Fun times in Mancora

The last few days have been so fun. Wednesday was the last day we had the car so myself and Becky and our South African mate Andy decided to make the most of it and drive to a nearby coastal town where Ernest Hemmingway was inspired to write "Men and the Sea" (Im not sure if I have the title exactly right- all the partying has turned my brain to mush). It was really picturesque and we were the only gringos there, which doesn´t happen that often anymore cause we are always on the trail. We went to the pier and bought fish (Ive no idea what kind) off the local fisherman. 8 massive fish for 18 soles which I think is less than 5 euros. We then went back to our site and cooked them on the BBQ with butter, garlic, chillies, onions and lime juice. Absolutely delicious. We followed that with chocolate bananas and then lay in the hamocks. Cooking on the fire made me think about the venturers I miss so much.

Becky was shocked to learn that I dont drive. Its definitely getting harder to explain as I get older (There was no car for me to learn on, I lived abroad, everything in Dublin is close......), so she taught me. The car was automatic so its not the same but nonetheless I was driving. Girls, can you actually belive it?!!!!!We started on a dirt track, and after I had comfotably driven through a town, we decided I was ready for the PanAmerican Highway. How cool. We changed back soon after for fear of getting stopped by one of the police. Imagine explaining that I didn´t have a liscence when a few days earlier one of the lads got stopped who had a liscence and the dodgy copper just wanted a bribe so he made up some story about not accepting it. Thankfully, we were able to talk our way out of that one.

Defo one of the best days of the trip so far.

Yesterday, wasn´t as productive but equally enjoyable. Just lazing around on the beach deciding where we would go for lunch dinner etc. Our whole group talks about food non stop, especially chocolate cake and apple crumble. They managed to find the best apple crumble in the whole town, whch was confirmed by the lonely planet when we read it a few days later. Hilarious how they were able to sniff that out. We were supposed to go to a nice fish restaurant last night. We went for a pre dinner drink but got there for passion fruit pisco (brandy) happy hour , so it was game over after that.

Even though Im a paranoid android about getting burnt, I still mamged to get scalded yesterday. Red patches all over me. Sooooo attractive. The fecking lads dont even put sun screen on but if I even look at the sun, I go red. I must have put about 20 layers of aloe vera on last night. We went to the beach again today and I had to wear a top and long shorts. I cant expose myself again for a least a few more days so for the moment even swimming is ruled out unless I go at night!

Ive noticed Ive started dressing like a 15 year old boy. Its all skater runners and hoodies. The state of me but Im loving it.

Chiclayo

We got a reccommendation from the Ozzie barman in Lima to go and visit some friends of his who owned a guinea pig farm. It was a bit random but fun to se them all running around their pens and even funnier when we went to a restaurant afterwards and ordered them to eat- guinea pig is a speciality here. There wasnt really anything special about it apart from the novelty. It comes out deep fried- the whole thing, head, feet, internal organs and all. The skin is really leathery and still hairy and unsuprisingly, there isn´t much meat on it.

We reached our destination Mancora late last night. After, MUCH debate we finally agreed on a hostel and then after MUCH more debate we finally agreed to move hostels this morning. Group dynamics can be tricky. The new place is great. We are staying in a beach hut. This town is the business. Its a real beachy, surfy town where we are going to balm out for a few days and Im finally going to get to wear shorts. After that Ive no plan. I really need to read up on the Lonely Planet to figure out my next move.

