tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50875466686142332482024-03-05T17:13:20.534-05:00Shorty's TravelsNicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-89219822312195001382021-05-09T16:33:00.003-05:002021-05-09T17:22:38.945-05:00#vanlife<p>So Covid is still here and we need a holiday and what better option than to rent a converted van for 5 nights and travel the Northern Kingdom with two dogs. </p><p>First stop St Johnsbury and the Kingdom Taproom for beer and supper. And what a supper the chef is amazing - vegetable dumplings, coconut shrimp, chicken and waffles, fish tacos washed down with a nice Rose and Susan beer from Hill Farmstead </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiccAIu6PKpuHwJUGvsy19eiJ49nxbyzGkvewLoOdz_KqayyzFBkAliXx9luSD3ZxhKQyVzbshLtdfCeRXitMloapEpuHNQtCsh3Xe8-zby9cCcRwyDf7xcAB_0EJidZDVNsWfBosDmv1/s2048/6720875E-6FF0-47F4-9678-67FDF8AAC55D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiccAIu6PKpuHwJUGvsy19eiJ49nxbyzGkvewLoOdz_KqayyzFBkAliXx9luSD3ZxhKQyVzbshLtdfCeRXitMloapEpuHNQtCsh3Xe8-zby9cCcRwyDf7xcAB_0EJidZDVNsWfBosDmv1/w240-h320/6720875E-6FF0-47F4-9678-67FDF8AAC55D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-68778724257470802402018-08-11T18:35:00.006-05:002020-08-30T20:06:57.493-05:00Machu Picchu (Day 9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Machu Picchu - the place we were all waiting for, would it disappoint?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">A really early start; 0500 alarm for breakfast 0530 to 0600 in-order to get in the queue for the buses at around 0615. The queue was quite orderly given the number of people waiting. The bus lady came up the queue to check our bus tickets against our passports so that once we got onto the bus we just jumped on. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyBONoxiue0L7UqZwPQFCRAiK2rKa1S2VFIeRJzOn5qr_imcN41ekYBeWAQL3P-Y8Y_qMDALY1pQ7sdAaGSMvhwcx810zkc7yhp675BYowqk0E9ytQhLmMRX00NaNiRlaPrLCMGq6Xd2o/s2048/0747061A-50B9-42EB-A417-074766C30F55.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyBONoxiue0L7UqZwPQFCRAiK2rKa1S2VFIeRJzOn5qr_imcN41ekYBeWAQL3P-Y8Y_qMDALY1pQ7sdAaGSMvhwcx810zkc7yhp675BYowqk0E9ytQhLmMRX00NaNiRlaPrLCMGq6Xd2o/w384-h512/0747061A-50B9-42EB-A417-074766C30F55.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The buses came haring up the queue, swung around and then there they were there - it really is quite a slick operation. Amazingly we still had to wait for and hour or so which meant we finally got to the gate at 0730. </span></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadO66IbnLuu2JZhGCDqOnm-TUAcQmdfF6-kWoN0RXBGcjw5P9kZlamP4uem6q9GKT27khZ-3kHJw8_2PcQFRT3_Y8h1dKlaBTiGSnTl7hEtYQQM3C2nnFOo1eljYvNh_7SVstEvCrncKG/s2048/B145C990-E997-42FA-8AEA-43F5D13D719A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadO66IbnLuu2JZhGCDqOnm-TUAcQmdfF6-kWoN0RXBGcjw5P9kZlamP4uem6q9GKT27khZ-3kHJw8_2PcQFRT3_Y8h1dKlaBTiGSnTl7hEtYQQM3C2nnFOo1eljYvNh_7SVstEvCrncKG/s640/B145C990-E997-42FA-8AEA-43F5D13D719A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;"><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;"><br /></span></div>The bus ride on no 23 was hair raising....... Switchback after switchback - buses flying up and down and passing each other at speed. The views again were spectacular - tried to take some photos and videos but we were moving really fast.....</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqauAJ98yUZyWDeWFnMe-S1NAO_kpR4DXu5VBx8RxrNEAPOCowRR5hVJ8f3t9gJj1olXoAIDuV8OqyNrNLUu_l9_U5FeFzn1h41zaevuTSW1jtds1gFpeBGxrXTSZEr79xS0eR_vgDQ5U/s2048/E2870BF8-400D-4364-BCB8-25AE427E3A14.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqauAJ98yUZyWDeWFnMe-S1NAO_kpR4DXu5VBx8RxrNEAPOCowRR5hVJ8f3t9gJj1olXoAIDuV8OqyNrNLUu_l9_U5FeFzn1h41zaevuTSW1jtds1gFpeBGxrXTSZEr79xS0eR_vgDQ5U/s640/E2870BF8-400D-4364-BCB8-25AE427E3A14.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Manuel, the chief spokesperson for the Inca Liberation Front (the ILF) and nominally our guide from the day, stated that in five years time a cable car will be installed that should dramatically reduce the travel time. Pepe told us the day before that this was not going to the case as the bus operators obviously didn’t want this to happen and so (with the help of generous amounts of cash) were stalling it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">As with everything in this corrugated area of Peru our trip to Machu Picchu started with a walk up hill to the gate house. As we didn't find out from the ILF spokesman, there are two loops around the sight and this was the start for the first one. Let’s be honest we didn’t find out much of any practical use from our esteemed freedom fighter save that the Incas either discovered or invented everything. Examples: the worlds only stock of super foods and the Summer and Winter solstice’s, but not sure I can agree with that considering the fact that Stonehenge is 5,100 years old and the Incas came along 580 years ago. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldwxrBxjQqbRv5DYAmMmcfNNyXTNdEasD086Ifj-v8dAGcqP7Z4tAcxswFK4mu6tOLJpAja1H8J2ee2wp1bqeTWcg2l_wgpmDelVWJs69huGW_6biIHf6mcD1pFnBmKziXJF3kvA6F0Se/s2048/0A15673F-8079-449B-99BD-FEA3792F4851.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldwxrBxjQqbRv5DYAmMmcfNNyXTNdEasD086Ifj-v8dAGcqP7Z4tAcxswFK4mu6tOLJpAja1H8J2ee2wp1bqeTWcg2l_wgpmDelVWJs69huGW_6biIHf6mcD1pFnBmKziXJF3kvA6F0Se/s640/0A15673F-8079-449B-99BD-FEA3792F4851.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;">Anyway the Gate House is the sight of all the classic Machu Picchu photos so everyone was there (well the early birds were there, Nicola went back for a second loop around 11:30 and it was madness - bus loads of Japanese tourists and selfie sticks)! </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwLjQwUmdpzTXLqiCwxPZhGKPr4f5tSX_3Y2Pdci5INyCLvffym-j9ogW2Z1OyKNIz7LhzIZY4QG8ldZZ0wMfMtxcHt03jvLIw2PHs3UhTurbphydDXxLT2IStPB0pNqF3GRBGygiBdCU/s1620/1D000ED9-8DB0-4007-84B3-780C4565B4C8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwLjQwUmdpzTXLqiCwxPZhGKPr4f5tSX_3Y2Pdci5INyCLvffym-j9ogW2Z1OyKNIz7LhzIZY4QG8ldZZ0wMfMtxcHt03jvLIw2PHs3UhTurbphydDXxLT2IStPB0pNqF3GRBGygiBdCU/s640/1D000ED9-8DB0-4007-84B3-780C4565B4C8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOnVUxUYgtjRq4iCdjA-KXfpy8s-s_6gXkjN1v1tJmNJtLOSlKEmPp4sV9J7ohyphenhyphenbkMGdEWdspHsB-smnvHiYLDAQfhiaaZ6LYMfYCMWI_iR9ezjKsHFUWtX-bAeMdybw3ikhbEqrJC3Ti/s2048/131E14F6-9E6D-4E3B-A986-85ECCCA2966F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOnVUxUYgtjRq4iCdjA-KXfpy8s-s_6gXkjN1v1tJmNJtLOSlKEmPp4sV9J7ohyphenhyphenbkMGdEWdspHsB-smnvHiYLDAQfhiaaZ6LYMfYCMWI_iR9ezjKsHFUWtX-bAeMdybw3ikhbEqrJC3Ti/w384-h512/131E14F6-9E6D-4E3B-A986-85ECCCA2966F.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;">Machu Picchu did not disappoint. The backdrop of the sky was blue with little puffy white clouds. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: .SFUIDisplay;"><span style="font-size: 28px;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zp8M_Gfmh4D8Mehs7kDtIsU5v21J1RJbKrCqpIXbaRZnINoi95t4pQ-giPv9i-PyffG3Jikxp7mwNcnCI3WS2SlGc3foUnFedbI_MbSRpPdHbS177jitbZn8JT257EEVZQftCwbkYb00/s1620/F7042290-6BD0-4151-871C-3CECFDDB349B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zp8M_Gfmh4D8Mehs7kDtIsU5v21J1RJbKrCqpIXbaRZnINoi95t4pQ-giPv9i-PyffG3Jikxp7mwNcnCI3WS2SlGc3foUnFedbI_MbSRpPdHbS177jitbZn8JT257EEVZQftCwbkYb00/w342-h512/F7042290-6BD0-4151-871C-3CECFDDB349B.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">It is hard to describe, you have all seen the photos, but in real life it is much more spiritual and serene despite the number of people. I (Nicola) got quite emotional - it is somewhere Mummy has always wanted to visit and not really sure if this will be possible now. But I was seeing it for me and for her. I could have sat there for a very long time just soaking up the view.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmr5NjsKfWeE9OlsUdMlyNVDhq1zYRW9jKnEDhQu_I1rtqnFKY4VdQJv9jwF5Z8KYKTejVtHNz2ITd9RbFjq0K2N4B-LU8Y6wrpT9UQ8H277d77vBOhtTitZt8DCu4-k5p_9um-jQ-ojc9/s6000/6A46B767-D9EB-4689-8393-B7F4948E82B1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmr5NjsKfWeE9OlsUdMlyNVDhq1zYRW9jKnEDhQu_I1rtqnFKY4VdQJv9jwF5Z8KYKTejVtHNz2ITd9RbFjq0K2N4B-LU8Y6wrpT9UQ8H277d77vBOhtTitZt8DCu4-k5p_9um-jQ-ojc9/s640/6A46B767-D9EB-4689-8393-B7F4948E82B1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">As we progressed around the site we took in more detail of the Sun Tower, the different building styles of the walls, the llamas (including a one week old baby - if Manuel is to be believed), it was all still gangly legs!!! </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcuEZ1y1yp3bkE51PDzUn6xldLJWOf7xz1UeD-zCw3-_UPoB6b3SR1hkhP3CzsjLLxyBZcWn4zVff13vXMkA01JI8F8no0CbIQeiXJ6dz_8HDN8qjHsgnFgIrydPpaeYfMkR7BPPGfSt_/s6000/1CFD2263-2E75-4011-890C-4866FD8EFBA5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcuEZ1y1yp3bkE51PDzUn6xldLJWOf7xz1UeD-zCw3-_UPoB6b3SR1hkhP3CzsjLLxyBZcWn4zVff13vXMkA01JI8F8no0CbIQeiXJ6dz_8HDN8qjHsgnFgIrydPpaeYfMkR7BPPGfSt_/s640/1CFD2263-2E75-4011-890C-4866FD8EFBA5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiWdeKTF66kvzoW3Af3qv_VjuhccMZnYd_ktNW5WxEFvsgeDFFqmQvfUZymVC8sW4Idp6zLA2OTOW7iGHFRNe-HGPn936EUzBwjajKj515DMA1dkGJhNnbrPMe-1icW1K_6LjttPZxpP8/s6000/7B3A3108-17FF-4040-A0C8-C026FE9FFDAB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiWdeKTF66kvzoW3Af3qv_VjuhccMZnYd_ktNW5WxEFvsgeDFFqmQvfUZymVC8sW4Idp6zLA2OTOW7iGHFRNe-HGPn936EUzBwjajKj515DMA1dkGJhNnbrPMe-1icW1K_6LjttPZxpP8/s640/7B3A3108-17FF-4040-A0C8-C026FE9FFDAB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFh0ac3XRvyguZCRlFo5pXdb4BMf0lyj_hK5n4fpoL0w8umIJEwhbnBqWo2F-CeGH6wh9r8LNlGpin8wQ9uH8hdJPC1te6WttFG95X9KWACvPXqLZ6svedJ_Ba2hAwk4tbLLhKL1r41oGY/s2048/9E7C2FD0-38F9-4DA1-B5A1-4DA649E71A32.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFh0ac3XRvyguZCRlFo5pXdb4BMf0lyj_hK5n4fpoL0w8umIJEwhbnBqWo2F-CeGH6wh9r8LNlGpin8wQ9uH8hdJPC1te6WttFG95X9KWACvPXqLZ6svedJ_Ba2hAwk4tbLLhKL1r41oGY/s640/9E7C2FD0-38F9-4DA1-B5A1-4DA649E71A32.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">We also had an amazing view back towards our lunch spot from yesterday, when we really could grasp how far we had hiked the day before.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNLuryrNfkMHcmmlsdla8Vr3FhH9-99ArjGOxaSeOGybzLW4SfqZDV6GCmwc9FxMxTouUAT47QVnforqZaAs8vv0SF0e6vo4P8mZ3Czu9WmoncNWhEyW0EwxIeXyiWR3Z_52yR82ISvia/s3434/10DF1B53-4800-4A72-9601-41DD4D4B0095.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="3434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNLuryrNfkMHcmmlsdla8Vr3FhH9-99ArjGOxaSeOGybzLW4SfqZDV6GCmwc9FxMxTouUAT47QVnforqZaAs8vv0SF0e6vo4P8mZ3Czu9WmoncNWhEyW0EwxIeXyiWR3Z_52yR82ISvia/s640/10DF1B53-4800-4A72-9601-41DD4D4B0095.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">After the obligatory photos we set of to explore the site, as I say we learnt precious little from our guide and from subsequent research a lot of what we were told was wrong. Example, Manuel seemed to paint the site as the worlds first meritocratic seat of learning and research. Versus the more popular view that it was the Balmoral for the ninth Incan ruler and Inca Empire builder Pachacuti Inca Yuancuti. A small difference but…… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Manuel finished his propaganda tour at 9:30 meaning Jon had to wait around for half an hour to tackle Huayna Picchu the seat of the highest priest according to the ILF or as Jon thinks a look out post and garrison. Nicola decided, sensibly, that maybe tackling more mountains on limited energy might not be the best idea. The peak stands 800 feet (260 meters) above Machu Picchu and serves as the backdrop to most of the typical photos of the Inca ruin. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJqfJxR36bdJ8fx3CmlPbH50pfBSjYC49FktP8W5XqgXKU9OmZYJ60OlCh1lbwwRI-D-7H4Ytl8P0CWH_5FXHwT4Pqz4usvSLY_u54kPNuVkHzcruf9YmbsFhzxKMTy4Nld3zuq_GxpeM/s2048/7C549F2C-0B2C-464E-B261-76ED007CCA7C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJqfJxR36bdJ8fx3CmlPbH50pfBSjYC49FktP8W5XqgXKU9OmZYJ60OlCh1lbwwRI-D-7H4Ytl8P0CWH_5FXHwT4Pqz4usvSLY_u54kPNuVkHzcruf9YmbsFhzxKMTy4Nld3zuq_GxpeM/s640/7C549F2C-0B2C-464E-B261-76ED007CCA7C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;">The 1.2 mile round rip hike took two hours with a ten minute stop at the top to take it all in. While the Mountain vista from the main site was breath taking, the additional 800 feet added a fresh perspective notably the way the the Urubamba river carved thru and almost defined the whole site. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqS6Ugh4p4GGc7rtcKgGojdZRv70KE4lFWJkROvjBLEt4qpauP9LCP0mJ9uG8V4W-jMYtX7YmFzwxmM6CqbyjxOFl8fqWQjFro_Jh2_eVPPwifoZjxsT1go1fr8-bRveSU_r8U5_aIO-u/s2048/248FFA3A-DC78-407F-B70C-E04981A58F32.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqS6Ugh4p4GGc7rtcKgGojdZRv70KE4lFWJkROvjBLEt4qpauP9LCP0mJ9uG8V4W-jMYtX7YmFzwxmM6CqbyjxOFl8fqWQjFro_Jh2_eVPPwifoZjxsT1go1fr8-bRveSU_r8U5_aIO-u/s640/248FFA3A-DC78-407F-B70C-E04981A58F32.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;">Then for the 45 minute knee jarring descent!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCuBDkcSVvjubHhyphenhyphenT82IPjh64aO8tyWPngm1Ft4F5G7eKJnhYS0JXcWEuA5SrCz0TtHg1u4WYRMuWFxfPbCnRI-eBpB-kAoUgEAE7wyIShV4iYNgoSqyoX4hPdOvVt2UFq-XNZNkAPN-l/s2048/4675FC78-9221-47CB-8A2D-0746C8B82B93.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCuBDkcSVvjubHhyphenhyphenT82IPjh64aO8tyWPngm1Ft4F5G7eKJnhYS0JXcWEuA5SrCz0TtHg1u4WYRMuWFxfPbCnRI-eBpB-kAoUgEAE7wyIShV4iYNgoSqyoX4hPdOvVt2UFq-XNZNkAPN-l/s640/4675FC78-9221-47CB-8A2D-0746C8B82B93.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Meanwhile back on the main site of Machu Picchu, Nicola took the opportunity to sit down quietly and soak it all in as well as to call Mummy and Daddy - got them both at the hospital so was really nice to speak to them and hear their birthday wishes to me. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">It was lovely to just explore the site, although I fast worked out that it is a bit of a “one way” street around the site. Hmmmm, how to get back to Shorty. Eventually after much meandering and contemplation I headed back out of Machu Picchu and back in again. This time the hike up to the Gate Tower was not quite so serene as the day trippers from Cuzco had arrived.... I suppose everyone has the right to see this spectacular destination. It did really make me reflect on how lucky we had been at 7am and realising it was worth getting up at 5. This would be the only reason I would be the exorbitant $1500 a night at the Belmont to have the site to yourself in the morning before the buses start.