We woke up in the morning to our alarm. I had a good nights sleep but could have done with some more. We quickly got ready and packed our things just as the tour guide came to pick us up.

Two other couples from our hostal were coming to the valley as well. They were not quite ready so the driver went to get some other people, which allowed us to have some tea, bread and jam which Maria kindly made us. We also got to know the others on our trip, the French couple who were travelling with their little girl and the German medical students.

After a short wait the driver came to pick us up and we got on our way. Just outside of the town he stopped the bus and made us all get out and do an icebreaker. This was actually nice and also allowed us to get to know our group that was very diverse, with people from all around the world.

We then got back into the van and headed off into the valley. Our guide was very good and explained a lot of things along the way. Our first stop was the papaya plantation where we saw the trees and tasted some juice.

We then moved on to the dam which was quite new and had some good views from it. As we drove into the valley the weather got better and when we got to the pisco factory it was really hot. Here we got a tour round explaining how it was made before getting to taste it. Neat, it was quite strong and fruity. After we went to the shop where we tired a couple of variations before buying a couple of mango sours.

We then drove further into the valley stopping at a couple of small towns and a view point. The furthest point in was Pisco Elqui, which was a small hippy town with a relaxed feel. It was then time for lunch and we went to a restaurant that used solar ovens. The food was pretty good save for the flan dessert which just tasted like an omelette.

We then headed to our last stop of the day which was the capital of the valley, Vicuña. It was quite hot and we were tired so just sat in the square and watched the children go round on the electric cars you could hire. After a half hour stop it was time to head back. We were tired and Shivani feel asleep on my lap.

When we got back it was 6.30pm and we still had 5 hours till our bus. We sat in the hostal and checked the internet, booking a hostal for Valparaiso, our next stop. We then went out for some dinner, deciding to go to the mall. We went up to the food court where I had a very bad KFC and Shivani a cheap pizza. We then walked around for a bit before heading back to the hostal where we sorted out our stuff ready to take the bus, while drinking our mango sours.

The time soon came and we headed out to the bus station. After checking which bus would take us we waited for the bus to come. It was a little late but we quickly got on board and were on our way. The seats were pretty comfortable and we quickly fell asleep.

I woke up in the middle of the night however to find the bus stationary in the middle of nowhere. Most people seemed to be asleep although Shivani was flustered by the snoring, heat and smell. It transpired that our bus had broken down and we sat for about an hour not going anywhere. Another bus came and we were one of the first to be transferred, although I don't know if they did it because we were foreign or just lucky. Anyway, we got on our way again and the stop meant we would get to Valparaiso at a better time. We went back to sleep again, although this bus was not as comfortable as the previous.