Arica

Today we spent the day exploring Ariqua, after a lovely breakfast on the sun terrace and a bit of science (we have just finished Immunisation!!). We walked through the streets to the museum which houses the 'little ice girl, Juanita'. She is 500 years old and was offered to the gods as a sacrifice by the incas but was preserved in the ice until she was found about 20 years ago. It's amazing she is kept in a glass ice box and you can see her teeth, skin, hair, finger nails all perfectly preserved and all the offerings which she was buried with. I thought Sam might find it boring as we watched a video and were given a tour but he thought it was really interesting.

Arequipa is very nice and built from white stone which came from the volcano.

Tomorrow morning we have to be out at 6am to get another bus at 7am to take us to the border, this journey should take 6 hours and sam is most unhappy as we are not travelling 1st class!!

We haven't managed to book any accomodation yet so it will be another trial and error day of hoping to find good accommodation when we get there. All in all a bit pissed off today, am sick of moving around ... might actually be nice to get to the coast for a few days.

Antigua here we come...

After a few days in Nazca it's now time to head for Antigua, Peru's second largest city. This has been a great place to relax and recuperate and I am now feeling much better, a little congested but no where near as bad as I was. Yesterday we went for a walk into Nazca and realised what an awful town it is, it's dirty and congested and doesn't have a nice vibe, thank god we have been staying in our little oasis on the outskirts of town.

The bus for Antigua leaves at 10:00 tonight and gets in at 7am so hopefully we will have a good sleep. It's the same bus we came on so it's got the fully reclining seats etc... Sam is very excited about sleeping on the bus. We will spend two nights there and then on to Arica in Chile, here the boys can surf and then we are going to fly down to Santiago so that we can catch our flight to NZ.

We are all ready for NZ now, Sam is looking forward to meeting more kids, Will is looking forward to fresh fruit and veg and home cooking and I am looking forward to talking in English again.

That's all folks. Update tomorrow, here is a picture of our hotel.

The lurgy

I officially have the lurgy and spent all day yesterday around the hotel, reading, sleeping, eating and eating paracetamol to try and combat this cold. When you are ill, you really start to miss home and because it was bonfire night in England yesterday it made it worse. I kept picturing fields with ground frost and the cool crisp November mornings, the smell and excitement of bonfire night, drinking hot tea at the farm with Justine whilst Sam plays with his friends....aaaahhhh home!! But to be honest of all the places we have stayed I think this is one of the best places to be ill. The hotel is quiet, we are the only guests and have our own private cabina with a huge bathroom. There is a view of the mountains and a fabulous pool with a waterfall for Sam to swim in. The people are lovely and have just brought Sam ice creams and the breakfast is delicious so I can think of worse places to be ill.

Missing home is actually quite nice because it makes you realise how lucky you are to have such lovely friends and family and it's not like we are away forever. Time goes so quickly I can't believe we are almost at the end of the Central/South American leg of the trip. I am amazed by Sam and how well he is able to live in the present, perhaps it's a kid thing, perhaps it's a Sam thing but he never seems to worry about the future or to dwell on the past, just live in the moment which is a thing that many of us strive for. He also is able to trust people implicitly, which is something that myself and Will are learning to do. That said he is still a bloody know it all - I think he is also getting a touch of 'spoilt child syndrome' which we are going to have to beat out of him. I guess it was inevitable being with so much adult company but that should change in NZ.

He is also really getting into photography and took most of the Macchu Picchu pictures, I am going to look out for a photography competition for him. So I'm afraid that there is little to report today, Sam and Will have gone to chemist to pick up more medicine and we will then have another lazy day around the pool - 2 weeks to day we will be in New Zealand!!! Picture of sealions attached above.

