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After doing little but chilling in Mancora we figured it was about time we started exploring Peru during our second week in South America.
After saying goodbye to Lima for the second time we bussed it South and fit in a visit to the Ballestas islands, some sand-boarding and also saw some condors during a visit to Arequipa's impressive Colca canyon.
We kicked off our week in a little village called Paracas, where we were looking forward to a good night's sleep after staying above a busy nightclub for the two previous nights in Lima.
Unfortunately I hadn't counted on the dogs, roosters and drum-playing local (Weird, I know) who came to life at 3.30am.
At this point I'm reluctantly coming to terms with the fact that I won't be getting more than 4/5 hours sleep a night for the immediate future!
After an early start Monday morning we headed by boat for the Ballestas, known as the poor-man's Gallapagos.
Despite my bird phobia (apparently it's called Ornithophobia), even I have to admit it was pretty impressive.
Literally thousands and thousands of birds of all forms live on these islands and some poor unlucky locals' have the job of going around and collecting their poo, known as Ignou, which is used in SA as fertiliser.
We also saw plenty of sea-lions, penguins and Peruvian boobies -whatever they are!
In the afternoon it was onto the National Reserve, also well worth a visit. We also picked up two new pals along the way in the form of Rob and Lucas.
I managed to keep them amused during lunch as I squirmed in my seat thanks to the swarm of sea-gulls waiting to swoop on my food. (Anyone who was with me in Wildwood, NJ, will understand my immense dislike!)
Tuesday was definitely one of the high points so far, as we spent the day hanging out in the desert town of Huachachina near Ica.
After a relaxing couple of hours by the pool we headed off on a sand buggy/boarding excursion in the dunes, which was absolutely amazing.
Although the boarding looked pretty terrifying initially, the buzz you get sliding down the dune lying flat on your stomach was immense. Definitely the most fun to be had while sober!
After a bit of a hairy taxi ride, followed by an even hairier bus journey we eventually made it to Arequipa.
To anyone planning a trip to Peru please note: ALWAYS travel with Cruz Del Sur and don't make our mistake of going with the cheaper option of Tepsa.
The stench coming from the toilet at the back was enough to turn anyone's stomach, not to mention the hairpin bends on the cliff road we were travelling, that our driver insisted on taking at 100miles an hour.
After a brief nap when we eventually made it to Arequipa, we took it easy for the day and went to the local cinema.
Conveniently for us most of their films are in English, with Spanish subtitles. It also costs the equivalent of just €2 so happy days- as long as you don't mind going to something that was out in Ireland three months ago.
We ended up going to Final Destination 5, Alan definitely wasn't a fan!
On Thursday morning we set off for the Colca Canyon on an organised tour. Unfortunately we neglected to check out the age group and the native languages of our fellow travelling companions before we booked it.
We found ourselves with a group of six/seven people in their late fifties and sixties who spoke nothing but French and Spanish.
Thankfully there was one other English girl, Beth, in her early twenties so needless to say we all stuck together.
The trip itself was enjoyable but very dragged out at times. We also got a bit of a rude awakening to say the least when we reached Chivay, our destination for the night, and were hit with altitude sickness at a whopping 4,000 feet.
We suffered pretty badly with headaches and dehydration but it was a good warm up for Cusco.
The natural hot springs in the town (40degrees) are well worth a visit, especially since they serve refreshing cold cocktails in it.
We also had a chance to try our hand at the local dance that evening when both myself and Alan found ourselves dragged into the centre of the floor and dressed up in the customary garb after dinner.
I had a lucky escape with a large poncho and hat, while for some bizarre reason Alan was given a skirt to wear as part of his outfit!
We were also forced to sit through three songs by the tone deaf Belgian woman on out trip, who insisted on taking over from the Peruvian band on stage, to show off her rather lacking skills on the harp she had brought with her from Europe.
Neither the band nor the diners were impressed! On the bright side our hotel (Casa D'Andina) had left us a nice surprise when we got back in the form of a hot water bottle in our beds.
They take the meaning very literally and actually wrapped up a glass bottle in a towel and filled it with hot water.
After another early start the next day we made it to the Canyon and were lucky enough to spot several Condors.
Umpteen more unnecessary stops later and we eventually made it back to Arequipa that evening, ready to sample the Wild Rover's party scene.
The Happy Hour doubles and free vodka shots that kept appearing throughout the night seemed like a good idea at the time but not so much the next morning :(
We managed to power through and hit the bar again that night to cheer on the Irish rugby team in their World Cup game against Italy.
The drunk French barman proved to be more entertaining than the win however when he tried to break up a fight in the bar using a taser gun.
We kept it lowkey for the rest of the Arequipa stay and did some sightseeing by visiting the local museum to see the remains of frozen Inca mummy, Juanita, who was just 12 when sacrificed.
It's very disturbing but worth checking out if you find yourself in Arequipa with time to kill!
Bye for now,
Love Lor x
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