We hadn´t quite appreciated how physically challenging the Inca Trail would be - four days trecking at high altitude up and down the very steep paths and thousands of steps - but it really was the experience of a lifetime. Stunning views from beginning to end, starting in the Sacred Valley and then climbing up into the cloud forest and then down into dense jungle. The Trail took us past a series of fascinating Inca ruins and terraces set on the mountain sides. We had a real sense of achievement every day and of course the big prize of seeing the [View Full Entry]

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The Colca Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world and is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. We spent an amazing few days here travelling first though the Colca Valley and then into the Canyon. Here the people maintain a tradional way of life, farming the near vertical Inca terraces. The canyon is at very high altitude so the hiking here almost killed us, but we are told it is good practice for the Inca Trail. The Coca plant is used to help reduce the effects of altitude so we have been consuming plenty of coca tea, coca cookies, [View Full Entry]

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Next stop Puru. Crossing the border from Ecuador to Peru was an interesting experience, battling our way on foot over the bridge which marks the border at Huaquillas, through hoardes of people trying very hard to get us to change money or buy parrots! Once safely at the police station on the Peruvain side we were met by our guide to start our journey south through the Peruvian desert located between the Pacific Oceon and the Andes. The rain seldom falls here and we travelled for hours without seeing any signs of life, just occasional images marked in rock on the [View Full Entry]

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After meeting the group we will be travelling with for the next month, we left Quito and decended out of the Andes, through the lush green foothills, and into the dense jungle. Switching to a local bus we continued for another couple of hours into the jungle on dirt tracks with local men, women, children and chickens getting on and off at regular intervals and sitting on the roof when the bus got full, all accompanied by pounding salsa music. A final trip down the Napo River (a tributary of the Amazon) in a motorised canoe brought us to Yacuma Lodge, [View Full Entry]

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After a chaotic 7 hour Lan Airlines flight we arrived in Quito, a city set in a stunning location high in the Andes. The Old City is full of beautifully preserved colonial architecture, but most people, including us, stay in the New City. We stayed in the La Mariscal area, which is party central and full of bars, clubs and restaurants which bring in locals and visitors by the hundreds every evening. Sitting in a bar you could be anywhere in the world, yet just outside there are obvious signs of poverty with children working as shoe shiners and the indiginous [View Full Entry]

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We caught an overnight bus from Bariloche to Puerto Madryn, a 13 hour journey falling asleep to mountains, lakes and forest and waking to a slightly eirie flat, treeless, misty Patagonian landscape. Buses are the most popular and cheapest way to travel around South America and it proved to be very comfortable and we were adeqautely fed and watered and even watched The Queen on video! We arrived early in the coastal town of Puerto Madryn and when we had shaken away the sleepy dust we walked down to the seafront to orintate ourselves. We couldn´t believe our eyes, there were [View Full Entry]

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We are now proper travellers having stayed in our first hostel. Hostel 41 Below turned out to be a great base for the week and it was good to meet other travellers and get the benefit of their experience. The view of the lake (minus the tower block) from our room was pretty amazing too. Bariloche serves as the holiday centre for people visiting the Argentinian Lake District. It´s not the most attractive town but it is set in stunning scenery, surrounded by lakes, evergreen forest and snow capped mountains. It´s also the chocolate capital of Argentina, and with every other [View Full Entry]

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After a very wet arrival we settled into our B&B which is clean and friendly. We are staying in the Palmero district, a slightly shabby looking low rise suburb with some great bars and restaurants. The sun has been shining since, so we have managed to explore what BA has to offer. The Casa Rosada (pink house) is where Madonna sang "Don´t Cry for Me Argentina" and also where Eva Peron gave her speeches from the lower balcony (to be closer to the people). Argentina does the best steak ever and the Malbec wine is also pretty special. It´s cheap too [View Full Entry]

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