» Rochelle's Blog

Hola,

I've been back in Australia now for several weeks and trying to 'get my head' back into our culture again. After being in Peru for a month, life back here in Melbourne seems bland and too easy. I love the challenge that only travel can provide and the exploring you have to do. I love the fact that I've been immersed in a culture that I don't know about and I have to learn quickly!

I've left my heart in Peru and it's difficult to be here at the moment. My home doesn't feel like home any more; I'm restless. There is a different state you enter after you've been travelling, it's like you have expanded your world - certainly how you view the world - and then you're back in your little routine again and nothing has changed. You also realise there are so many places in the huge, exotic, fascinating world that you can live!

My third book has dragged my head back into Melbourne life again. I've returned to find my front cover design, the marked-up proofs and the legal report about Partners and Crime (Allen and Unwin). My new book will be published 1 March, 2012. Now, that IS exciting!

Watch this space for any further developments on Partners and Crime.

This story has held the attention of all Peruvians during the last seven months.... It has the mainstream and social media outlets working overtime to keep up with the speculation, rumours and the unfolding of more information about this case.

26 year old university students Ciro Castillo and 24 year old Rosario Ponce went trekking in the Colca Canyon outside of Arequipa, Peru in April this year. No one knows what happened, but the young couple went missing. Ten days later, Rosario was found dehydrated and exhausted. She gave the police conflicting information about where her boyfriend might be found.

Months passed and the case remained in the public´s attention, mainly because Ciro´s father never gave up the search for his son. In media interviews, he claimed that his son wasn`t missing, but had been murdered.

Six months later after Ciro was reported missing, his body was found. It took 60 rescuers 30 hours to retrieve his body.Ciro was found without shoes or a jacket, but he was still wearing a hat. Apparently his right arm was fractured.

There´s enormous speculation, rumours and the media are all pointing at Ciro´s girlfriend, Rosario is somehow involved in her boyfriend´s death. Currently, Rosario is helping the police with their enquiries and has been talking publicly about writing a book.

The police will conduct a reconstruction of the crime scene in the mountains next week. But more will be revealed about Ciro´s cause of death when the autopsy results are published on November 14.

The interest and unanswered questions swirling about this case will continue as more details about Ciro´s death become known.

I`ve visited the lost city of the Incas, Macchu Picchu for the second time in six months - and it never ceases to amaze me. We said goodbye to one of our guides Valentin, in Aguas Calientes, so Angelo gave us our guided tour around this impressive place.

Machu Picchu is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.

The Incas started building the "estate" around AD 1400, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of what the structures originally looked like. By 1976, thirty percent of Machu Picchu had been restored. The restoration work continues to this day.

While all the others climbed Huayna Picchu, I´d already done this last time and grabbed the opportunity to explore the Temple of the Condor, the Sun Gate and the steep terraces and cobblestone paths that wind their way around Machu Picchu. At about 1.30pm, I caught up with some of my fellow trekkers and was waited for the bus taking us back to Aguas Calientes and our hostel for a late lunch. We finally took the train back to Ollantaytambo with a bus connection arriving in Cusco city at 9.30pm.

In Cusco, the last two days have celebrated the Day of the Deceased, or El Dia de los Difuntos. It´s a religious day where Peruvians commemorate their dead familiy members and friends. They visit the cemetery and pay respect by leaving flowers, large ornamental crosses, food and drinks and tantawawas (bread babies). I wandered up to one of the nearby squares in San Franciso Celle, and watched a band with black suited musicians. They resembled the cast of the Blues Brothers and sounded fantastic! Some people danced in the square.

Suddenly, the chief of Cusco arrived accompanied by a priest and a live band. They blessed the large tantawawas or bread baby, which has a body made of sweet bread and carmel and a paper mache doll head. They blessed the huge bread doll and then started cutting it up for the crowd to eat. As the Cusco chief walked through the crowd, he shook my hand and gave me a golden placa echenic, or badge. He`s a typical public figure - great on the PR! This is a special time in Peru, when you remember you dead loved ones and what made them special.

Buenos dias!

Sixteen intrepid souls with Ángel and Valentin leading us as our guides, started out at 6am from Cusco. Fourteen Americanos, 1 Kiwi and 1 Aussie began our five day trek which took us along Mount Salkantay, the second largest mountain in the Cusco region. It's my second SAS trek - a company that I can highly recommend. They are professional, experts, always well-organised and the food is amazing! A mixture of traditional dishes, Milo! and energy food that will sustain you. In fact, I'd requested Valentin again to be on this trek as I'd trekked with him duing the Lares trek.  

The first night we camped within clear sight of the snow-capped peak of Salkantay mountain, it was muy cold about - 5 degrees! On the way up to our first camp-site, it hailed but we kept trudging up along our steep path in our rain ponchos and jackets. We slept at an altitude of 4,200 metres.

The second day was tougher, we reached the highest point of our trek in a remarkable 40 minutes, Apacheta Pass is at 4,600 metres. We could also see the snow-capped mountains Humantay anbd Huayanay, white river, small lakes and moraines. Then we started walking down hills, strewn with huge boulders. We kept descending; it was very hard work. I'd far rather climb hills than go down hills, you must use your trekking poles to lessen the stress on your body and knees. The countryside began changing to lush jungle, we saw lizards, coca and banana crops. Our second camp site was much warmer and lower altitude, Collpapampa at 2,800 metres. We are surrounded by chickens, pigs, horses and dogs.

Day 3 and we are feeling it today, the result of hard, strenuous exercise and long days. It's a much easier day, we walk 3 hours into a high jungle zone called Ceja de Selva. We saw beautiful rich foliage, trees covered with vines, flowers, birds, banana crops and different fruits. Even coffee beans, which are yellow and red in colour before they are roasted brown. We reach our campsite La Playa very early, so early in fact that a soccer game is held between the Americanas Vs the Peruvians, including the chef!

Our second last day and we begin early to the village of Lucmambamba and see the remains of an Inca trail. We foolow this trail for three and a half hours and see an incredible view of the Santa Teresa Valley. We reach the top, Llaqtapata 2,700 metres and see a very different perspective of the mountain of Machu Picchu. We trek down to a hydroelectric plant where we have the last supper with our staff. We take the train to Aguas Calientes at 2,000 metres and finally reach Hostel Viajeros. Ahhhh, a hot shower and a BED! Tomorrow is our last day and we visit Machu Picchu, the home of the Inca ruling classes.