Iguassu Falls

The flight to leave Lima was due to leave at 0830 hrs. You have to be at the airport 2hrs before. Then to allow for traffic. so it was an early start to this day. I was awake at 0330 hrs. Taxi was booked for 0430. There was no traffic! we went through the main part of Lima City.
Everything went smoothly, but for the security. Off with belt, off with shoes, Glasses, Wallet. I nearly was going to go nude! It was the zip in the money belt, but I was walking back and forward back.

Okay that done.

On the plane and off to San Paulo, first stop. I had an exit row so plenty of room. Landing in San Paulo, fine. New time zone. Through customs and immigration.
Then off to the domestic area, check in the bag and then wait. Four hours just waiting.
New modern terminal

So that was San Paulo!!

It was dark when we left and this time heading to Curitiba. Oh this was fun. The gate on the boarding pass says one thing. The board says another. Then we line up at a third one. There are no boarding announcements, you just have to look at the gate and watch your flight number. This will be an overnight stop. When the flight was booked in May 2014 it was to continue to Foz do Igacu, but airlines change their plans and charge you to change yours. 

So over night at the Ibis hotel near the airport. Clean basic and covered the requirements.

Back to the airport, and check in for a 1330 flight. it is only an hour or so.

Then we see them. The falls.

Off the plane into the heat, yes 30 degrees plus with humidity. We walk across the tarmac and into the terminal. My transport was waiting for me once I collected my bag.

Next stop the hotel. Really good and right next to the falls. I am on the East Bank, Brazil side.

Current amount of water over the falls is 1.2 million litres per second. In July there was 43 million. There is damage to walks on both the East and West banks!

Restored Blogs

Thanks to PeterC, in the Net sphere, I have restored my lost Blogs. I could only do this via web pages and not the Blogger app via the iPad.
Also fixed the typo's too.
I am happy!

Lima Sept 22

The late night last night helped fix the sleeping disorder. Once awake I called home via Skype to see what is happening there. It now seems that Australia is on the hit list. I am not going to refer to this religion and a state in the one sentence but just use the ISIS (eye sis) name instead, just like coward punches. I recall watching a program on TV back in the 70's about natra damis. A prediction that in 2000 some war would start in the Middle East, that would involve the east and west. I thought it was over and done with, but I now know this is it.

So today I am going to go back into the city and look around some more. Then back and start my packing ready to head out tomorrow for Cusco.

I had to put some more funds onto the bus card which again was easy enough to do. just put the card in the machine and then put in your money and it goes on. 

So once back in the city. I went to the park of the exposition. After a walk around I found the park disappointing, so i caught the bus back to Miraflores. This time I got off at the right stop.

Cusco day tours Sept 25 morning.re

Today I was booked for two tours. One in the morning and then a city tour in the afternoon.

The morning tour was to the agricultural centre at Moray.

Interesting time. And the road to get to this place firstly dirt and rough, but in places narrow, very narrow. No trees to hide the drop either. 

Moray has three sections at 3500 meters, circular in pattern. Due to the location and building, there can be a 15 degree centigrade difference in temperature from top to bottom. This allowed different crops to be grown on each level.

The. Back to the dirt roads and on to the salt mines. Well these are open air evaporation ponds, which are terraces on the side of the mountain. The salt is gained by evaporating the water. The water is volcanic in origin. One single stream feeds some 3000 ponds. There are three different grades of salt produced. They have different flavours and when used in cooking will also vary the flavours of the food too.

Mind you when the wet season comes the mines stop working as the rain water dilutes the volcanic water, and also there is no evaporation.

  

Back up the road, and back to Cusco. 

After the holiday.re

It remains a mystery for what I will do upon my return to Australia in January 2015. I do know I will be living on the Gold Coast, well Upper Coomera to be more exact.  I have so many ideas and emotions about that whole idea too. However before I cross that road I have a holiday to embark upon. Finally today I was able to book the final train travel on the Eurostar train.

That is to go from Belgium back to London In January and then to Paris. I have a week in each. Then back to London to fly back to Australia. 

Now to organise the winter woollies for Europe. 

57 days until is fly out, but who is counting?

After the holiday part two.re

Today I am flying to Adelaide. Not because I need to start to acclimatise to the European winter, but to look at a new business opportunity.

