Cusco

Yesterday we set off after loading up the bikes in pissing rain to Cusco, a few miles out of Puno the road became better, less traffic until we got to Juliaca, the Juliaca bypass (a concrete road around the edge of the city) was terrible, quite frankly the p;ace is a dump, it felt more like India than Peru, litter everywhere, business being carried out in the streets, scrap everywhere, busy, trying to fight with dogs, bikes, cars, diesel belching trucks and buses, moto taxi's and rickshaws. The road dissapeared into huge muddy potholes often, you get the picture.
After that it got better and better, the ladscape started to look like Scotland, hills and mountains, green everywhere, the indigenous people living on the land tending their crops and looking after their animals as they have done for hundreds of years,(apart from the chinese motorbikes they use to get about on, 4 people at a time sometimes!) a harsh but satisfying way of life.   It led me to think that this is exactly how Scotlands glens would have looked before the clearances, its a great shame that the highlands will never go back to being populated in this way, now just a playground really. (Comments invited!!)
After a nice lunch and petrol stop (only 84 Octane available) we headed on, as we approached a village I overtook the guy in front who had been driving like an idiot (very common) and yes there were the police with a speed trap, we got waved in as did most of the other cars, the policeman started a rant, I looked stupidly blank at him (I'm good at that) not aying a word, he checked the plate then asked if I spoke Spanish, Nope only Scottish, he then gave me a lecture about sticking to he speed limits in Urban areas, telling me to stick to 35 KPH and telling me to go, big relief. After that the last 60 miles to Cusco was boring as we stuck to the limits, just as well though as the police were out in force, maybe getting their beer money for Saturday night.
We got asked in the centre if we had a hostel, nope, so the guy took us to his, good garage and nice room for just over £20 a night, perfect. Out for a look around a a visit to the Famous Rats Norton bar, big anticlimax, poor service, nobody around to talk Nortons to and worse, the girl put the water in my whisky herself, a first for South America.
More religious parade today and a visit to an Inca museum rounded off our cultural education! Tomorrow & Tuesday we go to Machu Pichu, as tourists which is not good for us really but no option.

People still living here and working the land

Could be Glencoe

84 Octane only

Just like home except for the funny sheep!

Norton Rats Tavern (before my Whisky was diluted)

Nun on the phoone to her mate "fancy a quick half in the Norton Pub" (Right)

Sunday best

Police adding to the chaos

Fiona pointing out the original Inca foundation stones that the Spanish used to rebuild Cusco on

Inca Ear rings, solid Gold, must have had big Ears!

And this is when I realised how ahead of their times the Incas were, solid Gold Amal Bellmouths for tuning Nortons, made thousands of years before Norton was even started, ahead of their times of what?

Los Uros del titikaka

Today a bit of a tourist day to visit the floating islands on Lake Titikaka, the highest navigable lake in the world at around 4000 Metres. The islands are built by using the reeds from the lake, the roots are dug up and are buoyant, slabs tied together then reeds laid on the top to make an island, the reeds need constantly renewed and its a weird feeling walking on them. The houses are also made from reeds, they eat the reeds as a kind of digestion aid and as a tooth cleaner, you get the picture, even the boats are made from reeds. Its a bit touristy but it keeps the traditions alive so that's good otherwise another way of life would be lost. Today is also the festival of virgen de candelaria so in the town to add to the chaos there are several marching processions, quite cool actually, adds to the ambiance!

The floating school

Reed Boat next to the reed islands

Locals explaining their lifestyle to us

We went for a ride in this very colourful reed boat

The houses where the people live

Bit of sales banter (yes we did buy stuff!!)

Friday night clubing outfit?

Nice ladies wave goodbye (and sang us a song)

The Toll Boothe where the tour guys pay a tax

House removals anyone?

Dancing with a virgin

Really not sure what he was (In the procession) but we saw him later going to the bank dressed like this!

