Morocco and Canary Islands Cruise

Mum and I have just got back from a fantastic 2 week cruise. Our ship was the Balmoral from the Fred Olsen Cruise Line and we enjoyed every fantastic moment aboard her. And after two weeks of snowy cold weather, we were definitely looking forward to some sunshine and blue skies.

We set out on 7th December. Colin drove us to Southampton and thankfully we got there without mishap. We took our time getting there and stopped for a nice lunch on the way, reaching the docks and our ship’s berth by around 2 pm. An hour or so later we were aboard and moments later were in our cabin which was on the same deck - Deck 6 - the main deck. We had been offered an upgrade a couple of weeks before sailing and had accepted the offer as we were two decks higher than originally booked. We were very impressed with our cabin which was very spacious and had a huge picture window - although we had a picture window in the original booking it wasn‘t as big as those on Deck 6, plus the cabin was bigger. The bathroom was nice too and the only fault we could find was being allocated one with a bath tub and shower inside it as poor Mum at 82 can no longer climb into bath tubs. I said we would try and get that sorted out the next day as embarkation day was just too hectic.

The ship was due to sail at 4.30 but ended up leaving around an hour later. A couple had failed to make it to Southampton in time due to the snow and the Captain held on as long as he could. By this time we had unpacked and were venturing out to explore the ship a little bit and saw the passing scenery from ship windows rather than up on deck in the cold. There was a sailaway party up on deck with a band playing etc but we preferred to stay inside in the warm. I knew there would be other sailing parties in warmer places as we left the ports of call.

At dinner that evening we met our waiters who were lovely guys - Sanjiv from Mumbai in India and Dop from the Philippines - as well as others. We were on a round table by the long picture window and sharing with two other couples. We had been allocated the late sitting which seemed fine by me, dining at 8.30 pm, but as dinner wasn’t over until gone 10 pm we later regretted not having asked for first sitting as it was a late start for the evening shows and Mum found it hard to stay awake!

The food on offer was absolutely amazing and remained so throughout the cruise. There were no end of courses on the menu and one could choose as few or as many as one wanted. To begin with Mum and I chose nearly everything even down to the cheese board afterwards but soon dropped that after a couple of days as we never felt hungry, all the meals were so lavish and we then just picked out a few. That night’s show was called Parisian Nights and included the Can Can and we enjoyed it immensely. By the time we retired to bed around midnight we were pretty tired, where it was nice to find a chocolate on our pillows, which proved the case every night. We both slept soundly until the following morning.

The next three days we were at sea, sailing towards our first port of call at Casablanca, Morocco, on the Atlantic coast. The seas were quite calm and over breakfast I pored through the Daily Times which was a flyer telling you all that was going on throughout the day. Our waiters served breakfast but we also had the option of choosing for ourselves off the buffet which I often did as the choice was so extensive.

We further explored the boat and in the process I went to see the Customer Relations lady to ask about another cabin and once I had explained Mum’s difficulty she offered us one about 50 cabins down the corridor. She said Housekeeping would help me move but rather than wait I went ahead and moved everything myself as I had been given a temporary key to the new cabin. It was pretty exhausting moving everything and then the task of putting it all away again. I had just finished when the phone went and I was told we could not have that cabin after all! They had just been notified that it had been allocated to the couple who had missed the ship but that they were flying to Casablanca to board the ship there. Mum was really disappointed as she had already undressed ready to take a shower in the spacious walk in one! Thankfully they said we could stay in it overnight and that they would see what else they could offer the next day. Later that night there was a letter saying they had no other cabins on deck 6 and we could either stay where we were or move to a lower deck and if we chose the latter we would be offered a partial refund. We chose to move back to our original cabin so after breakfast I moved all our stuff back after Mum had had her shower. The following day they did actually manage to find an empty cabin on Deck 6 and gave us a temporary key so that Mum could have a shower in it, then later they said we could move to that cabin if we wished and we did. You can imagine how relieved I felt after unpacking for the fourth time, knowing we were there to stay!

Each day the Captain would give an announcement over the ship’s tannoy at 9am, then again at noon, telling us where we were, our bearings and headings, depth of the sea, outside temperatures etc. He was Captain Atle Knutsen from Norway, a lovely approachable man, and all of us would meet him that first evening as it was the first of three formal evenings and before dinner we were attending his Welcome Aboard Cocktail and Canape party. When I was getting ready for it I was dismayed to find I must have put on weight as I couldn’t do up the zip on the beautiful full length strappy floaty pure silk dress which I had bought from Monsoon a few months back. In the end I managed to do up the zip first and then struggle to get the straps up over my arms afterwards but it was a pretty tight fit! I love any excuse to dress up really nicely and wished I had thought to try it on before packing it as I had other beautiful long dresses at home I could have taken instead.

At lunchtimes passengers could dine in any of the four restaurants if they wished - although dinner always remained the same. Our waiters looked after us so beautifully though that we mostly stayed in the same one except when it was closed whenever we were ashore. We just missed seeing dolphins on that first day. They also served afternoon tea each day in the Palm’s Café, which was a nice informal gathering and were we were able to chat to different passengers - that is where we met Jenny and John who we liked most out of everyone we met and thereafter we looked out for them wherever we were during the days.

After tea Mum and I would go into the library and read the daily bulletin giving us a bit of news from home, and we would sometimes have a game of scrabble. There were hundreds of board games of every description for passengers to borrow and enjoy. There were also photocopies of crossword puzzles, sudokus and quizzes each day for those interested. The ship’s daily news given to us each day had a whole programme of events going on throughout the day and we hardly attended any of them as it was impossible to fit everything in. This included daily quizzes, fitness sessions, lectures and demonstrations, carpet bowls, port talks, bridge and whist sessions, crafts classes, shuffleboard, reindeer racing, darts, dance classes, golf putting, Black Jack and Roulette in the casino, chess and cribbage sessions, deck quoits, table tennis, bingo each day, Nintendo Wii sessions, all kinds of health and fitness sessions in the Fitness Centre on deck 10 and much more. One lecture we did attend was called ‘Eat More, Weigh Less’ which we went to in hopes of learning something new. Suddenly the room was full of tubs hoping for a miracle … which didn’t happen. We didn’t learn anything we didn’t know already and at the end the only way to get answers to our questions was to book a session in the Fitness Centre and pay big bucks for the priviledge.

There was live entertainment going on regularly every day and my favourite of these was the Rosario Trio who played four times a day and once I heard them I tried to get there whenever I could. They were double bass, violin and keyboard, playing mostly classical and lively Hungarian pieces. The double bass player had the most amazing voice and his rendition of Louis Armstrong’s A Wonderful World sounded just like the original. There was a band playing in the other ship’s theatre, the Lido Lounge on deck 8 but somehow we never got to get up there and hear them. The band in the Neptune Lounge, the main theatre, were called the Balmoral Orchestra, a really professional band who performed the music behind much of the cabaret shows except where another band was featured. There were two bars, on decks 7 and 11, which also had resident entertainment and we got to hear the music of one of them on our last day.

By the time we entered our second full day at sea we were in the Bay of Biscay and you could tell the difference as although seas looked fairly calm the ship began to roll more, sometimes quite heavily, and I had to hang onto Mum who felt very unsteady on her feet as she already has a balance problem and has to rely on two sticks. Overall though we were pretty lucky throughout the whole cruise as it never got worse than Force 8 which wasn’t too bad at all as the ship was brilliantly stabilised - force 8 is a 45 mph wind speed and is classed as Fresh Gale as opposed to force 9 being strong gale, force 10 being whole gale, force 11 being storm and force 12 being hurricane. That evening at dinner we were down to four diners on our table and the missing two explained later that they preferred the buffet meals in the Palms Café which they could partake of earlier. We didn’t realise straightaway that the other couple decided to do the same, so that by evening 3 Mum and I had a huge round table all to ourselves and it remained so for the rest of the cruise. We didn’t mind as people on the tables around us were very friendly and we had a lot of interaction with them. The entertainment that night was a jazz band called The Hot Rhythm Orchestra under the direction of Colin Bryant and they were very good. Before and after the shows the huge stage was lowered and became a dance floor where couples could ballroom dance and Mum enjoyed watching that too whilst we waited for the show to begin.

By the time we were into our third day at sea we could feel the difference in temperature whenever we ventured outside on deck. Showtime that night was a night of comedy with Phil Lowen which was also very enjoyable. We chose this over ‘The Wonder of Elvis’ show going on in the Lido lounge on deck 8 as being late sitting diners we could only see one or the other, whereas first sitting diners could watch first one, then the other.

On Saturday morning, 11th December we docked early at Casablanca, Morocco. Mum and I had already decided to get the shuttle bus and do our own thing, as I had been to Casablanca many years before on a cruise with one of my sisters, when we did the ship’s tour, which rushed us to so many places we could hardly enjoy any one thing and I knew that Mum would never keep up with the pace of it. So after breakfast we took the shuttle bus which itself Mum was worried about getting on as sometimes coach steps are pretty steep to climb. I always took a little fold up stool with me though to enable her to reach the first step. She soon realised there was nothing to worry about though as there were other passengers in a more disabled state, some in wheelchairs. Unfortunately where we were dropped, somewhere in the centre of Casablanca, was hectic and busy, with road works going on everywhere so even crossing roads was an obstacle course and there were no nearby shops to speak of. The pavements were broken and hazardous and someone had washed them down before we got there so they were slippery as well. The couple of shops we did find were horrendously expensive, a small hand towel for instance working out at £15 at fixed prices, not prices one could haggle over, so we didn’t buy anything. I was delighted to find an internet café and went in wanting to send a message home, only to find the keyboards were French, ie with a different layout than ours at home, and I gave up as being a touch typist it proved impossible. Although there was an internet café on board the Balmoral with lots of computers, unfortunately it too was way too expensive at £24 an hour, especially as it was a slower than usual internet service being at sea. After being ashore less than an hour we decided to go back to the ship as we were not too impressed with the part of Casablanca we had seen. There were plenty of taxi drivers offering to take us places but we didn’t want to wander off that far and have the worry of getting back. We could have gone to their famous mosque but I had seen it before and it is impressive, but Mum might have been more interested in going to a beach but we didn’t know how far away it was, so decided to play safe and go back.

