Peru Day 8- Cusco to Puno

The taxi that was meant to arrive at 6:30am to catch the 7:00am bus to Puno didn't arrive until 6:40am, which made it a rush to the bus stop. But we made it in time!
Our first stop was Andehualillas, which was yet another stunning church with an over whelming amount of gold.

Then we stopped for lunch at a buffet place, which had a wide range of food.
There was another stop at a small hill side market but I wasn't feeling well enough to get off at this point.

We finally made it to Puno after a 10 hour bus drive, we went straight to our hotel which was outside of the town and so had a beautiful view of the town bellow.

After the long journey, we where in no fit state to go out into the city again and so ate at the restaurant that was part of the hotel.

Peru Day 7- Cusco

After many early mornings and days of travelling, we decided to have a really lazy start to the day. I still wasn't feeling to well, so this really suited me.

In the morning we just slowly ambled through the shops before taking a look at the cathedral. I must admit I've never seen so much Gold in a church before.
For lunch we, on my request, where really boring by going to McDonald's. I just really wanted something that my body knows and wouldn't make me feel any worse.

We then went onto the Inka museum, which was brilliant at help us understand the pre- Incan history of peru. There where also some really interesting Incan artefacts.
Inside the museum there is also a great tapestry shop that sells beautiful pieces for a good price.
After the museum we went to the arch-Bishops palace, which is also the museum of religous artifacts and sits on an old incan building. The inside is so ornate and beautiful, the tiles and the carvings where the most beautiful aspect for me.

We then made our way to the church of san blas.
The rest of the group then went to the planetarium, whilst I stayed in bed at the Hotel, in the hope that it would help me to recover faster.

Peru Day 6- Ollantaytambo to cusco

The taxi arrived at 9:00am and took us to Moray. However at this point I really wasn't well enough to even think about getting out of the taxi, but I did take a good look at everyone else's photos.
Then we drove to Maras, where I was well enough to enjoy the salt mines, which really do look amazing from above.
After that we went onto Chinchero for lunch at Meriendo which was just a super relaxed place with great food. We also watched an interesting weaving demonstration. Before finishing the day at our Hotel in Cusco.
Because of how ill I had been, I wasn't able to take any photos and the person who did take photos that day, sadly never emailed them across to me. Hence the reason why there have been no posts for so long. I had hoped to have the photos by now but decided to post this without them. If I do finally get the photos, I will update this post. 

Peru Day 5- Machupichu

All I can say is how amazing Machupichu is. In the morning we had to get up at 4:00am to be in the bus line by 4:30am. However even then we weren't on the first batch of buses. We didn't miss them by much, so if we'd have been in line for 4:15am we'd have been at the site 40 minutes earlier.

Of course by the time we got to Machupichu dawn had broken. Due to being high up it took longer for the sun to rise, so we were able to see the sun rise over Machupichu.

Then we spent the rest of the morning exploring Machupichu. At first we where with our guide Carlos, but then we were able to explore by ourselves.

We also hiked to the Inca bridge. I have a fear of heights and although this was hard, it was do able.
Once we where getting hungry, we decided to head back down to the town and leave Machupichu behind.

We found a place in town that seemed to be called 'fast food', which sounds great to hungry travellers. So we each got the s/15 a head burger meal.

Then we just ambled around the town until two o'clock when we made our way to the train station for our 14:30 Inca rail train to Ollantaytambo.
Once in Ollantaytambo we had dinner at the Hotel because I was suffering from a head ache.

Day 4 Peru- km 104 to Machupichu

We started the day at 5:45 and caught the 7:20 train from Ollantaytambo station to km 104. From there we 'basically' hiked to Machupihu.

The company we used for this trek was the Lama Path. Our guide was amazing, he was so helpful and willing to go at our pace. He was also very good at sorting out the small problem of a forgotten Isic card. If you do go with the Lama Path, ask for Carlos as a guide, he was so friendly and informative.

