Nazca Tony and his speedos went for a dip in the Pacific before we left Puerto Inca, and got knocked off his feet by a wave - but I'm not sure if that really counts as an early morning swim!? The parrot was sorry to see him go, mournfully calling 'ciao, papa, ciao' and giggling insanely as we left. Our first stop today was Chauchila necropolis, where they have excavated huge numbers of Nazca mummies and skeletons, which now sit around in their funereal bundles ...

Puerto Inca After leaving Arequipa, we drove  initially past fields planted with rows and rows of cacti, some of which had blue or white labels stuck all over them. We found out later that the crop is grown not for the cactus itself, but because of the cochineal beetles which infest them, and which are used for their red dye.  We turned onto the great Pan American Highway, and after a couple of hours of driving through a lot of very barren and rugged landscape...

Arequipa It was quite a relief to get away from our crazy Colca Canyon guide, but a shame to find ourselves in yet another sprawling city. Our hotel was right next to a fly-over, but it was a 1936 villa with a lovely garden, with tables and chairs, which was a nice surprise. The main plaza and surrounding area was actually really nice, and very clean, with a fountain in the middle, a huge cathedral all along one side, some palm trees, and some pedestrianised str...

Chivay and Colca Canyon It was strange to be back on board Frank (the truck) again after 9 days apart,       and with several new parts and a working fridge, we were 'good to go'. The road to Arequipa was a good test of the repairs that had been carried out, as it took us high up into the Andes again. From the point where we were picked up in the minibus, the road climbed to a high pass at just over 5,000m and we felt the familiar light headedness and breath...

Puerto Maldonado and the Amazon Jungle After a nice relaxing day in Cusco, some shopping, a good team meal and maybe a couple too many Pisco Sours, we set off early the next morning for the airport, and our flight to Puerto Maldonado, gateway to the amazon jungle. It was a bit frustrating, as our 45 minute flight was delayed by two hours, and there really isn't that much to do at Cusco airport! Once we took off, we flew out over the Andes, and before long we w...