Thursday 16th October

Up at 7am for 8am departure, Carla knocked on my door at 7.15 informing me that we are now leaving at 7.45 as bus must now take a different route due to bridge fiasco so I am pleased that I have already had my shower and packed my bag, we get taxis to bus depot to re-enact our departure of yesterday hoping all goes well today. We are all settled on bus waiting for Sang who we think has gone wandering to get some breakfast, hoping he will be here soon as this is a public bus and will not wait. Alas Sang doesn't appear and we have no option but to leave without him, I am quite worried as he doesn't have his luggage including his backpack as Carla collected them from our hostel when he wasn't there so we assume he has his wallet but not sure about his passport. Carla last spoke to him at 7.30am telling him we would be leaving at 7.45 and thinks he misunderstood it to be 10.45, she makes some phonecalls and the people at our hostel go looking for him to tell him we have gone without him, he apparently turned up at 9.30 very happy with himself after having a lovely breakfast and Carla spoke to him on phone telling him that she has arranged for him to catch another bus to Trujillo and she will meet him there. We arrive at Huanchaco 1.30pm all very hungry as unlike Sang once again we have not had a decent breakfast just dry breadrolls on the bus. Carla is making arrangements for us to do an organised tour of Chan Chan and the temple of the sun and the moon which will take 5 hours leaving us no time for lunch so we unanimously decline and go to lunch but all agree we think the tour would be really interesting . We find what we think is a good restaurant but it takes an hour for me to get my order a simple chicken and cheese sandwich, meanwhile everyone else have eaten their meals. I go to the kitchen to see what is taking so long and find out they had to go out to buy bread rolls (I actually ordered a sandwich but at this stage I will eat just about anything) I would have appreciated them telling me and I would have ordered something else. We decided not to leave a tip this time as service was abominable. We find a really nice bakery on way back to our hotel and buy food for breakfast on bus tomorrow. We go back to catch up on laundry which we hang on lines on roof very very windy are wondering if it will actually be there when we come back. I go for a long walk to take some photos of sunset. Today was supposed to be our free day. Sang arrives 4.30pm and we are pleased he is ok and not too stressed out. We dine at an Italian restaurant near our hotel without Carla tonight, I have a delicious meal of spaghetti carbonara. After returning to our rooms Rebecca and I decide we are not tired enough to go to sleep so go for a walk to get some photos of the cathederal, got to bed 11.30pm we both had trouble settling as were itch so got up and put some insect repellant on

Wednesday 15th October

We leave Mancora Beach today for Huanchaco, early rise as have a long way to go, up at 4.30am for 5.30am departure, everybody is ready and waiting and there is no sign of our guide Carla, we give it some time and discussion before knocking on her door, she is still asleep as her mobile phone alarm didn't go off so she says, maybe it had something to do with the late night she had with Gemma and Julia (3.30am) and many cocktails. Julia is a little worse for wear actually a lot worse oh dear too much to drink and is very nauseous and looking for a paper bag, I am pleased I didn't stay last night as it is a very long day on a bus when you are hungover, Gemma comes bounding out full of beans as usual which oh to be young again. We finally get going a half hour late Carla organising tuk tuks to pick us up to take us to catch the first of two buses this one will take us 31/2 hrs to Piura. We have to catch 6.30am bus as we have missed the 6am one. Carla kindly gets some medication from chemist for Julia and she sleeps most of the way. Arrive Piura 10am and change buses for Chiclayo which will take another 3 hours, more sleep for Julia. Arrive Chiclayo 1.30pm leave our luggage at Tucan travel office and take a guided tour of museum tumbas reales Lord of Sipan - a museum that is full of gold Incan artifacts which none of us are really enthused about but certainly change our ideas once inside, very interesting, well organised, informative and amazing relics in perfect condition and some very well restored, we are more than impressed. We finally get to have lunch at 4.30pm at an American restaurant in town at Carla's suggestion as they can do a quick service and will have us back on the bus by 6pm for our night's stay at Huanchaco another 4 hours away. We are on the road an hour when we come to a traffic hold-up where we sit and wait for another hour before we find out that the bridge is down and there is no way we are going anywhere tonight so the bus driver has no option but to take us back to Chiclayo for the night where Carla is ringing ahead trying to arrange some accommodation for us. We arrive back and have to wait in our mini bus which has collected us for what seems like forever waiting on Carla to get our accommodation organised at the Tucan office. Meanwhile Gemma as usual keeps us entertained with her very witty English banter. We finally get into our rooms at 8pm, I have my own room tonight which seems strange now after sharing . Carla suggests we go for a walk and get dinner at 9pm which I decline as not very hungry after late lunch so I have a leisurely shower and decide to go to the internet cafe opposite our hostel to send some emails home and also go to nearby bakery to get something for breakfast on bus tomorrow as we will be leaving early as we now have an extra 4 hours travelling tomorrow.

