Lady Maairy tours South America!

1. Townley Park, Burnley

2. Lima

3. Machu Pichu, Lost City of the Incas in Peru

3. Iguassu Falls, Argentina

4. Copacobana Beach, Rio

Barely time after my trip to New Zealand to wash my socks and pack some clean PJ’s and Dick says i’m off on my travels again – this time on a ‘whistle stop’ tour of South America with his sister Anne Pearson. I have two concerns. One is that I don’t trust Alpacas and the other is ‘Will I be home for Christmas?’ as to be honest I’m starting to miss some proper ‘bleeeeether’.

So after a brief visit to Townley Park, Burnley (1) and flights to Manchester, Heathrow, Madrid, and Lima I was thrown out onto some busy streets (2) to try and find a blade of grass –unsuccessfully – and the driving really does take some bleating.

This was even worse later in the tour on the Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenes Aeries, which claims to be the world’s widest Avenue at 16 lanes. I just closed my eyes, crossed my toes and prayed.

On to Cusco and here I am in Macchu Picchu (3), the ‘Lost City of the Incas’, which is so high up (8,000ft) it sent me dizzy. Lots of people made a fuss of me and wanted to take my photograph. 

This is really a place everyone should visit once in their life, deserving of its position as one of ‘The new Seven Wonders’.

Apparently it was really buzzing about 550 years ago in the days of Emporer Pachacuti who built some fantastic stone walls that not even the famed Northumbrian farmers of the Coquet valley can compete with. The most famous piece is a ‘sacrificial’ stone that, Anne promised me, was reserved for alpacas only, serves them right.

The Spanish conquest apparently were close about 1550 but missed wrecking this wonderful site due to an over-large late lunch and siesta so it remained ignored until 1911, which I think is just after 7pm so it was probably getting dark by then.

The next wonderous site was the Iguassu (4) falls which is on the border between Argentina and Brazil. We saw this 2.7km cascade from both sides – and the air! Although there is a huge single ‘horseshoe’ where the drop is 82 metres, there is supposed to be 275 separate waterfalls and cataracts – this must be the South American version of counting sheep!

I think the falls were very pretty but the spray got in my eyes and my coat got wet – I don’t want to end up getting fleece rot!

The last stop was Rio de Janiero where I was really looking forward to having my photo taken at the statue of Christ the Redeeemer, having been fascinated with biblical stories since my visit to the Holyland.

Unfortunately a cloudburst sent us running for cover just after we came off the cable car – and I had only just dried out!

So time to relax before heading home - who would have thought a ewe like me would be allowed to sunbath naked on Copacabana beach (5)?

Ok it must be getting near Christmas by now and I really must be getting back for the flock family gathering. Hopefully that will be me done with flying – I wonder just how many miles I’ve travelled this year?

Take me home, please!!