Peru & Ecuador

Mar 23rd - Apr 14th  2000

Thursday 23rd March 2000

Home to Cardiff

Today’s the day! Poured with rain. Elfed drove us to Cardiff Airport - Margaret’s knee too painful to drive very far. Hotel clean and functional - five minutes from airport. Huw did a ‘gig’ in this hotel when he was doing the discos some years ago - never got paid.

Friday 24th March 2000

Cardiff to Lima

Up with the larks at 4:30am after so-so night. Airport very, very busy - many people en route to Palma and Tenerife - only 1 customs check open!!!

Left Cardiff in City Hopper after break just in Cardiff. Plane a 50-60 seater - plenty of leg room - flight very smooth. Breakfast served - didn’t partake. Flew in over Amsterdam - dams, dykes, regular fields and acres of greenhouses visible from plane.

Schiphol Airport very busy. Luggage went on its own - we went via transfer desk to G7 - quite a walk away. Many people waiting in lounge - all nationalities including many South Americans.

Started off late - and headed west - back the way we came and we passed over Aberdare. Beautiful sunny morning. Lunched on Veg Lasagne, salad and bread & cheese - not too bad. Journey very smooth - watched James Bond movie and another. Had a choc-ice - this is a first. Smoked Salmon for tea.

Stopped for 1 hour in Aruba to refuel - then on to Lima - flight took about 13 hours - feeling very tired when we did eventually arrive. Disaster at Lima - no luggage - lots of luggage lost somewhere - not very good start. Took over 2 hours at airport to try and sort everything out - David very cool - but patience wearing rather thin - this is all we have to wear at the moment! No luggage until Monday.

At last the hotel - seems quite comfortable. Traffic through Lima - horrendous. Super warm bath and now off to bed.

Saturday 25th March 2000

Lima

Restless night - time change catching up on us - 5hrs after us - so yesterday was a 29hr day!! Breakfast good - overlooking residential area of city - beautiful park opposite & gorgeous flowers of all descriptions.

Met leader - seems quite helpful. Walked around block - many high-rise flats - found shop to buy tooth paste etc - prices much as at home (5 Sols = £1). Need to buy some clothes - cases not due until Monday - after we have been into the jungle!! Leader said luggage often left behind because more profitable to carry freight.

A very busy day - morning in National Museum with Carmen - Lima resident - very good - told us in very relaxed manner punctuated by anecdotes - of the history of Peru through various periods ending with the Incas. Excellent artefacts - beautiful pottery, statues - crude but beautiful embroidery done in cotton using very fine threads - hair like - still retained its colours - bead work. Too much to take in all at once.

Left for lunch and shopping with Carmen & Sue - bought polo shorts, socks and underwear. Lunched in sunlit square with Ian (Welsh) & Tasha from Hong Kong - also no luggage.

In afternoon went on bus tour of the city - saw Pacific Ocean, many National buildings - Cathedral, Monastery - 2 famous saints - christening party. Walked through Plaza de Armas famous for its pickpockets - lots of poor people selling sweets, bells etc, shoe cleaners - all looked very poor.

Back to hotel - birthday party - drink & birthday cake for 2 of travellers. Bathed - clean socks, underwear and shirt. Dined with Ian and Tasha and early to bed.

Sunday 26th March 2000

Lima to Iquitos

Very restless night - disco in hotel opposite. Very early 3am call for 4am start on journey into jungle!! Mad breakfast at 3:30am and at 4 made our way through relatively quiet city to airport which was very busy - people of all nationalities - going on many internal flights.

Aircraft not crowded. Flew over snow-capped Andes with sun shining over the clouds. Lots of rivers or streams in the valleys and the clouds formed ‘bands’ up the valleys as well as ‘piles’ around the peaks.

Another first - breakfast flying over the Andes - a bread roll and 2 sweet biscuits. Caught our first glimpse of the Amazon - with conspicuous ox-bow meanders.

Arrived at 8am - met by Evmonda the guide and his ‘air-conditioned’ bus. Drove into and through Iquitos - very busy markets, ‘taxis’ and people going about their business. Left by motorboat for Explorama Lodge on the banks of the Amazon. Very fast boat carried us along the huge wide river.

Lodge ‘picturesque’ - series of huts and corridors with palm leaf roofs - raised above the ground that’s divided into rooms - common roof space separated from neighbour by thin walls. All mod-cons - beds with mosquito net, jug of water for washing and kerosene - back to nature with communal hole in the ground with a seat! And cold, but as it turned out, refreshing showers. Dining room, bar etc - all very rustic.

Had very good chicken lunch after a good walk in the jungle - not many beasties - few Frogs, Millipedes, Butterflies but superb vegetation with towering trees and some beautiful flowers - ‘Bird of Paradise’ and of course mosquitoes in their thousands!!

After lunch walked to an Indian Village where dwellers trying to carry on and preserve old traditions - how to shoot with blowpipe, dance, music - bead work etc weaving, shell work - all for sale. Lots of Macaw Parrots in pairs making horrible noises - squawking at everybody and each other. 

Then went back on river in search of grey and pink Dolphins. Found Three-Toed Sloth and then the Dolphins - first the grey and finally the pink Dolphins which we watched for quite a while.

Back in Lodge had cup of tea and coffee - only milk. Entertained in bar by band. Dined on Catfish and plenty of rice and veg - desert of bananas and lime with papaya - very good. Sat with Tasha and Ian. When travelled on river - saw isolated dwellings - one room on stilts sometimes. Room divided into eating area and open sleeping area. Chickens, Water Buffalo and some Cows. Only means of transport - canoes. Dwellings on land cleaved in jungle - very hard life - fishing, agriculture - called ‘river people’ for obvious reasons.

Bed by nine under mozzi net.

Monday 27th March 2000

Iquitos to Lima

Restless night - full of sounds - cicadas still busy - some other animals - could be Parrots etc. People back and fore to the loo along path lighted by kerosene lamps as were the loos and the showers.

