Hi,

I�ve been in Peru for over a week since I last wrote. Due to trekking last week I haven�t had Internet access so hopefully this should redress the lack of communication.

For the last ten years or so a visit to Macchu Picchu in Peru has been on my top five travel list. When organising this trip walking the Inca trail which leads to Macchu Picchu was the only definite plan I had for South America. This dream has now become a reality.

I flew into Peru a week last Friday and the next day transferred from Lima (where I stayed overnight), to Cuzco, which is the major centre from which you visit Macchu Picchu. Flying into Cuzco in brilliant sunshine must have been one of the most memorable flight descents I have ever made. The gigantic mountains on either side dwarf the plane as you make your way down. Although I say down, you are actually at a high point on the world surface. The air is noticeably thinner and even as you make your way up a slight incline within the airport, you can feel it in your chest. You are not allowed to tackle the Inca Trail unless you have spent at least two days acclimatising in the area. I had a headache for the first day but then things settled down. The remedy is to chew local cocoa leaves like tobacco or drink a brew with the leaves in water like herbal tea. air does the trick. You also chew the leaves while on trek at high altitude.

Cuzco is an attractive town with plenty of nice buildings and Inca ruins surrounding it. I had a nice hotel but can�t say I enjoyed my time there. Too much heightened security when you have the big camera with you and have to watch your back all the time. A tourist zone attracts people who consider you a target and having been followed after I had the camera out was fairly spooky. Anyway, it seems to go with the territory over in this part.

Left Cuzco last Wednesday and was taken to the start of the Inca trail. There should have been 16 in our group but 4 cancelled and then two took ill after arriving in the country. This left us with nine which was a good small group. We had Dave and Christy from Minneapolis, Paulo and Kiara from the north of Italy,Adam and Anne from Michigan, Gerrard from Belfast , Leah from Canberra and myself.

On the first day we trekked 13k, rising from 8500 ft to 10100 ft. En route we saw great views of the Urubamba mountain range. there were a great variety of plants including a yellow Scotch Broom and Giganton cactus. We could see the snow capped peak of Veronica which stands at 5860m. The sheer scale of the mountains and variety of scenery blows you away.

Our group of nine was accompanied by two guides and sixteen porters, including the cook, who follow us ahead and set up camp for meals and sleeping. As you make your way up the trek these guys go running past you up the hills with impossibly heavy loads, with gear like massive gas tanks for cooking. All this at high altitude. No wonder the 30 year old guys look like fifty something

It didn�t rain the whole time we were out on the trek. However in this altitude it�s a bit like the skiing experience. if you are in the sunshine it is hot and fierce. The minute you are in the shade it is very cold. At night, after being roasted all day it would drop down to say minus 2 on the second night. Much need for the thermal sleeping bag and wearing a woolly hat in bed. A first for me, I think!

Second day we were wakened at 0500, with breakfast at 0600. This was the big day for climbing and we moved steadily through steepening woods and spectacular terrain to the first pass at 13,776 ft. in five hours we had climbed 3,600 ft, one of the most physically challenging things I have done.

The next day we hiked a total of 22k over another two passes although starting to move downhill. We stopped for guided tours at various Inca remains such as Phuyupatamarca (translated ��Town On The Clouds�), which is situated just below 12,000 ft, and saw numerous types of orchids.

On the fourth day we rose at 0445 to make out way to Macchu Picchu itself. We ascended to the classic picture postcard viewpoint. As with the Great Wall and Taj Mahal already on this trip, the setting did not disappoint. I had blisters on my toes from the previous day but even although the sun had not yet arisen on the buildings the visage is still stupendous and there was a feeling of achievement not only in getting there but having made it via a major trekking experience through one of the most beautiful parts of the world. A couple of hours were spent exploring the different parts of the site. Only three of us were up for tackling the prominent peak of Huayna Picchu, which is the steep and prominent peak lying just behind the site.It took us 49 minutes to get up the 1100 steps for another stunning alternative view if the site. Hopefully in due course many of you will be able to see the photos of these events. I didn�t spare the camera. Who knows if I will ever be in these places again?

Having recuperated in Cuzco over the weekend, I have made my way to southern Peru. One hates to be overusing superlatives but the seven hour trip south was one of the most memorable I have undertaken. The tight valleys surrounding Cuzco and the �Sacred�valley melted away and were replaced with ravishing scenery of a different nature. Open plains with rich blue skies, wild llama, sheep and cows alongside, and of course, out in the middle of nowhere, the odd stray dog. Took a few photos and drank in the scenery. Snow capped peaks could be seen in the far horizon and a few small lakes came into view, reflecting the golden coloured hills which have changed from green since the start of the dry season.

On Monday I moved south to Puno, on Lake Titicaca, another amazing place. This massive lake contains the worlds largest high altitude body of water. It is 8500 square kilometres, 284 metres deep and is 15 times the size of Lake Geneva.

Yesterday I went on tour and visited the floating islands, which were formed by Uros Indians as they retreated from the Incas. The oldest is from 600 years ago. Originally large pieces of turf had reeds strewn over them to form the island and these reeds get replaced every week, sometimes more often in the rainy season. People live on them and when you land it is an amazing feeling as you feet sink slightly into the reeds before adjusting. A unique phenomena not seen elsewhere in the country or the world for that matter. Another great experience. Lake Titicaca is sometimes described as ' a basin on top of the world'. The huge blue skies turn the lake a deep colour and you have snow capped mountains for a backdrop.

Have probably overdone the sightseeing on this note but you are getting two weeks for the price of one. Will follow the human colour theme more closely next week, but lastly a few details on Peru.

Food and drink. The Peruvian wine is not recommended as being good, especially compared to near neighbours Chile and Argentina, so I just skipped it. On the Cerveza side in Cusco the local brew is called Cusquena, which has a blanco and negro version, the latter being quite sweet. Quite palatable. The same company produce for the whole country but here in Arequipa it is called Arequipena as all regions seem very jealous of their identity. Soft drinks are amazingly cheap here with a 600 ml bottle of coke c.15p. The local soft drink Inca Cola is yellow and not bad either.

Food: I am wincing as I write. Those of a sensitive disposition should hit the 'Pge down' button now.

The local delicacy in Cuzco is guinea pig and I did try it. It arrives on the plate splayed out with head and feet still on and it's mouth open to display the two front teeth. As you cut into it the head nods up and down, It tastes a bit like gamey chicken and is quite sickly. For those with big appetites there is very little meat and getting it off the corpse is quite hard work! Had to nick one of my pal Gerrard's lamb ribs just to feel a bit more full afterwards.

Moving on, two of the local animals are llama and el paca. They are much the same except the llama has a longer neck. Have tried the el paca and it is very nice, similar to beef. The fish is excellent:have tried kingfish and trout. For you veggies out there, excellent starters include avocados stuffed with vegetables and cold potatoes with a tasty yellow chilli sauce.

Hmmm... this is not good. The only thing people are going to remember is the guinea pig! Apologies to those of you who had them as pets, but there was no wimping out.
In the true Scottish tradition both the guinea pig and el packa were served with chips, so had a 'supper' both times although the large pickled onions or glass bottles of Irn Bru were not available as an accompaniment.

Tomorrow I am heading off to hike in the Colco Canyon for three days and will be back Saturday night. Colco is one of the world's deepest canyons with 1km from cliff edge to river bottom. Hope to get up early one of the days to see condors circling between 0700 and 0900. More of this next week.

Hope to be able to read some emails from you on my return at the end of the week. Eleven of the seventeen weeks away have now passed so I am about two thirds of the way through the trip. Thanks for staying with me.

All the best

Murdo