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Well me, Soph and Louisa reached Cuenca after three days straight travelling exhausted, dirty and dishevelled. We'd had an absolutely amazing time in Peru and Bolivia but were glad to be home (yes, Cuenca is now our home!) We got in to the bus terminal at about midnight so just got a taxi straight to Robbie's apartment (he had been nice enough to say we could all stay with him to save Soph having to return to her family!) and pretty much just collapsed. We managed to stay up for a while (personally I think it was still the effects of all those coca leaves!) for zhumir and pilsener (which we had been missing like crazy) as some of the guys had come round to see us. We went to say goodbye to our family the next day although, as Viviana had arrived home from England, everyone apart from our dad had gone to the beach. The rat-dogs were no-where to be seen either. Maybe someone had finally stomped on them though probaly just wishful thinking on my part. We pretty much spent the entire day packing (no mean feat trying to fit six months of souvenirs plus everything that you originally brought into one rucksack!)

Lou left early as she had an earlier flight than us (on her birthday!) leaving me and Sophie to revisit all our old Cuencan haunts (which naturally entailed a lot of food and afternoon cocktails!) before heading to Canoa for a few last days of sun. After a horrendously long trip we arrived at night to have cuba libres around a bonfire on the beach and a quick dip in the sea before going to bed. We didn't actually get much sun but had a lot of fun (involving more food and alcohol again!) before arriving back in Quito on the evening of the 14th just in time to have wondrous Mexican food and check emails at Papayanet for the last time before meeting the Quito girls. Jack was randomly still there after having turned up at the airport for his flight on the 13th only to be told there was no flight that day! Still, no harm done and he had managed to fit onto our flight the next day. The Quito girls had decided to party in style by being in South American fancy dress. Not quite sure how many South Americans normally wrap themselves in the Ecuadorian flag as their national dress but fun all the same. Me and Soph had refused to dress up but a few bottles of pilsener later had succumbed to wearing panama hats and scrawling the Ecuadorian and Cuencan flags on ourselves courtesy of Sarah's facepaints (organised as ever!)

Had a very late night although me and Sophie were the only ones who actually managed to make it to lunch the next day! At least everyone made it to the airport on time! Sixteen hour flight home which I managed to pretty much sleep through. Madrid was fun - everyone got their alcohol confiscated (despite it all being heat-sealed into clear bags reading 'Meets EU security measures'!!! Everyone that is except me, I somehow managed to walk straight past security carrying a see-through bag with two bottles of rum in it without the security guards bothering. Looking as though butter wouldn't melt in your mouth has finally paid off!!! My bag made it through in one piece amazingly enough thanks to being clingwrapped in Quito. All ready for the return visit next summer!

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