Thought I'd put on some updates as we've now gone through two other countries since cusco!!!Spent a LONG bus ride from cusco to puno sleeping off a hangover?! Puno was a nice small town, not loads to do, but was the leaving point for the homestay on Lake Titikaka! Mark wasn't feeling too good and some others decided to stay in Puno and not go to the island, but he didn't want to miss out! We got rickshaws down to the lake with our new local guide, then on a boat ...

Cusco has to be one of the nicest places we've visited yet! Spent a day there before, and a couple after the inca trail... It was the seat of Inca royalty and you can still see orginal inca walls used as the bases of buildings! You have to be prepared to see lots and lots of ruins in Peru, spent one afternoon getting a taxi out of town then walking back into cusco taking in four inca sights along the way, Tambo Machay where water was first taken from the mountain...

Arequipa was a beautiful city with church, monastry, and some special exhibitions of the mummified Jaunita, a human sacrifice made a few centuries ago... was weird to see how small she was, a girl of 13 or so! Bit creepy, but amazing to see all the stuff she was buried with, textiles, gold, silver, sculptures... Had a lovely meal on a roof terrace overlooking the main plaza, were given ponchos coz it was cold, and with my hair in plaits I actually looked like poc...

Jam packed day starting in Pisco with a tour of the Islas Ballestas... Kind of Peru's (MUCH) smaller version of the Galapagos islands! Was gorgeous, saw loads of birds, gulls and boobys and cormorants, Plus the massive piles of guano that they make which are collected every five years for loads of money!! Saw crabs, South American Sea Lions, and also Humbolt penguins! After that headed for nasca, stopping off at Huacachina on the way which is an oasis in the mid...

Only in Pisco, Paracas for one night... In a lovely hostel right by the sea, and our was the only room with a sea view!! Sampled the delights of the Pisco Sour, the cocktail of the liquor named after the town... Pretty strong with a taste similar to tequila!! Had to prepare ourselves for the next day, an activity packed day on the way to Nasca! Lara xxx