Sunday 17th June Our journey continued along the Pan American Highway following the dramatic coastline through sandstone mountains and desert. We visited the Ballestros Islands at Paracus on a hairraising speed boat trip. The English made more money from harvesting and exporting guana (bird poo) from these islands than the Spanish made from Inca gold! We camped on a cliff top with nothing to see but sea and desert. Apart from the wind it was a fantastic locati...

Saturday 16th JuneSpending the day in Lima catching up with washing and blogging! Hope to visit Miraflores this afternoon. This is the upmarket coastal area of the city - perhaps we'll get a meal there tonight.We set off again tomorrow morning for a few more nights camping and we are on cooking duty too.Chow

Tuesday 12th JuneUp at 2.30 a.m. for a 5.15 a.m. flight to Iquitos (only accessible by air or boat). Boarded the flight and sat on the runway for over an hour only to be told that the flight was cancelled due to the poor weather conditions! We returned to our hotel and caught the flight 12 hours later at 5.30 p.m. Iquitos was buzzing with motorbike taxis (like tuk tuks) and we were driven to the hotel in the swarm! Iquitos is a rubber boom town right in the middl...

10th June Another early start and long journey through mile upon mile of desert interspersed with occasional towns/villages where the river meets the sea. The scenery was amazing and our lunch stop was overlooking a deserted bay with nothing but sea and desert in sight. We eventually arrived in Lima after having been stopped by the Police and paid the obigatory "fine"! Staying in a hotel in the old centre. 11th June Took the city tour this morning wi...

8th June Another early start and long journey to Huanchaco, near Trujillo. Many of the group are suffering with a tummy bug today. We arrived at dusk and put up our tents on the smallest campsite ever - on the lawn of a hotel/hostal. 9th June This morning we visited the pre-Inca City of Chan Chan and the Holy Place of the Moon (Huaca de la Luna). The ruins, which are being restored since they were discovered in 1990, are in desert very close to the sea. It is ...