San Fernando

Yesterday we had a great day, we woke up and had a huge breakfast at the hotel and then we were picked up by 2 guys, Cesar and Roberto in their 4x4 to take us out to San Fernando. We drove on the Pan American highway for about 45 minutes and then pulled off the main road and onto the desert. We drove across the desert for about another hour and a half until we came to some huge sand dunes - here the guys pulled out some sand boards and we all had a go at boarding down a little dune, Sam and Will managed to stand up but I prefered to sit down - we stayed here for about 20 minutes and then Will moved on to the big dune and me and Sam stayed on the little one. After a while we walked back to the truck which was parked on the edge of the dune but we couldn't see where Will and the guides were and there was a strong wind which was blowing the sand into our mouths, hair, eyes, ears etc... suddenly we felt really isolated up there on the dunes alone in the middle of nowhere...'Shall we sit in the car and wait?' I asked Sam, 'No' he said, 'look at the truck' and it started to move a little bit towards the edge of the dune!! We looked around and finally saw Will and the other guys on a big dune, they waved us over to them. We walked across the top of the dune and Will told us that we would have to sandboard down the big slope as the driver was going to take the car down the side of the steep dune and meet us at the bottom. It's ok Roberto assured us, 'Cesar is the Peruvian 4x4 champion driver!' We watched as Cesar drove the car down the hill and spun in a neat circle at the bottom, meanwhile we sat on our sandboards and cruised down to meet him.

We got back in the car and drove to San Fernando which is an isolated coastal peninsula - so isolated that only 2 drivers in Nazca know the way there - when we arrived the peninsula was deserted and all you could hear were the calls of the sea lions (which sound like sheep!). Sam really wanted to see a condor and we walked to the top of the cliff, then like a scene from a film, a huge condor with a wingspan of about 5m, flew up over the cliff and over our heads. They are huge and black with white tipped wings, sudddenly more appeared and there were 4 condors swooping over us and it seemed showing off for the camera. They stayed for about 5 minutes and then as quickly as they appeared they were gone. We turned our attention to the sea lions which were below us in the bay - 100's of them, like a David Attenborough programme, sunbathing, swimming and playing in the sun - It was a real privelage to see them and for Sam this surpased Macchu Picchu as his new favourite day. We also saw penguins, baby penguins and starfish.

After an hour or so it was time to head back through the desert and I think it's fair to say that me and Will were a bit nervous about getting lost, especially when the driver pulled out the GPS!!! Everything in the desert looks exactly the same and I have no idea how he navigated us out of there, there are no roads, no signposts, just endless dunes.

When we got back I realised I had a fever and had lots of paracetamol and medicine to combat a nasty cold which has attached itself to me, so I am now going to lie down and rest and try and shake this off.

Nazca lines...

Yesterday we caught a bus at 2pm from Lima to Nazca which took 7 1/2 hours - the bus was amazing, it was a double decker and we were sat in the VIP bit downstairs which was brilliant. The seats were fully reclining and leather, complete with a blanket and pillow and films. When we got on the bus Sam started doing his science, 'This is amazing' he said, 'this is the best schooling ever.'

We arrived in Nazca at 9:30 and were picked up by the woman from the hotel - she showed us to our room which is a big chalet type building with three beds and a huge bathroom with a BATH. The hotel is new only three months old and a beautiful building run by a mother and daughter from Nazca. Once again we have a beautiful view of the mountains, the desert and there is a huge pool complete with waterfall. After an amazing nights sleep we had a breakfast of bread, ham, cheese, orange juice, scrambled eggs, coffee and cake (all included in the price). Then we tried to decide what to see first. Many planes are not flying over Nazca at the moment due to safety issues and we asked Cecelia who owns the hotel what she would reccomend - we heard there was a viewing platform and she said that she was happy to drive us to the platform. We jumped into her car and she drove us there. We had to walk up three flights of stairs and from here we could see the hand and the tree lines... it was quite a spectacular site. From here Cecelia drove us to a museum which showed us more of the Nazcan history and Sam was most excited to see the mummies!! Much of the finding in Peru are really well preserved due to the arid climate and you can see the colours in the ceramics really clearly. There is still a lot of archaeology in Peru still to be discovered and they have only recently found more lines near Nazca. They do have a problem with grave robbers though who get drunk so that they are not afraid of the spirits and then wait until a full moon, when the spirits are supposed to be more patient. They then take metal rods and poke them into the dirt to find buried ceramics, you can tell which pots have been found this way as they have little holes in them from the metal rods... The grave robbers mean that the archaeologists are not getting a complete picture as the graves are now incomplete.