Casablanca is an interesting city with an individual style, its buildings a blend of Art Deco and Neo-Moorish architecture with cupolas, belvederes, cedar wood balconies and turrets. On the edge of the sea stands Hassan II Mosque, a colossal building that dominates the city, its prayer hall capable of accommodating 25,000 worshippers, its espanade 80,000 more. Unlike other mosques, which are forbidden to non-muslims, Hassan II is open to all. The Habbous district is the home of the souks and near to the port and the city centre is the old medina area, its labyrinth of streets and alleys a magnet to those seeking the true colour of Morocco. Here can be seen coppersmiths and ironmongers, butchers and barbers and all manner of traders, bargaining in the best traditions of the country, all standing cheek by jowl with a modern, bustling city.

That night the show was Miss Fadwa and the Meknassi Orchestra, star of the 2nd World Belly Dance Championship, which unfortunately we missed as I hadn’t noticed the different time when I read the Daily Mail bulletin that day. This was local entertainment and the ship was sailing at 11 pm so obviously they had to get back ashore afterwards whereas all other entertainment throughout the cruise had the entertainers staying on board. I was really disappointed to miss it as I love belly dance shows.

So Sunday were were at sea again and being in a much warmer climate we went up on deck for a while and enjoyed some time in the sun. This was when I saw the first of the ship’s two swimming pools. I had not brought a swimsuit with me as I was not intending to swim but I was disappointed not to have suitable attire with me when I saw the Jacuzzi baths, each of which could accommodate six or more people, who looked as if they were really enjoying themselves in there. That evening was another formal evening and this time I wore a beaded cocktail dress. Our show that evening was Andrew Robley, a well known singer, accompanied by the Balmoral Orchestra which was very enjoyable.

On Monday morning we arrived at Arrecife, Lanzarote, to glorious weather so were looking forward to going ashore. We took the shuttle bus but still had a tidy walk after the dropping off point until we got to town, but it was a pretty walk with plenty of seating or walls for Mum to have a rest on at intervals until we got there. It was just heaven to be out in the sun after the weather we’d left back home. We did a bit of shopping in town, enjoyed some nice cold beers, and later found an internet café where I was able to send a couple of messages home, and then we walked back. On all our ventures ashore we were able to get back on board in time for lunch which continued each day until 2 pm. Mum was always glad to sink into her chair at lunchtime after much more than usual unaccustomed exercise! The ship sailed at 5.30 so as it was still daylight we went up on deck for the sail away party which was magic, what with the band playing, waiters circling bringing drinks, the shore receding away in the background. That night at dinner they put on their version of Olkahoma which was absolutely brilliant and made a brilliant end to a perfect day.

Arrecife, the administrative and commercial centre of the island, is founded on maritime traditions, and draws its name from the numerous reefs and volcanic outcrops and islets that abound off its shoreline. Further afield, the island offers an astonishing landscape of some three hundred volcanoes, the so-called Mountains of Fire, part of the Timanfaya National Park - all extinct of course,, with the last eruption recorded in 1824. These may be visited on excursion or by car, and it is even possible to travel part of the way by camel!

We awoke next morning in Gran Canaria and from here we were able to walk ashore. Outside the dock gates is the Castle of Light (Luz) built in 1474, whose stone walls stood beside the sea, and the Church de la Luz is one of the oldest on the island. The Parque Santa Catalina is popular for its outdoor cafes, restaurants and many shops, and at night it is a cheerful area in which to enjoy the varied nightlife.

Although it was a kilometer into town we just ambled along the waterfront sitting down to enjoy the view at intervals and enjoy the warm sunshine, and after a while we came to a huge indoor shopping centre and went in there. We did a bit of shopping on the various levels and ended up on a deck with seating upstairs and just stayed enjoying the sunshine and glorious views. Back downstairs we enjoyed another cold beer and walked back to the ship for lunch. Our entertainer at the show that evening was Michael Bacala, a virtuoso on the violin from Poland, who was absolutely brilliant - that night’s show was entitled ’Fireworks on the 4 Strings.

On Wednesday we woke up in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, and although we didn’t know it then, this was the best place for shopping of all the places we visited. The Greek writer Homer spoke of the Canary Islands as “a kingdom where winter does not exist”. Tenerife, the largest island of the archipelago, basks in glorious spring like weather all year round, and indeed it was another lovely warm sunny day for our visit ashore.

There was no shuttle bus as we were told the distance was walkable but it was a very long walk, especially for poor Mum and took us a long time as we had to stop frequently for a rest. By the time we finally reached the shops she was already exhausted so we sat at a pavement café and enjoyed a cold beer for about half an hour before we continued. This helped but unfortunately the shopping streets were all uphill. We did stay shopping for quite a while though as the shops were so interesting and we both spent a fair bit of money there and found some lovely things both for ourselves and for gifts for people back home. The long walk back nearly finished Mum off and when the waiter held out her chair in the restaurant at lunchtime she fell into it! After a nice leisurely lunch she recovered quite considerably though. And that night after dinner we went to the deck sail away party again, rather than the show in the Neptune lounge, where the Balmoral Show Company put on their tribute to Abba which was very enjoyable whilst enjoying a drink and seeing the shores of Tenerife recede in the background. One guy dancing on his own around the rim of the swimming pool got pushed in by his mate with an almighty splash which raised a laugh or two!

Next morning we awoke in Santa Cruz, La Palma, which being a smaller island we would not be staying at as long as the other ports of call. We would be sailing again at 2.30. Again the distance to town was walkable so no shuttle bus was provided. This was our last sunny day but was interspersed with a bit of rain and it was incredibly windy - still warm but so windy at times we felt we would be blown off our feet. Because of this Mum decided halfway not to go all the way into town but would slowly amble back while I did a mad dash to buy more cigarettes so that I could give a 200 pack to each of my three sons. Whilst walking I saw a Tall ship berthed called the Lord Nelson and stopped to take a photo, especially as there as a lovely rainbow in the background, when suddenly a voice behind me asked if I would like a photo with me in it … and it was our Captain from the ship who then proceed to take two pictures of me with the ship in the background, which was nice. I was only ever able to be in any of my pictures when there was someone available to take the picture as Mum doesn’t understand digital cameras and her eyesight isn’t so good these days since partially losing the sight in one of them a few years ago.

Santa Cruz is the capital of La Palma and claims to be one of the most attractive towns in the Canary Islands, with its tree lined squares and elegant houses. The most north westerly of the islands in the group, La Palma benefits from the moisture bearing north east trade winds, which enable the island to live up to its sobriquet ‘La Isla Verde’ or the Green Island. Hills surround the town on the landward side, and the main shopping and commercial area, the Calle Real, lies just behind the waterfront.

That night’s show was a kind of variety night, featuring Phil Lowen again and then Andrew Robley whose show that night was hilarious. He was dressed in a kilt and did comedy sketches and sang but the best of all was his last song, which I have only discovered since coming home is called ‘Let’s Do It’, a comedy sketch about an elderly couple, one of whom felt amorous and wanted to act on it and the other did not. Singing in the two voices it was so funny that Mum and I could hardly breathe for laughter and were rolling about in our seats. Checking out his Cds later in the shop there were 4 of them and I did not know which song was that one, and with 4 Cds of his on sale I didn’t want to buy the wrong one so didn’t, but since returning home I have checked out his website and listened to some excerpts of songs and now know which CD so will be buying it online sometime soon after Christmas.

On Friday 17th December we arrived at our last port of call - Funchal, Madeira, where unfortunately we had awful weather as it was pouring with rain. By the time Mum and I got the shuttle bus ashore it had eased off a bit. My photos were mostly taken from the bus and a few after we got off. We explored a little shopping centre and ventured out the other side to a street with a Christmas market going on but didn’t see much of that as the heavens opened and we got thoroughly soaked to the skin and decided to go back to the ship after refreshments in a little café - having been unable to find a bar for cold beers without getting even more wet. So we had an early lunch back at the ship and as the rain had died off by then decided to go back ashore again as driving away from our shuttle bus pick off point we had seen another shopping centre nearby that we missed because of the rain. Yes you have guessed it, once out of the bus and walking to that shopping centre the heavens opened again and we got soaked to the skin again, but we still explored the available shops and bought a few more souvenirs.

Funchal is the island’s capital and principal port and is a pretty place with glorious flowers, wonderful views and a romantic small town character. The streets are lined with jacaranda trees, and there is a pleasant bustling atmosphere in the shops and markets - although we did not witness this due to the rain.

One of the best ways of seeing Funchal and the surrounding area is by taking the cable car. This runs from the old part of the city and is a truly exciting way to see Funchal’s landscape. The Monte station is situated amidst very charming scenery and is near to Monte Palace tropical garden. From here you can take another cable car on a new panoramic route with extraordinary views of Funchal bay and over the river of Joao Gomes, an area of rare exotic beauty. Unfortunately the cable cars were closed that day due to the rain and windy conditions.