Breakfast at 7:30 summoned by drum beat as we were to lunch and dinner yesterday. We breakfasted on scrambled egg, apple and a bread roll.

We left at 8:30am on the boat to visit the village school - superb morning with bright, hot sunshine. Willi, our guide, gave us a talk on a typical house and its occupants and how they live - hard life - very basic - grow bananas etc, rice, other fruits - rosy apples - what they don’t eat, take into Iquitos to sell. Also catch fish, keep chickens which they sell. Lots of children - need to provide much food to feed them all. Up early to work on farm which they lease from the local Government?

Visited school - children introduced themselves - name, age, class - sang and recited poetry. They were given sweets, pens etc and we made a collection - some of which we gave to them and the rest we gave to share between other schools. Also visited rum factory - easy method of making rum from sugar cane.

Back in Lodge - went birding - saw a few. Had beef lunch and fruit desert and left about 3pm. Flight to Lima at 6:30 - reunited with luggage and some compensation after great effort by Margarheta. 

Back at Hotel Libertador - had a suite of rooms and 2 bathrooms - delicious hot shower and sorted out clothes etc - and so to bed, shattered. Been a long day.

Tuesday 28th March 2000

Lima to Cuzco

Up at 3am for 4:30 start for airport. Left Lima at 6:30am and flew to Cuzco - all went smoothly.

Beautiful hotel - lovely room with a balcony. Had a short rest and then went on a walk about with David - it started to rain and it went cold. Some slight light-headedness and breathlessness - saw some Inca ruins. Lunched at hotel - delicious chicken soup and omelette.

City tour in afternoon - some walking, some bus riding. At stops pestered by children of all ages selling and begging. I will fill in the names later. The Cathedral is being restored - masses of gold leaf being used - money provided by Spanish and Peruvian Governments - Telegraph comp - sure the millions could be used elsewhere. 

From the city we went into the countryside. Saw Llamas - now fine, sunny and glorious afternoon - more huge rocks carefully arranged in terraces - neatly fitted together - amazing. Saw ‘Blue Christ’ - large statue overlooking the city - built by wealthy Palestinians who made their fortune here before returning to Palestine.

Back in Cuzco - walked with David to find the famous Inca block with 12 angles - did a little shopping for presents. Back to hotel - before walking out again to eat. Walked around the Plaza - all restaurants much the same. Finally ended up in ‘Sam’s Bar’ - clean, good service, good soup but disappointing pasta - baked hard.

Back to hotel - sorted out some clothes for tomorrow and went to bed. 7:30 call tomorrow for a trip into the Sacred valley.

Wednesday 29th March 2000

Cuzco

What a glorious morning. Had an excellent breakfast - delicious fruit etc and off we went.

The scenery was magnificent - steep sided, rounded mountains - terraced almost to the top. We climbed in the bus to 12,000 feet and even here the fields were cultivated. Crops growing - potatoes, broad beans, maize, corn, Lupins - they use the seeds in soups etc and lots of flowers growing everywhere by the side of the road.

Some of the villages were very small and the houses looked like hovels. Women were ‘Indian’ dressed in traditional clothes - carried  babies or belongings on packs on back. Children everywhere - some looking very poor and when we stopped besieged by children selling their wares and begging.

Our first stop was at Puka Pukara - Inca ruins and then Tambomachay and into the Scared Valley. We stopped at the market at Pisac where we bought some bits and pieces - David did the bartering and practiced his Spanish - very good at making himself understood.

We lunched at Calca - very good - set in beautiful gardens with orchard behind - trees loaded with pears. Travelled along the valley - spectacular scenery through Urubamba to Ollantaytambo where more Inca ruins - climbed up many steps to top - religious site & fortress - again massive blocks which had to be transported from quarry other side of valley across river and up to the top of the terraces. Site of ‘siege’ of Incas by invading Spaniards in 15th & 16th century.

A superb day - travelled back to Cuzco via Shineray - up over the mountain - 12,000 feet with spectacular views of snow-capped mountains and glaciers in the distance passed men, women & children working in fields picking potatoes, herding sheep and cattle - work long hours - now own plots on which they grow crops etc.

Very busy in Cuzco - arrived at about 6:30pm - local market in full swing - town crowded. Dined in room and sorted ourselves out for 4:30am call tomorrow.

Thursday 30th March 2000

Cuzco to Machu Picchu

Another early morning start after a very restless night. Up at 4:15 for the off at 5am.

The bus took us to the station - where we caught the train - reserved seats - all very civilised. We had a front seat in the first coach. It was a narrow gauge railway - we seemed to be hanging over the edge of the track. We saw some of the back of Cuzco - lots of people about although only 6am. Houses red of adobe bricks - mud & straw roofs of red tiles or sheeting.

Climbed the mountain to 12,000 feet by a series of loops - superb view over the city. Train travelled quite slowly. ‘Driver’ jumps out when reach ‘dead end’ to switch the points and off we go again - quite hairy in parts - reached the highest point 12,000 feet by 6:30am. Then slowly went down passing small villages & cultivated fields more broad beans, maize, lupins, barley. Much evidence of Inca civilisation - vegetation changed - tropical.

Arrived in Machu Picchu Station on time - 9am - walked a little way to bus which was to take us up the mountain. Usual shops selling usual things - “see you tomorrow”. Bus travelled up very winding road and we caught our first glimpse of Machu Picchu. It is a magical place.

We climbed up to look down on the ruins and marvelled once again at the skill of the Inca people who built it. It is enclosed by mountains - high above a river valley and is magnificent. We walked around with Sophia our guide who was a very enthusiastic guide.

Beautiful suite of rooms in the hotel with a balcony overlooking a courtyard. Lunch was self-service buffet - more of the same - fish, chicken or beef.