Hello Peru

The ride to Arica was interesting, more desert, more sun, but some high passes and roadworks to make things interesting, Arica itself wasn't special, we got a hotel on the beach quite cheaply, we found out why later! As we prepared for the border crossing something stuck in my mind about Barcelona Pat's trip earlier in 2012, I checked his blog and yes, we needed a Relacion de Pasajeros form only available from Arica's main bus station and not at the border 20 miles up the road, so thanks Pat it saved a bit of crabbitness (bad temper) We slept little as some ars*holes were having a rave on the beach and only went home at daylight, we found this was common although sometimes the police move them on. We signed out of Chile after a long wait in the well organised queue. Into Peru, passport stamped by the immigration, stood at the Aduana to get the bike paperwork sorted and were told to go to the CIT office around the corner, 5 minute wait before the girl told us we'd have to find the CESNA official wandering about and get our form stamped by him, he checks for fruit and other banned goods, then look for the Aduana guy, get your bike checked, then back to the CIT (Don't know what it means) another while, lots of stamps on forms and eventually 2 hours later we are in Peru Met some nice Brazilians so managed to help them hopefully. Into the chaos of Tacna, police writing tickets mob handed, lucky we stuck to the speed limit. Into Moquegua for our first stop in Peru, busy place, crowded streets and crazy driving, got cash and found a hotel (much cheaper here) Nice meal and a look round before we bumped into the Brazilians again. Quiet night as the Altitude takes its toll. Today at breakfast we met some nice Americans who are helping to build an orphanage at the same time doing a bike trip from Lima to Moquenga and filming the gig for a tv series, keep in touch guys! We left to sample the stunning road between Moquegua and Puno, scenery changing now, 4500 metre passes and into Puno which is a crazy, busy town. On the road in the last 50 miles Authentic Peruvians working the fields, fantastic to see the traditional way of life but it looks hard. Its a lot colder here because of the Altitude and I wonder how warm these clothes are. Tomorrow (hopefully) we'll go to the floating islands and do the tourist thing.
Last Sunset (with the moon) in Iquiquie


If heights aren't your thing then don't come here!


Geoglyphs from long ago


Geoglyph from NOT so long ago


The queue to leave Chile


Nice church in Moquagua


Stunning scenery


Fiona speaks with a new friend


Puno & Lake Titikaka

Escape to the sun!

Saturday morning we finally escaped San Pedro de Atacama. The road was blocked until 11am then they let us through, plenty loose gravel and sand washed across the road just to make things interesting. Into Calama to fuel up then a climb over some seriously high mountains (3600 Metres )back to Ruta 5  to head North. The GS's struggling a bit on the high climbs, no shame though they are both pretty heavy loaded. Ruta 5 up to Iquique was interesting, major roadworks as they strive to improve the North section meant diversions on the gravel, and we thought we'd left that behind! One interesting part was about 200 metres through a flooded muddy section, just like a river crossing on a main road. We rolled into Iquique and found  nice campsite by the sea, so nice we are still here (mainly because we drank too much last night) Heading to Arica tomorrow, our last town in Chile.
 

Our last night in San Pedro with 2 brazilian guys we met and Christian (From France) all having a discussion on Brazilian politics in Spanish!!

Waitng for the road opening, the song "We gotta get out of this place" in my head 

 

Fiona storming through the mud section

Dried mud, will we ever be clean again?

Sunset, bikes, whisky, perfect

Earlier on toasting the Flanders branch Towel!

When it got very messy, a wet T shirt to take the sting out of my sunburn and my Greek God impersonation, messy!!

Fiona trying to hide from the Sun

Still stuck

Last night more rain, more power cuts but not as bad, spent a good night with Eduardo and got an early night so we could head this morning. When I went to pay I realised (or so I thought) that the bank had given me 2000 peso notes instead of 10,000 so me, Mr Angry marched up to the bank (which was closed due to no electric ) and battered on the door until a guy answered, he told me to call the number on the back of my reciept, back to the hostel to get some dollars to change at the Cambio and the guy also gave me what I thought was 2000 peso notes, realising he was close to getting a good punch to the mouth he said senor, these are 20,000, oh dear, in all the time we've been here we never saw a 20,000. Back to the hostel to pay and feeling stupid the lady told us the road was closed, the diversion had a landslide and wouldn't be open till later, so here we still are, hopefully we'll get out tomorow!! Met Christian for a coke and a chat and storm permitting we'll see him for dinner later. He is trying to get over the pass to Argentina but its closed due to SNOW!!
  

Nice Art in Antofagasta 

Sunset!

The Tropic of Capricorn

We were trying to time a jump with the delayed shutter, didn't work!!

Another fail

Just outside San Pedro

2 hours later the roads are rivers

Not used to rain!

I think you get the idea?

Waiting over an hour for petrol with Eduardo 

Almost there!

Flamingo & Chips anyone, no need for salt!

In Flight

At the Salar de Atacama

The main street this morning! (Not sure if it would look better dry!!)