Day 8: Arequipa A good portion of today was spent on a bus - firstly making our way back from Chivay to Arequipa and then on to Cusco. We did manage to squeeze in a few sights though. En route to Arequipa we stopped at a mirador at 4,800m above sea level from where we could see the volcano Sabancayo smoking, plumes of smoke slowly billowing into the distant sky. Back in Arequipa, hungry and tired, excitedly a bunch of us went hunting for the pizza place that th...

Day 7: Colca Canyon Early start today to make it out to Colca Canyon in time to see the condors particular to the area. Knowing there wasn't much in the line of breakfast for me, I popped out to the market and, with curious locals eyeballing me, ordered a hot quinoa and apple juice drink... which came in a plastic bag! Given how cold it was, my breakfast in a bag also doubled as a hand warmer! Aboard our little bus once more, absorbing yet more of this gorgeous...

Day 6: Chivay So, BA finally got their s*** together and located my bag. But in keeping with their crappy performance so far, they would not send my bag to my accommodation, so I had to go collect my bag from the airport in Arequipa. In a comedy of errors the flight delivering my bag was late and the taxi broke down, and subsequently the tour was delayed. Regardless, I got my bag back! Whoop! And we were off... Bus bound for Chivay, a small town nestled in a va...

Day 5: Arequipa We woke up to Day 5 on the night bus, passing through the spectacular scenery of the Andes. Our destination was Arequipa, also known as "The White City" for its white buildings made from volcanic ash. Too early for check in, we went for breakfast. At this altitude, 2,400m above sea level, I felt a bit breathless and a touch of a headache. We'd have to take it easy so we could acclimatise. Some people drank cocoa leaf tea, which is supposed to h...

Day 4: Nasca Lines For the 4th day in a row, I was wide awake at 6am. Out on the plantation a chorus of wildlife filled the air. In the early morning peace, I got up to take in the beauty that surrounded our accommodation. At 9:30, we were collected and taken to Nasca Airport, and after an excited wait, we boarded the small 6 passenger plane. From high we could see the enormous flat valley, and the enigmatic Nasca lines started to appear. These ancient markin...