That afternoon we skipped tea and went to a Talent show put on by some of the passengers and this was very enjoyable. And after dinner the Balmoral Show Company put on a show called Swing Time, which was big band music from the 30s and 40s which was excellent and especially enjoyed by Mum. We then stayed on and watched another cabaret put on by crew members and didn’t get to bed until gone 1 am which is hours past Mum’s normal bedtime. She fell asleep in parts of both shows but enjoyed the bits she did see!

After Madeira we had three more whole days at sea with about 1500 miles to sail until reaching Southampton on the morning of 21st December. The weather was still rainy that first day at sea so we didn’t venture up on deck. That afternoon they put on an extra special tea with myriads of exotic cakes and pastries on two long tables with chefs lined up to serve them, all whilst listening to the beautiful music of the Rosario Trio, which was lovely. That night there was an Indian dinner buffet in Palms Café but we went to our usual restaurant as we much preferred being waited on. By this time we had got to know both waiters and grew quite fond of them as they were always willing to go the extra mile to please. For instance once they knew that Pistaschio icecream was my favourite, they ordered it in especially for me and I had a couple of scoops of it added on to whichever pudding I chose each evening. They would fetch ice for my drinks, let me choose different accompaniments to whichever main course I chose each evening, would fetch hot milk for my coffee rather than the cold milk provided on the table etc. The service was such that they could never do enough for you, even though they had so many other passengers to look after, and for that they earned a big tip from us at the end of the cruise. We had Michael Bacala, the Polish violin virtuoso again at showtime that evening who did a marvellous rendition of popular songs from around the world, which was really brilliant.

Sunday 19th December was the last of the three formal evenings, with another cocktail and canape party so that we could say farewell to the captain and I wore another cocktail dress for this, but mainly I dressed up every single evening, whether formal, informal or casual, just for the pure pleasure of dressing up more than usual. That evening there was a chef’s parade on stage in the Neptune Lounge before the show which was pretty impressive, and the show that night was a fantastic extravaganza of music and dance and wonderful costumes put on by the crew of the Balmoral, from Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippes. Every single member was from those countries, but mostly from the Phillipines, even down to all the band members and everyone down to the washer upper, the cabin maids etc. After this I had time to take Mum back to her cabin as she was tired out, and then I nipped down to take a few pictures of the gala buffet laid on at midnight … but only to take photos as there was no way I had appetite to eat anything that late.

Finally, Monday 20th, our last full day at sea and we felt sad all day knowing it was the last day of what had been a fantastically enjoyable two weeks. Also we knew we were going back to still more snowy weather and were not looking forward to that after enjoying sunny weather in our ports of call. Before dinner that evening the Balmoral Bar Department put on a Christmas carol service for us on stage, and we were all handed carol sheets to join in, and it was lovely. Afterwards every single member of the crew came on stage, over 500 of them. That night was a fantastic Christmas dinner with all kinds of extra things down to petit fours at the end, and our waiters singing some carols for us after the main course. Then the final show which was a variety show featuring all our entertainment from the cruise - Phil Lowen, Michael Bacala, Andrew Robley, Colin Bryant and his Hot Rhythm Orchestra, Bartosz Barasinski, a classical pianist who had done some recitals during the cruise, plus the Balmoral Show Company sang and danced for us accompanied by the Balmoral Orchestra, all of which was a great finale to a magnificent holiday, which Mum and I may even repeat if they put on a similar one around the same time next year. If they don’t, we quite fancy the 22 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise on a sister ship the Black Watch, which other passengers told us is just as wonderful a ship even though a little bit smaller than the Balmoral. Back at our cabin we had to put our suitcases outside for collection by porters, so we would not have to worry about them again until collection ashore at Southampton the following morning.

Even our last day, disembarkation day, was very enjoyable. We got up early in order to have time for breakfast and were ashore by 9.30 am after collecting our suitcases and arrived outside just in time for the arrival of my cousin’s husband Klaus who had come to collect us to take us to his house as they live in Southampton. It was fantastic to see first him, then my cousin Georgina again as we had not seen them for many many years. We spent a very enjoyable several hours with them, and Colin arrived around 12 noon and we enjoyed a fantastic lunch with them and several glasses of wine. It really was fantastic and we all agreed we were not going to let the years pass like that again, and have already made plans to go down and stay with them next summer and they will come up to Bath and stay with me and see the rest of the family. We finally got on the road about 3.45 pm as Colin wanted to get part of the way home before it got dark. The journey home was busy and took longer than usual because even though the roads were clear of snow, there were very long delays leading to Salisbury and beyond. In the village where Mum lives the snow was thick on the ground and we both took an arm each to help her safely indoors. And a short while later Colin dropped me off at home as well. All in all it was a fantastic holiday and we now look forward to the next one! My photos can be seen on facebook but I will try to put a link to them here on my blog if I can work out how to do it. Check this space again to see if I succeeded!

Well I have checked it out and this link should take you there:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=307746&id=652226114&l=baa3bcbead
You may have to cut and paste it into the bar at the top to be able to reach it.

Final blog entry for this Peru Visit

Well I have undertaken the first part of the long journey home and am now in Lima airport with nearly 7 hours to wait until my flight departs for Madrid tonight. We were awake early and had a light breakfast and arrived at Cusco airport before 9 am.There it was easy to check in with no crowds, and a delightful surprise to learn that I could check in for the whole trip from Cusco to Lima, from Lima to Madrid and Madrid to London and get boarding passes for all three flights. The second even more welcome news was that my luggage would be taken care of all the way to London, without me having to worry about it in Lima.

One of the cases wouldn´t close properly so I decided to get it wrapped in cellophane, where I discovered that for just 25 soles, around a fiver, it was also covered by an insurance policy all the way to London, and one could claim if the case went astray en route. Alfredo got it wrapped whilst I checked in, and when I realised about the insurance policy I paid another 25 soles and got the second case wrapped as well. Both came back well wrapped and with a big SEGURIDAD notice on it, so hopefully this means extra care will be taken getting the cases from one flight to the next all the way home. Well worth ten quid I reckon to journey halfway across the world. The two cases weighed 47.90 kilos, with the larger one weighing 27.90 so it was a relief it didn`t go over the 28 otherwise I would have had to jettison things. As it was they let me off paying excess charges on the 1.90 over the limit. Just as well that I reluctantly decided not to take the litre bottle of Pisco and litre of Goma de Jarabe. Yet again I am going home to England without a bottle of Pisco. If anyone knows where I can get it in London please let me know!!!!

We then entered a lounge but when Nohemy saw the price of a cup of coffee was in dollars instead of soles she said it was way too expensive and before I could look around she was on her way out the door! I guess she was right when 3 cups of coffee would have cost me 18 dollars. Instead we walked out of the airport and across the road and in a nice little cafe ordered three large bowls of Caldo de Gallina (a soup containing a chicken portion, whole egg, spaghetti etc, which you flavour to taste with squeezes of limon and spicy aji paste). These were a much better bargain at 5 soles each, less than two dollars per bowl, when compared with the dollar price of the coffees. They then accompanied me as far as departures and we hugged each other and said how much we would miss each other. Fortunately we can keep in touch by email and letter and with any luck I will see them again in England within the coming 6 months.

Whilst seated on the plane before it took off I took a few photos - as I had been allocated a window seat. I also took a few when the plane took off with views of the mountains. It doesn`t take long once you hit the air to leave Cusco behind and fly over uninhabited mountains. As we climbed higher we hit some quite violent turbulence as we entered the thick white clouds but luckily this did not last long.

Coming in to land in Lima just over an hour later was interesting as the plane angles out over the sea, flying quite low, so that you can see the movement of the waves below, then angles back over the dockyards and a couple of cultivated fields before coming in to land at Lima airport moments later. Here it is an extremely hot day and I could hardly wait to get some of my clothes off to cool down. As well as 4 skirts with pleated and flouncy petticoats (which feels like a crinoline there is so much material involved!), I am wearing a long sleeved top, two thick cardigans and a leather coat. This plus my heavy walking boots and socks is unbelievably uncomfortable in this heat.

Having paid the airport fee on arrival (91 soles) and phoned Alfredo and Nohemy to let them know I had got here safely, I soon found this internet cafe and will probably spend the next two or three hours catching up on all my email as once home I will have scarcely any internet access until I get around to buying a decent computer. Then a nice dinner in one of the restaurants sometime this afternoon and some time reading the two books I brought with me for the journey, until I can board the airplane for Madrid which departs at 8 pm tonight (2 am Friday British time).

My last few days in Urubamba were poignant knowing my visit here was coming to an end so soon. I was lucky in that there was no rain either in the day or night in my last days here, whether in Cusco or Urubamba, and made the most of my sunbathing opportunities knowing I was going home to really cold weather with the possibility of yet more snow. (It appears I missed a really hard winter this year).

We got up exceptionally early on Wednesday to get to Cusco early, dropping off my other suitcase at the house there and then arriving at Immigration by 8 am where I was able to get the formalities taken care of regarding slightly overstaying my permitted leave to remain - something which could have caused me considerable problems in Lima had I left it until then.

