To Market, To Market

On Christmas Eve I went to a special market held at the Plaza de Amas. Once a year the traditional Peruvians come down from the hills and display their wares for sale. The market was massive with the whole area being blockd off an huge crowds attending to see all sorts of traditional arts and crafts. There was a mix of tradiional and western entertainment with Santa Claus appearing to give gifts to the children. After the market I went back to the hospital. At twelve midnight there was a fantastic fire works display to herald in Christmas Day. From the sixth floor of my hospital room I had a spectacular view. The doctors and nurses on duty all came up to wish me a Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas) and we all watched the fireworks for about half an hour. To my great surprise they opened the large windows all the way - I thought the windows at this height would not have been able to be opened. Hopefully, I will be released from hospital in the next day or two and then I can continue on to Machu Picchu. The kindness, generosity and quality of service shown to me by all of the people at the hospital has been second to none and I thoroughly recommend San Jose Clinic in Cusco should you ever need it.

Taking A Breather

Recovery is progressing slowly but steadily with the main treatment being intravenous antibiotics and regular sessions with a ventilator to clear the infection. Between these times I have had an opportunity to walk around the hospital region and talk to the local people. There is a huge soccer stadium behind the hospital that is always full of people attending some sort of sporting event. I bought a pizza one night and only ate part of it - the cheese they use (in abundance) was not to my liking. The people working in the hostel I am staying at dropped in today to see how I was doing and whether I needed anything. They had rung all the hospitals to find the one I was in. This sort of kindness is typical of what I have experienced from the people of Cusco.

Travel insurance - don't leave home without it

Unfortunately I have ended up in a Cusco hospital with a touch of pneumonia. Nothing major - but I am getting intravenous antibiotics to clear it up - thank god for travel insurance. The hospital room is enormous with a lounge suite, an extra bed for visitors, an enormous TV and a view to kill for - I am on a floor reserved for tourists. The doctors and nurses have been great and extremely thorough. I should be out of here in a couple of days but it may change my travel plans slightly as I may have to avoid higher altitudes for a while, particularly as I am not totally acclimatized yet.

The tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth

Finally, my dental work is complete and I can move on from Cusco. You haven't lived until you have dental work done by someone who doesn't speak your language and the only way to communicate is using Yahoo's Babel Fish translation service. It's really weird typing in questions and answers and then trying to work out the answers provided by literal translations. I can now make the arrangements for the next part of my trip and am organizing travel to Machu Picchu, Puerto Maldonado (in the jungle near the Brazil & Bolivian borders), Copacabana (where I will probably spend Christmas), La Paz (where I will probably spend new Years) and then Iquitos (to meet the Amazon river).

A city in ruins

Went on a tour of the city of Cusco and nearby ruins which included visits to the Plaza de Armas (which was the centre of Inca Cusco ), the Cathedral (which was started in 1550 and finished 100 years later), Qoricancha (Inca Temple of the Sun situated in the church of Santo Domingo which was built on the walls of the temple in the 17th Century) and the ruins of Sacsayhuaman (Inca fortress overlooking the city of Cusco), Qenko (an example of Incan "Rock Worship"), Puka Pukara (an Incan fortress/posthouse) and Tambomachay (Incan baths used for ritual bathing). The ruins were at significantly high altitudes (11,000ft/3,400m) and I swear that the whole of Cusco and the surrounding ruins consist of stairs which only lead up.

The hustler?

Spent some time playing poker with a group of people from various places around the world - notice the small amount of chips in front of me - I did not end up a winner. It rained for the first time on my trip and it was pretty heavy so not much walking around today. Chris and I split up last night with him going on to La Paz in Bolivia to enter a poker tournament. I still have a few days in Cusco until my dental work is finished. Checking out the post office to see how much it costs to send things home because there are a few souvenirs that I like but don't want to carry around for 6 months or so.

Andre the Peruvian

Looked in a lot of shops today and found an outfit which suits me well - not. As a Peruvian I think I make a good Australian. Found a place called The Real McCoy that serves everything British. Had porridge for breakfast with fruit and watched an English soccer match on the TV while reading the Guardian newspaper. Later on in the day had apple crumble with custard - your standard Peruvian meal. Today was a public holiday in Peru (Immaculate Conception) and there were parades, music and firecrackers - quite a sight. I bought some headphones at the market yesterday and today set up my computer to use Skype which offers phone calls to Australia for $0.027 per minute. Tomorrow I hope to finalize my plans for Macchu Picchu.