Tuesday 14th October

Really good nights sleep, don't get up until 10am, Rebecca and I go to local cafe for breakfast as not available at our hotel where we have a very good omelette, toast and coffee for 10 soles ($5) each. The rest of the group have gone out early on a whale watching trip, we didn't go as have done it before in Australia. After breakfast Rebecca decides to go back to do some laundry and I go to the bank to change some of our big notes as no one ever has change, I wander in and out of shops and buy a pair of shorts and t shirt for the beach. I also go to internet cafe to send some emails home and spend rest of the day walking, taking photos, need some excercise as have been on buses a lot. I meet up with Julia and Gemma at 5.30pm as I am going back to get ready for dinner and we do some shopping together at the markets, then go to supermarket to buy breakfast and snacks for early departure tomorrow. Dinner tonight 7pm I arrive back with only 10 minutes to get ready so forgo a shower, we go to another very good restaurant where I have a chicken salad and yes more sex on the beach and pina colada, get to bed around 10pm.

Monday 13th October

Goodbye Ecuador, we depart 6.30am today for Peru 5 hour bus journey, we grab a very quick breakfast and say our goodbyes to Sarah and Sybylla. Taxis to bus depot to start our journey to Mancora Beach for 2 days of sun and sand and everyone is very excited. Arrive Peru 1pm change from bus to small people mover where we proceed to immigration office to get our passports stamped and change our money to Peruvian soles. We continue on for another 2 hours which is much more enjoyable than a public bus as now Carla puts some cds on that we all sing along to. We drive towards the coast and I finally get my first glimpse of the ocean since arriving in Sth America, didn't realise how much I had missed it. We arrive Mancora Beach 2.30pm not having had lunch and are all starving but by the time we check in and then go for a walk to change money and use ATMs etc and get organised it is nearing 4.30pm so a very late lunch is enjoyed by all right on the beach, it doesn't get much better. Our accommodation is very good and right on the beach I am sharing with Rececca for 2 nights. We have some free time after lunch so some of us wander the markets and after which Julia and I decide to do a walk along the beach just on sunset as we haven't had any excercise today. I get some very good photos of the setting sun, very beautiful. On the way back we join Carla, Gemma and some locals for a drink on the beach (pisco sour) We meet outside our rooms at 8pm to go find a restaurant for dinner, I have a tuna steak, potato and salad one of the best meals I have had . We go to a club the Gecko Bar for drinks after dinner where some of the group get friendly with the locals, I enjoy sex on the beach (alas that is cocktails), a very good night and excellent start to our time in Peru.

