The music began again at 7am. Softly at first, building over the next half an hour to a crescendo when a loud static crackling followed by a metallic boom startled him awake...."Goooood morning ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to another beautiful day in Paradise, please come and join us for breakfast in the dining area"......He let out an exasperated groan. "Nooooooo"..... She threw a pillow at the ceiling and covered her ears. Like clockwork, they were right on time again. The bedroom rocked gently as their eyes defied the light and their ears refused to acknowledge the wake up call. It had been a restless night, the crashing of the waves against the hull as they navigated to the far north of the islands had meant a semi-concious muscular feat of endurance attempting to maintain position in bed. It was day 13 in the Galápagos Islands, and the military exercise had begun in earnest once more. 

Breakfast, followed by Wet landing, followed by snacks, followed by hike, followed by lunch, followed by snorkeling, followed by snacks, followed by dry landing followed by snacks followed by briefing followed by dinner, all with their own announcements and harrying staff. This was the order of our days in the Galapagos and after 2 weeks it was admitedly starting to take its toll. The Galápagos Islands themselves as you've heard are 'out of this world'. A place where evolution has thrived untouched until recent times by human hands or external interferences. Buccaneers, whalers, and pirates introduced feral goats, rats and dogs which all negatively impacted the delicate ecosystems that existed as they competed for food with the tortoises and iguanas and resulted in a 70% loss of all Giant Tortoises. Today Galapaganians are sorrowful of the damage humans did in the past and are trying to make amends through breeding programmes, extermination programmes(95% of all goats have been shot) and rigorous immigration and inter-island checks for seeds/animals etc.). 

Home to the plodding ancient Giant Tortoises, the Blue and Red footed Boobies(side note: Phil loves Boobies!:)), albatrosses, playful sea lions, land iguanas of all shapes and colours, marine iguanas (everywhere), hawks, owls, frigate birds, stalks, finches and of course Penguins. Thats not to even touch on the clearest and most eye-openingly diverse aquarium that exists just a meter below the surface in places and by far the best snorkeling in the world that we have experienced. Moorish Idols(elegant black and yellow fish with a long tail that trails from the top of its dorsal fin), Golden Rays, Reef Sharks and Parrot fish(with their apparent eye and mouth make up), innumerable sea turtles of all sizes and sea lions swimming straight at your face and turning at the last minute or biting at your rubber flippers were some of the most memorable highlights but there really is just an abundance of wildlife everywhere you look. All of these endemic to this area and living in apparent blissful harmony(with the exception of course of the Galapagos hawk, the no.1 big cheese of the islands with a particular taste for Marine Iguana). And all quite un afraid of humans(apparently due to their evolution history) meaning ridiculously close encounters with all of the islands inhabitants.

Just to add briefly to what Yvette's already said about the Galapagos, whilst each island heralded its own secrets, lava formations, wildlife and species not found on other islands(or indeed anywhere else on earth), it was also the unplanned stuff that made our experience so memorable. I include a couple of examples(of many experiences as you can imagine) as follows: 

The crossing of the equator on our first boat was quite special..in the late evening everybody was excited that we were crossing to the Northern Hemisphere for the first time. We were all counting down the hours and minutes to that point. Five minutes prior to 'H-Hour' the Captain announced our proximity over the tannoy and a few of us scrambled up in the pitch black to the top deck to witness the crossing (on the GPS...). The Captain slowed the boat, almost to a complete standstill, which he was under no obligation to do since he had a military schedule to stick to eh....and lo and behold 0'00'00 latitude emerged and the S turned to N. Fantastic to be on the ocean and in the Galapagos for such a crossing...and to see the big orange line that goes around the world of course ;).

