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.

Saturday 16th October - Lake Titicaca

Hired a boat to go and see the Uros Islands. The islands are actually reeds and root mass approx a metre deep.

Were shown a demonstration of how the people cut the roots and overlay reeds until they have a stable (-ish), dry-ish habitation. The fishermen on these islands are supposed to have black blood and cannot drown. They have coppery skin to reflect the sunlight. And they are very good salesmen. the inevitable textiles were spread out for us to buy, with the plea that the people cannot survive without us tourists buying their goods.

The second island fed us fresh trout - the freshest I can remember tasting. In the afternoon, got a tour to the Sillustani peninsular to see the round tombs built by pre-Inca and Inca people. Beautiful countryside, and an interesting day out. How on earth these people built structures with blocks of stone the size of a Smart Car, measuring the joints to create tight fits, up to 40 feet high, is quite staggering.

Stopped at a smallholding on the way back to town and tried some local food including edible clay. Multi-storey guinea pig houses out back.

Alpaca for dinner, yum!

Friday 15th October - Train to Lake Titicaca

Posh train to Lake Titicaca. Wonderful old-fashioned carriages, and we were not confined to our seats - there is a bar with seating area, and an open carriage at the back. Stunning scenery, from lush fields with crops, livestock - Llama, Alpaca and even Vicuna, to lakes with pink flamingos, and women in local dress shepherding their herds. Really lovely, nice service, good meals and wine etc. Again, regaled with a band, a fashion show, and Pisco Sour-making demonstration. I enjoyed every minute, but Patrick was not feeling great, and could not get comfortable in the seats which were designed for smaller folk. Booked into the Camino Real Turistico, and after a quick wander, feeling the high altitude (c. 3800 metres), gave up and went to bed.

P. Sad to leave the Pariwana. A friendly, fun place.

Live music in the waiting room, Peruvian canned music on the train - not much silence allowed. 9 hour 10 minute train ride chugging up to 4000m.

We stopped off for a buying frenzy en route!

Altitude sickness is not fun!

Thursday 14th October - Cuzco

Took cab to Tambo Machay, with intention of walking back via various ruins to Sacsayhuman and to Cuzco. Beautiful morning turned into rainstorm. Cold and thoroughly wet, we sheltered in a cave/fissure in a hill, with the wind whistling through it, as though the gods really resented our presence. Eventually gave up, walked down the longest set of steps to a good local restaurant halfway down the mountain. Sat guiltily watching local women doing some hard work rebuilding steps that had been washed away by the previous year's floods. The women here are obviously as strong as the men and there is certainly no discrimination against women doing the heavy work.

Wednesday 13th october - Cuzco

Helen's birthday, and funeral. Thinking of all the family, and really wishing I could be there. I know Mark and Tony would ensure a really good send-off for Helly.

Off to Koricanchi Museum and a couple of local museums of folklore. Also visited a church in the Plaza des Armas.

Had dinner at an Italian dinner in the square and watched a young band play.

Tuesday 12th October - Machu Picchu

Up at 5am to get the bus up to MP again, to wander on our own with fewer people around. Got as high as we could on MP itself (beyond the Watchtower), and contemplated crossing to the Inka Bridge, but the path was horribly open, and I had done enough clinging to the mountain side with one eye closed against the drop. We walked down the steps to Aguas Caliente, through the cloud forest, which was lovely. Lots of bird life and butterflies. Stopped at the MP museum, which we really should have visited before going 'up' (no one told us about it!). Had a wander around the attached jungly gardens, which was lovely, especially as we were accompanied by a big dog who took it on himself to show us around, even sticking with us as we walked back to Aguas Caliente via the campsite and butterfly house. Got train back, entertained by the stewards/stewardesses doing a model show, performing the Inti Raymi dance in full costume (a mishmash of Inka midsummer celebrations and slightly later Christian stuff). Back to Cuzco and to the Pariwana.

Monday 11th October - off to Machu Picchu

Train ride to MP, through some incredible scenery - Sacred Valley, all lush green and looming mountains. Train dropped us at Aguas Caliente. We checked into Sanctuary Hotel, right on the roaring river, and got the bus up to MP. We hired a guide who gave a very interesting explanation of how MP is considered to have been a centre of government, intellectual thinking, mystical gurus. Books have also suggested it was a trade gateway to the jungle on the other side of the Andes, with their greater choice of food, medicinal plants etc. The guide obviously loved it, and said he never got bored as he got great spiritual strength from the place. I on the other hand, was simply scared of the heights. I thought I would be ok after years of skiing, but this represented the type of open spaces that make my knees literally crawl... We had to go down some steps that at first looked as if they were on the edge of an abyss, and I'm ashamed to say I nearly sat down and wept. Vertigo is no fun. However, it was a wonderful experience to see the sheer scale and imagine how the stone was cut by hand, and fitted together so exactly. Skill you cannot imagine nowadays, even with the all the power tools B&Q can supply. Wonderful to be higher than the swallows darting around, but I have to admit that although the guide recommended we climb Wayna Picchu, I did bottle it.

Quiet evening in town and early night before an early morming tomorrow.