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LR71gHwcyF0_9oVOKqo8BSN-leH1H9jsBON8tljJz4bUB6O6Nf97UFHnvPD5u1f2UE3cIKZvdU4dbZ51PFw8BHhgsw6c4EU30jLLlZ96aXj0vd0PkoLTYlVr8di7W1oUJQxu7ZY6dagn/s6000/A79A5DE3-62F2-4585-BE0D-ABC6BDE226CD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LR71gHwcyF0_9oVOKqo8BSN-leH1H9jsBON8tljJz4bUB6O6Nf97UFHnvPD5u1f2UE3cIKZvdU4dbZ51PFw8BHhgsw6c4EU30jLLlZ96aXj0vd0PkoLTYlVr8di7W1oUJQxu7ZY6dagn/s640/A79A5DE3-62F2-4585-BE0D-ABC6BDE226CD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YOLSx6R1-QOxlOFkscovgvCjQpCTM9VmnHa9TvfELIcfMxKrWp4zALhYlzb53cW8mdU0FzgNAkKvtXcP1HoCwjyWznQ5vTVu-Uutuv8BvqaItppM6A3Z70O0ZjT2arj_FI0DpsCfiy2q/s6000/A0367D46-DF9C-4EAB-A360-8DC38E31048A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YOLSx6R1-QOxlOFkscovgvCjQpCTM9VmnHa9TvfELIcfMxKrWp4zALhYlzb53cW8mdU0FzgNAkKvtXcP1HoCwjyWznQ5vTVu-Uutuv8BvqaItppM6A3Z70O0ZjT2arj_FI0DpsCfiy2q/w342-h512/A0367D46-DF9C-4EAB-A360-8DC38E31048A.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5fA4zEELG5VnOBqAn4BsFV-47tc6YS3k-6ErC9aEIcUtTrJM-8OxDLWRwgkPmWD8FggufgCT86dn1bKN7UdRyMEM8YsFS3VlVNZj8cLi1NdiSqkKt-qZWnSipf_qu6AyjT3Bg-ekR-nf/s6000/ADAF15C2-A076-4550-8783-A7C903F3B88C.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5fA4zEELG5VnOBqAn4BsFV-47tc6YS3k-6ErC9aEIcUtTrJM-8OxDLWRwgkPmWD8FggufgCT86dn1bKN7UdRyMEM8YsFS3VlVNZj8cLi1NdiSqkKt-qZWnSipf_qu6AyjT3Bg-ekR-nf/w342-h512/ADAF15C2-A076-4550-8783-A7C903F3B88C.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Meeting up with Nicola proved interesting due to our lack of knowledge about the two ‘route’ nature of the sites set up, I.e as Nicola had exited and Jon hadn’t they were now in what was effectively separate sights. Note, Nicola has just found a perfect viewing spot when Shorty started to connect with her :(</span></div>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"> </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jPoKBvFDQDLFZrl1e_LbXmy_H4yqO91o63NDpMC5PmhWjUNkmUnnyrXAwF-G3YSGJup8WQ1YfTR7lMrSFSzcRx0nZj09RjllLjrmlgTCrtri_QZSOmv8VHoQfaf2urgXoNYPxyPSH_kq/s6000/29F7C91C-25CE-45DA-AFE0-610B3DC55FD8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jPoKBvFDQDLFZrl1e_LbXmy_H4yqO91o63NDpMC5PmhWjUNkmUnnyrXAwF-G3YSGJup8WQ1YfTR7lMrSFSzcRx0nZj09RjllLjrmlgTCrtri_QZSOmv8VHoQfaf2urgXoNYPxyPSH_kq/w342-h512/29F7C91C-25CE-45DA-AFE0-610B3DC55FD8.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGDJzM2qsYWvLK-kiLO78xmV0a9HhMg0rW2ydAJN98Zkpl4BakD6hc69PeeUpHY4DJ36BBB3DkBNgso1_TKhw3ZBvjwo2ukGlMuxMmpu1HRJO1zyYuCYo8Mpj2P9oXfpkVU-ZCcyzEgb-/s6000/910CB405-D4E6-4ECB-AF76-BD97C404E5D9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGDJzM2qsYWvLK-kiLO78xmV0a9HhMg0rW2ydAJN98Zkpl4BakD6hc69PeeUpHY4DJ36BBB3DkBNgso1_TKhw3ZBvjwo2ukGlMuxMmpu1HRJO1zyYuCYo8Mpj2P9oXfpkVU-ZCcyzEgb-/w342-h512/910CB405-D4E6-4ECB-AF76-BD97C404E5D9.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;">So it was decided that Jon would not re-enter and Nicola joined Jon and amazingly we found a quiet area and sat down to contemplate this wondrous place and if we are honest more so MIL’s stroke. In this place one was struck by what humans can achieve and given that thought Jon was left with a sense of hope about MILs progress.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIcrf8D4qigaJlBmcnhVzGfupdmErLfOga3fvRKBENYvhodXkO7FXzk8W5mW_hBpjvgwg37aQuFrYq7JV1xqhUCKVU2URl8ztnQNsg3Z3Wry98tHrukOkKf8v2M25xsnOEglvdLi1wU2g/s6000/A8CEEF0F-BA56-4204-9D1F-98172E94F8BC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIcrf8D4qigaJlBmcnhVzGfupdmErLfOga3fvRKBENYvhodXkO7FXzk8W5mW_hBpjvgwg37aQuFrYq7JV1xqhUCKVU2URl8ztnQNsg3Z3Wry98tHrukOkKf8v2M25xsnOEglvdLi1wU2g/w342-h512/A8CEEF0F-BA56-4204-9D1F-98172E94F8BC.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y3A_suwlW1-bJMW80cFwkzcvV_KsQNQLlARBsvpGJRVzYg6CvbOX9jxbPqUfbpJrC7IEHt9dMU0C8f_gWCN80aryXND-eO8hs0nQriZ5AwUz_Gttc52bTZbWuli-nKA4RQ8cozRn0v5d/s6000/A89B9449-F1BC-426E-AD64-7EB5DBE20B8A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y3A_suwlW1-bJMW80cFwkzcvV_KsQNQLlARBsvpGJRVzYg6CvbOX9jxbPqUfbpJrC7IEHt9dMU0C8f_gWCN80aryXND-eO8hs0nQriZ5AwUz_Gttc52bTZbWuli-nKA4RQ8cozRn0v5d/w342-h512/A89B9449-F1BC-426E-AD64-7EB5DBE20B8A.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 28px;">Hunger drove Jon out of our secluded area and toward the outside that was now inhabited by everyone! In retrospect this marked the end of the trek as we were now on the way home. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb3qEt9PsAaENRuj9s-QUqkr9_Sf6Aq5uBAjv8lunmBPt_W8ijciD57BrfBQtLmWzc1b17PEeMnlkcsQAJQwtSLh8ZZQWydS0h3ns-ea-2tNiNBXksC9mdGPozZCCR-LGFevEzvFLGNf1/s6000/CDBBD5E6-CB24-4954-8FA9-5BE525F64926.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb3qEt9PsAaENRuj9s-QUqkr9_Sf6Aq5uBAjv8lunmBPt_W8ijciD57BrfBQtLmWzc1b17PEeMnlkcsQAJQwtSLh8ZZQWydS0h3ns-ea-2tNiNBXksC9mdGPozZCCR-LGFevEzvFLGNf1/s640/CDBBD5E6-CB24-4954-8FA9-5BE525F64926.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfm8YkIVYc7G2TVjh-HeYOjEcbddIVz82-W0S4kOFblF-u9-cKx61LZKqAyAu7s7bl19DwJcxsx0sSdgu5TbZPlznu692iALKeO4Pqi7B80nlBIfV1TbtEM4HYF7bar3W8I8e1bnnmJD-i/s6000/E62262BF-22BD-4F61-A8D2-A7D5BD345FCE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfm8YkIVYc7G2TVjh-HeYOjEcbddIVz82-W0S4kOFblF-u9-cKx61LZKqAyAu7s7bl19DwJcxsx0sSdgu5TbZPlznu692iALKeO4Pqi7B80nlBIfV1TbtEM4HYF7bar3W8I8e1bnnmJD-i/s640/E62262BF-22BD-4F61-A8D2-A7D5BD345FCE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi0SdwaZ-EuepnEnxUr6yzfbCqj-JHLn_6IiDGGUj1EXgwMtU3PVl7x8hmOR2KwoldZB5qsLJ5Skpwyj7yzKLLd_r3dXtaNOmK8J_h_oxICJ8u4-qCvtb5_1k8_1SSk10ygYZxTyNrc4i/s2048/6DF75438-E0D2-4FF9-85BF-62C3E0F3E57C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1078" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi0SdwaZ-EuepnEnxUr6yzfbCqj-JHLn_6IiDGGUj1EXgwMtU3PVl7x8hmOR2KwoldZB5qsLJ5Skpwyj7yzKLLd_r3dXtaNOmK8J_h_oxICJ8u4-qCvtb5_1k8_1SSk10ygYZxTyNrc4i/s640/6DF75438-E0D2-4FF9-85BF-62C3E0F3E57C.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Via a hour and a half queue that snaked down the mountain, an armrest punctuated bus ride through the switchbacks (that cable-car needs to be built) we were reunited with our bags and were deposited onto the 1515 express to Ollantaytambo</span><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJHJ9qXtODYxCABT4Ej_GdWFfhhPxXm6ofR0kgyy9K3VFCtNJTjV-cXJH45qaeSp_bjouc28AsL0bwlmaUCbWZ4Hs5sk9-9HRwddzzWY6WvO7xRbpk6CzAxbNIV5wqrIlY6E7DdBN03t1/s2048/D12AE266-B709-477D-843E-A085AF86038A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJHJ9qXtODYxCABT4Ej_GdWFfhhPxXm6ofR0kgyy9K3VFCtNJTjV-cXJH45qaeSp_bjouc28AsL0bwlmaUCbWZ4Hs5sk9-9HRwddzzWY6WvO7xRbpk6CzAxbNIV5wqrIlY6E7DdBN03t1/s640/D12AE266-B709-477D-843E-A085AF86038A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">What Peru rail lacks in speed it makes up for in entertainment. So as our two car train crawled along the bank of the Urubamba river we were treated to a visitation from a hybrid Inca/Christian devil and an alpaca fashion show. Oddly the assumed alpaca sales pitch never materialized and soon after the models returned to their normal jobs as our train conductors we arrived at out destination. Here was a switch from train to road as the train takes a further three hours to do an hours drive. To be honest the drive was dull save for the hotel rooms secured to a cliff! On the way to Cusco we dropped Pepe of in his home town of Urubamba city, while we may have had run ins with our head guide he had on the whole been an excellent guide and a top man to boot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">As with most ends of our trips the run home is never easy, both logistically and emotionally. As one migrates back one senses a shift in thought patterns, a speeding up of sorts as your brain anticipates the imminent arrival of real life, of work, of familiar routines and other none like minded people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The last action of of most of our travels is a martini at the heights cafe and the Bob inspired ‘what was you best and worst part of the trip’ discussion, thankfully the former always out weighs the latter! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Then its time to plan the next trip..... watch this space. </span></div>
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-12723824052226594422018-08-10T18:33:00.003-05:002020-08-30T20:08:15.305-05:00Lucma Lodge to Inkaterra Hotel (Day 8)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Another early start!!! And Happy Birthday’s all round to Nicola. Everyone was very sweet asking after me and wishing me a happy birthday. With everything that is going on at home, it was really lovely to be with a group of people who a few days ago didn’t know me, but they all looked after me and made my day special..... Especially Shorty xxx</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">There was also apologies all round for the noise from the Spotify party the night before. I will be totally honest it just became background noise and I slept through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Was feeling a little better and managed some toast and a banana to try and get my strength up. Got some fresh rehydrating salts and we were ready to go - well sort of....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">After breakfast and sorting all our stuff out the “Stubborn Mules” (as we were now known) hit the trail at 0700. Today was billed as a seven hour day, three hours up hill and four down. Of course the uphill came first, so we strode out onto the old Inca trail and started up hill. Today we had no mule support, rather two local chaps who walked with us with the medical kit and extra water.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cbpKVcGwY-RQl95OBZk39KqmRBJXaumWINAYF-agGehaZfLCzSAi0Zc0icvRg4UyPdRU_tV_Zm4bjgDay7BdzP5OSp19Ytial5nMds-c3im0zGh4se6OLBFaZSot9cMYRpoEy6SADT3J/s2048/2FFBED24-0BD1-4832-BB53-8AF9D3E5B11B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cbpKVcGwY-RQl95OBZk39KqmRBJXaumWINAYF-agGehaZfLCzSAi0Zc0icvRg4UyPdRU_tV_Zm4bjgDay7BdzP5OSp19Ytial5nMds-c3im0zGh4se6OLBFaZSot9cMYRpoEy6SADT3J/s640/2FFBED24-0BD1-4832-BB53-8AF9D3E5B11B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP9LHp19dvxBXt-xp_wQYGbi2NBPFVaij08sDYW3K6q508k29GYIgxIDHBbOsXinwKhUUR1W-pcuDzZCyFKcEvIbvZY3rxTjh1GOtUDxCmkBSrsOQc02s9XjrQdltBBYg_BTHNLGPp-Xj/s2048/9B28C775-90D4-4CFF-8643-E0219D619AC4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP9LHp19dvxBXt-xp_wQYGbi2NBPFVaij08sDYW3K6q508k29GYIgxIDHBbOsXinwKhUUR1W-pcuDzZCyFKcEvIbvZY3rxTjh1GOtUDxCmkBSrsOQc02s9XjrQdltBBYg_BTHNLGPp-Xj/s640/9B28C775-90D4-4CFF-8643-E0219D619AC4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The main group pulled out an early lead as Nicola was still feeling the effects of her illness (no sustenance for 48 hours....). After an hour we reached the point of no return and had “the discussion...” Nicola decided to go for it. The views from the trail were stunning, with alternating blue skies and cloud cover - very majestic. Shorty took a bunch of photos that we will try and attach, including some very dodgy ones of me in my sun hat - that was a good purchase before we left, not least because of the snow/wind blasting that we had had on the pass day.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOncQ7OfKAsTx4xpqOTfMZoR4nGHAecWVY1ITkdGFBKEzlCnLNfd1ISFFiCmBAkdtTUDtn4g-gdjYWTacFa4ScCTRx4Xr82A4fseAb9e_yRQBWj5yN_dgczn_Woe33Vct7y_Hyx4KyiWJ/s2048/749CAFF9-90B7-4D2A-97B1-F2DE5646AC30.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOncQ7OfKAsTx4xpqOTfMZoR4nGHAecWVY1ITkdGFBKEzlCnLNfd1ISFFiCmBAkdtTUDtn4g-gdjYWTacFa4ScCTRx4Xr82A4fseAb9e_yRQBWj5yN_dgczn_Woe33Vct7y_Hyx4KyiWJ/s640/749CAFF9-90B7-4D2A-97B1-F2DE5646AC30.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAZUyxKyd7n2nKLCb2IOwrya_OuU1iEs8vWyezta0V1vI9KnIImRYb80IGIINiY-rxL-PEOfRhRThtO7j5KYHQDJkLJngy3tHJlr6jOFrAlj0KEKbhBGBdXCzl4x7e3v-XpgpkGCn__wL/s2048/02193C99-FEB5-4959-B5D6-BE639611CF6A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAZUyxKyd7n2nKLCb2IOwrya_OuU1iEs8vWyezta0V1vI9KnIImRYb80IGIINiY-rxL-PEOfRhRThtO7j5KYHQDJkLJngy3tHJlr6jOFrAlj0KEKbhBGBdXCzl4x7e3v-XpgpkGCn__wL/s640/02193C99-FEB5-4959-B5D6-BE639611CF6A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Tg4Mhhy0VeeGDVhTCHIJOP74_qzHZkhm8_GU9AYldLkdQFdNzq4iVH_d2V_HXG4TmeJe1xeqABThrLf0lPtT0U7BGqe7sYWCuBj6FzVastfZxZzBHPbQ7scGu01avEKi_VGuDj2yZQtq/s2048/D76194D9-CCFD-4073-BABC-C95E566F6199.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Tg4Mhhy0VeeGDVhTCHIJOP74_qzHZkhm8_GU9AYldLkdQFdNzq4iVH_d2V_HXG4TmeJe1xeqABThrLf0lPtT0U7BGqe7sYWCuBj6FzVastfZxZzBHPbQ7scGu01avEKi_VGuDj2yZQtq/s640/D76194D9-CCFD-4073-BABC-C95E566F6199.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Nicola battled bravely all the way up to a resting point with bathroom, food and drink for purchase (it continues to amaze us both that the locals getting everything to where it needs to be on foot, possibly with the help of a mule, where we caught up with the rest of the group who sang Happy Birthday as she came into view, led by the crazy Pepe (who did threaten to keep doing it if Nicola didn’t get a move on). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The next section was the steep section and although it took us a wee bit longer Nicola kept trudging along. We summitted yet another pass and started to head down to lunch. Lunch was taken in a lovely little building just down from some Inca ruins. But the building and the ruins paled into the back ground as we caught our first sighting of Machu Picchu - looking over the mountains to the Inca terraces. This was why Nicola battled on today to see this view - it was really quite emotional. