Assured that Colombia is now a safe destination we set off by plane to the capital, Bogota, where our home for 3 days would be the historic centre of La Candelaria. Not sure what it is about all these South American cities, but Bogota was no exception being at an altitude of 2600m. There were the usual warnings of no alcohol (ignored of course) and suggestions that chewing coca leaves will help with any altitude sickness (not ignored). Our guidebook once agai...

Originally we were going to leave Lima and fly to the USA. The beauty of travelling is flexibility and we decided to go through Ecuador to Colombia where we had heard great things from fellow travellers. So, another bus over the border to our first stop in Guayaquil which is the biggest city in Ecuador and also where flights depart to the Galapagos. This was a big tease for Heather as a love to see destination, but time and budget was not on our side. We only...

After two weeks of high energy activity it was time to relax so we headed for Mancora, a beach resort on the North West Pacific coast of Peru and just short of the Ecuadorian border. It was another 20 hour bus ride and we arrived in Mancora at about 11:00 am to be met by hordes of hawkers selling food, accommodation, tours and taxis …… We battled through the crowds, escaping into the bus office where the receptionist ordered us a "taxi"…. A euphemism for ...

Lima, Peru's frenetic capital which according to Lonely Planet is overcrowded, polluted and dangerous ….Beach muggings, bus terminal attacks and smash and grab attacks at traffic lights are all mentioned to warn the unwary tourist. The three of us arrived in town warily looking around us and grasping our valuables tightly - In the event it transpired to be no more dangerous than the average South American city. Adam had done the research and on the first nig...

Goodbye altitude and hello to the heat and humidity of the Amazon Rainforest. A short, half hour flight to Puerto Maldanado on the border of Peru and Boliva where the 3 of us were met by our guide and driven to the river port to board our boat for the 3 hour journey up river to our first lodge - Refugio Amazonas. En-route we saw spectacled Cayman, herons and Capybara. We arrived late afternoon and were shown to our room with one side completely open overlooki...