I couldn't wait to get out of San Agustin. I was so bored there. But of course, I would have to endure one more struggle in order to do so. In this case, it was a contender for worst bus ride of the trip. My thirteenth (!) overnight bus ride of the trip so far (and hopefully my last), I was just about over them. When I had a bus that stopped for just about every man and his dog along the road, with a girl seated behind me constantly kicking the back of my seat, a girl with a squealing puppy in the seat in front of me (normally cute yes, but not when you trying to get to sleep) and a woman with a screaming baby next to me, that was IT. To put ... read more

Ecuador. The country's name evokes thoughts of the Galapagos with it's exotic wildlife, the Pacific coast with its pristine beaches, the Amazonian rainforest and its lush vegetation, banana exports, and this. This isn't the Ecuadorian national anthem by the way. But imagine if it was! In recent times, it has also evoked thoughts of danger and crime, particularly in Quito - where I was heading next. Another journey another overnight bus ride. I didn't sleep well again on the bus - a bumpy, winding ride, a lack of leg room and a rather large lady in the seat next to me put paid to that. Once in Quito, I took the EcoVia from the city's southern bus terminal into the city. The EcoVia is Quito's version of Lima's metro - a bus with a dedicated lane ... read more

So I was on the bus to...Ayahuasca? Huacachina? Ayacucho? Or was it Huanchaco? Huanchaco, yes, that's the one, Huanchaco. Damn all these Peruvian names that sound the same. So Huanchaco, that was where I was going. On another Cruz del Sur luxury bus, there were no problems with the ride - all comfortable, all good. But this time I was travelling alone, having left my much-missed partner-in-crime Merian back in Lima. There were many qualities to like about Merian. Her easy-going nature. Intelligence (she is a medical student, after all). She was very independent. She laughed at most of my jokes. She babbled a bit sometimes but then I think I do too and that was perhaps the thing I missed the most - being able to tell someone whatever was on my mind, no matter ... read more

I have never seen an oasis before. Can you imagine; a lagoon sustaining loads of life in the middle of a desert? With nothing but sand all around it? This was something I had to see, another first to tick off the list. We were on another overnight bus from Arequipa to Ica, courtesy of Cruz del Sur again. In previous overnight bus rides I have ended up almost freezing to death, so I made sure I wore trousers and a jacket this time. I even felt smug looking at the other gringos on the bus wearing nothing but flip-flops, shorts and singlets. The smile was wiped off my face about one movie (The Fantastic Four - distinctly average) into the journey. I was boiling. I perhaps should have dressed a bit lighter. Oases normally sustain ... read more

Gringo ground zero. As the starting point for almost every tour to Machu Picchu, this is all that I thought Cuzco was. So imagine my surprise when I arrived and discovered how unexpectedly pretty the city is and how much history and importance the place has. Yes, the place is rammed with tourists and there are hawkers pestering said tourists for their dollars and soles, selling everything and anything. Just like in Bolivia but not as in-your-face and nowhere near as persistent as hawkers in Egypt or Morocco- but they are there and annoying nonetheless. Despite this however, in one of a number of curious contradictions about this place, Cuzco still manages to retai... read more