Another unplanned memorable occasion was on our second ship when we headed up to the top deck after dinner one evening to be met with clear skies and a jet black canvass punctured by a million shimmering dots and diluted only by the immense stretch of a milky cloud, the Milky Way. Our guide decided it was time for an impromptu lesson in Astrology on the equator where you can of course bear witness to both Northern and Southern hemisphere constallations. From his pocket he produced a very powerful green laser pen and as we all gazed upwards to the heavens, he literally joined the dots in the night sky for us and explained the configuration and meaning of each constellation. It was quite something, especially when you throw in shooting stars and passing satellites. Me and Yvette both stayed on for half an hour more gazing in wonder at a beautiful equatorial night sky. I made a note to self to purchase at earliest convenience, high powered green laser pen.:)

Indeed whilst the Galapagos Islands were the most incredible place to visit and we both thoroughly enjoyed our time there, the way the boats operated had us feeling exhausted at the end of the day and bloated with the shear amount of food they fed us. Anyone looking for a relaxing holiday should probably not consider the Galapagos islands but anyone fascinated by the inhabitants of islands above and below the water that are not found anywhere else in the world, the geographical and volcanic significance and implications and the shear magic of the strands of evolution tailored to each island will simply be mesmerised with wonder and the exhaustion will pale into insignificance as it did with us. We were also privaleged to meet some very interesting 'retired plus' people..one 'full of life' 85 year old in particular comes to mind who entertained us with his stories of travel throughout his entire life and who reckoned he only had 52 places in the world left to visit...it raised a few eyebrows but we listened intently and sometimes with disbelief at his travel stories, but the overriding sensation was one of admiration for this man who had taken life by the balls and despite some hardships and the sad loss of his wife was still going strong and travelling solo.

So it was that we very much looked forward to our land voyage after spending over 2 weeks out on the briny ocean and whilst sad that we were leaving behind a place that we will most likely never visit again, or at least not for a very long time, we both exhaled a slight sigh of relief too that normality in our travels may resume...that we would get a good nights sleep for starters without the panic 'go go go!' that broke out over the Tannoy at 7.30am every morning. Haha But boy what a place!

Ecuador

As we descended from the clouds back into the mountainous city of Quito we looked down upon the Continent of South America with great expectation. A new adventure was beginning. The Mayans were behind us. The land of the Incas we beheld properly for the first time. The last light of day cast long shadows and bathed great swathes of the mountains and city in Twilight making for a heavenly glimpse of the city and surroundings that we would come to love. We were filled with excitement for what lay ahead. Me especially as you will come to learn.

Quito surprised both of us with its charm. It is a great expanse of urban sprawl laid out across several mountains and comprises a surprisingly harmonious blend of old and new buildings divided by narrow alleyways and long undulating roads. We were to stay in the Old Town and no sooner had we arrived than we were thrust into the beating heart of Ecuadorian culture....a do or die football match between Ecuador and Peru had thousands of yellow clad horn blowing fans descending upon the main square where myself and Yvette unwittingly decided to have dinner. Tucking enthusiastically into our first taste of Ecuadorian food (meat and potatoes) and beer we were oblivious to the TV cameras that had positioned themselves around the terrace in which we were sat. Indeed, as the match went on the TV lights came on and apparent live streaming was happening...with us in the background! At one point completely out of the blue and at no particularly defining moment in the match the cameraman came straight up to Phil, light on full beam, camera in the face, making circular motions with his free hand (aka DO SOMETHING!!) and a very tired rabbit in headlights had no choice but to make whooping noises, fist punches and shout 'Arriba Ecuador'! Much to the encouragement of others and the amusement of Yvette!. Barely in the country 3 hours and on National TV! I think the cameraman had a tint of ginge in his sideburns whoahaha

Notable memories of Quito however lie in the very random chance happening upon a rooftop restaurant situated in the valley where superb views of the Bassillica and the Angel overlooking the city and the mountain range beyond were enjoyed. We also had our first taste of the local Ecuadorian drinks Canalazo and Mulled Wine...and it was needed as it was really quite cold in the evenings. 

The Bassillica was a beautiful period Cathedral, ornate and grandiose, and was the one easily recognizable part of the Quito skyline. We went in to explore and stay a while. Yvette compared it to the Cathedral in Morelia. 

