Cajamarca merits a one line entry in a chapter preface in the Rough Guide to South America, an astounding piece of understatement for the city where arguably the most pivotal event in the modern history of the continent occurred. Try reading chapter 3 of Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel" for an excellent summary (even if you don't agree with the overall conclusions of the book). It was here that the conquistador Pizarro, with a small band of about 170 soldiers and cavalry, took prisoner the Inca emperor Atahualpa, despite the presence of an Inca army of tens of thousands of men. This unlikely outcome was as a result of a number of factors, including Atahualpa's complacency and the military advantage held by the Spanish courtesy of their cavalry and steel weapons. Atahualpa offered a ransom ... read more

The bus journey to Huaraz took us from the dull weather of Lima to the sunnier climes of the Central Andes, and what the town may lack in elegance it makes up for in its setting, with the Cordillera Negra one impressive range of mountains nearby and the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Blanca topping that. Not far south is the Cordillera Huayhuash, containing supposedly some of the finest alpine trekking in the world and in which the drama of "Touching The Void" was played out. Even though our modest ambitions were merely for a couple of day hikes, the region would be able to provide. While conducting online research for our activities, I was surprised to come across a blog from 7 years ago written by a girl I used to work with in New ... read more

Having read nothing positive about Lima, we'd been hoping to not have to set foot in it until LA Woman's flight home, but bus timetables and our next destination Huaraz forced us to drop by. And it really wasn't as dismal as the grapevine had suggested. Arriving on a cloudy, cool day, we opted to stay in the Miraflores district, a haven of shops and restaurants but little to see. We visited the Parque del Amor on the sea-front, containing many colourful mosaics with quotes and declarations of love, together with a sculpture of what appeared to be a pair of pensioners engaged in some slap and tickle. The dull sea and chilling breeze brought back fond memories of Saltburn. Nearby was Larco Mar, a large shopping mall with an array of fast food restaurants befitting ... read more

Cruz del Sur may well be one of the best bus companies in Peru, but their curious reluctance to turn on the aircon meant that both locals and foreigners alike sweltered through the hottest part of the day as we headed south. Scrubby landscape with impressive hills gave way to views of snowy mountains as we neared Arequipa, with the city itself under the watchful gaze of 3 extinct volcanos. At a mere 2,380m above sea-level, Arequipa's climate is warm but with little of an evening chill. It's on the standard tourist circuit through Peru but felt undertouristed, the persistent restaurant touts in the Plaza de Armas notwithstanding. In terms of attractiveness, the city could give Cusco a run for its money, with many buildings constructed from the white volcanic sillar stone, and plenty of examples ... read more

Puno has a reputation for being both dreary and full of pickpockets, and indeed its outskirts were grubby and packed with buildings under construction, but its centre possessed a couple of pleasant plazas. Our first evening there, we were passed by a parade (possibly for the Virgin of Carmen), consisting of a bunch of young schoolkids holding lanterns, a float bearing the figure of the Virgin herself, a band, and a guy letting off fireworks from his hands. The town is most famous as a base for visiting the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, which boasts the meaningless title of the world's highest navigable lake. More significant is its actual height above sea level - about 3,800m - which makes it a prime location for soroche for anyone coming from much lower altitudes. The RG's gushing ... read more