The Colca Canyon in southern Peru - the second deepest in the world - is three hours from Arequipa by bus, meaning we had to wake up at 2:30am in order to arrive at sunrise with our tour group. A bumpy journey and some local breakfast later, we were greeted with breathtaking views from 5,000 … Continue reading Trekking the Colca Canyon
Today we undertook the most difficult, but rewarding hike of my life so far: a seven-hour gruelling trip to Laguna 69, an incredible azure lake nestled high in the Huascaran National Park deep in the Andes. We took a three-hour bus ride over bumpy dirt roads from our hostel in Huaraz at 5am, arriving shivering … Continue reading Feeling high at Laguna 69
After a seven-hour overnight bus we have arrived into bustling Huaraz, getting closer by the day to southern Peru where the most eagerly-anticipated adventures (Nazca lines, Colca Canyon and, of course, Machu Picchu) await.But there is much to entertain the eye here, and so after a nice breakfast of omelettes on the roof terrace of … Continue reading Walking among clouds
I have never seen beauty like the National Parks of southern Ecuador. The Cajas National Park near the colonial city of Cuenca is truly astonishing - a rolling Middle Earth of steep valleys and broad mirror lakes, an untamed wilderness with temperatures to rival an English winter and a landscape which shifts as much as … Continue reading The wonder of Ecuadorian national parks
We visited some awe-inspiring ruins today, just outside the city of Trujillo on the coast. It's one of Peru's biggest cities and the ruins were fascinating. I finally got to put this song into context! We were driven by our guide to some stunning desert temples to learn about the civilisation which built them. The … Continue reading Going back in time
Just before sunset, baboons climb up the trees to roost, stay warm and get away from predators. Ancient Egyptians thought this was an act of devotion to the sun; that they watched it set and rise again. To protect it and show it affection.That is how the baboon became the protector of the sun.I have … Continue reading Sun worshipping
Today was the last day of a fellow volunteer, and we spent the evening at the small town beach on San Cristobal, Playa Mann.Earlier in the evening, we had gathered ingredients from across town so that we could make our own empanadas, a common food here. We had cheese and ground beef inside, vegetables, salad … Continue reading Last sunset at the beach
Today I am on the biggest Galápagos island - Isabela. It's appropriately shaped like a seahorse and is the most beautiful of the three islands I have visited so far. It's got a tiny population, no proper roads and the animals are bigger and more plentiful; the beaches are broad sweeps of white sand and … Continue reading Lava tunnels and volcanoes
no cash on the highway 