A view to kill for

It´s been a few days since I posted a blog and that is partly due to the hostel not having Internet access and having to use an Internet cafe. The view from the hostel is spectacular as can be seen by the picture. My stay in Cusco is going to be a bit longer than originally planned as there was a complication at the dentist with another tooth being broken. Due to public holidays and a couple of other factors I will be around for another week. I have been using my time to go on tours, go to the markets (where you can buy whole series of TV shows on DVD for about $7AUS - not that I would do anything illegal like that), hanging around foodshops (there are hundreds of them), playing poker (not ahead yet) and hanging around the Internet cafe (using Skype to ring home). As an example of the cosmopolitan nature of Cusco I had a spaghetti meal in a Mexican restaurant owned by a German and which was prepared by an Israeli chef - the food was great and plentiful. Lots of churches to see and will do some day trips as well before heading off to Macchu Picchu. In Cusco you go everywhere by taxi as any trip from any point to any place costs 3 Soles ($1.50AUS) and the chaotic traffic beats any carnival ride anywhere.

On the road again

Took the bus trip from Miraflores to Cusco yesterday and the day before - it was the ride from hell. What was supposed to be a 22 hour trip took 30 hours. Firstly, it left an hour late, then we had to detour because protesters were blocking the main roads, then the driver hit a rock and broke the axle. We had to wait a few hours for a replacement bus - basically in the middle of nowhere. At one stage the driver left and had to return because he left some people behind (Chris included). I also got a bad stomach ache from something I ate and I broke a tooth which definitely meant that this was not the best day of my life. The scenery was spectacular and it was amazing driving through the mountains. We saw lots of villages and many flocks of llama and sheep. It took me a little while to acclimatize to the high altitude (was very light headed when we got off for one of the bus stops) but I think I´m alright now. Cusco looks really interesting and will plan my trip to Macchu Picchu and a few other places while I am getting orientated.

Hanging loose

Hung around today preparing for my departure to Cuzco tomorrow. Booked a bus trip, which will take 20 hours to go from Miraflores to Cuzco. Was lucky to get an upstairs front seat which allows for panoramic views. Was also very luck to have Chris the Canadian provide a lot of invaluable advice and we will be travelling together. Planning to go to Macchu Picchu from Cuzco and then will go to La Paz in Bolivia. Had my washing done - it was brilliant - they do not have the sort of laundromats we are used to - instead you drop of the washing and they wash, dry and fold it for you and charge by the kg.

A day at the movies

Went to San Miguel today by taxi - what a ride - better than any roller coaster. I was sure that we were going to crash at least ten times in the 35 minute trip. The taxi fare only cost $1.50AUS and we saw a movie (in English with Spanish subtitles) for $1.50AUS. On the way saw locals preparing a large floral tribute for a religious festival/parade. It is Sunday here and there was a big marathon being run along the main road so the traffic was even more chaotic with much of the road being blocked off. Met a Canadian who was able to provide a lot of good, firsthand advice and plans for Machu Picchu trip are now starting to firm quite significantly.

Around town

Spent more time looking around the town today - a very interesting mix of new and old architecture. Lots of street vendors and small convenience shops all over the place. Also, there are a huge number of public phones and they are pretty well always being used. In addition there is an Internet shop with international calling facilities on almost every corner. I found a number of bookshops which all had really large music sections - it was strange seeing works on famous artists in Spanish. The traffic is amazing and all of the buses have spruikers hanging from the doorways urging people to use them. There seems to be great competition with taxis which are just everywhere and which follow you along the kerb touting for your business. Am beginning to firm up travel plans to Machu Picchu and Iquitos. This partly occurred when a poster, due to a gust of wind, fell down on top of me. When I went to replace it I realized that it had some travel options to these places and I have used some of these in my planning - I like to think of this as fate lending a helping hand - hope I'm right.

Gold fever

Went to the Peruvian Gold Museum today and learnt much about the significance of gold in the Inca culture and the spiritual meaning it held for them in direct contrast to the material import placed on gold by the Spanish. Talk about two cultures not understanding each other. Had a longer look around Miraflores and found a supermarket - fresh fruit, fresh baked rolls and sandwich fixings - what a joy. Went back to the hostel and shared my rolls with some of the staff who all seemed to enjoy the fresh food as well. Started planning my trip to Machu Picchu but lost the Internet in the afternoon (server error - some things are constant everywhere in the world). The staff here are fantastic and gave me a lot of advice - will need to make some decisions as not everything can be covered in the time I have. Am considering a trip to Iquitos, in the heart of the Amazon (can only fly in and out) to do a retreat with some Shaman - need to work out the details still but it does sound promising.

Hola Miraflores - aquí estoy

Landed in Miraflores last night, about 6.50pm local time, and have just now finally woke up from a deep, deep sleep at about 12noon. The location I am staying at (the Eurobackpackers Hostel) is pretty good and is close to everything - food, banks, the beach etc. Went for a walk and arrived at the beach after a couple of minutes. It looks beautiful but the sky was a little overcast. Had my first "proper"meal for ages - it was really, really delicious and only 11 Soles (I'll let you work that out in $AUS). Will spend the rest of today sightseeing and planning the next leg of my trip. It is amazing being in a place where literally almost no-one speaks your language, and if they do, it is usually in a limited and broken form. It gives me a whole new appreciation of what many of the people arriving in Australia face in terms of the language barrier and making sure that they are not being ripped off.