After we saw the museum we booked a tour for the morning to go to San Fernando where we can see penguins, seals and Condors and then we go sandboarding in the dunes! The other brilliant thing was that they have an eagle here and Sam got to hold it on his hand and stroke it's back, it had amazing eyes and loved it when Sam spoke to it - Sam wasn't afraid at all!!

Sam and Will are now in the hotel pool and I am about to sit out in the sunshine - the desert is fun. I have uploaded another Machu Picchu photo, Nazca photos to follow.

Nazca

Well last night we went for a chinese and for the first time we had a food poising meal - at least I think that's what it was because at about 3 this morning I was sick. This followed a sleepless night as the sign outside our bedroom is on until 2am and shines into the room - Will woke up at 1am and thought it was morning because the room was so bright! There was also a party going on over the road so we had to listen to that, nightmare!

So today me and Will were both really tired, Sam of course slept through everything and only woke himself up at about 7am when he did the loudest imaginable fart! We had lots of things to do today but found out that it's the festival de muerto today (the festival of death - where people visit the cemetry - nice). This meant that all the shops were closed, we did find a department store which was open and had fun wandering around there looking at the xmas decorations etc.

We walked back from the centre along the seafront and stopped along the way so that Will and Sam could do the monkey bars, we watched the parasailers jumping of the cliffs and then we sat in the skate park and watched the skaters, BMX and roller bladers which was alot more fun than it sounds.

When we got home we tried to book tickets on the Cruz Del Sur bus for Nazca for tomorrow, we had two options. A bus which left at 3am (no way) or one which left at 2pm and got in at 9pm. We opted for the second but when I tried to book it in broken Spanglish we realised that they couldn't take the credit card. There were only 4 seats left on the bus so we had to quickly jump into a taxi and shoot to the bus station and reserve the space. The bus is a double decker and we have fully reclining bed seats, there is also dinner, films and bingo! Sam is very excited! Having booked this we needed accommodation (this is the bit I dread) but we found a brilliant place in Nazca called the Casa Hacienda Nazca Oasis and they agreed to drop the rate from $85 to $50 per night including breakfast and free pick up from the station... Hooray! So we are now doing maths with Sam in the bedroom and about to watch Harry Potter on the ipod. Will has agreed to watch the film and Sam thinks that Will watching Harry Potter is as exciting as Xmas!

Here's a lovely picture of Sam, it was taken just as we arrived in Ollanty and he saw the Andes mountains for the first time - I think his face says it all.

Back to Lima

Today we flew back to Lima after a restless night in Cuzco due to lots of fireworks and rain storms, the flight back was pretty smooth and once we arrived we were pleased to find that our luggage hadn't been stolen. We chilled at the hotel for a while and then went out for a chinese, as usual we ordered far too much and asked for the leftovers which we took out and then wandered around Lima trying to find a family to give them to, and as usual we couldn't find one person who looked in need of a meal... in the end we did find a lady who was begging in the street and she looked very pleased, and somewhat bemused to receive a massive bag of chinese takeaway! It's also halloween here and the people really embrace halloween and everyone dresses up and walks the streets with pumpkins and little bags and all the shops and hotels give the kids sweets, it's really nice and even Sam got a lolly.

Tomorrow we will book our bus ticket to Nazca and Sam and Will are going to surf.

Here are a few musings on Peru so far:

1) It smells of wee

2) The people drive like lunatics

3) The indigenous people have beautiful faces and the women have long plaits

4) It has cool places to visit

Hope you're all well. Here's a pic of me and Will drinking Coca tea to combat the altitude sickness - I didn't realise it was made from cocaine leaves... still it made me smile!!