Saturday 9th October - Cuzco

Wanted to go horse riding around Sacsayhuman (Sexy Woman as Patrick calls it, along with Oliver Tambo for Ollantaytambo...). Arranged it, and was collected by taxi from Cuzco. Asked Patrick to see me safely on horse. Nice lady persuaded P. that a strong enough horse was available for him, and P. agreed - crazy fool. Apparently we were to venture off on our own. A few commands from me persuaded my horse he had a rank amateur on his hands, so he started barging into Patrick's horse. The young boy gave up and starting hauling Santiago, my horse, by a leading rope. Patrick had to follow - at this point I started to doubt the wisdom of this arrangement. It has been 30 years since I rode a horse, and Patrick has had a couple of outings, 20 years ago. Then it started raining - hard. An hour later, we were at the highest point. Both cold and miserable, and so were the horses. Patrick's had a mind of its own and simply picked the easiest route, and kept dropping behind. I was very concerned that the horses would bolt for home soon....We bailed out and caught a bus home.

Went to a gig at the Municapal Hall - Jaime Guardia and Pepita Garcia. Made the mistake of running up two flights of stairs - 6 minutes to recover!

Move to Pariwana tomorrow, yay!

Friday 8th October - Cuzco

Tour to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Corrao, Chincheros. Coach tour of the Sacred Valley. Lots of very high, very impressive Inca ruins, interspersed with shopping opportunities. How many textiles are there available to buy! Surely there is an overstocking situation here?? Good day though. Back at the hotel, Patrick put up with me wallowing in the Facebook entries. Difficult not being with the family at this time. Hotel de la Jeunesse deserves a mention for the being the most run-down hole we have had the mis-pleasure of staying in. Broken tiles (earthquake damage), dirty paintwork, scruffy kitchen and eating area - yuk. We have booked into the Pariwana Hostal for last day before Machu Picchu, and afterwards.

Jilll did major shop and kitted herself out Peruvian stylee.

Thursday 7th October - Cuzco

Whooooooo - high altitude here (c. 3800m). Tried coca leaves, but still felt awful. Sitting on a high stool in the upstairs of a restaurant finally threw me. Felt faint and sick, as if I had the worst hangover ever. Had to sit on a low chair, as if the few inches would help. Recovered after eating soup and taking a Soroche pill. Learnt via Facebook yesterday that Helen had lost her struggle with CF. Have known all Helen's life that her time would be short, and she managed against the odds to have a relatively good innings to reach 31 - better than the expected age span. Still difficult to comprehend though - we had all hoped she would have a lung transplant and have a few good years left. My heart went out to Tony, Doreen, Andy and the rest of the family. Friends and relatives started leaving messages on FB which seemed fitting somehow, and a wonderful confirmation that she was indeed a special young lady who seemed to inspire love and respect from a lot of people. Our breathlessness up here brought home to me how horrible it must have been for Helly, fighting for the next breath.

The Hostal was not anywhere near as good as the reviews suggested and we're in search of a new home as soon as we can. The hotelier sold us tour as soon we arrived. Lesson #1 don't buy things when you're knackered.

Did an impromptu tour of Cuzco on a lovely old tourist train.

Going to the Sacred Valley tomorrow.

Wed. 6th October - Miraflores, Lima

Having done a bit of research online, and convinced ourselves there was a good side to Chorillos, we took a taxi again, but in the daylight. Taxi driver again nonplussed. We found a restaurant we had seen online, called the Salto de Fraille (Brother's Leap - another monk, this time one whose heart had been broken, so jumped off a cliff into the sea!) The taxi driver was willing to show us the restaurant, but told us firmly it was too expensive! He actually showed us the small group of shoreline restaurants I had originally read about, where the fishermen sell their day's catch, but warned us not to eat there without a taxi waiting - even in daylight. Admittedly it was the last bit of civilisation for miles, but just how dangerous could it be?? We were not willing to test this rhetorical question however, and scuttled back to Miraflores. Spent a second mortgage on coffee at the odd LarcoMar shopping centre.

Finally made it to the incredible Water Circuit in Lima. 14 water based installations. Wow!

Tuesday 5th October - back to Lima

Stayed at Inka Lodge, in Miraflores, in a room on the roof that felt like a garage - very odd. Followed my mild obsession to find out if the coastal town of Chorillos was any more interesting than Miraflores. Asked the taxi driver to take us somewhere to eat in Chorillos. We knew this was an unusual request for a tourist, but did not expect to be taken to a huge shopping centre.. suspect this was a worried taxi driver's way of fulfilling our request, and keeping us safe. The shopping centre was the most depressing place, and for the first time I was overwhelmed with a longing for home. Partly due to worrying news from home that Helen is terribly ill. Partly due the depressing feeling that everyone was being sold a North American dream of happiness - people were queueing at the bank, presumably for loans, and the tvs and white goods were stacked up to improve people's lives. I know it's understandable that everyone wants to see progress and modern improvements, but after Otavalo, it was somehow a bit sad.. Took a taxi back to Barranco, and went to the lovely Mirador bar, stopping en route for a drink in an old railway carriage which used to be used on one of the many now-defunct railway lines. The carriage was built in England and shipped over in 1820.