Iguazù Falls (Argentina)

After seeing the falls from the Brazilian side we were both really excited to see the Argentinian side, which are well known to be more spectacular. We woke early as we had a trip booked for 9.45am and we got to the national park for opening at 9am.

Our Jungle Explorer 'Gran Adventura' included a jeep ride through the jungle down to the riverside, where we boarded a boat which took us upstream through the rapids and towards the waterfalls. After the peaceful boat ride towards the falls we soon found ourselves directly beneath them, soaking wet and feeling the enormous power as they roared straight on top of us! This was a brilliant start to the day.

After the tour we took another boat across to San Martin Island, which gave us some fantastic views of the falls from a variety of different angles. We were really lucky to get this opportunity as water levels often mean the island is closed.

From the island we made our way back across to the mainland where we started the tour of the lower circuit of the falls. This circuit is designed to give you a close up experience of the falls and you can really feel the sheer force and volume of the water.

After lunch we made our way to the upper circuit where the views were completely different yet just as rewarding. We were standing at the level of the upper tributaries just as the water was falling over the top. The circuit had lots of different walk ways and viewpoints and we took our time marvelling at every one.

We had been advised to save the best part until last, so we were excited as we boarded the electric train for 'Garganta del Diablo' (The Devil's Throat). Although we had seen this from the Brazilian side, nothing could prepare us for standing at the very top and experiencing the ferocity as the water crashed over the edge. We were soaked through from the spray but it was so spectacular that all you could do was keep looking over the edge in amazement.

In addition to the majestic falls the park also has a lot of great wildlife, and we saw many colorful butterflies and huge lizards. The two days we have spent in the Iguassu National Park have been two of the best days of the trip so far.

Iguaçu Falls (Brazil)

After a nice relaxing day at Hostel Bambu in Foz do Iguaçu we set off early to see the Brazilian side of the falls.

We had been told that the Argentinian side was more spectacular but that it was important to see the Brazilian side first in order to gain an appreciation for the size of these falls. The falls are over 60m high and cover a length of 2.7km.

When we got there we were in awe and could not believe that it could possibly be better on the other side. We took the walkway along the riverside and into 'The Devil's Throat'. Along the way there were numerous viewpoints where we stopped to take pictures.

As we got closer to the main falls there were paths leading into the middle of the falls where you could feel the power as the spray kicked up and soaked us through. The whole experience took about three hours, and at the end we were excited at the prospect of visiting the Argentinian side in a couple of days.

We decided to make a full day of it so we crossed over the road to Parque das Aves (Bird Park). The park had many different species of birds, including flamingos, toucans, parrots and a whole variety of exotic birds we had never seen nor heard of before. The day was an absolute scorcher so we were pleased to be in the shade of the trees as we looked around.

We headed back to the hostel and relaxed by the pool for the rest of the day.

Sao Paulo

We arrived in Sao Paulo early after an overnight flight from Lima. We had plans to stay with our friend Patricia who we had met in the Canadian Rockies. From the airport we headed straight to her apartment where we received a warm welcome.

Although we were tired from the flight we had a really good first day. We went out for a lovely lunch at a typical Brazilian churrascaria (steakhouse) where we got our first taste of the amazing beef. After a well needed afternoon nap (life is tough) we went out for some beers and empanadas and got a look at the city by night.

The next day we headed to the beaches surrounding the town of Ubatuba, where we ended up spending two nights. The road trip ensured we saw a number of different beaches, including Almada, Felix, Almada Brava and many other secluded spots. Unfortunately the Brazilian weather let us down, but we still got chance to walk along the beaches and enjoy the views from the great beach bars!

After the first two days on the beach we headed south in search of sun and to meet up with Fabricio and Carlos. We stayed at Carlos' cousins' apartment where Carlos prepared us a fantastic BBQ and taught us the traditional Brazilian card game called Truco. This, combined with a healthy number of beers, saw us roll into bed at 4am.

