We've been in Huaraz 5 days now and the last three have been jam packed with various treks. I can honestly say I have never been so exhausted in my life as I was last night, but it was totally worth it! On day one we did an acclimatization walk as the altitude here can make you terribly sick if you're not used to it. We did this at Lake Llacca. Suprisingly the altitude didn't mess with me at all. I've been fine the whole time thankfully as I wouldn't want sickness to have spoilt the amazing surroundings I was in. I don't actually feel like I can describe them, as I'd typically use a word like amazing, but I use this word to describe things like food, but these views were on a totally different ... read more

So we spent 4 days in the beautiful, relaxed and super-bohemian beachside town of Mancora. It was our first stop in Peru after spending a gruelling entire day on a bus to cross the border. We arrived late at night and racked up to a not so great hostal called Hostel Sol y Mar. The guidebooks rate it as value for money and a good place to stay. I disagree. It sounded like we were right next to a nightclub with boom boom boom coming through the walls until 1am and drunkards playing ping pong outside of our door until the small hours too. Although it would be a great place if you're wasted and can crash after partying all night, but I prefer somewhere a little quieter. Needless to say we moved on the very ... read more

We're now in Cuenca, where the architecture is amazing! As far as the cities go, this is definately my favourite in Ecuador. It is so pretty, for a city anyway! You can really see the Spanish influence here. The buildings are so intricate and all have quant little balconies overlooking the fairly narrow streets. We've only got two nights here, so we havn't seen a great deal but today we took a trip to the nearby villages of Gualaceo and Chordeleg where we visited the infamous markets. The fruit market was like my dream come true. I sampled at least my bodyweight in fruit! The thing that stood out the most to me here though is the way the women are dressed. Cuenca is where the panama hat industry is based in Ecuador, so I've heard ... read more

El-monte lodge is like a dream! It is so tranquil and beautiful. It really feels like home. I would be falling asleep with the sounds of a rushing stream and the many insects and birds living around me. It feels so natural, just like Sadhana. Not to mention the cabins, they’re incredible! So beautifully and skillfully designed and built. Tom and Mariella (the owners) really have outdone themselves. They built El-monte from the ground up and I really admire their achievement. This definitely is 5* backpacking. You could see up into the cloud forest mountains right outside my window. It’s so green and isolated. The pictures really do not do this place justice. If you are in the Mindo area I definitely recommend coming to this place. If I could turn back time I'd have spent ... read more

So now I'm finally home in England, missing Sadhana like crazy! My last week was both beautiful and exhausting. Getting myself together to leave and saying goodbye to some new found lifelong friends was difficult but I knew this chapter in my life was going to have to end sometime. One of the main things I made sure I crammed into this week was seeing the Matrimandir. This was an experience, what kind, I'm still not sure! It's very strict with regards to getting an appointment so David and I booked days in ahead. We turned up, had to watch a 20 minute video on the history of Auroville and then was escorted to the Matrimandir. Here our bags were taken from us, and I was even asked to leave my water, which I was annoyed ... read more