Sunday the 28th of November; WELCOME TO PERU!

Night bus, arrival at the border. The bus was still quiet. And no problems at immigrations although some cops were looking for me in La Paz. Still it took some time at the border, the power failed, no more electricity, everything dark...WELCOME TO PERU! A stop in Puno to dump some people and changing busses. Well, this looks like a bus trip to Spain when you are 16 :-) A bus full of loud students, they were all around 18-20. The Swedish guys were in front and I ended up in the back. All the students start singing and this older dude starts playing the guitar. It sounds pretty good actually. It seems that it's a group of music students and they are all playing in a choir. They are from Argentina and I ended up in a long chat with one from Ecuador. Really funny kids. A rowdy night with no sleep :-) They were so nice to give me some food. But the system of this bus company? Many stops for I don't know why...and all of a sudden there are a bunch of people coming in with double booked tickets. The few backpackers in the bus had all double seats and I had to leave? No way, and I had a big team of Argentinean supporters with me :-) WELCOME TO PERU!

Early morning in Cusco. Cheapest hostel in town, watch your head here when your tall...WELCOME TO PERU! No feeling of being tired. So walk around town, maybe there's still a bar open? There is enough 'nightlife' on the streets. Many drunken people on the streets probably try to tell each other how much they love each other LOL ...WELCOME TO PERU! We walked into the Cathedral to see the Sunday session (not allowed for tourists, but that's after 6 AM and it's still before). So the whole they we spend in travel agencies to get a good Inca Trail deal, it's getting cheaper and cheaper by the minute. Delicious fruit shakes on the market. Watching so soccer in the pub. And brrrr...the sun is gone and what do we get back? Hail! WELCOME TO PERU! This is to get used to the winter weather already?

The night was pretty laidback, preparing our own food in our Casa. Yeah, it's not a hostel but just someone's house full of screaming kids and a big cage outside where they put the barking dogs...WELCOME TO??? PERU! Last but not least...the worst stomach problems so far this trip. Food poison # ?? (I lost count).

Monday the 29th of November; DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE

Finally something is happening in Cusco, shops are open. SO start looking for some good deals. But too much information, too many people hassle and follow you with shit. And no, I don't want a massage now! So we decided to do the Original Inca Trail, the one that you normally have to book in advance months before and normally costs around 400-500 USD or more. We found one for 210-250 USD and we can start the 2nd, so I have to stay in Cusco. No worries, I love ice creams for 1 Soles, we love the fruit shakes at the markets. We love cooking in our noisy Casa, we love hanging around in tourist bars and watch European soccer. Just a day to relax...but no massage :-)

Tuesday the 30th of November; HARDCORE FREE PARTYING IN CUSCO

Another random day in Cusco...that's how it started. Negotiating about tours and stuff. Daily ice creams and shit. The Fredrik's hooked up with Carl and Jessica. Playing pool and having Caiparinhas at The Point. We went out for dinner together and Anna, Jessica and an Ozzy guy joined us. Insane burgers and good food at that place. The Ice Creams were even more insane! Followed by a sheesha bar and my first Pisco Sours; DAMN TASTY! Yeah we left the place in a special mood. The Mushroom Bar, Mama Africa, Mythology and InkaTeam were literary fighting for us to get us in their club with free drinks. We all ended up with multiple drink vouchers for every club. Club hopping and getting absolutely wasted for free. I love Cusco! I think we all did this night...unforgettable.

Wednesday the 1st of December; HANGOVER RAFTING, COOOOOL

Yeah we all agreed, it was a crazy party night last night. 2 hours of sleep and a dizzy drive to the river. Getting flashbacks about last night with all that party music. Ow, no other people? Just us 3 and the guide. Well, we heard some sounds from the back of the car. There was another local dude sleeping under the luggage in the back of the car whahhaaa. He was our safety kayaker NO WAY! So pump up that raft and let's go! First part practicing, easy (not with a hangover). And after a short time it was time for rafting Class III and IV. Awesome shit, a lot better than Thailand. Damn, we had to paddle hard. Sweating while it was freezing cold. Luckily we had wetsuits. Nobody could get us fall out of the raft. The guide stopped somewhere and asked us if we wanted to do some cliff jumping. Why not? 'Uhm dude? The water is dark brownish, there are rocks everywhere, this is high...is this okay?' We let him jump first to see where to jump. You had to jump far away from the cliff. I was the only one that hit a big rock under water. It was a slippery one, so I didn't really hurt myself. The water was? very cooooooold. After 2.5 hours of rafting and getting excited it was time to flip the raft on purpose. It seemed to be a joke because I was the only one swimming in the water. Well, flip that raft and swim guys! Brrrrrrrrr...thinking about that promised hot shower. Hahahaaa, where we got out? No facilities, no hot shower. A mini side table with coffee and Coke and some rice. The lunch was okay, I still had some Dorrito's.