We walked this afternoon up to the Sun Gate - on a part of the Inca Trail - about 1 hour’s climbing - giving spectacular views over the valley. Started to rain and cloud came down so left for the hotel - wet but not cold and soaking.

After rest & shower - dinner at 7pm. One long table for the group - not a good idea - too much noise - with local band - everyone talking at top of voices - dinner disappointing. Tried to dry clothes with hair drier and so to bed.

Friday 31st March 2000

Machu Picchu to Cuzco

Poured with rain throughout the night - but cleared up by 8am. Delicious breakfast - plenty of fruit, cereal and bread etc. Cooked breakfast on demand if wanted it - freshly cooked. Dried clothes further and walked around site in glorious sunshine - marvelled again at the views.

Started trail to Huayna Picchu (small peak) but didn’t go very far - much too wet underfoot - slippery stones and hairy in parts so turned back. Walked into parts not visited yesterday and then set off for ‘Inca Bridge’ trail - but out of the blue it started to rain so we returned to hotel.

Lunched with Ian & Tashi who is very interesting to talk to - usual fare but quite tasty. Left at 2pm for the train back to Cuzco. At station ran gauntlet of people selling their wares - all much the same. Sue gave us the information for the marathon train journey tomorrow. Up at 6am for 8am train. Here we go again.

The journey was uneventful - this time climbing up from MP to the top and down into Cuzco. The valleys we passed through seemed very fertile because we saw many crops being grown. The farmers also had cows, sheep, pigs, goats, horses & mules and all the family - young and old - were joining in the work. 

Some of the dwellings seemed very poor - no amenities at all except water - dirty brown from the river - all the woman wore traditional peasant dress. In some villages - they had the luxury of electricity and TV aerials - even though the windows had no glass and no doors fitted the space left for one. The children waved to us and where the train passed near and through villages especially near Cuzco they were calling out ‘money’.

It was dark when we arrived above Cuzco which was all lit up - the church, Cathedral and Plaza stood out and the lights looked like fairy lights. 

Everyone shattered by the time reached Libertador. Again passed through local market selling absolutely everything - furniture, TVs, eggs by ‘the yard’, chicken, fruit & veg etc. Very, very busy.

Saturday 1st April 2000

Cuzco to Juliaca

Another restless night - couldn’t go to sleep. Up at 5:45 - breakfast and out by 7am.

Arrived at station and shepherded on to the train - carriage with tables covered with white cloth seating 4 people. Sat with Peter - train buff - and Christine.

Beautiful morning - bright sunshine. Travelled south through better part of city and at 8am everywhere very busy. Train a bit wobbly!! Lurching from side to side.

Passed through outskirts of city - built up - lots of new buildings - houses of bricks, blocks and adobe bricks - and out into the country - still not a smooth journey. Served with drinks - chocolate for sale.

Climbing slowly - travelled 50 miles in 2 hours 20 minutes. Valley at first quite wide with road, river and railway - fields very fertile. Valley became narrower and train now at a higher level than road and river. Vegetation changed - not so many fields - mountains more rugged and not covered with vegetation. 

Saw many different birds - water birds, meat eaters and at last our first hers of Llamas - what excitement.

Lunch was served with ease by the carriage attendants. Avocado - delicious; omelette & chips & rice - vg; and half a peach - all much enjoyed by everybody. Reached highest point 14,172 feet La Raya at 1pm.

Journey passing quite quickly. Going to the loo was quite an experience because the carriage moved from side to side and up & down. At every stop the train was besieged by children and by sellers begging - people bought Llama hats - straight out of Dr Zhivago - white or brown fur, slippers etc 

Journey passed quite quickly and arrived at Juliaca at 5:30pm. Some luggage mislaid but turned up eventually. Hotel on lake side - all with lake views. 

Dinner - good meal. Room as before - comfortable and convenient.

Sunday 2nd April 2000

Juliaca

Very restless night. David also tossed and turned. Did not get up to see the sunrise - but up before 6:30am. After breakfast - left by boat to visit floating island.

Lots of other tourists doing the same. Islands of reeds - platforms anchored - reeds added to tops. Houses - single room of reeds - cook outside - all sleep together for warmth. 14 families on 1 island. All selling their wares - usual things. Bought a wall hanging showing life on island - eg fishing, boating, weaving etc. Reed boar - had a ‘sail’ around in reed boat to neighbouring island - sat on floor of boat with legs in middle.

Back to hotel and then left for airport at Juliaca - via ‘port’ where restored ‘steam ship’ anchored. This sent from GB in parts and carried across Andes to Lake Titicaca by mule. Took 6 years to transport - some pieces lost on the way. Originally meant to be ‘gunboats’ for Peru - but guns lost on the way. Features on Michael Palin’s programme. Meriel Larken - English woman actively involved in restoring this ship called Yavari and neighbouring hospital ship bought of Peruvian Navy for 5000 dollars.

Countryside populated by isolated dwellings and communities - subsistence farming - houses etc the same - looked very poor. Women dressed in traditional dress - complete with hat - indicates ‘tribe’ they belong to - children lovely to look at.

From Juliaca flew to Arequipa - 30 minute flight - hardly worth climbing into the sky for.

Arrived at Hotel Libertador - very nice - late afternoon to ourselves. Had dinner with Ian & Tashi - very good meal - £10 a head. Ian & Tashi very good company - Tashi comical at times - calls a spade a spade. Both are much travelled and lead interesting lives in Hong Kong. Ian a civil engineer.

Monday 3rd April 2000

Juliaca

Had a very good night’s rest - feel much refreshed. Breakfasted with Ted & Doris - retired and much travelled.

Went on countryside tour. Passed through residential area - beautiful houses - well protected by electric fences - homes of doctors, lawyers etc through class area and then through ‘slums’ - Indians from Alto Plano - given much help by Government to build houses etc pay no taxes - therefore some resentments by those who work, pay taxes and do not get any help.

