We experienced our first school trip on Friday - complete and utter madness!! After arriving at the plaza for 7am, we waited around in the cold for ages (we truly appreciate the meaning of Peruvian time now!), until finally boarding the council's bus with children hanging off people's knees etc. We drove into Cusco, which takes about an hour, during which time every child felt 'travel sick' to get some of Ellie's attention, who wafted alcohol over their heads! ...

After landing at Cusco, and being met by Alex (the volunteer coordinator), we got three taxis before arriving in Urubamba. This was no mean feat since it was Fathers' day, so there were very few collectivos about! Urubamba is a relatively compact town in a beautiful glacial valley, but has a population of several thousand. The roads are generally unpaved, but there are a couple of squares that are planted with colourful flowers that are lovely to sit in, among...

Lima is a teeming, bustling, thriving city. Penetrating the ubiquitous fog on descent in the aeroplane, revealed a beautiful sunset and a sprawling city nestled between the vast Pacific Ocean and the mountains, with shanty towns perched precariously on the steep slopes of the barren hillsFending off the porters and taxi drivers, I was relieved to glimpse Mario (my transfer) with a sign for me. The ensuing journey was a cacophony of taxi beeps and honks (the drive...