Picchu family !!

gonna start with that :) my favourite view taken from Huayna Picchu ( new mountain) with Machu Picchu ( old mountain) beneath - in other words Picchu family pic !

It is awesome ! no matter how many pics and films with machu picchu in the background you´ve seen - belive me - it is better!!! These days I´ll be in la paz with faster internet and will try to upload some pics...this is only a teaser ( btw my favourite word on this blog - that is all just a teaser !;) )

ok...so before getting to machu picchu I made this f***** expensive 4 days jungle tour, where I went crazy and booked all additional activities ....which included :

rafting  (Peru-country of the first time again :) ) 

ziplining  (Peru-country of the first time again :) )

and standard : some long hikes and  biking - in other words : totally touristic stuff for people who like extreme sports, I am not the biggest fun of organized tourism, but this excursion was very nice indeed, and it would have cost me a lot of time and effort to prepare it on my own...f*** I am getting old and lazy ! Is the next step buying organized trips from Triada ? No puede ser !!!!!!!!

anyways , after 4 days of suprisingly good weather, it was raining only the first day , we reached the machu picchu !

which u probably recognize as such :

this time Huayna Picchu in the background

I have lots of pics to share - be patient...

from South America

with love

Maya

  

a small update

just a small update as I don´t have much time ( tomorrow I am going to do the jungle trail that would lead me up to machu picchu)  I've been in Cusco for two days now and I am convinced I could have stayed here for at least two weeks, so much stuff to do! negative side of the "stuff" is - it is really expensive  (2h train ride to machu picchu -70USD !! entrance fee- 50USD! ) Even if I am here in a low season, tourists are everywhere, and 80% of locals try to sell you sth - as this is +- percentage of cusceños working in tourism...and it is very disturbing..

As I said...Cusco is awefuly tourist-oriented, which isn´t a huge suprise as  apart from machu picchu this city has 10 other inca y preinca sights nearby !

Today I've seen two of them : the aqueduct and the fortress  - I am not giving you any pics again, as the internet I am using is a shit and it would take me...too much.

This update is also to mention that communication with me within these 4 days will be complicated as I will be in a jungle doing my expensive gringo tour...explanation good enough I think....

warm hugs from the cold-cold Cusco  ( city with 300000 habitants which lies 900m higher than the highest polish pick! )

trujillo mix

PICS FROM TRUJILLO !

Trujillo is a perfect place to surf  and to see some preinca heritage

 some sports + some culture = perfect for me !

I was really impressed with the architecture of chimu and moche culture based on MUD structures which are resistant enough to survive over ten centuries !

                                               Chan Chan

 What is most astonishing is that you can clearly see the paintings ( a paint made of minerals dissolved in the water ) on the walls made of mud that are dated to be executed in 7th century ! All paint producers should take them as a good example - MOCHE RULES !

                                huaca de la luna

As I started my surf story in Lima I couldn't have missed surfing (or honestly saying: trying to surf) in one of the surfers paradises! In a month Trujillo will host world's cup in surfing - unfortunatelly I'll miss that  ( let others win sometimes) but what I experienced  is mine :)

I am really making progresses ! the sad part is that tomorrow I am leaving peruvian beaches and  have no idea when and where will I be able to stand on a board again :(

anyway - greets and lots of sun heat from the pacific coast!

M.

the place of my "first times" - PERU !

NEW - photos on picasa as you all required ! ENJOY !
 https://picasaweb.google.com/117675611482987929970/IcaPeru#



I left Bolivia to go on the peruan  wedding...and see a bit of a country :)

So ...Peru - basically  this is the place  of my " first times" , where  I first :

 did surfing

and sandboarding

met my first pinguins in the wild !

and finally met my  very good friend Luis - for the first time after 5 years !

but no time to write about it now as I am going north in an hour and have to pach myself :)

greets from Peru !

happy new year 2012!

NEWS : pics from Cochabamba 

uffa...2012 ? we are not getting any younger are we ?

This year new years eve was rather different than what I am used to...31st started wirh some trekking in mountains near cochabamba and than a water volleyball in thermal waters. There were two reasons for me to go to the mountains : first of all I love mountains and ma totally addicted to trekking, secondly I had a mission to collect some herbs for the new year´s eve ritual...:)

Mountains near Cochabamba ( the city from the movie we saw together with Zuz and Kuba- u know which one ? :)) are nothing like Tupiza´s one...first of all...they are GREEN !

 

Afterwards I participated alternative traditional new year´s eve in a cultural centre, which consisted of burning herbs and different ( not living) objects which symbolize feeding Pacha Mama ( Mother Earth), and than pouring some alcohol - traditionl  chicha into the fire- which symbolized giving Pacha Mama sth to drink ;) 

After Pacha Mama it was our turn to eat and drink ;) 

than some music and regular party with bolivian music...that´s +- how I said hallo to Pacha Mama y 2012 :) 

Hope you had a great time and that this year will be even better than the last one ! 

Love & Peace

Maya