On our second day we crammed in a whistlestop tour of Quito given our limited time there, taking in an interesting bus tour, where every 5mins the driver would shout 'DUCK' to the people on the roof(in Spanish I might add so my reaction was slower!) and the cables crisscrossing the road would pass literally inches above the seat tops and our heads (im not exaggerating) which whilst amusing at first, on our way back in the dark was scary as hell!. We also visited the Angel overlooking Quito for its views, and decided to test our Altitude ability for the first time in preparation for the Inca Trail by taking a Gondola to the top of the highest peak in the area (around 4,000m). We both certainly felt lightheaded but nothing more than a headache thankfully.

From Quito we headed up into the Amazonian region with our group who we were very pleased with. The group dynamics were good and we were all hopeful for a good tour. Tena was the name of the town. We were to stay in what was known as a 'Jungle Lodge '. Essentially a lightweight timber building nestled within the trees with no electricity or hot water. You can imagine Yvette's delight!haha For me I enjoy that kind of thing, but I think Yvette was scarred for life when in the evening I stupidly pointed out the very hairy Tarantula that sat just above the toilet adjacent to the shower and had decided to make our lodge its home for the evening. Not to mention the dozen or so Cockroaches scrambling across the floor which I did my best to kick out of the room or under the bed whilst her back was turned. :-/ definitely a damage limitation exercise for me during the two days we were there but to her credit she embraced it admirably. 

Whilst the evenings came alive with all things creepy crawly and erm.... paranoia (ahem torch on, scan, torch off repeat x959,999), we did manage to enjoy ourselves during the day. Tubing (floating in a rubber ring)down the Amazonian river and its rapids was one of the highlights for both of us. We also visited a local indigenous tribe who demonstrated Gold Panning, Pottery and hunting skills with a large pea shooter(3m length) and dart. We all had a go at trying to hit a parrots ass and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to shoot it further than everyone else! (even though it missed the parrot by a good foot)haha. It did open our eyes however to the very basic yet hardworking lives that these indigenous tribes endure. It was also our first introduction to the Quetzhua language and culture, the overhang from the Incas.

From the Amazonian region we headed down to the Andes region and the exciting town of Banos. Following winding roads up into the mountains, Banos was the adventure lovers paradise. Very similar in nature to Monteverde, Costa Rica. With our adventure hats back on myself and Yvette were to once again take to the water as we decided to try out the White Water Rafting on the first day (which was sold to us as Grade iiiplus, a step up from our previous experience) and Canyoning once again on the second day. 

Well to put it bluntly, the rafting in my opinion was pants. It had been raining heavily for a few days prior which meant flooded rivers and not so many rapids. Plus there were only four of us in the raft which made life very difficult indeed. In fact the only amusing part of the whole morning was that the big bearded Aussie bloke that sat alongside me in the front was demoted(we think because of his timing) and had to sit behind Yvette who joined me at the front. We worked well as a team but the Aussie bloke was really not happy sitting behind someone he viewed as inferior and it was slightly awkward initially and when he made sniping remarks about Yvette's timing :-/. Anyhow, day 2 was an altogether different matter. The Canyoning was simply out of this world! 

After a heavy and very fun night out on the town the night before with the group, we awoke very early to hangovers as our alarms went off. The prospect of getting wet filled neither of us with joy but we trooped ourselves down to the pick up point nonetheless in the early morning mist. Following a 45min jeep ride into the middle of nowhere, we wet suited up and began a very arduous and hot hike (in our wettsuits) up the mountainside for 20mins under a by now fully clear sky and rising sun. The views were spectacular and when we finally came upon the river, the relief from the heat as we dunked our asses was very very welcome :)). What followed over the next two hours was essentially 5 abseils/rappels down 5 breathtakingly beautiful and large waterfalls. Having had experience at Canyoning in Costa Rica now, Yvette was like a pro. The sight of her disappearing under the weight and force of the waterfall as she methodically navigated her way down the shear rock face was quite jaw dropping both worryingly and admirably. The squeals of happiness and the number of 'e-holays' mesnt we knew she was lapping it all up and progressing..It was as if she was born abseiling! The shear joy of being alone in this emerald paradise and successfully rappelling one of natures wonders was very special. Alone in our own mountainous adventure playground! Shimmering jungle dew under the canopy, sunlight breaking through in patches. Each waterfall more beautiful than the last, with a few water holes thrown in for good measure where we could bathe and relax. The final drop comprised a rock water slide where we would trust our guide with our lives as we slid (apparently controlled) on our butts to the looming pool below. All ill say is 'whhhooooohooooooo.......&$@*#!!!'. We both had so much fun and this was by far the best Canyoning either of us had ever done in stunning surroundings and literally underneath the full force of 5 huge waterfalls. For the rest of our day we were grinning like Cheshire Cats. Magical.

