(Tamara) It is impossible to sum up this trip into only a few words, but I hope by reading this blog it has allowed you to share our experiences, the good and the bad, and appreciate the beauty of South America. I will always hold these very precious memories close to my heart and cherish them as we both return to the rat race of our modern lives. I will be forever grateful that George invited me on this trip and was the rock by my side every step of the way; su...

(George) Surviving yet another white-knuckle bus ride, we jumped off the coach in The White City (aka Arequipa). Home to around 900,000 people, the city stands at 2,335m and is the capital of the Arequipa region. Wasting no time in the lacklustre bus station, we quickly hailed a taxi to take us to a beautiful boutique hotel that sported feature walls of awe-inspiring landscapes in each of the rooms (a touch that really struck a chord with our resident interior...

(George)The time had finally come. The country we had both been waiting for since our initial planning, Peru. With my good friend from university, Sis, having completed 3 months of volunteering and work in the country a few years prior to this trip, I had been regaled with stories of the mountains and locals that enraptured the mind. With stunning pictures to accompany her extravagant tales, I remember the feeling of wanderlust and an overwhelming desire to see t...

(George)Having already made a weeks worth of plans prior to our stay in Minca, we decided we should stick to the itinerary we had in order before we returned to the hilltop hostel. Our 7 days were to be some of the busiest we had set ourselves throughout the whole trip as we would visit 4 different locations along the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The agenda was as follows, Rodadero > Parque Tayrona > Rodadero > Taganga > Cartagena > Minca. With so much to do and ...

(Tamara)Ninja turtles packed and reporting for border crossing duty at 6.30am! As an increasing, underlying sense of anxiety regarding the day ahead came over us. We booked a taxi at reception for 07.00am, enabling us to be the first in line when the crossing opened at 07.30am. Picking up a hint of disapproval from the man at reception for such an early morning request, we shrugged off his bad temper and headed for breakfast. After describing endless breakfasts i...