Passed very colourful Indian Cemetery where on All Soul’s Day hold their version of a wake - much laughing, drinking etc - believe in re-incarnation as does Tashi.

Then drove out of city into surrounding countryside - old terraces, very fertile valley, 3 crops a year of some vegetables, onions, potatoes, garlic, cereals - larval soil from surrounding volcanoes - now extinct - feel some tremors because town lies on San Andreas Fault. Water brought down from Alto Plano - fields well irrigated - only 4 inches of water a year - 350 days of sunshine. Woman do much of the work in the fields - 20 Solles a day - men get 25 Solles.

Visited:

1. a restored water mill - set in beautiful gardens - very peaceful - lovely place to stay.

2. Hacienda - again beautifully restored after being purchased for 50 Solles by rich Spaniard in 1943-45. Fell into disrepair - now full of beautiful antique furniture and pictures. Again set in a beautiful garden full of colour - Geraniums, Bougainvillea etc.

3. An Alpaca factory - bought jacket, jumper & scarf and earrings. Clothes - coats etc absolutely beautiful - soft & light - no more expensive than at home.

Went into the town by taxi - walked around the Plaza - no problem - lots of people about & policemen. David thoroughly enjoyed talking Spanish. A very leisurely morning in glorious sunshine. (Losing track of the days - tomorrow back to Lima and then on to Ica.

This afternoon, went on a city tour. Visited the Santa Catalina Convent - a closed order. It is a city within a city - has churches etc, streets, houses where nuns and novices live. Saw how first nuns lived - for privileged few - daughters of wealthy families - paid for daughters to enter monastery. Gave gifts of beautiful china etc from England, Holland. Each nun had a servant who cooked, cleaned etc - no contact with outside world - silent order. Cells simple - bedroom etc - washed all over once a month. Changed by Mother Superior Maria Josefa Cadena in late 1800s - opened up to all girls - wealthy and poor - no payment required - introduced communal living. Still houses nun isolated from outside world.

Visited museum with famous mummy Juanita - found encased in ice on extinct volcano. Now in Japan - but saw a model of her - hair brown & shiny - still preserved. Sacrificed on mountain - by blow to head - family honoured if daughter chosen - given presents by Inca King. Daughter very well fed. Buried in a sitting foetal position with various pots etc.

Other mummies present - all in enclosed containers - frozen to preserve - gruesome.

Went around square and then to visit a beautiful church with an exquisite side chapel - all walls covered with watercolours - leaves, birds, flowers etc. Cupola superb.

Back at hotel - arranged to visit outside Trattoria for dinner with Ian & Tashi. Quite safe, good meal, plenty of atmosphere. Saw gerbils! Owners pleased to help in every way. Beautiful daughter. David on top form. Meal cost £8 - delicious asparagus soup and Beef Stroganoff.

Tuesday 4th April 2000

Juliaca to Ica

Early start - 6:45 - on way to Ica via Lima. Beautiful sunny morning with clear blue skies. Mountains standing out against the sky.

Town busy - lots of people from Alto Plano waiting to be moved to work in fields etc - on a daily basis - lots of women, some with their babies on their backs - stay for the day and go home at night.

Took off on time from Arequipa - plenty of room on plane. David bought 2 more wall hangings at the airport. Fine flight - arrived about 9:15am in Lima. Met by Margarita who is taking us to Ica. 2 people left the group to fly home - found tour too tiring - rather foolish because only 3 days left - costing £2,500 to fly home!!

Left Lima to travel on American-Pacific Highway. City very busy - stopped at supermarket to buy lunch. Road runs alongside the Pacific. Beaches - but not of sand. Along road - rock and sand dunes on left - looking very inhospitable - no vegetation - rows of sheds where keep chickens. On beach side ‘shanty towns’ - dwellings of straw mats, woven fences - no facilities - water brought in - then replaced by more permanent dwellings - still primitive. 

In some parts - fertile valleys - figs, cotton, bananas including pink banana - not exported. Road stretches in the distance to the sea. On each side sand dunes - more like sand. Ocean looked beautiful - here & there resorts with best discos - used by people from Lima - particularly young people - no restrictions - often dangerous to drive on highway on Friday nights.

In one valley - Kaniete - famous Inca road coming down from high land and famous for growing cotton on both sides of the road. (Caramel sweets with different coverings - lemon, nuts etc) Cotton expensive to grow - discovered natural colours in the wild - now grown commercially in the north. In many places replaced by asparagus - harvested throughout the year and exported to Europe and America (sampled the soup last night - delicious)

Also export tomatoes - sun-dried and cochineal (insects grown on certain cacti). Used as food colouring and in making cosmetics - lipsticks. Lots of metals - iron, copper, zinc, silver and now gold - 2nd to South African in gold production - cheaper to produce in Peru than in S Africa. (Saw circling Vultures - rich pickings on rubbish dump).

Economy now more stable (Fujimori - President at least until Sunday when there is an election - all bars closed for 48 hrs before election) after disastrous military Government of 70s - introduced agrarian policy which failed miserably - commune system now back and small farms.

Lunched on turkey roll bought in supermarket, apple and delicious chocolate typical of the area. Villages and towns along the roadside of poor looking dwellings - most adobe bricks, flat roofs. Shops selling all types of fruits and everyday things - these side-by-side with garages, tyre repairers etc - all very dry and dusty. Shops selling bales of raw cotton. Many of houses with TV aerials!! Valley of Pisco - very fertile valley. Grapes - to produce Pisco of Pisco sort

Left coast - more inland - miles of sand-dunes - no vegetation now being irrigated to grow asparagus and cochineal plantations - underground water. (Ancient Peruvians had a number of small vases - now developing big farms using underground water). Date Palms introduced by Spaniards and Camels arrived. Dates harvested in May - large & sweet.