Of course the Inca trail was beautiful. The views made the sometimes tough hike well worth it. Finally the deal we had with Lama Path included dinner.

Peru Day 3- Ollantaytambo

This day was a bit more relaxed. We chose to really explore Ollantaytambo before starting the Inca trail. We got up at a reasonable time of about 8:30 before making it out at around 9:30.

In the morning we explored the Ollantaytambo runes, so that we could avoid the crowds that arrive in the afternoon. The runes where great! At the entrance you can find both English and Spanish speaking guides. It's important to remember that like most things you have to haggle when it comes to the price.

However we found that our guide wasn't the best, as some of the facts she gave us were wrong. That being said we wouldn't have spent nearly as much time at the runes had we not had a guide.
Afterwards we had lunch at the main square. Although good, it didn't come close to the amazing food at the blue magic restaurant.

Having had lunch, we ambled back to the hotel, were a few members of our group, still struggling with altitude, chose to stay in the hammocks, while the rest of us climbed up to Pinkylluna. These runes are completely free and well worth the hike.

Later we attended a chocolate making course at the Choco Museo. This was a really interesting experience. We got to roast and shell coco beans, taste various hot chocolates and make our own chocolates. It made for a great evenings entertainment.
Of course for dinner we went back to the blue magic restaurant!

Peru Day 2- Cusco to Ollantaytambo

We landed early in the morning in Cusco and promptly found our pre-booked taxi. The taxi driver was brilliant at stopping at beautiful view points along the way.

We had already arranged to stop off at Pisac, so that we could see the market and the ruins.
Sadly some of us were struggling with altitude , so we deiced to take it easy and only went to see the market. The market was amazing!

Our driver gave us an hour and a half, my only wish would have been to have an extra 1/2 hour, so that we could really explore the market.
We had lunch at Ulrika's cafe. Although service was slow, the food was brilliant. and the place had a really layed back atmosphere.

We finished off our day in Ollantaytambo and ate dinner at a wonderful restaurant, Blue Magic. The prices were reasonable and the food tasted super good.

Peru Day 1- Lima

For our first full day in Lima, We wanted to take things slowly so that we could recover from the journey. We only planned two events.

The first was to go on a cycling tour of Mirafloras and Barranco. The company we went with was 'bike tours of Lima'. I was extremely impressed with this tour. It was safe, informative and a fun way to see and explore a small part of Lima. I was worried that the tour may be a bit strenuous, however it was far from it.

The route we took, used mostly well established bicycle lanes and the tour guide went at a leisurely pace.

Sadly by the end of the tour one member of our group was really struggling with jet lag, so we decided to go back to the hotel for a while, with the hope that this would give them time to recover.
As I said before, we had planned two activities for the day. The other activity was to go to the Circuito Magico. However this wasn't possible due to us not wanting to leave the member of our group who was struggling with jet lag. Therefore we all had an early night, which wasn't a bad thing as we had an early start the next day.

London on a budget (Day 3 and 4)

On day three, we decided that we should just chill out a bit and have a day of window shopping. So we spent the day ambling down Oxford street. It was fun to play the game of, if I had this budget what would I get.

Then in the evening we had our (fancy) meal out for our final full day in London. For this meal we went to pizza hut on Leicester square.

Finally we finished up the day by going to Shakespeare's globe to where we had standing tickets (£5). It did hurt to stand up so long but was well worth it. The actors where amazing and we got to see an iconic tourist attraction for a super cheap price.

For our final day in London we went to Camden market, where we got some good (and not so good) deals.

London on a budget (Day 2)

Today, was all about doing some more stereo typical Tourist attractions. We started off the day by going to the horse guard parade to watch the changing of the guards. We got there 20 minutes early and where able to bag ourselves a good spot. If we'de been any later then we would have been a good couple of rows away from the front. The changing of the guards was very spectacular due to all of the soldiers being on horse back.

