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I was a little disappointed not to find any red hot Magma here.. I was expecting it to be flowing everywhere… BAH!!

On this brief stop, all i got was a dividing line and a GIANT Obelisk marking The Middle of the World (latitude 0°0′0″) and the Northern and Southern hemispheres..

As a kid might, I got great pleasure out of stepping from one hemisphere to the other and back.. then back again.. . A bit cheesy, but at least I amused myself for a few moments..

Anyway - check it out.

The Galapagos was a must-do stop for my trip..

Everything I read and everyone i spoke to warned me about how expensive it was going to be but, it was something i had to do (seeming i was in the area and all..) . Surprisingly, It actually turned out to be not as bad (price wise) as depicted.. Although i still managed to (in my usual fashion) burn right through my budget..

Overall, the Galapagos was a little rough around the edges.., (i guess that’s why you pay the extra - for the more luxurious options..¿?) and in the usual South American style, there were a few points that left me sore with rip offs and dodgy information.. This time I actually spent some time to report the pricks to the proper authorities.., but just in case you travel to the Galapagos, avoid ‘Freddy’s Tours’ and the ‘Amigo I’ boat - thank GAWD I’m off that sh¡t heap.. although I’m still kinda rocking a little bit.. =(

Apart from the influence of man, the Islands and nature were abundantly beautiful. The animals, if chained to metal steaks, couldn’t have been more approachable and seemingly tame (although you’re not suppose to mess with them, you could have basically stood right on top of them with out any fuss or so much as a squeak.. Maybe when you actually stood on them..). In the last two weeks I’ve seen a life times supply of Sea lions, Blue footed Boobies, Turtles and Iguanas (making up the majority of tasty critters on the Islands..)..

I didn’t realise before arriving, but the Galapagos actually has really great snorkeling and diving.. And subsequently, I now have my Dive Certificate to carry on spending money (i don’t have=).. - I now wish i had an underwater camera.. I saw some of the biggest Rays, masses of turtles, loads of different tropical-type fishes, and got to snorkel and scuba dive with sea lions..!! It was simply an incredible experience..

To View my Galapagos Gallery, Click here.

Ahem.., Some places should be avoided..

I’m not talkin’ about Equidor itself. I’m talkin’ about the ‘nice’ little hotel the ‘nice’ person at the information desk at Equidor airport recommended i stay at for a stop over..

Well i can say this. This place was CHEAP.. Cheap in so many ways.. I was, at first, a little concerned as i left to find some food, the other guests seemed a little noisy - or could it have been the rice paper thin walls..? Then to the streets which were overflowing with gang members and homeless zombies everywhere.. After wading through, I found some edible food-stuffs and ventured back, looking forward to a decent nights sleep. I had to wake the guard (receptionist) to let me in. -If only the Rottweiler chained in reception (which was well awake by then) had opposable digits and a key - he could have let me in.. Then finally.. to my room.., and as i was entering, I hear the guest next door leaving, only to be greeted by a scantily clad prostitute, putting on a few finishing touches as she left her last victim..

This is the life..

Flying from Brazil I made my way to Cusco via Lima (which was all a bit by the skin of my teefs by that stage). Turned out ok, thanks to the help of the excellent staff in Lima Airport.. Previously having little or no luck in the Brazilian airport lottery draw, this was a breath of fresh air, and I was inspired to make more random changes to tickets (much to their disgust)..

From the air, Cusco looked much like any of the scrawly towns seen in South America, except maybe a little blander. In truth it was much nicer from the ground than i’d initially given credit for, and the narrow windy streets had an addictive quality that made you want to explore each one ..

The city of Cusco was an amazing remnants of Incan culture and peaceful people who were mostly welcoming and helpful. I saw some amazing things in the city, and it never ceased to surprise me with the likes of full blown military parades - complete with rocket launchers, chemical warfare soldiers and camouflaged snipers.., to traditional clothed locals, spinning beanies & scarfs straight from the backs of Alpacas. I got the feeling it might have been just for the tourists, but it was still really cool to see..

I came to Peru to find out more about the history of the Incans and their amazing constructions high in the Andean mountains. The Incan history is fascinating. Somehow these people, hundreds of years ago, worked out amazing methods of engineering and civilisation. They seemed very advanced for their time. and if they were around today as a modern day full-blown civilization, it would be something to see where they would be.

So after a day to acclimatise to the altitude (Cusco is somewhere around 3300m above sea level - the highest I’d ever been so far), I set out for the Inca Trail trek reaching peaks up to 4200m.. Our Guide for the trek, complete with no teeef and one dodgy eye, explained that the rain situation was looking good… (by the way, the Inca culture worshiped the god of rain, and therefor excessive rain was a good thing..), and that we should maybe buy a poncho and some of the other stuff from the locals on the way in..

And as predicted, it rained.. Lots.. Thankfully it rained the heaviest whilst shivering in our tents at night. Wet. But during the days it reduced to a light drizzle, which was a nice change. Most mornings I would be up around 2am, dreading the wake-up call, just hoping it wouldn’t be right now..

In between rainy periods, it was almost pleasant.. The mountains were truly beautiful, and if i were a religious type, I’d probably want to worship the sun, the mountains and the animals there too.. (I actually stopped and made offerings to the gods at the highest peaks for friends & family home and abroad (and for it to stop raining so damn much) - And i stopped JUST short of a ritual sacrifice..)_, any way, see the photos for a better idea..