PERU AND BOLIVIA (SOUTH AMERICA) FROM SEP 5 TO OCT 4 2004

$$ Currency Exchange Rate: 1 US$ = 3.31 Peruvian soles OR 7.98 Bolivianos $$

5/9 (Sun)
Leave SIN by Cathay Pacific CX 0716 at 5.55pm, arrive HK at 9.40pm. Connect to CX 0880 from HK at 11.25pm, arrive LA at 9.40pm. Total flight time about 17 hrs.

6 – 7 /9 (Mon & Tue)
Leave LA by Copa Airlines CM 0303 at 12.55am. Arrive Panama City at 9.30am. Transit - 72 min. Arrive Lima, capital of Peru at 2.07pm. Total flight time about 10 hrs.

PERU

Lima is named City of Kings, the main gateway into Peru. Visit Plaza Mayor and Plaza San Martin with French architecture. The Government Palace is beautiful and majestic.
Check-in Hostal Espana (12 soles) Airport Transfer (US$8)
** Embassy of Bolivia in Lima, Add: Calle Los Castaños 235 San Ishidoro, Lima 27-Peru, Tel: 442-3836, 440-2095, 221-8764, Fax No: 440-2298 (30 day visa, US$30), Consul: Mr Eddy Swcharz

8/9 (Wed)
Leave for Pisco at 8.00am (10 soles, 4 hrs). Reach Pisco at 2pm. Pisco is a fishing port and a base to see wildlife of Islas Ballestas. Check-in Hostal Belen (20 soles)

9/9 (Thu)
Half day trip to Islas Ballestas to see colonies of sea lions, penguins and pelicans (25 soles). Leave for Nazca at 1.30pm (17 soles, 4 hrs). Reach Nazca at 5.30pm. Nazca’s prime attraction is the famous lineal drawings that cover a large desert. Some drawings represent animals such as a 90m high monkey with a curled tail and a condor with a 130m wingspan. Most of these drawings are visible only from the air. Check-in Friend’s House (15 soles)

10/9 (Fri)
Take public bus (2 soles, 15 mins) to view the enormous lineal drawings of a hand and a tree. Leave for Arequipa at 9.30pm (45 soles, 8½ hrs).

11/9 (Sat)
Reach Arequipa at 7.00am. Arequipa - elevation 2,350m is Peru second largest city , also known as White City. Much of the city centre is constructed from the white volcanic stone and is surrounded by the stunning mountains of Chachani, Misti and Pichu Pichu. Arequipa was listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage in Dec 2000. Check-in Home Sweet Home (13 soles)

12/9 (Sun)
Two-day trip to Colca Canyon (US$20, Entrance US$6). It is the deepest canyon in the world, has impressive terraced valley. Along the way, see the animals like alpacas, llamas and vicunas. Vicuna is the national animal, looks like a Peruvian camelid. At dinner time, watch the traditional music and dance show. Many diners participate in the dance.

13/9 (Mon)
Early in the morning, go to Cruz del Condor - an observation point for watching condors that fly majestically. Return to Arequipa by 5.00pm. Check-in Home Sweet Home (13 soles)

14/9 (Tue)
Leave for Puno - elevation 3,800m at 8.30am (20 soles, 6 hrs). Reach Puno at 3.30pm. Streets in Puno are narrow, traffic is busy. There is a lively pedestrian mall and also has the world highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is located at 3,827m above sea level which straddled the Peru-Bolivia border. This peaceful and cool lake has a brilliant splash of clear and blue water as well as the totora reeds and fishes like trout. Check-in the very beautiful El Manzano (13 soles)

15/9 (Wed)
Apply for Bolivia visa at Bolivian Consulate in Puno, Add: Jiron Arequipa No. 136, 2nd flr, fax 0051-51-351251, Cónsul: Mr Juan Balderrama (30 days visa, US$30), Opening hrs: 8.30am to 2pm

16/9 (Thu)
Half day trip to Floating Islands of the Uros (15 soles). The Uros were descendents from one of the oldest culture in America. Their lives are totally interwoven with totora reeds which grow abundantly in Lake Titicaca. The reeds are used to make the floating islands, canoe-shaped boats and souvenirs.


BOLIVIA

17/9 (Fri)
Leave for La Paz - elevation 3,600m, capital of Bolivia at 7.30am (25 soles, 7 hrs). Very scenic bus ride. Reach Copacabana at 9.30am. Bolivia is 1 hr ahead of Peru. Reach La Paz at 5.30pm. La Paz is a city with many steep roads. It has many lively and colourful markets. It is a great city to explore on foot. However, have to walk slowly, eat little to avoid altitude sickness.
Check-in Hostal Cactus del Milenio (25b)

18/9 (Sat)
Visit Coca Museum (7b). This terrific museum explores this sacred coca leaf, its consumption by the Incas and the miners, its use by the soft drink and pharmaceutical industries and the growth of cocaine as a drug. The Witches’ Market sells herbs and some ‘animal skeletons’ intended to cure sickness.

19/9 (Sun)
Leave for Sucre - elevation 2,790m at 6.30pm (80b, 12 hrs).