Our Banos adventure didn't end there however. Yvette wanted to go to the lookout point and explore the area such was our enthusiasm for the place after the Canyoning. So it was that we hired a jeep for a few hours and I drove us up to the lookout for some beautiful eagle eye views of the valley and the town of Banos and further up to what was known as simply 'the treehouse'. Does exactly what it says on the tin. House in a tree at altitude. There we managed to get some great views of the nearby snow capped Volcanoes.

Following our drive up the mountain side to the lookout point and our innumerable pictures, we headed past the local dam to view more waterfalls and the very old hanging bridge which lay on the other side of a vast canyon. To get there we would have to cross on a very flimsy looking cable car suspended high above the Canyon bottom on 2 very old looking cables. Things were made worse by the fact that the operator looked like Onslo from 'Keeping Up Appearances' (English people reference, sorry - fat bloke in a vest) and clearly had better things to be doing than ferrying us across on his one lever operated contraption. Admittedly both of us were a little apprehensive and when he started the motor with a bang and smoke began pouring out, things looked ominous. 5mins later we were in two minds about whether to go and then as if sensing this he urged us into this death trap cage which wobbled from side to side and he returned to his armchair and his lever, might as well have been rubbing his hands together and muttering to himself!. A sudden lurch forward had us grabbing the rails as if they were the only thing between us and the abyss(well, they were!) and we shot forward on very flimsy pulley wheels. Half way across the thing ground to a halt for reasons unbeknown to us and there we dangled for what seemed like an eternity before he managed to get the motor working again. Needless to say we were very thankful to be on solid ground on the other side, and I was cursing the idea to come across, especially when the bloke told us that when we want to return we have to wave and scream. 

There wasn't much to do on the other side admittedly apart from check out the hanging bridge so we did exactly that but oh boy...another death trap awaited. Indiana Jones eat your heart out...this bridge was worthy of one of his movies...the planks of wood were rotten to the core and most had long since split from the nails that had once held them in place. Dangling above a smaller canyon river which washed into the larger canyon, we were truly dicing with death or so it seemed. We both edged our way across assessing every inch for movement and weight resistance. Yvette went first and I followed after she was safely across(oh yes, if in doubt send the gf across...;) haha). I have no shame in admitting that that was one scary ass bridge, especially when one plank moved from under my foot. Anyhow, alls well that ends well but we still had the small issue of getting back across the large canyon. 

Whilst we were playing chicken with the hanging bridge, Onslo in his infinite wisdom had decided to withdraw the cage back to his side and go for yet another sandwich. Nom mom nom. So it was that we were left hopping up and down and screaming like two loonies escaped from a mental asylum theatre group(no offence intended), trying to get the attention of well, anyone on the other side. That plan didn't work and so we were left to contemplate our options when 20mins later Onslo seemed to reappear with a bag of crisps and half interestedly gave us a cursory glance. Nonetheless the car started to move. That is until a bus load of tourists disembarked and he recalled it to load the yankeedoodles on much to our disbelief. 

The thing hardly seemed stable with two of us, and watching him send across 11 of them was both amusing and horrifying. The looks on their faces said it all. The cables groaned under the strain, and just as the car approached us, and people looked relieved and ready to disembark, Onslo stopped it, and literally threw it into reverse and the car was sent hurtling back towards the center at breakneck speed. I for one will never forget the look on the lady's face as she was hurled forwards into the rail. Me and Yvette were noth hysterical with laughter. It was hilarious and we thought that maybe Onslo did have a sense of humour after all. We could just picture him snorting his crisps all over his fridge sized gut..this afterall was his TV. Shortly after we were to experience exactly the same and knowing what was coming Yvette thought it wise to lay spread eagle on the floor. Quite a sight, not to mention drastic measure but it was really truly a terrifying experience.

