We started our exploration of the Sacred Valley of the Incas visiting the Incan Fortress of Ollantaytambo. A climb up several hundred steep rocky steps brought us to the top of the fortress and the Temple of the Sun. Large stone slabs aligned with the sun with prefect symmetry and joints, all carved and smoothed by hand, and transported from a quarry on the opposite side of the valley - an unbelievable achievement. On to the small Incan town of Urubamba where we visited the colourful local market, full of unusual fruit and vegetables - especially the wide variety of potatoes and corn. The small streets surrounding the market were full of local characters reminding us of times gone by in the western world. Next morning we boarded the Vistadome train - otherwise known as "the ... read more

Leaving Arequipa we drove up and up and up onto the Peruvian high altiplano eventually reaching a high point of 15917ft. We passed through many small villages on the way, dusty and poor-looking houses and huts. Work is difficult to find - although there are gold & silver mines, a cement factory and farming. The landscape changes as we ascend from dry bushes & tall grasses to cacti and finally on the altiplano rocks, dust and small clumps of dry grass which extends into the far distance in all directions. There were several volcanos in the distance, many covered with snow while Mount Sabancaya, the active volcano in the area, billows smoke day and night. The air was thin, it was cool but the sky was blue and the sun burningly strong. We headed slightly downhill ... read more

We drove south from the cooler hill country into the very hot and humid conditions on the south coast of the island. This area and the adjacent east coast were the worst affected regions in the 2004 tsunami. In fact the hotel we were staying in had been totally washed away, sadly with all staff and guests being killed. The island seems to have recovered well and tourism has increased over the last few years. This area is famous for the Yala National Park. We enjoyed an afternoon safari, travelling deep into the park on bumpy rough roads. We were lucky to see an elephant family "playing" in a small lake and even luckier to see a leopard, albeit in the distance. Colourful birds were very abundant and our "trip bird list" reached it's half century!! ... read more

After a long drive from the coast to Dambulla, in the Central Province, we started our small group tour of the "Cultural Triangle". We visited the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, dating from the 9th to the 12th centuries. There were well preserved temples, dagobas, pools and ruined palaces. All proved to be interesting, colourful and provided a vivid insight into life in Sri Lanka prior to any European influences. We moved on to Sigiriya Rock, also known as "Lion Rock" a vast granite monolith, 656 ft high, with an ancient citadel on the summit. There were also wonderful frescos dating from the 5th century. The afternoon tour provided a welcome respite from ancient ruins when we visited a nature reserve. We drove through verdant grassland, dotted with palm, teak and many other ... read more

We drive out of the large city of Tashkent, on a well-maintained dual carriageway, passing large Soviet-style buildings, modern factories and extensive newly built apartment blocks. We are soon gradually increasing in altitude as we head towards the distant mountains, and the Kamchik Pass, which winds its way through a section of the Tian Shan Mountains. The temperature starts to fall, the road narrows, the views become more extensive as we see snow covered peaks in the distance. We stop for a break at some roadside stalls, but decide against buying any of the white balls of dried goats cheese, which the locals are encouraging us to try!! The road is partially blocked by great flocks of sheep, leaving the hills before the start of winter weather, hastened along by shepherds, as the black sheep swarm ... read more