Sunday 12th October

Cuenca free day, up 7.30am meet Sarah, Julia and Sybylla at 9am for breakfast, interesting discussion this morning as everyone is feeling a bit emotional missing partners and family, I am ok but am feeling for Sarah especially as she is quite upset and has some issues to resolve we can only hopefully give some helpful advice. Sang appears and wonders what is happening, we all decide to head off together leaving at 10am to walk to panama hat factory where Julia makes a purchase. We continue wandering in and out of churches taking many photos along the way. Sarah takes us up hill and down dale looking for a nice little seafood restaurant for lunch that she saw previously whilst out walking. Funnily enough Sarah was the only one who doesn't enjoy her meal as it has in it something resembling small black caterpillars and doesn't look very appertising unlike the rest of our meals. We head back to our accommodation and Sarah, Julia and I decid at 2pm to get a taxi ($4.50) and go to the thermal springs for the afternoon, the water is very hot at 36 degrees so can't stay in for very long at a time but is very relaxing. Back to our rooms 4.30pm where Sarah and I continue on from our conversation over breakfast. Dinner tonight 7pm, I have crumbed shrimps, fries and rice and some pina coladas. After dinner we decide to kick on for drinks at Jack Rock Cafe(previously Hard Rock) where we have tequila shots and possibly too many other drinks but we are on holiday and really must try the local quisine which of course includes the drinks. This is Sarah and Sybylla's last night with us as they fly back to Quito tomorrow, Sarah to go on to the Galapagos and then into jungle for 2 weeks to volunteer on an animal rehabilitation program and Sybylla to return home to Germany, we will miss them both as they have been great company and a lot of fun.

Saturday 11th October

Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay province and has a population of around 250,000 making it Ecuador's 3rd largest city producing ceramics, panama hats, gold & silver jewellery, shawls, ponchos ansd blankets. Other industries include textiles, furniture and car tyres. Most Ecuadorians consider Cuenca to be their country's most beautiful city, Cuenca means river basin or bowl in Spanish. The city is situated at 2,549 metres on the banks of the Tomebamba river. We have a free day today, get up 7am, can't get back to sleep as I think this is the noisiest place I have ever stayed, Sarah my room mate agrees, every time someone walks past our room the floor shakes and every floorboard outside our room squeaks. Breakfast downstairs at 9am with Sarah, Julia, Sang and Sybylla. We have all decided to spend the day together as we are wanting to do the same things, banking, museums, Post Office, shopping, art galleries. We decide to look for a nice place for lunch and follow the river whilst looking in art galleries along the way. Have a lovely tapas and greek salad lunch overlooking river, starts to rain so we move inside for a very comfortable afternoon. Returned to our room, Sarah had a nap while I sent some emails and then went shopping for an evening top to wear to salsa club tonight as I didn't bring anything very dressy with me. I found a nice purple top with it's very own bling, bonus, very cheap and a pair of low heeled black shoes which will look ok with my good jeans. we meet in foyer at 7pm for dinner and everyone has made an effort to put on some makeup and which get dressed up for our night of salsa night. Restaurant once again is very nice I have chilli chocolate chicken which is delicious. The people at the club give us salsa lessons and also Gemma tries to help me as she has learnt by going out with Carla a lot , we have a lot of fun and salsa and the music is great. We get back to our room around midnight.

Friday 10th October

Depart Banos for Cuenca today, up 7am decide I actually have time to put on some make-up today which makes me feel a bit more human, go for a walk before breakfast at 9am to have one last look around Banos and feel a little sad about leaving here. Breakfast spread is same as yesterday so I have an omelette again with a good coffee. We are to depart 9.45am, await taxis outside our accommodation as ordered by Carla but they don't turn up, we have a public bus to catch so we start walking to taxi rank as if we wait too long we will miss our bus (the perils once again of not having a designated tour bus but it is an adventure tour and it does make it interesting). What a crazy place the streets are this morning, there is some sort of foot race happening and the traffic is mad we have a lot of trouble getting to the bus station but manage to make it just in time. We board bus for 2 hour trip to Rio Bamba where we will have a toilet stop, believe me you don't get many so we must make the most of it. Sang very kindly offers to stay and watch our bags as it is quite difficult to get off with them as we are seated at the back of the bus and not much room to get through very narrow aisles and people standing up talking and not moving to let us Gringos through. While stopped here they load some furniture including a rather large wardrobe onto roof of bus, we are hoping it is tied on securely. Arrive Cuenca 7pm it has been a very long day and we are all tired, we drop our bags off and meet in foyer 7.15pm to go to dinner, Carla takes us on a short (we are hoping as we are all tired and hungry) tour to the town square where I come over all dizzy and nauseous, I think I am dehydrated as being on the bus all day with few toilet stops I didn't drink very much, the group make me sit down and Rebecca gives me what she has left of her water, 10 minutes or so and I am feeling much better but still a little light headed so we go to find a restaurant. Go to 2 restaurants which are very busy and I feel like I can't wait much longer, finally we get seated and I order a bottle of water which does help but don't get my meal until 9pm everyone else gets theirs before me and are kindly offering me food but I am feeling ok by now just very tired. The meal was excellent. Get to bed around 11pm, finally.