Had a short stop for us to walk in the desert - very hot with a warm wind. Lots of straw mat dwellings with well and Calor gas. Hedges of sugar-cane and ‘thorn’ hedge (also used by lorry drivers to protect goods being transported). Plantations of Opuntia to grow Cochineal Beetles.

New straw mat communities stopped by Government by now because 15,000 families moved in - bribed by Government - piece of land - depends on results of election. Vote catching (Fujimori) did a lot. 2 million 3000% inflation in 3 years - improved to less than 5%. He arrested leaders terrorists - now peaceful country. Serious progs for family planning. He was outsider in the election - in last fortnight made much progress. Last Government disaster - ex-President favoured by drug barons - fled to Colombia. Church supported other candidate - agnostic writer - conservative against Fujimori. Church - a message from God - Archbishop went to see him - on floor of car to negotiate. But Fujimori now introduced family planning - no support from church - good Catholics practice family planning - doesn’t need to resort to tricks - and runs against Peruvian constitution. Margarita definitely disenchanted with Fujimori despite his achievements.

When arrived in Ica, drove straight to airport - for this flying over Nazca Lines - 8 seater planes. Hotel - different - hacienda type - not as well furnished as others but adequate. Met David off plane - he enjoyed. Room 119 - 3 beds, bathroom etc.

Pre-dinner drinks in bar with Sue - signed card for her. Meal with Ian & Tashi - good - chicken stroganoff and chocolate cake. Everyone enjoyed. Tomorrow free day until 4pm. Hope it’s fine and sunny. We’ve seem the coastal region - jungle, Alto Plane and the sand dunes of the south - all completely different. Very busy holiday so far - tiring at times but given us an insight into Peru. 

Wednesday 5th April 2000

Ica

Very restless night - pillow like a punch-bag - very hard. Don’t feel too bad. Pleasant morning - sun not out early - continental breakfast - beautiful fruit, lovely fresh bread with jam. Coffee was also good.

Grounds beautiful - ponds with masses of carp - take food from hand - Egret feeding on young black carp. Walked around grounds with Peter while David went to market with Tashi - bought fruit.

Saw various Doves, Sparrows, bird with red head & breast - very beautiful - also orange relative pair of Woodpeckers feeding and baby pecking bark in typical position - something like a Magpie with a long tail - others which we could hear. But difficult to see. Sheep and Llamas groping the grass. Animal enclosure with Tortoise, Iguana, Rabbit with long tail and some Macaws.

Sat by pool - not properly dressed in bathers as are most people - soaking up the sunshine - not my scene any more!! Looking forward to Galapagos - apart from very early 3am start from hotel to Lima Airport. Have another 2 trips before this on Friday when we all part company.

Walked around grounds with David. In afternoon visited oasis in middle of desert - difficult to remember we are in the desert - highest sand dune in Ica. Old monastery - now a hotel - but run down in parts. Then went to archeological museum - artefacts typical of area - pottery, fabrics, mummies etc - showed relationship between Ica and Nazca - too much to absorb at one time. Margarita very good - enthusiastic about her subject - has a degree in tourism. Gave presentation to Sue - introduced by Mark. Peter gave the goodies - very funny - quite a character.

Delicious meal - asparagus soup, salad, chicken dish and chocolate cake etc. Good evening with Ian & Tashi.

Thursday 6th April 2000

Ica

Up at 5:30am - nice morning. Off again at 6:45am on way to Paracas Peninsula.

Figure on hillside - nothing known about it. Noticed last century.

a) The candelabra - sign made by pirates to indicate presence of treasure (English pirates) or

b) religious symbol made by priest - 3 crosses.

c) Astronauts used this sign

d) made by ancient Peruvians - like Nazca Lines.

e) Navigation sign for sailors (Lord of Salt - salt very important - used as a barter.

f) Sign of Southern Cross - Ballestas - Ballesterias Islands - beautiful rock formation.

Guano - used as fertiliser - stopped by Spaniards - loss of fertility. Exported 1820-1850 to Europe. Black slaves worked on Guano - when freed replaced by Chinese from Canton. Also took all people from Easter Island - died in Peru from ‘illness of soul’.

Sea birds decreased in 1950s from 30 million (12 birds per square metre) due to production of fish meal and El Niño - on a yearly basis mixes with Humble Current from Antartica - brings food. El Niño brings summer to Peru - sometimes very strong - brings very warm water - and winter brings rain. (1983 much destruction), 1998 - disaster but warning given - less destruction. Gales repeated - prepare for this. Affected fishing industry. Boobies killed chicks before El Niño - reproduced twice after El Niño. Same applies to Sea Lions. 1 male & harem. Killed male Boobies.

Boobies - resistant to lack of fish - dive into deep water (14 metres)

Cormorants 

a) Black with white chest

b) Neutropic - olive

c) Red legged - with white spots.

Inca Terns

Penguins - Humboldt

Pelicans - brown, Chilean

Seagulls

Sand Pipers - from Alaska & Canada

Plovers

Lots of fish

Dolphins

Whales

Bay of Paracas - Independence Bay. First impressions - clean, beautiful, well laid out. Trip to Islands - absolutely magical. We saw Grey Tuca Terns with red beaks with feet perched on rocks and wheeling and skimming over the sea. Pelicans with enormous wing span. Cormorants - 3 types. Delightful Humboldt Penguins. Numerous Bobbies young and old. Nests with young white chicks being fed. Gulls of all types - Kelp Gulls, Black Headed Gulls and last but not least - colonies of Sea Lions. Bulb with harems, creches with nursing mothers and babies, some basking in sunshine, others frolicking  in sea - very inquisitive. A super morning trip.

Walked along promenade in front of private houses - very nice. Lunched at a beautiful hostel set in own grounds on the front. Chicken or fish, potatoes, avocado, very nice tart with ice cream followed by tea and coffee. A very pleasant end to delightful morning.

Margarita sorted out KLM - David to pick up £100 on our return to Lima.