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZW574O3Ke7lHJT8uaLGMgrxL9dvsodMmXtdCHv0ookYEQVft4vyDqt8XAPMrMRPeSlxBtwxbwtYTA1wF9rufaAmHmVDUVe5Us7aHyUYqoyWbvk4uPT9433hTpZ0RXv-BYUIC6wofIOS4/s6000/921CD17A-91FC-4E77-A16D-DA686B3755FE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZW574O3Ke7lHJT8uaLGMgrxL9dvsodMmXtdCHv0ookYEQVft4vyDqt8XAPMrMRPeSlxBtwxbwtYTA1wF9rufaAmHmVDUVe5Us7aHyUYqoyWbvk4uPT9433hTpZ0RXv-BYUIC6wofIOS4/s640/921CD17A-91FC-4E77-A16D-DA686B3755FE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLa-cNREv34zsWPrp5sbkuAAdTJoiCQ9fMYfgDxE2_KizlkqtQPec5xADc70t8o_eMt_eC6DyJvYKHFZdPFCIv4jbb-1Hf6GFAAmc8UPFkScFaW3WYEQfmx7L-sR489Frg0C505ZggZ_8/s6000/A89CC407-C3E7-4E32-8FB8-9F5BE856458F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLa-cNREv34zsWPrp5sbkuAAdTJoiCQ9fMYfgDxE2_KizlkqtQPec5xADc70t8o_eMt_eC6DyJvYKHFZdPFCIv4jbb-1Hf6GFAAmc8UPFkScFaW3WYEQfmx7L-sR489Frg0C505ZggZ_8/s640/A89CC407-C3E7-4E32-8FB8-9F5BE856458F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>It is a view that not many see as you have to invest a lot of sweat into getting there. But my God it was a view worth seeing. The photos just won’t do it justice, but the experience will live on with us forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">After our delicious lunch of avocado (the Peruvians have the best avocado - have we said this already), trout (from a fish farmer we passed), lentils and quinoa it was time for the big descent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">To get to lunch we had to gain 2,300 feet; to get to the train to Agua Calientes we had to lose 3,400 feet and in a hurry....... Much was made of the fact that we had a train to catch and limited time to do it so we started to hare down the one person wide switchbacks. A few other groups all started at the same time and before long we were all bunched up with some trying to overtake. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkMtk7-R6YHYQvO6zctsPnpWaozmwQFOQ1BKUQbLHyT4FP3nK_uPFbLWd_x7riF5mQXzrwPMR_h7DgeDg-1YTDhWUoGMCZxL2Kj-9CGtEVejGVAKNOf6F43ukdRWZ5xvWHtAqbhHBjSHo/s2048/81E32CFC-8B0B-4DF8-BC67-A8406A26F97A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkMtk7-R6YHYQvO6zctsPnpWaozmwQFOQ1BKUQbLHyT4FP3nK_uPFbLWd_x7riF5mQXzrwPMR_h7DgeDg-1YTDhWUoGMCZxL2Kj-9CGtEVejGVAKNOf6F43ukdRWZ5xvWHtAqbhHBjSHo/s640/81E32CFC-8B0B-4DF8-BC67-A8406A26F97A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhL4d0-7G2ivFrStFugXK2kpoB0fYWagmNL0ZJqkU4IF6uz7wOwh6sS4iEAFgJHcoMQwIenuU2Ui4puYCDf4mV7ivE32eeqJKFd69sO60ffrljpCml9DNoE4h6WzpLw1meqvfuhP7zn5N_/s2048/DB658892-0560-4FD6-A6CB-1D53936B198F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhL4d0-7G2ivFrStFugXK2kpoB0fYWagmNL0ZJqkU4IF6uz7wOwh6sS4iEAFgJHcoMQwIenuU2Ui4puYCDf4mV7ivE32eeqJKFd69sO60ffrljpCml9DNoE4h6WzpLw1meqvfuhP7zn5N_/s640/DB658892-0560-4FD6-A6CB-1D53936B198F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Now, I know it could have been worse (Pepe told me during the break that sometimes the trail is pure mud and one has to go down sideways!) but it was very muddy and slippery and eventually the trail loungers decide to slow down and get out of the madness, it worked. Needless to say one should never believe the hype, we got to the station with plenty of time to spare. We had a couple of beers in a lovely private room laid on for us and then we were escorted to the train for the 45 minute transfer to Agua Calientes, to be honest I think you could have walked it in 30 minutes but it was nice to be off our feet and looking out of the window. This is where we said goodbye to Yarik - he was not wrong on that first day when he said to Nicola “we are going to become good friends”.....</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZnyPWbddpYAdbcZ2fGBpY80Y9pMtAXCmyonZ3AkgbvYLcmQt6fAhGBNR69QA0OX3-UcmumIPVWh0v89vW9WKmRyZMSk2_EwV6R9hcJbtX2BLJNyeMueQgE5mXk7tC5rPltBsNiuN5iBg/s2048/5C9644F8-5AB2-4DD8-927A-F33FC137BBAC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1531" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZnyPWbddpYAdbcZ2fGBpY80Y9pMtAXCmyonZ3AkgbvYLcmQt6fAhGBNR69QA0OX3-UcmumIPVWh0v89vW9WKmRyZMSk2_EwV6R9hcJbtX2BLJNyeMueQgE5mXk7tC5rPltBsNiuN5iBg/w382-h512/5C9644F8-5AB2-4DD8-927A-F33FC137BBAC.jpeg" width="382" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBDurxfSLym6sxlMPbCPHerhmPHUetXLyKJKwWGZIFf3z_an52AglSdRyxYEwLNIwckjl3a4URveXJ2TpAWxnNzxQG06DHNFvX96u_sryil5m-qgmyCqpNoF8H5Wvwk4m0axHl-9nR0oQ/s2048/79F56A7A-6FF7-462E-A201-4BEE8B5EB320.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBDurxfSLym6sxlMPbCPHerhmPHUetXLyKJKwWGZIFf3z_an52AglSdRyxYEwLNIwckjl3a4URveXJ2TpAWxnNzxQG06DHNFvX96u_sryil5m-qgmyCqpNoF8H5Wvwk4m0axHl-9nR0oQ/s640/79F56A7A-6FF7-462E-A201-4BEE8B5EB320.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHEQAVdWqyhTqMVWBTu8_LjLHKymyyUxjUr8_2hKnh-h-IhKkW8ws8A_05FPDFJV1yWnskhd5kBwUrnPdZ3Nx_Ci-k1MJUZvOdh1_HmkO-7gDfE4AF6wlM0CpZQqJoco7Cuu4gnUrYjSL/s2048/E9952940-CEC3-44A8-968D-2EFAAB41545A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHEQAVdWqyhTqMVWBTu8_LjLHKymyyUxjUr8_2hKnh-h-IhKkW8ws8A_05FPDFJV1yWnskhd5kBwUrnPdZ3Nx_Ci-k1MJUZvOdh1_HmkO-7gDfE4AF6wlM0CpZQqJoco7Cuu4gnUrYjSL/w384-h512/E9952940-CEC3-44A8-968D-2EFAAB41545A.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw32FYpre7XylgxLZXhDsHEL_Bqz1YlXzQhk0nKkKyl8RMTuzOAE0qBJiiYqilc88Q4cpbEhQWNA3WWKLDO3_EfsDy_SzGR6iYdqlKKRtIBzS19a3_ONbpSTEA2VchxYatdPPR1LzLR_J/s2048/F7C02622-6315-4BF9-8938-3ACADAB59B88.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw32FYpre7XylgxLZXhDsHEL_Bqz1YlXzQhk0nKkKyl8RMTuzOAE0qBJiiYqilc88Q4cpbEhQWNA3WWKLDO3_EfsDy_SzGR6iYdqlKKRtIBzS19a3_ONbpSTEA2VchxYatdPPR1LzLR_J/w384-h512/F7C02622-6315-4BF9-8938-3ACADAB59B88.heic" width="384" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The trains are all designed to have picture windows all along the side and across the top - so the journey teased us with spectacular views of the mountains. It was a very very slow train ride. The arrival in Agua Calientes is quite something - the train just goes up the main street, it is hard to describe, but really quite unique and fun. As we were sitting at the end of the town to do the switchback to get into the station, Pepe pointed out the cute restaurant beside us - it was the hotel we were going to be staying in. It was so tempting to jump out the train and walk over as we sat there for a good 20 minutes.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimK8O1xcLbjLDgppUgec-mClDSTQSb4t1wRHmsAw_BGex8_yYQxz1-hRJqLqSKSOKHihDcJr9mIP1U3BlaHEq07tPdsaKa0dSlkHHclg0Q0IeBSZkp0qhkcU5-yc92gsUdIwHYj_0vkwbN/s2048/7B438F11-1F73-4F7E-9375-DDD9F243FCD6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimK8O1xcLbjLDgppUgec-mClDSTQSb4t1wRHmsAw_BGex8_yYQxz1-hRJqLqSKSOKHihDcJr9mIP1U3BlaHEq07tPdsaKa0dSlkHHclg0Q0IeBSZkp0qhkcU5-yc92gsUdIwHYj_0vkwbN/w384-h512/7B438F11-1F73-4F7E-9375-DDD9F243FCD6.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QPeV2Pk0MrxeI3wmuDlvMJRy3FeKq-EWyjXxaeCdWEmPBsyXQohd0jseRjKMBUz0U4kPDS32YHiQQB7iuWqOajr2oOgQou5_ldM-yNYkjO_wjvsx8xfOd8kbcoHpyZ7rIhjxMf2bFdlp/s2048/398DAE67-D0DB-42F9-9DBD-574612F8472E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QPeV2Pk0MrxeI3wmuDlvMJRy3FeKq-EWyjXxaeCdWEmPBsyXQohd0jseRjKMBUz0U4kPDS32YHiQQB7iuWqOajr2oOgQou5_ldM-yNYkjO_wjvsx8xfOd8kbcoHpyZ7rIhjxMf2bFdlp/s640/398DAE67-D0DB-42F9-9DBD-574612F8472E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMs9vPekvlf_NEMeDBB8W8H6V5STfCcKu1DlSOxxcU-O2_MDQtLuIOBAG7byT3O7JS5HG28zUv6j3WasVKTPPOpgfrbLe400jXe7b1X41Ef1OrpQ6KF_N6Vw1vcqlu2T2eZoJDrUoYdpJr/s6000/74930005-7029-4154-A6EB-75C82C919859.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMs9vPekvlf_NEMeDBB8W8H6V5STfCcKu1DlSOxxcU-O2_MDQtLuIOBAG7byT3O7JS5HG28zUv6j3WasVKTPPOpgfrbLe400jXe7b1X41Ef1OrpQ6KF_N6Vw1vcqlu2T2eZoJDrUoYdpJr/s640/74930005-7029-4154-A6EB-75C82C919859.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6ti7i5Y9PrX8d4oEOUW7lGdjlz5-S4S3upnmK_1eHnHUIvs1b1jsyDcrxzGw5QGh9FmmZIy3cb0PHsx_CY65bpze3GK4QYLwGOq3KNhArl9WV4XWzzHr81YQb1E0NCKuKpTscH5F4kjE/s6000/A9B704FD-59CE-4A22-B492-05049FF061A6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6ti7i5Y9PrX8d4oEOUW7lGdjlz5-S4S3upnmK_1eHnHUIvs1b1jsyDcrxzGw5QGh9FmmZIy3cb0PHsx_CY65bpze3GK4QYLwGOq3KNhArl9WV4XWzzHr81YQb1E0NCKuKpTscH5F4kjE/s640/A9B704FD-59CE-4A22-B492-05049FF061A6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Into the hustle and bustle of the train station - people everywhere, dogs everywhere, shops everywhere. Final push to the Hotel Inkaterra - what a hotel, we had been told it was the best hotel in town and it lived up to it’s reputation. Our room was lovely - after a relaxing shower and sorting out of our bags, Shorty and I headed down to the bar area to open my birthday cards with a glass of champagne (that I nursed for 45 mins....). Thank you everyone for the lovely cards. The rest of the team soon joined us for our team meeting and pre dinner drinks. General consensus was to go for the earlier sitting as tomorrow was going to be a 5am start. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Dinner was at the restaurant that sits between the train switchback - at times not that peaceful - the menu was lovely and even though I was still not doing great ordered some simple food that was absolutely delicious. Jim was on a roll and went very heavy on the red wine - few slower people the next morning. After a delicious dinner, good company, some wine, we toddled up to bed ready for the next day.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1XjMNH_lPaQ0cOfRautRbGbjHpl_fTdK61c1y1cFG-Q-2eJjMcV-hDec0VWvtIvMROwDMulYO5OsHjM37-rJj1mmhxeOy5_xZE-EYiEeXu3cFf14wezAxpuR-s0gEk70Z_1rq-FGBuxF/s2436/CF0EB2AA-FCBD-4719-94F9-53279E64A1D1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="2436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1XjMNH_lPaQ0cOfRautRbGbjHpl_fTdK61c1y1cFG-Q-2eJjMcV-hDec0VWvtIvMROwDMulYO5OsHjM37-rJj1mmhxeOy5_xZE-EYiEeXu3cFf14wezAxpuR-s0gEk70Z_1rq-FGBuxF/s640/CF0EB2AA-FCBD-4719-94F9-53279E64A1D1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-58507187104178055782018-08-09T18:31:00.002-05:002020-08-29T21:33:27.952-05:00Colpa Lodge to Lucma Lodge (Day 7)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Day Seven didn’t start well as Nicola was struck down with the dreaded lurgy at three in the morning. Antibiotics and replenishing salts initially did little to help but after she was transported to the Lucma Lodge and had some sleep she was really looking a lot better when I arrived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Insert from Nicola - Shorty makes it sound as though I was magically transported to the Lucma Lodge.... Hmm that is what I thought as well when Pepe and Yarik asked me if I wanted to take transport to the lodge. Sounded good after being up all night long, so I duly got myself into my regular trekking gear (no other options really), did my hiking boots up a tad loosely and grab my trekking poles (so as not to forget them) and off Yarik and I start. I’m thinking, hmmm, of course we need to get through the lodge property before we can get to transport. Well no, I was mistaken. We had to trek down the mountain that we were up - I could see the road well below us and was now thinking there was no way I was going to be magicked down there except on my own two feet. Some say walking downhill is so much easier than uphill - not so much when muddy, slippy, you’ve been up all night, and have no sustenance in you. But as ever Yarick was a trouper and got me down the hill. 45 minutes later we were at the road and waiting for the van. I found a rock, laid out my poncho, lay on it, rested my head on the rock and slept like a baby for 30 mins. Next step of the “easy option” was a bone shaking van trip along a windy road, not very well maintained and with sheer drops on the side. I think my call for a stop was less about the lurgy and more sheer panic!!!! We arrive at a wee village and Yarick kindly points me to a bathroom. It was actually someone’s bathroom in their home - very kind of them - their toothbrushes sitting above the sink. Think health and safety might have something to say about it.... Then... We trek UP to the lodge - another 45 minutes of sheer hell..... But I made it, and the lodge team had made me chicken soup, toast and bananas to try and make me feel better. Give me my bed........</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Shorty’s walk today was a lonely one, however it was still a nice jaunt further down into the cloud forest. The initial drop out of the lodge grounds, was very steep and narrow and had to be negotiated by Nicola in her reduced state and then she was then transported with the bags via a van and a 45 minute walk up Llactapata Inca Trail to the Lucma Lodge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">A short distance from where Nicola was picked up the main body of the group turned off the road and onto a path that headed along the banks of the Santa Teresa River. When I say banks let me clarify, we were actually walking along a cliff above said river, with rock slides and waterfalls to add to the natural beauty and in parts fear. With only two steep uphill sections it was a pleasant three hour walk and the further down we went the weather got hotter and more humid and the sounds and smells of the jungle increased. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBxJgnGFDBclAuqaeQZqFcOXZZAIaaTgXZPT7JKrCVc6BubaACuemc5NB7KWK6dOdPlvwRGiqCnCcbdBCk6Rh-GEa4jHPyMlgowy8NCyjOJKatj1ssCb2tOhynNnK5E7EL3XjT3xZsTQk/s2048/9E03C66B-A251-458B-89EE-8968E44C28FB.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBxJgnGFDBclAuqaeQZqFcOXZZAIaaTgXZPT7JKrCVc6BubaACuemc5NB7KWK6dOdPlvwRGiqCnCcbdBCk6Rh-GEa4jHPyMlgowy8NCyjOJKatj1ssCb2tOhynNnK5E7EL3XjT3xZsTQk/w307-h410/9E03C66B-A251-458B-89EE-8968E44C28FB.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hQ8tWCJ5RXxgmn313BDyKBPrWP7i9sPLPxlEVGsnYt5mn2CTgJlUAsiyJifB1WQ-niDeulms7yOlpTV-rtxUbN-2Um-YEn_gelXVHtqC_wALLwQR-B6AWUFmLPwSj0IhDfe0xWL6wOJ-/s2048/55D7515C-8885-435E-8BC2-9E7FFC20829B.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hQ8tWCJ5RXxgmn313BDyKBPrWP7i9sPLPxlEVGsnYt5mn2CTgJlUAsiyJifB1WQ-niDeulms7yOlpTV-rtxUbN-2Um-YEn_gelXVHtqC_wALLwQR-B6AWUFmLPwSj0IhDfe0xWL6wOJ-/w307-h410/55D7515C-8885-435E-8BC2-9E7FFC20829B.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCdliv3IthxLqmyQS2klzkt-Wf0MzW5Iw8re4M7XhxFikYvXhuQDhiNrYNHioIj4O1GS2nCZNT9lzFFQdvHNxKoCs4SEH2y9bv8oNGiq66GKB_fNfYx8AakmMiHMWtSskuqX3Y-CUNv7X/s2048/89F35251-AA3E-409F-9DDC-7C3E5ACC0311.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCdliv3IthxLqmyQS2klzkt-Wf0MzW5Iw8re4M7XhxFikYvXhuQDhiNrYNHioIj4O1GS2nCZNT9lzFFQdvHNxKoCs4SEH2y9bv8oNGiq66GKB_fNfYx8AakmMiHMWtSskuqX3Y-CUNv7X/w307-h410/89F35251-AA3E-409F-9DDC-7C3E5ACC0311.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaDlNKHDpLI3aQGW3imrNzJDSBJNhfVMWTDbqV7OFA0kUWlSNRuyjDecYzZyQ5QcByqk5z_VFY4yCUkxm7bheKgMv90dOS4-IkvZvt2NrnFwRpkqhs94tR5jKeBcMk3BWYB-xvpkEBb6v/s2048/721511FB-6C34-4E62-A13D-AF8A1424D1BF.