Cheese AND Banana?

Another delayed flight finally took us from Fortaleza to Recife. While the city itself is pretty grim (and has the highest crime rates in Brazil), the surrounding area is stunning. Olinda lies on the outskirts of Recife and is a hub of creativity where artists, sculpturs and designers set up their studios and galleries. The pretty town is perfect for the arty vibe with colourful houses lining the streets. Although it only takes a day to wander the whole of Olinda, many hours can be taken up checking out all the different galleries. It must also be noted that Olinda is where we discovered the calorific Cartola Tapioca – cheese, bannana, condensed milk and cinamon in a Tapioca mmmm. We were slightly reluctant to try the banana and cheese combo at first but it really works!

Our bus to Porto de Galinhas was meant to be straight forward but we found ourselves waiting hours in the back streets of the worst part of Recife with people sleeping on the street and no one speaking English. After fighting to get on the right bus (not easy with large backbacks) we were on our way but packed into a bus standing in the isle for over 2hrs…we hoped the journey would be worth it. Porta de Gallinas has lots of incredibly long beaches, some parts are packed out with vendours and Brazilian families but you can easily walk to quieter space. A short swim out from the beach are natural pools where we went snorkeling and saw so many beautiful fish. The rest of our time here consisted of gorgeous sun, jumping waves and drinking agua de coca…whist of course thinking of everyone back home in the snow.

Our bus back into Recife wasnt such a drama as on the way and after popping into South America’s oldest synagogue (partly forced to by Ronnie) we snapped up the last 2 seats on a night bus to Salvador. I dont mean to complain but we were positioned right by the toilets and good lord did it STINK!

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Jericoacoara

After a somewhat tubulent (and yet again late) internal Brazilain flight, a long bus journey and a trip on bouncy ‘4×4 bus’ we finally made it to Jericoacoara. ‘Jeri’ as the locals refer to it is a small, isolated surfer town set between beach and miles of sand dunes. There are no real roads, so you can only get there by boat, buggy or the strange 4×4 bus we opted for. We befriended areally cool  Dutch couple (Bram and Tara) on our journey into Jeri and ended up spending most of our time there with them – it’s easy to meet up with people in Jeri as there are only about three sandy ‘streets’ and several small adjoining streets, all lined with cute artsy boutiques, restaurants and surf shops. We soon stocked up on new beach wear and found our favourite sunbeds. When you take away the odd storm and Chris’ day in bed with a bad stomach (which was MUCH worse than Sophie’s bad stomach in the jungle) Jeri was a truly stunning place to sit back, drink agua de coco and enjoy the Brazilian vibe. We even got involved with a private salsa class (which has given Chris his new nickname ‘snake hips’), had a very poor attempt at sand boarding and enjoyed speeding over the sand dunes on a buggy. Jeri is one of the only places in Brazil where you can see the sunset over the horizon so everyone climbs the sand dunes to watch this ritual sunset followed by the quality Capoeira on the beach and enjoying cocktails from one of the stalls until the wee hours…this is where we discovered the kiwioska that is a new must-have for any cocktail party (kiwi + vodka = divine).

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Rumble in the Jungle

Shortly after arriving in Manaus we were keen to leave – imagine rush hour on Oxford St (the cheap and horrid end), only 38 degrees and unbearably humid. Luckily we only had to spend the day there before heading into the Amazon with well reputed Gero Tours. We were a small group of 5 people including a German mathmatics genius and a Hollywood premadonna called Kyle. Several boat trips eventually took us to the Jungle lodge, where we slept in hammocks inside a spacious straw roof dorm. Every night the room filled with more bugs than you could imagine and several frogs in the bathroom soon became my friend. Each day our guide took us out for both morning and afternoon excusions to explore the Amazon. We learnt and did everything you need to survive in the jungle, from Pirana fishing in the pouring rain (Chris catching the biggest, Sophie catching a slightly stunned catfish), to treking through the forest looking at medicinal plants (quite incredible really and slightly peeved I spent £90 on our Malerone when you can chew a leaf for the same effect!). We also saw the forests deadly insects as well as stunning pink dolphins and sneaky looking caiman.

