The remaining 5 Dragomaner´s, Me, Sarah, Matt, Neil and Shanna were stowing away in the truck for a couple of days at the beach. We left Lima and began the drive north. On the way we stopped at a National park called Lomas de Ancon. There were several walks you could do but we chose the shortest one of only 20 minutes. It was through green hills with rocky parts. It was a nice walk despite being up hill a lot of the time, but it wasnt too steep! However it was very misty so we couldnt really appreciate the views as we couldnt see very far in front of us.

Back at the truck we had the lunch me and the boys had bought (good job someone was prepared!) before setting off towards the beach. We drove along a path that ran along side the beach, looking for a nice place to camp. We found one but kept driving to the next town to buy food for dinner. We found a big supermarket and bought lots of goodies before heading back to the beach. The boys put up the tents whilst the girls started cooking. We were making spagetti bolognaise with garlic bread. We had managed to get all the chopping done before it got dark so it was fairly easy to cook it by torch light. We sat around the fire the boys had made and enjoyed our food and drinks. We stayed up quite late just chatting and keeping warm by the fire. I was the first one to go to the tents to sleep.

I woke up quite early the next morning but didnt get up. I just opened the tent zip and layed looking out at the sea. It reminded me of home, I was thinking asbout Skegness beach. It was very quiet and peaceful. Breakfast was a nice healthy bowl of fruit. It was so nice we decided to stay another night. (This turned out to be a bad choice!) Having decided this we needed more food so back we went to the supermarket for more supplies. We left Clare with the tents and cooking equipment. When we got back Clare was at the top of the hill waiting for us. She said she got a bit worried when a truck drove past and stopped and looked at her for a minute then drove off, but it was fine.

It was the boys turn to cook and they had decided on fish. They had bought some kind of white fish and some prawns as well. Me and Sarah had never had prawns before so this was going to be a first. They did the prawns as a starter cooked in garlic butter. So the time had come ... my first prawn! The boys explained how to eat it but they were only small ones so they didnt take much peeling. I have to say I liked them, they were very nice. I will definitely try them again. We were all sat around the fire which now had seven parcels of fish wrapped in foil and jacket potatoes cooking on top.

It was dark by now and the fish was almost ready, we were sat chatting when someone said "Oooh theres some people!" We turned to look and out of the darkness there appeared a group of six or seven men walking in our direction. At first it looked like they were just walking past but then they turned and surrounded us. One man picked up Matts ipod and speaker that was playing and put it in his pocket. Then they grabbed the boys and dragged them up off their stools. They started hitting them with sticks to make them lay down on the floor. We just sat watching in horror! The man that was dragging Matt had a gun in his hand. At this point I said out loud "Oh my god, hes got a gun in his hand" at which point Sarah started crying and I dont think it helped Matt either. Clare went to come over to us other girls but got hit in the face with a piece of wood. I think they thought she was a guy as she had a cap on and her hood up. Once the boys were on the floor they started searching them. Until this point they had left us girls alone but one of the guys came over to me and took my head torch that I had in my hand. He signalled for me to stand up, so I did. He started to unwrap the blanket I had wrapped around me. Then he started to check all my pockets. I had nothing in them. When he found nothing he motioned for me to sit down again and moved onto Shanna. They took the cigarettes Shanna had in her pocket as that was all she had and Sarah didnt have anything either. Next they were looking in all the cooking boxes and in the tents. Clare made it over to us, Sarah was still crying and Shanna was trying her best to comfort her. They came back over to us and searched everyone again. Clare said they were saying "We dont want to hurt you we just want your things." This time when they searched us they took our stools away and they found Sarah´s camera that was under her stool. Shanna tapped the man on the back and said to him "Can we have the memory card?" She reached out to get it. He obviously didnt understand what she said and hit her on the head with a bit of wood! She was like, "ill take that as a no!" One of the men asked what was cooking on the fire but when Clare said fish he didnt look too impressed and instead ate some of the crisps that were near the fire! They found the truck keys in Tony´s pocket so they marched him up the hill to the truck. A couple stayed with us and searched us yet again. This time they took Sarahs ring. The men then went up the hill to join the rest but kept the torch on us and watched us from the top of the hill. We shouted to Matt and Neil, who were still laying face down in the sand. Neil answered and said he was fine but Matt wasnt answering. We kept saying "Matt" but he didnt answer. Neil then said "hes fine, he is just playing dead!"

Then Tony came running down the hill saying "They´ve gone, is everyone ok?" We got up from where we had been huddled together and began to have a look around and see what they had left. We packed up and left straight away. I went to my tent, my sleeping bag was still there but the bag I keep it in was gone which also had my pyjamas and a towel in and my Coca-cola rucksack which had my passport and drivers licence in. So thinking I had lost them i dragged my sleeping bag and some stools up the hill to the truck to see what else they had taken. When I got to the top of the hill my backpack was on the sand with the front part open. Some of my things were scattered all over in the sand. Also there was my coca-cola bag sitting on the sand still with the padlock on, I couldnt believe it. Next I desperately wanted to know if they had found my handbag that had my camera, purse and phone in. It was in the nets on the ceiling of the truck. I was hoping as it was black and it was dark they didnt look up and see it. I climbed into the truck, which was a mess, things everywhere and walked to the back. There in the nets above the table was my bag, they hadnt seen it, everything was still inside.

I had done pretty well in not having had anything important taken. I went backoutside to pick up the rest of my things. From my bag they had taken my new bottles of shampoo and conditioner, my sewing kit which was in a purse so they probably thought it had money in and my black cap. Other people had had their cameras, ipods, phones, money taken from the truck and the truck laptops had gone. Also Neil and Sarah had their whole backpacks taken so everything of theirs was gone, shoes, clothes, credit cards and Neils passport. After several more trips down the hill and back we had everything packed away and were ready to leave. We set off back to Lima.

About half way we were stopped by the police for not having side lights on or something. But this was usual they just wanted a bribe. He asked Tony to get out of the truck and then asked him why he didnt have any shoes on. Tony told him we had just been robbed on a beach and the policeman said "Oh!" Then he asked for money for not having the lights on! So Tony explained again we had just been robbed so didnt have any money. "Oh!" said the policeman again "have you got any coca-cola?" So we passed forward a 3/4 full bottle of coke and Tony gave it to the policeman. We were then allowed to drive on. Thats Peruvian police for you!!!

We got back to Lima just before midnight. We went to the hospital just to get Clare and Matt checked out as they were the ones hit on the head. They got given some tablets. We went back to a hotel and tried to get some sleep.

The next day we spent at the tourist police making a statement to get a police report for those needing it for insurance. They took our finger prints and everything! That night to cheer ourselves up we went to the cinema and watched a comedy called Horrible Bosses. It worked, at one point a cat jumps out at someone and it made me jump!! Then for the next 10 minutes I couldnt stop laughing at myself for jumping!! Which also made Matt laugh as he was sitting next to me.

Photos from Peru: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150256695638961.330267.516178960