Back at Libertador - room 1004. Said farewell to John & Jackie, Heather & David. Went to craft market with Tashi and Ian - more of the same. Taxi took us round and about looking for Plaza visited previously - failed to find it. Had a pizza - very good. All restaurants looking for business. Back by taxi to hotel, said farewell to Ian & Tashi, showered and bathed & so to bed.

Friday 7th April 2000

Ica to Quito

Failed to sleep. Up every whip stitch. Finally up at 2:30am. Light breakfast and on to airport - still dark. Far too early.

Lost immigration forms - had to buy new forms. Said goodbye to Sue in hotel and to Margharita at airport. Everybody a bit ‘shell-shocked’ - early mornings and hectic schedule now catching up with everybody!!! Rumour hath it that Banos where we are supposed to go is closed - we’ll have to wait and see.

Hung around at airport until 6am. 15 minutes late leaving Lima by Airbus - not full, plenty of leg room. Breakfasted again.

Arrived Quito at 08:30. Had our photographs taken for newspaper - hate to think what the heading will be. Guide called…..very swish - organisation doesn’t seem to be as efficient as Lima - only time will tell.

Hilton - large - self-contained with shops, banks, Italian restaurant etc. Beautiful view of surrounding hills from bedroom window. We are up again over 8000ft above sea level - take it easy to begin with. Booked a tour for this afternoon - Equator and City Tour. Not visiting Banos because of active volcano - visiting National Park instead. 

Very interesting tour. - up to Equator - not a bit like that in Nairobi - weather changeable - cloud, sun, rain, hailstones - very changeable - quite cold. Equator - yellow line - very interesting museum showing different people in different areas - lovely pottery, beautiful tapestry and paintings, different dress - very colourful. Then went to the city for a walkabout - Plaza very busy with all main buildings - Mayoral Palace, Bishop’s Palace, Government House, Cathedral - lots of people - local Bishop lying at rest inside beautiful gold covered main doors - lots of gold leaf, beautiful paintings and carvings.

In San Francisco Monastery - beautiful church and choir - carvings - seats - carvings of saints and martyrs - overlooking main church - exquisite.

Back at hotel showered and dined at Italian Restaurant - superb meal - delicious, very cheap and free Champagne.

Saturday 8th April 2000

Quito

Quito - capital. 12.5 million people. Built on plateau of a volcano. Long narrow city 43x2kms in a ravine. Named after the Quitus Tribe - area of humming birds.

Active collapsed volcano - Pichincha = boiling volcano. 2 snow-capped volcanoes in one. 1985 reactive after 4 centuries. 1995 another reaction - steam and Laval flows - ashes fell on town. 2 ranges in Andes - western range with most volcanoes - 53 volcanoes - 8 active.

1400BC - nomads in valleys - crossed Bering Straits - stayed in valley - food, water, animals - mined Obsidian and Basalt for tools, cooked meat - but no agriculture. Lots of underground water.

After eruption - stay at home, seal homes and clean city afterwards - lava flows on western side of volcano. Southern end of the city poorer part and industrial area with few middle class residences. Make rum, timber factories - make furniture for export eg USA, car assembly eg Fiat, Suzuki. All this built on what was 1 hacienda. Lots of houses, blocks of flats, crowded road system (that on coast 80% destroyed by El Niño). Lots of corruption - 45 banks - lots of power - corrupt supported by ex-President. 20 shows of coup. Now ex-President is President - 90% inflation 37,000 sucres to £1 - now replaced by dollars. Petrol 18,800 sucres.

Edge of city - farms - cabbage, maize, lima beans, bananas, potatoes - Chino - bean-like fruit, corn. Everywhere very green. 

School compulsory in primary but lots don’t go - too poor, too far away, help out family by working. Lots of abandoned children - no work, no money - shoe-shine, selling sweets, begging. Further away from the city more agriculture and cattle and horses. Some areas protected - now National Park to preserve natural veg and animals. Valley enclosed by volcanoes.

Banana Valley - banana, veg, fruit etc fed to cattle because of over-production. Potato production at 12-1400 feet. Cabbages and carrots. In green houses - flowers - roses.

Changed to coniferous forests and Eucalyptus - Cotopaxi - 11,000ft - in middle of 2 ranges of Andes valley.

Travelled along Pan American Highway - hills of natural lava on either side. Green house production of beautiful roses - ideal conditions - light, temp, soil  - low price production because salaries low. Plants from France & Israel. Now some own production of plants. Organic control of pests - 70% of workers woman with creches & schools - improved wealth of families.

Flowers export - 4 export of country. 25 roses for $1.Elizabeth Taylor rose - lilac coloured now symbol of gay community in San Francisco. Cotopaxi roses best in the world.

En route to market Latagounga - biggest market. Provincial capital - people from everywhere. Sellers are middle people of mixed blood - Spanish & Indian. Craft sellers - Ortavalo - bags of sisal, paintings on goat skin - acrylic. What a market. 100’s of stalls selling all sorted of produce. Enormous cabbages, carrots, onions, leeks, herbs of all descriptions, bananas by the mile, tomatoes, grapes, squashes, sweet potatoes, flowers, blackberries, apples, potatoes, grain of all descriptions, pasta, mixture of broad beans, maize and small potatoes ready to eat, lemons, avocados, turnips etc household goods, clothes, hats - typical of region - food stalls selling food ready to eat - cafes, soups, meat - pork, lamb chicken - vegetables all cooked in front of you.

Some sellers sat down amongst their produce feeding or cleaning their babies. We avoided the meat sellers after one short sortie. Sold cakes of sugar - molasses - wrapped in leaves, brea, cake etc. Anything & everything - a very busy market.

On return to bus bought 2 small typical paintings - acrylic on goat skin - much haggling. Fancied a wall hanging but didn’t but it. No photographs allowed - lose their soul if photographed. 