The trip wouldnt have been complete without being hit by a stomach bug. Having spent all night on the toilet trying not to wake the dorm, Sophie had to spend the morning in bed to recover. Chris went to see sloths which almost look like they belong in Sesame Street. Sleeping was pretty hard given the seriously loud sounds you hear at night especially the howling monkeys and a stunning sunrise made the lack of sleep well worth while.

The final highlight of the trip were a couple of cheeky monkeys coming into the lodge to grab as many bananas as they could handle…check out the video. Allthough the experience was an amazing one we were quite relieved to be out of mosquito infested land and a toilet that had a light switch (not Chris holding a torch for me).

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… and Machu Picchu

We made it. A 3am start meant we arrived at the ‘Sun Gate’ in time for sunrise, with the prospect of spectacular views of Machu Picchu. Unfortunately the ‘Sun Gate’ didn’t live up to it’s name and dense fog prevented us from seeing much until we descended a little further. As soon as the fog lifted and the ruins came into sight, the views were genuinely spectacular and well worth getting up for – particularly to get some shots of Machu Picchu before the bus loads of tourists arrived later that morning.

Machu Picchu was never completed by the Incas as they abandoned the site before the Spanish conquest. It’s estimated that around 500 people lived there (as well as the many visiting pilgrims) and around 2000 Inca’s were involved in building the site over a period of up to 100 years. The site remained untouched until 1911 when Hiram Bingham discovered the site whilst exploring other Inca ruins in the area. The Incas didn’t have any form of written language, so there are no documents or inscriptions relating to Machu Picchu, leaving a great deal of uncertaintly and mystery around the site. There are a number of theories around what the area was actually used for, although the general concensus is that it was a sacred religious site. Machu Picchu was recently voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World…we’re now keen to see the other 6!

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The Inca Trail

We hadn’t anticipated being able to hike the Inca Trail, as you usually have to book months in advance, but we were chuffed to find out we could get a place if we stayed in Cusco for a few extra days (albiet giving Lima a miss to get back on schedule – sorry Lima!). After four days building excitement in Cusco we finally set off on the Inca Trail laden with ALL the necessary gear.

Our group was an eclectic mix of Europeans who, lucky for us, spoke English. It was early into the trip we both realised that this wasnt the ‘walk in the park’ excusion we originally thought. It turns out the Inca’s were determind people and walked through several valleys and up large mountains to get to the sacred Machu Picchu. 4 days of fun turned into 4 days of tough walking (mainly due to the weight of the bags on our backs) but we loved every minute. The scenery was stunning and the Inca sites were fascinating (‘tambos’ resting sites, agricultural land and religious temples) which made the trail well worthwhile. It was great to hear about the Incas from our guide who, as an Incan descendant was truly passionate about the history. It was also amazing to see the porters rushing past us lugging up the mountain all our food, gas and tents. Whilst we panted and perspired with our 10kg bags, these guys almost ran up the trail carrying 20-25kg… quite incredible.  3 nights in a tent, 3 early starts, several layers of thermal clothing and one ‘luke warm’ shower, and we finally earned our place in Machu Picchu…

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Lago Titicaca

Lake Titicaca, South America’s biggest lake and the world’s highest. We decided the best way to see the lake was to stay on one of its islands with a local family. Im not sure where else in the world you can get a double room for £2/night. Mind you, you don’t get running water or heating and you have to bring your own loo roll. We took a boat from Copacabana to the ‘Isla Del Sol’,  which takes nearly 1hr 30 by a painfully slow boat. When you arrive and climb the steep hike up the ancient Incan stairway, you are rewarded with some of the most spectacular views of the lake. Although there is very little to do on the island, the views make it well worth the visit, as well as several inca ruins and long island walks, which, at 3800m were no walk in the park. Lake Titicaca sits on the border between Bolivia and Peru, so it was our last destination in Bolivia as we moved in to Peru…

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Cholita Wrestling

We couldn’t resist the temptation of ‘Cholita wrestling’, where we were told we could see traditional Cholita women fighting. The wrestling was truly tacky but brilliantly entertaining. Front row seats were a bonus as the wrestlers interacted with the crowd (throwing apponents on the audience), and audience participation (throwing things back… anything you liked) was encouraged.

