Author: admin

Tuesday, 12 February 2019 Quito, Ecuador   Wake up naturally at 0630hrs without an alarm. Oh. My. God. Am turning into a morning person. This will not do. Have been going to bed at 2130hrs and asleep by 2230hrs. Altitude does this to you. My normal routine has been disturbed. Bed at midnight and a… Read more

Monday, 11 February 2019 Lasso, Ecuador   Having been up to 12-14,000ft in Bolivia and Peru with no breathing difficulties, felt like I was constantly taking my last gasp all through the night, even though only at 10,000ft. Short rail journey from Riobamba to La Moya up in the Andes to see a local community… Read more

Sunday, 10 February 2019 Riobamba, Ecuador   Always wanted to travel on The Devil’s Nose railway ever since one of my first (and one of my finest…I know she’s reading this) bosses went in the early 1990s. Back then, I recall that she was able to sit on the roof of the train. Sadly, this… Read more

Saturday, 9 February 2019 Alausi, Ecuador   Early morning check in for the train to Quito, which will take 4 days. For the first hour, pulled by a 1920s steam train to Yaguachi which is subsequently swapped for a diesel locomotive. Hot. Very Hot. Humid. Very humid. Even at 0700hrs. Will be glad to go… Read more

Friday, 8 February 2019 Guayaquil, Ecuador   Well. Busy day doing absolutely nothing. Day of rest. Day of admin, catching up on emails, blog and diary. Day of sorting out the next legs of my trip: Colombia, Central America and Mexico and then hoping to be in the USA before Easter. The lack of blog… Read more

Thursday, 7 February 2019 Guayaquil, Ecuador Quick scoot around Cusco after breakfast for half an hour before I have to leave for the airport and my flight to Lima. A quick scoot around doesn’t do Cusco justice but have been here before so am not unduly worried. My memory is playing tricks on me again… Read more

Wednesday, 6 February 2019 Cusco, Peru   Having bought a timed ticket a few weeks ago to climb the Huayna mountain that towers over Machu Pichu at 0700hrs, I’m in two minds whether to get up. Climbed it already, when I was at the tender age of 31, which about killed me then. It affords… Read more

Tuesday, 5 February 2019 Machu Pichu, Peru   The day begins as it ended yesterday. At Wanchaq railway station in Cusco. Due to it being the rainy season, the ‘Train to Machu Pichu’ is now the ‘Bi-Modal Bus and Train to Machu Pichu’. 2hr bus journey replaces the first section of railway between Cusco and… Read more

Monday, 4 February 2019 Cusco, Peru   Discovering that high altitude is not good for a decent night’s sleep! Another sleepless night. 10hr rail journey from Puno to Cusco aboard the Lake Titicaca train. Check in at 0700hrs and there’s welcome music from a Peruvian pan pipe band. Not what you need at 0700hrs. Or… Read more

Sunday, 3 February 2019 Puno, Peru   Plenty of tour boats as we chug along a channel through the reeds to the Uros floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca. The channel has been created by dredging and a solid island of mud has been formed which is the local football pitch. There’s a match on,… Read more