Team Sweden went for a sleep. I went out again (Inca Trail or not). With the Germans, the only die hards that showed up[. Thanks girls. The ice creams were delicious. A pity the night out was not as crazy as yesterday :-)

Thursday the 2nd of December; ORIGINAL INCA TRAIL DAY 1; AN EASY START AND GETTING USED TO THE GOOD? THE BAD? NO, THE UGLY

'Yeah you're going to be picked up from your hostel'. Hahahhaaaa, next time ask how they pick you up... This guy picked us up by foot, had to walk to the city to meet our other group members. 23 hikers, some of them picked up by bus. We stopped in a small town to get some snacks. Believe me, take a lot of them! And if you are doing the trail with CUSCO EXPLORER? Take a lot of water (or purifying tablets). Arriving in a long line of people getting checked in for the Inca Trail. Fredrik 1 was not that lucky....'Get a haircut dude!' :-) They had to check him many times before they believed it was really him hahahahaa. A really easy day, a few Inca sites, Llama's and donkeys. We heard only good stories from other about the Inca Trail, especially the food was amazing and nobody could finish it. We saw the same at the first lunch stop in the other tents... That's what we saw... There is something in the Lonely Planet about companies that do the Inca Trail; The good, the bad, the ugly. We got 'The Ugly'. That means, sleeping mats as thin as a newspaper, the worst food, grumpy guides, not enough drinks. So for team CUSCO EXPLORER (Remember that name if you wanna starve yourself) it became more a survival then a hike. I had a good night sleep, I was the only one. The rest of the group couldn't sleep because of all the roosters, dogs, donkeys and other creatures that trying to copy a symphonic orchestra during the night.

Friday the 3rd of December; ORIGINAL INCA TRAIL DAY 2; THE KILLING HIKE

'Coca Coca! It's 5am, time for some Coca leaves' Wonder if we get more breakfast then just 1 pancake? Forget it. Get the Toblerone out of your backpack. The hike for today, a 3000 steps high crazy climb. Just 11km today but believe me. Going down after the summit of 4200mtrs? It's killing your legs. Maybe it was because I had food poison and dizziness after last night. The Kiwi's gave me some good pills at the end of the day, thanks to Simon and Lauren I can finish the trail. It was hot today. A lot of breaks and reached the top as No. 4? Not that bad. No archeological sites today, just climbing and try to stay positive. Some of our group are really slow, 2 hours behind most of the time. Don't expect anything of the sanitary...they call it 'basic' hahahahaaaaa. It's all about the Inca Trail, forget the rest. And can that stupid unorganized retard Gloria stop waking me and the other ones up because they don't know where I am sleeping?!

Saturday the 4th of December; ORIGINAL INCA TRAIL DAY 3; THE LONGEST WALK, 16KM AND SOAKED

Again wake up around 05:00. Didn't really sleep of the rain last night. 1 crappy pancake and half a glass of juice. Half a slice f dry old bread. 'Can we get some more?' NO! If you are at the South American table the answer is 'Yes'. These guys are not going to get any tip. Today a 16km hike with 3 summits. I have a lot of energy today. Reaching the first summit (3900mtr) and the archeological sites. Clouds are coming in, starts to rain. I went out for a run to the next area Instead of 2 hours it took 35 minutes, No. 1 today. But I was soaked. Amazing archeological sites here. Dry for an hour or so, after lunch more rain and stronger. Sweden, NZ, Swiss and I went for a fast last part. Followed by the blue-plastic-covered-smurf-porters. After one of the last sites we took the 'wrong' way, getting so dirty and wet, slippery rocks and stumbling down. We found the track back and now it was time for a 2000 steps stairway down, I can better say a steep waterfall with 2000 levels. Just 4 of us went to the high amazing archeological Inca site 20 minutes from our last camp site. Stunning and worth another muddy shower.

