Wednesday 1 July 1992

Peru


By savious, football team and hosts

    Peru

Arrived at Puno, the town by the lake

When locals throw  rocks train windows break

A welcome of sorts we did not expect

Clearly a place to not disrespect

We finally saw the lake in the sky

Titicaca - 4000m high

It was serene and inspiring, a magical place

We sailed to islands. In the water we bathed

We flew to Lima- we were warned to keep safe

The city had a 10pm curfew in place

As I got off the bus I received a full armored guard

To walk through the streets to my hotel after dark

A few hours south I took a small plane

In Nazca I saw something hard to explain

The lines you can only see from the air

A monkey. A man, a space suit he wears

How could a race depict such a thing

2000 years before the first moon landing

Its from that day on - I finally thought

Maybe we are not the only astronauts

I went to a place for the dead it's reserved 

The thin desert air leaves the bones well preserved

Not buried below - but scattered on land

1000 skeletons rising out of the sand

There’s no roads to Iquitos, in the Amazon

I took a military plane with a life jacket on

Found a local bar on the river bank

I met my friend again there -  with locals i drank

The sun rise revealed an incredible sight

The Amazon river 10 kilometers wide

Powerful and deep, it looked more like a sea

I stared in wonder as it flowed under me

I boarded a ferry and sailed down stream

To see pink dolphins and the Amazonian

But my tour guide was cheap and he led me astray

He abandoned me in a village - from Iquitos 3 days 

An Amazonian family soon took me in

I had to play soccer for the village to win

Piranha, Plantana, the only food that we ate

I slept on the floor, a net kept Tarantulas at bay

We hunted for monkey - their primary meat

Deep in the jungle - Our prey we would eat

But I got lost from the men, I knew no way home

Lost from the hunters -suddenly alone

No one survives this place through the night

A search party found me just before mid night 

I returned to the village slightly ashamed

Eating the monkey they gave me a name

Cazadora de la amazon they joked as we ate

I thanked my saviours as I finished my plate

A fishing boat took me back up river

A promise my friends I had to deliver

In Cuzco we met and our friend joined the ritual

We planned  Maccu Piccu our goal  became spiritual

The ultimate trek, A lost city by foot

Returning pilgrims told us what the walk took

So we left our friend there 

and cleaned up out acts

Went to be bed early. prepared our backpacks

At km 88 we got off the train

Walking 5 days it was extreme terrain

The reward was worth it we finally arrived

We camped at sun gate our feet over the side

We saw the lost city with the sun rise

The ancient ruins on a mountain so high

This journey had not been about taking photos

 For me chapter became to a close

I thought to myself as the sun rose

I was successfully treating my self-diagnose

At Agus calinette all day it would rain

We ate a hot meal waiting for the next train

We returned to the capital city of Lima

The soldiers rolled In eAch night as we ate our dinner

I left the hotel just before dawn

At 7am I needed to  be airborne

As I walked to a taxi - 2 Dobermans chased

I ran to the car - to make my escape

The driver was ready the dogs slammed into the door

We laughed as the driver put his foot to the floor

Everyday it seemed was a test to survive

But the danger made me feel good to be  alive

Peru is place with adventure and Risk

But i Wasn't afraid. i trusted instinct

I learnt the best travel is not to a resort

Its seeing a world different to yours

I only took a few pics for I kept in my mind

The feelings of then, to this day I remind

Adventure and risk, we wanted  more

So north we travelled to Equador

Our spanish improved we bribed border guards

Quito, Mojitos large and in charge


In a good mood. Matt, Barney and Brad the day we arrived at Maccu Piccu
Maccu Piccu from sun gate

Hanging out in Cuzco with Barney and Jane

Agus Caliente'

On the 3 day train across the Altiplano - The red plastic cup was to collect vodka donations
Camping at Sun Gate

Cuzco fiesta
Valley of the dead
Remains preservedin the desert air



Nazca - The space man

Peter the Swede
In the Amazon