Hi Everyone

Had a mad few days in Nasca. Spent 8 hours on the bus from Lima (buses are pretty good though, big leather recliners and you get a meal!).

We´re famous in Nasca though!

We stepped off the bus to hundreds of people and a brass band to greet our little tour group of 8 (we later found out it was National Tourism day and our group had been chosen to represent all the tourists as guests of honour!).

They chose one of the girls from our group, Sarah, to be the queen of Nasca, crowned her and led us all down the street with a procession! They took us to a restaurant where we had dinner with the mayor and other important dignatories, they´d put on dancers and more bands for us!

The next day we went into the town for a ceremony of the official crowning of Queen Sarah, she had to wear a special dress, we then paraded around the town with the Peru flag whilst the entire town watched! It was so mad! The Peru TV stations were there filming us (which we watched that night!) and the newspapers too!

There was then another a parade with floats and dancers which Sarah was the guest of honor for on a horse and cart, we then got presented with traditional peruvian pottery as gifts (Sarah got loads and lods of presents!)

It was so weird!!! Everyone´s so friendly though and we felt like royalty!

Saw the Nasca lines too in a little 6 seater plane. They were pretty amazing (but the photos haven´t come out too well!). There´s lots of theories about what they were created for - not sure any of them really convinced us!

Went Sandboarding in Ica - miles and miles of amazing sand mountains. Had great fun on dune buggys - bit of a rollercoaster ride, the driver was a nutter!

Got nightbus to Ariquipa, arrived at 8.30am absolutely knackered - didn´t get much sleep! Interesting city - saw a few more Inca potteries and textiles (getting a bit Inca´d out though now!)

Went to the Colca Canyon really early the next morning - deepest canyon in the world at 4000metres - saw the condors flying. Passed over the highest point at 4950metres and got a bit of altitude sickness even after chewing plenty of Coca leaves which is meant to help. Andrew got a bit high on them and spent the afternoon chattering like mad!!!

Now in Cusco awaiting the start of the Inca trek - not sure if we´ll finish!!!

Nic & Andrew xxx