Author Archives: geoff

So here is the rough plan: Fly to Santiago (via Auckland) Enjoy Santiago whilst recovering, then on to Cusco and Maccu Picchu (actually I think we go to Cusco via Lima… ignore the dashed line on the map). then back … Continue reading →

Time to go. Up at 5am, shower, breakfast, last minute things to pack, then off to the airport. The nice lady at check-in, noting I had a 60 min connection in Sydney, re-booked me on an earlier flight to Sydney, … Continue reading →

A day of cool and overcast. Apparently not a bad smog day – we could see the CBD from 5 km away. Santiago, about the midpoint both North-South and East-West, is the only significant city in Chile and it is … Continue reading →

We awoke (this may be an overstatement – jetlag is still rife) to a blue sky day. Porridge for breakfast.  Supermarkets here seem to have no breakfast cereal that isn’t 95% sugar, or, perhaps worse, low sugar but packed with … Continue reading →

After a day in bed suffering from a bug, I was happy to feel up to joining everyone on a wine tour – the plan: head north west to the Casablanca valley. Wine tour/tasting at Veramonte winery, gourmet lunch at … Continue reading →

Pucon, on the banks of Lake Villaricca is very scenic. The conical, snow covered Vulcan Villaricca a few km away is spectacular. We took a “random walk” on the way here — steven spotted a road on the map that … Continue reading →

Saltos del Laja are a set of waterfalls on the Laja river. Together they are around 450 m wide, though access to the western falls is somewhat restricted – the western bank of the falls is owned by a hotel … Continue reading →

We had an early start – up at 04:30 for a 5AM minibus to the airport. I had a window seat so I got views of the mountains to the east (alas, into the glare of the rising sun).  Santiago-Lima, … Continue reading →

Ollantay Tambo is a town down in the Sacred Valley on the banks of the Urumbamba river. It’s a railway town where one can catch the Machu Piccu train, and also has its own Inca ruins. This is a tourist … Continue reading →

An hour and a half downriver on the scenic railway got us to Aguas Callientes, the station/small town in the valley below Macchu Piccu. From there one can walk up 600 m cimb of steep steps or take a bus … Continue reading →

We had a final morning wander round the streets of Ollantaytambo before our transport arrived, exploring more of the markets and dodging the taxis.         Our transport was a passenger van which arrived on time. We loaded … Continue reading →

Cusco – 3400 m above sea level.  The air was definitely thin here.  It probably affected us more than the locals, but on our first day there were what we took to be traditional Peruvian dancing competitions/exhibitions in the Plaza. … Continue reading →

The final few days are upon us. Sunday 18th is Indpependence day in Chile, with Monday a national holiday. It celebrates Chile’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1810. Lots of flags are on show. We went to a barbecue … Continue reading →