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaDlNKHDpLI3aQGW3imrNzJDSBJNhfVMWTDbqV7OFA0kUWlSNRuyjDecYzZyQ5QcByqk5z_VFY4yCUkxm7bheKgMv90dOS4-IkvZvt2NrnFwRpkqhs94tR5jKeBcMk3BWYB-xvpkEBb6v/w307-h410/721511FB-6C34-4E62-A13D-AF8A1424D1BF.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl_MwnXxtcwsDf0MPn3J3rBOoPAtdfT5nSEKvrzQCu73jMNvK0YJ5lAQ0jtZcIFqzuOwUt5XUsWLx63Vg9ZjqsRrAwt6iCOJpBAzC-C2rmURG86z1-nynKgWd5Ta6tI9zCs3NmFuD0bUl/s2048/2906623D-3112-4ACA-91E8-23CA77EFF695.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl_MwnXxtcwsDf0MPn3J3rBOoPAtdfT5nSEKvrzQCu73jMNvK0YJ5lAQ0jtZcIFqzuOwUt5XUsWLx63Vg9ZjqsRrAwt6iCOJpBAzC-C2rmURG86z1-nynKgWd5Ta6tI9zCs3NmFuD0bUl/w307-h410/2906623D-3112-4ACA-91E8-23CA77EFF695.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">We stopped for a fine lunch at (what I am calling) a trail service station (with adorable puppies - almost put them in my pack) and then walked for a further forty or so minutes to a trail head where we were picked up by a van (possibly the one Nicola had been in earlier) . Forty minutes of death defying, switchback and landslide riddled ‘road’ trip later we arrived at the same Llactapata Inca Trail head that Nicola had come to sometime before. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUDVcte1NtwmhMYtQ07OTDEhXngExYDrRN3wOiPUD8C9jsZ9HMDtVeswyo5EYe8QEbLOh9zRDlw6f22T7tV19tbVeqJveEKDjLk0fKzRRWkyzpndTVPBg3pQN0Ur5iQd3E8R3TAyrm4DI/s2048/574EB57C-8DFE-4ED7-8AEE-DE43592E06DB.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUDVcte1NtwmhMYtQ07OTDEhXngExYDrRN3wOiPUD8C9jsZ9HMDtVeswyo5EYe8QEbLOh9zRDlw6f22T7tV19tbVeqJveEKDjLk0fKzRRWkyzpndTVPBg3pQN0Ur5iQd3E8R3TAyrm4DI/w307-h410/574EB57C-8DFE-4ED7-8AEE-DE43592E06DB.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80eFpnKHI8tc2ql0rXfjBsKJ1R8X47cIz1_WqOBAZb5lXah1s0-C-DfaxoAOG7G0EthFLuVu1S4Rn7giAfO1YzBMIUD4yvmLNp-orcwaGSFUjh-mAyy0O9U6-EOiHFEMl3m_z8zqPE369/s2048/8401C807-31C0-424A-BCC2-A178F98EF815.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80eFpnKHI8tc2ql0rXfjBsKJ1R8X47cIz1_WqOBAZb5lXah1s0-C-DfaxoAOG7G0EthFLuVu1S4Rn7giAfO1YzBMIUD4yvmLNp-orcwaGSFUjh-mAyy0O9U6-EOiHFEMl3m_z8zqPE369/w307-h410/8401C807-31C0-424A-BCC2-A178F98EF815.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The next stop on today’s trek was the Viamonte Coffer plantation, after initially dismissing this and a ‘exit via gift shop’ I was forced to eat or at least drink my words as we were served some of the best coffee I have had in the Americas. While the process of producing the coffee was a touch long winded and I was desperate to see my sickly better half I dutifully bought two pounds of their delicious product. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTHref_iESu50YJl7xbP3j-P3I4s73cHsOwj18Y7vzA3N3TLENSKfVYF24xGDRhEIjiEeSEM-LRZgn5u1ClXaUR1wMaa0ZsgfbEiemrPhS7pPjqOTBkxNSy0JCJBcLgoKQsXlTQJ-gBRB/s2048/7719B5E7-239F-4309-8CC7-FA182FFAC59A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTHref_iESu50YJl7xbP3j-P3I4s73cHsOwj18Y7vzA3N3TLENSKfVYF24xGDRhEIjiEeSEM-LRZgn5u1ClXaUR1wMaa0ZsgfbEiemrPhS7pPjqOTBkxNSy0JCJBcLgoKQsXlTQJ-gBRB/w307-h410/7719B5E7-239F-4309-8CC7-FA182FFAC59A.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4m4UTBI6faQDKzRZvVF-2K-jUUGUPeUaZy3UJF2mpdB0O9KXJeyYXP7YulbGv1pKz6lpGR30Cw3N70Yu_kdfgqPR-o7hb3LLl8Jn1PDGQYXHH9o1x0BG-BOZlUEQF1fUpOmcbYaJLHnA/s2048/71546750-415C-49C9-A2F0-5ADA7E6A3EFF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4m4UTBI6faQDKzRZvVF-2K-jUUGUPeUaZy3UJF2mpdB0O9KXJeyYXP7YulbGv1pKz6lpGR30Cw3N70Yu_kdfgqPR-o7hb3LLl8Jn1PDGQYXHH9o1x0BG-BOZlUEQF1fUpOmcbYaJLHnA/w512-h384/71546750-415C-49C9-A2F0-5ADA7E6A3EFF.jpeg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDq_0hR0buDudAqEwGxnLFYGrw__ziTP1dgJ0H6DgyRo3-M2oKGgnlNQ7yMp0Vn9tEPqxRFeyp8uIIwmh51c7LnKjq9h5nbKwyyRhc75SH7zOgVgv-_MoEN0l0WqzjmTXJbnI585qonqH/s2048/B49AEF66-C578-479B-BCE0-22897600C01C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDq_0hR0buDudAqEwGxnLFYGrw__ziTP1dgJ0H6DgyRo3-M2oKGgnlNQ7yMp0Vn9tEPqxRFeyp8uIIwmh51c7LnKjq9h5nbKwyyRhc75SH7zOgVgv-_MoEN0l0WqzjmTXJbnI585qonqH/w307-h410/B49AEF66-C578-479B-BCE0-22897600C01C.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-LZHXWMZ1nLQxEbdTp_5wFbbL43qAIUD_dJuKFpi7UWUXg2wSMt9Zsof8ZQpkBEfBHCAjHOJkZeTox6birlGxL0GTCfqAAErwHxLPM9ZByNSXwRAoNsjaJT_BQR-pRkLJeIZ2Rpxg4OA/s2048/D4A938B1-046E-4FF8-8CBB-9216A81446CA.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-LZHXWMZ1nLQxEbdTp_5wFbbL43qAIUD_dJuKFpi7UWUXg2wSMt9Zsof8ZQpkBEfBHCAjHOJkZeTox6birlGxL0GTCfqAAErwHxLPM9ZByNSXwRAoNsjaJT_BQR-pRkLJeIZ2Rpxg4OA/w307-h410/D4A938B1-046E-4FF8-8CBB-9216A81446CA.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">We got to the lodge at three and after checking on Nicola it was time for what is now the daily routine of a scalding hot tub followed by a cerveza, and some fine Peruvian snacks. One could get used to this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Nicola graciously attended the team meeting and sat down for dinner. Just as well really as Pepe and Yarick had organised a birthday cake for her - passion fruit and sponge cake - even Nicola quite liked it. Although she did pause when they wanted her to cut it (given her germs... ) and Jeremy kindly stepped in for her. Everyone was ever so sweet singing happy birthday and making a fuss of Nicola. This was our last night in a Mountain Lodge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Despite warnings of the next days ‘energetic’ hike to the hydro electric train station the after diner entertainment got a touch lively as someone took over the Spotify and started a small dance/singing party (envisage worm movements.....). Nicola was most stoic and even in her stricken state she slept through.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkZB8Xt9KrQqYI2ATNrPWIXaeg9ljH3BEC7EOnXc_gqfVbVOga57dLYgya0Y2xm1yaOhW_22QyBW0KzUovI6W6sl970X8fDhxz0KGseLJ48nlfTctmrrh_gNUlBVvuu3uShcBOBwgwlFI/s2013/7530F03B-0EF0-4814-B9E2-224D7DA2C542.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2013" data-original-width="1108" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkZB8Xt9KrQqYI2ATNrPWIXaeg9ljH3BEC7EOnXc_gqfVbVOga57dLYgya0Y2xm1yaOhW_22QyBW0KzUovI6W6sl970X8fDhxz0KGseLJ48nlfTctmrrh_gNUlBVvuu3uShcBOBwgwlFI/s640/7530F03B-0EF0-4814-B9E2-224D7DA2C542.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".SFUIDisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-10083496234653004032018-08-08T18:29:00.003-05:002020-08-30T20:09:00.122-05:00 Wayra Lodge to Colpa Lodge (Day 6)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Woke up to what we would have seen the day before if not for the weather. The mountains were truly majestic and in the sunlight the glaciers shone.</span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Before starting the trek we went of to see one of the locals houses, sadly they were out so we had to contend with the company of two lovely puppies, the guide did have to shoo one of them away otherwise I’m sure she would have followed us down the valley. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">We started out at 12,900 feet and walked down to 9,400 with the O2 increasing as we descended breathing got easier, the flip side was the constant pounding on the soles of your feet and knees did become a touch uncomfortable. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylrYq51_JZUEoT2gbwB53QUvBWDxdKvz-007cWbzuKZpomwEoz6jP5CQS2XsjUUtLimoyEdRm4JIIZuB4qbUQc-pNotwN-OvwvTL8S38t2B4iOE24q4vEqEbn88DAzu1NcuNSo-XZcU4H/s2048/2C3CA05E-F70F-4C18-A262-DF93DF0762B6.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylrYq51_JZUEoT2gbwB53QUvBWDxdKvz-007cWbzuKZpomwEoz6jP5CQS2XsjUUtLimoyEdRm4JIIZuB4qbUQc-pNotwN-OvwvTL8S38t2B4iOE24q4vEqEbn88DAzu1NcuNSo-XZcU4H/s640/2C3CA05E-F70F-4C18-A262-DF93DF0762B6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWqqwuZcygM8L7hsdQxv5N6XS38x6SHl_bXIXwFGPOfMM2VjVgCVIYtREBGPYFrWi39T4-jNhHOpHUzhkGVFuR8KOgMI8xgwFqW-EA_q9TeZ28KVWTUuDl4ukLhyphenhyphentFkWGREb-S_yBs4AX/s2048/60DE5849-0E6C-4FF1-8C7A-B27912EB5B9D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWqqwuZcygM8L7hsdQxv5N6XS38x6SHl_bXIXwFGPOfMM2VjVgCVIYtREBGPYFrWi39T4-jNhHOpHUzhkGVFuR8KOgMI8xgwFqW-EA_q9TeZ28KVWTUuDl4ukLhyphenhyphentFkWGREb-S_yBs4AX/s640/60DE5849-0E6C-4FF1-8C7A-B27912EB5B9D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibAp8FuC1f9I_PyrDn3beb24ImAvZKDKpYB4dycn8ixvgTSPGbs_imZaKIUSFT8jy4DSTEMkkZEHJq1tuHOx8WiDvdZDmldk0vl-R8pp0EWVN0CevzniO1bK1fsXg_WqqVuve1s_R9h6U/s6000/327C08D6-31C8-4586-B567-444EE3358C4A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibAp8FuC1f9I_PyrDn3beb24ImAvZKDKpYB4dycn8ixvgTSPGbs_imZaKIUSFT8jy4DSTEMkkZEHJq1tuHOx8WiDvdZDmldk0vl-R8pp0EWVN0CevzniO1bK1fsXg_WqqVuve1s_R9h6U/s640/327C08D6-31C8-4586-B567-444EE3358C4A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gDJp60TVNzeYXytUN1pFE5XcJMjCiuESAhjtr4-xn3cXHiYE0JGRmzdf-i7LoZshtXAGRI6Rnn8VTYDfvVXRvgT1VTu7BNVIF1_sjV7hf_btW2c2no-1Z_gpxC90v3vPIAPOONFEs8jJ/s2048/584258FA-2CDA-4A4A-99DB-D2D5A5A33E22.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gDJp60TVNzeYXytUN1pFE5XcJMjCiuESAhjtr4-xn3cXHiYE0JGRmzdf-i7LoZshtXAGRI6Rnn8VTYDfvVXRvgT1VTu7BNVIF1_sjV7hf_btW2c2no-1Z_gpxC90v3vPIAPOONFEs8jJ/s640/584258FA-2CDA-4A4A-99DB-D2D5A5A33E22.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The change in the ecosystems was marked as we traveled down through the high Andean meadow for the lack of a better word into a lush cloud forest. Must do some more research because the guides description of a cloud forest is not what I understood it to be. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC0B0XDcah_-_jkMlsYtlA2-idp8_p-hp1hjHlMb5HOB9crBh9yI-qDza0ZQzplV5n5whsdkug6GM8JSgKNhElUO6ZMrqWYXy5hDec5cwRz_nLKZkyUIfxLrms_9Fqwi9UT2HD7Zho6oS/s2048/330601D2-87B5-434A-910A-B8ED52F4BA0B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC0B0XDcah_-_jkMlsYtlA2-idp8_p-hp1hjHlMb5HOB9crBh9yI-qDza0ZQzplV5n5whsdkug6GM8JSgKNhElUO6ZMrqWYXy5hDec5cwRz_nLKZkyUIfxLrms_9Fqwi9UT2HD7Zho6oS/s640/330601D2-87B5-434A-910A-B8ED52F4BA0B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthBhP5uNw4oY6hjqoqg8A2USJbdgAQHCK3aiEn6B8_5zfa2JH-3XCiJBeZ8l7ciz1Xz2jKVVcvrOWpWh0iEbgP4DZB2QRYOs5BY3Uh7NefbO-I6WA16k2IPG7S_NylNjuFRaCTudgAWdh/s6000/A924FB7E-FB3C-4D03-B28D-FD3EB2AFD01B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthBhP5uNw4oY6hjqoqg8A2USJbdgAQHCK3aiEn6B8_5zfa2JH-3XCiJBeZ8l7ciz1Xz2jKVVcvrOWpWh0iEbgP4DZB2QRYOs5BY3Uh7NefbO-I6WA16k2IPG7S_NylNjuFRaCTudgAWdh/s640/A924FB7E-FB3C-4D03-B28D-FD3EB2AFD01B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW1QXl66QymPdngGUIS_MoIG4D1w6ladbguog2celW9oxWpZGYx5jf6vvFvnJFNzTUaQMHeX2hL272LC5GNxdtqzkCKYB-SB9nchomcNtg9cxI7ZNYDPpYrXA-SsJVUhrnp2bnUqO5acM/s6000/B633DCDA-5CF3-47E2-8B2D-724F8BB9A254.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW1QXl66QymPdngGUIS_MoIG4D1w6ladbguog2celW9oxWpZGYx5jf6vvFvnJFNzTUaQMHeX2hL272LC5GNxdtqzkCKYB-SB9nchomcNtg9cxI7ZNYDPpYrXA-SsJVUhrnp2bnUqO5acM/w342-h512/B633DCDA-5CF3-47E2-8B2D-724F8BB9A254.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLKWXFQNfLvBscMV1uAGwpet1Dx7GW7eLlF6Er-P_qN9xMLC72k51aPQQn1YZiA0k9iqSdjghuacLxyl7heEYLPOD47J9ZwMaUea4aJGQSSmSqGQjRUtBWVux7sWw4Ce3wawTp6jnOqRZ/s6000/D123A82F-670D-45D9-9600-A448118F78C9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLKWXFQNfLvBscMV1uAGwpet1Dx7GW7eLlF6Er-P_qN9xMLC72k51aPQQn1YZiA0k9iqSdjghuacLxyl7heEYLPOD47J9ZwMaUea4aJGQSSmSqGQjRUtBWVux7sWw4Ce3wawTp6jnOqRZ/s640/D123A82F-670D-45D9-9600-A448118F78C9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The final assault before lunch involved a five minute decent to the Salkanty river over a substantial bridge then up 8 to 10 minute of switchbacks to the lodge. Sadly we were unable to see the construction of a Peruvian Hangi as Pepe decided that we were too slow and they needed to get on with this vital process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Things changed for the better in the afternoon as the group gathered in the scorching tub and and a few glasses of bubbles and beer. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GzMVnnJLkhZfo9ffPFj3fB64HhO3cVe-wpqntN5BY4h0IXYJZeMsyX3sEEfUaDhCk6pEEE9ZE5dlhNEfzn3rjw-70ump3d1wq_I2dBuI9W9jsfoYKAl8slyq-GW-jK536X8A9ai0SALr/s6000/2D7ECB63-643B-4118-B22E-DC0829E06EC4.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GzMVnnJLkhZfo9ffPFj3fB64HhO3cVe-wpqntN5BY4h0IXYJZeMsyX3sEEfUaDhCk6pEEE9ZE5dlhNEfzn3rjw-70ump3d1wq_I2dBuI9W9jsfoYKAl8slyq-GW-jK536X8A9ai0SALr/s640/2D7ECB63-643B-4118-B22E-DC0829E06EC4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-71248994772541190722018-08-07T14:16:00.008-05:002020-08-30T20:09:30.906-05:00Soryapampa Lodge to Wayra Lodge (Day 5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">El gran día </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Today we cracked the Salkantay Pass, at 15,200 feet (4,600meters) today is the highest day of the trek. We said goodbye to the Soryapampa Lodge, which had been very kind to us, with a little bit of trepidation - not least the stories and pictures from the day before with the guide covered in snow. The weather prediction for us was cold, windy and possible snow. Off we set in a similar direction to the Humantay Lake, but instead of heading left we continued up the hill. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDsx9O9K3khPBzY1oBJ-6vFa5DXgy_KSZzXtFm99MmrYEQcpx9GuSKb2qtpOsGgKaqg7dsifdGwXZ_QUtRojSbZougPLbtP4f-wZ8tShHviSABVbjUDEuaizwb8vlzaLJp6w7290DeffG/s2048/70041E1F-D43C-4A1D-8779-ACF777EF9800.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDsx9O9K3khPBzY1oBJ-6vFa5DXgy_KSZzXtFm99MmrYEQcpx9GuSKb2qtpOsGgKaqg7dsifdGwXZ_QUtRojSbZougPLbtP4f-wZ8tShHviSABVbjUDEuaizwb8vlzaLJp6w7290DeffG/w640-h480/70041E1F-D43C-4A1D-8779-ACF777EF9800.jpeg" title="View back to the Lodge" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Nicola soon starting flagging behind the rest of the group...... The prediction I had the day before about lungs and aerobic capacity was proven all too true. My legs felt strong, but I just couldn’t breathe or at least get enough breath in to pound it out. My mental strength was a bit challenged too..... Trek, trek, trek..... with Jon a wee way in front of me, Yarik checking in on me and the muleteer with a mule carrying the water and medical supplies and a spare horse. There was many a step when I asked myself (Nicola) why am I doing this, Shorty loves this kind of stuff and is fit and up for the challenge, but me, why...... So keep counting .... Uno.... Dos.... Uno.... Dos...... It then became count to 60 and then start again and see how many batches of 60 I could do before stopping. Manuel the muleteer was having a seriously easy day of it following me. But the trek was stunning, challenging and amazing - what we could see of it - but still here I was pushing myself to my limits and taking on the challenge. