South america

A cheap and beautiful flight out of Arequipa to Lima meant i saw some of the most amazing scenic views i have ever done from an aeroplane window.. it was breath taking thats for sure. Over the 3 massive volcanoes snowcapped with a mass of lava landscapes surrounding them. So i flew into Lima.. a smelly mass of a city half way up the coast of Peru. Wasnt a massive fan of the place, spent alot of time drunk and hungover to really see alot.. it wasn´t my idea of a nice city. From there we headed up the coast to a small beach area to see some of the amazing mud pyramids.

These structures still had paintings within them from 200 ac. Absolutely crazy i thought. We hung in the town for another daya nd felt some warm weather for a change.

From here we went to a place called Punta Sal.. near Mancura. A fantastic beach area that is really remote. Camping on the beach for 3 days was great, alot of barbying on the beach and swimming in the sea. Catching some rays and generally chilling with the local hippies. So... from here we hgeaded over the border to Ecuador.

Immediatley you see a diffierence in landscape. Its beautiful, green and mountainous. Lush landscapes.. alot more money is evident immediately. We headed to a town called Cuenca, famous for the panama hat. Although given the name Panama, the hat is actually from Cuenca but the ecuadorians went to work in Panama years ago and took lots of hats with them... these hats caused alot of attention and everyone wanted one... so the story goes!

We are now in Banos. Banos is the place where the volcano went off only 4 weeks ago. As we drove into the town there was a stream of Lava flow coming down the mountain side. This eruption wiped out an entire community.. it was pretty amazing to see and the rock was still hot. Banos is beautiful. I have just been on a bike ride for 30km´s to see a million and one waterfalls along the way. Its lush and lovely and sad to think that it could get wiped out at any stage by the volcano that is expected to blow its top any day. We are on red alert.. well not quite but we may have to run from a lava flow.. hollywood styles!

So onto the jungle to see the monkeys and the indians...

I am now 24 stone. I stayed in Arequipa for quite a while with my lovely friend Miguel. Our days consisted of eating eating and eating... Massive lunches and dinners for about 30p, amazing stuff, very fond of the peruvian food and i havent been ill yet on this trip due to anything so i still can rate it.

So we headed to a bullfight to entertain ourselves in between eating, and what a hilarious one it was. 3 fighters, one from Spain, Venuzuala and one from Arequipa. The bulls didnt fight each other which Arequipa is apparently famous for they hardly fought the fighters even. The spanito was the man.. all 4 foot of him in his striking black slick outfit he danced a crazy spanish dance in front of the bull and wiggled his ass alot. The venezualian was strikingly handsome, wore an outstanding high wasted tight fitting outfit and flirted with the bull... the man from Arequipa was fat! He was hilarious, his outfit was bulging at the seams and the bull seemed almost scared of him. When he began fighting the crowd shoutd PIG PIG PIG.. ha.. very funny. They shouted ´Hey Pig, kill the bull it would look better on a plate with chips!´ Go PIG! it was hilarious. Miguel and i spent the whole tim ein stitches at the abuse that this poor fat man who probably was a stallion in his day got whilst trying to still be the number 1.

So.. more arequipa shopping, hanging around the city for a few too many day i think but still i have made a friend for life with my trusty peruvian stunner! He made my experience a good one as i was able to sample the true peruvian way of living by being by his side. It consists of eating...

So last night i flew to Lima to meet my group. The flight out of Arequipa was stunning. Flying over the top of 3 volcanoes as the sun was setting was amazing and i managed to get some of the best photographs ever taken out of a plane window. I did alot of wooing to myself. So here in Lima.. and i am hungover.. need i say more. I havent really seen anything as i have spent most of the day having to sit down at every opportunity. A great exhibition at the museum of the 20 years of terrorism in Peru, absolutely amazing photo documentary stuff.. i was blown away. A Little annoyed at my lack of being able to read spanish however when i tried to work out why this was all going on.

So.. thought for the day is that after my trip to columbia i head back to Peru and teach some kids english. In return for this i get spanish lessons. I could easily live here man.. its got alot to offer!

After dragging myself away from Cusco kicking and screaming i made it to the Colca Canyon. The deepest Canyon in the world with an amazing sight early in the morning of the condors flying over rocks only 2 metres from you head.. souring with the thermals to fly out of the canyon. An amazing sight they were beautiful and massive.

