From the moment we crossed the border into Chile from Bolivia, it was very clear we were in a completely different country. While the transition from Ecuador to Peru and Peru to Bolivia wasn’t so obvious, the shift to Chile was a big change. Not only were the roads paved but people’s attitude towards foreigners was entirely different as the people were extremely friendly and helpful without looking at you as if you were a dollar sign. However, alongside this, Chile has by far been the most expensive country so far. The beauty about Chile is, due to it being so long, it has such a diverse range of scenery and beauty. From the desert in the north perhaps reminding people of parts of Africa to the snow-capped mountains in the south reminiscent of New Zealand, ... read more

Northern Peru does not hold the premier touristic attractions of the country as tourists usually bypass much of the north and head straight down south and of course, to Machu Picchu and Cusco. Although, as I write this at the end of my trip in this stunning country and with my visit to Machu Picchu fresh in my head I still remember how interesting the variety of sites and attractions there were to see in the north. From Loja in Ecuador we made our way by bus to a city called Piura in Northern Peru travelling through the Sechura desert. Tired and sleepy from the bus and not fully understanding the new currency- soles - we ended up paying a stupid amount for a taxi and stayed in possibly the cheapest - and definitely the shittest ... read more

I am writing this blog now for a second time due to the fact that I had my laptop stolen on a bus travelling from Quito to a small village called Mindo. I have not had the best luck so far on this phase of my travels as a few days ago I was bitten by a dog and, as a result, have had to undergo a series of anti rabies vaccinations. I am just hoping the third thing won’t be contracting swine flu! However, the good things so far have counteracted the bad as Ecuador is a beautiful and exciting country to visit. The weather is basically warm but pretty variable depending on where you are and Quito is usually sunny and warm in the morning and raining in the afternoon at this time of ... read more

After recovering from our trek we made our way to Queenstown and were excited to witness this famous adrenaline fuelled town. Queenstown is well known for offering every possible activity imaginable mainly bungee jumping and sky diving in the day whilst also offering a good bar scene at night. On the day we arrived we did a sky dive and I can't quite believe I did it! It was lucky we did it the day we did because on the following days, it poured with rain non-stop and Queenstown had more rainfall in 2 days than it had had for the whole year. Before the sky dive i was petrified and I had to calm my nerves with a couple of Vodka's but as we were flying up in the plane, i had a calm feeling ... read more

Day 1: The one where we left Auckland Goodbye Auckland! We said our goodbye's to Auckland and went to collect Ruth and Anthony's van. After a fairly long drive we arrived in Taupo and introduced Helen's parents to freedom camping as we camped at the biggest freedom camping camp ground in the north island. Day 2: The one where Helen jumped off a bridge We had an early start as Helen did the highest water touch bungee jump in New Zealand. She didn't actually touch the water but managed to launch herself off a bridge and hurtle head (and feet at one point) first to the water. Respect! After this rush of adrenalin we went to Huka Falls and did a short walk alongside this powerful waterfall with flourescant blue water. We then walked around 'Craters ... read more