PERU

A month-long backpacking tour of a few South American countries was hatched over email with a friend I'd met in Greece after finishing up my Euro bike tour.
'Frenchie' was a very seasoned traveler too, and we both had sights on Machu Picchu and as much else as we could fit into 31 days. I flew directly from Australia where I’d purchased a set of around-the world plane tix, and Frenchie flew down from Quebec. We met up in Peru’s capital of Lima.
Truth be told, my ability to speak & understand Spanish was non-existent, whereas Frenchie was fluent in English, French & Spanish - so she did all the talking, ordering, booking etc on my behalf. She really made this trip as awesome as it was for me, and for that I'll always be grateful.
Thanks 'Frenchie’ MT.

Lima

Although I had a stopover in Santiago Chile, South America truly began for us in Lima, Peru. Frenchie's luggage was lost in transit so we had to stick around 'El Pulpo' (The Octopus as Lima is called by the locals) to await its arrival. Huaca Puclana suuuuucked…

Arequipa

Arequipa (meaning "Yes, stay" in the Incan Quechua dialect) is a beautiful southwest Peruvian city that we stopped at for a few days to begin acclimatizing to higher altitudes. Altitudes that didn't seem to phase Frenchie, but made me feel lethargic and hungover. Drinking coca leaf tea was said to help with that adjustment to the change in oxygen, so I began drinking it as much as I could.

We booked a night-time whitewater rafting excursion that was both exhilarating and a little crazy (sadly, no pics of it) and We got back to our hotel around 2am soaked to the bone and crashed out hard. Day trips to the Santa Catalina monastery and then into the valley and through some outlying villages were eye opening; many Peruvians live in meager brick houses and struggle to eke out a living.

Uros Floating Islands

After looping back into Peru from Bolivia, Frenchie & I arrived at the laskeside town of Puno. After rickshaw'ing around to find a hotel, we boarded a boat that took us to a place that was somewhat like stepping back in time. The Uros Floating Islands are home to the indigenous Uru people of Peru and Bolivia who live on approximately 120 self-made reed islands in Lake Titicaca near Puno. The Uru use bundles of dried Totora reeds to make reed boats, and to make the islands themselves. The larger islands house about ten families, while smaller ones, only about thirty meters wide, house only two or three families. According to legend, the Uru used to say they had black blood, because they did not feel the cold.
Frenchie & I then grabbed a dinner of trucha (trout) caught fresh from the lake while listening to live traditional Incan music. Dig it.

On one evening at about 1am, a raucous parade passed under our hotel window; revelers of Inti Raymi; a celebration in honour of the Inti (Quechua language for "sun"), the most revered deity in Inca religion. The ceremony was also said to symbolize the mythical origin of the Inca people. The party lasted for nine days and was filled with colorful dances and processions, as well as animal sacrifices to thank Pachamama and to ensure a good harvest season.

The Salkantay Trek

While the Incan Trail is world renowned, it also draws tons of people. We opted for a more quiet, less congested path to the renowned Incan citadel in the mountains. Four of us (three canucks and a German) and a freakishly knowledgeable local guide and porters set out for a 4-day, 3-night hike on the Salkantay trek. This hike, along with New Zealand’s ‘Tongariro Crossing’ are the most incredible hikes I’ve ever done, albeit, this one way longer and more punishing. We crossed the Salkantay pass at an altitude of 4580 meters (15,026 feet) above sea level, where Sorroche (altitude sickness) was kicking my ass. I felt so rough up in those rocky-mountain-peak pics, almost hallucinating from the thin oxygen. We made an offering to the mountain gods and pushed on, feeling better as we descended. What a hike.