Amazon Jungle....

...Southern Amazon Jungles of Peru...

...from Cusco we flew in to remote part of Peru bordering with Bolivia and Brazil -The Amazon Jungle -a place called Puerto Maldonado-30km of boat ride from here we arrived at our Jungle Lodge called Eco-Amazonia right on the river...and here we would be out of our comfort zone daily...

...hammock to sleep in- right on the river...the Jungle noise was just mind-blowing 24 hours a day-we would go trekking in to jungle or safari on the river daily with our guide-we spent 5 days here- and daily you are out of your comfort zone once you walked out of your well protected room...the noise of howler monkies was something special...

...Scarlet Macau -amazing colours- but has the most ugliest bird call of all the birds of Amazonia-Lover Birds has the most haunting bird call in Amazon...by the way- Scarlet Macau will only have one partner all their life-they are the most faithful and devoted creatures on our planet - if one half of the couple dies then the other would remain single all their remaining years...ain´t that sweet!..

...another snake spotted yet again by Pritti-that's total of 3 that she has spotted in the wild on our travel-I have a feeling she belonged to the Slytherine House when at school...this one green tree snake... Roberto said it ain´t deadly -I told him he was lying ...

...Tapir-makes good hunting for big cats in the Amazon- it looks dopey but boy it can out-run any big cat in the jungle-we never saw any big cats but we did see foot-prints of a Jaguar on one of our jungle trek and Roberto said the foot-print was about 5 to 6 hours old-so we knew there was a Jaguar out there not far from us...wild-life is very difficult to spot in the Amazon due to high density of trees and foilage - you can hear them all-just awesome noise 24 hours a day- it's just that you can't see them - THEY are watching you that´s for sure...

...our guide Roberto poking with a long stick of grass at a TARANTULA hole... is he mad or wot?

...and here it comes- MY NIGHTMARE-the further IT came from the hole the further I went away from the hole-this was a baby,imagine seeing a REAL big one and then putting it on your shoulder...well someone did!..

...look at the sweat on that face-and yes that´s the real BIG one Roberto found while we were trekking on another day...HE said Tarantula bites are not DEADLY-the sting is bad enough to give you a real swelling but won´t kill you...but I am not so sure-I´ll happily jump out of perfectley good aeroplanes and run off the mountains holding just a kite in my hand but I will NEVER put THAT THING on any part of my body-thank you very much...this little 7 year old is THE real INDIANA JONES...pretty much nothing scares her...and she enjoyes it too-we think she is MAD!...

...right across the river from our lodge was an isalnd full of monkeis of all kinds - they won´t afraid of any human presence either - they would get very close to you...these are Black Spider Monkies with massive strong tail they use as a fifth limb...real acrobats - they put on a great show for us...

...another kind of monkey...

...this one was real live-wire...

Cusco...Peru

...great colonial city but very few reminders of Inca presence as everything was looted and destroyed by the Spainards...

...boots being cleaned after the Machu Picchu trek...all bodily pains have disappered after some lovely TLC from the Mrs...
...Main Square...Spainards did some real damage all over South America,they shamelessly looted all the gold,silver and anything valubles and they destroyed all the local civilisations and all the indigenous people with it...raped and murdered...funny thing is in Spain their brutal behaviour abroad is not taught or written anywhere and so today's Spaniards has no knowledge of how their countrymen behaved while colonising South America...
...beautiful city Cusco...it was the Capital of Inca Empire...all the great buildings of Inca time were brought down by the Spainards and on it they built their churches and other government buildings...
...lovely balconies overlooking the square...great place to have few beers as one does!..

Machu Picchu Trek-Dedicated To Our Dear Friend Naresh

FIRST DAY

...14KM-6 to 7 hours of tough climbing from 2380m to 3000m...

...our group from left five Australians,Matthew,Michael,James,Heath and Andrew(I shared tent with Andrew)-from right 3 Americans Dr Amit,Dr Nitin and Amy...beginning of THE INCA TRAIL fromPISCACUCHO-3 nights and 4 days... the Aussis knew something I didn't because within 30 minutes of walking uphill all my layers came off!... am the oldest at 47 others are between 22 and 36... the whole trek is in what is known as SACRED VALLEY...we would trek through all kinds of terrain including jungle,Alpine lakes,grass-lands,snow-line,rivers,streams,bridges,lichen and moss forest...
...train to Machu Picchu-wish we were on there? you bet!..Urubamba river flows by...
...Amit struggling along as the porter carries 24kg and literally runs pass him-we had immense admiration for them... our chief guide Orlando and Andrew are taking a breather at the back as the air gets thinner and we begin to look for Oxygen...
...Orlando climbs up behind us to make sure the tail is all OK-and the tail was always made up of Amy,Andrew and your's trully...it was so tiring for me that I can not describe it...my legs were like Lead and lungs were gasping for non-existent Oxygen...I was stopping every 5 minutes to catch my breath...and this all within first two hours...I thought how the hell am I going to last for 4 days...well read on... ...exhausted the group gather for photo...note how all the layers have come off...

