To get to Nazca we had to take an overnight bus from Arequipa. Bus travel in South America can be a bit tricky with respect to comfort and safety but, having been in a car driven by Deb P, it takes a lot to get us overly worried. The bus we were on was actually pretty good but the security process was airport-like, and just before we were going to leave, a security guard with a camera came on board and started videotaping all of the passengers while reading the s...

After winding up our jungle adventure, it took a mere two boats, one bus, three planes, and a Peruvian taxi (where duct tape is used to secure the doors), to deliver us to Arequipa. We're not really sure why we came to Arequipa but, almost immediately, we were glad we did. It doesn't sit too high on the must-see destinations of Peru but it deserves a much better fate. In the area around the main square, it's about as pedestrian friendly as any city i...

The next few days would see us visiting the highest navigable lake in the world. In addition to making teenage boys (and Bonnie D) giggle like small girls, Lake Titicaca sits at 11,463 feet altitude and straddles the border between Peru and Bolivia- the Andean peoples refer to the lake as The Sacred Lake and legends say that the first Inca rose from its depths and went out to found the Inca Empire. Not to pop Bonnie's balloon, but the best story for how the l...

The power of good photography cannot be underestimated. Some time ago we had seen one photo of a flock of bright red macaws hanging off a cliff face and we had decided that this was something we needed to see live and in person if we were ever in the 'neighbourhood'. All it took was two flights, a bus ride, and a longboat trip down the Tambopata River, and, boom, before you knew it, we were in the neighbourhood. You might think that it was a bit of a chor...

La Paz is simply breath-taking, and that's before you even leave the confines of the hotel. Sitting between 10,500 and 13,500 ft above sea level, la Paz makes a legitimate claim to being the highest capital city in the world. We have been at relatively high altitudes for some time now, and yet even moderate physical exertion can still leave you gasping. The lack of oxygen might also explain the prevailing fashion statement of the local Aymara women- bowler ...