Arrived in Cusco after a quick and satisfying 8 hr bus journey from Puno. Quick because I slept the whole way and satisfying because I barterted with the bus company and got the tickets for the five of us for just 15 soles each, about 3 pounds! We celebrated our arrival in Cusco with a much deserved night out, not sure how I managed it after Puno but one has to be strong! We met up with a friend the three girls had made while they were travelling in the US, as she is now renting in Cusco and knows all the local bars. We went to a bar which had pictures on its sign resembling magic mushrooms, and once you had been inside for a while you realised why. It was very cosy - basically ... read more

Today I spent the day exploring Arequipa, Peru´s second largest city and possibly its prettiest. Arequipa is called the white city, these days it is thought that the city has this name because of the white local volcanic sillar stone used in all the buildings. However, at the Santa Catalina de Siena Monastery we were told this name originally was given to the city as it was one of the first places in Peru in which white people settled. The Santa Catalina de Siena Monastery was absolutely stunning - the monastery was begun in 1580, forty years after the city was founded. Eldest daughters from rich families were required to make a good marriage at about 14 years of age nd bear about 15 children, whereas second daughters got (in my opinion) a far better deal ... read more

My plan to get a 3pm bus from Nazca to Arequipa backfired when the bus was cancelled so I ended up with an extra ten hours in Nazca. (The bus toilet had broken, which is important when your journey is eight hours!) So to use my time in an intelligent and informative way I unpacked my bikini and went to the Nazca Lines hotel and paid to use their swimming pool for the afternoon! It was rediculously hot and I had reached the end of my tether with the cat calling and whisteling from the Nazca men outside so the four hours I spent lazing in the sun and swimming in the pool were a very welcome break. There was a Canadian couple doing the same thing (yes, more Canadians!) and also a Scottish couple, and ... read more

To get to Paracas I got a bus from Lima and arrived early evening. I stayed in the tiny little village overnight and spent the evening playing with kids who seemed to live at the hostel. I think that rather than paying for a room I should have been paid for babysitting as their parents dissapeared! But it was really good actually as they taught me lots of Spanish, including my numbers (the shame of being taught your numbers by a 4 year old who clearly thinks you are really thick!) which is useful for bartering in shops! They also taught me lots of games they play in school which will come in useful when I get to the orphanage. I was up late as there town has an election on Sunday and the main candidate ... read more

Hi all! Just arrived in Iquitos in the Amazon, north of Peru. I flew here from Lima this morning and got in around 1pm, have spent the time since trying to acclimatise to the VERY hot weather conditions, apparently it is about 32 degrees today and that is normal. Got to my hostel in one piece, took recommendations from a Canadian girl I spent time with in Lima - thanks Tanya! Hostel is great, certainly the word rustic comes to mind but there is a central courtyard garden which you look out on from each room and is full of jungle plants and is gorgeous. Flight here was absolutely amazing! First we went over the Andies, where some of the peaks seemed to reach up almost to the plane. Then we came over the Amazon, which ... read more