Trujillo

We actually made it to the ruins which was very impressive- the fact that we got there and the ruins themselves! We had planned to go for dinner to a nice seafood restaurant. Had a few drinks in the room- we are still all sharing a few beds pushed together, and then amazingly noone waws hungry so we went out without dinner. We are visiting a friend of ours who left us 2 weeks ago to go volunteering. Its lucky for him we arrived on a weekend. Went to a concert and I managed to blag our way into the VIP section, which was rubbish, so we left and went to a club. One of the guys Paudy was so drunk he tried to pay for a round of drinks with a condom. After this an several more incidences, he got throw out, so I took him home. Amazingly they let him in again last went when they all went back. I stayed in. Very sensible. Im going to try and get everyone up now (2.15pm) cause we are supposed to be leaving today. We tried to go surfing yesterday cause its supposed to be one of the ebst spots int he world. None of the girls got in cause it was too cold and only one ofthe boys made it in, because the rest feared they would drown. Luckily were going to hit a few more spots on the way up the coast so maybe another day.

Road trip

Were on the road and its a good laugh but Im sick again. Immune system not able for it I suppose so Ive been off the booze for the last few nights. Its return of the evil throat infection Im afraid but Ive caught it early and know the drugs I need this time, and here you dont need a prescription for anything, so Ive been able to sort myself out. Having researched it a bit I think I might have actually had a bad dose of strep throat in Chile which was undiagnosed and I understand I can look forward to having several relapses. Great. Not sure if I mentioned it before but Im defo off the fags for good again.

Our first night of the trip, we stayed in a hotel. A Peruvian porter helped us bring our bags to the room. Turns out, he didn´t work there and he nicked one of the lads day bags on his way out. Clever scam. Not one of us picked up on it. Its a pain in the ass. Weve spent the last two days at the police station and trying to meet consulates etc. Hes got a South African and British passport. The soonest he can get either is 2 weeks and thats back in Lima, where we have come from. He wanted to be in Ecuador in a week which isn´t going to happen. Poor pet.

Everyone is broke after partying in Cusco and Lima so were saving money by sharing hotel rooms. We fit 8 people, also known as the octopod, in a double and two singles pushed together last night. Boy, girl, boy, girl of course. Fun times.

Were supposed to be doing something cultural today- Sun and Moon ruins but they close at 4pm and its now 1.30 and most people are still in bed so Im not overly optimistic. I am confident however that we´ll make it out tonight. Funny that.

Leaving Lima soon

Becky got the all clear from the dentist, eye specialist etc after a whole day of running around Lima going to various clinics with me as chief translator. The dentists dont have their own x-ray machines here. You have to go somewhere else for that. Anyway Big relief. Her face is almost healed but shes still exhausted from the accident and the quake.

We haven´t missed the road trip though. The whole group is still all here. Partying hard has meant that noone was able to get up during the day to rent a van. Just so you get an idea, they were supposed to be through Ecuador and in Colombia weeks ago! The scout leader in me wants to take over but this trip is about me being more ´go with the flow´and less of a control freak. But at 6pm today when everyone was flaked out watching a movie, I couldn´t resist slipping off to a local call centre to ring a load of agencies. Weve had a little AGM and I think as a result of my endevaours, me might actually leave tomorrow (or maybe the day after, because even though I thought we were having a quiet night, everybody is skulling wine at the hostel bar). I need to watch myself cause although Id love the unofficial group leader role, I feel that would be taking a step back in my progress!

Wicked nights out

Weve partied for two days solid since my mates have got back here. I cheated by sneaking in 4 hours of sleep today. Were on it again tonight cause it could be our last night together in a while. There is talk of renting a car tomorrow but Im staying here to see another specialist with Becky. My voice is almost totally gone from all the abuse. Im going to need to take a break from the alcohol for a while in order for it to recover, Im just not sure when Im going to be able to fit that in.

All is good.

My friends arrived in the hostel last night, thank god, so all is good again. I burst into tears cause although I was sure they were fine, I didn´t know for definite and I ws just supressing all the emotions. It took me about 4 seconds to recognise my friend Becky cause her face was so swollen from the sandboarding accident. The boys tell me it was way worse before so I can only imagine. Their stories from the quake were hilarious- all saying our fathers as they huddled together. Luckily no injuries. Weve met other travellers since who had to climb over dead bodies to get out of crumbling buildings- horrendous stories which make me relaise how flipant I was being wanting to be more in the thick of it just for a good story.

