Foodiefloozie

Got back from the Galapagos and had a dinner with everyone from the boat. We all ended up in the same hotel which was great! After a week of sharing a cabin where only one person could be in the cabin at one time (unless the other was in bed!). I soon had all my belongs sprawled out all over the place and a huge pile to send to the wash. Had to continue to take motion sickness tablets as was now feeling land sick - no swaying was causing a problem! I was not the only one and we decided that the only thing to do was to go out and have a couple of cocktails with dinner. Strong cocktails, being up at 6 am and altitude effects had us all yawning and in bed ... read more

So from Arequipa to Cuzco. Another bus journey where the bus companies swear blind it will take 8 hours when your guide book says 12. So 12 it is. The bus actually broke down in Juliaca for an hour after which the driver drove like a maniac around these winding roads to make it in 12 hours. Not very reassuring when the local newspaper is all about a bus having overturned with 67 passengers and numerous deaths had incurred..... Arrived in Cuzco tired and fed up to be accosted by people offering accommodation. This is not such an unusual sight in South America. It is just these were very persistent with a woman grabbing hold of Jessica after I had politely told her No Gracias 3 times. Little was I to know that this would be ... read more

I had always heard of Lake Titicaca and like most people used to also have a little snigger at the name... so now here I was on my way to check it out. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. At about 3600m it is guaranteed that you are still huffing and puffing as you tour around. The bus trip to Copacabana from La Paz passed without incident.... Copacabana itself is a sleepy little town famous for the Lady of Copacabana, which explains the huge church this little town has. From there it is possible to take a boat trip to Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna - the birthplaces of the Inca Empire.... I have to admit I was a little disappointed... first of all I ignored the guide book ... read more

Uyuni is a tourist trap. A town which survives on tours to the salt flats. There we said our goodbyes to the Belge who were heading back to Tupiza and their bikes and settled in to a hotel for the night. I decided to splurge and spent 4 euros on my own ensuite bathroom. The room had a tv but I could not for the life of me find a plug, clearly it was just for show. There was hot water, just about, and only between 7 - 7 and no heating once again. You become obsessed by altitudes since it helps indicate what temperature the place will have at night time. This is how I decided not to go to Potosi as it was over 4000m and head to Sucre which is at a mere ... read more

Salta is a great place to finish the Argentina leg on and also to prepare for Bolivia. Whereas with the rest of Argentina you can blend in as a local (well unless you are wearing your backpack, havaina flip flops from Brazil and before you open your mouth), here in Salta you can see you are not far from Bolivia. The locals have more Indian blood, the towns are poorer and the Andes are everywhere! Salta is no exception except it does have a lovely main square with colonial buildings and orange trees. The hostel we were staying at happened to have a bbq that night which was great - some of the best beef I have had so far plus the chance to meet other travellers and check that you are not the only one ... read more