Hi everyone,

here we are in Pisco, home of the "famous" Pisco Sour (and not a lot else!). We´d never heard of Pisco Sour before coming to S Am, and our first taste of it was in Business Class flying on from Easter Island..... sorry, we just had to get that on record one more time...... business class, hurrah!

Anyway, we digress.... Where were we last, ah yes, Cusco. In the midst of all sorts of confusion and uncertainties involving the many strikes around Peru for different causes we found ourselves unsure whether to still try and get to Arequipa, to visit the Colca Canyon where the condors live, or to change tack and head north west to Pisco on the coast, via Nazca. Due to a certain amount of paralysis on our part we decided to leave it to a flip of the coin, and Nazca/Pisco came through.

Our night bus from Cusco to Nazca was a very posh bus, by Peruvian standards, but that didn´t save us from the horribly winding steep roads, as we came over the Andes travelling from 3,400 meters to 500 meters over night. Our ears were popping regularly and water bottles were pinging and crunching left right and centre due to the pressure changes, lovely! The bus also started to take on the resemblance of a fridge around midnight, and it took several failed attempts at telling the stewardess this before it later on turned into the inside of an oven warming up to gas mark 8!! The joys of travel...

When we got to Nazca, around 7.30 am we were taken to our hostal in a clapped out, very huge US Oldsmobile, with a "trunk" big enough to conceal an elephant (or two). We were then taken to our windowless "cell". When we asked for a room with a window the reply was that nobody ever stays more than one night in Nazca, so they never bother giving them windows!!

It then became apparent that we should book on to our flight to the Nazca lines that day, as the weather had been somewhat dodgy in previous days. So, after very littel sleep the night before, a quick shower and a cuppa (trying to find black tea was also a big challenge that we didn´t quite manage) we found ourselves being hurled and dipped about in a tiny 4 seater plane (one of the 4 seats was the pilot´s) looking at the LInes.

"What are the Nazca Lines" we hear you cry. Well, go look it up you lazy people! Just to give you a clue though, they´re ancient drawings and lines made in the Peruvian desert, discovered only when aviation began, as the only way to see them properly is from the air. The drawings include a hummingbird, monkey, spider, condor, an "astronaut" or man waving, and various other figures. It was amazing to see, but towards the end we were more intent on our "sick bags" than the Lines, shame really. One of us threw up, and one of us almost did (bet you really wanted to know that!).

It was really worth seeing, and a very important national heritage site in Peru, just a shame it was so like a rollercoaster for which we were totally unprepared! Linda´s not sure what to make of any possible RAF fast-jet opportunities in the future, given such a hair raising(!) experience in a little wind-up 4 seater!!! Hey ho.....

Anyway, the next day we moved on from Nazca to Pisco (home of the famous aforementioned "Sour") which is a rather nondescript coastal port (especially when the sun doesn´t shine) after the bright and bustling Cusco and the more quaint and sleepy Plaza of Nazca. Yesterday morning very early we went off to see the Ballestas Islands, reached by speedboat, where we saw bottlenose dolphins playing near the harbour, as well as vast numbers of pellicans. As we moved on the the islands, there were thousands of different sea birds, including cormorants, turns, Peruvian boobies (ooh er missis), not to mention many sea lions and quite a few penguins! It was a really interesting morning, and we were delighted to be told all about the local Guano (bird pooh), harvesting techniques, local uses etc.... and boy did we know when we were there...such a lovely aroma - NOT!! Amazingly, none of us got fired upon, but there were a few close calls!

From riots and tear gas to guanu assault attacks and all sorts in between we feel like joining the SAS now. Back to our sedate little travels....

We leave Pisco this evening and travel on to Lima, staying at an Airport Hotel overnight. Our flight heads out mid morning (hopefully) and we then arrive in Miama, for our last night´s stay which will be with Sue & Art, Penny´s rellies-in-law (yup, even more of em..... those Hewitts get about!).

It looks like our last entry will be from Miami, although we guess it´s only fair to sign off properly once back in England. However, we´ll possibly both use the site for some ongoing updates - Linda from the RAF training college and Penny from........ AFRICA, Uganda, Kisiizi to be precise...watch this space for more details, how exciting!!!

Well, here we are, up to date again on our blog, like good girly swats, so it´s time to sigh off and get ready to leave Pisco, which includes putting some MORE PHOTOS ON FLICKR!!

Bye for now folks, thanks for dropping by.

Til next time....

love from Penny & Linda xx