And then we went on trek. Wow. Despite the fact that walking at altitude with a bloody big rucksack on for three and a half days (36k!) was potentially one of the hardest physical challenges I've ever done, I'm really looking forward to Trek No. 2, because the scenery was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Snow-capped mountains, green valleys, wild horses, boggy marshes, tumbling streams...It just made the stiff legs and sore hips and stomach cramps and camping in the pissing rain and eating beanfeast for three nights completely worth it. Hurrah!

Our trek took us into the Cordillera Blanca, the second highest mountain range in the world, and close to the Huayhash range featured in the wicked film 'Touching the Void'. We started at 3000m and walked up the Santa Cruz valley for two days, alongside the clear pale blue bubbling Santa Cruz river, camping on our second night at the top of the valley beneath the pass, underneath snow-capped peaks. We got up early on our third day to climb over the pass (at 4700m) so we could make our way down into the neighbouring valley - walking from 8 am till after half 5. And then after another night's camping (and tuna sandwiches for supper, as we'd completely run out of energy to arse around with the stove by that point) we made our way up to the main road, where we collapsed in the bus waiting there for us. Once the bus had driven up the side of another mountain Paul, Nick, and I then rather foolishly decided to get out so we could bike down the other side, to a couple of gorgeous bright blue lakes in the middle of a nearby national park. My legs were close to giving way beneath me by the time we'd got back to Huaraz.

It was such a great feeling to be right out in the middle of nowhere, and to wake up in a tent and clamber out to see morning sun shining on the surrounding mountains. Although it was also great to get back to showers, and good food, and proper beds.

After recovering for a couple of days in Huaraz - one of my favourite places so far, really lively, and full of character - we headed onto Lima. Lima I wasn't a huge fan of. In complete contrast to Huaraz the city was completely built-up and Westernised, and half the time I felt like I could have been in the South of France, Nice or similar. In fact, the whole deserty coast of Peru I'm not much of a fan of, I have to admit. It's just so hot. And sandy. At the moment we're making our way to Arequipa, via Pisco (where we took a boat out to the Ballestras islands - also known as 'Poor Man's Galapagos' - for dolphins, sea lions, pelicans and birds galore), and Nazca. At Nazca we took tiny little four-seater planes up over the Nazca lines, which was good fun. The Nazca lines are huge animals - some over 100m long - carved into the desert by the Nazca culture, from around 400BC. They look pretty cool.

More photos uploaded into the same album as the last entry.