...see the snaking path where we walked up from ...felt great I have made it this far up but am very anxious...others are giving loads of morale support....
...made it to our campsite for the night at WAYLLABAMBA I took 71/2 hours...awesome place...six double tents in the middle-mine 2nd from right-two red tents,one is kitchen other is dining room... spent most night massaging my thigh and calf and groin muscels as I was so tired I was unable to sleep...infact no one could sleep...
...our staff-1 chef-14 porters and 2 guides -dedication of these 17 guys towards us 9 trekkers was total and professional-without them it can not be done-they would be up at 5 am to prepare our superb breakfast,then take everything and set up and prepare amazing lunch ahead and finally when we arrived for the night our tents would be ready and perfect dinner served at 7pm ...thank you guys...

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DAY TWO

...the most challenging part of the trek and very difficult 7 hours ahead to cover 12 km-climbing from 3200m to 4200m(highest on our trek)

...apart from Andrew the other four Aussis were motoring away all the time carrying their own backpacks-some fitness- but even they were stopping to catch breath as much as I was... Amit,Nitin and myself had hired extra porter to carry our backpacks while others were carrying their own but wished they had also hired extra porters...
...Amy breathless-not in awe at the magnificent scenery,but from lack of Oxygen...I was so tired here I didn't know what to do -can't go back as it's impossible....
...knackered troops looks for some divine intervention...my head was spinning here and I was breathing real heavy...
...the legs were dis-connected from my brain at times as either legs refused to take steps forard-it was that bad-but the scenery was just so inspiring and the support from others specially from Rambo and Orlando was very touching indeed...
...having trouble breathing-Rambo breaks open a vial of some Inca medicines to open up my lungs and it did help-for a while..legs were beginning to tremble and hard bit is yet to come as our target is to reach DEAD WOMEN'S PASS(DWP) at 4200m on top of the mountain before we descend to our camp site...
...the booby shape mountain is DWP...we were up at 5:30 today left 7am ...
...am oldest in the group and felt like a senior citizen just before DWP...EVERYTHING FROM STOMACH BELOW IS IN REAL CRISIS... river Urubamba takes another route from here- but it will be with us again as we near Machu Picchu...
...made DWP after 5 hours of relentless punishing upwards climb at 4200m -very close to snow-line and very cold harsh wind ...I was real happy here inside for making this far...DWP-believe me,no place I have been to seem so appropriatley named...it started to rain and so much mist and hanging clouds that I could hardly see pass my nose and from here it was downhill for 3 hours to make the campsite...
...when will it end...

...downhill very punishing on the knees and it makes both legs tremble...the trek goes on...vistas are majestic...The Inca Trail was only travelled by high priests and kings alone all others took different trails...
...Orlando gives a helping hand...
...something from within drives you to take the next step -can't be explained...trek valley after valley and then you see an INCA ruins shrouded in fog and mist and suddenly you get a second wind and you begin to feel like Indiana Jones and you quicken up your pace even...but lack of Oxygen is never far away... the trail is hard but it now felt more like an epic pilgrimage and I know I can do it...
...we reached RUNKURAQAY our campsite at 5pm ,we were camping on a old buerial ground and supposed to be haunted -12km and 8 hours-and it was an inspirational place to camp-we were above the cloud and surrounded by snow-capped Andes and even a Glacier-magnificient place-group had stomach problems,calf musceles torn,heavy legs and it was like a nursing home but we were all very happy...
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DAY THREE

...Unfogettable part of trek-16km-6 to 8 hours at 3200m...