Still waiting for news in Lima

Im still In Lima waiting for my friends to make contact. The roads are all blocked and no-one knows how long they will take to restore them, but hopefully they´ll rock up here in a day or two, so that we can head to Ecuador & Colombia. There isn´t that much to do here and Im starting to get bored except that I got my highest score ever in bowling ...191. No word of a lie.

My boy has gone home now to Australia so Im very sad. I went with him to the airport yesterday and his flight was delayed cause of the quake so they put us up in the Miraflores Plaza hotel which is 5 stars. It was nicer then the hotel I used to work in London and thats saying something. Our room had a massive round bathtub that would fit 10 people, like something out of MTV Cribs and get this.... our room had its own sauna. Can you imagine? The food was the best Ive eaten since coming to South America. It was such a nice way to spend our last few hours together.

Earthquake

Im fine. I was in bed when the quake happened and at first I just thought there was some drilling going on. Damm roadworks or whatever. After a few seconds it sunk in what was really hppening. I just sat up on my bed and laughed the whole way through thinking how cool it was that I was experiencing live, a natural disaster, until the lights started to flicker and then I got a bit scared. The people in our hostel had mixed reactions- some more panicky than others. Id say I was the most calm of everybody.

A big group of friends Ive been hanging around with for about 2 weeks left Lima a few days ago to go to head south to sandboard. They are staying really near the epi-centre and I havent heard from any of them yet which is a bit worrying. I understand there are no tourists found dead yet though. I was supposed to go with them but I stayed in Lima for a boy, otherwise Id be in the thick of it right now. The damage in Lima seems not bad at all- a few broken windows and cracks in walls but I understand in Pisco and Ika, things are pretty disastorous. Could prove to be the most fortutious decision Ive made this trip.

Back In Cusco and on to Lima

Although we were having the time of our lives in Cusco, we´´d been there nearly a month, which is a ridiculous amount to spend in one city, and knew we needed to move on, or wed have to start skipping countries later on! Our last few days were mental, spent partying with some of the most fun people Ive ever met in my life. We left Cusco by bus with a wicked crew of mainly Irish, English and South Africans and arrived in Lima a few days ago. That whole gang has now gone to another town sandboarding for a few days. I decided to stay here on my own because Ive already done it and mainly because Im waiting for a Auzzie guy who I want to see again to arrive tomorrow. Im going to catch up with them later and try and do Ecuador and Colombia with some of them. Its weird being without Becky, my new best friend for the last month, and the others, but Im sure Ive made the right decision.

Macchu Picchu

The morning of MP the hostel never gave us our wake up call. Disaster. We packed in two minutes, no time for showers and ran with our backpacks to meet our guide at the other end of town for breakfast. Noone had gotten a wake up call as promised so everyone was rushing about the place in the panic. In the morning there is a choice of walking up the hill to the entrance or bussing it. Even though we were late, we wanted to do the real McCoy so we ended up running the whole way. I had an asthma attack but kept going determined to arrive before sunrise, which we did just at 7.30am. The sunrise itself wasn´t that amazing. In fairness its just the sun coming over the mountain- not nearly as good as a sunset, but Im glad we made it in time. We were supposed to have a talk with our guide about the history of the place but because of the confusion that morning, we couldn´t find anyone in our group which was really annoying as we had bonded so well and wanted to be there with them. We ended up climbing the adjoining mountain Waynapiccu in order to get a better view. It was incredible- an experience I´ll never forget. I felt like I was on top of the world. The best thing is they only let 400 people do this part and luckily we got into the queue early. None of our other mates got to experience it as they didn´t make it in time. We looked around MP in the afternoon which by this stage was crawling with tourists, but we had to leave early as our guide hadn´t told us what time train we were getting home.