20/9 (Mon)
Reach Sucre at 7.30am. Sucre nicknamed ‘The Athens of America’, a UNESCO site with beautiful colonial architecture. Comfortable weather. Visit Iglesia de la Merced, a church with Baroque style character (Entrance 6b). The other 2 churches, Convento de San Felipe Neri and Iglesia de San Francisco have a big bell each at the top. Plaza 25 de Mayo is a clean park with many fountains and is decorated with beautiful plants and flowers. Check-in HI Sucre (25b)

21/9 (Tue)
Leave for Potosi - elevation 4,090m at 7.00am (15b, 3 hrs). It is the world highest city. Visit Casa Real De La Moneda, the Royal Mint (Entrance 20b). The museum has a couple of hand-powered minting devices that were in use till 1869 when the minting machines were imported from Philadelphia. The building in this museum was built between 1753 and 1773 to control the minting of colonial coins. Check-in Hostal Carlos V (30b)

22/9 (Wed)
Half day trip to co-operative mine at Cerro Rico - elevation 4,650m (50b, 4 hrs). Another UNESCO site in recognition of its rich and tragic history. In 1545 to 1825, as many as 8 millions Africans and Indians died from the harsh mining conditions. Walking more than 2 km in the mines, going down 4 levels of 50m in depth and connecting to different mines was an unforgettable experience to know the hell-like working conditions of miners. Currently, these miners honor a statue called Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) for good production and protection in the mines.

23/9 (Thu)
Leave for Uyuni - elevation 3,600m at 10am (30b, 6 hrs). Reach Uyuni at 5pm. Another scenic bus ride though bumpy as there are some awesome rock formation. Check-in HI Salar de Uyuni (30b)

24/9 (Fri)
Day trip to Salar de Uyuni (US$15). Salar de Uyuni is one of the largest and highest salt lakes in the world. It covers an area of over 12,000 sq km and is at an altitude of 3653m. It is cold, windswept and very remote. It is the remains of an ancient lake that dried up long ago. Salar de Uyuni is like a big skating ring beaming brightly. There is a Hotel Playa Blanca or White Beach Hotel made almost entirely from salt. Another place called the Fish Island or Isla de Pescadores bears amazing stands of giant cactus. Leave for La Paz at 8pm (50b, 10 hrs).

25/9 (Sat)
Reach La Paz at 7.30am. Check-in Hostal Cactus del Milenio (25b)

RETURN TO PERU

26/9
Leave for Cusco - elevation 3,300m at 8.10am (110b, 12 hrs). Reach Cusco at 9.00pm. Check-in Hostal Resbalosa (15 soles)

27/9 (Mon)
Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire. Most of the streets are lined with Inca-built stone wall. This ‘archaelogical capital of America’ with its proximity to Machu Picchu is one of my favourite destinations. Buy Perurail train ticket to Aguas Calientes (US$59.50 return trip) to get to Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley tour (20 soles) and air ticket to Lima (US$73.78).

28/9 (Tue)
Leave by train to Aguas Calientes at 6.35am (US$59.50 return trip, 4 hrs). Very scenic train ride seeing many giant mountains and a fast flowing river. Aguas Calientes is the closest village to Machu Picchu. This touristy town has expensive restaurants but budget hostels. Check-in Hostal El Mirador (20 soles)

29/9 (Wed)
Take 7.30am bus to Machu Picchu (US$9 return trip). Machu Picchu is the lost city of the Incas (Entrance US$20 per day). The stunning ruins of the ancient citadel is perched on a mountain peak high in the Andes. It is perhaps the greatest surviving testament to Inca civilization. Leave Machu Picchu at 3.55pm. Reach Cusco at 8.20pm. Check-in Hostal Resbalosa (15 soles)

30/9 (Thu)
Day trip to the Sacred Valley of the Incas (20 soles, Entrance US$6 for day ticket). Visit the Pisac ruins which has very beautiful agricultural terraces. At the top of terraces is the religious centre, a fountain for water collection and a big flat stone which is the compass to indicate the direction. The picturesque Indian Pisac Market sells very expensive souvenirs and each music cd costs 25 soles. Visit the temple and fortress of Ollantaytambo. The big stones used for this building was quarried from the mountain-side which is 6 km away. Urubamba has a magnificient view of the valley.

1/10 (Fri)
Free day at Cusco

2/10 (Sat)
Leave by Aero Continente 1142 flight at 7.25am to Lima (US$73.78, airport tax 15 soles, 1¼ hrs). And then leave by CM 0302 at 3.02pm (airport tax from Lima US$28.24). Arrive Panama City at 6.30pm. Transit - 45 min. Arrive LA at 11.45pm. Total flight time about 10 hrs.

3/10 (Sun)
Leave LA by CX 0881 at 1.55am, arrive HK at 7.40am. Connect to CX 0717 from HK at 8.55am. Arrive SIN at 12.25pm on 4 Oct (Mon). Total flight time about 18 hrs.

4/10 (Mon)
Reach Singapore at 12.25pm. Home Sweet Home ….

* CX and CM air tickets cost S$2,620.