We then visited Lan offices where I realised it was a good thing I had booked my flight back in December because with the recent terrible drop in tourism with Machu Picchu closed, return flights to Lima are now available for under 50 dollars and all planes are fully booked until the end of the month. I paid 138 dollars for my single flight back in December when tourism was still booming. I was unable to book the airport lounge with them but was glad to know that because I was taking an international flight on the same date as the national one, my baggage allowance was automatically doubled. Only one case is allowed on national flights. So anyone contemplating a stayover in Lima on the way home from Cusco should be aware that the baggage allowance is half and there would be excess charges to pay on a second case.

There was another bit of a farewell yesterday when Metoya treated the three of us to a really excellent lunch as compensation for his band Trio Imperial de Cusco being unable to play for me - one of the musicians is still away on holiday and Metoya himself still cannot play his guitar due to his severely stitched finger from when he had the recent accident falling off his roof. We then all enjoyed some chilled beer on Nohemys patio and were just about to leave for Cusco when Rusbel, the hairdresser tenant arrived and treated us to cakes from the nearby cake shop. He is sorry I am leaving and said lots of people are going to miss me. He is keen to come to England and it is highly probable that when Nohemy and Alfredo come to Europe on a visit later this year that Rusbel will accompany them.

I decided not to leave the airport whilst in Lima because it isn´t a safe place like Cusco and also there is always heavy traffic and thus the risk that one might not get back in time and thus miss the flight home. I was invited for lunch with Ernesto and his family in Miraflores but reluctantly declined the kind invitation because of Miraflores being an hour away by taxi, and my fear of being delayed on the way back.

Once aboard the long flight (12 hours) I am hoping to get some sleep. I already feel tired now so I am sure I will. There is about 3 hours stopover in Madrid and then another couple of hours flight to London where I will arrive at 6 pm on Friday (which will be midnight of Friday/Saturday here). Fortunately my son Justin is collecting me from Heathrow airport because the final leg of the journey is another couple of hours by car.

So this is the end of my 2009/2010 Peru adventure and I will now be looking ahead to the next one which will hopefully take place in summer of 2011. All my photos up until 16th February are available to be seen on the old link to my photo album, reachable via the list of blog entries on the righthand side of my blog page. I hope my blog entries made interesting reading, and contained useful elements for anyone else contemplating a trip to Peru.

My last photos of this Peru trip

I hope this link works to view my photo album which is now complete. If not you can still see the pictures from the old link - scroll down the list on the RH side of my blog - which states 506 photos but in actual fact there are now 1178 covering the period October to February. A final blog entry about the trip will be written from Lima airport on Thursday.

http://www3.truprint.co.uk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1991123011/a=2650070011_2650070011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=truprint/

Only a few days left of my visit in Urubamba

Well I have less than a week here before flying home and thought it was about time I wrote another blog entry – the next one will be the last entry covering this 2009/2010 Peru visit, and will probably be written at Lima airport on the day I fly home. I have almost 8 hours to wait at Lima before my evening flight departs and unfortunately will be unable to spend time with my friend Ernesto as he teaches that day. He invited me to take a taxi to his house to have lunch with his Dad and his girlfriend, but I am a bit wary of leaving the airport. I am hoping to book the airport lounge by visiting the main office of Lan airlines whilst in Cusco this Tuesday – I have to go to Cusco that morning to pay the fine for staying slightly over the time granted me on arrival – far better to get that formality out of the way in advance and avoid any complications or anxiety in Lima.

Since my last entry I have been to Tunupa restaurant twice, a delightful hacienda style restaurant situated on Rumichaca, a few miles outside the main centre part of Urubamba. Tunupa is situated at the top of a sloping garden which goes down to the River Vilcanota below - it is the most beautiful setting, the garden full of flowers etc with Daniel and Wilber playing their music in the open air and the artists pictures and lots of artesania on sale alongside.They have two parrots there now, untethered, so I took a few pictures but neither of them are talkers. I then proceeded into the restaurant and was pleased to see my favourite table was vacant as all the others were taken up by tour groups on the verandah terrace. Both Wilber and Daniel waved at me even though they were playing. I tucked in really well at the buffet - got the chef in charge of the ceviche to give me a big portion and had that as my starter (mixed fish and shellfish marinated in lemon juice instead of being cooked and is one of my favourite dishes here). Then I filled a plate from the hot buffet - mostly alpaca stew and a few samples of the other dishes. I struggled to finish the amount on my plate so then had a breather, and chose fresh fruit salad and coffee for afters plus you are given a free pisco sour on arrival. I really enjoyed listening to the music - there is no better setting than Tunupa with the view to the river below (and I could see where it had overflowed as there was no grass and when I saw it closer later the river had deposited a thick layer of sand over the previous grass).

Once the main lot of tourists went the musicians put a CD on and came over to chat and then we walked down to the river and took several photos - some of the ones I took of them will be included in the cover of their next CD due out next year, but I suggested that if they were to get a new cover done for the existing CD even more people would buy it as a souvenir of their Tunupa visit. Later they packed up and we walked up to the main road and waited for a passing bus which took us back to Urubamba and I then went with them to Dinnos and Daniels wife and children joined us as well as another couple of musicians and their wives and we shared a few litre bottles of coca colas first and then 3 cusquena beers and I left them at 6 pm.

One of the good things about living in the Sacred Valley is that my appetite is much smaller here, probably due to the warm climate. Also here I dont mind walking and only catch a moto if I am pushed for time or if the distance is too great - eg to Tunupa which is a 4 sole fare whereas normally anywhere within Urubamba is only 1 sol.

I´ve been to Cusco again the past two Saturdays and finally managed to find the bitters to add to pisco sour - 8 soles here whereas it would probably cost 8 quid back home. I also bought 4 jars of aji amarillo and 2 jars of pureed black mint, neither of which can be found at home - maybe the aji amarillo in London but I have never seen the black mint which is called Huacatay here. Because of having to carry these bottles and jars in my suitcase it is going to weigh them down a bit, plus I have a package for Aquiles and another for Mabel from Nohemy, so it will mean leaving a lot of my clothes here. I certainly dont want to pay any excess charges on the way back and will just dump stuff at the airport if either case is overweight. I just hope they dont sting me on the flight from Cusco to Lima as normally on internal flights only one case is allowed. I hope allowance will be made for the fact I am taking an international flight the same evening. I also bought 25 sachets of assorted fruit drinks each of which makes up into 2 litres and are delicious if chilled in the fridge. The one item still to find is the Hamilton Light cigarettes as I have promised to take 300 back for Aquiles for his birthday and want to take some back for my sons as well. They only sell cigarettes in supermarkets in packets of 5.

My second visit to Tunupa was also enjoyable although poignant as it was the last time – with only two clear days next week left there won´t be time to go there again. Looking at the view from the verandah and enjoying the warm sunshine felt especially exquisite knowing I wouldn´t see this again for well over a year. At Tunupa there were less than a dozen other people dining. The whole of Cusco is suffering from lack of tourists - with Machu Picchu closed for another couple of months tourists are not coming to Cusco so all the restaurants and hotels are suffering - both there and here in the Sacred Valley. There are hotels and restaurants actually closing and the musicians are suffering too. No one bought their CD today. I bought one at a previously agreed price of 10 soles and with this they were able to eat afterwards. After leaving Tunupa I popped home for an hour and then met them again in one of the cafes and we shared a litre of inka cola followed by a couple of beers which I paid for as they were so skint - the whole lot only cost me about 1.70.

Last night was enjoyable because Daniel had arranged a bit of a get together at his house so that I would have some kind of farewell party. His wife Nohemy came and collected me mid afternoon, bring a large bunch of flowers as she had visited her Mum´s chacra that day and she decided to pick some for me. Back at their house in the countryside on the outskirts of Urubamba we cooked the soup for supper – one of my specialities so that Nohemy could learn how to make it too. We were then watching a dvd of Kalamarka live in concert when Daniel and several other musicians arrived home and we spent an enjoyable few hours sharing beers both before and after the food, listening to andean music for a while and then later some of them got their instruments out and played for me which was great. And Nohemy strapped a pretty bracelet of blue stones on my wrist saying she wanted to give me a present as I was leaving so soon. I stayed until 11 pm and then Daniel accompanied me home, retaining the same moto to get back in as they are pretty scarce at that time of night. Many of the musicians are going on a tour of the Northern beaches and are leaving in a day or two so it was nice to have the opportunity to say goodbye before they go. With tourism so low they are really struggling to make ends meet and hope to fare better by playing as a band in places where people are holidaying, it being the height of summer here right now.

Things are Returning to Normal in the Sacred Valley

Radio Urubamba was full of news of the disaster last Monday and by then many of the houses built from adobe bricks were collapsing into the flood water and it was sad to see so many families trying to rescue their belongings, themselves sitting amongst their furniture in the backs of lorries or pushing handcarts - none of these people believe in insurance so it was a real disaster for them. We heard about the mudslides in the suburbs of Cusco - many people build adobe homes perched on steep hills and many of these were destroyed. Alfredo paid two visits to the house in Cusco last week and the road was still passable to get to Cusco okay from here apart from many new large potholes appearing in the road - which I saw for myself when I went there for the day on Saturday.

Urubamba has the best climate in the Sacred Valley and despite heavy rainfalls at night during this flood disaster it was warm and sunny as usual in the daytime. We knew we ourselves would not be affected as we are far enough away from the river for it not to reach us had the situation got any worse. Although they were talking on the radio about what a disaster it would be if the reservoir up on Mount Chicon overflowed, which is where all our water comes from.