From there we drove to Arequipa where i am still today. Back to warm weather too which is a slight shock after quite a while of cold. I left the group for a few days and stayed here in this town. Right under the glooming height of Volcano Misti and 2 others.. its quite an impressive town. It has one of the largest convents ever which has the most brightly coloured walls i have ever seen.. still working out if thats for the gringos. Its 2 hectares in size.. hasnt got many nuns in there now though.

My tattoo friend Miguel came to visit me in Arequipa so i am staying her efor another few days before heading to Lima. I survived an attempted robbery last night.. strange experience but luckily i had a friend to back me up.

So onto looking at the preseves of an Inca child that was found in ice on top of the mountain a few years ago. Wanita! she still has skin i hear!

I survived the Inca Trek. What an amazing experience. The trek of 4 days started off really easy then kicked us in the arse on day 2. The porters carrying 25kg´s each of our shit ran up and down every hill in an incredible manner that blew me away. I could hardly walk on day 2. Day 2 consisted of walking 13k´s 1200 metres up and then 500 metres steeply down to camp.. testing all muscles. My boots were giving me a hard time but i banaged myself up and trooped on. The scenery was exasperating.. ever corner and ever breath taken was a mind blowing experience. I made friends with the porters along the way and every other trekker i came across.

The camping was all done for us it was like 5*. We arrived at camp with everything set up, they fed us 5 times a day and we played cards to fill the hours in the evenings up. Day 4 we woke at 4 am, set off at 5 to watch the sun rise over machu Picchu. It was dark as we set off and as we arrived at the sun gate.. wow! the clouds covered Machu Picchu but as they rose it was truely and incredible sight. Even though i have seen this pictutre a million times it was a breath taking view when we did get thee.. the cloud helped add to the mystical effect.. its ace. The history of the Incas is pretty mad too.. the spanish were such gits! So the aching bones and muscles of day 4 were certainly worth it.. i have to say i reckon its the most rewarding experience of my life so far!

2 extra ladies on my tour of the trek made y time and the guide Dionel.. we sang our way to the top.. and laughed like i havent for ages.. theyre a special 2 my new friends.

So here back in Cusco, 3 days to relax and rest the muscles that now look like Arnies. Alot of discoteques and beer drinking in the next few days just to make up for the days of exercise i have just had! On to the coast next.. back to sea level.. thank god.. be nice to breath properly again!

As i sit here writing this i have a little scruffy smelly cute child stroking my arm and staring intently at me.. as i am probably odd to her! Very amusing.. shes fascinated.. maybe its my arnie legs!

Well.. we stayed with a momma and her 6 kids on one of the islands on Lake Titicaca. Here they are Aymara Indians, speaking Quechua. What a massive lake, anyone would think that it was an ocean.. amazing to go by boat past the floating man made reed islands onto an island that we were to later stay on for the night with native familes.

3 of us stayed with a small tiny lady and her family. Her husband was in Lima. She fed us her 3 types of potatoe and squeeky cheese which i adored as it made me laugh when i ate it. Her kids names christian, walter and isaak, the others i forget were adorable. We gave them presents of colouring pencils and fruit and she took us to the local football ground.

From here we played at 4700 metres above sea level football with the locals...local women in their traditional dress and sandals against a load of gringos.. really amazing fun... 7 shots at goal and miss´s i realised i am not the next beckham.

Our momma dressed us up in the traditional gear and took us to the local fiesta. Here there were heaps of gringos also dressed up very funnily for the whole peruvian natives to laugh at. We all had different woollen hats so that at the end of the night they knew which gringo was theirs.In candlelight we undressed and lay in our small room.. very peaceful with the slight ecco of peruvian flute in the distance.

The following day after a good sleep on their straw beds and enough blankets to crush our lings we rose to water in buckets to wash and pancakes. We waved good bye to momma and kids and set off on the boat for 3 hours back to the main land via the Reed islands.

These man made islands were amazing... they had their farms of guinea pigs and these amazing houses.. each island houing maybe 7 families.. with some solar panels in there to get electric... all i could find to do was fall face first in the bed of the island.. those reeds are so relaxing.. the weather was good.. ideal to sink in the surroundings.

A night in puno with some quality ladies from another group and a good rest for todays 7 hour drive to Cusco.

And here i am.. about to embark on the inca trek tomorrow.. ready for the hell of a day 2 but looking forward to the rewards at the end of it.. a 4 day hike here i come. Our drive into cusco gave us an idea of what was about to come.. as we approached the mountains got higher and higher.. oh dear!