Week 6 Peru:

We arrived in Lima with only one bag missing this time!  We saw it in Costa Rica getting taken off the plane we were on!  We have now learnt to pack some clothes in our hand luggage and put our Mosquito nets in the main luggage!

This week we have been down to Puno to see lake Titikaka and to Machu Piccu to see the Inka's.

Lake Titicaca - Uros

These are the floating islands in Lake Titicaca, which are possibly the most touristy place we have ever visited!  With some careful photo selection it doesn't look so bad.  It was very interesting to go and see.

A crazy lake woman dancing, We think she will be the next Britney

We went on the boat on the left to another of the islands

Us on the boat!

The Sacred Valley of the Incas - Pisac and Ollantaytambo

Before we went to Machu Picchu we went on a tour of the Sacred Valley.  This stopped off at Pisac and Ollantaytambo.  From Ollantaytambo we caught the slowest train in the world to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu).

The photos above and below are at Pisac.  The Spanish forced the Incas out of this settlement into the valley below.  Apparently the Spanish didn't like hills very much!

The next two photos are at Ollantaytambo.  This was a check point to control people moving around the valleys.  They also stored grain in granaries.  You can see the granaries in the photo below, just to the right of the face carved into the rock.

We got up really early to catch the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu in time to get a ticket for Wynu Picchu.  They only let the first 400 people up Wynu Picchu and we only just got a ticket.

Us at Machu Picchu.  Wynu Picchu is in the background, at this point we didn't think we would do it. We changed our minds 3 or 4 times after this, until we decided sod it!

Customary cheesy poses!

Machu Picchu was amazing to look around, but all the time Wynu Picchu was looming in the background!

The easy steps at the start of the climb up to Wynu Picchu.  Oh joy! they just went past with a stretcher, we heard some woman had fallen at the top. After an hour and a half, we saw her coming down on the stretcher.  We thought it might be in bad taste to take a photo.

At the top, with Machu Picchu in the background this time.  On the left you can see the road the bus takes up to Machu Picchu.

More customary cheesy photos at the top.  This time we are absolutely shattered!!!

This photo doesn't truly show how steep these steps are!  It took us the same time to get down and was a killer on the knees.

Aguas Calientes - This town was very nice, with stunning views of the mountains above.  We stayed one night, in a lovely brothel, sorry massage parlor!

After coming down from Machu Picchu, we enjoyed a quick bite and a beer before our 4 hour train journey back to Cusco.  IT'S NOT EVEN 60 MILES!!!!

Week 5: Guatemala (Last week at ARCAS)

We have just finished our last week at ARCAS, and we're shattered.  Appart from being poo'd on, bitten and the cold showers, we are going to miss the place and the people.

These Macaws are almost extinct.  These ones are very young and will be moved to a bigger cage in a few weeks.

 These parrots are green! There are 3 types of green parrots here.  Small green parrots, not so small green parrots and the lesser spotted slightly bigger green parrot!  They are all mad, and need lots of help.

Gemma had the great idea of having mashmallows round the bomfire.  It's spring here so still a little cold at night.  It must have been mid 20s this night, perfect weather for a nice hot fire!!  But the marsmallows were amazing.  You will only understand how good, if you have been eating beans 3 times a day for 3 weeks.

Cool Beans!

 This place has been our gettaway during the last 3 weeks.  The Jungle in the back ground is were ARCAS is.  Twice a week they take us to Flores by boat.

The Volunteer House

Jo and I shared this room with cockroaches, scorpions and lots of other large bugs.

How could we forget Mona - The rehabilitated Howler Monkey that thinks she's a deer!

We are now off to Peru for the next leg of our trip

Week 3 & 4 Guatemala cont...

After writing our last post, I sprained my ankle, had to be helped back to the Island and could not work or walk the following day. Will has hurt his shoulder by hanging off the fence for too long and I got a cold! Hopefully both on the mend now and will be fit and healthy for Peru. We shall post some more photos of our experience in Guatemala when we leave on Friday and have two relaxing days in Flores.

Week 3 & 4: Guatemala

Finally arrived at ARCAS (Animal rehabilitation centre) in Flores, Guatemala. 75-80% of the volunteers money goes towards running the place. They could not carry on without our support. The job they do here is amazing. Helping animals, mostly birds, monkeys, crocodiles and deer that have been illegally imported and sick animals return to the wild. So we have been cleaning, feeding three times a day and helping tidy, clean and make the sanctuary a better place for everyone.

We are both exhausted. I have hundreds of Mozy bites and Will has none! Blisters, cuts and bites form the Parrots! We are both in bed no later on average 8pm! The food is mostly beans, rice, veg and potatoes with the odd pancake sometimes for breakfast. We enjoy our boat trips into Flores for Pizza and ice cream and the occasional beer. We have both definately lost weight and have not worked as hard for a long time.

We have met some fantastic people so far and learnt a few words in Spanish, although we still have quite a way to go to make conversation.

We did our trip to Tikal and looked at the Myan ruins. These were amazing. We took full advantage of the hotel with pool that day and night. We actually had a warm shower for the first time in two weeks!

We are both loving it here, although will be leaving two days early to rest our feet and to get clean before we carry on to Peru.