Although the conditions were crap today, it was epic. No pain in the legs, and surprised by the amount of food we got in the restaurant. Definitely not a meal from our own cook. Some beers and yes, I paid for a hot shower, so nice after a few days. We now see that our group is far out the biggest. All the other ones are well equipped and at least half the size. We are the 'ugly'!

Our 20 porters received a goodbye ceremony from us and a greedy tip from the whole group. No not again reaggeton! Let's skip this party and go to sleep.

Sunday the 5ht of December; ORIGINAL INCA TRAIL DAY 4; 'I TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO BE SUNNY WHEN WE REACH MACHU PICCHU' DANK U SINTERKLAASJE ;-)

The whole night it rained, everything was soaked in my bag. Wake up at 03:30, sitting in a dirty restaurant full of strange bugs that crawl over your pancake. Good morning everyone.

Team Sweden and I went for a running marathon up to Machu Picchu to be there as the 1st. Damn we were fast, overtaking all the other ones. The guide told us that we had to go down and just sign in with the first 400 to climb Huaynapicchu. When we got there 1.5 hours before the other ones we were told we couldn't sign in without a ticket and stamp...FUCKIN GUIDE! Again he was lying to us grrrrrr. So waiting for the other ones. We already walked up and down Machu Picchu 4 times when we were finally allowed to sign in. No. 266 instead of no. 7, who cares. Just having a Cheeseburger to make my stomach happy; the most expensive burger I ever had; 28 Soles (7,5 Euro's). Followed by a long guided tour. Happy that we were early and that it's low season. This means no tourists in the beginning. And guess what? Stay positive and you will get what you want; sunshine. Only stories from people that saw MP in the clouds, we had the best scenery possible. Just walking in the sunshine in empty MP, the only other ones there? The Llama's. It's a shame I forgot my 'Kruidnootjes' in the hostel, it's Sinterklaas today.

Time to climb the high mountain next to Machu Picchu; Huaynapicchu. Just now I start to feel the pain in my legs. Huaynapicchu is the steepest climb of the whole trekking. It was rough though, but more than worth it. Not for pussies. Some parts are awesome, you can choose to crawl/push yourself through small holes to reach the top. The top was crowded, now I understand why only 400 people a day are allowed to be here. And it was also crowded with king-size flying ants. So after all those picture stunts it was time for an adventure down. How can they ever make the steps so difficult? Sideways is the best way to climb down.

What do you do when you have to catch a train at 19:24? Just go to the town where the train stops and spend the whole day in the restaurant, eating Alpaca and drinking. 'What? There is no power? Get the Pisco Sour!'. The town is way too touristy. The flooding river washed away a lot of the foundations of some houses and hotels...I'm not sure how safe it is to stay here? :-) We got our train, sleeping. The bus trip to Cusco took hours, arriving in the night in your shorts. Finally I got the idea of going to Europe, it was freezing cold BRRRR! We are not going out in these ridiculous looking outfits guys! But still, the propers on the street invited us for free drinks. We smelled so bad that the street dogs stopped eating garbage and followed us!

Monday the 6th of December; A LONG DAY OPF TRAVELLING WITH MOVIE MARATHON

Nothing exciting. Just a 16 hour bus trip with many many movies. The most fascinating was the horror movie 'Piranna'. Everybody was just laughing about all the stupid cheap things that happened. Of course I got food poison after eating the bus food. And I found out that after 14 month I finally was robbed. My best camera was stolen from the locker room in the last hostel. I can still laugh about it, they can't use it, it was broken...HAHAAHAAA

Tuesday the 7th of December; WICKED FUCKING FAST SANDBOARDING, MASTER OF THE BOARD TODAY!

Arriving early in the morning in the desert. High mountains of sand everywhere. Somewhere in the middle there is this small oasis; palm trees and a small lake of water. This is Huacachina CHILL! It's hot, it's wonderful. Jump in the lake for a refreshing dip. Well the water is not that clean, but it's nice. Did someone put something in my drink? A see huge pieces of grass moving! No...they are just floating... Maybe the 'Kruidnootjes van Bolletje' made me high. Just relax here and do nothing most of the time. And at the end of the afternoon it's time for my last extreme activity in Peru; sand buggy and boarding. Oooooh yeah! Damn, the buggying is already an experience. Feeling like a rollercoaster, making loops, crazy turns, speeding into steep cliff from massive sand dunes....let the engine roar!