This business has two sights in Adelaide and open about to open in Perth. I hope that one will open at the Gold Coast in the future too.

The Sydney swans are playing footy in Adelaide tonight, and the plane is 99% full.

Although I have to wait until I land before I be able to share this with you, I am enjoying the flight. When you draw a line for the flight path you fly over Cowra and the just south of Grenfell. Then off to the south I could see the area of my childhood. I have taken some photos, so I hope they turn out okay. 

Now the clouds have appeared below us, and the bright whiteness is all around. Adelaide is to have a temp of 18 degrees. Last week it was 5. I might not require the over coat!

Before the flood of questions about the new business venture start, I just have to say watch this space.  I might give more details tomorrow. Once I know more myself.

Cusco to lima Oct 2

Early morning again today. Well not to early, 5 am. A quick light breakfast and then wait for the car to the airport at 7am.

Cusco airport is in the centre of town. There are shops and houses built to the edge of the airport grounds. Such is requirement of land in this town. 

The trip is straight forward and there is little traffic. Standard check in and waiting. Now the sit and wait for the 10am flight.

After a coffee at s/7 ($2.70) and a sandwich I head through the screening. After five goes I am through. Glasses belt, wallet everything was setting off the alarm. Worse than Brisbane airport. 

Also what I do not get is that the flight from lima to cusco I was seated in the very last row, be it all to myself. Now this flight I am in row 3, back to the front of the plane. It is only a 1.5 hour flight so nothing to be exited about, but the leg room is great.

Take off and a shudder, we are in the air. Great view of the clouds too.

17 working days.re

Time all of a sudden seems to move quickly, some days.

After an interesting week at work in which I was asked for my reaction should the offer to remain at my current employment was I came to realise that there is now only  17 working days to go.

After 9 years there are mixed emotions about leaving. However me leaving is due to the role being moved off shore, and nothing to do with me.

My manager, former, has taken the offer to remain for another 3 months in a contract role. So I have a new manager to report to, for the remaining 17 days. There is a dotted line and direction from my 'former' manager.

However it is all systems go for me.

New day new city Sept 19.re

It is now for me 19 September in a new time zone for Peru. 2 hours behind Chile. So today is going to be a long one. I could not sleep much last night and as such I was up at 3 am. Then headed to the airport at 4!

This was fun. My very poor Spanish and the drivers very poor English but finally I understood that he was asking if I wanted the departures, even though I had bags! 

I arrived all in one piece as we went a different way to that of my arrival. I had booked a pickup for 6 am but I found out that check in was three hours in advance, rather than 2. I tried to change the booking on line but all every time I tried the web site gave password error. Next option was the taxi. Also the taxi driver used a great app called waze. Look this one up works worldwide to help navigate traffic.

So at the airport and the benefit of Qantas club allowed my into the LAN lounge. Breakfast time. Mine you at 4 am the MacDonald's near my accommodation was open. Not so yesterday as national day holiday. 

Finally some daylight before my flight so you get to see the airport.

Then a second breakfast on the plane too.

And I do not normally food photo either.

Arrived at Lima and I had organised the motel to pick me up. 

On the flight I could see the Andes again once we cleared the clouds.

Then the welcome to Lima sign.

Then a trip to the motel. The airport area is very much like Bali. But one difference there are cars and not motorbikes. The roads are Crazy really CRAZY.

Cusco bound 23 sept.re

Today is Check out day and go to Cusco.

I did have an early night due to the early start for today. So I awake at 3am local time. finished the packing and then had some breakfast, and a Skype call home!

Down stairs and check out, then the transport to the airport.

If you ever complain about Sydney Transport then you have not seen anything. There are lanes marked on the road, but what are they used for. At least there is no head on traffic. If people think I drive fast, let me say I do not. I was in the car being driven by the Peruivan F1 national driver. So this is fine when there is no other cars on the road gong in the same direction. Then we approached the Airport and the traffic became congested. 

This guy was able to change lanes when there is only meant to be three, was now five. We are all mirror to mirror. Everyone is calm. there is no yelling. The occasional horn blowing. Then we arrived, all in one piece. No damage to the car either.

Line up to check in then through to xray. Both domestic and international are going through. Although not at the same xray gates, but all in the same area. Domestic to the right and International to the left.

