WOW!!! The salt flats in Uyuni would have to be another of the most spectacular sites I have ever seen, up there with Machu Picchu. Once again, WOW!! Unfortunately we didn't have too much time in Uyuni so were only able to do a day trip to the salt flats. However this was still enough time to enjoy the beauty of miles and miles of flat salt. I had seen pictures but until you are actually there you can't fully appreciate what a magical sight it is. We had so much fun playing with different photos and experimenting with objects such [View Full Entry]

---

---

Tom met a girl when we were volunteering in Pisco who knew another gal who was living and working in a town called Cochabamba, about 8hours south east of La Paz. We decided it would be fun to visit her and discover a new town. We arrived around 6am and decided rather than sitting in the bus terminal for a couple of hours we'd ring Meagan and wake her :) Fortunately she didn't mind and said she was waking up anyway. We had a lil trouble finding her house but once we did were blown away. It was in the most [View Full Entry]

---

---

Wow it feels like so long ago that I was battling altitude sickness, eating llama and taking crazy pictures on the salt flats in Uyuni with Tom. But though it was a while ago I still have such fond memories. Where to start... When you catch a bus in Bolivia you have to add at least an hour to any length of time they tell you it will take, at least an hour. We learned this fast. Oh and if you are asthmatic you might want to take a mask along for the ride as the roads are usually unmade and [View Full Entry]

---

---

Tom and I were both were both interested in lending a hand and participating in some voluntary work in Peru, after hearing about the devastating earthquake in August this year. Tom did a google seach and HODR (Hands On Disaster Response) came up. We read up on it and decided we should find out more. We sent off an email and that was the beginning of our HODR experience... We arrived in Pisco on Oct 11th around lunch time. As everyone there told us we timed it perfectly cos lunch was just about to be served. We weren't really sure what [View Full Entry]

---

---

Tom and I met a German guy Tobi who told us about a cheap backpacker way to get to Machu Picchu, and seeing as we are trying to stick to a budget we decided to take on this idea. When Tobi told us about this trip the three of us were a few drinks in during an evening at La Casa Roja in Santiago Chile. Tobi wrote down four names for us... Santa Maria, Santa Teresa, Hydro Plant and Aguas Calientes... the rest he explained in a bit of mumbled drunken speach (no he wasn't that bad, sorry Tobz!) When Tom [View Full Entry]

---

---

The morning Tom and I decided to head to Pisaq (Pisac) with a Canadian guy, Jeff, and a Swedish gal, Daniella, I had to see a Dr because I had ear ache in my left ear. Turned out I had an ear infection and had to go on antibiotics and ear drops. I figured it was due to the altitude, but apparently it was a bacterial infection... maybe from when I fell out of the raft, white water rafting (Mum's suggestion). Anyway as much as I was in pain I wasn't going to let ear ache stop me from enjoying the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our first day in Cusco Tom and I decided instantly that we loved the city. It is busy and bustling and very beautiful. It reminds us both of Europe, Italy in particular, with it's beautiful old buildings and cathedrals, cobbled streets and small one way alley ways. The people in Cusco are super friendly and they speak Spanish slowly which is great for us as it means we can understand more. Though sadly for our Spanish most people in Cusco speak excellent English. Though it is a beautiful city it is also VERY touristy. Something that I find very annoying when [View Full Entry]

---

---

Tom had expressed an interest in motor biking while we were in Arequipa. The hostel advertised a 1, 2 or 3day motorbike trip! The guide of the bike tour, Eddie, happened to be in the hostel when Tom and I were discussing it. Tom being super keen asked him all about it and tested out his bike out the front. He asked if I was interested, though I was I had never ridden a motorbike before so was a little apprehensive. Eddie told me ''If you can ride a bicycle and drive a manuel car, you'll be fine... and we won't [View Full Entry]

---

---

WATER RAFTING ON RIO CHILI (River Chili), Arequipa: White water rafting in Arequipa was a BLAST... The rapids we were on were level 3 and 4, not completely insane but enough to get your blood pumping. It was Tom, Sophie, Celia (two very fun English gals), Luuci (our guide) and me, and the five of us made a GREAT team. Team work in water rafting is the key and we had it down pat... well until we hit a sketchy rapid and Celia and I capsized, very funny but a lil scary! I thought the whole raft had tipped and was [View Full Entry]

---

---

After a few days chilling in Valparaiso, Tom and I spent a day traveling by bus to the most northern tip of Chile, a city called Arica. We explored town, walked up a mountain and had a great view of the city and came close to Jesus! :) We visited a mummy museum, and tho I am not super keen on museums it was really interesting to learn how the Incas lived and survived. I love that they lived for survival, there was no such thing as greed and power, just day to day hunting, weaving and survival... is only... Day [View Full Entry]

---

---