To our amazement the sun was shining the next day so we headed to Maresias beach for a true Brazilian beach experience. It was a lovely beach with golden sand and clear blue sea. We enjoyed watching the many surfers, and were disappointed that there was nowhere to hire a board. Instead we chilled out and tried some of the exotic drinks from the beach bar.

After the beach we headed back to the apartment and cooked another BBQ and drank more beers. We had a great time at the beach but had to get back to Sao Paulo to catch our onward bus to Foz do Iguaçu. We had a farewell lunch back in the city and then said goodbye and thank you to Patricia and Fabricio for showing us such a good time in Sao Paulo.

Last Night In Lima

After a few very relaxed days in Cusco we took a twenty hour bus ride back to Lima to complete our loop around Peru.

We were once again back in Miraflores and despite being tired we got in touch with Monica and Manolo for one last night out in Peru. We went for a lovely meal at the Larcomar shopping complex where we tried anticuchos (cow heart) alongside other traditional peruvian dishes and washed down with four pisco sours!

It seemed rude to end the night there so we headed on to the nightclub for more pisco sours and some crazy dancing. It was an excellent way to end our time in Peru and it was a great night to remember.

Thanks again to Monica and Manolo - we hope to see you in England soon!

Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu

After a couple of days in Cusco to 'acclimatize' we set off on the Salkantay Trek (an alternative Inca trail) on November 6th. The Salkantay is a four day three night trip involving hiking on all four days and covering 53km in the first three days. We started at 4am in Cusco and got a bus to Mollepata - the starting point of our trek. After a brief breakfast we started hiking at approx. 8am.

The first day involved quite a bit of climbing (1000m to be exact) as we made our way to Soraypampa where we camped at an altitude of 3900m in the shadow of Mount Salkantay - it was pretty cold and we were glad of a warm meal and an early night after 9 hours walking.

The second day was the longest, hardest, but ultimately the most rewarding. We were up at 5.30am for coca tea and porridge and started walking at 6.30am. We made our way to the highest point of the trek known as the Salkantay Pass (4600m). As we approached this point it was hard going to say the least, each step was a massive effort and each breath didn't give you enough oxygen! However, the scenery was spectacular, especially the snowcapped Salkantay and the lush green valley behind us.

We were at the top of the Pass for 10.30am and although we were worn out we knew we still had another six hours to go. As the afternoon wore on the scenery began to change dramatically as we lost altitude and began to enter the jungle. We eventually arrived at our camp in Chaullay (2900m) at 5.30pm, which gave us time for a couple of well deserved beers before bed.

Day three started at 5.30am again, but was to be the shortest of the first three days. The five hour walk to our final destination Playa (2400m) was a beautiful hike through the jungle, where we saw numerous different types of vegetation and wildlife, including some amazing butterflies. After lunch at Playa we got the Hidroelectrica train to Aguas Calientes where we finally saw some civilisation, had a warm shower, and a comfy bed.

Day four was the day we had been waiting for - Machu Picchu. Eager to beat the crowds and get a valuable ticket for Wayna Picchu (the peak in the background of the famous Inca ruins), we set off at 4.15am. The asscent was hard going with over 1000 steps to climb. However, we were spurred on by what we were about to see and arrived at the gates at 5.30am - numbers 6 and 7 in the queue! As we were let through the gates it was well worth the early start as for the first 20 minutes or so we were able to witness the incredible site without people spoiling the view.

We headed straight for the entrance of Wayna Picchu and managed to get tickets 1 and 2 (they only allow 400 people in per day), which ensured that we would be able to climb the amazing peak and get the panaramic views of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, and the surrounding landscape. We spent eight hours exploring and marvelling at this unbelievable place, but had to draw ourselves away around 2pm, as we were absolutely exhausted after four long days.

After an 'interesting' journey, we arrived in Cusco via Ollantaytambo at approx. 11.30pm on the fourth day and crashed into bed tired yet exhilerated from a truly incredible trek.

Next stop.... Sao Paulo, Brazil!

Puno & Lake Titicaca

After our excellent trekking trip in the Colca Canyon our next destination was Puno and Lake Titicaca (yes Daddy.P after all your talk we finally made it!).

