Cusco - The Inka City
Cusco, 3300m above sea level, and even thou we have been higher during this trip this was the first spot where Magnus felt a little bit sick, but it takes longer for some. Tina was not as strong as she could feel it already the day before on the way to Cusco having a terrible headache. However dehydration could also be a reason for this headache which is easier to get at the higher altitude even thou the temperature is quite low. Even if its quite cold you can really feel the sun burn so when you go here make sure you wear sun block, this as Cusco was resently found to be the spot on Earth with the highest ultraviolet light level.
Cusco is a not to big city (300.000) in Peru located in the south east near the Sacred Valley. It is the historic capital of the Inca Empire (1200s-1532). Many believe that the city was planned to be shaped like a puma. The Puma is one of three animals describing the life where the others, the snake and the condor representing below and above earth. I don't know how many times we have heard about the snake, the puma and the condor, all guides repeat it over and over again, probably the first thing every guide learn when trained.
Tomorrow, Thursday, we are starting the Classic Inka Trail ... should be god fun!
The plaza of Cusco with La compañia de Jesús, in the background.
Inka remains from the Temple of the Sun (Quorichancha) that resists the earth quakes and the Spanish destruction as they build Santa Domingo on top of the temple.
Inka remains on the hill side north of Cusco- Saqsaywaman - The head of the puma
Inka remains - Saqsaywaman
Inka remains - Saqsaywaman - with two tourists or should we call us travellers??
Colca Canyon
25/5 Sun
Colca Canyon is a canyon of the Colca River in southern Peru. It is found 160 kilometers northwest of Arequipa and it is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in USA. Not as vertical and steep but very impressive with the Andean Condors flying on the thermals. A perfect spot to test our skills to catch moving objects with the camera, do we pass the test?? Lucky for us that the condors are the second largest bird in the world and easy to catch in the lens. We got here on a bumpy road in a dusty bus with minimal seats from Shivay where we spent a very very cold night with warm water bottles as companions in bed. We have to say that better companions could not be found in this town. Even thou the small town of Shivay looks inicent this is the only place that we have been fooled, at least what we know of. We will carefully analyze what salesman tell us in the future before making any deals.
The agriculture that can be found in the canyon, the slopes owns by the poor man and the flat areas by the ones with more money.
On the way up to the condors view...
Impressive silhouette of the Andean Condor
A view down the valley - It is not very warm this early sunday morning
Mirador de los Andes
On the way from Arequipa to Colca Canion we passed the highest altitude so far - 4910m. Our home for the last month can handle even this altitude but we don't expect less from the swedish truck that we bye now have spent many hours in. Lucky for us that we are used to compact living. A touch of altitude sickness was close...but we made it.
Tina is sliding the ice and almost feeling like home
Magnus at 4910m
The "Scania truck" that takes us through Peru and Bolivia
Lama's and Alpacka's does not care to much about the altitude ...
... and neither does the girls who sells "Alpacka" clothes
Arequipa
21/5 Wed - 23/5 Fri
To see the champions league final Magnus, Jerry and Smithie took a ten hours bus from Nasca to Arequipa. The best bus ever. Royal class seats reclineable almost 360 degrees which included warm food and drinks for SEK 150. Early morning, after a great coffee, we start looking for the Irish pub. An imported guiness in cans cost SEK55 comparable with the local beer for SEK10. Good game and Man U victory. Maybe we don't have to tell you that Magnus were very happy by the time Tina reached the destination to once again take care of Magnus who would become very hangover the next day - however probably just due to the altitude. During the rest of the days in Arequipa we saw Santa Catalina Convent and the famous Ice maiden, a frozen mummy of an Inca girl sacrificed to the gods 500 years ago. The "Ice Maiden" - a girl between 12 and 14 - was discovered in 1995 in a ceremonial burial pit near the top of 20,700-foot Mount Ampato. The Ice Maiden was the main attraction for the whole group as this is Tinas new nickname - do you all agree??
The main Plaza in Arequipa
Santa Catalina Convent - Garden
Santa Catalina Convent - Kitchen
View over the mountains and vulcano of Arequipa
The found of the Ice Maiden - Juanita
Nasca Lines
20/5 Tue
Nasca lines from a cesna point of view...
The hummingbird
The astronat
The spider
The hand
Huacachina - The desert
Pisco destillery is in the outer part of ICA, Peru, which is Peru's national drink el numero uno. Pisco Sour is a dangerous but nice drink containing pisco, lime, egg white.
Five kilometers from ICA a smaller desert is located. To get to the desert a dune buggy i quite useful. We were about to stay a night under the stars but before that sandboarding!
Tina is a about to buckle up...
The dune buggy works as a lift in the desert
Magnus finally get the wax and the right board...
Tina having good fun
Sunset and the Tina siluet
Full moon over the eastern dunes
Barbeque fire in a 25 seconds long exposure
Lima
Thu 15/5 - Sun 18/5
Some say 8 million and some say 12 million. How many people living in Lima is probably not that interesting - it is quite big though. As soon as we arrived we got in contact with our Peruvian guide and old friend from Sweden - Patrik. He took us around Lima as we deserved ... thanks! A lot of important people, presidents and stuff, came to town same day as we...
