14 Aug Day 2: City of Arequipa Things were decidedly cool at the breakfast table this morning between Pen and Koala. We went to catch the bus for our four hour tour and found the square blocked off. Three got through the barriers and two didn't. More of that later. The square was blocked off for practice for tomorrow's celebrations for Arequipa Day (foundation day in 1541 - about 472 years). Well we think it was practice. The reason we are in doubt is because the Present of Peru turned up today (Don managed to get a photo) but unfortunately not while I was there because Liz, Garry and I literally had front row seats. Did I mention that the practice was by the Military - Army, Navy and Airforce. The uniforms here are quite spectacular. ... read more

The flight did leave on time and was about half an hour or more early to arrive. So after more than a year in the concept and planing, here I am in South America! Strange thing is that coming in to land it didn't look that much different to the Australian country side with farms and farm houses with junk all around. Well that's if one ignores the fact that the plane is flying down a corridor between two spectacular snow capped mountain ranges. From what I could see, the vegetation around Santiago didn't look that different either. The temperature is 7 degrees. We had a couple of hours lay-over at the airport and then back on the plane on the next leg of the adventure. And team Qantas has forged out in front again. Somehow ... read more

Talk about a start for the trip. I had a call last night from Qantas at about 10pm. "Are you Philip Gates flying to Sydney on Flight QF400?" Here we go I thought. The news was that my flight had been changed and I was to go on another flight - Direct to Oakland. Do not enter Sydney do not get mucked around there. It meant getting up an hour earlier but well and truly worth it in my books. No queues at customs I got my GST back without any hassles - no fuss, no problems, no hassle! So here I am in not so sunny Auckland waiting for three of the five to catch up. Two of us from Melbourne got diverted and two, we think, had to go through Sydney. The fifth is ... read more