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBigP0Z5rz0Ytt_yWfA64ik5lqPNs809mcHekOewos2NOl4R3IyfYAAEUojQKqt_EhvRYO8XK1quf2CT4t4tuYTwKfy2dLlYlf3tvnEV4Tg3BeVOd4ued7aXtrZo9hn5Iwbp1Vpquzdgc/s2048/1571F599-6443-4BBF-9D73-8C918CE2E45E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBigP0Z5rz0Ytt_yWfA64ik5lqPNs809mcHekOewos2NOl4R3IyfYAAEUojQKqt_EhvRYO8XK1quf2CT4t4tuYTwKfy2dLlYlf3tvnEV4Tg3BeVOd4ued7aXtrZo9hn5Iwbp1Vpquzdgc/s640/1571F599-6443-4BBF-9D73-8C918CE2E45E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdhfpDwd1_-deZQLSEFI-Vd9F1Au4JQWxcynW4Hf9vIJLgKAvYLFSiCS9WAEJBzBIJEOW2OpEhf3_Ip79-JLJNEt5AgL7MykdgSlrSUM6GqfIPyAlWpOzDAoJ5ktbeoE3yNWXrc71dKyL/s2048/EDA5C40B-892D-4294-B50D-6504D572815C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdhfpDwd1_-deZQLSEFI-Vd9F1Au4JQWxcynW4Hf9vIJLgKAvYLFSiCS9WAEJBzBIJEOW2OpEhf3_Ip79-JLJNEt5AgL7MykdgSlrSUM6GqfIPyAlWpOzDAoJ5ktbeoE3yNWXrc71dKyL/s640/EDA5C40B-892D-4294-B50D-6504D572815C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The previous days snow/rain was all snow above 12,000 feet, so the ground under foot was very wet and slippery. The trip over the pass was split into three steep uphill sections with two flat sections in the pampas. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">After the first up hill section Nicola decided it would be better and safer for her to do the remaining two section on the back of a horse, a very brave decision considering the terrain and to be honest the equipment (namely the saddle) - that was Shorty’s account of the situation.... Nicola’s account - I was made to get on the horse - I hate horses and am scared of the buggers!!!! But I listened to Jon (not a normal state of affairs) and got on that horse as in the weather conditions I was walking far too slowly and was making it difficult for Jon and the rest of the group.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">At one point when I (Nicola) was flagging behind we were crossing the pampa covered in snow, there was a little building selling the usual gatorade, water etc..., so bizarre to see in what felt like the absolute middle of nowhere - we were shrouded in clouds and snow. At this point I (Nicola) was a little concerned as to where Jon was..... Yarik (the second guide) very helpfully told me he may well have become lost - at this point I was quite worried, but had committed to Jon to take the horse so take the horse I did. It was rather scary getting on the horses back and then trying not to worry about it slipping on stones/boulders or falling off the cliff..... Especially when the cliff side was sheer on one side or the other depending on the switch back. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKRa_c3uF-KXZrQoTaLkkGeb7zHBVAgspTjtaQO9SsOw_HQXpZBqoXNGSXJGY-24DRLfkwzBgxINceLEgYxv8e7GoyepruxenFaa-luJQQ2UbpZGKcmLe7B2A9g2rqsrJrjJKoSdDVbyz/s2048/2FD50966-EC7C-4F89-A8C7-846391ED466E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKRa_c3uF-KXZrQoTaLkkGeb7zHBVAgspTjtaQO9SsOw_HQXpZBqoXNGSXJGY-24DRLfkwzBgxINceLEgYxv8e7GoyepruxenFaa-luJQQ2UbpZGKcmLe7B2A9g2rqsrJrjJKoSdDVbyz/w384-h512/2FD50966-EC7C-4F89-A8C7-846391ED466E.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 25.1px;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Unfortunately I (Jon) had to continue the trip up the mountain unaided, with only two guides one having to take care of the main group while the second had control of Nicola. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">It of course goes with out saying that our intrepid singleton (Jon) managed admirably, including choosing the right track by the freshness of the horse/mule shit on the ground - and there was a lot of it - he has pictures to compare the fresh and the not so fresh stuff - my hero :). Nicola and Jon were reunited temporarily part way up the second steep section (Seven Serpents). </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Yarik then took over with Jon and took him the vertical short cut!!!!!! Yarik I think was quite pleased with himself describing it as a short cut, but looking back down on it from the horse it was just an sheer uphill battle and Shorty braved it with his sensible 15 mins then drink, 30 mins eat...... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Back to Nicola’s horse riding - at the top of the Seven Serpents I was faced with the option of heading down a very steep pitch on the horse- not on my nelly - or on my own two feet, but without walking poles as Yarik had those and he was somewhere else on the pass with Jon. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER53t5x3dr37FMNKcfG3zGtoXtD2OkdOsi2Id9yaHGODxV6noO_fXsYdeRDO7K0vPeQFmuxDi-YBO_cti4KVBSTqP7EKxLyxpW5aRSZBgySScp9AHbV0BC9BvEqmLyjU67BBQI3BoAhgt/s2048/68D9C9E4-668D-448B-84C2-AB32E87ACAA6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER53t5x3dr37FMNKcfG3zGtoXtD2OkdOsi2Id9yaHGODxV6noO_fXsYdeRDO7K0vPeQFmuxDi-YBO_cti4KVBSTqP7EKxLyxpW5aRSZBgySScp9AHbV0BC9BvEqmLyjU67BBQI3BoAhgt/s640/68D9C9E4-668D-448B-84C2-AB32E87ACAA6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Again Jon and I were reunited after his vertical short cut and we started together on the final steep pitch. I was eventually relegated to the horse once again, overtaking all and sundry. The scariest moment was meeting a mule train coming the other way - these trails are not very wide to say the least and all the mules in front and those coming down were all rather frisky!!!!!!! But made it up to the summit - for me, Nicola, it was a little lonely, but I said a mountain prayer especially for my Mum, Dad and Jon and of course all our family and friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Once all were at the summit the customary photo’s were taken and the descent to the lodge began. There was even a snow man at the summit!!!! Sadly due to the low cloud base the views of the mountain were few and far between but we could tell from the snippets we saw it was spectacular. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3kwidliAVNyMcLRI7MfiXo3x4RkwwopY4SAxN2ubzB0xJKGAhCo0u82-72Q3r9mUYajoGX_3hiWBnsd944X9r-l_MeANXX8v9Lv_aKnaMOeWotqt9vf9MGO2pJb6avrh6fLSh0gyFXHH/s2048/9DAE7B51-5809-4AE9-94A4-C3744BF59179.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3kwidliAVNyMcLRI7MfiXo3x4RkwwopY4SAxN2ubzB0xJKGAhCo0u82-72Q3r9mUYajoGX_3hiWBnsd944X9r-l_MeANXX8v9Lv_aKnaMOeWotqt9vf9MGO2pJb6avrh6fLSh0gyFXHH/s640/9DAE7B51-5809-4AE9-94A4-C3744BF59179.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbkYpJs8Vm_55ePNkBF51_JdK9ELMsGRz_KEhyphenhyphenrBv0f0Ih3TZd2cNtSPT12lvfgYsWIclU0XjZsv0EK7xxSKCN4Kn1FLY1pCmgT0ZrLrMeHuHTl67Efn_tQ4rO9tNDz58ktqFLdBwKbO2/s2048/48D935F9-B1B6-4DED-9DD6-BAE9F65CA0B0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbkYpJs8Vm_55ePNkBF51_JdK9ELMsGRz_KEhyphenhyphenrBv0f0Ih3TZd2cNtSPT12lvfgYsWIclU0XjZsv0EK7xxSKCN4Kn1FLY1pCmgT0ZrLrMeHuHTl67Efn_tQ4rO9tNDz58ktqFLdBwKbO2/w384-h512/48D935F9-B1B6-4DED-9DD6-BAE9F65CA0B0.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEWE9LrEwXOnzKLPvlKMLZKj7fL3e0DkgtgtQWOFijdQBg0vFSJ_L21Q3osQf2GYwR1bpZJgXOuZe14MQadPEerve4Ztv1TvmIPW6ZMH5DoswJQOSWkxBAkJ2QE5iCpimsvnT5fwKM05_/s2048/475663C4-8804-471C-9C97-4260A9FFD6D3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEWE9LrEwXOnzKLPvlKMLZKj7fL3e0DkgtgtQWOFijdQBg0vFSJ_L21Q3osQf2GYwR1bpZJgXOuZe14MQadPEerve4Ztv1TvmIPW6ZMH5DoswJQOSWkxBAkJ2QE5iCpimsvnT5fwKM05_/s640/475663C4-8804-471C-9C97-4260A9FFD6D3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWt7Yu5AWT9ythkK3hDNv7oBeuJos5sMIi5C34VhsykrzFiv_DG3x5t9CsguK3pxupNvFnfGUJEoQz9zEShcPBG1BRwK23kLfQQN_VDzUHYyQa3q4tt7fSLj2pf9V4s4KxoiK7tIZxu08/s2048/E56E73A7-C6EB-4605-970F-BAE6E29EFB2A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWt7Yu5AWT9ythkK3hDNv7oBeuJos5sMIi5C34VhsykrzFiv_DG3x5t9CsguK3pxupNvFnfGUJEoQz9zEShcPBG1BRwK23kLfQQN_VDzUHYyQa3q4tt7fSLj2pf9V4s4KxoiK7tIZxu08/s640/E56E73A7-C6EB-4605-970F-BAE6E29EFB2A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The trek down was a long trek, welcome in some respects after the long haul up the mountain, but downhill on slippery trails, avoiding mule trains is still quite a challenge. As the clouds started to scatter we got glimpses of the mountain ranges and passes that we had just trekked through. The Andes are amazing..... We must have trekked through at least 3 different eco systems today. The bottom half of the trek was kind of through boulder fields - could have been a scene from Lord of the Rings. Especially with the eerie cloud cover. Not sure the photos will do it justice, but it really was an amazing experience.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpK3zDzbDRZqANNpm85VHQ0p8XDut-qiLgYWUsz_bKH7s2VczD9sWENQAr26eTVDhgOYugvgjfuKpsFXGXrq5TH88-2dB4w14mKnCuLhboMs63U4Rfikd4mt0bbUZqUgETmpyzFC52U8r/s2048/7C1F9460-FF57-4EC4-802B-0220FA886D4F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpK3zDzbDRZqANNpm85VHQ0p8XDut-qiLgYWUsz_bKH7s2VczD9sWENQAr26eTVDhgOYugvgjfuKpsFXGXrq5TH88-2dB4w14mKnCuLhboMs63U4Rfikd4mt0bbUZqUgETmpyzFC52U8r/s640/7C1F9460-FF57-4EC4-802B-0220FA886D4F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg33CXsZWTQm9tbYx_czgD6VU23iHjmXp_zZMGaVWqrnQ1u50xyZs3sjR-qwEB-jpTnFNdF_56lp5Rr6uzGjxcbnnR8jQ5OdEL09KmMa3lvzwheTv9fXdtH0HsqvwsIfQp-a7eOEfzf9nl/s2048/78A7A89B-C606-4CFD-ABE9-E1ECF5AABB71.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg33CXsZWTQm9tbYx_czgD6VU23iHjmXp_zZMGaVWqrnQ1u50xyZs3sjR-qwEB-jpTnFNdF_56lp5Rr6uzGjxcbnnR8jQ5OdEL09KmMa3lvzwheTv9fXdtH0HsqvwsIfQp-a7eOEfzf9nl/s640/78A7A89B-C606-4CFD-ABE9-E1ECF5AABB71.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeQnuBkVUQRvjajGeiQHUCbpK597r6KDkkyAWzG5r2fVnURBPdGK2K-WcKKadfNfwQB0OHq6iV8zav5K88pAAaipDPyHAZzvQU9uzgxOOwgRIH9WqNzOR99Wn8qwsLYnhxK7XzCdI_KE1/s6000/572E51AE-194A-49A7-9609-58BCEA41A4EB.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeQnuBkVUQRvjajGeiQHUCbpK597r6KDkkyAWzG5r2fVnURBPdGK2K-WcKKadfNfwQB0OHq6iV8zav5K88pAAaipDPyHAZzvQU9uzgxOOwgRIH9WqNzOR99Wn8qwsLYnhxK7XzCdI_KE1/s640/572E51AE-194A-49A7-9609-58BCEA41A4EB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XRh-DokEucvWg0pSYwYwJScH5hxA2ARbTMdh2iXC2ENZnQU3cfL09a0d7UTmkC6Eyprf1NISc9ZzRm0oyhyilZkeLBsSbw6D2SyaMpgxjSKfsbqLOnm_gXZWVrYIqOiUHWqy4c4_nKTW/s2048/8269F599-2503-4FA5-AE59-42BA2F6E2910.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XRh-DokEucvWg0pSYwYwJScH5hxA2ARbTMdh2iXC2ENZnQU3cfL09a0d7UTmkC6Eyprf1NISc9ZzRm0oyhyilZkeLBsSbw6D2SyaMpgxjSKfsbqLOnm_gXZWVrYIqOiUHWqy4c4_nKTW/s640/8269F599-2503-4FA5-AE59-42BA2F6E2910.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvEBB_3ftY3Tn8X6J0rQ14OFI9BH8lG4WuiRfzfN_52W3Ee00paucL_rwGSQah8dtND_948PGcpNKLdPLTdiVeUnx1tdUijFqEkFs9-ZqCHOiKR1omBHKsqdihl8ap7BcJR8CF3Xh_5ju/s2048/A8643037-DBD8-4E7D-A902-83F4CDBEE34C.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvEBB_3ftY3Tn8X6J0rQ14OFI9BH8lG4WuiRfzfN_52W3Ee00paucL_rwGSQah8dtND_948PGcpNKLdPLTdiVeUnx1tdUijFqEkFs9-ZqCHOiKR1omBHKsqdihl8ap7BcJR8CF3Xh_5ju/s640/A8643037-DBD8-4E7D-A902-83F4CDBEE34C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The Wayra lodge greeted 12 weary souls and could not have been more welcoming. Constructed of locally sourced river stones and 5,000 mule trains of other material - it was definitely the best lodge on the trek so far. And another hot tub!!!</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAHI5-0aBG6zIq937tiAvkYR2FINxu9VZG9pd18uol5PklDGRlBih7qqZSPU-ZoT9Cuax1tfEkJ7anePnqKD4XZVXwfUhlhjLaJsnvmVeElD5kDnw0hy_qfEuEk7cL2wOJFMtJqledVxK/s6000/518D0631-7A31-4FAF-89F3-6AD6399E33C8.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAHI5-0aBG6zIq937tiAvkYR2FINxu9VZG9pd18uol5PklDGRlBih7qqZSPU-ZoT9Cuax1tfEkJ7anePnqKD4XZVXwfUhlhjLaJsnvmVeElD5kDnw0hy_qfEuEk7cL2wOJFMtJqledVxK/w410-h274/518D0631-7A31-4FAF-89F3-6AD6399E33C8.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_i99fdDZP-KwdfzPtyViEHuG2sBZ9667I-j03LBrMTLMWnwE5e_IbR4Y_z2N7ppXwBVdQey_0PeSDo1LxlSmGk2ZGy05iL95G6lJiQ3hK7i7jWf9SaGyV34izAy-u7ojDgheN7eVNx0N/s6000/A60F6FF0-65EC-485B-9B06-87AD61190373.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_i99fdDZP-KwdfzPtyViEHuG2sBZ9667I-j03LBrMTLMWnwE5e_IbR4Y_z2N7ppXwBVdQey_0PeSDo1LxlSmGk2ZGy05iL95G6lJiQ3hK7i7jWf9SaGyV34izAy-u7ojDgheN7eVNx0N/w410-h274/A60F6FF0-65EC-485B-9B06-87AD61190373.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuc29UnteMe53wMWuyWg70gXWgYo5xLWbQBMwy58x7r7IJ2x5SbSztTpjE5fEiO4-uBY5FEERJd6hxsUSCMlszXja9F8Q2RFZdPLdZx2eBB9MhDBli1hn2VakaLDzkUrQuLifH-C4Qc_Pk/s6000/EF575405-9FD1-4DE1-8ADA-F0C072AC3C60.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuc29UnteMe53wMWuyWg70gXWgYo5xLWbQBMwy58x7r7IJ2x5SbSztTpjE5fEiO4-uBY5FEERJd6hxsUSCMlszXja9F8Q2RFZdPLdZx2eBB9MhDBli1hn2VakaLDzkUrQuLifH-C4Qc_Pk/s640/EF575405-9FD1-4DE1-8ADA-F0C072AC3C60.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxzl8QV9Lb1ewMOXhFjfWs_-kPsQ0gNh-TnlQSo4TloQTaDwQTHyg3enxK4-d94Qc8-17B99vYiiV-1EFcn0J1o3ev0m1DSYOKJdRcHddxrK5xEMY6NzXq9-Ecty0Y6e7VGSprEUSG93Y/s6000/FAB33F51-4067-430D-AA30-67DA9BA8653D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxzl8QV9Lb1ewMOXhFjfWs_-kPsQ0gNh-TnlQSo4TloQTaDwQTHyg3enxK4-d94Qc8-17B99vYiiV-1EFcn0J1o3ev0m1DSYOKJdRcHddxrK5xEMY6NzXq9-Ecty0Y6e7VGSprEUSG93Y/s640/FAB33F51-4067-430D-AA30-67DA9BA8653D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Food was as ever delicious, the Peruvians know how to cook! Lunch </span><span style="color: #e4af0a; direction: ltr; font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: underline; unicode-bidi: embed;">at 3pm</span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"> was Chicken stir fry, </span><span style="color: #e4af0a; direction: ltr; font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: underline; unicode-bidi: embed;">5pm</span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"> was Pizza, popcorn, beer and wine, then </span><span style="color: #e4af0a; direction: ltr; font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: underline; unicode-bidi: embed;">7:30pm</span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"> was steak and potatoes and NY style cheesecake. You would have thought we could not have fit that much food in - but after almost 7 hours of trekking, food was a really good idea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Another early night to bed..........</span></div>