We went and took another look the following afternoon and things were worse even though the water level remained the same - many more houses had collapsed - some of them totally with just the roof tiles perched on top of a pile of mud which is all that remained of the adobe brick walls - other houses were listing dangerously and looked about to collapse, and one restaurant on the opposite side of the road from the river, where we have sometimes gone for lunch, was just about collapsed - see the photos I took which are being uploaded now as I write.

Fortunately after seeing all this on Tuesday the heavy rains stopped. After torrential rain all night long for 3 or 4 nights which brought on this disaster the rain stopped and we then had 4 days and nights of warm sunny weather and no rain at all and because of this the river levels receded leaving even more disaster in its wake. Nearly all the fields of maize were destroyed which is the main source of income of many families, maize almost on the point of being ready for harvest. So not only did their homes collapse they lost their livelihood as well. Local councils have helped - housing people in schools, town halls etc until other living arrangements could be made, and when I travelled to Pisac yesterday there were many people camped out on the side of the road in tents supplied by the military, and making a start on rebuilding their homes. A disaster like this hasn´t happened for 40 years and no doubt they will build on the same spot and hope it doesn´t happen again.

As I said we went to Cusco on Saturday and between Alfredo´s last visit on Wednesday and Saturday water ingressed into the house there and lifted all the parquet flooring in the dining room – Nohemy was devastated when she saw it and hopes that when it has all dried out properly that it will be possible to scrape off the old adhesive and stick them back down again. Whilst in Cusco we passed some opticians and I checked out the cost of glasses and when I realised how reasonably priced they were compared to back home I ordered a pair as they only had to look at my existing ones in the laboratory to know my prescription. I chose a lovely designer frame which only cost about 30 quid and had I gone for ordinary lenses the total cost was only about 50. I instead opted for variafocals and the total cost is about 125 quid and they will be ready for me to collect when I go back to Cusco tomorrow. I paid 360 for the pair I am wearing now so you can see what an incredible saving it was. With the two pairs I already have and these I can probably last out until I come back here again next year, maybe just having an eye test next year in case my prescription has changed.

On Sunday we decided to go back to the same restaurant for the roast duck lunch and were pleased to find it still standing and lunch on as usual - they had just reopened that day and had rented a nearby kitchen as their own had been destroyed. Some of their cooking is done on an outdoor mud stove but they had to borrow a nearby oven in order to provide the sunday roasts. We were shocked at the amount of homes that had been completely destroyed - in one still flooded area only the frame and the metal doors were still standing, the rest having collapsed into the river. I took a few more photos then as well, all of which can be seen from the link on my blog which will already be in place when I have written this entry – I am then nipping back home to change, and going to Tunupa restaurant for lunch as I have been meaning to go back there for 3 weeks but for one reason or another didn´t make it because of other things on each day.

I decided to go to Pisac yesterday to check out the damage, knowing that the river levels had receded. I had 8 books to exchange - I keep exchanging them so that I will leave 25 unread ones here ready for my visit next year. It was heartbreaking to see the extent of the disaster all the way to Pisac, and was especially worse in Qoya and the outskirts of Pisac itself. The bus didn´t go all the way into town either and there was a scramble for motos and colectivos so I decided to walk knowing it was no more than a mile and not being in any particular hurry. I took a few photos of the bridge and the damaged police station in front of it but couldn´t get close as the way was blocked with piles of sandbags to prevent people passing and a mountain of huge boulders which are obviously going to form part of the reconstruction of the bridge - knowing how slow things happen here I cannot imagine the bridge reopening for several months. One has to cross this bridge to get to Cusco which is about an hour from Pisac by bus. The only other way to get to Cusco is an hour´s bus ride to Urubamba and then either 2 hours on a bus to Cusco from there, or an hour by combi (shared people carrier taxi).

From the bridge I walked up to the Plaza de Armas and it was a different picture that met my eyes - only about a third of the market stalls were in place and the whole area, normally thrumming with activity and tourists, was practically deserted. I went to Ulrikes and exchanged my books and then had lunch, and visited Beltran in the jewellery shop, who said it was an unmitigated disaster for all the shops and market stalls as there were virtually no tourists. It started to drizzle with rain so I did not linger long and made my way back down to the bridge from where I was able to get a moto out to where the buses were waiting for passengers - along with colectivos and combis touting for passengers. I got on the bus but had to wait half an hour for it to start back as they wait until the bus is full before it makes its journey. I got back to Urubamba about 3 pm.

Nohemy and I then went to visit Metoya, an elderly musician who had had an accident 10 days previously, by falling off the ladder whilst doing something to his roof. He was still in quite a bad way, covered in cuts and bruises, some of which had required stitches. Nohemy had seen his son that morning and told him we would pay him a visit in the afternoon. His band are called Trio Imperial de Cusco, and they play guitars and sing. He gave me 3 DVDs of the band and said he was arranging for the other two members to come to Urubamba and give a concert just for us, mainly so that I had some kind of despedida (farewell party). We agreed on the date Saturday 13th February, and will all go and have some lunch, then come back and the band will play for us. I thought that was really kind of him to want to do that. Before leaving we said we would come back again this Thursday and bring my Spanish version of Scrabble so that we could play a couple of games and he liked the sound of that. Being virtually unable to walk and thus housebound any visitors are especially welcome.

Because of the flooded river, 2000 tourists were stranded at Machu Picchu which is probably why this disaster reached world news. Two even lost their lives, a guide from Cusco and an Argentinian tourist when a rockslide landed on them. All the Europeans were rescued and taken out by helicopter leaving the Chileans and Argentinians to be rescued by their own governments. Peruvians have no love for the Chileans since they were robbed of part of their land and many Peruvians massacred, in some war, I am not sure when

They tend to talk about Machu Picchu as being part of Cusco but in fact it is about 70 miles away. Ollantaytambo, the next village in the direction of Machu Picchu from Urubamba has a train station and one can get to Machu Picchu from there. Some people take the train all the way from Cusco and others go by bus or combi to Ollantaytambo and get the train from there. There is no road to get to Machu Picchu, and the train follows the river to get to Machu Picchu. The only other way in is by helicopter and that is prohibitively expensive. Even the train is very expensive for tourists, around 100 dollars or more return fare depending on which train – this compared to 2 quid for Peruvians on a local less luxurious train. It can be reached from Quillabamba by road, but that is a 7 or 8 hour bus ride from Cusco and few tourists go there as they would never stand the long bus trip. Okay if you are visiting Quillabamba anyway but not on if you have to get there from Cusco first.

I have only two weeks left here and although it will be nice to see all my family again I feel really sad about leaving - the warm climate being part of it, but also the tranquil worry free life and being able to live without having to work. When I go home I will have to look for work immediately as the cost of living is much higher there. I plan to return in early June 2011, in time for the Inti Raymi ceremony and the lead up festivities as I was only able to get here in June once previously on my first visit to South America in 2001, so will be nice to see it all again 10 years later. The journey home starting in Cusco with the layover in Lima, time in Madrid, time in Heathrow, will be around 33 hours long so you can imagine I am not exactly looking forward to it. We will stay in the house in Cusco on the night of the 17th so that we are handy for arrival at the airport on the morning of the 18th. My flight leaves Lima that evening at 8 pm. I am hoping I can arrange for someone in Lima to come to the airport and spend a few hours with me to take the boredom out of the long wait. Lima is far too dangerous to risk venturing out alone.

The Sacred Valley is in a Crisis Situation

Over the past few days we have had torrential rain in the Sacred Valley - only at night in Urubamba but day and night in other parts of the Sacred Valley and in Cusco. My friend Sarah who moved to the centre of Pisac from the outer edges of Taray village on my advice, managed to come to Urubamba for the day yesterday but when she arrived she said the river level was up to road level and that some fields were already flooded. Here in Urubamba it was sunny as usual and we all went to the Chicharonia restaurant on the main road just outside Urubamba for the roast duck lunch as planned. We had a lovely time there, we all enjoyed the roast duck, and especially enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine. We shared a litre bottle of fig wine that Alfredo had brought back from Cusco the day before and followed this up with a couple of bottles of beer. A one man band arrived, playing charango and pan pipes and played the songs I asked for and the four of us got up and danced, there on the side of the road, having a good laugh in the process.

Also in Urubamba yesterday was a festival of fruit with lots of vendors in the Plaza de Armas selling fruit of all kinds and even fruit trees and we bought pear jam and then sat in the plaza relaxing in the sunshine, enjoying the profusion of beautiful flowers everywhere - they keep that plaza pristine and full of colourful flowers and it is always a pleasure to sit there awhile. Later I accompanied Sarah back to the bus station and before she left we arranged to meet in the Plaza de Armas in Cusco on Tuesday.

Who would have believed sitting there in that warm sunshine how things would change drastically in the next few hours. I had an email from Sarah in the evening saying that on the bus journey back it was much much worse with houses under water and water on the road as well. I had another email this morning - it was lucky she was in the centre of Pisac because a friend alerted her in the night that the bridge over the river which is the road climbing out of the valley in the direction of Cusco, had collapsed - half of it suspended over the swollen river and the police station nearby had broken into two pieces. She escaped from Pisac on foot with just a backpack by taking the lane towards Taray and then crossing the bridge onto the main road, where she was lucky to find a collectivo which took her to Cusco. Had she waited until this morning she would have been marooned in Pisac because the main road through the Sacred Valley which is the only other way out became completely flooded. Fields of crops and all the houses on the side of the main road throughout the valley were flooded and those made of adobe bricks were undermined by the water and completely collapsed. We had 15 hours non stop torrential rain from yesterday early evening until 9 this morning which caused this disaster on top of two other nights torrential rain.

