Monday 25th October. and back to London...

Of to the airport and heading back to London, via a loooong stopover in Miami. Taxi home to find welcome bunting and cake. Thanks, Kate!

Sunday 24th October. Farewell Huacachina, hello Lima!

A slow wander around town to say 'goodbye' to our oasis and then off to Lima on the luxury bus.

We stayed at the Pariwana, Lima, sister to the one in Cusco. Rooftop play area, good view of the city, free wifi, quiet room.

A bit of last minute shopping and a wander round town.

Saw the Capoeira in town. Dinner near the main square and Jill ate the Guinea Pig.

Saturday 23rd October - The Wineries of Huacachina.

Quiet morning wandering around the sand dunes.

Collected at around 1.00pm for our tour of three wineries. We were given the full tour of the first two and tastings of quite a few wines and Piscos (grape brandy) and chances to buy. None of the spitting it out stuff! Lots of knocking it back and no food in sight to soak it up. Wonderful views from the bell tower of the first. Bought a couple of bottles at the second one.

The third was quite different; part museum, part party and part winery. Live music and dancing! It was apparently owned by the grandson of Simon Bolivar and is part of their equivalent of the National Trust.

We really would like to have stayed and partied, but we got whisked away half-cut!

Friday 22nd October. Huacachina.

Jill heads off to the Ballestos Islands at 6.30am.

At 8.30am we have a power cut. The weather is grey and overcast. The comes screaming up a 9.25am and the temperature hits 30C very quickly.


Patrick wandered around town and then read by the pool.

Quiet afternoon. A walk around town and up the sand dune.

A bit busier tonight. The weekend has begun.

Thursday 21st October. Huacahina.

Loud music on the bus. 30 degrees C. All the passengers ringing the bells for attention!

Complained to El Jefe on arrival in Ica. Picked up a Taxi driver/guide who took us to our hotel out by the Lagoon in Huacachina.

We bought three tours: a dune buggy ride and dune surf, a trip around three wineries and Jill opted for a boat trip around the Ballestas islands.

The hotel is magnificent. We have a chalet out by the pool.

Breakfast at Cornish Cafe.

Everything centres on the Lagoon. The lagoon is slightly smelly but beautiful.

Dune buggying involves being driven at high speed by a madman up and down sand dunes; lots of screaming and bashing of head on the roof as we bounce over dunes. Then the dune boarding!

Basically, sliding down a bloody huge sand dune on a plank! very exhilarating! We boarded down four progressively higher dunes.

Sat on top of the dunes and watched the sunset.

A walk in the evening and dinner. It's very quiet here!

Wednesday 20th October - To Huacachina

A bit of a waiting day today. The bus to Ica as an over-nighter, which leaves at around 10.00pm.

Jill went a monastery in the morning. I chased my lost phone and did some hotel bookings.

Packed and checked out.

Dinner in the Moroccan restaurant. Tried the chicha morrada a local non alcoholic bevereage. Yum!

Luxury bus. A plush cocoon with over-loud music and overheated air conditioning. No views as its dark.

Tuesday 19th October - Arequipa

Woke to the sound of singing. Breakfast and then down to the hammocks to read for a while.

Lunch at the Mirador - lovely fish restaurant, with cockerels and frogs serenading.

Visited a couple of stately homes above the Plaza and walked home via a coffee house.

I appear to have lost my mobile phone!

Dinner in Plaza des Armas.

Adults singing and dancing at the school. Apparently, the Festa was cancelled last year due to the so their getting back in practice.

Decided not to bother with the Nazca Lines and the valley of the Condors. Alix told us that three planes had come down in the past year and that this was usually due to them being un-airworthy.(She used to be a tour guide!)

So where heading for the oasis at Huacachina to work on our tans. Alix helped us with the bookings, so no more chicken buses!

Monday 18th October. Arequipa

A good night's sleep. Awoken by children singing in the school behind the hotel. Chilled out for a couple of hours in the hammocks at the back of the hotel and then a taxi to the Mirador at the north of the town.

We wander down toward the centre of town and visited the Monastery of Santa Cantalina, which is actually a convent. Ostensibly a club for rich girls: the greater the dowry given on joining the convent the greater the space and privileges accorded.

In the convent there is a storyboard about the Vatican attempting to limit the nuns to only one slave!

'Purple people', month long religious event in the Plaza des Armas. The devout wander around in purple robes secured with a white cord, and those that have to work wear just the chord around their necks; knotted like a hangman's noose.

Found a cluster of North African and Turkish cafes and restaurants on the above the Plaza on the eastern side. Excellent places to chill out and great coffee.

Saw Juanita, the 'Ice Maiden' in the museum and then walked home.

Another quiet night in. Singing and dancing at the school tonight.

Sunday 17th October. To Arequipa.

A cock-up with the buses meant we ended up travelling on the stinky 'chicken' bus rather than the deluxe tourist bus. Lots of sweat and body odour plus a loo that did not work or that no one was brave enough to use.

Vendors where picked up every couple of hours who tried to sell us fried food, drinks, jellies and, in one case, religion.

Arrived on time on Arequipa and took a taxi to the Casa de Los Pinguinos, House of the Penguins. The relevance? The Proprietor, Alix, like Penguins. Google, 'Penguins, Arequipa' and you'll find them.

We'll probably spend a couple of days here and plan the next stages. Everything in Arequipa is walkable.

Quiet night in with a huge Chinese takeaway.