The bus ride to Paraty from Rio was comical at times, well at least for some of us. Before getting on the bus there was a rather 'loud' local woman (if that's what you could call her) mouthing off about something. We soon worked out it was because they didn't have any seats left on the bus and she was furious about this. So mad that she refused to get off the bus. Eventually they crew gave in and managed to let her stay on as there was one seat spare. She was...

From the time I stepped on to the TAM flight I immediately started smiling. Not sure why but maybe it was the feeling of Brazil in the air. I have enjoyed the last month immensely as it felt very different and real compared to most of my experiences before but now there was a different sense of excitement and anticipation of what was hopefully to come in the air. Travelling was taking a back seat for a while, it was time for a holiday and hopefully a 3 ...

An organised tour was recommended for travelling from Cusco to Puno so I decided to try my luck. The bus stopped at various sites along the way and included lunch. It was ok but think im a bit over Inca ruins now, although the scenery along the way through the Andean high plains was spectacular. I have spent the last couple of days in Puno exploring Lake Titicaca. This is the largest high altitude lake in the world and straddles the border between Peru and Boliv...

Going through customs at Lima airport was a little amusing. The immigration officer was very serious as you would expect but once we did the formalities, I asked her about the bracelet she was wearing as it was either from Turkey or Greece. She was wearing a bracelet of 'little blue eyes' or matia that warn off evil spirits or curses. If you have been to Greece or Turkey you know what I'm talking about. She immediately started smiling and burst with enthusiasm...

The journey to Cartagena was relatively smooth and uneventful although we did pass through some very poor towns and it was the first time I had seen people living in what I would call squalor. I had seen poorer communities previously on the trip but this for me was the worst. It was very humbling and provided even more perspective but at least the people still seemed to have smiles on their faces. Arriving in the evening we were greeted by balmy weather and a bu...