This afternoon after lunch Nohemy and I walked down to see first hand how the situation was in Urubamba. Just two or three hundred yards from the bridge which leads out of Urubamba towards Cusco the river had completely covered the road, with many houses that had already collapsed into the flood water. It was really sad seeing carts and lorries piled high with peoples furniture struggling through the flood water to drier land. The garage just past the bridge was completely flooded and probably the petrol had already been contaminated by the water because there was a strong smell of gasoline in the air. I took a few photos which you will see next week as I intend to download the latest ones to CD on Saturday. The restaurant where we were sitting outside in the sun yesterday was much further down the road so definitely would have been flooded terribly considering that the Casa Grande restaurant just outside of Urubamba on much higher ground was flooded up to its window cills. We would never have believed sitting outside in the sunshine yesterday that things could change so drastically overnight.

It isnt only the Sacred Valley which is affected either - Cusco is in a state of high alert as well, with drinking water contaminated, lots of landslides and adobe homes collapsing, rocks falling from mountainsides onto homes or the road below. Although traffic can still reach Cusco from Urubamba at the moment it is probably unwise to make the journey unless it is absolutely essential. We are all praying the rain will abate so that the river recedes. Nohemy said that in all the years she has lived in Urubamba she has never known flooding on this scale. We are certainly lucky that Urubamba is a lot drier because even Yucay has disappeared under flood water with adobe homes collapsing in the main street and this is only a mile or two away. They have a lot more rain in Pisac - in fact every time I have visited Pisac it has rained and if it is raining in the Sacred Valley it is raining even harder in Cusco.

Even today it seemed hard to believe that things were so drastic just outside Urubamba because after 9 am the sun came out and it was another warm sunny day in Urubamba as usual. Sarah has booked herself on a flight to Lima leaving tomorrow morning and will go to Brazil for longer than originally intended until her flight home on the 18th. So our plans for meeting tomorrow in Cusco are off. Alfredo made it to Cusco today mainly to check on the house there and will be back in Urubamba tomorrow. The three of us will wait until the weekend though before we go there again. Hopefully by then things will have improved.

I feel so sorry for all those people throughout the Sacred Valley who have lost their homes, or had their belongings ruined by flood water or the crops they have tended all lost in the floods and I hope the government will send some aid to alleviate their situation. Pisac and Qoya are the worst affected, Pisac being totally marooned with both roads out either flooded or inaccessible because of the collapsed bridge. It makes one wonder how long people will be marooned there. Pisac is always full of tourists. Listening to the news today, even the trains to Machu Picchu were suspended due to the flooded river. Even villages the other side of Urubamba are affected by the flooded river so we are lucky to have escaped the worst of it here in Urubamba.

Alfredo´s Birthday, Visits to Pisac and Cusco and the San Sebastian Fiesta

Alfredo really enjoyed his birthday – Nohemy´s friend Betty and her husband Lucho came to the house for the meal which was Alfredo´s favourite fried pork, with a special spicy sauce, a mint and onion salad and potatoes, plus the inevitable maize they love so much here. Betty brought a bottle of wine and Nohemy was listening to her favourite Mexican music and singing away. Their tenant who runs the bar also had her birthday the same day and we were invited next door. Just as we were about to leave the hairdresser tenant on the other side arrived with his girlfriend and daughter and we carried on drinking beer whilst they ate the food Nohemy gave them, the beers that Ruben had brought - who was very happy to see how well the puppy has settled in. Lassie loves to explore the patio and the two little girls play with her a lot - she is brilliant with children. Then Ruben had to go so we went next door where another plate piled high with food was given to us, including guinea pig - I had to refuse mine as I couldn´t manage another thing. Alfredo and I went halves on 6 litres of beer for his tenant and her guests and we stayed with them a couple of hours.

The following day I accompanied Nohemy on a visit to one of her friends leaving Alfredo to keep an eye on the workers. On the way we bumped into another friend of hers - an old guy called Metoya who promptly invited us to go and have a beer. We were near his house so he popped in to get his jacket and showed us his garden which was full of roses and fruit trees - he gave us several avocados each from a tree there, plus apples and peaches. We walked to a nearby shop with seats in it and they shared 3 litres of Pilsen beer and I had 2 cusquenas which are 620 ml. He is a very old worldly kind of guy and said how much he enjoyed our company and invited us to go for another beer the following week. He has played in a trio called Trio Imperial de Cusco for many years and promised to give me copies of their CDs to add to my collection. We got back to the house at 7 pm and Alfredo accompanied us to a nearby pizzeria for his favourite pizza and we shared a large family one which gave us 4 slices each. By the time we left there we were so full we could hardly move - Nohemy and I even turning down the chilled beers Alfredo offered us from the fridge, left over from the day before!

Nohemy and I went looking for the chacra one day last week and you would have laughed if you could have seen us climbing up and down embankments, crossing streams, and all to no avail - there are chacras one after the other and in the end we gave up as I could not remember the way once we got off the track. I think we entered the right way but got lost once inside – we crossed a field of maize and then I recognised the fallen tree where that photo of me was taken (after we had both clambered down an embankment catching our skirts on twigs etc. We then followed the path with the narrow stream (but it went in two directions and I couldn´t remember which direction we went in last time), then there were two bulls tethered right by the pathway so we detoured through another field of maize and somehow after that we got lost. We had a good laugh in the process though. Nohemy couldn´t believe that she had forgotten how to walk in the countryside. The Andean people we met on the walk back were very friendly, greeting us, and we chatted to an old guy who Nohemy remembered from her youth. I definitely want to go back there, especially as Henry said I can go there whenever I want and even mentioned it to his parents and their custodian farmer - it is an absolute paradise of a place, birds singing in the trees, the sound of running water in the narrow canals and when out on the unpaved road/lane outside the water thunders down from the mountains over huge boulders - if one fell in they would be swept away by the sheer force of it. Because of this there is no shortage of water in Urubamba even in the dry season, although they do switch it off at times. Nohemy said that hasn´t changed in all the years she has grown up here. Afterwards it was our intention to go to the recreation field as Alfredo had heard earlier that the mayor was going to treat people to a beer and snacks but even though we got there an hour after it was supposed to start there was absolutely nothing going on. The problem here is that nothing ever starts at the time it says it will - we popped into La Tranca Fija instead only to find their fridge had broken down so we had a coke instead of the cold Quara beer we had been looking forward to.

I had a lovely day last Friday when I went to Pisac. I got there just after noon and there was no sign of Sarah in either the internet cafe or the cafe I found her in last time. So I did a tour round the market stalls in Plaza de Armas but unfortunately the guy selling the CD I want wasn´t there that day. I went and saw Beltram for a while after that and then went to Ulrikes for lunch and also exchanged another couple of books. I think I will keep exchanging them as I read them so that I leave a nice pile in readiness for my next visit. I had the vegetarian lasagne for lunch which was delicious.

By about 2.30 I decided to head back seeing as I hadn´t found Sarah, was halfway down the narrow street leading to the bus stop when I heard my name called and she came out of a different cafe and was thrilled to see me. I must still have her email address wrong because she hadn´t got my message yet again. We had lots to talk about and after a coffee in that cafe we walked back up to Ulrikes and had 4 games of Scrabble and I didn´t head home until gone 5.30, having arranged for us to meet up in the original cafe at 10.30 on Wednesday morning. She wanted to show me a property she has viewed to get my opinion on it. From the description it didn´t sound like a good idea. Nohemy thought so too and said she must buy a house where there are plenty of other people living around and not in the countryside because there is always someone who might think she has money and could break in and even kill her for it.

On Sunday at 12 noon we caught a bus down the main road just outside Urubamba to have lunch at a cafe there and were lucky to sit at a table outside in the sunshine and the food was delicious - I had a roast duck breast and it came with a stuffed pepper, baked spaghetti and baked potatoes and was exceptional value for money. In addition to sharing a large bottle of coca cola we also knocked back a litre bottle of fig wine which Nohemy had bought on Saturday.

You would not believe what a laugh we had on Saturday. We went to Tupac Amaru Plaza as usual and Nohemy said there were stalls selling clothes for dogs and I bought a frilly dress which she looks adorable in - just wait until you see the photos! Then it started raining and her head was getting wet so I said to Nohemy we ought to look for a hat as well. On a different stall selling doggy clothes we found a fuchsia pink bobble hat with holes for her ears and when we put it on her she looked so funny that Nohemy and I were crying with laughter and couldn´t stop - and that continued the rest of the day because of the comical looks of disbelief on people´s faces or people laughing hysterically too.

On Tuesday I didn’t go to Tunupa restaurant as planned because Alfredo went to Cusco which meant Nohemy would have been on her own and there was no way I could afford to pay for two lunches at Tunupa so I deferred that until later in the week. We had a nice day though - we went to market to buy the necessary to cook lunch and whilst on our way bumped into Metoya, one of the members of Trio Imperial de Cusco, who is an old friend of Nohemy and who promptly invited us to lunch. We went to a nice cafe and had the set menu and afterwards went for a few beers. In the shop where we drank these we persuaded them to put on some andean music and Metoya had us up dancing and we generally had a good time. Metoya said his two fellow musicians are on holiday at the moment, one in Quillabamba, the other in Trujillo, but he hopes they will be back before I fly home - if so he will arrange for his group to play just for us, which I thought was a lovely suggestion. We kept ringing home to see if Alfredo was back from Cusco but no reply at either house. When we did get back about quarter to seven, Alfredo was just arriving back then and we put a smile on his face when I suggested going to their favourite pizzeria and we shared the usual family size one. I love the pizzas here because they are cooked in a brick oven over firewood and come with creamed garlic sauce, a spicy chilli sauce and powdered oregano, and they give you a load of garlic bread to keep you happy while you are waiting!

