Ok, so hope the photo´s have kept you up to date on some of the stuff i´ve been up to, figure they would be more interesting than just writing...yet now cos it´s been nearly a fornight since i last wrote i´ve got quit5e a bit to fill in on...

the first stop in peru was a place called punta sal, just down the coast from mancora which is really famous for surfing. we were camping on the beach and it was so nice to have some sunshine and no 3 o clock downpours! basically spent a few days doing absolutely nothing apart from reading and soaking up the sunshine! bliss!

we then took an 11 hour drive to trujillo which is also on the coast but we camped in a hostal gardens with a view of the sea. accelorater broke just as we pulled up to the hostal which was good timing so a good job our driver is a mechanic. was getting a bit sick of tuna and pasta for tea by now, and more chicken, oh and cold showers. while in trujillo we had a day trip to the temple of the sun and the moon and the famous chan chan city mud ruins.

another 11 hour drive brought us to lima, which altho i was feeling snobby about how grubby it was it actually just reminded me of driving the north circular! yet the hotel we arrived at was pure luxury compared to anything we´d had so far...sky tv, a bed and a hot shower!! what more could you ask for?! the following morning we picked up 5 new passengers, kenan and j...in their 60´s from slovakia, dave ealy 30´s from london, catherine 25 from wellington nz and louise 20 air stewardess from luton. spent the day doing a bit of sight seeing with the new people, then met up with celine (from uni) iun the afternoon...really nice to see a friendly face, then in the evenin we all went for a group meal and to a club which was the best night out so far!...see pics

a little hungover the following morning and afraid to say we indulged in a maccy d´s! which it has to be said really hit the spot! then took the public transport to the nearby town of miraflores which was really touristy but really nice. spent the evening in the hotel room with catherine victoria and louise and watched stigmata!

11th november we headed to paracas national park, with a very long drive throught the desert. so crazy to see so many different ´vista´s´...jungle, to mountains, to coast, to sand dunes to desert. camped out in the middle of nowhere in paracas, right by the sea, with a visit to what used to be a big arch along the coast in the afternoon. but it had been destroyed during the earthquake they´d had a few months ago, pretty impressive. loads of tension cracks and rock falls and far too much geology stuff! lol!

next day was the best day by far, so far. in the morning we got a speed boat to the ballestas islands where we saw dolphins in the bay at puerta inca followed by an island just surroundd with sea lions, and hundreds and jundreds of birds including pelicans and penguins, absolutely stunning! and got far too snap happy!

then in the afternoon we did a bit of sunbathing at the oasis we were staying at in huachina followed by 2 hours of a massive adrenalin rush! we basically went sand dune buggying. 9 of us in this crash caged buggy, going at phenominal speeds up and down massive sand dunes! like a roller coaster but without the tracks! louise and i sat in the front which were the best seats by far! and views were just stunning....nothing but sand dunes and sunshine! whilst going round the dunes we then stopped a few times to basically tobogon down a sand dune...ie lying down on your front on a snow board and flying down these massive sand dunes, needless to ay the sand wehnt EVERYWHERE! watched the sunset over the dunes then went back to the camp for home made hamburgers...incrediblky content!

Drove to Nazca on 13th to a hotel where we camped in the grounds but it had a pool! louise and i out on the sun beds within about 10 minutes!! a few beers, read my book, classic power ballads being played over the sound system and a phone call to my brother where also spoke to my sister in law and mum and heard my nephew saying hello...brilliant afternoon....oh and barbecued steak for tea....great day!

up early the following day for a 7 clock flight in a 6-man plane over the nazca lines, just phenominal. incredible to see and the flight was pretty erm interesting as well....felt just a little bit queezy afterwards to say the least, and one of the girls was sick. flying in a straight line is fine, it was the tipping over to 45 dfegrees to see the lines and then flipping over to the other side that was a little bit dodgy! lol! spent the rest of the day wandering around nazca and then back to the pool.

came to Arequipa on friday, another long days drive, to a nice enough hostal with hot water and a bed (you don´t realise how important these things are!) and louise, emma, victoria, paul, dave, catherine and myself went out for dinner in the main square on the best terrace in the square. saw guinea pig for the first time on the menu, and with it being a traditional dish just couldn´t resist....and i could hear my dad saying...how can you not eat rabbit but you´ll eat guinea pig....well as they say...when in rome!

to be fair it was just a lot of skin and bone and didn´t really have a particular tasse, just a little bit fishy! the worst thing was how it looked...ie it literally looked like a guinea pig, head feet, teeth claws and all...but glad i tried it. then went to a club where they had a pub bit, a club bit and a karakoke area! and yes did karaoke for the 3rd time in my whole entire life, vodka and coke for 30p may have helped!!

little lie in yesterday then a visit the convent and a quiet afternoon. out again last night and now been on the internet for 3 hours today! but quickest place yet and only 35p an hour! so taking full advantage!

off to some hot springs tomorrow and then the colca canyon and then i believe puno before the inca trail on the 26th i think it is now.

still having an amazing time, really appreciating the hot weather before heading back up to altitude! nnice to have some new people on the truck and getting on really well with louise.

not thought about xmas at all as i´m sure you´re all starting to get ready for, but have put a request in for xmas dinner on my return, and malteasers and rose!...missing the important things!

well hopefully won´t be as long before i get to write again as a bit of a mission i know, sorry

hope all are well, all messages gratefully received

take care

xxxx