When we got to the train station we were told that in fact our agency hadn´t bought us train tickets. Disaster. There are no roads out of this town (Aguas Calientes), only a train track so we were stuck. This is Peru so they didn´t offer us a hostel, just the floor of a pizza restaurant to sleep on. I wanted to get a hostel but most were full or really expensive as loads of tourists were in the same boat. Oor group decided it was better to stay together and have the craic. Basically the tour companies regularly let people book a tour knowing that there aren´t enough train seats for the return. It was looking like the next available seats were 3 days away but luckily our guide managed to get us on a train the next morning to the next stop from where we would make our way home. It was one of the craziest days of my life. We eneded up having to get 3 very dangerous bus rides to get back to Cusco. The trip took 15 hours instead of four. There had been a mudslide that afternoon so we got delayed for 4 hours in a nothing town. When we finally got on the necessary road, it was full of HUGE goverment trucks that had obviously been sent to help clean up the landslide. The problem was that it was total chaos as each vehicle passed each other on the skinny cliff edge road. Our guide had spent the day getting drunk and was constantly distracting the driver which was even more unnerving. I honestly thought I was going to die. There is approx 200 plus deaths a year on Peruvian roads due to buses overturning etc and I was convinced that I would be one of the stats. I kept thinking how grateful I was that I had called by bro James the night before for a chat. We made it home safely...just, thankfully.

Everyone in our group spent the next two days trying to get a part refund from our respective agencies, who all used the same tour operator. (There were loads more problems as well) Again, this is Peru and we got the biggest runarounds ever. ¨Come back in an hour "etc etc. We´d organise a meeting with the boss and then he wouldn´t show up and turn off his mobile. All this kind of messing... but I had a bee in my bonnet by then and there was no stopping me. Its a long story but I got a sixth of the money back which is quite a victory of a backpacker over here so I was well pleased with myself.

Salkantay Trek

The Inca trail is booked up months in advance so its really common to do an alternative trek instead, to get to Macchu Picchu- myself and the American girl Becky chose the hardest one called the Salkantay which is a 5 day trek. It is possible not to trek at all and just get the train up, which we were contemplating for a while, but Im sooo glad we didn´t go for the easy option as it was absolutely asmazing. Our only mistake was to book it at the last minute ie 10pm on a Sunday night, so that we would get back in time to party for the weekend in Cusco, so we got feck all sleep before being picked up the first day.

Our group was a mix of ages and nationalities. We bonded mostly with a slightly older Irish couple and some Argentinian boys. I was so unfit which made climbing the mountains a killer, but you just take breaks to get your breath back, so it was fine.The scenery on the whole trip was out of this world and really varied from day to day- better than Lord of the Rings. At night we camped and our guides cooked for us.

The first day I had food poisoning/diarrohea again which was a bit of a nightmare. I had to stay at the back of the group so I could go to the side of the road at a minutes notice. Not nice at all. Enough said. The second day I was surprised I was able to even walk as I hadn´t eaten hardly anything the day before but I managed fine and wasn´t the slowest by a long shot. On the third day, I knocked avocados and passion fruits out of some trees along the way. Sounds ridiculous out loud but it was so much fun. That night we went to a natural hot springs to ease our aching muscles and I dont think Ive ever been so relaxed and happy. Maybe it was the setting or the endorphines from all the exercise. On the fourth day we spent a few hours just walking along railway tracks. So surreal. Reminded me of the movie Stand by Me, I think. We stopped with the boys to swim in the nearby river. I was too mortified to strip to my underwear so I just took photos of the rest of them.

Im alive

Hey all. Thanks for the concern but I am alive and not sick. Its just been a combination of trekking and partying that has left me with NO time at all to update the site. I appreciate all the concern. Its reassuring to know that you all have nothing to do at your jobs.....I mean that you are concerned about my welfare. Ill updtae in the next few days. Soooooo much has happened. Hope you are sitting on the edge of your seats. Girls expect a personal email cause my parents are reading this!