Since Machu Picchu, alot has occured, more than can possibly be documented, but I will try my darndest. After returning to Cuzco I had a few lovely days of wandering that beautiful city, getting propositioned by the painting sellers, indulging in all you can eat Indian buffet and multiple comfort meals from Jacks Cafe and having one or two or many drinks with my Machu Picchu buddies at Paddys Irish Bar (the highest Irish bar in the world!) One night, after some liquid energy from Paddys, we found ourselves traversing the town. Spruikers from every club run at you on the street with handfuls of free drink cards and many coersive promises of good times. Thus we found ourselves wandering from one to the next and barely paying for a drink! We indulged in McDonalds (with ... read more

We arrived at Huacachina at night, so didn't realise what we had come across. We stumbled tired and stiff from a longer than expected bus ride, ordered beer, pizza and after an encounter with a impassioned Peruvian woman who decided she was in total love with me and then proceeded to weep into my beer over her drug addict ex wife, we stumbled back to Hostel Rocha where we were staying. I was still asleep when Adam walked in the next day and told me it was beautiful outside and I needed to take a look. I blearily stumbled outside and what I saw was beyond what I could have ever hoped. Our pool sparkled in the hot hot morning sun, with a beautiful bright pink flowering tree dripping over it. A puppy called Lu Lu ... read more

Towards the end of an eight hour bus ride to Huaraz I opened my eyes from a fitful sleep and glanced out the window. Light was only just skimming the edges of the sky, but I didn't need much light to see their bulk towering out of the night. I was back in the magical Andes. I went back to sleep with a smile on my face. When I woke again I knew I was well and truly in the midst of these mountains; driving into Huaraz I could see four giant snowy peaks looming over the town, the light bright on their whiteness. And I had a smashing headache. But with an altitude of over 3,000 metres, a mild altitude headache wasn't that surprising. Exhausted and crabby we were led to Andes Camp hostal by ... read more

And now I have finally arrived in Peru, as always, completely behind schedule. My last weeks in Ecuador were decadent, a little lonely and fascinating. After a couple of days lazing in Canoa, I headed south to Puerto Lopez, and it was on this bus ride that I became convinced that the men on the coast are very very different from the men in the mountains. On this one short ride, I was propositioned twice. Once by a sweaty eighteen year old who asked outright if i would kiss him on the lips! After a firm refusal a second boy replaced the first, and from nowhere produced a long stemmed pink rose for me. It was a little overwhelming. The men in the town as well are very forward and spend most of their days leering, ... read more

And so I have finally torn myself away from my beautiful magentic life in Salasaca to travel other parts of Ecuador for awhile! Admittedly it is only for a few days, I am to return there in a day, but it is the first taste of my life post volunteering! Last Friday afternoon, after fulfilling our 6 hours for the day (practically) and receiving my Katitawa participation medal from Robert (a moving ceremony) a select group of volunteers hopped onto a bus to Latacunga! From there, after finding a shop that sells our favourite cheap box wine, we got another bus to the tiny little town of Zumbahua, our first stop on a whirlwind tour of the Quilotoa circuit. After Emma and Arpen successfully wrangled us a lovely cheap room, we ate a teeth challenging dinner ... read more