Ang and Pete

The eight days we spent in the Galapagos were a complete dream come true. Half of the time we were based on a boat. The San Jose definitely did not match the usual standards of accommodation for our trip. Our cabin was bigger than most of the rooms we have stayed in, had TWO outside windows AND a bathroom!! We had got a great deal on this last-minute first class boat - a lovely treat near the end of our trip. The remaining time we staying in a more modest B and B in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz island - it was good to be on solid ground again by this stage! As soon as we stepped off the plane there were animals to greet us - two land iguanas and a couple of benches of ... read more

Pete's Mum, Jo, and boyfriend, Brian, joined Pete & Angela on their two week trip to Peru. It was their first taste of this type of holiday. Of course being gatecrashers to the adventure they were told they had to write the blog... Foggy Lima with Heads in the Clouds Pete & Ang were on the steps of the hotel to greet us and a couple of days were spent in Lima acclimatizing to South America and pisco sours. It took little persuasion to tempt Jo to try the paragliding once the little problem of losing her sandals was solved with help from Brian. There were concerns from the others as Jo’s parachute was seen disappearing into the mist above Lima’s skyline. Lima itself was overcast and hazy so it was a relief on flying ... read more

Small Town Argentina - Humahuaca It was quite easy making the crossing into Argentina from Bolivia. For westerners that is. For locals there is a big queue whilst bag checks are done. Little did we know at this stage that this was just the beginning of the checking process. After being hauled off two buses along with everyone else, and our bags checked, we realised there must be quite a problem with smuggled goods. Not sure what exactly they were looking for - drugs, counterfeit goods? Our first stop in Argentina was a little town called Humahuaca. A little more difficult to pronounce than spell (Mawaca?!??) but we eventually managed to get the idea across to the bus driver. This place is very touristy for a good reason - nice quaint streets, pretty central plaza and ... read more

Valle de Elqui P.I.S.C.O....P.I.S.C.O P...Pretty tasty I...Intoxicating S...Sour grapes C...Chile's finest O...Ooooooooo P.I.S.C.O....P.I.S.C.O etc We caught a bus to the Elqui Valley to see the lovely scenery, the home of the famous Chilean Pisco which, for some reason, makes us break into a 70s song with adapted words. It sounded good after a Pisco Sour or two. We stayed in a pretty village called Vicuña which is surrounded by vineyards. Opting for the cheapest guesthouse we found ourselves a very cold room (what is central heating?) around a colourful courtyard. It is doubtful that we will be invited back though - Pete pulled the sink off the wall... Vicuña and its surroundings are overlooked by mountains and it is here that we spotted our first snow-topped Ande. Deciding it was about time we stretched our ... read more

First taste of South America Arriving at the little airport at Easter Island we were soon donning floral garlands and shepherded into a minivan with 2 French girls and another Brit with his surf board. We felt instantly welcomed into the Ana Rapu guesthouse and then a little deserted by the host who we then did not see for a few days. We had 5 days to see the sights of Easter Island, plenty of time for a bit of relaxation as well. Hanga Roa There is only one town on Easter Island, Hanga Roa, where the 4,000 inhabitants and their many dogs and horses live (along with millions of nocturnal cockroaches - are they always nocturnal?). Its quite a small town with a few tourist shops and cafes and only some of the roads ... read more