Wow... The last few days have been amazing!

Since I last wrote I've done the 2 day Inca trail & seen Machu Picchu. It was fantastic! I was really lucky & had a really good group for the Inca trail. We had so much fun. We were a group of 5, 2 girls form Isreal, Itilia & I cant remember the other name, & a Orri form Israel & David form the States (plus me). It was strange David & I were sitting on the train last night & its hard to believe that I've only known him for 2 days. The others decided to stay in Agua Geallieanties (yes we know I cant spell) for the night.

Ok. I met the group at the train station about 5.45am on Saturday, meaning I got up just after 4am. The starting point for us was Km104 of the Inca trail, the 4 day starts at km82. The train took about 3.5hours to get there & it was really cool to watch the scenery go by, everyone else pretty much slept. We ate lunch about 10.20 then started the trek. We stoped at some runs & I found it really interesting the different styles of articture that the Incas used. I think I expected everything to be in the imperial style but that's only used for important buildings & Temples, otherwise its just rocks & a clay mortar for the villages etc which is still pretty cool. The first day of the treck didn't kill me & we took it quite slow so it wasn't to bad but some of the steep inclines made it a little difficult for me to breath but I wasn't the only one finding it hard work. It was such a hot day everyone was finding it hard. I didn't need the oxygen tho so that's a good thing :o)

I think we got to the second lot of ruins about 3ish, cant quite remember. I cant remember what they're called either... At the moment my memory is shot but more about that later. These ruins were set over a multiple of different levels & were quite large (not to mention step & the amounts of steps that we had to clime). We got to hang out here for a while cause the hostel was only about a 15min walk away. It was really cool cause the Israelis had a little camp stove with them & they boiled some water & we had a cup of tea. Sitting there on what seems like the top of the world drinking tea & chatting was really amazing. Its like you're up there with the clouds & just looking out at the land scape that the Incas would have looked at every day, it was awesome.

We got to the hostel about 4.30pm & chilled out for a while. There were so many people there, as that's where the 4 day treckers spent there last night too (all be it in tents as opposed to the hostel tho). I was quite surprised by the hostel or restaurant part, there was alcohol & music it was pretty much was like a discotech. I think Id imagined something slightly different & a little more quite. Don't get me wrong it was still cool though.

Dinner was good & I got to bed about 9.30pm, having to get up at 4.20am the next morning wasn't to appealing but doable. The beds sagged quite noticeably in the middle but I still had a good sleep. The bunks stacked up a but 3 high & there would have been at least 30 people in the mixed dorm. Our guide knocked on the door at the said hour & no one else happened to hear him so I had to get up form the second bunk (furtherest away form the door) & open it for him. It was quite a interesting thing to do in the dark :o)

We got ready in 20min then went down for breakfast. Breakfast here consists of pan (bread) so I had yoghurt, a apple & a snickers bar, very healthy me thinks!

Our guide then informed us that he wouldn't be taking us to Machu Picchu & that another guide would meet us there. Hmmm, ok not a prob, we tacked on to another group with 3 English guys in it, Sam, Rob (or bob...) & Johnny. The guys are at the end of 6 months traveling so it was cool to hear about where they'd been.

We made it to the sun gates about 7am (I think...) it was so full of cloud we couldn't see anything :( Walking to the sun gates was cool, it really felt like I was on top of the world or in some fairytail with the clouds beneath me with the mountain peaks so ruggered & jarged. Its truly a site to see! The other cool thing about the walk is that you can do it at your own pace so at times Id drop back & it was cool just to be there by myself appreciating the view.

Anyway, form the sun gates we proceeded down to where all the post cards shots are taken of Machu Picchu. Most of it was still under cloud but still looked amazing. From there we contained down to where we were supposed to meet our new guide. After waiting over a hour & me getting very hungry & buying a snickers bar - get this - for sl.7!!! Its said $2 on it & I was like cool but that's $2us... Very expensive! The guide finally turns up & says he has to wait another hour for some other people, needless to say we were a little pissed off so ended up tagging along with the group we were with in the morning. The rest of the people in my original group speak really good Spanish so went with the Spanish speaking guide & I stuck round with the English lads. It was really cool to hear about the history of Machu Picchu & just the vibe there is amazing! I hadn't realized that MP was actually abandoned as its believed that the Incas thought the Spanish would come to conquer the city as one only a 3 day walk away had been conqured. There's so much more but my brains just not up to it at the moment...

The boys & I walked back down to Agua Geallieanties & my knees really felt it after! 1hour of down hill steps! We had lunch at a local restaurant then went to the hot springs.

Caught the train back to cusco at 4pm & made it back about 8.30pm. Met a cool couple form Argentina with David. David´s lived in Ecuador for the last year & a half & his Spanish is fantastic so it was cool listening to them talk & actually understanding what they were saying! Even thought Id been up since 4.20am I wasn't tired. I still felt like I was on top of the world, & it almost felt like my chest wanted to explode - not the easiest thing to try & describe with out sounding like a idiot... Just the energy form MP was amazing...

Anyway, been travelers, everyone loves to have a few drinks... I met the English lads, David & Liz at Paddys about 10pm where we proceeded to drink, then head to mamma africas. I got home just after 2.30am & figured Id been awake just over 22hours. Needless to say I'm kinda tired today. Not to mention that I had think I'm allergic to Rum. I knew I had to get up early today so only had one drink when I got to the pub... Normal vodka & orange. But later I had a few sips of the boys rum & cokes. At 5am this morning I was throwing up... Doesn't quit make sense - have however concluded never to drink rum again. A similar thing happen last Monday but I managed not to throw up. Had never been that hung over before & now I can put it down to the rum cause I didn't even drink that much... Enough about that.

Set my alarm for 6 this morning - who needs more than 3.5hours sleep! But couldn't drag myself out of bed till after 7am. My bus was due to leave at 9.30am & I still hadn't packed. Of course cause I was feeling like crap I couldn't fit everything in my pack... Think I have to send some things home. I caught the bus with no prob, my host mum took me to the terminal which was great!

I had a conversation in Spanish with the lady that sat next to me on the bus about all sorts of stuff & was able to hold my own which was cool. Then I promptly fell asleep & missed all the wonderful scenery Peru has to offer... It was a bout a 7 hour bus trip. Got here about 4.30pm. Actually I still haven't eaten, maybe that'd help me to feel better... Id looked in the lonely planet & say the Nesther hostel so thought Id just grab a cab to Plaza de Arms then make my way there as things usually have a way of working out. I walked out of the bus terminal & there was a tout offering taxis who asked if I had a hostel I said no & he offered Nesther. Love it when things fall in to place. The hostals Sl.25per night ($9au approx) with a private bathroom & hot water from 6am - 8am which is cool.

Need to go find food & toilet paper. Can I just say guys, never take toilet paper for granted. Its not supplied in very many places here (Peru) which kinda sucks.

Looking into doing a over night trip to the floating islands, not tomorrow but the next day. Think tomorrow will be a day of rest & trying to get a fantastic price on the tour. The tout offered it to me for Sl.40 ($15au approx) & that includes the 2 days plus all food & the nights accommodation. How bad is that its only $15 but I want to get it cheaper... Will go to travel agents in the morning.

Well I know I've written heaps & I don't know how cause my brain isn't really functioning. Hope it makes sense & Ill try to down load photos soon. I took over 100 at MP!!

Puno, Monday 3rd May, 5.57pm