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The Lost City of the Andes

in another attempt at following in the footsteps of other irish people we went to the lost city of kuelap (founded by an irish man named steve), we booked a 4 day trip up a mountain with all the trimmings.

our adventure started out easily enough with a car ride up the mountain to see some statues/sarcophagus hybrids that were slotted into gaps in the mountain. then we were due for another exciting taxi ride but unfortunatly due to it being the wet season the road was mostly worn away and we had to walk some of the way to our mountain cabin owned by a little man called victor, this place was no bigger than our garage but our garage smells better even with all the dogs in it.

after a rough night in a cabin and keith almost giving a heart attck to our sleeping american friend (well he would sleep outside) we set off for what we thought was a 5 hour hike, this turned out to be 7 hours and it was mostly uphill. but we got to see some parrots on the way and was really glad to reach our lodge in the cloud forest (like jungle but wetter) the people were amused by us covered in mud and i got to see guinea pigs in the home for the first time (one looked a bit too much like fergal) they had a huge breeder guinea pig who was the size of a large rabbit. our guide advised us that because of the rain it would be a good idea not to do the promised riding the next day and just walk it as it would be safer, we all agreed as we didnt fancy falling off a cliff.

so off we started on a 6 hour hike up mountains, through forest and getting soaked the whole way to our next sleeping place we was told it would be a hard walk but noone mentioned that it would take us 3 hours longer than usual and along the way we both managed to get our boots soaked along with everything we were carrying "bye bye phrase book". after almost crying with the effort of every step (dont worry keith was fine but good enough to look after me all the way) we finally made it down the mountain and into a taxi, the taxis here are indestructable! i mean it they can go sliding down mountainsides and right through rivers no bother any normal car would be stuck but not the super taxis .

after the best shower we have ever taken (and having to lie a little to the hostess to actually get a room together, they are very good catholics over here) we managed to sleep till about 6ish before the dosen or so cockerals started their morning rituals. we got up and had our second to last walk up the mountain to kuelap all the pain and being soaked 24hrs a day was made well worth it with the view we got . it was stunning and trying to figure out how they managed to pull about 4tonnes of river rock all the way up completely baffeled us. the peruvian gov had let some americans start to clean up the stones so people could see how it was but they had kept to the advise of the irish man and left it mostly untouched, it was like discovering it for the first time.

after kuelap we started our descent to our pick up point and our lunch, becuase of 3 days of rain the hike was made pretty slippy and keith managed to trip twice, it was mostly chalk rock so we just skidded the whole way. we was so tired when we finally arrived but really proud we had done it. the taxi ride home was very scary and it makes we wonder why there isnt more peruvian rally drivers.

oh and when we got home we found we had left our boots behind in the resturant so we got up today at 5:30am took another couple of taxi rides and retrieved them without too much bother.

next stop iquitos after a little river ride

love to all

kim and keith

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