Rio de Janeiro! What a funny week, one of the best of the trip so far and matched by a great group we met. We stayed in Books hostel, in the heart of Lapa, the party district of the city. The first day one of the rooms had a spout of bed bugs so all the guys clothes and bags had to be fully fumigated and frozen. All they had to wear was their bed sheets so everyone in the hostel donned the same and had a toga party! The 10 of the guys we spent the week with all ...

So we decided to take the slow boat from Iquitos to Santa Rosa before heading onto Rio by plane. The boat was a combination of a huge cargo delivery vessel with 2 top decks available for passengers wanting to sleep in a hammock for the trip! At £16 for 3 days hammock space including all meals, and a passenger capacity of 200-300 people it was going to be an experience... We read advice to set up the hammocks on the 2nd deck and away from the toilets and light...

5 day trip into the Amazon Rainforest and we had everything in store for us from piranha fishing and alligator spotting to camping in the high jungle. Each day we spent with the lead guide Villi and his assistant Gustavo, both of which turned out to be absolute legends by the end of the trip! First 2 nights at our own personal lodge built within a clearing on the Yarapa and Cumaceba creek and second 2 camping further into the 'high jungle'. Day 1: The trip st...

So we headed North of Lima to Iquitos, a city that's built up inside the jungle and only accessible by plane and boat! Main plan of the stay was a bit of sightseeing round the city with an Amazon trip sandwiched in between! Although the city has over half a million people living in it, it has a nice feel to it, small streets with low rising buildings and locals always pottering around outside on the street of their properties with family and friends. Also very ...

So, first week in South America and the next leg of the trip! 24 hours later and we arrived in Lima, Peru. Didn't know what to expect from Lima or South America and only herd a few things. Strangest feeling in the city was that downtown, the coastal district and the main tourist areas were exactly like a Spanish city would be. Obviously expecting Spanish influence from the colonial era but unbelievable how much of the culture remains! Hit all the main sites, da...