On a more cheery note we lived to tell the tale and we both very much loved Ecuador. The culture, the people and the scenery were all stunning. We had a lot of fun and will definitely be going back one day.

Next up was Peru and what we hoped would be an even better country!

Peru

We crossed the border on the North West tip and no sooner had we done that, the scenery changed quite drastically. On the long road that runs the length of Perus coast, to the right of course is the beach, miles and miles of beach. To the left however, there is seemingly endless desert. We were both very surprised at how much Desert Peru is actually home to, which didn't make for the most thrilling of bus journies, and we had some long ones in Peru...10 hours from town to town! We did however receive our reward for the long journies one morning in the form of a crazy ass 4x4 rollercoaster rally over the mammoth 30 storey dunes which included some physics defying maneouvres and drops followed by some hilarious 'sandboarding' down said dunes. I'm not sure which was the highlight of this little excursion....Yvette screaming louder than a fog horn the whole way :) or my blitzing the distance competition on the sand boarding to the extent that I nearly carried on over the next dune at the bottom. Sand boarding for sure was a lot of fun! It's basically a waxed up snowboard and you lay down head first, tuck in your elbows, pin back your ears say a little prayer and lift the legs (or if you're afraid of heights or speed dig your toes in the whole way as some of our group did :)), and hope for the best. The speed you reach is quite something and I guess the old adage reared it's head...'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'. I was certainly the heaviest by a long shot and I think that may well have helped me somewhat with my plunge but I still maintain there's a skill in streamlining!haha The views of the desert from the top of the dunes were quite spectacular and looking down on the town from where we departed it was clear we had literally stopped at an Oasis in the middle of the desert...palm trees, a lake, camels, the full Monty..as if straight out of an Aladdin movie set. Great experience. 

Whilst we didnt do much else that is noteworthy in Northern Peru, we DID pay a visit to a Pre-Inca 'Chimu' temple where we learnt much about the civilizations that existed before the Incas went on their rampage North. We both found that very stimulating and thought provoking: The way that history has treated the region with civilizations being conquered and forced to change their ways and beliefs, only for them to then be conquered by another marauding foe. Certainly the remnants of these civilizations were quite a sight to behold since their craftsmanship, apparent organization and agricultural abilities in such harsh climates were staggering. It is also interesting that the Incas, ultimately the last conquerors before the Spanish arrived, took the best from the civilizations they conquered or entered into agreement with, and incorporated this into their culture. This is best demonstrated in the Pottery decorations and some stone carvings in the late Inca period. 

On our way down to Cusco, we visited Pisco, home of the legendary Pisco Sour, made with egg white(had a few nervous Salmonella twitches :)). We were all quite surprised and disappointed at how Pisco was really quite dirty and poor, and we were left pondering how it was the place became famous for the national drink when the buildings were barely worthy of being called buildings. Anyhow, we only stayed there one night and then it was on to Nazca. Home to the famous Nazca lines.

The Nazca lines are ancient lines up to 300+ meters in length laid or carved out typically in white by ancient peoples prior to the Incas. To name but a few of the 20 or so carvings, some of the most notable shapes to me included a spider, condor, spaceman, and a majestic hummingbird. Unfortunately however, nobody alive today knows why they were created. There is great debate amongst scholars with the most widely accepted theory being that they were used as a giant astrology chart. Indeed people have dedicated their lives to studying and deciphering the lines, which were only properly discovered as late as the 1940s and which some believe to line up with star constellations at certain times of the year. To view these lines properly, you must view from the air. That is what makes their symmetry and artistic accuracy so unbelievable as the ancient peoples would not have been able to view their creations from the air, and therefore not take in the whole picture. We had both decided that we would join a flight over the lines as soon as we got there and I can only say what a amazing feat it was to draw such near perfect shapes and representations on such a scale without the benefit of overview. The hummingbird and spider were both my favorites but there were so many it was quite something to look down on. Carved into the land thousands of years ago, they are now a Unesco protected site, and like a kid looking up at the stars for the first time, so we gazed earthwards and wondered...what does it all mean?. That we will never know but it was a very memorable half hour flight and inspired dreams of one day creating my own lines....to spell the words GINGERS ARE COMING. Haha they can be the new crop circles! Long may they be admired! Yvette enjoyed it too but was far too preoccupied with the smells wafting from the two giant Germans that sat in front of us who apparently forgot their deodorant that morning. From the noises emanating from Yvette you'd have thought she had really bad stomach pains!hahaha

