Well made it to Peru. Last day in Chile was spent sending a parcel home with a few things. My bag stills way 19kg. Had a laugh with a stall holder Escosia Glasgo sheltic agh ce ce. Unfortunately my spanish is still crap but I am good at mime getting there slowly. Went over the border in a big american dark red car very comfortable. There were five of us but at the border the guy who was sitting in the back with us got arrested. There was a young couple in the front the girl spoke English and took great care of us, Jan is well looked after by the young south americans. We stayed in a hotel in Tacna a border town not far from Arica in the desert. You can see you are in a poorer country the cars are older, people look poorer. There are more indigenous people. At the taxi stand in Arica and Tacna there were lots of womenn sitting selling bundles of clothes. We stayed at a nice hotel in Tacna that had tv, funny watching Julie walters in a show about a teacher in London. Did not see much of Tacna. Up at 4 yesterday morning to get to the airport for a 7 am flight we were the first there. It was cold outside we flew LAN peru the view of the Andes was magnificent. Jan had got an email to check in online it was in German but thankfully there was a German girl staying at the hostel in Arica who interpreted for us. I think the flight ranked as one of my favourites it is up there with the one over the Himalayas. We passed over a volcano in Arechepa snow covered peaks and deep canyons. Peru has some of the deepest canyons in the world. You could see some of the villages high up in the mountains the ground looked light brown with big ripples. Arriving at Lima I was prepared for chaos outside lots of people surrounding us. It was very efficient there were official green taxi drivers with badges waiting as you went through it cost a fix price of 40 soles to our hotel. It is pretty with a lovely court yard. You could see the poverty of Lima. The local mini buses that people hop in and out. You can smell the pollution. It is modern too I am siting in a good internet place. Yesterday we went to a very posh supermarket you could see your reflection in the fruit. What a sellection of fruit types I have never seen before. There is a drink I am going to try purple corn with lime. We had a peruvian soup for lunch with grains potatoe, vegetables it was very nice , chicken a bit spicy with rice and a delicious potatoe for desert I had a tapioca like thing with a peruvian fruit. The drink was a cross between pineapple and something else. There are lots of little stalls selling fruit, sweets and cigarettes. Miraflores is a think a very posh area. I saw a women carrying 2 poodles yesterday. There are lots of VW beetles all old style. We arrived in Miraflores which is on the coast with a sandy beach below, it is on a cliff. Lots of lovely shops, there are green jacket money exchangers. Like India you need lots of small change and do not take old notes. I am going to meet Araceli and her friend tonight, she tried to contact me yesterday but the phone to my room was not working. But it shall be nice to meet. Sorry the blog not putting photos in order peru ones in Chile well must go. Feel a bit strange I only have a few weeks left. Enjoying been back in not such a western country, hopefully have lots of adventures, back not to carrying a bag. You do have to be on your gaurd, but it should not stop you seeing the place and the people. Aracelli is meeting me tonight so hopefully it will be a good evening. Off to try and get by on my mini amount of spanish hopefully like the snail I am pick up a few more phrases as the weeks go on. Talked to some of the peole who have just done the trip we are doing backwards they finished in Lima they all enjoyed it said it was an adventure. Did not like the bit about bats in your room try to forget about that bit. For the sake of my mum could you tell her I sadly get back on the 29th of November, would love to carry on but unfortunately will be extremely poor so will savour every minute of the next few weeks as it will be along time till I get away again. Not unless I meet a male who sweeps me off my feet. That looks very remote. Like the music in south america, well adious for now will try to get a blog and pictures on when I can. There are things here for Halloween so hopefully there might be some dressing up somewhere, but I hope all the kids really have a fun time. Stewart hope you and Aunty Janet have happy birthdays.

Well I met Aracelli last night. What a warm welcome I got. She would love to meet Neil, Laura and Agnes. We went for a lovely meal and tonight we are going to a show. Unfortunately on Wednesday she and her brother in law Luis had tried to call and Luis came to the hotel, but the staff could not find me and the phone did not work in the room. I had not left the room apart to go for something to eat in the afternoon. Nevermind we eventually got in contact. Aracelli´s friend is very nice and had a hard evening keeping interpreting. The Sillars Scotland need to learn a bit of Spanish I will try as it would make it easier. We chatted about Whitehouse Neil Agnes and Laura. We went after dinner to the Barranco area where there is a pretty wooden bridge and beautifull old houses. We saw some old railway carraiges. Tonight Aracelli is meeting us at 9pm and taking us to a peruvian show and we dance. Aunty Agnes would love it I said what a good dancer she is and uncle Neil can Dance too. It has been lovely meeting Aracelli I just wish the Sillars from Whitehouse were hear. I showed the pictures I have of Tarbert. At one point my camera did not work all I could think was what would Agnes say if no pictures we all laughed it started working thankfully. Aracelli´s friend took pictures on her camera too, which she said she would send. Will try and write soon, off on a city tour now for three hours.