16.11.11 With our duffle bags packed which was a 3kg limit, which was a nightmare packing 4 days worth of hot and cold weather clothes. Sophie ended up having stuff in my bag and Patricks bag! As she insisted on taking half of the clothes she owned, we set off for ollantaytambo. We visted a small village on the way were they spinned and dyed llama and alpaca wool to make clothing, that they tried to sell us. It was intresting that they dyed the wool using natural things from the forest around them. We then arrived at ollantaytambo, which there was a very big inca ruin. This was said to be a resting place for the inca´s on there pilgramage from cusco to Machu Picchu. It was pretty impresive, there was farming terraces up the ... read more

13.11.11 Up early to go white water rafting! A hour and a half ride to the Urubamba river with 3 hungover Irish infront of us which was quite funny. However we quietly hoped they wern't in our boat! With both of us new to white water rafting we where apprehensive of what was to come or rather shitting one. The changing rooms were a short drive away from the starting point. We squeezed into our wet suits, helped load the boats onto the the top of the minibus and off we went. We had a brief introduction about the boat, the orrs and the commands, that took Sophie a while to get to grips with! With six people and a guide in our boat off we went down the river. Slowly at first getting used to ... read more

11.11.11. With four days here in cusco, we actually had time to unpack our bags! Doesn´t sound like much but it was to us as we have been living out of the bags for the last 4 weeks! An afternoon walk around the city (where our guide Katy lives) was very interesting. She showed us the squares which are spectacular and some of the nice eating places. The main square consisted of two huge churches a fountain and old style balconies which looked over the square. With a McDonalds and a KFC around we headed to a Peruvian restaurant called Jacks. With huge portions and cheap, it wasn't the only time we ate there! More exploring of the city we came across inca building after inca building. Well the foundations and upto the first floor anyway. ... read more

9.11.11 To Peru we go With our new tour leader, 6 less people (glad to see some of them go ;)) and 3 new people to form a new group of 13 we were ready to head to the border (bolivia - peru). Early morning bus, then ferry across Lake Titikaka where we had to get taxi boats across the lake while our bus floated across on a small raft! Then back on the bus with a short bus ride to the border where we gained another stamp in the passport (another one Dad hasn´t got!) We were welcomed by sheep, pigs and tuk tuks (those wierd Tokyo motorbike people carriers) Oh and the indigenous people still wore the silly hats, which they copied from the English, when they came over for the Silver and Gold ... read more

7.11.11 La Paz Arrived in La Paz early today. Walked around a witches market this morning which sold everything really. Even llama foetus which apperently give you good luck when you put them in foundations of a new house. They also sold weird things to make sacrifices to the pachamama. We also bought more souvenirs to add to the collection! In the evening we went out to a thai restaurant to celebrate Cat´s Birthday. Gap paid for the meal (the people who we booked the tour with) because of all the hiccups, as a way of saying sorry. So cocktails starters mains and desserts it was! Then went for drinks to a Hard Rock Cafe. 8.11.11 Afternoon tour of the city on a double decker bus with the headphones on. The city is amazing lots of ... read more

Up at 5 this morning, I jumped out of bed being used to the early starts not like any of the others in the group. Some decided to miss breakfast to get an extra 10 mins! We were travelling in 4x4´s today so we got loaded up and off we went. The drivers wher very good and a bit crazy at the same time. They must have known were they were going as there was no road signs just dusty tracks. The plan for today was to explore the deserts, the lagoons and the volcanoes in southern Bolivia. We arrived first at the blue lagoon with about a handful of flamingo´s there feeding of the algae in the lagoon. We then saw the red lagoon, green lagoon and the stinky lagoon. They where different colours due ... read more

4.11.2011 Salt Flats Drove through the salt flats where the sea has dried up and left white salt as far as you can sea. We attempted to take photographs which deceive the eye, ones where michael was stamping on me and I look minature, michael standing on a beer can but it was a lot harder than it seemed. It was frustrating as not everyone can take good photos like me (michael!). We then went to cactus island, where we had lunch. We climbed to the top where a shrine for Pashamama (the indigenous people´s mother nature god) where people make sacrafices with a Llama and eat its heart! eww. Again they drink 99% alcohol and munch on coco leaves. We gave some money and made a wish (which will hopefully come true in 4 months ... read more

2.11.2011 Potosi Bus to Potosi this morning, apparently the largest, highest city in the world at approximately 4000m. Both still struggling with the altitude!! The city is very pretty, cobbald streets, narrow streets, but everything was shut up as Bank Holiday in Bolivia. Although I still managed to go shopping in the only shop open, bought some warm socks and a wooly hat!! Its so cold in the shade. Michael had a Llama burger for tea and I tried a bit, was nice :) another thing to add to the list of wierd and wonderful food tried. 3.11.2011 Glad to have left the hotel this morning, wasnt very nice at all, was so cold and the breakfast wasn´t the best as michael will tell you, he didn´t stop going on at how they gave us a ... read more

Off to Sucre A re run to the airport to catch the re arranged flight was an early start. Joined the back of the queue to only move 5 metres in half an hour we started to panic a little bit. With about 70 people behind us we thought it would be delayed. It was. A flight at 9.30 then turned to 11, then 12, then 1, and so on until we finally borded at 3. The flight was only 40 minutes long, we went up and then straight back down again. The landing was my scariest so far. We got warned not to look out of the window and now I know why!! The runway was about 200m long and inbetween 2 mountains! Landing at what I thought was too quick, the landing was bumpy ... read more

A bus journey to the Brazil/Bolivian border in 40 degree heat wasnt the best of expirences. After getting stamped out of Brazil we had to walk across the border with our bags and our backs into Bolivia. We joined the queue sweating to say the least to get our Bolivian stamp, after a few sighs and forehead wipes we were in. The night train to Santa Cruz departed at 5 which left us enough time to go shopping through dusty run down streets to find dinner, which ended up to be biscuits, crisps and an ice cream! 14 hours on the night train actually went quite quckly a few films with english subtitles and a decent sleep (considering the last 2 where in hammocks) and we where there. An afternoon walk into Santa Cruz where the ... read more