We arrived in Santiago, Chile to begin our last leg of what has been an amazing three month holiday. It was immediately evident that Santiago is a cosmopolitan city compared to the other capital cities that we have visited. We were staying in the suburb of Providencia at Hotel Orly which was a real treat. We spent the first day chilling out and exploring. The next day was Kerry’s Birthday and after a sleep in, we made our way into the city center for a bit of indulgence. Kerry treated herself to a very relaxing facial whilst Kai had a fantastic [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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Having left Arequipa on an overnight bus ride that was pretty ordinary we arrived at the crack of dawn in Nazca. Kai sat on what could only be described as an ejector seat (throwing him forwards each time we hit a bump), and being at the back of the bus meant that our seats did not recline to the cama position as promised. Nazca We were met by the driver from Aeroparacas and taken directly to the Airport. However due to low lying mist over the lines we spent the next two hours waiting for a flight slot. Eventually, a guide [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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Cuzco and the Ruin Crawl As mentioned in our previous blog, prior to leaving to the jungle, the four of us spent a couple of days exploring the once Inca capital of Cuzco (see first six pictures below). We roamed the cobblestone streets both during the day and a night, visiting numerous markets and enjoying the local cuisine. We also spent half a day walking around the surrounding ruins of Cuzco. We caught the Pisac bus, and thanks to the helpful locals we just managed to hop off at our first ruin for the day, Tambo Machay (the Inca Baths - [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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We arrived in Mendoza after an 18hr overnight bus ride (in comfort, its all about the Andesmar cama seats!) from Salta. Mendoza is a big city with a small town vibe, it has a slightly more urban feel than Salta. This is mainly due to the fact that the city has been flattened in the past by a series of earthquakes, which destroyed most of the heritage architecture. Nevertheless, the subsequent intriguing town planning coupled with a little bit of ingenuity has resulted in wide avenues lined with giant sycamores and parallel irrigation channels (carrying melted snow from the Andes). In [View Full Entry]

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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, [View Full Entry]

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San Antonio De Areco (23 June 2006) The mellow town of San Antonio De Areco, which is ground zero for Gaucho culture is located about two hours drive from the centre of Buenos Aires. Nestled in the Northern Pampas of the province, San Antonio De Areco dates from the early 18th century. We decided to spend a night, whilst still in BA, at one of the historic Estancias (ranch) to sample the life of the Gaucho, which defines the Argentinean culture. We chose to stay at the beautiful El Ombu. After meeting our hostess and some fellow visitors over a welcome [View Full Entry]

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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.), [View Full Entry]

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