NO PLACE LIKE DOME Although Peru and Chile are neighbouring countries, there is quite a contrast between them. Chile has a more Western outlook (compared with Peru which seems to be much more in touch with, and have more dependence on, its past) and this is demonstrated in the modern shops, clothes and infrastructure evident throughout the country - and La Serena was no exception. After arriving from San Pedro de Atacama overnight, we found a hostel and quickly m...

IT'S NOT ALWAYS CHILLY IN CHILE We arrived into San Pedro de Atacama somewhat tired and bedraggled after a night on the overnight bus from Arica and, rather than go to a scabby hostel, this time we had work to do. But work of an enjoyable nature as we started the first of a series of reviews we're doing of swanky hotels in Chile over the course of the next few weeks. Rather than slumming it we could see how the other half live in a place that had hot running wate...

THE BATTLE FOR MOQUEGUA After our attempts to get to Bolivia had been thwarted, we didn't expect to encounter any trouble in crossing the border to Chile. We had a pretty tight schedule to keep to as we had to be in San Pedro de Atacama (hundreds of miles south) a few days later for the first of the hotels we're reviewing, and had revised our route to go overland through the south of Peru to get to northern Chile. However, again, it didn't prove to be as straight...

AREQUIPA, AREQUIPA, AREQUIPA We only had 24 hours in Nazca before we were off again heading south on an overnight bus to Arequipa (which we christened 'Arequipa, Arequipa, Arequipa' in memory of the bus conductors in Lima who call out at high speed like a market stallholder the names of the main roads on which their bus will be travelling - one of the key roads into the centre of Lima is called Arequipa). We had the front seats on the top deck of the bus this tim...

LEAVING CUZCO'S NEVER EASY Ah, Bolivia, what a great place; the friendly people, the floating islands on Lake Titicaca, La Paz (one of the highest cities in the world) and the famous salt lakes. Sadly, we never got to see these great sights as getting to Bolivia proved to be impossible for us as some pesky Peruvian protesters were blocking the road between Cuzco and Puno (near Lake Titicaca and the Bolivian border). This was pretty disappointing in itself but ev...