November 13-15 Amazon Jungle - Thursday November 13, 2009 The last night in the jungle was one that allowed me to sleep very well beneath the mosquito net and with animals lingering and leaping in the dense forestation mere metres away. A nice cold shower was a certainty in making sure that I awoke fully from the deep sleep of the night before. Following the delicious buffet breakfast and after packingwe made our way to the long boat that would take us back to Puerto Maldonado. Along the way we managed to spot a few of the howler monkeys we had heard earlier on though for now, they were as silent as we were - perhaps they were watching us as much as we were them?! Minutes passed without a sound other than the branches and ... read more

Sunday November 8, 2009 - Macchu Picchu I still can´t quite believe that the whole reason for me becoming interested in doing this trek and wanting to come to Peru has come and gone. I don´t think it will really sink in until I´m on the plane back home, flicking through the photos on my camera with the whole journey behind me... The last day of the journey to Macchu Picchu began early, very early. Following our last games of Uno and dinner, we retired early (I still hadn´t washed though the wet wipes I had were a suitable substitute!) so that we were energised and ready for the final trek into Macchu Picchu and to of course spend time there. My alarm went off at 4:00am and it was a mad rush for everyone to ... read more

Wednesday November 4, 2009 - Before the Trek After what was the best brekkie I´ve had - fruit with yoghurt and honey-smacks as well as the usual items, Kim, Stephen, Kath and I head to the "Art District" to exlore the shops and markets of this area. The remaining group members headed to the "Sacred Valley" for a day long tour. We duck in and out of many, many stores either window shopping or actually purchasing a trinket or two. Some of the artwork and jewellery was amazing - particulalry the Incan inspired statues at a jewellery story but at US$10,000 each, they were marginally outside my spending budget. Marginally. After a few hours we head to the one place that all westerners flee to for some home comfort and/or to have traditional food that held ... read more

October 31, 2009 - Sibayo, Peru Still affected by altitude sickness, I took some Nurofen Plus at about 10:45pm last night to help me sleep - it did the trick! I woke at about 5:30am to the not to distant sound of a voice over a loud speaker, presumably from the town square only 50 metres away. We later find out that the use of the town´s PA system is for news broadcasts and to advertise work where labour is required - this town is also rebuilding from an earthquake and most of the town is pretty ´new. After eating some of my brakfast - rice, tomato, fried chips and steak - we are ready to farewell the family and thank them for their hospitality before once more going on the mini-bus for our next destination ... read more

October 29, 2009 - Arequipa Following breakfast at the hotel, we board a mini-bus that will take us to Chivay, with a few stops along the way. Deviating off the main road, we drive along a track that leads us into the mountains. We de-board at a small town called Sumbay which is nestled in a valley bordered by landscape resembling that of the Grand Canyon. Needing to use the bano (loo) due to the volume of water i was drinking to prevent altitude headaches, I entered, did what I needed and left promptly when Kim just happened to be approaching and seeing where I had come from, offered me anti-bacterial gel - I found out the ladies were in a similar state... Following our brief stop, sampñing the coca tea that also aides altitude adjustment, ... read more