It turned out to be a 12 hour bus ride from Ayacucho to Andahuaylas, but totally worth the backache for the beautiful views. John´s pretty sure we witnessed at least 5 different temperate zones as we zigzagged up and down and through the Andes. Miraculously no music was being blared and we could escape into our mp3 players and let our minds wander. It was great to look up at the top of a mountain and then, an hour or so later, be up there looking down on where we had just been. We also met Hyuk Hur (Ray), a South Korean guy currently studying in New York. We exchanged stereotypes. We commented on his huge camera and he said that everyone his age in S. Korea IS into camera equipment. He said that he´s heard ... read more

If anyone reading this is familiar with our last trip where we arrived in the middle of the night in Delhi, got kidnapped and dragged around the City until we were forced to buy a tour, well....this trip has been nothing like that...at least so far! (fingers crossed) We arrived in Lima and the hostal actually picked us up with a very legitimate looking sign with my name butchered but understandable. We soaked up the parks and plazas in Miraflores, the rich/backpacker-friendly part of Lima. After a day we took a very fancy bus to Paracas, on the coast. Let´s just say we played bingo for a bottle of pisco on the way down (we were one away from winning!) and were able to see the highly acclaimed film Practical Magic starring Sandra Bullock. Once there, ... read more