17 - 27 June

We actually tried to extend our stay in Peru but were unable to change our flight date which had been booked before we left England. Having been stuck in La Paz longer than anticipated we found ourselves short on time to do as much as we had planned in Peru.

Still in Trujillo, we were not quite over the theft of our camera. Whilst we were still staying in the hotel from which it had been stolen , we couldn't give up the slight hope that it might be returned to us. So we both found that it was on our minds constantly.

We spent half a day visiting the fascinating ruins at Chan Chan. This was pre-Incan, built around AD1300 by the Chimu & was the largest pre-Columbian city , 28sq km ,in the Americas. It was the largest adobe mud-brick city in the world. Still impressive ,covering a vast area , we were amazed at how the crumbling mud walls were still standing , as they stretched far into the distance.

On Saturday we visited a nearby fishing village called Huanchaco where we watched surfers & fishermen. They fish from traditional reed boats made from tortora reeds. Most of their catch seemed to be crabs of which there were 1000's. We then took an overnight bus from Trujillo to Huaraz , 9hours , arriving there at 6am. A hateful time to arrive anywhere ! But the only time the bus runs.

Huaraz lies in a valley next to the Cordillera Blanca which contains more than 50 peaks over 5700m, including Huascaran 6768m,Peru's highest mountain . And just south of this range is Cordillera Huayhuash , ( & Yerupaja ,6634m, Peru's
second highest moumountain ) where the film " Touching the Void " was filmed & where the actual events took place.

We tok a tour-bus along the length of the valley & up into the mountains. The scenery was amazing. We stopped in several villages en route & at one tragic site , the memory of which will stay with us forever. In 1970 an earthquake shook this area killing 80000 people , 25000 0f them from one town called Yungay. The earthquake lasted 45sec & loosened 15 million cubic metres of granite & ice from Huascaran. The ensuing avalanche , took less than 3 minutes to completely bury the entire town of Yungay & all but 300 of its inhabitants. The avalanche path is still visible & the former town is one huge burial ground. It is a woderfully laid-out commemorative site, with flower filled gardens & monuments bearing tributes to those who lie beneath it. Certainly a place for contemplation , beneath the beautiful , powerful , snow-covered mountains.

The next day we visited another archaeological site , Chavin de Huantar . The Chavin is Peru's oldest major culture , over 3000 years old , pre-dating the Incas by 2000 years. There were many underground tunnels , temples etc & much intricate rock-carving , including many blocks carved to resemble human heads.

We returned to Lima & flew to Iquitos , a jungle town on the banks of the Amazon river. With 500,000 inhabitants it is the largest city in the world without road links. Only boats or planes can take you there. It was an incredibly noisy town. There are few cars but 30,000 motocarros ( motorbikes with rickshaws attached ) which buzz about the city.

Our flight arrived at 9.30pm & , as usual, we had not reserved a room. This time we almost had to sleep in the park as the following day was a festival day & everywhere was fully-booked. Our very friendly helpful taxi-driver assured us he would find us a room or we could sleep in his house ! We finally found a room in the 8th hotel he took us to.

The next day we visited the Venice of the Amazon , called Belen. A floating shantytownwhich houses 15000 people. The houses are either built on stilts a few metres above the ground , or are actual floating houses attached to beams of wood on the sides to stop them from floating away. Everyone seems to own a canoe & we arranged with a young lad to to "cruise " around the area for 30mins for 10 soles. There were whole families & many young children only floating around in their canoes & 100's of children , dogs & chickens everywhere.Their toilets were outhouses next to their houses & everything deposited went straight into the river. The same river in which they washed their clothes, & themselves & in which the children swam & played ! Most of the district & the ground floors of the houses are totally flooded for 2 months of the year at which point the families simply move themselves & their belongings to the upper floors of their houses. We were amazed & horrified that people could live like this , but I guess the sad truth is that they have no choice.

We spent Friday , Saturday & Sunday deep in the jungle looking for & watching monkeys, sloths. alligators, caimans , parrots, tocans, hoatzins, butterflies, tarantulas, snakes & many other animals, birds & insects. We were up at 6am each morning to canoe along the Amazon to look for & listen to the birds & monkeys. It was a wonderful experience, apart from the mosquitoes which didn'seem to notice that we were wearing clothes ! We also visited an Indian community .

We flew back to Lima passing through it for the third time without spending a night there & flew on to Panama City where we are right now. Still no photos . Still searching for a camera !