After that we went on a lovely walk through James park, so that we could have a picnic in Hyde park. However when we got to Buckingham palace, we where just in time to see the changing of the guards there. We where able to get a front row view by standing to the right of Buckingham palace and looking from the edge. Considering that we had already seen the changing of the guards at the horse guard parade, we where extremely happy with where we were standing.

After seeing the changing of the guards we carried on to Hyde park where we had a really nice laid back picnic.
Once we'd finished our picnic, we took the tube to the British museum. We where just in time for the 14:30 free tour about Ancient Egypt. The British Museum have lots of free tours going on through out the day, so it's well worth having a look when and where they are.

We were planning on going to the Curzon cinema in the evening to watch a subtitled film but decided that we were all too tied. So we just went back to Camden and had an early night.  

London on a budget (Day 1)

Hey! Recently I went to London with 3 of my Friends. All of us are students, which meant that we had to be careful with our money. So aside from a few things we desperately wanted to see, everything we did was either free or extremely cheap.

We arrived by train at mid day. Firstly we went to where we were staying to unpack and to buy all the food we would need for our stay. We based ourselves around Camden, so that we could easily get around London.

Once we had settled in and eaten, we set off for the south bank. My friends really wanted to go to the London dungeons (£28 per person), where as I fancied going to the Tate Modern (free). My Friends got a cheaper rate for the London Dungeons by using the Kelloggs 2 for one vouchers. It actually worked really well. My Friends finished their tour at at around 6:00 pm, which is when the Tate closes, so we just met up again by the London eye.

We were quite tired by 6:30 so we decided to eat out at an all you can eat Thai buffet (£7.50), which was just down the road from Camden tube station.
As a first day, it was fairly expensive for my friends but not that expensive for me. However the London Dungeons was something they really wanted to do and they had a really good time.

The Joys of Productivity

It's almost Easter! In fact it's good Friday tomorrow, which means that there are lots of events going on at my local church.During the week before Easter the church that I go to team up with other local churches to create a series of out reach events. One of these events was a craft evening that I went to with my Mum.
 Although I may have seemed a bit anti-social with my sewing machine in the far corner, I still found the fellowship amazing. Being surrounded by not only people who share the same hobby but also the same passion for Christ is truly wonderful.
During this time I was also able to finish two sewing projects that had been on my 'needs to be finished' pile for a year or two (or maybe even 3). Yes, you heard that right, I finished a top about 3 years after I first started it!
But at the end of the evening I was so joyful, that not only had I been productive, when it came to my 'needs to be finished' pile but I'd also been productive in finding out more about Jesus (thanks to the amazing speaker).
So this got me wondering, what are your traditions at Easter? Do you follow lent and if so how's that going for you?

And as always,

I hope this has inspired you!

10 Random Questions

Hey Guys, I realise that you probably don't now that much about me, so I thought I'd share some random facts that you may not know.
1. Do you like your hand writing?
Not really, I think it's a little too functional and not elegant enough.
2. What is your favourite lunch meal?
Probably something quick and easy like pasta or sandwiches, as I'm usually in a bit of a rush.
3. Would you bungee jump?
No way! I'm absolutely terrified of heights.
4. What is your favourite ice cream?
Definitely anything with chocolate in it.
5. Red or pink?
Red
6. Favourite sports to watch?
Gymnastics, the gymnasts are always so graceful and elegant.
7. Any Tattoos?
No, sorry not my cup of tea.
8. Where were you 3 hours ago?
In my room.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
Yes, I went to watch Star Wars again!
10. When was the last time you went for a run?
A couple of days ago, I struggle to stay on top of exercise in the winter. I mean who wants to go for a run outside when the temperatures at 1 to -1 degrees? Although now the weather is starting to pick up again.

Let's talk: Where do I get my patterns from?

Hey Guys! I hope you're enjoying this new series as much as I'm enjoying writing it. It's really helped me to evaluate my sewing. Today I'd like to talk about, where I source my patterns from, so with out further to do, let's get to it.

My main source is free on-line patterns. You can find the free patterns I have designed here. I mean who doesn't love getting something for free! Also have a look at the blogs listed on my inspirational blogs page. These blogs quite often have some great on-line patterns.

