A 'new' site in Peru to explore

Too many late nights have turned me a little into an insomniac. The internet at least can while away some time when the rest of the city is tucked up in their beds.

 

I stumbled across several articles on an archaeological site in Peru that somehow I've never heard of. I've been to so many museums in Peru, visited I thought most of the major sites in both the north and more touristy south, but somehow this escaped my attention.

 

Marcahuamachuco is being billed as a big tourist drawcard in the future. It's situated in the north, not far from Trujillo but up in the mountains. It's a massive site that spans over 200 hectares and is surrounded by a stone wall. It sounds incredible. They still don't know who built it/lived there as it was abandoned before the rise of the Incas and unfortunately,  like in many parts of Peru, grave robbers have looted a lot of the site of objects that might have provided clues.

 

It's been researched since 1900 but only started to be cleared in late 2010 (which is probably how it escaped my attention, having left Peru in late 2010). Anyway I am excited to visit this next time having done Machu Picchu twice before. In the bit over 3 months of my life I've spent travelling in Peru I've barely scratched the surface on things to see and do. Counting down the months until next time...

For now, here's a link to an article and also some photos of other sites I've visited. There is definitely more to Peru than Machu Pichu. The south of Peru that EVERYONE visits is pretty darn cool. But the north of Peru is what blew me away. Such beautiful scenery, amazing ruins, much friendlier people and best of all, way less tourists.

 

http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-marcahuamachuco-archeological-site-emerges-from-obscurity-in-peru-11080

Chavin ruins, Cordillera Blanca

Chavin ruins, Cordillera Blanca

 

Ventanillas de Otuzco near Cajarmarca

 

 

Kuelap fortress in Chacapoyas province

Catching Fire

Well I finally watched Catching Fire. The 11.30pm session on opening day was the first I could make, and it did not disappoint. I can't wait to see it again.

The movie was all around awesome - great acting, great effects (the jabber jay scene in Dolby Atmos = holy moly!) and some great costumes. I love films that are set somewhere cold as there always seems to be some great knits. Catching Fire was no exception.

Actually that cowl/top is woven apparently but I read that they're making it into a knitting pattern. Yay.

Finding savings where I can.

I'm starting to look at which spending I can cut out or lessen.

One area that I spend more than $1000 a year on is hair cuts. That's just a haircut and blonde highlights every 2 months. Seeing as I won't be able to keep that up on the road anyway, I figure I might as well get used to being brunette now.

I'm going to keep growing it long for another year as I'm plain lazy and love to throw it in a ponytail each day. Plus you can get away with trimming it only every 6 months or so. Looking back on my last trip,  I can see I might cut it shorter once I reach Bolivia and Peru. Hot water in hostels is not that common there and let me tell you, washing hair in a cold shower on a freezing cold morning is not fun at all!

Travel planning: Antarctica

Well I've done it. I've handed over the first of a lot of money for my next overseas adventure.

I bought a new laptop this week but I'm not sure that counts as a travel expense. However having excel again has meant a lot of playing around with budgets and researching costs.

Which in turn led me to make the decision to splurge quite a lot on a cruise to Antarctica.  It isn't cheap but wasn't as expensive as I imagined. I'm officially going now that I've put down a deposit to hold my space!

My plan now is to fly in one go from Auckland - Santiago - Buenos Aires - Ushuaia.  Thats about 34 hours of travel to make it to the southernmost city in the world.  Doing it without stopovers cuts out those little costs that add up to quite a bit - taxis to and from airports, accommodation, rushing to see sights in a few days. 

I've booked the last G Adventures cruise of the season on March 12th 2015. I like that I'll arrive into Ushuaia a few days before (don't want to miss the boat!) and get the only booked tour in right at the start leaving me months to meander up the continent.

Cost:
Bed in a 4 share cabin NZ $6099

The tour includes a warm jacket (to keep) and gum boots, all meals and all excursions.

They apparently aim for 2x excursions ashore or tours in the zodiacs each day but that's weather dependent. There are lectures on the region and wildlife to keep you entertained as well.

There is an option to do kayaking but it's an extra grand so I've opted not to.

Other costs I foresee are:
Any drinks (alcohol not included)
Tips (they recommend US$10-$15 per day)
Paying more than I would normally for travel insurance due to needing higher cover for medical evacuation from remote areas.
Renting waterproof pants
Accommodation amd other expenses in Ushuaia but I would've visited that city regardless.

I'm so excited about this trip. I can only imagine how amazing it will be to see icebergs,  wildlife like penguins etc. Not to mention all that knitting time on the trip over the Drake Passage if I'm not too sea sick!