Nazca

From Arequipa we moved on to Nazca to see the Nazca lines. Things didn´t quite go according to plan there - several of our group had been ill over the last few weeks and it was occurring more regularly. A couple went to the doctors to be tested for food poisoning and it turned out they had salmonella and gardia (a bacteria we think)! This meant we all had to traipse to the doctors and give several different bodily samples (an experience I don´t want to repeat). It turned out that 14 of the 18 people on our truck have salmonella and the rest of us (including Richard and I) have gardia. So we are all taking HUGE tablets 4 times a day and can´t drink! Fortunately, Richard and I have faired quite well and feel in fine health, while watching those around us drop like flies!

Ica

Next stop was Ica where we arrived late due to the whole doctors episode. We headed into the sand dunes in the most cool looking sand-buggies. It was like being on a rollercoaster as we were driven up and over the dunes - it was fantastic fun, I just wish we could have gone faster still! Once out in the middle of the dunes a campfire was lit and we had a BBQ before bedding-down under the stars for the night. Awesome scenery - just sand and stars - really stunning. In the morning we packed up and went sandboarding - even more fun than the buggies! Richard enthusiastically threw himself off the top of the first dune only to face-plant immediately as his board chose not to go with him! Heading down the dunes head-first on the board was fun and fast but going over any lump in the sand (usually caused by the tracks of buggies) meant painful bounces - Richard had a particularly nasty one and ended up with a cut on his chin that perfectly compliments his shaved head- All he needs now is an earring and a tattoo and he will have completed his transformation! (Penny don´t worry - I´ll make sure he is back to normal for his return!). I am black and blue from the boarding but would do it again in an instant as it was fantastic fun.

We´re now in Lima but so far it just seems like a big noisy city...