Machu Picchu

We have just got back from an amazing day at Machu Picchu, infact Sam said 'it was one of the best days of his life!.' We caught the train at 8:30 from Ollantaytambo station and spent an hour and a half winding our way through the Andes which were beautiful. The train was very nice, I think it's owned by Orient Express, and we were even treated to a little snack and soft Peruvian music that played as we wound our way through the valley and up into the cloud forest. Eventually we stopped in 'Aguas Calientes' and here we bought a bus ticket and our entry to Machu Picchu. The bus journey took us up the mountain along narrow windy roads and took 20 minutes, not a pleasant journey if you are afraid of heights but a brilliant journey if your not - the views here were even better than those from the train.

We entered Machu Picchu and saw the first Inca house which you had to pass through to enter and then as you turned the corner you saw Machu Picchu, just like in the pictures...an old settlement of houses and terraces with the big mountain behind, the sun was shining and I think that first sight of the settlement is one that none of us will forget. We walked up as high as we could go and then sat on the terraces overlooking the ruins and ate our packed lunch. We had picked one up in the morning from our favourite cafe here and had a sandwich a pasty a muffin an apple and a drink and it was the best packed lunch I have ever had. There was no-one around and it was really peaceful just surrounded by the mountains, we read the guide book and found out about the history of Machu Picchu.

We had a couple of hours to explore before our train home so we walked back down into the settlement and tagged on to the end of various guided tours so we could hear about the history of the ruins. We were surprised by how recent they were as the Incas were around in the 1400's and we had thought they were older - Will loved the architecture and the massive blocks that fit together with no cement and form a perfect wall!! We also took thousands of pictures because everywhere you turned there was a perfect view.

It's really hard to encapsulate how breathtaking it was up there - it's an expensive trip but well worth the money. Eventually we caught a return bus and got on the train home and got back in time for tea. We are all very tired after our days excursion so we are heading out for tea and then to bed.

Yesterday we also walked to another Inca ruin this time 5 minutes from the house, this was also an old Inca temple but much smaller than Machu Picchu - we had a lovely day wandering around the site and then walked around a traditional Peruvian market with loads of trinkets and old Peruvian artefacts - we treated ourselves to a couple of things which was really nice. All in all we have loved this part of the trip, infact it's been my favourite part so far without a doubt. Pic above of Machu Picchu and other pics from the previous days below.

Ollantaytambo

Sorry for the rubbish updates recently (and lack of pictures) but things have been super hectic recently. I am now sat in the reception area of Apu (he he) Lodge whilst Sam and Will are still in bed. I got up to try and book our tickets to Macchu Picchu but the internet isn't working for their site so thought I would update. As I sit here I have a view of the Andes, it's one of those completely awe inspiring sights!

Yesterday we caught the plane from Lima to Cuzco at 4:40 am and landed an hour later in Cuzco. A taxi picked us up and drove us through the Andes to Ollantaytambo. As we stepped off the plane myself and Will both felt very dizzy, Cuzco is really high 3,000 + so we had to take it really easy to combat the effects of altitude sickness...we stayed at the hotel and had a sleep and then Sam was sick!! But in true Sam style after 10 minutes he was fine and we walked down to the main plaza for some lunch. It was a great day to arrive as they had lots of dancing in the plaza and everyone was dressed in traditional costume. We sat in a restaurant with a balcony overlooking the event. Later we walked around Ollantaytambo - in the hills around there is other evidence of Inca settlements and the whole place is just surrounded by gigantic mountains, the light reflects off them and it's beautiful. There is also a little market full of colourful trinkets and ornaments and it's so cheap it's amazing. As ever we are off season so whilst there are some tourists here, it's not too busy.

Now we are going to walk down to the station and book the train tickets to do Macchu Picchu tomorrow, this is probably a better idea as it will give us another day to acclimatise to the altitude.

Cuzco...

