Then three go up into the Andes

South America 2005

Did you catch a subtle hint there? That’s right, clever-clogs, we’re still in Peru. Yesterday we tried to book a flight to Santiago but it turns out you have to book at least six days in advance to get a good price. So in seven days time Suzie and I will be flying to Santiago from Arica in northern Chile. In the meantime we have continued on with Autumn and headed into the Andes to Cusco. The town is incredibly beautiful although very touristy since it is the main starting point for Machu Picchu, the famous Inca town. We are starting our journey up there tomorrow, going to Ollantaytambo and staying in Aguas Calientes. Next morning Autumn and I plan to take a two-hour-ish trek to Machu Picchu while Suzie, complaining about unfitness, wants to take a bus. Sod her, we’ll just meet her there!

Another bit of super-exciting news: Suzie and I have booked flights to Easter Island. How cool is that! On the 23rd of April we will be flying over 3,500 miles of Pacific Ocean landing nearly 11,000 miles (17,700 kilometres) from my home town of Edinburgh. We are so excited! We’ve been planning it for at least a month but I kept it quiet in case it fell through. Happily it didn’t so I will be bringing back some photos of the most isolated populated place in the world.

Just so you don’t worry, Mum, I’m not so ill I’m bed-bound. We got to Cusco at five this morning in time to see the sun rise over the mountains. It was incredible. We spent the day exploring the colonial town (great architecture), getting ready for tomorrow’s trip, and looking into Spanish schools for Autumn (she’s already great at the language but she wants to enrol here for a couple of weeks to improve). Suzie’s almost up to full strength again (we think we’re sharing the illness since neither of us is ill at the same time as the other) and when she’s not accidentally deleting blog posts she’s writing more about what we’ve been doing.

Suzie’s just read through this and wants me to write that she’s been very good to me today, looking after me and all, which is all true. Thanks, Suzie Q!