Kai and Kerry

Pisco, Isla Ballestas and Paracas National Park Having left the sanctity of Huacachina we took a one hour local bus to the city of Pisco, this was to be base for the next two nights. We took great priority in discovering the quickest way to leave here, and continue up the coast to Lima, once we had seen the Isla Ballestas. After a good nights sleep we headed off on yet another tour. This one was to the Isla Ballestas and the Paracas National Park. We spent a great two hours on a boat ride out to the Candelabra, a massive 128m long pre-Columbian drawing traced in the hillside along the coastline. We continued to the guano (bird shit used as a rich fertilizer) covered islands where we saw many sea lions going about their daily ... read more

Contrary to our last blog, we sadly did not make it to Puno and Lake Titicaca due to an unfortunate turn of events. On the morning of our planned departure Kai was awoken by the same stomach bug (giardia and possibly salmonella) that Matt had be struck down with during the Inca trail. After two hours of the “bicicletas” (use your imagination), an early morning Doctor call out, an injection in his buttock, and a rather expensive medication bill, Kai was finally stabilised. However, sadly the four day tour to Puno had to be cancelled. Also, due to Kristin’s continued ill health, she decided to leave Peru two weeks early to accompany Matt home. After a couple of days recuperating, we decided to fly direct to Arequipa. This has been our home for the past four ... read more

We finally arrived in the quintessential South American country of Peru on 11 July 06, a day ahead of schedule. We had decided against traveling through Bolivia due to time constraints and the fact that we wanted to stay longer in Argentina. Peru is a country which once played host to the fabulous Inca empire, the last of the complex pre-Columbian civilizations. We arrived in its Capital Cuzco to begin the next leg of our adventure. The city, at 3325m, is nestled amongst the beautiful Andes and is surrounded by some of the continent's most stunning archeological sites. We will come back to Cuzco and the few days that we spent exploring the charming colonial back streets and plaza, and our Inca ruin crawl to Tambomachay and Sacsaywaman (sexy woman) in our next blog. Before we ... read more

Salta La Linda We arrived in Salta after a 28hr bus ride, stopping only for police searches and a change at Tucuman. We checked into the lovely Provincial Plaza hotel at 0100 and got some much needed shut eye. ´Salta La Linda´ (Salta the Pretty) truly lives up to its name! It is by far our favourite city to date. The people are very friendly and take true pride in the appearance of their city. All historic and religious buildings have been well maintained and by night come alive with colourful lights. Salta is the most happening centre of northern Argentina, filled with a passionate (Cupid definitely lives here!) youthful population, plenty of fine cafes, restaurants and shops. It is also a popular stop for travelers heading both north and south. It is also a handy ... read more

As our plane slowly descended into early morning Buenos Aires, we looked out our window over the lit up city and took a deep paused breath. We were arriving in South America for the first time. El Puerto de Nuetra Señora Santa Maria del Buen Aire (AKA Buenos Aires (BA)) is alive with newfound energy. The recent crash of Argentina’s peso has turned one the world’s richest cities into one of the cheapest (well to those who live outside of Argentina). Affected by decades of questionable politics (i.e the Dirty War and the Disappeared, the Peron decade, the Falklands war etc.), it can be described as elegant, yet rough edged, perhaps cosmopolitan, but definitely in need of some tender loving care. BA can definitely be described as bustling (except on Sundays and especially if it is ... read more