Lunched at a very pleasant rustic restaurant - starter - delicious soup, chicken, beef or fish and banana desert. Full to the brim. Small shop in grounds did a roaring trade - wooden carvings, hummingbird of palm wood - looks like ivory. 

Stopped then at a bracket seller at road-side and then on to hacienda - now a hotel - stayed in one family all the time. Beautiful building in own grounds with courtyard, flower gardens and a simple but beautiful church - all very nice - here for 1 night.

Guide - Florenzia - very good. Although I did think she was a bit standoffish at first. Delicious meal - all sat together - starter a corn dish - rather like suet pudding - soup - potato, breaded beef & veg - pineapple flan. Drink cinnamon tea. 

Discussion about conditions in Ecuador - corruption at all levels, poverty, Indians with no rights, destruction of rain forests by oil firms, destruction of way of life of Indian tribes by this - no food, no crops, no fish etc. Sued Texaco and won compensation. 

Rest of party stayed to play cards - we went to bed.

Sunday 9th April 2000

Quito

Very cold - atmosphere damp. After breakfast headed for Cotopaxi National Park - Throat of Fire or Moon. Highest active volcano - perfect cone shape.

Road rough - crossed river - bridge destroyed by earthquake. Climbing all the time. Vegetation changed from introduced Eucalyptus, Pine and Kikuyu Grass - no natural predators (In park proper - successfully bred Llamas and Guanacos - corralled at night to protect from Pumas)

These to be replaced by natural veg. Higher up - 11,850 feet - beautiful veg. Lichens, Lycopodium, Gentians, grasses used as thatch by India, Buddleja, Besvices used as medicine by Shamans medicine men, ferns. Condor area - now protected - only 60 pairs lay eggs - 1 every 2 years. Mate for life. Lupins and edible beans - very small.

Walked up along track to volcano - sun coming out. (Paramado) Indian Paint Brush, Lichens in a circle 3rd of an inch in 10 years. Soil much barer. Yellow “Deer’s Head Gentian. Yellow composite - start like - petals - used to treat colds - boil with honey.

Returned by same bumpy road to Pan American Highway - just as bad in parts as side roads - obvious signs of land slides. Stopped at another Hacienda for lunch. Met by two cowboys - felt hat, poncho, chaps etc - who led bus to beautiful house. Met by owner - in his family for 250 years - breeds horses, has dairy herd, grows broccoli for export to Holland - software business and house in Quito. 

House beautiful filled with gorgeous arrangements of flowers - baptism yesterday in private chapel. Met wife & 2 daughters - son in Kentucky studying tourism. Lovely lunch - corn soup with peanuts and cheese. Beef with mushroom, rice, carrots and broccoli & desert and coffee - we all had too much to eat.

Invited to look at their garden - extensive - lots of trees and shrubs and flowers - geraniums, fuchsia, hydrangea etc busy lizzie like shrubs.

Drove back to the Hilton in Quito - looked at art and crafts in park opposite but didn’t buy anything - back to Hilton to sort ourselves out for the Galapagos. Dined in room, early to bed.

Monday 10th April 2000

Quito to Galapagos

Early start on way to Galapagos - 4:15am for 5:40 departure from hotel. Breakfast at 04:35am - left some luggage.

Airport quite busy - Florenzia saw to everything. Plane - army - no fixed seating. She told us exactly what to do - David in charge of luggage labels!

Landed at Guayaquil Airport - half an hour - stopped on plane. Temp 25° outside. Flew in over what looked like flooded fields with houses on stilts, wide brown meandering river - on banks large houses outside the city - 2nd city of Ecuador - much industry.

Flew out over the coast - blue sea, sand fringed coast and on to Galapagos. American lady sat by us on the way out - travelling with American version of Saga. Quite talkative - 40 of them in a group - fortunately not on the same boat. 

Santa Cruz - scorching sun at Baltva - everybody wanting to be told what to do. At dock donned life jacket and ferried by inflatable to Santa Cruz anchored in the bay.

Smashing cabin - number 4 - 2 single bunks - beautiful fittings and well equipped bathroom - we are going to enjoy this - very hot!!

Briefing at 11:15am in lounge followed by talk by chief naturalist - Belgian - outlined do’s and don’ts in National Park and programme for afternoon. Lunch a magnificent meal - waiter service - soup, salad, Beef Stroganoff etc. Delicious ice cream desert - ate too much.

After lunch off the boat - went to anchor off North Seymour Island - north of Baltra. Donned the life-jackets and off went the “Dolphins 10” in the inflatable with our guide. Motored slowly along coast - opposite sandbank. Saw many Sea Lions, Blue Footed Boobies, Swallow Tailed Gulls, Californian & Galapagos Fur Seal, Cormorants, Frigates. Water crystal clear and turquoise in colour - absolutely gorgeous.

Then landed and walked over rocky ground to look more closely at courting Blue Footed Boobies - lots of pairs displaying - tail up, wings outstretched, marching feet etc. Males attracting females - females make the choice - so what’s new!

Lava Lizards - males & females, spiders & Frigatebirds - males displaying red throat pouch - 2 types - bluesheen - magnificent green sheen = great - enormous wingspan. All ages young & old. Boobies nested on the path - unperturbed by passersby. Smaller Turnstones, Galapagos Dove.

On our way back Sea Lions basking in the late sunshine on the sand - luxuriating on the soft sand - babies and nursing mothers with pups - absolutely fabulous!! Forgot crabs - black and some red legged on the rocks - some of which covered with large barnacles.

Ended the day with a very pleasant evening with the rest of the “The Dolphins” - started with Pisco Sours and appetisers with the Captain and his crew and then dinner. Five courses - laughed a lot and so to bed.

Tuesday 11th April 2000

Galapagos

A good sleep and an early start - up at 06:15 for 7 o’clock visit to Bartolome Island - very interesting - climbed up to the top - spectacular views of surrounding islands - almost like a moonscape - very little veg - all low growing.

