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http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/

Hundreds of pix up now - hope you can view it!

NEW BLOG ADDRESS - COPY ADDRESS BELOW AND OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW

Having too much trouble with blogger so changed the location of our blog - much better picture uploads and now the blog is in chronological order - so scroll DOWN to see new posts!

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/liz_and_richard_in_south_/

Copy the complete address including the final forward slash and open in a new window....then bookmark that site...............see you there!

Can't we take him home?

With this post the blog is going to be hopelessly out of order (we wish we could structure it in chronological order, not reverse order as it is - hello Blogger - are you listening?) but this pic is too good not to post right away..............went to the highlands today to see tortoises in the wild......

Greetings from the Galapagos - January 20, 2006

At last we’ve stopped hauling luggage and changing locations every few days. We’re ensconced in our quirky house in the Galapagos for the next month and have time to write and high speed internet access to upload visuals.

A point form recap to date (details to follow):

• Arrived in Cusco Peru where our guide (David) picked us up and drove us to our hotel in Ollantaytambo (in the Sacred Valley) where we stayed for 3 days making various side trips
• Took the train the Machu Picchu, where we stayed for two days at the Sanctuary Lodge on the grounds of Machu Picchu – it is a life list must see
• Train back to Ollantaytambo and then car to Cusco where we mainly slept for 2 days. The 11,000 foot elevation while climbing over Inca ruins is a killer. We’re both dropping pounds like inmates of a fat farm
• Long 6 hour drive across the Alto Plan (12,000 feet) to Lake Titicaca where we spent 2 days in a hotel and one night living with a farm family on an island in the middle of the lake. No running water. No electricity. No refrigeration. 20 sheep in the next room and one of the most significant cultural experiences of our lives
• Flew out of Juliaca (more about it later) to Lima Peru where we spent one night in the “Marriott Bubble” and then a subsequent flight to Quito Ecuador where we spent another night in the “Marriott Bubble” ….. before a complicated flight – bus ride – ferry – another bus ride and then a taxi to our house in the Galapagos.

We’ve been here 3 days and have settled in; figured out how the water system works (had to recall long forgotten skills in priming pumps); flooded the laundry room while discovering that they forgot to tell us that the washer drain wasn’t connected (you throw the hose out the door……of course). The only grocery store burned down last week so buying food and supplies has offered some interesting challenges. Most importantly, as always, we immediately found a really good bar run by a 30 year old ex-pat lady from Hampshire in England. She’s been an invaluable survival guide.

There’s lot of good restaurants, marine iguanas on the rocks at the end our road, frigate birds, pelicans, herons, and Darwin’s famous finches eat crumbs from our breakfast table on the patio. It’s 85 degrees and, being right on the equator, the Beebys can get sunburned walking across the road.

We’re having a wonderful time and looking forward to exploring the islands in more detail…..but Toto, we’re definitely not in Rome this vacation!

Words cannot describe how beautiful it is.....

......but they´ll have to do for now as the dial up connection can´t take our photos!

It is simply stunning here - the scenery, the history, the people - even with the high expectations we had coming they´ve all been exceeded. Following are some notes we sent to our families when we arrived......we´ll post more after the weekend when we´ll have high speed internet.....

Ollantaytambo - January 4th

Made it safe and sound! Our trip was actually quite easy - the transfer through the Lima airport was easy and we weren´t attacked (perhaps I was a little paranoid about the Lima airport in retrospect!!).....then we landed in Cusco about 11am yesterday morning - our guide David was meeting us at the airport with a sign with our names on it - alas, no David......we looked like kids at kindergarten whose parents had forgotten them. So I took out my Rogers cell phone, turned it on - didn´t it fire up and I called him on his cell (despite the fact I work in the business, I still find that amazing - I´m sure I´ll be equally amazed when I get the bill!)

David was apoplectic - his son and wife were supposed to be there - he was at the clinic with another client who had severe altitude sickness (oh great, I think, starting to breathe heavily) - he said I will be there in ten minutes.....at which point his wife and son (Isabella and Omar) came running up with our sign -

WELCOME - LIZ AND RICHARD SEIBERT

That always make me laugh!

Turns out our flight was early - we didn´t realize that. First of all it was like meeting long lost relatives - hugs and kisses all around....then we set off for David´s house for coca tea which is supposed to be good for altitude sickness (did he not have the other client over I´m wondering?)

More hugs and kisses - David was there and his daughter Sonia - and tea and then Isabella and Omar drove us to Ollantaytambo (about 90 minutes) - where we´re staying for 4 nights. It´s about halfway down (up?) the valley. Isabella and Omar don´t speak much English but we had fun trying French and Italian and Spanglish - amazing how well you can do actually. David had said he would come up to see us later in the afternoon after he had seen his other client again - he looked really relieved when we said not to bother - we would be fine - so instead he called 2 times to make sure we were OK (now that I think about it we haven´t paid him a nickel - no wonder he´s worried about us!!).

So far no altitude problems! Yeah!!!¨ and if we haven´t had them by now we should be OK (there I go tempting that bitch fate)

This little town is amazing - it´s Incan (15thC) and has been preserved as much as possible - some criticize it as too touristy but that´s all relative once you´ve been to Disneyworld! Our hotel is lovely - 8 rooms and a very nice restaurant. We have a view of the ruins out our window and of the town square - this morning there were women in traditional clothes washing their clothes in the stream and a local guy standing next to them on a cell phone................amazing! Yesterday on the drive up we saw amazing fields of potatoes and oxen ploughing them........

Yesterday afternoon we walked around town and had an omellete and fries and a beer in a bar on the square - very tasty and $8US. Beer is $1.20 in a bar - I´m never leaving. Our dinner last night was $24US - I thought the prices were higher - so that´s a real bonus.

Today David is picking us up at 10am, and after taking our temperture (!!) will take us on a 5 hour tour of several ruins in the valley. He has a nice big comfortable van and it´s just us......this morning a tour left the hotel (seems that they have the other 7 rooms) and I was so happy we weren´t doing that......and this option has somehow worked out cheaper.....although perhaps David is just going to sell us into white slavery at the end......!!

So....we´re off to a great start! Richard´s back is still a little tender but we´ll take it easy today as we can go at our own pace......

Ollantaytambo, January 5th

Had a spectacular day yesterday - David and Isabel picked us up at 10am and we went to two fascinating sites - what I´m coming to realize is we´re seeing things that are really off the beaten track - most people come to this area and rush to Machu Picchu but because we have 4 days in the valley first we´re seeing all sorts of neat things....and David is just great.

Happy New Year's Eve!

It snowed today - how appropriate for us as we prepare to leave Toronto winter again this year!

We're leaving January 2 for 10 weeks in South America - we've wanted to do this trip for many years - itinerary is as follows:

January 3 - 17 - Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca,
January 17 - February 17 - Galapagos - in a rental house plus cruise
February 17 - March 16 - Chile - plans are still evolving but will likely include a trip to Tierro del Fuego and a cruise to Cape Horn and will definitely include a trip to Easter Island

We'll be posting regularly once we get to the Galapagos - perhaps a few updates from Machu Picchu, depending upon the availability of internet connections - so check often!

Best regards

Liz and Richard