In an attempt to bring this blog up to speed, I will try and finish the rest of South America as quick and lucidly as possible. I appologise for the digression from my traditional style! Our flight departed Cusco mid morning and by early afternoon we had touched down in Arequipa, Peru's 'white' city. So called, because the old town square and surrounding buildings are constructed almost entirely of the white volcanic rock that is found on the nearby volcano of El Misti. We checked into our hotel and spent what little was left of that afternoon exploring the old town square. It is without a doubt one of the finest plazas in all of South America. Symetrically formed, with bright white rock pillars holding ornate balconies over a small and leafy park. Before dinner we had a drink at a restaurant overlooking the square which looked even more beuatfiul when lit up. We were now much nearer the coast and so fish was back on the menu. The first sushi I had eaten in almost a month (I was having withdrawal symptons) went down a treat. We returned to the hotel to prepare for our two day excursion into the Colca Canyon.

We were picked up very early the next morning. The day would involve a lot of driving punctuated by a few brief stops at various points of interest. These included various markets in the middle of nowhere, a random sheet of ice, some stunning views of volcanoes and desert formation, and the mandatory stop for photographs at the highest point on the mountain crossing. After a few more hours in the bus we reached the lodge where we would be staying the night. The garden had a stunning view over the surrounding hills, and whilst some went on a brief walk, I opted to laze around in a hammock and read. Later on, the tour leader and I joined in with the locals for a football match. Despite the altitude and my lack of practise, I did England and Zig Zag proud (The fact that most of them were no older than 15 is just a minor detail). The temperature dropped dramatically during the evening and we were all thankfull for the inroom heaters and open fire place in the lodge.

Another very early start and another couple of hours on the road took us deep into the Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world. The main purpose of this whole 2 day excursion was to get to Cruz del Condor. A point at which one can stand high up on the canyon wall, as giant condors glide past effortlessly in the thermals that rip through the canyon. The drop down fromthe viewing platform is slightly nervy at over 1200m. After spotting one bird gliding in the distance, the next half an hour brought nothing but freezing wind. A few more brief encounters followed. We had been allotted about an hour and a half there before we would have to make the long journey back to Arequipa. Just as we began to head back to the bus, a giant condor glided past the viewing point, almost hovering int he wind. It circled a few times, coming so close to one man that he covered his face in a defensive manouvere. To see such a large bird, with a wingspan as big as 3.5m, floating at eye level with you was a slightly surreal experience. The canyon itself was stunning in proportions, with the large drops off the canyon rimto the valley floor. However, vegetation was somewhat sparse and baron, leaving the whole area, in a uniform brown desert cloak.

The drive back to Arequipa was as tedious as the drive there. I was left contemplating whether it had been worth the effort. Had we not seen that last condor I would certainly have had my doubts, but I think it was jsut about worth it in the end. We arrived late, had some dinner and hit the town. The next day I utilised some speedy internet and spent most of my time uploading photos and writing a certain blog.

That night would see us cover more distance on an 11hour overnight bus to the desert town of Nazca. Oh for the days when I thought that driving to St Albans was a trek!