Security is high 
A lot of dogs (los perros) along the streets
Museo Larco the Lima - Pottery A.C.1000
Museo Larco the Lima - Inka Mask A.C. 1000
Museo Larco the Lima - Inka sex
The San Francisco Church with the catacombs
Great food in Lima - Astrid and Gaston cousine offers langustas for under SEK100
Sushi in Larcomar with Patrik and Darcy
Punta Sal
Finally in Peru after ten hours of driving. Ten km north of Mancora is Punta Sal located with a great view over the ocean. Tenting on the beach together with lots of people from other truck overland companies.
Marked from Baños - Chineese massage with vaccum pump. Magnus´s back look tortured.
Tina is horse riding along the beach in sunset. Nice!
Pacific Ocean Sunset
Deep sea fishing - One fish in eight hours ... No tips for the guide.
Mancora harbour south of Punta Sal
The loooooser Jerry after a game of touch Am. football on the beach
Baños
Baños is located south of Quito and lies at the end of the great valley which takes us there. This is probably Ecuador´s Queenstown when it comes to activities. Bridge swinging, tubing, canyoning, bungy jumps, rafting ... Good fun!
After some hesitation - Tina take off bridge swingning ..
Great swinging...
Magnus diving off
The Jungle
A couple of days in the jungle visiting an American and his work of preserving the nature.
Our six bed bunk house for three days
Dan and Sam, with make up from yesterday, are occupied by a monkey
In the dark dark jungle - Bug climbing tree
Yellow neck turtle
Otavalo
1/5 Thu
The classic market of Otavalo is a - must to go visit. Prices are already low but you have to bargin and negotiate. The attitude against the buyer is much better though, if you compare to southern Europe and western Asia. 
An old happy lady who just earned $10
Busy people...
Electrician climbing concrete pole
EESH - Ecuadorian Electrical Standards in Hostels
Quito - Back again
Back in Quito after a great time at the galapagos islands. Gaby and her friends are having a party at a Hacienda today. If you wanna come, bring a 4x4 drive car since there are cobble stone roads that will take you there. Great fun though and great view over Quito.
View from La Hacienda over Quito
Bernie, Sandra, Tina, Gaby
Sunday - A hangover feeling is not the best when Gabys dad took us to his golf club. After a fantastic lunch at the club we were ready to rock. The lunch wine helped Magnus to get going again.
Caddie #1, Carmen, Gaby, Alberto, Tina, Caddie #2 and #4
Gabys and her "golf schooled" swing - ¡Es Muy Bien!
Galapagos Islands - Tortuga Bay
Wed 23/4 - Thu 24/4
A taxi costs $1 within Puerto Ayora and $15 to cross the Santa Cruz island. The cost of petrol/gas is supported by the goverment wich make these white pickup taxis very cheap. The main town on this island is not very big but has everything you can ask for. This day, the taxi took us to a small house where to sign in for hiking/walking to Tortuga Bay. They wanna make sure that no one is camping or getting lost in the area. It is also a nesting place for turtles, which gives prohibited areas. Sign in - sign out. After a 25 minutes walk on bitwise cobblestone and bricks we finally reached the bay. Doesnt seem to far, but the warm and humid weather makes you quite tired and dried out. 
A Marine Iguana is keeping an eye on Tina
Turtle tracks...
Tina is walking Tortuga beach
On thursday we mostly chilled-out by the pool and watched som Ecua-Volleyball. An exciting game played with three people on each side the net and with a football. All men are gathered after work around four a clock, and plays a challenge tournament where the bets are sometimes as high as one thousand dollars. It is fun to watch all the excited and argumentive players that sometimes almost start fighting. We found Ecua-Volleyballs Maradona himself.
Ecaudors national sport (almost) - Ecua-Volleyball 
Maradona ... or?
Both dried out on a bar having beer and sprite...
Galapagos Islands - Diving
After four days of snorkeling we decided to see marine life for a longer time than you can hold your breath. Galapagos Divecenter offered dives around Floreana Island and Gordon Rocks. We were diving together with an Austrian-Brasilian guy with a water proof case to his camera, therefore great pictures and movies, Thanks...
Tina and Magnus under the surface.....
A school of fishes...
Playful sealions
A hammarhead shark, just wait for our movie.....
A green seaturtle
Galapagos Islands - Cruise
We have now reached The Galapagos Islands by air from Quito - Giuyaquil. The Galapgos have never been connected with the continent. Gradually, over many hundred of thousands of years, animals and plants from over the sea somehow migrated there and as time went by the adapted themselves to Galapagos conditions and came to differ more and more from there continetal ancestors. The islands are formed over a hotspot in the west giving birth to islands were cold and warm currents meets and affects the unique environment.
We arrived to Puerta Ayora from were we will take a four day trip on Aida Maria. A cruise that will take us around the archipelago of Galapagos, inculding Santa Cruz, Rabida, Santiago, Bartholome and North Seymore. The cabin on the boat was quite tiny but we at least had our own shower. Three course lunch and dinner was standard and the food was great. All the food and drinks were served with elegance from our own alltiallo Victor who bye the way makes the best capriña. Everyday a guided tour on the islands were included as well as snorkeling.
Aida Maria outside Rabida Island
Marine Iguanas on Santiago Island
Santiago Island - A Galapagos Penguin thinking about entering the water
Sea Lions taking a nap on Rabida Island
A Giant Tortoise male left behind on the highlands of Santa Cruz Island
North Seymoure - A blue footed boobie male dancing to impress the female, she doesn´t seem to impreessed ...
Bartolome Island - The most photographed view of the Galapagos Islands
A fregatta bird trying to attract a female by ´blowing himself '
Lava lizard trying to get a sun tan
