just before 4am got to bed.....with the promise of a sleep in! That was until the very same security guard who had let us in came around at 7am & started shaking our tents & screaming at us "Get up & get out!"...."You must leave"......"GET OUT"....all the while his rabid dog was barking & running around the tents like a lunatic. It was fun :)

In less than 30 minutes we found ourselves sitting in the local shopping centre, using their free WiFi to find anothe campsite. Luckily we managed to find one....unfortunately it was quite a long way out of town but at least we sure there would be no crazy, drunk security guards at the new place........well, fairly sure!!

Photo: Take 2 on the campsites......hopefully we'll have more luck at this one........

Please Mr Paraguay.....let us in?!

With the excitement of the Iguazu Falls out of the way it was time to try our luck at getting across the border from Brazil into Paraguay.  So we rocked up at the immigration desk, confident as can be....well, maybe a little nervous. The guy serving us was soooooo Spanish.....Juan Carlos Gomazalez. He flicked through Andrew's passport but alas no entry visa. Hmmmm.....he looked a little confused to start with but with the help of our truck driver Graeme, he began to understand the "situation".

After a few colourful exchanges & a lot of gesticulating it became clear that they had reached an agreement. We were to slip $40US each, stealthily under the back of his computer screen without drawing attention to ourselves & he would process a "transit visa". He was actually a good bloke & we had a bit of a laugh as he punched away at his computer. There was a tense moment when the boss looking guy came over to see what was taking so long but the call of the plate of donuts on his desk was too strong & he retreated to them quickly. So after about 10 minutes & $80US, we were officially allowed into Paraguay.....on strict instructions to tell no-one at the other borders that we paid any money! What money??? The funniest part of all was that had we been able to get our visas at the embassy beforehand, it would have cost us $10US more than we paid Juan Carlos...bless him :)

There is not much to say about Paraguay as we only spent 4 days there & most of that was just to get us to Argentina. We spent a couple of nights in Ascunsion, the capital city of Paraguay. It is quite a nice town with some pretty colonial buildings but that is not what I will remember it for........I will remember the TAX FREE SHOPPING!! As it happens our small point'n'shoot camera had shit itself about a week earlier (well Andrew sat in it) so we were in the market for a new camera & I wanted an external hard drive to back up all our trip photos. We had heaps of fun shopping for bargains & ended up saving about 35% on the price of what we bought.....& my hard drive is pink :) Ascunsion also had really good sangria.....by the giant jug full!!



From Ascunsion we headed to Trinidade (yes, we have already been Trinidade - in Brasil!!) & the infamous (literally) Jesuit Ruins. We had been warned that the Jesuit ruins were - in a word - crap! So with the anticipation of their crapiness driving us on we headed out to see them.  We were pleasantly surprised. They weren't crappy at all....plus we ran around them & did handstands & carried on like school kids so that probably helped. The ruins are only a couple of hundred years old but with their reputation probably preceeding them we found ourselves the only people there so it was fun.

Photo: Strike a pose.....on the Jesus ruins!

Photo: A bit of gymnastics too.....

Photo: one.....two....three.....jump!!

Photo: Did I mention my new camera does black & white??


And with that we left Paraguay....bound for Salta, Argentina!!

Photo: My new favourite thing......dulce de leche.....or condensed milk boiled!!! Delicious :)

Foz de Iguazu......& it's waterfalls!

After the excitement of sleeping on the side of the road we were all very keen to arrive in Foz de Iguazu & settle into a proper camp ground....complete with Sth America's largest outdoor nightclub right next door. Called "a_ha" it holds 4,500 people & apparantly goes off during high season. We went there for a night out & had a ball dancing & drinking until 3.30am....or should I say some of us came back at 3.30am....a couple of party animals stayed out until 6am then went to bed on the driveway of the campground :)

Photo: Before things got too messy at a_ha....nothing like drinking your cocktail out of a plastic cup :)


We also managed to find time to check out what Foz de Iguazu is famous for - the Iguazu Falls. Made up of over 270 individual falls, they stretch further than Vic Falls but Vic Falls has more water & the largest single fall of water. Despite this the falls were spectacular. We were able to see them from both the Brazilian & Argentinian sides.....& I have to say the Argentinian side is the most spectacular. We were able to walk right out into the spray from the falls so we all ended up drowned - not a pretty sight!

Photo: Me winning the wet t-shirt competition after being drowned in the falls!


The other cool thing about Iguazu is how accessible the falls are. There are km's of walking tracks, bridges & platforms that take you over, under & next to the water. The Devil's Throat was another highlight - a horseshoes shaped waterfall where the water rushes down with such force that you feel like you're being pulled into it. It is hard to describe the falls & do them justice so instead I'll just show you some pictures :)

Photo: Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side at sunset

Photo: .....& from the Argentinian side........

Photo:........& again.........

Photo: Standing infront of the Devil's Throat

Photo: The power of the Devil's Throat......& the pretty rainbow!


On the Brazilian side we also went & visited the "World Famous" bird park. Now, I'm not sure if it was the fact that I don't like birds that I didn't really dig the bird park....but it probably didn't help that it pissed down with rain the second we arrived. We did see some nice birds & we also had fun going into the Macaw enclosure & being swooped for about 10 minutes. What was funnier was seeing a whole group of school kids join us in there & get promptly knocked to the ground by the cranky macaws!!

Photo: Ahhhh....pretty macaw.....

Photo:..................10 seconds later.....when good Macaw's go bad!!


It's really weird crossing the border from one country into another for a day trip but that is exactly what we did to visit the Argentinian side. Which reminds me, the day before the falls, we went into town to try & organise visa's for Paraguay. It turns out they are not always that obliging at the border when you try to apply on the spot. Unfortunately for us the embassy was closed so instead we spent the afternoon sitting in a cafe eating hundreds of these delicious cheesey pastry things & deep fried churros stuffed with chocolate....YUM! Hopefully the border official gods will smile on us & we'll be allowed in to Paraguay!

Photo: Note to self.....this is what happens when you go out for the day & don't put the fly on your tent.... & it pisses with rain......