After the long bus ride from Arequipa we decided that we'd leave the exploring until later, so we stretched out in front of a few movies in our shared apartment in the hostel. After a brief venture out to the market we cooked our tea and had an early night. Puno was a very small but nice city, we spent our time here enjoying the lovely cakes served up at Ricos Pan, wandering through the many craft markets and generally taking it easy.

The following day we started our tour of some of the islands on Lake Titicaca. First stop was the impressive Uros Islands (Floating Islands), which are constructed entirely of reeds from the Lake. We had time to look around the houses of the inhabitants and take a boat ride across to one of the other islands.

From here it was a smooth three hours in the boat to Isla Amantani where we were greeted by our host family who would look after us for the rest of the day. This was a great experience if somewhat humbling. The conditions the family lived in were very basic and hygiene and cleaniless were not top priorities. However, they looked after us and fed us very well, and one of the highlights was the fiesta around the bonfire in the evening. We were dressed in the traditional clothing of the Island and enjoyed dancing to the sound of the local band!

After a yummy birthday breakfast of pancakes for Joe we made our way to Taquile Island, an hour from Amantani. From the port we walked around the Island to the main square. This provided us with some spectacular views of the hillside farming and Lake Titicaca. After lunch at a hilltop restaurant, we descended approximately 540 steps down to the principal port to board the boat back to Puno. Overall, the experience of visiting the Islands was fantastic and gave us a great insight into the way of life of the islanders.

Back in Puno we went for a lovely meal to celebrate Joe's birthday. After our huge pizzas, sickly cake, beers, and coffee we returned to the hostel exhausted from the last few days. Next stop Cusco...

Arequipa & Colca Canyon

We arrived in Arequipa after a 12 hour night bus yet still on a high from the great time we had had in Huacachina. We were pretty tired so decided to check into our hostel (which was really nice) and get some supplies. Unfortunately when we got back to the hostel Joe collapsed into bed and didn't get up for 4 days - a stomach bug picked up from some dodgy food somewhere.

However, after a trip to the clinic and some expensive antibiotics he was back on the road to recovery and we were looking forward to exploring Arequipa and taking a trekking trip into the Colca Canyon. Arequipa was a really nice city and we enjoyed spending time walking in the Plaza de Armas, Jerusalem, and San Francisco.

On our 6th day in Arequipa we were up at 3.30am for our trip into the Colca Canyon. This was one of the highlights of the whole trip. On day 1 we passed through Chivay on our way to Cruz del Condor and Cabanaconde. After lunch, it was from Cabanaconde that we set off trekking into the canyon. It was a four and a half hour descent which was tough going on the knees but the views made up for the pain - they were spectacular! We finally arrived at our destination - a tiny little village deep in the bottom of the canyon - this was our biggest culture shock yet!

Day 2 started bright and early with some lovely pancakes served up by our guide, Victor. We then made our way through two more small villages, which included a tour of a museum (we use the term 'museum' in it's loosest sense). Throughout day 2 Victor also explained all the different types of plants, their medicinal properties, and how the locals use them. Our favourite was the 'white trumpet' which supposedly provides hallucinagenic affects for up to three days!

By the end of day 2 we had arrived in Paradise, literally. At the bottom of the canyon was a lush oasis with palm trees, a pool, and some interesting bamboo huts to sleep in! After diving straight into the pool we spent the afternoon fishing for trout in the river.

Day 3 was a hard slog back out of the canyon to Cabanaconde. Fortunately we were up at 5.30am and managed to avoid most of the sun's heat. Joe came within a whisker of the tourist record as he steamed up 6km of near vertical mountain in 1 hour 40 mins (the record was 1 hour 23mins). Jen followed 20mins later after a sprint finish to ensure that she beat the donkeys! Tired from 21km of walking over the last three days we finished the tour with a visit to the hot springs in Chivay followed by a brilliant buffet lunch.

We arrived back in Arequipa at around 6.00pm and relaxed prior to our journey to Puno and Lake Titicaca the following day.