The bus to Huaraz fom Lima absolutely sucked more than the 4 planes it took to get us here from Australia. The actual bus is luxury and so secure there are security guards everywhere and they even video you on the bus! It was 7.5 hours but no leg room and my butt still remembered that it was sore from sitting down for 24 hours the day before! We should have gotten the VIP seats with the camas (beds) to live through. I hardly slept so once we got to huaraz we had a big sleep at our fantastic hostel (Albergues Churup) with the rooftop lounge, cool kitchen and lounge with fireplace and the most beautiful bedroom. So far we´ve paid no more that $17 a night each for rooms with private bathrooms and towels and breakfast plus free internet perfect when you can get on it.

Four days after flying out from Lima, we booked a one day trek which the sales guy made out as quite easy but it was very hard, we´ve only been at high altitude for one day (you need at least two to acclimatise) and the guide was pretty horrified once he found out how long we´d been here etc. I threw a classic wobbly (yes, with tears) and wanted to go back just befoe we had to rock climb up a waterfall for 250 metres which i thought there was no way i could do cos i saw it and it looked tough but it actually wasn´t. I tired to get Michael and the guide to leave me behind but they said i will be attacked by bandidos. I was willing to take the chance! We have booked more tours with the same tour guide as he rocked plus he helped us change bus tickets, recommended a cool place for pizza with Spanish hip hop and and so much more. I ended up with some nice sunburn for the day! The walk back through a remote village was unbelievable - the villagers live with pigs, hens, bulls, 30-40 guinea pigs (cuy, which they cook and sell to the markets), dogs, sheep etc. They are friendly and truly amazing. We discovered later that the trek we did to Laguna Churup was the hardest possible on the Corderilla Blanca mountains! So at least we can be proud of the achievement.

The locals here are lovely but there are so many dogs in the street it is weird! plus there is some festival on at the moment and there is day and night what sounds like bombs going off, very strange. apparently when Israeli's stay at this time they get scared! The food is good and cheap here although we have been caught paying more than we should at nicer looking places. Also, there is a rooster here that has serious issues - it doesn't realize that it is not sunrise all the time and it is crowing 24/7, but it makes us laugh.

Michael said today he really feels today like he´s arrived in peru now that we're out in the mountains.

The plan is to stay here until Friday (we were only meant to stay 2 nights but love it) and then make our way to Cusco and doing a trek or two there and then heading to Arequipa for Colca Canyon. And then Peru will be over!