Wednesday was another lovely day. As Nohemy´s workmen didn’t turn up she decided to accompany me to Pisac to meet Sarah and we caught the bus around 9.15 and arrived at the cafe where we were to meet Sarah at 10.30. I had forgotten when making the arrangement to meet Sarah that there was a big fiesta at San Sebastian in Cusco that day, so we went to Pisac with the idea of hoping to persuade Sarah to come to Cusco with us. We had drinks in the cafe and Sarah also wanted to speak to her shamen who was there with his wife and daughter so Nohemy and I went up to Ulrikes and I exchanged another 4 books and at the same time found the vendor of that CD I have been looking for, and he remembered me from last time and let me have it for the 10 soles I paid last time so I was well pleased. We said a quick hello to Beltran and then went back to the cafe and within a few moments the three of us were on our way to the bus stop but actually managed to get a carro to Cusco which is a lot quicker. I felt very nervous at the bendy road though as the driver was going fast and there was no barrier on the edge and a very steep drop into the ravine below. Sarah was telling us that one night there was a horrendous noise and it was a car which went over the edge and Nohemy said it happens regularly.

On arrival at Cusco we had a 10 minute walk and then caught a bus to Nohemy´s house in Cusco and we left some of our things there and it was a 20 minute walk to San Sebastian and soon we were all enjoying ourselves tremendously in the fiesta which was a major event with dancers and bands and the parade of the saint which took about 40 men to carry it. There were street sellers everywhere and young lads waiting their turn to dance were very friendly and Sarah was really enjoying herself - it was the first such fiesta she had ever been to. We found a great place for lunch and had roast lamb which was a lot of meat for 3 quid a head and came with baked potatoes, the baked spaghetti dish and rocoto relleno (stuffed pepper). After the meal we went back to the fiesta for another hour or so and Sarah treated the three of us to dishes of fruit (figs, pineapple, apple and peach in a syrup) and we all nearly died of fright when they let off the fire crackers which are really loud. They string them up on cane frames so that when one goes off, several hundred go off and the noise is indescribable. At 3.30 Sarah had to leave as she had to get back to Pisac so we walked back and put her in a taxi. After a flying visit to Mega superstore to stock up on a few things, we headed back to Urubamba and got back just after dark. Nohemy really enjoyed the day as well and got on well with Sarah.

Sarah is going to come to Urubamba for the day either tomorrow or Sunday. If tomorrow I am going to cook my Malaysian chicken soup speciality and if Sunday we will all go to the restaurant outside Urubamba for the roast duck. Nohemy has said that even after I go back home Sarah must keep in touch and come and visit. Sarah will be flying home around the same time as me, but if she ends up buying a house before then she will be coming back here not too long after. She has her flight back from San Paulo in Brazil, which was all arranged before she left England so will only be in Peru until around the 13th. When she is with us tomorrow or Sunday Nohemy is going to show her a couple of properties she owns in Urubamba to see if they are of interest. She would be quite happy to sell one of them in order for the house extension to advance a lot quicker.

Bullfighting in Ollantaytambo

Since writing last I have been to a birthday party - Daniel´s - which took place in his parents home. His Mum provided a delicious meal for everyone and we were all seated in the recording studio upstairs with brilliant andean music playing on their fantastic sound set up. I really enjoyed it. Wilber was there and said the reason his Mum´s birthday party was cancelled was because she had been rushed to hospital with suspected appendicitis that day and that she was under observation with the possibility of being operated on.

On Tuesday 6th January Nohemy and I went to Ollantaytambo for the fiesta there. We were unable to get away as early as planned because of two workmen turning up unexpectedly to work on their extension. Also it poured with rain that morning so the food we had cooked to take with us as a picnic we ended up having for lunch, by which time the rain had abated somewhat and we set off around 1 pm.

The bus wound its way beneath high mountains and everywhere huge boulders could be seen that had fallen from above. Rocks and boulders are always falling onto the road or onto properties situated beneath the mountain, so I felt a bit easier when the road led away from the shadow of the mountain. Any such boulder landing on the bus would be catastrophic I reckon.

On arrival in Ollantaytambo we spent a while walking round market stalls and checking out things that were going on, and then walked down to the bullring where preparations were still being made for the show. We decided to get a good seat and wait, and ordered a litre of beer to share. By this time the rain had mostly gone off but it was windy and at times there was a little flurry of rain. Fortunately by the time the show began an hour and a half later things had brightened up a bit and the wind had died down. The bullring and surrounding area were packed with thousands of people, including lining the road above and on all the terraces high above.

The show included several different bulls and lots of matadors, including wannabee matadors - ie drunken men who jumped into the ring from the audience. One such guy refused to be ejected from the ring and kept standing in a provocative pose so that the bull charged towards him and he only just made it behind the wooden board in time. In order to get each bull out of the ring a guy dressed in rancho style lasso´d the bull. The best was when he mounted the bull and it was incredible how he managed to stay on with the bull jumping and rearing all over the place, with the matadors waving their cloaks at the same time so that the bull charged. What was great about this bullfighting show was that at no time were the bulls ever harmed. The show was more meant to entertain and give people a good laugh rather than anything serious. The bulls must have enjoyed it too as they were always reluctant to leave the ring. I took lots of photos which are already in my truprint album, reachable from the link which I will add again after this entry.

After the show had finished we had quite a job on getting through the crowds in order to make our way back to the Plaza de Armas, close to where the buses arrive. We had to hang onto our bags with both hands as thieves often abound in such crowded places. There was lots going on apart from the bull fights but we decided to head straight back while there was an abundance of transport, in case of difficulties getting back later on. Walking from the terminal once back in Urubamba we popped into La Chinita, which is now run as a chicha bar by Henry´s parents. We shared a couple of litres of Pilsen and chatted to Justina, Henry´s Mum, who reminded me that I was their madrina at the cement pouring ceremony on Sunday. We then had a Quara beer each, a beer made from barley and fruit which tastes more like wine and finally got home about 8 pm, so there was still time for our nightly game of monopoly.

On Thursday I was up at 5 and outside the Immigration Office in Cusco by twenty to eight and yet again it was a wasted journey. The lady said she had contacted Lima and was informed I could only get this done one or two days before I leave the country, so I will be there on 16th February at the same time to get it sorted out then - much preferable getting it sorted here rather than in Lima. The lady confirmed there is no problem extending my time here and that the dollar a day payable is more a kind of fine than an extension and can only be paid at the last minute.

On Friday I spent a few hours getting the latest photos uploaded to the truprint album - see the link I will post after this - and then managed to be on a bus on my way to Pisac by 11 am. I arrived at Pisac just after noon, checked out the internet cafe and cafe to see if Sarah was about but she wasn´t - then went around the market stalls looking for the CD I should have bought last week but the guy selling them wasn´t there. I saw Beltran, the guy who used to be a co owner of El Toldo restaurant and he suggested us having a beer once I had had my lunch and I said I would definitely come back and do that.

I then headed to Ulrikes and ordered the same delicious chicken on homemade tagliatelle that I had last week, a large Cusquena beer and followed this with her delicious home made apple strudel and icecream, and whilst waiting for the food to arrive chose two more books from the book case to exchange. All this took about an hour and I then went round the market again in another futile attempt to find that CD seller, then Beltran and I went into a cafe next door to where he works and had a Cusquena beer each which he wanted to pay for but I insisted we went halves. When I left he told me to visit him at the shop any time that I visited Pisac. I then got a bus back to Urubamba and got back about tea time.

On Saturday evening whilst playing monopoly Ruben, the hairdresser next door, arrived with the puppy he had promised Nohemy and Nohemy knowing how much I love animals said it is mine until I fly home and then it will be hers. She wants to be cuddled continuously and I mean continuously - even if I am right next to her she cries unless I pick her up. I solved the problem by popping her into a textile shoulder bag so she is next to me at all times. She is peering over the top of the bag as I write now and is happy to be enclosed and next to me. I let Nohemy choose the name as it is going to be her dog really and she chose Lassie. Its two and a half months old and almost pure white, very soft thick pelt, with a few pale brown markings - a Pekinese which is very popular here. As Nohemy has let me have her for the next 5 weeks I thought the least I could do is get the collar and lead and some puppy food. I kept Lassie and Poppikins apart in separate rooms until Lassie settled in which is just as well because when I did introduce them Poppikins went mental and straight into defence mode. I am hoping that with time and as they are both so young they will be friends and company for each other but until that looks likely I will keep them apart in case Poppikins injures her with her claws.

On Sunday I went to the cement pouring ceremony at Henry´s parents and the morning session of the cement pouring was almost finished by then and we were all served lunch. For a while Lassie had a little playmate as they have a Pekinese puppy too, but at this young age they just want to be cuddled and sleep. At 3 pm when the last of a cross was poured there was a little ceremony where bunches of flowers in the shape of a cross were tied to the iron anchors that soar into the air (these form the corners and centrepoints of any building, encased in concrete, to hold buildings together in the event of an earthquake). Then a bottle of champagne was tied with each bunch of flowers and as madrina I had to smash one bottle with a hammer, and another guy, the padrino, smashed the other.

