Kath: "Hi, my name is Kath and I am a procrastinator"

Support group: "Hi Kath"

Kath: "I am several months behind in my blogging"

Support group: "Gasp! You qualify for Gold Membership!"

*support group bows to Kath*

This is the thing... I can`t keep up with my blog - and I don`t see when I realistically can get it up to date - so I have a new and improved plan... Let me fill y´all in on what I`ve been up to since the jungle in Ecuador, and start "living in the present". I will work on filling in the gap little by little :-)

Phew! I feel better now, eliminating one of the few tiny stress factors in my existence ;-)

After the jungle, I went on an amazing 8-day Galapagos cruise where I got up close (but not personal) with birds, turtles, penguins, sea lions, sharks and other animals, and spent a day at my first ever 3rd world ER being treated for an allergic reaction to my seasickness patch.

I met up with Silje, and we headed south to the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca for some Panama-hat-shopping and ice cream before spending some time relaxing, hiking and getting ridiculously cheap spa treatments in Vilcabamba. How about $10 for a full-body massage and $6 for a one-hour facial?

We then crossed into northern Peru, from where Silje flew to Cusco while I spent a week exploring the city of Chiclayo and nearby archeological sites of Sipan and Tùcume. I met Silje in Cusco, and after visiting the Sacred Valley we traveled onwards to Lake Titicaca and its islands. After a few days exploring the islands of Amantanì and Taquile, hiking and staying with families, we crossed into Bolivia (Copacabana). From there, we went on a three-day hike taking us to and around the beautiful Isla del Sol.

Silje left me in Copacabana, and I continued the trip on my own. After a quick stop in La Paz I made my way to Uyuni and a 4-day jeep tour of the salt flats, lagoons and surreal volcanic landscape of south-western Bolivia. From there, I visited Potosì, "the world`s highest city" with its famous medieval-style silver mines. It was a real eye-opener to experience the daily life of the miners, not one I`m likely to forget. The gorgeous city of Sucre was next. I completely fell in love with its charms, and vowed to be back to study Spanish. I just had to pick up some stuff I left in Cusco - I first intended to study there - and then I`d return.

After a few days visiting La Paz and the Tiwanaku site, I headed back to Cusco to get my things and never left. Two days became 6 weeks as I first did the 5-day Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu and then enrolled in Spanish classes at San Blas Spanish School (which I highly recommend!). I stayed with a family and also volunteered at an orphanage, the pope-sponsored Aldea Infantil Juan Pablo II. Bolivia had in the meantime been closed off to travel by country-wide roadblocks (protests / demonstrations calling for nationalization of Bolivia`s petroleum industry causing serious political unrest and change of government), so I coldn`t go back If I had tried... Cusco had a lot to offer as June is a month of festivals, both religious and the indigenous festival of the sun - the Inti Raymi on June 24th- a weeklong celebration of parades, traditional foods and drunkenness.

On june 27th I flew to Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, to visit the jungle and travel down to Brazil on the Amazon... and this is where I`ll make my fresh start :-)