About Rochelle Trail

Unless you have booked in advance, are well organised or are travelling off peak, there is a good chance that you won´t be able to walk the famous Inca Trail (Camino Inca). Fortunately there are a number of alternative treks which allow you to arrive at Machu Picchu via Agua Calientes, the town at the base of the famous ruins. I chose to do the Lares trek which takes you through a lot of small villages and is really picturesque.
I got picked up at 6am on Friday morning and we drove for an hour into a small town where I [...]

Miss Marple has nothing on me…
I have now realised after chatting with an Irish couple who both came down with Salmonella as to why I am immune. As they described their symptoms I began to think that sounds awfully similar to that bout of flu I had in Bolivia just before I got to Cusco. No appetite, couldn´t get out of bed, achy legs… And so we put two and two together and realised that I probably did have Salmonella but due to my regime of garlic, charcoal and probiotics over those two days I managed to beat it. Who [...]

It was fiesta time in Cusco this week and its difficult to describe the sheer ensuing craziness and party atmoshere. On Monday there was one parade after another from morning till night with absolutely no consistency between groups. Some groups had quite a religious theme carrying a display of Christ on the cross with an arrow through his arm(?) surrounded by figurines of half naked woman. While another group will be dancing girls in amazingly short dresses and high boots. This could all be followed by groups dressed in outrageous masks with huge noses or completely covered in white balaclavas [...]

I feel really fortunate to be staying with Doctor Gladys and her family as she has made me so welcome. And I really feel like I´m having a true Peruvian experience. The extended family are around a lot so I get to spend a fair bit of time with her kids and the cousins and uncles etc. They are definitely the middle class Peruvians as Doctor Gladys´ brothers and sisters are all professionals – either doctors, engineers, lawyers or dentists and the grandkids all seem to be heading in the same direction.
Gladys asked me the other day who looks after [...]

Wow – feel like I have been cast into a parallel universe where I have a whole new life and even a new name! I have been fully integrated into family life here as La Doctora´s parents live in an adjoining portion of Casa del Sol. Hence I am spending my time with two 80 year olds and their housekeeper. Rochelle is a bit difficult to pronounce so I have been re-christened ¨Rosa¨ or as El Senor calls me ¨Senorita Rosita¨.
They have an interesting feature in the garden (aside from the cow) which is like a pit surrounded by seats [...]

I arrived yesterday in this amazingly beautiful town with a backdrop of gorgeous mountains and cobbled streets. Its just like something you imagine when you think of a typical Peruvian village. It is so sleepy compared to Cuzco and I think I its highly likely that I am the only gringo in town.
I am staying in the Casa de Sol (House of Sun) and it opens onto a beautiful courtyard with guestrooms off it and therapy rooms for reiki, yoga, meditation and ultrasounds. My room has the most beautiful view of the garden and mountains – it is like a [...]

As I am now into my second week in Cuzco, I have moved out of my apartment and into the Family House. I am sharing a room with 2 girls from New York for the week. 20 or so other volunteers have just arrived this week (all from The States) so there are plenty of people around. The family provides all our meals which so far have been great.
I went to meet the Doctor who uses natural therapies today but she is going to be away for the rest of the week so I won´t be able to spend time [...]

I arrived in Cusco on Sunday at the partner organisation head office and was shown to my apartment where I will be based for the next week. Sheer luxury after sharing dorms with up to 8 people. It took me approx 2 minutes to spread my entire pack over every available surface. I sat a Spanish test yesterday and began my lessons this morning. Wow – who would have thought all that avoidance of conjugating verbs would finally catch up with me?