Going backwards

Well, I haven´t entered anything for 3 weeks. Basically I´ve been caught up in my travels. After Ica I went to Arequipa where I spent 1 week of doing... I have no idea what I was actually doing. Taking it easy, I suppose.

Arequipa is beautiful, and this is what I was thinking while I was strolling down the streets the same day I got there. But then suddenly somebody spat at me. I thought I was going to laugh but instead I almost started to cry and when I reached for a cleanex in my bag I realized that someone had cut it open and stolen my mobile and some other things. I guess my experience in Arequipa was a bit coloured by that experience and I couldn´t quite enjoy it as much as I think I should have.

Anyhow, I have a friend in Arequipa and he took me all over the place doing non-touristy things. I really needed a break from tourism! Then I was supposed to catch up with some friends in Cuzco for the easter celebrations but the night before take off we had a really wild night of pisco... so basically I didn´t make it to the bus the next day.

Which of course made me a bit anxious but in the end I am very grateful because once I made it to the bus I met a girl from Argentina who was travelling by her self and wanted to do the same things as me. Now we have been one week in Cuzco, which is a very cozy city even if it is very touristy. Now we´re in Puno and tomorrow she will go on to Ica and Pisco where I already have been and I will go on to Bolivia. If I hurry to La Paz I can meet up with some guys I met in Arequipa and then continue on to Argentina to celebrate the birthday of my newly found friend, Natalia.

But I have to tell you guys about my trip to Machu Picchu! The Inca Trail was full so we did an alternative route; a 5 day hike! First we took a bus up to some glacial mountains, biked down into the rainforest. There we stayed one night and the next day we climbed and climbed and climbed for 7 hours, stoped at some thermal springs to take a badly needed bath, and climbed for another hour to a small village. I can´t remember the village, I was too exhausted to take in any impressions. But I do remember one of the guides knocking at our door at four in the morning. I´ve gotten quite use to these things and have learned how to tell them to bugger off. Day three was the easiest day of trecking but the most boring, and walking 4 hours along some railroad tracks just isn´t as romantic as it sounds. But the next day was the Machu Picchu day! We got up 4 in the morning and started our hike but our guide hade somehow decided to not give us breakfast this morning and then he left us on the trail to climb alone!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 1/2 hour hard climbing, got to machu picchu (without eating) did the tour. Climbed two hours to Waina Pîcchu (now we had eaten a chocolate bar) and then climbed down to the Temple of the Moon and back up (another 2 hours). Then we were shaking and half dead and climbed down from Machu Picchu again. 10 hours walking with nothing more than 2 chocolate bars!!!!

Well.... I will print the photos soon.