Farewell LA, hello Lima

Finally got out of LA today and started heading towards Lima. This post is being written from the Bogota airport in Colombia where I have a five hour layover. Am so tired after a eleven hour flight (three hours before the flight at the airport, then a two hour delay and then six hours in the air to get here). This is the first time on this trip that I have come up against the majority of people not speaking English. Hand signs and charades are the order of the day. I was able to buy some food and drink with US dollars (which was very fortunate as I had no Colombian pesos at all). Also lucky to find a useable Internet connection in the airport. I have a couple of leads of places to stay in Lima and have had a bit of advice/input from some of the travellers back at the hostel in Los Angeles. Looking forward to this leg almost as much as I am looking forward to getting some sleep in a bed - any bed

M...i...c......k.e.y M.o.u.s.e.

Finally got to Disneyland - wow what a place. Six of us went together and we left at 9am and got back at 10.45m. Talk about massive - we saw both Disneyland and the California Adventure Park which are right next to each other. There's nothing like revisiting your childhood - Adventureland, Frontierland Fantasyland, Tomorrowland - they were all there (plus many others). I learnt to draw Disney characters and although my Tigger was OK (if I say so myself) it was nothing compared to what all the 5 and 6 year olds did. I think, on the whole, I was the oldest kid there and had a ball checking out Mickey and his friends including Goofy, Pluto, Pinocchio, Davy Crockett, Toad, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Donald, Chip & Dale, Snow White and Minnie just to mention a few. Lots of rides (many of which I didn't go on) and lots and lots and lots to see. Had a ball and the service was exceedingly good and friendly. The place was so clean that it was amazing. It was all well worth the entrance fee which paid for everything except food (which was a little on the expensive side - no real surprises there). Will sleep extremely well tonight. PS According to the Disney oracle the Disney character I am most like is Jafar from Aladdin

Viva Las Vegas

Spent two days in Las Vegas and came out ahead by one dollar after playing poker at Caesar's Palace. Las Vegas is completely different at night than it is in the day and, as James my travel companion for this trip said, during the day it looks like a movie star without its make up on. Bright, moving shining lights are what defines Vegas and if you don't like gambling and sex there is really nothing else to do. We caught the Greyhound bus up and back from Los Angeles and got ripped off by the taxi drive who took us from the Greyhound station to the motel room. Got a chance to look at both the new and old Vegas districts and took the Deuce bus for a tour, especially around the south side which we were told not to hang around under any circumstances. Saw lots of wedding chapels and thousands of gambling places, some a lot more sleazy than others. The big theme casinos are gigantic in size and have to be seen to be believed. These casinos each had more slot machines in them that I think probably exist in the whole of Victoria (maybe a slight exaggeration but not by a lot). Came back extremely tired after only three hours sleep. On the way back, while waiting for the Greyhound bus we got to be extras in a film being shot called Rough Hustle (which is going to be the sequel to Hustle and Flow) - watch out for it at your local cinema.

Pool by the pool

Not much happening today just a bit of "house work". Did some clothes washing, checked out the barber and organized a few things to go to Vegas. Still need to make a final decision about whether to hire a car or take a greyhound bus. Looked at this site called Craigs list which provides a linkage for people who want to share things - looked for share rides to Vegas but nothing was quite want I wanted (just missed ot on a ride in a BMW and one in a Porsche).

Venice Beach is poppin'

Went down to Venice Beach which has the outdoor gym made famous by Arnie. I got a lift from two Aussies who had rented a car and were going down to buy presents for their families. Its reminded me a lot of St.Kilda with lots of stalls selling everything you could imagine - books, t-shirts, tattoos, clothes, psychic readings, drug paraphernalia and food - lots of food). Must be getting used to the bus system as was able to catch buses back without any problems. Walked around for about four hours before my legs said enough - its time to get back to the hostel and give us a rest. In the words of the Brian Wilson song "Venice Beach":

Venice Beach is poppin'

Like live shrimp dropped on a hot wok

Hucksters, hustlers and hawkers

Set up their boardwalk shops

Home for all the homeless, hopeless, well heeled, and deranged

Still, nothing here seems out of place or strange.

There's an old smudge of a Beatnik by the bay

Lookin' like a dog who's had his day

Like a dream, he drifts away

He'd like to go out on the Pier to hear the reedy carouse

lIt's got a melody that sets you free, and says

Let's sit a spell, just to hear the heartbeat in L.A.

