We are currently in the town of Pisco, which was pretty much devastated by an earthquake last year in which over 1000 people lost their lives. They are still rebuilding but there are signs of the damage the quake did, including the church with only half of its dome. There isn´t much to do here so a very relaxing afternoon catching up on emails without feeling guilty that there were things to see and do outside. We have been warned not to stray to far from the main plaza - due to the economic impact the earthquake had, crime has apparently risen.

We had a nice dinner last night, meeting some of the new folks that have now joined the tour. This morning we left Lima and drove to Paracas, where we did a boat trip out to the Ballestas Islands, also known as the 'poor man's Galapagos Islands'. On the boat trip to the islands, we stopped for a look at the 'Candelabra', a huge candelabra shaped carving in the desert hills. There are many explanations for what it is but no one really knows, just like the Nazca lines.

Out on the islands there are thousands of sea birds, nesting on shore and flying above. We were recommended to wear a hat just in case 'good luck' came raining down on us. There were penguins, bobbies, pelicans, cormorants, seagulls and many more. Also lots of sea lions sunbaking on the beaches and in the many caves. You can't go on the islands which is probably a good thing due to all the poop. In the past, 'guano' (bird poop) was actually harvested and exported to Europe for fertilizer and this was for a time Peru´s most important source of income.

So it will be a quiet night tonight with dinner in the hotel and I may even try the famous Pisco Sour, supposedly known as the national cocktail of Peru. It has lemon juice, sugar, egg white, and of course pisco, a colourless brandy made from grapes.