It's a super quick update today to say that last night we sat in the hotel and the Japanese Surfing Team were also staying there. One of them approached Sam and asked if he would like a wetsuit and then he gave him a free Oakley wetsuit, turns out he is sponsored by Oakley - Sam was very very excited! He repaid them by showing them a magic trick and all the Japanese cheered.

We are now in Lima and have to be up at 2:40 to go to the airport so are just getting ready for bed...so that's it for now - short but sweet I know.

Peru...

We are now into our 4th day in Peru. At first it was quite a culture shock moving from the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica and Central America to the arid, cloudy environment that is Peru, but I think we have just about acclimatised. We are now staying in Punta Hermosa which is a beach south of Lima, it is a place which has realised that tourists are on their way but not quite caught up to them yet so there are a lot of half finished hotels which look like they will be beautiful in a couple of years but not just yet.

After a couple of days of searching we did find a hotel which seemed to fit our bill, from the outside it's beautiful, has a pool overlooking the sea, loads of cool art and the Japanese Olympic surfing team are staying here... however when you get through the doors things aren't quite what they seem. We are sleeping in a dorm room (to ourselves) with 3 sets of bunk beds (yes, bunk beds!) and a shared bathroom!! At first it was a nightmare but we are getting used to it. The best thing was coming to the hotel which we did in a little tuk tuk, with all our luggage and boards strapped on top, it was brilliant and we laughed all the way here (mainly because we thought it would fall over everytime we went over a bump!). On the positive side, there is an amazing seafood restaurant nearby and so we have been dining on fresh calamari and octopus, with drinks the meal has cost the equivalent of £15! Another positive is that Sam has found some kids to play with and spends the evenings playing football by the sea whilst we have a beer. It has been great for him, not only is he playing but also realises that he knows a lot more Spanish than he thought and is able to communicate quite well.

It has been a stressful few days as we have moved around quite a bit recently and booking accommodation is one of the most stressful things of all. It takes so long to research on the internet and then to call from skype and try and communicate in broken Spanish... but we are getting there! The next move is back to Miraflores in Lima tomorrow where we need to go to the travel agents to confirm the flights, then the next morning we fly to Cuzco (safer than taking the bus), we stay in Ollantytambo for two days in a place called Apu lodge (which sam thinks is hilarious). We stay here to acclimatise to the altitude as it's lower than Cuzco. Then we go up to Macchu Pichu, from there we go back to Cuzco and then fly back to Lima on Sunday!!! Whew!!! Now it's all pretty much booked I feel alot calmer and we are all really looking forward to seeing the Inca trail and a bit of Peru's culture.

Peru is really lovely and the people are very nice, with beautiful faces! The fact that we are by the ocean and can look one way and see desert and the other we see ocean is amazing, there is also loads of wildlife and we are on the look out for dolphins at the moment as there are quite a few pods around here... anyway must go and do Sam's English now... believe it or not he is on the computer next to me right now doing a maths game (voluntarily!!) home schooling is amazing...he is also really really well and loving the travels... me and Will may be a bit stressed at the moment but Sam is definately not stressed, bless him... will add picture of tuk tuk later.

Peru

Well we made it to Peru without a hitch, got up and had a huge brekkie and then got a taxi to the airport, then we caught the flight which was about 4 hours and landed in Peru at 3:15 - so now we are only 6 hrs behind the UK.

The taxi picked us up from the airport and brought us to the hotel. We were greeted with a glass of juice and then shown to our room, which is ENORMOUS!! Seriously, it's a suite, complete with king size bed, huge TV, kitchen, dining table etc. The people are lovely and really have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome. They recommended a place for us to eat tonight in Miraflores and so we got a taxi there (Mum you would love it here). Miraflores overlooks the ocean and is super swanky, with amazing shops and nice restaurants and there is also lots of culture around, tomorrow we are going to see a 2,000 year old pyramid which is 5 blocks away. It also seems quite a bit cheaper here which is brilliant.

So it's 9pm now and time to settle into our amazing, huge bed and read and then get some sleep - good night all (ps Lima is ffffffreezing!!) x