In Peru! Dreamt about this for years!! On Monday (18th September) we flew an hour and a half from Manaus (seemed to have been there an age!) to Tabatinga on the border of Brazil, Colombia and Peru. We actually stayed the night in Leticia, the town right nextdoor in Colombia (a little regretful that we weren't going in any further... heard so many good things... next time...)

We got our exit visas after hours from the police station, and at 3.30am yesterday (Tuesday) we got picked up and taken on a little boat across the river (in pitch black!) to Santa Rosa (in Peru) on the island in the middle of the Amazon, just opposite Tabatinga. Immigration took place at a little plastic table on a tiny floating jetty underneath a corrugated iron roof and heavy heavy rain. Our passports were stamped and we then got on the next boat, a "rap?" (a speedboat carrying about 30 people) along the Amazon to Iquitos - much more interesting than crossing by plane! Cracking!

We arrived here in Iquitos about 12 hours later yesterday evening: all a doddle really after thinking it was going to be really hard crossing this way!! Iquitos proudly lays claim to the fact that it is the biggest city in the world without road links! We really feel to be in a different country (apart from the fact that we're having to adjust to a different currency (the sole) and Spanish..!) People are really friendly (and many noticeably Indian) and it's a lovely little town. We've just booked our flights to Lima for tomorrow morning (Thursday 21st), so looks like we'll make it to the Andes in time for the trekking season after all.... It`s great to be here!