Now I have two hours to wait. Check in time is two hours before the flight too. Not like our one hour. and due to Domestic no lounge access :-( 

There were crowds everywhere at the coffee shop, so Skip that option to. 

The time waiting for the flight went quickly enough. And the public lounge filled up as there were other flights leaving from the same area. However the use of the mobile phone is something that everyone needs to learn. One thing that you do not do is play a movie on speaker with the volume switched up so load that everyone can hear the movie. Mind you it was in Spanish so I did not understand one word, but everyone else was looking around and wishing the man would turn it off.

Okay so the plane is somewhere to be found. We have to use a bus to go to the plane. At the gate there are two lines, one for the rows 1-15 and then 16-24. I am in row 24, not a worry, just line up, get on the bus. Go to plane. But this is where the rush starts. All the people who were in the 16-24 line rush off the bus and head for the stairs. Yep there are stairs, two sets, one at the front of the plane and the second at the rear. So now you have 70 people all rushing pushing and taking photos, trying to go up the front stairs. 

Remember I do not speak Spanish, however there is guy walking away from the stairs. I politely point at myself, then at my boarding pass and the stairs, and ask par favor. 'Please'. Si came the reply. So basically rows 16-24 were to board using the rear stairs. 

So I was in my set, in the last row, watching the pushing and shove of a plane load of people getting on. 

Then we were off, after this one guy who was travelling in a group had to go up and down the plane taking photos of everyone. This happened while people were boarding. Finally the flight attendant had to go around and switch phones to flight mode and turn them off, and told people not to turn them on until they were off the aeroplane. 

I had three seats to myself. Not bad. And in the one hour flight a very quick snack. Due to the mountains the descent was quick. Then miss the buildings and we were on the ground.

The unloading was not so lucky. There were no stairs, so I just waited. I just grabbed my bag and then off. Mind you there were still people just staying on the plane as they were going onto the next stop. But they were standing or sitting so it was a push to get off. 

I had to take a pic of the plane looking normal.

I had arranged transport to my hotel, and this was waiting for me.

Sacred valley 24 Sept.re

Today I enjoyed a bus trip to the Sacred valley. After suffering bad altitude sickness. The tour is at a 1000 meters lower than Cusco.

An early start and a late finish. I was first picked up at 8 am then we went around to the other hotels. In the end there were about twenty people. Then the tour started.

The highlight was the afternoon sunset. A little more difficult to catch a photo out of a moving bus, and the smoke from a nearby bushfire helps with the mystery. 

For the tour you need a ticket for the entry to the tourist sites, which allows you visit sites over a number of days. Some are in cusco city, others in the area around cusco, and the remaining are in the sacred valley

Cusco at 3400 meters we headed up to 3715 meters and then back down to Pisac at 3040 meters. 

Here we purchased the ten day tick and visited the first ruin.

A good introduction to the farming practices of the Inkan people's. And steps!

Then into town and the first stop to shop, and kick back to tour guide and driver. 20 minutes later we are on the road again. I have a flight which is only allowing me 15 kg, so I will not be buying anything!

We worked our way along to Calca, at 2750 meters, and the to Urubama 2648 meters. This was our lunch stop.

A nice relaxing spot.

Then onto Ollantaytambo and tour of an Inkan ruin. 

The main part of the ruin is on one side if the valley which we climbed, however on the other side there were three buildings. These were the grain and food stores. Due to the risk of fire these stores were located away from the main residential area, also due to the location there was a natural refrigeration effect for food.

  

  

Then we started to head back to cusco via Urubamba. We climbed back up to Chinchero at 3762 meters. Here a Catholic Church was built on top of an inkan ruin. For some reason the priest would not open the doors even though there were three bus loads of tourists at the door. So all we saw was the outside. Darkness came rapidly and we then were moved on to lot at the natural ways of dying alpaca wool.  The red comes from cochineal which is a bug living on cactus pads.

  

Then with the offer to buy more clothes, jumpers, and scarves. 

Then in the dark now, we were back on the bus and returned to Cusco.

Tourist morning sept 20.re

Today was play the tourist day, and gain some knowledge for the layout of the city of Lima. A city of 9 million people. Built on a volcanic active area. 

I firstly went walking this morning in the heavy mist. The Pacific Ocean is good at producing this mist which can hang around all day.

