I'm so dizzy, my heading is spinning. Like a whirlpool.....

Please forgive any seeming incoherence in today's entry. We are both feeling the light-headed effects of altitude as we blog from a computer terminal 3827 metres above sea level give or take a stairwell.

Yesterday we took a tour of downtown Lima, the first opportunity we'd had to do so having previously been too scared to hail a taxi from Miraflores into Centro Lima. When we finally did our fears were fully realised. As you can imagine indicating is optional and the lines are just are just rough suggestions. The cab drivers seem to have a mystical power that allows them to conjure up the space for three cars where my driving experience would tell you only two (maybe one and a half), kind of like Jesus with the loaves and fishes. I guess that is one of the advantages of living in a 98% devout catholic country.

Centro Lima itself is very colonial European and is well worth a look. Very large squares with central statues of local conquerors/liberators. We had the whole how many horses legs in the air vs did he die in battle debate, which I think is just an urban legend anyway.

The highlight of the area is Franciscan chapel which houses religious art with a Peruvian twist (with Jesus feasting on Guinea pig in the portrayal of the last supper) as well as the bones of 25,000 Limoleans bodies that have rested in communitas for hundreds of years in the church catacoombs before the existance of cemetaries in the city. The absolute highlight of the visit was the "harry potter-esque" library complete with spiral staircase and dusty books dating from the 1600's.

So we're now in the lovely Puno among the Quechan people in their colourful outfits and very spiffy headwear. Matthew has purchased a local hombre style hat. Of course this purchase was first preceeded with the trying on of the hat for the seniorettas, much to the amusement of the vendor whom was unaware of Matthew's penchant for such apparal. In any case he is now working on a serious mo to complement the outfit. He was very chuffed because our local guide assumed he was Latino and started speaking to him in Espanol! Only after she regaled him with what seemed like her life story did he regretfully own up to not understanding a word she said.

Tomorrow we head out to the islands on Lake Titticaca that are man-made from reeds. We'll have a homestay there and really get amongst the locals. Think of us heading to the out-house in the middle of the night, floating along in the darkness.