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San Pedro Prison

We had heard much speculation about the possiblity of ‘tours’ around one of South Americas most notorious prisons. Ask any locals and they will tell you that you can no longer gain entry into the prison, but on arrival at the hostal in La Paz, we met a couple who heard tours were still possible on the weekends so long as you bribed the guards. We were in luck…it was a Saturday! Although the whole process sounded a little dodgy, accounts of the prison were incredible, so we headed in the direction of San Pedro square where sure enough we were appraoched by a guard asking us if we wanted to enter. One by one we slipped pasted the entrance and handed over our ‘bribe’…we were in! Our tour guide/inmate Mike took us through most of the prison sections. Rest assured we had guards with us at all times, although later found out these guards were inmates with life sentences… great. The whole prison (male only) is corrupt and run by money. Those with lots of money can have a large cell with TV, kitchen and bathroom while other with little money can barely last the night. Wives and children live there as a family as life in the prison is considered better than outside as this is normally all they can afford. There are also restaurants, gyms and saunas in the ‘luxury’ sections of the prison. Asking Mike what he did to get inside he replied ‘I killed someone’. Hmmm wasn’t sure what response one gives to that, especially when he reveals a large stab wound under his t-shirt from a fight he was in a month ago. Mike introduced us to his wife and told us she was pregnant and he hoped to be out the prison within a year. Not sure if he was high on something or getting too much money from tourists to bribe a judge but we didnt have the heart to question this assumption. We were just glad that after our 2hr tour we were able to slip out the gates and leave the most bizaare prison on earth behind us.

Needless to say we weren’t allowed a camera inside the prison, so we only have a postage stamp as a souvenier and some pics from the web…

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La Paz

La Paz was one of the most intense cities we’ve visited; a manic 24 hour city, which is loud, dangerous, smoggy and busy. At 3660m, you certainly feel the altitude as well as everything La Paz throws at you. Set high in an Andean valley, the main street (El Prado) runs through the centre, with the city growing up the mountains on either side. This makes navigating quite simple as wherever you are, you simply walk down hill to El Prado and find your bearings. Walking also makes a lot of sense as the roads seem to be constantly blocked with traffic (one 10 minute taxi drive took us literally 5 metres round the corner before we gave up!), however the steep incline of the streets can make going anywhere impossible on a hangover!  Protests, apparently, are a daily occurance and cause complete chaos by closing one half of ‘El Prado’. The city’s architecture is mostly dull, decaying and dusty, but is contrasted by colourful people (particularly the traditional ‘cholita’ women) and numerous markets. The Withches Market was particularly worth visiting to see the Llama foetuses and other oddities on sale for use in ceremonies. La Paz is known as a bit of a party town, so we took the opportunity to take in some nightlife with other travellers.

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Salar de Uyuni pt. 2

More stunning scenery on day 3 (and a slightly tired and grumpy Sophie). We were able to get really close to the flamingo´s on one of the beautiful lagoons as well as Vicuña, Llama and Alpaca. Reaching the edge of the Salar De Uyuni by dark we spent the night in a Salt ´hotel´. Everything from walls, flooring, tables, chairs and beds were made from salt (good for Sophie´s ulcers) and we even had our first shower. Tonight it was Sophie that cut the village power by attempting to plug in a hairdryer (genuinely!).

Our final day started at 4am (IN THE DARK) to make our way to the middle of the salt flats for sunrise… a one-off experience well worth the effort. Its hard to describe the scale of the salt flats at over 11,000sq/km and to believe that under the hard salt crust (1m-20m thick) lies vast amounts of water. We visited one of the 14 islands in the salt flats which is home to some acient cactus and provided stunning views. Breakfast must be mentioned here….freshly baked bread and pancakes from our fabulous cook who had clearly been up earlier than us that morning.

Given some of the stories we had heard about bad tour companies we were so lucky to have a great guide, cook and fellow travellers…

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