I returned to Larcomar to buy a ticket on the Turibus. Mind you the sign did say English spoken on the tour, it was more Spanish than English. There were some Americans who loved the Spanish as they learn in school and need the practice. There was also two girls from Brazil too.

So the bus firstly toured to the Barranco area. We drive past the Australian ambassador's residence too. This area is built on the cliff that is behind the sea, and hence the area name. Barranco is cliff in Spanish. 

Then we went to the Igesia la Ermitage. This church is now deserted due to seismic activity. A new church has been built called Iglesias La Santisima Cruze. 

This is the church for the barranco area. We returned back to our starting to collect a second group.

Now we headed off to Huaca Pucllana. This is an area which is an archaeological dig that shows how the first inhabitants of the city of Lima lived and worked.

Then we headed to the Centro Historico. historic centre. Here we got off the bus and walked around the Plaza de Armas

The first Cathedral is the Cathedral of Lima. Then Parroquia del Sagrario. Then the museum. 

Then the palace of the government. This is where the president lives, and there is a changing of the guard every second day.

Then the municipal hall.

Then we walked to the Convento de San Francisco. We could take photos in the cathedral, but within the monastery we could not. Under the monastery which is also the Basilica, is the catacomb. Here are the remains of 25000 people for about 200 years. 

Once we returned to the surface we boarded the bus and then returned back to the start.

Walking Santiago Sept 17.re

The For me it is now 7 am as I sit down to type this blog.

Up so early and I have not had coffee yet!

For the past two hours I have been walking. Walking the streets of Santiago. Although it is fresh outside it is not cold.

Some observations about this city.

I am staying in the Providencia area.

 

This is not the main part of town but not the burbs either.

I was wishing to walk up to San Cristobal hill to watch the city wake up. As today is the Chilean Independence Day. Mind you the police are also up too at this hour. Setting up. Sunrise is not due until 7.30am. I guess that big mountain to the east of us causes this. Not like Australia where there is a flat ocean.

All considering that the population is well over that of Sydney, this city is cleaner. There is not the graffiti everywhere. There is room to walk on the pavement and the traffic lights. Well there are no buttons for people to press five million times to try and make the green walk sign. Mind you I would not like to be visually impaired as there is no sounds to warn you either. 

There are dogs roaming the streets, and I saw one cat. There are buses and the metro train closes at 11pm but I cannot see at what time it opens again. Though thee are lots of buses. Me thinks the city functions very well. 

I can now hear a few birds doing their morning call as the day starts to lighten up. Mind you it is overcast but does not look like rain. 

My morning walk was not fruitful, and the path from the end of Calle de Nono up the hill was closed. Too early! So later I will go back to the Plaza Baquedano and look at the national day festival and try again  to get to the high point of the city.

This pic is of some street art which is just outside the appartment building I am staying at.

This is my walk

And some of the sites

Flight details Sept 16.re

I have a feeling in my bones that this flight is going to be a long one!

We boarded the plane 15 minutes late and then took off at noon. The flight captain is Marty Hart. Plane  name Hervey Bay.

The departure was a rough climb into the air. I mean rough, so much so I thought we were landing rather than taking off. 

Farewell Sydney.

So after the settling in with the order of lunch of lamb for starters and ocean throat for main, and a glass of red it is time to settle in and watch a movie. 

The immigrant. An interesting movie. It details the arrival of two Polish girls to America following World War One and their struggle to gain a new life in a new country.

If that was not enough I then watched 300: Rise of an empire. This is about the fall of Athens. There is some SIFI animation, but it is a blood thirsty brutal movie. 

Dinner was served and consumed in the meantime. Then it was settling back to try and sleep.

I did have a 100% flat bed, but during the night there were a few turbulences. It is also nice to have a seat that gives you a back massage too. 

We are now travelling at 983 km/h and been flying for 9:51 hrs and 2:17 to go. It is 10:03pm Sydney time and 9:03 am Santiago time. But this is now 17 September. So I live this day twice! Also due to my trip eastward this becomes a longer year. I had to do this because in 2010-11 I travelled westward and lost a day. So now I am back to normal!

Land oh!

The first sighting of land, since leaving Australia. 

Then just before landing and going down through the clouds a picture of the Andes mountains.