On the way home... New York

Back to Lima for one last night out with the guys from the hostel (who are always there every time I stop off in Lima!) before it's time to pack my backpack for the final time, and head for home...

But not before stopping off in New York for a few hours. Cab into Times Square, drop into McDonalds for breakfast (just to compare...), a spot of shopping in Virgin megastore and onto a city bus tour... After taking in the main sites on offer on the south of the island, a quick walk through Central Park is all I have time for before persuading a taxi driver to take me back to the airport, even though his shift was about to end... Back to JFK in plenty of time for my plane.... home...

Huaraz

After a short pit-stop in Lima, I've headed north to Huaraz. Back at altitude (3712m), in a lodge, in the middle of the mountains, with nothing to do but read, walk, party, and get bitten by sand flies... really itchy! I stayed in the "Cave Dorm": 11 beds jammed into the sides of a round tower built around the rock face... cosy!


After two days of doing nothing, I decide it's time for another day trip. This time to Laguna Llanganuco, a glacial water lake at, yes, you guessed it, 3850m... pose for the camera!!
It was a very tough day, trying to hold a conversation with the girl from Lima next to me on the bus (although I'm sure she could speak English but wouldn't), topped off with a Spanish speaking guide... very tiring! I wish I could speak more Spanish... (perhaps deciding that six months ago would have been a good idea!!)

Ballestas Islands

Just off the coast at Pisco (the home of Pisco Sour), the "poor man's Galapagos" is home to thousands of birds, pelicans, cormorants, a few penguins and hundreds of sea-lions. Just half an hour on the cold water we find the islands - small cliffs covered in guano, and you can't miss the smell (and you can hardly see the cliff for the birds)!

Huacachina... sunshine at last

The oasis in the desert... time for some sunbathing! You may think that South America is always warm - but I've been waiting for this sunshine and heat for a long time! The main reason to come to Huacachina is to go sand boarding, and I didn't miss out...

First you lock yourself into the sand-buggie, and try not to scream as the driver hurtles you up and over the sand dunes... and then they give you a snowboard and point you in the direction of the steepest slope... I tried to stand and board down "properly", but after falling over twice, I went for the "lie down and hang on, head first" option. Exhilarating!! Maybe that's why I needed to chill out here for five days!!