1) some with dense white hairs,

2) Larval Cacti

3) Some sponge like.

All very, very hot. Crabs on rocky shore.

After breakfast prepared for our trip to Bartolome Island and a trip in a glass-bottomed boat - not as good as Barrier Reef but say 3 types of Sea Urchins, Star Fish, small fish, Shark, Galapagos Penguins.

Back on boat to await lunch - some spots of rain. Delicious lunch as usual - Bean Soup, Tortilla with salad, fruit etc. Sat at front end of the boat and we cruised to (Darwin’s favourite island) Puerto Egas James Island where again there is opportunity to swim & snorkel & walk - the latter is for us. Marvellous to know that we are sailing where The Beagle sailed and anchored and walking where Charles Darwin walked and made his observations many years ago. 

On the walk again with Gilda - saw Mocking Birds, Galapagos Hawk, numerous brightly coloured locusts, caterpillars, copulating Lava Lizarda, one female laying her eggs - all this away from the coast - then along coast black lava rocks, some worn in smooth shelves by sea & wind, yellow ‘sand’ deep holes - Darwin’s Toilet into which the waves crashed. 

Saw our first Iguanas - I think they are ugly - rather like small dinosaurs - look ferocious but eat algae. Numerous Sally Lightfoot Crabs - bright colour showing up against black lava, black crabs, snails, eggs & offspring in shallow pools, Night Heron, Oyster Catchers with their red legs, Whimbrels - long beak, Plovers, Wandering Tattlers and Ruddy Turnstones - feeding Brown Pelicans, Frigates and Blue-Footed Boobies, Galapagos Doves and of course our favourite Seals - both kinds - one mother and her baby lying across our path - a fantastic afternoon.

A jolly evening with excellent food ended up star gazing - Southern Cross, Ursa Minor, Scorpio and many others - moon too bight for star gazing.

Moved off about 12:00 heading north - crossed Equator heading for Darwin Bay.

Wednesday 12th April 2000

Galapagos

Very restless night - thought it was raining heavily - up early to see approach to Darwin Bay on Tower Island. Sun rise - a beautiful morning. 

8am ride - Dolphins. First to Tower Island - wet landing - we are getting quite good at this. Saw Red-Footed Boobies which perched on trees. Lots of chicks, some with downy feathers, Nazca or Masked Boobies, lots of male Frigates with pouches inflated and several choosey females. Yellow headed Night Herons, Swallow Tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls - but no finches! Sand was yellow - beach shelving, water turquoise and warm - paddled - absolute bliss.

Went on glass-bottomed boat ride - more fish - Sea Urchin, Algae Sponges etc - a super morning - finishing with coffee and a laze on deck fanned by a cooling breeze.

In the afternoon - boat ride to Prince Philip Steps after going around the outside. Saw first Red-Billed Tropic Bird nested in holes in cliffs - had long ’tail’. On land finches - Sharp Beaked Ground Finch and Warbler Finch, numerous Frigates with inflated pouches, pairs of Frigates nesting, lots of Nazca Boobies - courting & nesting, Storm Petrels, Albatrosses, Swallow-Tailed Gulls, Mocking Birds and 3 Short Eared Owls which nest in holes in the ground.

A very enjoyable afternoon - our last walk in the Galapagos. On our return again saw lots of Boobie chicks covered in down. Splendid meal to end the day.

Thursday 13th April 2000

Galapagos to Quito

Sailed during the night and docked to visit the Darwin Research Centre - at last saw the other finches and Galapagos Fly Catcher - broad billed - and the tortoises - large specimen but not Lonesome George - the last of his kind. Young I all stages of development - breeding programme to prevent extinction - returned to wild. Tortoises - in corals - do occur in the wild - but all accessible. 

Lunched in Hacienda - crossed by ferry to airport at Baltra en route to Quito. Uneventful flight - magnificent view of Cotopaxi above clouds. Raining in Quito - met by Florenzia - back to Hilton.

Beautiful roses everywhere. Room 124 overlooking swimming pool.

Dined in Cafe Cerlon - early to bed.

Friday 14th April 2000

Quito

Free day - restless night. Cold in early morning - but warmed up. Walked around for nearly 2 hours - shops - craft - more of the same. Nothing really attracted us.

Had lunch in room and then went off to find the ‘Colonial Part’ of the city - quite a walk - horrendous traffic belching our carbon monoxide - fumed will kill you if the traffic doesn’t.

Very crowded - selling everything - sellers chiefly Indians. Policeman stopped us on our way back to tell us it was dangerous for us to be out and about and that we should return to hotel by bus - not taxi. We walked very quickly to avoid rain - thunder and lightning - made it to the hotel before it absolutely teemed down!

Had dinner all together to celebrate Ann Marie’s birthday - Betty & Mike’s 38th Wedding Anniversary - David ordered a cake for them. The Portofino gave us free appetiser, Champagne and the birthday cake for free. Florenzia, who was there with her firm, joined us for a photograph - it was a very enjoyable meal.

Duncan told some jokes. Said goodbye to Ann, Yoka, Mike & Betty, Duncan & Ann and went to bed. David popped in to the casino but it was so busy that he failed to spend any of his money.

Friday 14th April 2000

Quito to Home

Up at 5am for 6:15 pick up. Didn’t feel like breakfast - slightly fragile.

Quito Airport was horrendous - hundred of people. Queued for 1.5 hours to check in KLM flight - always overbooked. People leave Quito for Amsterdam en route for other European countries - no boundaries - if flew to Spain directly from Quito would require special visa - want to avoid this. Some seeking better life in Europe.

Guide told us people sleeping on street - too lazy to work. He called them ‘bums’ - bit severe. They beg, shine shoes, sell sweets etc. Opposite the hotel the family slept out under blankets, cardboard & plastic sheets - many children of all ages - very hard life. Some of the girls with babies look too young to have babies of their own.