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-61528247332892372752018-08-06T14:14:00.004-05:002020-08-30T20:09:46.213-05:00Soryapampa Lodge to Soryapampa Lodge via Lake Humantay (Day 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">This was the main bum sniffing exercise but interestingly enough it was optional. It was a three and a half hour round trip to lake with a 1,420 foot (Nicola is sure it was more....) change in altitude. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqF2Z15e08L5dPaa1HSkvpTCgPDxQCiMd-kAmwdRyY1-UOhJZ2yw1EqPSaapR9wOm9mDLZryyMwhEF6qmSPrSbNayG08DLM7mJ6LuhCBNSQrxXUt2_2zsqr3QhPxY0fzK1byN-NgV5o5A/s2048/A5A699EC-A775-47E6-8797-72B4FCB1B3ED.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqF2Z15e08L5dPaa1HSkvpTCgPDxQCiMd-kAmwdRyY1-UOhJZ2yw1EqPSaapR9wOm9mDLZryyMwhEF6qmSPrSbNayG08DLM7mJ6LuhCBNSQrxXUt2_2zsqr3QhPxY0fzK1byN-NgV5o5A/w512-h384/A5A699EC-A775-47E6-8797-72B4FCB1B3ED.jpeg" width="512" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Nicola and I were the tail gunners again but this time it paid a dividend, namely the sighting of a Condor!</span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Yarik spotted it screeching down the valley and alerted me; the female local muleteer almost busted a gut making sure Nicola saw it too. I have seen many birds in my time but none so big or majestic, would love to see more. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The trek up proved to me (Nicola) that my lungs and general aerobic capacity was going to be challenged during the trip..... Pepe encouraged me to try out a new style of walking.... Uno... pause... Dos.... pause.. the pause was not really a pause, but more of a hesitation in the foot step to relax the foot that was not walking. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5omI1k0VIH2cz7ThlfIGPmvPXjjoLedcHMmvmvDaL8kiAKNzrcMmiHP4TLsPAEKDMjtUBV03qXh7Amqr28nD1eARm1POzzzMXBR4HKPN3r4MJmxKuoD9O9J7Iei8c6vNRF9bp0d97BS4l/s2048/F57784D8-8248-493E-A173-DA0FEF6B57D5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5omI1k0VIH2cz7ThlfIGPmvPXjjoLedcHMmvmvDaL8kiAKNzrcMmiHP4TLsPAEKDMjtUBV03qXh7Amqr28nD1eARm1POzzzMXBR4HKPN3r4MJmxKuoD9O9J7Iei8c6vNRF9bp0d97BS4l/w512-h384/F57784D8-8248-493E-A173-DA0FEF6B57D5.jpeg" width="512" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Arrived at a rickety bridge (health and safety would have something to say...) where Jon waited for me amongst the cows. I kind of got the impression that Jon was communing with the cows when I reached him. Yarik then created the lamest, but funniest joke of the trip. Hard to recreate in words, but I will try. Yarik asked “where does the expression Holy Cow come from?” Good question one could ask. Then he pointed high, high up the mountain to a white cow and my natural response was “Holy Cow how did he get up there”....... expression derivation proven :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Once we arrived at the lake my breath was stolen not just by the beauty of the moraine lake but by the numbers of people who had made the day trek form Cusco (300+)! Yarik told me that they get up at four to drive there and then hike up an hour before heading back! </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9J17cc-_M9hwDZ9q8Rq4u7rb1uwd-ftFYI20hhL8NvQLbNjsVzMgj_h3OTPYgoNA4LbHoNY6Y0HsI471qBw2g_EC_J_L2_PtqmZEgcn6JFNUoEtQr2xz3uK2vnbS-onKORKl9LtYmtB2/s2048/0F3536A7-B1AA-4397-8349-9133E33458FC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9J17cc-_M9hwDZ9q8Rq4u7rb1uwd-ftFYI20hhL8NvQLbNjsVzMgj_h3OTPYgoNA4LbHoNY6Y0HsI471qBw2g_EC_J_L2_PtqmZEgcn6JFNUoEtQr2xz3uK2vnbS-onKORKl9LtYmtB2/w384-h512/0F3536A7-B1AA-4397-8349-9133E33458FC.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6483FDEogcgLMS2MQQho-91j0J-QXRuhIMZtnYHq9afdzeFiDoyLgVpztlPyIH3Yy_jQO2dTSD6ACZ9GIc9v1NRq45F6w_j1bnibwqQDoIUIbWUxveL1XmTsZXYZktsIHH1Qs0_s79OOC/s3140/96472B0C-F8FC-44B6-A025-C9109386D4F0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="3140" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6483FDEogcgLMS2MQQho-91j0J-QXRuhIMZtnYHq9afdzeFiDoyLgVpztlPyIH3Yy_jQO2dTSD6ACZ9GIc9v1NRq45F6w_j1bnibwqQDoIUIbWUxveL1XmTsZXYZktsIHH1Qs0_s79OOC/w640-h204/96472B0C-F8FC-44B6-A025-C9109386D4F0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">The trek back to the lodge was challenging if only for the crowds of trekkers (in all sorts of outfits), horse carried tourists and adorable puppy’s. Ok there was only one puppy but it did almost get slipped into Nicola’s pack, negotiations did slow our forward momentum but sense won out and the dog population on the Short house hold remained at two. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">At the top of the pass we both laid a stone as an offering to the mountain and prayed initially for my Mum’s recovery but then also for all of our family and friends. </span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczdUHjVk9Tsaih2n8jq4wXzriB2Mb0nQZ_MUErKf0W0hghsFYceH1yBT2cNsGnlENTn-HZ4K2MN_VGl50jtzLXsGvBPLHQ_F80f9AnJefggXZChv0XT5RnfLxoVpbD7o6No4nyZFTMNey/s2048/2098B847-FAB2-4843-9FF0-0B29FAA39146.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczdUHjVk9Tsaih2n8jq4wXzriB2Mb0nQZ_MUErKf0W0hghsFYceH1yBT2cNsGnlENTn-HZ4K2MN_VGl50jtzLXsGvBPLHQ_F80f9AnJefggXZChv0XT5RnfLxoVpbD7o6No4nyZFTMNey/w308-h410/2098B847-FAB2-4843-9FF0-0B29FAA39146.jpeg" width="308" /></a></div><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Oh did I mention it started to snow an hour or so into the trek? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Summer holiday! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Back to the amazing lodge and Nicola got a massage - nice - legs and feet felt miraculous after that. Then a quick pop into the jacuzzi and steam room before dinner. And at dinner a lovely cake to celebrate Jeremy’s birthday - oh to be 38 again :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Also we heard from Nicola’s Dad that all had gone well with the colonoscopy and nothing untoward presented itself in the results.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFfaApQQPqAMMJgOzt-fWGgLEqKxsNp75OGfuLYKiPXfolyVHqkgkm8cfWy7My3BiirHOQQaZXTTR4HlFsCplvx5HwiIMeZ6lQjlnT7_FROc_VEQu7GtUyPnhqBRncElMAGIpZ0yv_wwz/s2048/A2F03EBF-1C6F-4531-9707-806CA0DF3966.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1109" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFfaApQQPqAMMJgOzt-fWGgLEqKxsNp75OGfuLYKiPXfolyVHqkgkm8cfWy7My3BiirHOQQaZXTTR4HlFsCplvx5HwiIMeZ6lQjlnT7_FROc_VEQu7GtUyPnhqBRncElMAGIpZ0yv_wwz/s640/A2F03EBF-1C6F-4531-9707-806CA0DF3966.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div>
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-80850574977461177482018-08-05T18:41:00.004-05:002020-08-29T21:36:38.250-05:00Cuzco to Soryapampa Lodge (Day 3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;">Picked up early by Pepe and the rest of them in a Mercedes Sprinter van (definitely a contender for our big trip). First stop was Quillarumiyoc (Temple to the Moon Rock) - this was an old ruin and probably the first test of Nicola’s uphill skills (or lack off). Yarik (the second guide) told me (Nicola) at that point that it was quite likely that him and I were going to become good friends.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbz5r7Y0HDd_aCvpkB5eA0ZSsLAeodiufHppeuzYO8HspXKeP_tOgeFmfcPmK7exIZKbA79DI-xaPEuHeqcSlsOLlMo4LgKnhEwpkBBEiK7_EfCaUTpF2f8k4O4dpNBjB5n5GnJk5Rvmu1/w400-h266/AA3AAACF-4A48-40EF-90BF-9FEFAECEC882.jpeg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;" width="400" /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;">
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After that we headed to Mollepata and did a little tour of the Sunday market which was kind of cool. On the way stopped at an overpass with rocks growing out of trees and an amazing vista of the avocado farms below.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;"><br />
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Then off to the Mountain Lodges of Peru project - in here they are <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">spearheading a project to become fully self sufficient in vegetables and cooking etc. They are also involved in a number of ‘outreach’ programs with the locals population, mostly around their products I.e all things alpaca. </span> After that we headed off to lunch at the Mountain Lodge farm where they are farming European pets.... We had our first and hopefully last Guinea pig farm..... With lunch they allowed us to taste the local produce - my god the avocado is excellent. Beats anything you can get in NY hands down!!</div>
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The drop off area was a mule train depot, we donned our back packs and started the trek for real. During the four mile trek to the lodge we gained only 690 odd feet but when you start at 12,400 odd every feet of that is fought for, especially as this was really our first outing. We got the impression that this was the first of the bum sniffing and sadly Nicola and I didn’t fare so well, we were both slow and I was being naughty and rushing and then stopping to catch my breath. Eventually Nicola gave in and swallowed her pride and for a while allowed the muleteer to carry her backpack - apparently was far too heavy - Yarik told me to drop at least 2.5kg for the next day. First part of the trek was uphill - puff, puff, puff, stop, puff, puff, puff, stop. Then we walked along, the mainly flat, route of the Inca canals - some original, some restored, but quite amazing to experience.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIx0t3OVqkRBXdVdc2-DFi8-31KfRDLKbQPOpHlx6AXnp8jabR8mADsZWxTGmCvPKorpxQhmcbhpgebVNrT-UB6zBewI8jo9_QaKTPftD2VdWIN3WsMxA7fnoYlEus2IJYUZVXG-FeowUL/s1600/BE99067D-178E-42AE-A715-CC38806ACFFE.jpeg" style="font-size: 17px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIx0t3OVqkRBXdVdc2-DFi8-31KfRDLKbQPOpHlx6AXnp8jabR8mADsZWxTGmCvPKorpxQhmcbhpgebVNrT-UB6zBewI8jo9_QaKTPftD2VdWIN3WsMxA7fnoYlEus2IJYUZVXG-FeowUL/s320/BE99067D-178E-42AE-A715-CC38806ACFFE.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect right angle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEGhsZtE9dK8yvcI_uCHlHtFWJNDfxxBjs7ByDbvmrnbl8zhQrn0vpN808i7o-ForeowbtcZHnY-ot7M7vj_FsRkVbLTT81KXDY9S-KmJTG_DUycwq2Kx5rktTYyOVQt5K4VTSqcDHfmo/s1600/E1208260-8908-4813-A7D4-65345005BFEF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEGhsZtE9dK8yvcI_uCHlHtFWJNDfxxBjs7ByDbvmrnbl8zhQrn0vpN808i7o-ForeowbtcZHnY-ot7M7vj_FsRkVbLTT81KXDY9S-KmJTG_DUycwq2Kx5rktTYyOVQt5K4VTSqcDHfmo/s320/E1208260-8908-4813-A7D4-65345005BFEF.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inca aqueduct<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4zen-ejr4jKcdQ6yEH2mVFGT5Xz4h6DhE8jLEUEtOhsE3dIjKqYO_o3S3aRQQBSzdtdr3iZUEnlpat3ewoK2rZaY3rMQmzmDcmsKzbhNZQ0xSRSJHSIVMmb4DG58UJ7aGDs4KXnx96s7/s1600/2941F19E-2852-4136-942C-218E127CBD63.jpeg" style="font-size: 17px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4zen-ejr4jKcdQ6yEH2mVFGT5Xz4h6DhE8jLEUEtOhsE3dIjKqYO_o3S3aRQQBSzdtdr3iZUEnlpat3ewoK2rZaY3rMQmzmDcmsKzbhNZQ0xSRSJHSIVMmb4DG58UJ7aGDs4KXnx96s7/s320/2941F19E-2852-4136-942C-218E127CBD63.jpeg" width="240" /></a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S-BdGdP_in_hI2Q1UQqf_UviSDW1iqZIJhp8iIBdzfA4soOnJ8_T7R2QUDkEm8Vi8A0Ps1nSKZJaTog6NtvSNBBtIgU4wFGlfIwyM5jUtbBvV2dqR47iJUzi8eqSsPsYix5gAh86m2eg/s1600/CA758DE5-7293-47C4-B5DA-19226CDDDC7F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S-BdGdP_in_hI2Q1UQqf_UviSDW1iqZIJhp8iIBdzfA4soOnJ8_T7R2QUDkEm8Vi8A0Ps1nSKZJaTog6NtvSNBBtIgU4wFGlfIwyM5jUtbBvV2dqR47iJUzi8eqSsPsYix5gAh86m2eg/s320/CA758DE5-7293-47C4-B5DA-19226CDDDC7F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO0GBc_DDL5K_sXScI_94OH9ZDvDCXTpew6omX4yM-wzRjWZfS1doMIh5FAIM6TgyoWrKn2YzNBz93AIHf5bUnSZfP3GMenXGVwwDbjf8aLJXGLxxkueyVJydapCO9MrTBlyOshS3gfMN/s1600/97C894C1-FEB4-4207-869C-A78C4164E63D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO0GBc_DDL5K_sXScI_94OH9ZDvDCXTpew6omX4yM-wzRjWZfS1doMIh5FAIM6TgyoWrKn2YzNBz93AIHf5bUnSZfP3GMenXGVwwDbjf8aLJXGLxxkueyVJydapCO9MrTBlyOshS3gfMN/s320/97C894C1-FEB4-4207-869C-A78C4164E63D.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #454545;">Dinner was lovely and after dinner we marveled at the frat boy (+30 years) getting stuck into the Pisco. They had a very early start to the Salkantay pass trek in the morning (and we were later to find out a trek and a half with snow on the pass).</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO0GBc_DDL5K_sXScI_94OH9ZDvDCXTpew6omX4yM-wzRjWZfS1doMIh5FAIM6TgyoWrKn2YzNBz93AIHf5bUnSZfP3GMenXGVwwDbjf8aLJXGLxxkueyVJydapCO9MrTBlyOshS3gfMN/s1600/97C894C1-FEB4-4207-869C-A78C4164E63D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #454545;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO0GBc_DDL5K_sXScI_94OH9ZDvDCXTpew6omX4yM-wzRjWZfS1doMIh5FAIM6TgyoWrKn2YzNBz93AIHf5bUnSZfP3GMenXGVwwDbjf8aLJXGLxxkueyVJydapCO9MrTBlyOshS3gfMN/s1600/97C894C1-FEB4-4207-869C-A78C4164E63D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #454545;"><br /></span></a></div>