And in between this craziness? 5 locations for the most wicked sand boarding you've seen! Dunes are getting extremely high. And no 'safe' sand board. No they use a narrow sort of snowboard. Going on your belly is the thing. But keep your hands and arms on the board. If you don't? You will burn all the mosquito bites of your arms :-) Just to mention, don't use your leg/feet to break, it's much more fun without losing speed. The speed, the heights, the steepness...it's mental! Stef thought she was the best and made a bet, she just was lucky with a good board in the beginning. I beat her and almost everyone else with big differences. Ending way out of sight of the others. So STef owed me some Pisco Sours, thanks from the Champion LOL. Amazing sunset over the desert though. This day was absolutely the best value for money in my 14 month trip, just 40 Soles (10 Euro's).

Wednesday the 8th of December; LUCKY LUCKY, I MADE IT

My last Peruvian breakfast, my last South American breakfast. The guys from Desert Nights looks surprised. No one ever order hot chocolate brownies with ice-cream for breakfast? It's my last day dude, let me enjoy that huge delicious plate! So an exception, normally it's only a dessert. Should we take an early bus? Nobody trusts the 4 hour time scedule to Lima. Arriving at the bus terminal in Ica, the bus leaves in 5 minutes...lucky. And yes, the bus didn't make it in the expected 4 hours, it were 6. Another movie marathon and an annoying snoring local behind us. Someone got angry and hit him hahahaaa. Chaos in Lima, traffic was crazy, water pipes broken en flooded some crossings. Am I going to make it to the airport? STef helped me out with the pushing taxi drivers. I got one dodgy taxi and this guy couldn't speak English at all. So remember the number plate and hope he's taking me to the airport. It seems that Stef told him that I was in a hurry...he was 'flying' through the streets! Empty streets and alleys...he knew how to find them. Jumping over the speed bumps, speeding, crossing red lights and trying to avoid cars. I had the feeling he was driving on 2 wheels sometimes while taking the curves. But he took me to the airport on time....thanks amigo for the wicked race through Lima :-)

Thinking about spending your last Soles on Pisco Sours and good food? No, the airport charges you 90 Soles on airport tax...

A couple of years ago I said; 'Never with KLM again!'. But I must say, I was surprised by nowadays quality of KLM. Well done! And thanks to that steward I was not hungry. Damn, asking for extra food and he brings me several meal packages. No sparkling wines or rum? Well give me some champagne then. So yeah, if you keep your mouth shut and let people around you sleep....you will get the champagne out of Business Class :-) No more movies for me, let me enjoy my sleep.

Thursday the 9th of December; A 'WARM' WELCOME HOME? MY ASS!!!

14:44 Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport... Never forget that time and location anymore. A few steps out of the plane and in the tube to the terminal. Passport control as normal? No they were looking for someone...ME! After seeing my name in my passport I was arrested. WTF?! I had to join the douaniers for some interviews. My travelscedule, routes and one-way tickets were suspicious. Making to stop over in Amsterdam in 2 months were even more suspicious. So yeah, I was a highly suspected drug smuggler HILARIOUS! Try out those sniffer dogs, I haven't had a shower for days! Good luck :-) No, I could only laugh, making jokes with these guys and making them jealous with my travel stories. Showing them some prove on my notebook (although it was not working anymore). But then they start asking me questions about what I'm doing in Germany... 'Visiting a friend'. But I couldn't really tell the exact relation with that person...'Yeah, someone I met on this trip'. Do you have a phone number? 'Nope'. How do you stay in contact? 'Uhm, Facebook?'. Where are you going to be the next days? 'I don't know'. When do you go back to Holland and start working? 'I don't know'. Fuck hell, this story is not the best one :-) So yeah, bags had to be turned inside out. I really had to go to the toilet, but asking that right now is not the best time, maybe they want to see what's coming out of my ass whwhahahahaha! No I got away, just in time to catch my flight to Germany.

Funny times with a German (Astrid) in the plane. Loads of chocolate cookies and wine. Ready for the snow in Munchen. Damn, not having a jacket in your backpack makes it fucking cold! But at least my welcome here was HOT!