From Nazca we headed to the huge city of Arequipa where we stayed a few nights and indulged in some overdue partying after being on the road for so long. 

From Arequipa the scenery started changing. Goodbye desert and hello mountains once more!

The one thing we would come to know and see more than anything else in the mountain region was the dopey shaggy hairball of the llama and his slightly smaller cousin the Alpaca. They feature heavily in the lives of indigenous people for wool, meat and transport, and at the local markets and shops there are some fantastic Alpaca products. I bought a huge furry Alpaca hat and Yvette bought gloves and a hat ready for our highest mountain pass at 4,900m.

As we headed into the mountains we were staggered at both the shear number of llamas and Alpacas and of the terraces that were apparently cut into the side of the mountains, creating giant steps on the mountainside. These steps it turned out were the very cornerstone of how the Incas and the civilizations before them conducted their agriculture. The idea was that flat land was created for growing crops that was easily accessible and more importantly was easily managed from an irrigation and water perspective. By cutting steps into the mountainside water was captured and put to use more easily. The main crops of the Incas were Potato, Corn and Quenua of which there are thousands of different types and species. 

This sight became more and more common the nearer we got to Cusco, and the faint lines of the older civilisations could be seen on the higher mountains whilst the relatively more modern inca constructions were seen on the lower mountains. This occurs right across the Andes and makes for a wondrous spectacle to witness, given the scale of the mountains and the shear number of agricultural 'steps'. 

Shortly before arriving into Cusco(the birthplace of the Incas) we passed through a valley and up onto the winding roads and the ridge of the majestic Colca Canyon. Words cannot describe how beautiful this was and the pictures will have to speak for themselves. Grand stepped Mountains rising high over a lush green valley with meadows and rivers. Colca Canyon was the gateway to Cusco but also home to one of the grandest birds on the planet, and an Inca God (of the future), the Condor. We stopped at a viewpoint mid morning when the sun's heat has warmed the earth enough to create thermals and to bring the Condors out from their nests high in the mountains. Condors are amongst the largest birds on the planet. They feast on rotting flesh and soar high in the sky looking for corpses. To witness them in flight is to watch a jumbo jet elegantly floating with the winds. It is perhaps more symbolic than anything, the ultimate freedom soaring high, the largest birds, the gods of the sky. It is little wonder the Inca people made them their deities. And so after witnessing these birds in flight in the Colca Canyon we headed to Cusco, where the beginning of our most anticipated adventure would begin. The Inca Trail. 80km of vertical hell. 

Cusco was a vibrant city and home to our guide, Patricia. Everything here was geared towards trekking, nightlife and Inca history. It had a beautiful main square, old buildings and Spanish wooden carved balconies and rooftop restaurants. A main cathedral dominates the square and street sellers try and push everything from artwork to pizzas onto you. It has a buzz certainly, and is a hub for adventure in the region but one gets the impression that travellers to Cusco are either there to prepare for the arduous trek along the Inca trail to Macchu Picchu, the sky high gravity defying abandoned ruins of an Inca city or are recuperating having just trekked for days to Macchu Picchu. Either way we were no different. We took in some Inca Ruins and a very interesting history museum (once the electricity had been restored...a common problem in S.America) but we were fully focused on what was to become a symbolic and defining undertaking in our lives. 4 days along the mighty Inca Trail.