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Arriving at the lodge was breath taking. Both the Humantay and Salkantay peaks were free of clouds and bathed in the late afternoon sunlight which was a killer back drop for post trek hot tub (and as we have come to notice hot tubs in Peru are HOT 110+).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVGM8enNGbCxLbIhpcZtGie3aU1o43DLjydpZZaX5D1wraK3-mWjzAANzoCMJxjgWT0A_AZyQBP3Hlq69Z6H0xUXMWSoWEAGPLJT3ZFbVjnvIpIw7q4LDu68LpGoM5q_UGi-eF7IJ09V6/s1600/D8D4190A-45E5-4A59-B889-BFE0A3F19981.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVGM8enNGbCxLbIhpcZtGie3aU1o43DLjydpZZaX5D1wraK3-mWjzAANzoCMJxjgWT0A_AZyQBP3Hlq69Z6H0xUXMWSoWEAGPLJT3ZFbVjnvIpIw7q4LDu68LpGoM5q_UGi-eF7IJ09V6/s320/D8D4190A-45E5-4A59-B889-BFE0A3F19981.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-10500724288737033492018-08-04T00:30:00.000-05:002020-08-11T19:36:18.623-05:00Cusco City Tour (Day 2)<p> Work in progress to update ;)</p>Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-65063498649412067092018-08-03T16:23:00.000-05:002020-08-11T19:35:37.236-05:00Cusco Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "uictfonttextstylebody"; font-size: 17px;">Left NY Thursday night to Lima, seamless transfer to flight to Cusco. Arrived Friday August 3 mid morning and after what was a surprisingly easy transfer to the Hotel we (or at least I was since I had done precious little research) were stunned by the beauty of the JW Marriott. </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;">The hotel was built in an old Franciscan monastery about 100 meters from the main square and cathedral. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;">After a quick and delicious lunch (Peruvian beef skewers and a trio of empanadas) we headed into Cusco in search of some gifts for Nicola and MIL. There is quite obviously a central store somewhere in Cusco from where all of the other smaller shops get all of their merchandise. Whether this is by decree or by some mad economic force that I will never understand, the upshot of it is 90 percent of the shops sell the same damn thing. As a result the only way to shops for tourists trinkets is to go into as many shops as you can and find a vendor you like then buy the thing you first found. It was a good couple of hours walking which helped us to acclimatize to the altitude. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: uictfonttextstylebody; font-size: 17px;">Dinner that night was exceptional at Chicha, delicious ceviche and a beef stir fry in an amazing setting. Thankfully reservation at 6 so bed by 9 after the obligatory Pisco Sour in the stunning hotel bar........ Room piped with oxygen to making sleeping at that altitude easier.</span><br />
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-18373705259643808532018-08-03T09:04:00.001-05:002020-08-11T19:14:28.121-05:00Peru here we come <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">With some trepidation we have set off to Peru. Trepidation leaving my parents behind with all that is going on and also the fact that the altitude might kick our butts.</span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Latam treated us pretty well in business class - well Shorty’s seat initially would not budge, but some brut force from the steward got it flat, then it was flat or upright nothing in between. Thankfully was an overnight flight and just what was needed anyway.</span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Landed in Lima where we had been told to allow 3-4 hours to clear customs, get our bags and recheck in - I think it took us about a half hour. Was quite a smooth system to be perfectly honest.</span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Desayuno with eggs, bacon and toast and a double espresso for Shorty. Then off to clear domestic security - or so we thought....... One line everyone in it, then suddenly pandemonium..... The one line everyone was in was both international and domestic security. Became every man and woman for their dog to get into the domestic line, I think we managed to skip past 30-40 people. But the Peruvian women are pushy wee things. I feel like a giant at the moment.</span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Here we are now sitting at the gate waiting for our flight to Cusco, will it take off on time, will our bags arrive, only time will tell.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">It did take off on time (pretty much). Total chaos at Cusco airport, but that kind of "we are now on an adventure chaos" which is always good fun. Bags arrived no trouble. Transport - kind of no trouble...... Pan music in the van already.</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: 21pt;">Boy you can feel the altitude.</span></div>
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-72270635120181561752018-05-02T12:29:00.004-05:002018-05-02T12:29:56.376-05:00Mumbai..... first trip to India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Finally I get to come to India, not for pleasure but for business, even better in some ways. Opportunity to try it out and see if I want to come and spend more time here exploring. Been just over 24 hours and it is definitely somewhere I would like to come back to.<br />
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Everyone gave me warnings, it’s a culture shock, you won’t expect much of what you see etc.etc. Now granted I have only been here 24 hours and seen airport to hotel, hotel to office, office to hotel, but I am loving the experience.<br />
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On my journey in from the airport yesterday (after a good 20 hours of flying) I was struck by the chaos of the city, cars, auto rickshaws and motorbikes everywhere. But, there is also a certain order to it all - cars get right of way (through a lot of horn honking...) and then the auto rickshaws and it is left for the motorcycles to wind their way through them all. Pedestrians..... well they just have to step off the pavement (such that it is) and hope for the best when crossing the street. But what little I have seen they just seem to know when the best time is to step of the pavement.<br />
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In my 20 min trip from the airport to hotel (am told this was pretty quick), I witnessed my first Indian transvestite in a Sari - very elegant. A man driving a motorbike with a shockingly orange beard (peeking out from his helmet) and an elegant female passenger in a Sari (no helmet). It seems as though the law is helmet for driver of motorbike but bugger the passenger - crazy (but got it confirmed by one of my colleagues today in the office that there is no law for the passenger and so no helmet is worn). Even grown ups traveling with their kids - grown up driver has helmet, kid has none.<br />
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My hotel overlooks Powai Lake - quite an oasis in a busy city - as the dusk was starting to arrive I realized that on the lake edges were numerous people out for their evening swim, plunge, wash, who knows, but was fascinating to watch.<br />
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So far Mumbai is somewhat enchanting me. It helps that today in the office I met some really lovely people, that I have been in touch with over video conferences and telephone calls, but meeting in person has been great and very welcoming.<br />
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Last night I was warned by my driver that the 2km drive this morning from hotel to office would take at least 20 mins if not half an hour - it took 10 mins.....<br />
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Today has been more about work and getting to know the team than really seeing the city. I ate again in the hotel, but this time in their signature Indian restaurant and (maybe because I am a female on my own) I was treated like a queen.<br />
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More to follow of my experiences in this city and in this country.</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-59318673717542999232015-08-09T21:46:00.005-05:002015-08-09T21:46:58.720-05:00Hola....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a while since we posted anything on this blog.... Why, well renovations finished, life back to normal, so what is there to post...<br />
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As you saw on our last post Hippo passed away - this was very hard for us, so we decided on the sensible option of getting another dog... Meet Jambo - rescue dog from the Turks & Caicos islands, why, why not? She is adorable but has her moments, not quite as placid as Hippo was and certainly has a voice, which Hippo never had.<br />
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We are waiting with baited breath from various breeders to find out if we can get dog #2 - a chocolate labrador...<br />
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In the meantime a selection of pictures of the little Jambo<br />
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-30179314103140638432014-05-19T20:20:00.001-05:002014-05-19T20:20:40.273-05:00Hippo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For anyone still following our blog, sorry for the lack of information. Just want to let the followers know that we had to put Hippo to sleep this weekend. She is in peace and out of pain, but we miss her so much xxxx</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-82202901767557952522014-04-17T15:16:00.003-05:002014-04-17T15:16:53.178-05:00Puerto Rico<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Puerto Rico here we come. Sitting in Jet Blue terminal having some sushi as we will get nothing on the plane. Very excited to have first visit here not due to missing connecting flights........<br />
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Staying at the Royal Isabela but probably not playing golf. Thinking of a cooking class tomorrow and scuba diving on Saturday. Then rest on Sunday.<br />
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Happy Easter to all still following our blog :)</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-21157291188920020832013-11-08T18:36:00.001-05:002013-11-08T18:36:44.226-05:00Road trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Didn't manage to pull off our planned 7am start, probably not really a surprise! 1030 start to a fairly uneventful trip to Washington, D.C. .... Or so we thought, never trust the apple maps in this city. Why, you ask, because after the 5th u turn onto the same road we gave up and reverted to paper.<br />
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Ritz Carlton was waiting for us and very nice room too. After our late start we only managed to get to the international spy museum with its Bond exhibition. Not worth the $40 but it is still a fascinating museum especially all the old school spy stuff. The Bond exhibition was pretty good too. Russian children gave a wooden replica of the seal of America to the American ambassador and hidden in it was a microphone. Great little ditty about the carrier pigeon who flew 125 miles with a mangled leg to save 194 people - he also received the Croix du Guerre from the French.<br />
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Coming out we were greeted by a huge flock of starlings that just kept growing.<br />
After the spy museum we headed in search of a martini, but with no coats on in the freezing cold we gave up pretty quickly and headed back to the hotel bar. </div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-29968349217193190942013-10-06T20:29:00.002-05:002020-08-24T21:10:52.936-05:00Old Mans Cup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This weekend was the Old Mans Cup..... A golf "tournament" hosted by Emma and Leighton in Vermont.<br />
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About 20 of us playing, including 4 girls. 3 of us in the same group - while we definitely took it seriously we also had quite a laugh. Emma, Sarah and I were the 3 ball. Emma started a new trend of marking the ball on the green then picking up the mark without putting down the ball.... <br />
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The front nine was quite successful for all 3 of us. I even got a birdie (before applying my handicap) on the 6th - rather pleased about that.<br />
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After picking up vodka and soda and wine the back nine was a little more erratic. Emma would go neatly down the middle of the fairway while Sarah and I would take opposite sides down the rough!!! On the 13th I decided to go back and play the 11th landing behind a tree stump. Emma's advice - don't hit the tree stump - well I am not great at taking advice, hit the tree stump, ball flew into the air and ended up in my hand (good catch) - the question of the evening is whether I could have walked the ball to play from where I chose it to lie given it was lying in my hand.<br />
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The 18th is always a little daunting and even more so when some of the boys are heckling you :( Emma had an amazing shot from the back of the water, pond skimmed the water twice and then popped out at the back of the water. The boys couldn't see the end result but our high fives made it quite clear. Another new rule created - when under a willow tree and there is a root the ball can be moved! Finally on the green and I asked Emma if she wanted me to mark my ball...... She didn't and low and behold she knocked mine out the way. By this time we all just had the giggles!!!!<br />
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So a lovely day out and then dinner with all at the club. While shorty and I did well we were not serious contenders for the cup :(<br />
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Photos of the fall foliage to follow<br />
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-41288928751041374132013-09-03T10:33:00.001-05:002013-09-03T10:33:54.963-05:00Don't tell Jon.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
But am going to let the cat out of the bag...... As part of our gift to my parents for their 50th Wedding Anniversary we had a "photo shoot" in Vermont - check out the photographers blog for a sneak preview of the photos<br />
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<a href="http://lavignephotography.blogspot.com/">http://lavignephotography.blogspot.com/</a></div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-64650316597002134862013-09-01T19:24:00.002-05:002013-09-01T19:24:33.771-05:00Seaside Heights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So Credit Suisse Team Fun headed off to Seaside Heights, for those of you who don't know where that it…. it it THE Jersey Shore - yes the Jersey Shore of Snooki et al…..<br />
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It is a strip of land that you get to over a bridge and during Hurricane Sandy the water from the bay and the ocean met in the middle of Seaside Heights. This was also where the roller coaster collapsed during the storm.<br />
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We worked with New Jersey Cares at a school that had been under 3ft of water and remained under water for some time as the bridge was taken out in the storm and no one could get to the school to do anything with it.<br />