Henry and his brothers were among the workforce and Carmen arrived just before the ceremony. Downstairs the tables had been lined up into two rows - all the hired workers on one table, including workers from the chacra, with family and friends on the other and Henry, Carmen, his Mum etc were bringing out the meals for everyone and his Dad was plonking large bottles of Cusquena beer in front of each person on every table. What impressed me was that Henry had remembered that I dont like beef and whereas everyone esle was given a T-bone steak he brought for me a plate of fried chicken. Everyone had a great time, with music playing on the dvd player, his Dad Seremino replenishing the beers continuously, and there was lots of dancing later on. I stayed until 10 pm when other family members were getting up to leave, and Carmen and one of the brother´s wives walked me home. During the evening Henry said I can go and visit the chacra anytime and spoke to his Mum and Dad and also one of the workers. I might go one day this week as it is the most beautiful place and will take Nohemy with me as I know she will be really impressed. I just hope I dont get lost finding my way in because it would be easy to end up on someone else´s chacra by mistake. Henry said that work permitting he would try and organise a family get together there before I fly home in February. They all think of me as part of their family now what with me being madrina at Henry´s wedding and now madrina of the house extension!

Today I cooked a delicious roast pork dinner English style complete with apple sauce and gravy (Colin sent me the latter which was very gratefully received). I intend to cook a different roast every week that I remain here as both Nohemy and Alfredo enjoyed it so much. Tomorrow some friends of Nohemy´s are coming to visit in the afternoon and we are all going out for a few beers, and weather permitting we may visit the chacra on Wednesday afternoon - I want to go on a really hot day so that Nohemy sees it all at its best. With a visit to Cusco plus another visit to Pisac this week looks pretty full already. I saw Ernesto, the old guy, yesterday who gave me Sarah´s email address again, and that is when I realised why she hadn´t replied or heard from me because he missed out two numbers in it - so hopefully I will see her when I visit Pisac again this week. I will write another entry next weekend.

Pachamanca, Visits to Pisac and Tunapa Restaurant

On the Sunday after Christmas we were invited to a Pachamanca by the two main workmen working on Nohemy´s extension (they are working on several other properties as well)- We arrived early in the morning in order to watch the process whereby an oven is created in the ground with bricks all around and firewood and lots of stones are heated in this until it reaches a certain temperature. They had bought loads of pork and chicken and marinated it in spices while the stones were heating. Then the meat was added and covered with the stones and left to cook. Later on a load of potatoes were added to the embers - the delicious yellow ones that are available here which I have never seen back home - plus a load of broad beans still in their pods, a type of banana which needs to be cooked and huge cobs of corn. In this latter stage everything was covered in wet paper, several layers, and then earth piled over it all. I took photos of the various stages while it was all cooking which will be in the next download.

When it was ready it was all piled into two washing up bowls (!!) and plonked on the table and we all dived in and it was absolutely delicious. Everything was perfectly cooked and the bananas complemented everything perfectly, very sweet and yellow ones. I enjoyed that meal more than the Christmas turkey. Afterwards we all shared a jug of pina coladas that Nohemy had made. Then we cleared away and Alfredo bought the first two litres of beer, then I bought the second two, and the two brothers bought the last two and we lingered over the table on the patio drinking these until it began to get dark.

A couple of days later I went to Pisac for the day. Ernesto, an old guy who sometimes brings me books had told me about an English lady living in Taray, a village just outside Pisac, and asked if I would like to meet her and I said yes. We met at the bus terminal at 9 am and I took quite a few scenic photos as the bus wound its way through the Sacred Valley. We got off the bus just before Pisac, crossed a bridge over the river and then it was half an hour´s walk to Taray, the pretty little village where Sarah lives ... only to find when we got there that she had gone out!

We walked back to the centre and then got a moto to Pisac and Ernesto knew to look either in the internet cafe or a certain cafe and sure enough Sarah was in the cafe and he introduced us. When she realised I had travelled from Urubamba to meet her she wwas really thrilled and Ernesto went off and did his own thing while we chatted over capuccino coffees for about half an hour, at the same time enjoying the company of a couple of young musicians who entertained us with their didgeridoos.

Then we walked up the Plaza de Armas where a big feria market was going on and looked around and I bought a CD. The guy wanted 25 soles for it and when I said I would pay no more than 10 he said okay and let me have it - an original CD for 2 quid! It was only later that I realised that one of the others he had for sale is one that I have mislaid so I am hoping it will still be there when I go back this week and that I can get it for the same price! After walking round a bit I heard my name called and a guy who was one of the partners at the restaurant was standing outside a jewellry shop where he is now working and we chatted for a bit whilst Sarah went to the ATM, then after that she and I went to Ulrika´s cafe which is run by a German woman and we had the set lunch which was 3 courses for 17 soles or 20 soles depending on which desserts were chosen and delicious it was too.

It started raining while we were in there so we stayed longer than intended but chatting away and really enjoying each others company. There was a book exchange in there too so having a book in my bag I exchanged it for another and only had to pay 3 soles. When we got up to leave we spotted a game of scrabble so are going to have lunch there next week as well and have a game of scrabble afterwards. She is living in a rented house in Taray but hoping to buy a property just outside Urubamba on the way to Ollantaytambo. She comes from Truro and when her Dad died 4 years ago she sold the house and that money is in the bank and she has enough to buy the place if the present German owners are willing to sell. She is only going to be here another 3weeks or so and we are going to meet up each week whilst she is still here. Later this week I am going back to Pisac to meet up with her for the day again. I don´t know why I left it so long to visit Pisac again - last time was for the fiesta in July with Nohemy and Alfredo - because it is a pretty little place, full of tourists. When the rain died off and we left the cafe we found Ernesto in the Plaza de Armas and I travelled back to Urubamba with him arriving back around 6 pm, so just in time for the nightly monopoly games with Nohemy and Alfredo.

On Thursday morning I had a phone call from one of the Peruviandina brothers saying they were now playing in Tunupa restaurant instead of Muna so I decided to go there that day as I had nothing else planned during the daytime. I had so enjoyed myself at Tunupa the last time I went, several months ago. The food is out of this world and I would be very surprised if there was anywhere better than Tunupa for the vast selection of really delicious food.

I arrived about 1 pm and the place was really crowded, so headed straight to greet Daniel and Wilber who had just finished setting up their instruments. When I set out from home it was a hot sunny day but by the time I got to Tunupa the skies were grey and just as I greeted them it started to rain. This meant dismantling all their equipment and taking it to the indoor restaurant and they couldnt make up their mind as the two main indoor restaurants were too far apart for the other half to hear the music. After trying to set up in one side and realising there wasnt enough room, they decided to set up back outside as by this time the rain had gone off. So whereas everyone else was seated at tables inside I was the only one outside seated on the verandah with a great view of the band. It was windy and a bit chilly but I didnt care - the main reason for being there was for the music rather than the food although I did enjoy the food - a plateful of delicious starters including mixed seafood ceviche, the pork, alpaca and chicken dishes from the main buffet and a sampling of several desserts from the sweet buffet. A pisco sour was included and unlimited delicious coffee afterwards so really the price of 50 soles per head is very reasonable. It was fun to chat to the artist who I had not seen for a while and I have been invited to visit his studio this coming week and meet his wife and child and will be going there on Tuesday afternoon, about 5.30 when he is sure to be back from Tunupa. I will probably buy one of his water colours to bring home.

The last of the tour groups left around 4 pm and after packing up their instruments I walked with them up to the main road, just as a bus was arriving and I climbed aboard. We had agreed to meet at Dinnos because Daniel wanted to eat there. Although they do feed the musicians at Tunupa it isnt until much later and he was too hungry to wait. We shared a couple of Inka colas while he tucked into his chicken dinner and the two Ebers arrived and were trying to get him and others interested in forming a group to play in one of the restaurants in Plaza de Armas that night. When I said my goodbyes a bit later it was with the understanding that I might well come along to that restaurant and watch them play. When I got home it was to find that Nohemy and Alfredo had gone out as they had no way of knowing that the birthday party of Wilber´s Mum had been cancelled, and for a while it looked as though I might be spending New Year´s eve on my own!

About 9 pm I decided to walk up to Plaza de Armas to see if the band were playing in that restaurant where I bumped into Rosalio, Daniel´s brother, who explained they couldn´t get enough musicians interested in working instead of celebrating and that it was cancelled. So instead I went with him to his parents house where Daniel, both wives and their children were also there to share the New Years eve celebrations and I was very warmly welcomed by the parents, given big hugs by the two little girls who were both eager to show me the bags of toys, sweets and sparklers that their Dads had given them. We sat in the kitchen for a while chatting whilst Nohemy, Daniel´s wife, went out to buy lechon and wine and I contributed to pay for the wine, a red borgonya, sweet red that is very popular here. Meanwhile, Marisol, Rosalio´s wife was preparing the yellow confetti, candles etc and arranging a bunch of yellow flowers for the table. When the food arrived we all tucked in and shared the wine and it was a very nice way to see the new year in. Rosalio and Daniel then walked me home afterwards around 1 pm. New year´s day we spent mostly at home, with me sunbathing on the patio as it was a very hot day.

On Saturday we went to Cusco again, to Plaza Tupac Amaru as usual which we always enjoy and I plan to go there again tomorrow as I have to visit Immigration and get the extension on my leave to stay here until 18th February. The next big event to look forward to is the fiesta at Ollantaytambo on Wednesday which will probably be the subject of my next blog entry, with more photos being added to the truprint link soon after that.