Another source of mine is sewing magazines. I love how you get so many patterns for such a small price. You rarely find them where I live but whenever I visit my grandparents I pick up a copy. Of course you don't always like all of the patterns but usually there'll be 4 or 5 that I like.

Finally, I sometimes get printed patterns from the larger fabric shop near me. As you know from my previous post, I rarely go there hence the reason why I don't often follow those kinds of patterns.
So how do you source your patterns? Do you have any hints or tips?

I hope this has inspired you!

Let's talk: My sewing inspiration

I constantly talk about getting inspiration but I rarely tell you where I get my inspiration from. Ladies and gentlemen, that is all about to change!

Some of you who've explored my blog al lot may have come across my inspiration page, where I talk about my on-line inspiration. However that's not the only place where I get inspiration from, here are some other ways I decided what I'd like to sew for my self:

These Molly makes mini cards provide me with a great deal of inspiration. I think they come with every magazine (however these may have been a one off).

• Through window shopping. I'll often walk past a shop window and go "that's cute! I should totally make one for my self". Sometimes it my not be a single piece that inspires me but instead a general trend, such as the Kimono I recently made for myself.

• Through catalogues. If there's something in the catalogue that I think I can make it for cheaper than I can buy it, I will totally put the effort in, to make it. Not only is it a fun challenge to try and work out how I could make something similar but it's also really cool knowing that you saved some money. Like when I made this striped skirt.

• Through sewing magazines. I get a lot of ideas when of patterns I could follow when reading a sewing magazine, I mean who doesn't. 

Most stores will have a catalogue in store, or will send you catalogues regularly if you've bought something from their on-line store.

Newsagents will quite often have some sort of craft magazine but I always keep an eye out for a sewing magazine. If you don't have a local newsagent, you could always have a subscription to a sewing magazine. (I personally avoid this because I feel that, I wouldn't get value for money)

Similarly to sewing magazines, sewing books also provide me with a great deal of inspiration.

So where do you get you're inspiration from, let me know in the comments section bellow.

I hope this has inspired you!

About me!

I've now got an about me page! On the page I share where I learnt to sew, why I love sewing and why I blog. Hopefully I'll keep adding to this page and if you guys have any questions you want me to answer, then just leave a comment and I'll answer it as soon as I can.

Let's talk: What I plan on sewing next!

Do you ever find that you have lots of ideas and very little time? Well that's me at the moment. My heads buzzing with ideas but I'm pretty sure I won't get round to completing half of them for at least another year. Scary or what!

Either way I've got a list which I thought I would share with you today and see if you have any suggestions, or if you think that maybe one of these ideas is just a repeat of the others. Also if there's anything you would like to see on this blog, then let me know and I'll see if I can get around to it.

Currently I'm working on the following:

A quilt (yes that's right, me with all my limited time decided to start a quilt about 2 months ago)

A present for my cousins birthday, which I'm seriously close to finishing.

What I would like to make:

A winter coat.

Pyjama bottoms for both me and my sister.

Find something to do with my ever growing pile of scrap fabric.

Some house shoes.

A Christmas present for my cousin.

Christmas presents for my friends.

I think that's everything! It doesn't seem like a lot when I write it down like that, so maybe it is achievable. Who knows! Do you have a list of things you want to make or are you the one project at a  time person?

I hope this has inspired you!

I'm on Pinterest!

I'm finally on Pinterest! I realise that you're all thinking "how long has that taken you?" but I honestly didn't realise how amazing it is, as a place to source inspiration from.

The only problem I have now, is that I get carried away on Pinterest and don't actually do any sewing and that's after having Pinterest for only a day. If you want to look at my pins for more sewing ideas, my username is libbyhomemade but my screen name is Libby Sews (apparently the username Libby Sews is already taken). I have a board dedicated to sewing ideas as well as a couple of other boards. If you have any suggestions of who I should follow, let me know.