...beautiful morning-chef gave us the breakfast in the open and one of the most memorable breakfast ever with a view fit for Inca Gods...you can not imagine...brilliant and boy I was in a great mood and raring to go despite all the pain...
...one of two Inca tunnels on the trail-this portion of the trail goes throgh magnificient forest and white granite stones like marbles...
...today's trek involves lots of ascends and descends...but most of all it involves going down 2000 steps which are not really steps but mini mountains and very steep and right damn dangerous-some trekkers lose their lives every year on this trek...I am totally shattered in this pix...
...Dr Nitin making light work of going down-he is a manic bird watcher and gets really excited even when he spots a sparrow...imagine his delight then when he spotted a green hummingbird... he brought two cameras,one lense was so huge it would put paparazzi to shame-he also had calf muscele problem to deal with... Dr Amit carried a Palm-recorder...the Aussis had them cheap Chinese cameras and I couldn't believe all five Aussis were well educated and there I thought they were all......................sorry mate!...
...troops gather at another Inca ruin ,gather thoughts and catch breath...this ruin was a lodge and resting place for relay runners-this would mean for example fresh seafood from sea-side 400km away can be reached Machu Picchu in 24 hours for Inca's to feast on... at 4000m we also pass two Alpine lakes...
...beginning of 2000 steps descend-damn right dangerous I thought at the time-one wrong move and you are a gonner at least 300m down in the valley ...some steps had 24 inches gap between them and they were all built by someone high on coca leaves...
...another Inca ruin at WINYAWAYNA near our final campsite-this was a nursery for different plants-in Peru there are over 2000 kinds of patatoes and 300 types of corns of all colours...we also catch up with River Urubamba in the distant again...

...final campsite at WINAYWAYNA at 2700m-16km and 7 hours-again our porters have chosen the most gorgeous spot that gives magnificient views of the Andes...we had Pisco and beers to celebrate with our dinner and some of us said few words to thank our staff and our fellow trekkers and Dr Amit being a magician as well perform some tricks again to delight our staff...magical evening...
...here the Medics in the group dish out remedies to walking wounded and there was no exception...we were all suffering from one thing or the other...but oh boy we were nearing our goal-it was within each-but what will the morning bring!!!!!!

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DAY FOUR

...up at 4am-7km 2 hours to reach THE SUN GATE over Machu Pichu-drizzling as we got up-final breakfast at 4:30am and we were off at 5am-as we left the campsite the heavens just opened up and we were all drenched in no time even through our rain-proofs-water in the shoes-everything I was wearing was soaked and we had to walk 7km at a fast pace to make the sunrise over Machu Picchu-this part of the trek is very slippery when wet and dangerous and fearful cliff edges and also passes through thick jungle...it rained and rained and my glasses were steaming up all the time and my torch light was playing up too-it was scary and my thoughts turned to whether I would acutally see Machu Picchu in this weather condition at all...will I see it in all it's glory as I had imagined? ...read on...

...still raining arrived at THE SUN GATE(this is the entry to the city of Machu Picchu) high above Machu Picchu-soaked to bones and cold...this place is called INTI PUNKU...well here I saw nothing but heavy clouds and no sunrise and I began to feel like cheated after all the pain I have been through in the last 4 days and all this trekking for nothing?-all of the promised grand views of the Machu Picchu were obscured-we all felt numb but it wasn't all over yet because Machu Picchu is some where below all them clouds so we thought and we started climbing down more steps and after half an hour we reached sacred site of Machu Picchu-but it was raining so hard and we were wet and cold thought nothing but to get out of the wet clothes but my clothes were with my porter and he was some 4 miles away....it was now 9am and we all thought the clouds are not going to go away and we may never see Machu Picchu...but around 10am clouds lifted and it stopped raining and there it was in all it's glory-we saw MACHU PICCHU...

...I enter Machu Picchu City as rain stopps and clouds starts to clear away...

...glorious as I had always imagined...

...IT WAS EVERYTHING I'D DARED TO DREAM IT WOULD BE...

...in the end,there are some wonders of the world that you have to EARN the right to appreciate.For me ,all the trials and tribulations on THE INCA TRAIL made the journey's end more unforgettable...

...I also had my friend in spirit all the way with me...













DAY FOUR

La Paz

La Paz ( Sucre is the Capital of Bolivia)-world's great location at 3600 meters above sea level very thin air and very difficult to breadth,surrounded by high snow-capped Andes which leads to the Altiplano desert- breaks all sorts of world records like highest ski resort etc...
...varoius view point to observe the city from height and it does look magnificient ...

...La Paz has some amazing scenery and many forms of of land like this the Moon Valley...
...highest Golf Course in the world at 3600 meters-80 US weekdays and kindly play some place else at weekends-use of Oxygen tank in the club house and on various tees are included in the green fees -no buggies caddies avaialable and I was told by a member that Oxygen tanks are mainly used by foreign golfers-superb location high above La Paz in the Moon Valley-has to be seen to be believed...
...coca museum-can see actual coca plants and it's origin and uses etc...
...witche's market.......Presidential palace on the left...
..Killi Killi view point over La Paz-it's real spectacular at night...