To all those who had palpitations at the thought of me travelling South America...I'm out..alive! I didn't get mugged, ambushed or kidnapped, and the worst thing that happened is I had a bottle of shampoo stolen. Or maybe it was travelling with the odd chain-smoking idiot with verbal diorrhea that nearly pushed me to homicide. Now in New Zealand and just lost a day...I don't get a 1st Feb this year! I enjoyed flying Lan Chile...a refreshing change after the incompetence and rudeness that is American Airlines. And being chatted up by the flight attendant made me smile too! The sniffer dogs at Auckland airport took an unhealthy interest in my backpack....the handler asked me if I had any fruit in there and before brain engaged, mouth said 'no, but there's been some coca leaves in there'. (You get thrown in prison if you try and take them into Chile!). Fortunately handler didn't seem to mind when I said they were to help me along the Inca Trail. Then I took a trip to the toilet....and relished in throwing my paper DOWN THE PAN! Then I relished in having NO-ONE hassle me and grab my back pack and shove me on a bus or a taxi. I just asked a nice lady where I could get a shuttle bus to my chosen hostel and she couldn't have been more helpful. And then, well...you don't even get bus drivers like this in the UK...I said to bus driver 'I only have a 50 dollar note, is that a problem' and said driver replied 'it is but I'll just hop out to the bank for you and get you some change'. I almost feinted. Lots of helpful people speaking English and not trying to rip me off!