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Our job was to clean up the playground, paint some of the playground benches, move in the new furniture and paint some hopscotch in the playground.<br />
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We had a fabulous time, but it was a little exhausting as it was the 3 day heat wave in NY - topped out at 39 degrees Thursday afternoon - on black top not so much fun, but we persevered…….<br />
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Some photos<br />
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-69110092739324781042013-07-26T19:01:00.000-05:002013-07-26T19:01:13.009-05:00We love Dr Sofa…..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I mentioned in yesterdays blog, our sofa was delivered to restoration hardware yesterday and today Dr Sofa delivered the bits to our apartment. <br />
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It was quite disconcerting to see our sofa in 2 bits……<br />
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But I have to say I am now sitting here very comfortably in front of the telly.<br />
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Thank you very much to my Mum and Dad for buying these gorgeous sofas. It is making the apartment feel so homely. What with amazing bar stools - thank you David & Sarah - and now sofas it is starting to feel like our home.<br />
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Hippo also seems to have gotten over her fear of the stairs, at least going up that is and most mornings we find her camped outside our bedroom door.<br />
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I will see if I can rip the photos from Facebook to show you the new sofa.<br />
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What a New Yorker - central air, California Closets, Dr Sofa………….</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-73767071779800527132013-07-26T07:56:00.000-05:002013-07-26T07:56:44.338-05:00Dr Sofa..... the saga continues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For those of you who read my blog last week you will be aware of the sofa troubles..... So the last week has been back and forth with Restoration Hardware. Finally accepted their offer of 15% discount as well as delivery fee reimbursement.<br />
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So now for the Dr Sofa - for those of you outside of Manhattan this is probably alien to you. The Dr Sofa is known for disassembling and reassembling large pieces of furniture that won't fit in lifts or up the stairs - like our sofa.<br />
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Thankfully we purchased a slipcover sofa so there should be no need to cut the fabric (although they will do this for fabric and leather sofas). Dr Sofa had the inspired idea that RH deliver our sofa to their warehouse in the Bronx so they could disassembler (cut up) my sofa in the comfort of the warehouse rather than on the pavement in Brooklyn Heights - just as well as I think it may rain today.<br />
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So this afternoon I will be the proud owner (hopefully for a short while) of 4 pieces of sofa!!!! The base, back and 2 arms. By this evening I will hopfully be the proud owner of a reassembled massively comfortable sofa.<br />
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Pictures to follow<br />
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Amazing what you can get done in Manhattan, here's hoping it works :)</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-88458839929366639272013-07-21T23:18:00.006-05:002013-07-21T23:18:49.395-05:00Vermont photos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Gorgeous weekend up in Vermont, so thought I would post a couple of photos from our house.<br />
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Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-40873660094594770282013-07-20T20:21:00.000-05:002013-07-20T20:21:31.192-05:00Sofas…..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hurrah, the phone call came from Restoration Hardware that our sofas were ready for delivery - it's only been 10 weeks since we ordered them. I was expecting another 2-4 weeks wait time for when they could deliver, but literally I was offered 2 days later, which I couldn't do.<br />
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So Monday was the big day. RH had told us that we needed to have minimum 32" clearance to get the sofas in. So lift option was out….. The doors only open 26.5" - the price you pay for being in an old building. So we knew up front that the sofas were going to have to be carried up the stairs. We dutifully measured all flights of stairs and in all points we had 32" clearance.<br />
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As the days drew near to getting the sofas I suddenly had a bit of a panic, had we measured the corridor going down to the living room and den????????? NO we had not. The corridor was not a problem, but the last turn by the AV cupboard was - 29" only. Hmmm, what to do lah. We decided to wing it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pesky final corner</td></tr>
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Our theory was to at least get the sofas into the dining area and then work from there.<br />
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Monday arrives bright and breezy we have a 8-10 slot (not to bad for NYC) and it is likely to be a hot hot day……. The guys call me at 8:00 and say will be with me in 15 mins. I have to say I was impressed - we are not technically allowed to move furniture in until after 8:30 but hey ho - we will wing it again.<br />
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The guys were a little taken aback they had to take the sofas up the stairs - I had told RH that this would be the case. And they were also a little concerned about the 7' deep sofa…… Give them their due they tried every which way to get that sofa up the stairs, but never made it up the first 5 steps on the ground floor.<br />
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How stupid really to only say you need 32" clearance when they know it is going upstairs - you obviously also need height clearance too otherwise a 7ft sofa just gets stuck as the stairwell on ground floor to 2nd floor is not high enough to enable the turn. What to do…….. Well in good Brooklyn red neck style the sofa was left on the pavement, while the boys got the 6' sofa in - it was hot work so plied them with loads of water - was still a little nervous that they would get this one up 6 flights and still not get in the apartment door, but they did it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6' sofa</td></tr>
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So there we have it - one 6' sofa. So what next. Well RH gave me the following options - 1) replace the 7' sofa with a 6' sofa - fair enough, but I don't want a 6' sofa in the den……. 2) full refund of the 7' sofa (including the 50% deposit - wouldn't a full refund naturally include that?????) - don't want that either otherwise the 2 sofas won't match and they are going to be pretty close together!!! 3) 15% off and reimbursement of the delivery in order to pay for Dr Sofa….. Yes for those of you who don't live in NYC there is a Dr Sofa…… He comes in (at a price) and cuts up your sofa into digestible pieces so that it can get from ground floor into your apartment and then he puts it all back together. Everyone has told me not to watch this happening to your brand new sofa, but they also say he does an excellent job.<br />
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SO that is the next step, RH to redeliver, Dr Sofa to be on hand to chop 7' sofa into 3 pieces and then reassemble in the den.<br />
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The joys of NYC…….</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-5681067303106408672013-07-06T12:29:00.000-05:002013-07-06T12:29:20.345-05:00Happy 4th July<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a while since we have updated our blog and sorry to say no photos. Not really sure where the time has gone these days. Actually maybe I will load some photos from the Bahamas.<br />
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When did we last check - ah yes our flat warming cocktail party that went on to 1:30am and not 10pm as invited :) It was lovely having so many of our friends come over to see what we had been boring them about for over a year. Think the party was a success. Thank you all for coming and thank you for the flat warming gifts - proper thank you notes on their way.<br />
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After the dust had settled from the flat warming it was time for Jon to head to Houston for a few days and me to head to Brazil - which was a nice trip as always but 2 red eye 10 hour flights in 3 days not much fun. Arrived back to NY to meet up with my Mum and Aunt June who had very kindly flown over to dog sit hippo - what a lucky/spoilt dog she is. For those of you who saw earlier posts she is doing much better and the wound has nicely healed- she won't climb the stairs now because she had a bit of fall with the cone on her head. But the air con is rather cool downstairs so I don't hear her complaining too much.<br />
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Bahamas - interesting trip - very much beginner diving - think the deepest you could get if you burrowed your dive computer in the sand was about 20m. It rained for 6 out of the 7 days - not too bad when most of the time you are underwater but did hinder visibility a little. Also managed to drop the underwater housing on day one so no underwater photography for me - shame as I think it might have been a good opportunity to practice my pretty poor skills. It was very relaxing though and I think Jon & I both felt better for it after the week was over.<br />
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Photos to follow…… struggling to get strong enough signal out on the deck - will need to head inside but it is just too nice.<br />
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2 weeks after Bahamas was a little "tense" at work as we had to make our first big presentation to the new big boss - went OK though, now just have to do that every quarter.<br />
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Finally last week we came back up to Vermont after not being up for 2 months - the weather may not have been good up here, but consequently it is super green everywhere - just gorgeous.<br />
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Shorty and I headed out and played 13 holes of golf (before the rain started again) - my drives were coming along quite nicely. Even out drove Shorty on the 2 hole!!!! Will never happen again so will revel in it while I can.<br />
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Then headed over for pre dinner drinks chez the Parson - so lovely to see them back in Vermont - feels like they never went away. All the kids were over as well so we got to catch up with the whole crew over at their Vermont house.<br />
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We decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary a month early as it falls on a Monday this year and as tradition dictates headed to Solo where as usual Chloe and her team looked after us very well.<br />
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Last night we had the annual Leighton & Emma spectacular 4th July celebration, the company was great, food excellent, weather a little inclement, fireworks amazing!!!!!! Thank you again Emma & Leighton for a wonderful evening.<br />
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Today started off well 40-16 to the Lions, hopefully the Brits can continue a winning weekend tomorrow with Murray at Wimbledon.<br />
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Signing off now to get some sunscreen and gee my husband up to go and play golf…….</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087546668614233248.post-62019876219356668222013-05-16T22:07:00.000-05:002013-05-16T22:07:08.825-05:00What's going on in the Short household...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well we finally bit the bullet and decided that perhaps the apartment is as good as done!!! So we had a flat warming.<br />
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Caterers ordered - anyone in Brooklyn reading this, Naturally Delicious are absolutely delicious, professional and deliver on time. <br />
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Wine, spirits and bar tender ordered…… yes we decided that having a bar tender would be a good idea so that Jon & I did not spend our evening pouring drinks. Where to find a bar tender in NYC, well quite easily really - just ask in the wine shop next door. Danny was fabulous.<br />
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Pictures hung….. Last one hung was at 4pm…. First guests due to arrive at 7pm.<br />
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So cocktail party from 7 - 10 pm and the last guest left at 2 am - hmmmmm, we had a few snide comments from the neighbors, but hey we have had one party in the 10 years since we have lived here.<br />
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Tours on the half hour, every half hour went well….. Even got some tips!<br />
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So what do Jon and I talk about now? Ah hah, never fear we have the next big plan. Anchorage to Newfoundland by road and via Argentina!!!!!<br />
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Big thank you to all our family and friends who have put up with our renovation moans and groans and hope that many of you can come and visit at some point. The spare room is pretty comfortable.<br />
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More photos to follow this weekend to show the art work etc that has now been hung</div>
Nicolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847315692331419173noreply@blogger.com2