The trouble with tribbles....

Today I had the first glitch of the trip - went to the airport to try to change my flight to South America only to find that Avianca airlines did not have me booked in at all. A couple of calls to Qantas, STA in Australia and Sharon finally got it sorted out (after five hours) and now I am leaving on the 25th November (thanks heaps Sharon - the angel of mercy). This will give me time to do a couple of things here in the USA including going to Vegas for an overnight visit - so it all turned out OK. Needless to say not much new today just "hanging around"the airport and the hostel getting everything sorted. Tomorrow - Disneyland

Old MacDonald had a farm.....

Saw the Farmers Market (also known as The Grove) today. Had my first bit of fresh fruit since I've been in USA - it was fantastic. This is an interesting place that is a combination of a food market, an arts precinct and a city shopping centre. Lots of specialty/niche shops - found one selling original Keith Richard paintings for only $2800US - I would have bought one but the postage home would have cost too much :) Had to go through Hollywood to get to the Market and on the way back got to see Hollywood at night. Lots of lights, lots of bustle and many huge queues to get into theatres and cinemas. A good place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

Twistin' by the pool

Not much action today - mainly spent time sitting around the pool, talking to people (a lot of Irish travellers at the hostel), playing a few games of pool, listening to some great music on the jukebox and playing a few arcade machine games - life can get tough sometimes :)
Went for a one and a half hour walk around the neighbourhood looking for a supermarket/milkbar but no luck until the very end when I found one literally opposite the hostel slightly concealed in a laneway. Bought some bread, cheese and milk - really great to have fresh food (tomorrow - some fresh fruit for a real treat).
More pictures at www.vicnet.net.au/~andre

What A Beach Of A Day

Went to Santa Monica beach which is like a big fun fair. A few interesting artists, lots of rides and lots of amusement gaming machines. There are huge fires in California at the moment and there is a lot of smoke in the air. Cars are covered in ash and the sun is a constant orange. Fire trucks are racing through the streets all of the time and Arnie has likened the fires to Armageddon with one of the hardest hit areas being the celebrity enclave of Montecito near Santa Barbara. The beach was nice but nowhere near the clean, crisp beaches we have in Australia - but the natives seem to love it and it is a big tourist attraction. Finally, got given free tickets to go to a taping of the Late Late Show - not sure if I'll go. Don't forget - more pictures at www.vicnet.net.au/~andre

Hollywood, Oh Hollywood

Got into LA at 7.30am - got into trouble with customs over bananas - found a place to stay and then crashed out for a couple of hours. When I woke up I decided to go to Hollywood (free shuttle to the bus stop and then only $5US for all day ticket to any public transport anywhere). Great fun riding out on the bus and checking out the sites. Got to Hollywood and was overwhelmed by the commercialism. Every section of Hollywood Boulevard was taken up with either someone dressed as a movie character, someone trying to sell you souvenirs or someone trying to sell you CDs of them and their band. Took lots of pictures of hand and foot prints at Grauman's Chinese restaurant). Came back on public transport, sort of got a bit lost, had fun trying to find my way back (these policemen were trying to work out the best way for me to get back to where I was staying - they all disagreed with each other). Will sleep well tonight

Have now put pictures up on my website (www.vicnet.net.au/~andre) - link added on right under Travel Photos heading)

The Plane, The Plane

Here is my plane being prepared as I and three hundred and fifty or so other people wait in the lounge to board.

My flight was changed at the last minute to go directly from Melbourne to LA a 14 hour trip thus cutting 7 hours off the original flight which was schedulled to go through Aukland.

My luggage came in just under the allowed weight which surprised me as I thought it was a lot lighter - must be all the high tech equipment

The Last Supper

It is now the night before - the packing is done, the tidying up completed and documents checked. All that is left is sleeping and waiting for the next day when the trip proper begins. Watch out LA - Andre is coming for his Mickey Mouse ears.

Money, money money - or more accurately - the lack of it

Well, today I took a break from tidying up my room (see picture to understand how big a job this is) and finally bit the bullet and bought some American dollars and Traveller Cheques - why oh why didn't I do this three months ago when there was almost parity between the Aussie and the US dollars - I guess my career as an International Money Trader is over before it even began :) :)

PS: American dollars look funny

Not many sleeps left

Well - all of the preparations are now almost completed - should see the great new vivid purple luggage (no chance of missing this one on the airport carousel)

Innoculations, passports, security checks, flight changes (6 so far - all by only five minutes or so), packing - I feel like I've been on a trip already

Got to go now - need to mow the lawn before I leave

Stay tuned

Signed, Sealed & Delivered

They gave me tetanus, yellow fever, typhoid, polio and hepatitis - but I survived

I think all of the drugs had an effect which is really obvious in my passport photo

Sharon, however, looks much better in her photo