Thursday 9th October

Up 7.30am, as breakfast isn't served at our accommodation we must go to restaurant where we had dinner last night but is included in our tour costs, very good spread I have ham, cheese and onion omelette, bread roll, croissant, coffee and fresh juice with Julia, Sarah and Sang we eat well as we have a big trek ahead of us. We leave 10am to tackle Tungurahua volcano otherwise known as "The Black Giant" this is an active volcano the largest in Ecuador yet the most easily climbed apparently since Banos is already set on its hillside, periodic drills keep residents and visitors aware of the poitential risks. It is 5.016 metres straight up but I am trying not to think too much about that as I really don't like walking up hills and this one is continuous with no reprieve until we reach the top but me being the determined creature I am will not let it beat me. I find the going very difficult with the altitude and the heat and my heart is nearly pounding out of my chest, Julia on the other hand being Swiss is very used to hills and does it easily with those long legs of hers taking three strides to my one and she hardly breaks a sweat and at the same time manages as always to still look gorgeous. The ground is very uneven and even the formed path, if you can call it that is very rocky with lots of exposed tree roots so have to watch every step. We take a couple of wrong turns as guided by Julia asking for directions from the locals in her broken Spanish (but at this stage she knows more than the rest of us) . Thank goodness one of these wrong turns leads us to a rather ramshackle looking cafe but they are advertising coffee which twigs my interest so we decide it is a good excuse for a well-earned break, I ask for cafe leche (coffee with milk) but alas being a remote Sth American cafe they don't have milk so I accept it black, the female owner comes out with a chipped mug washes it in a large plastic container of water (I hope that's all it is but goodness only knows how clean it is or how long it has been sitting there) then returns with what is the worst cup of coffee I have ever had so when she isn't looking I tip most of it out in the garden so defeating the purpose of a caffeine fix, the others opt for bottled soda drinks yes much smarter than me I am thinking but I really wanted a coffee. After taking some photos of the cafe's very cute puppy and cat we once again head off, it is now raining quite heavily making the going very slippery as it just turns to mud but finally we arrive at Luna Runtun Resort and Spa at a height of 2.260 metres for a very well deserved lunch in Cafe Del Cielo I have a delicious curry vegetable crepe, cake and yes a very good white coffee and I think I've more than earned it. The views from the restaurant looking back down over Banos are more than worth the effort to get here, just spectacular. It rained quite heavily during lunch so we have decided not to continue our climb to the top but none of us are actually looking forward to the trek back down either as we think it is probably going to be harder and perhaps slower than coming up, yes we were right it is precariously slippery and Sang lands on his backside a few times but I do much worse while tring to look for firm footholes I tread in a hole and like Alice in Wonderland almost disappear into the bowels of the earth covered in mud, oh what a sight, I call for help and Sang comes to my rescue with his trusty walking pole which he passes to me to hang onto while he pulls me out as there was nothing else that I could get a grip onto oh my little Chinese hero I now am a bit reckless as I am already covered in mud so don't care if I slip over but do manage to stay upright for rest of the descent but Sang is still slipping and sliding so I very wisely decide not to follow in his footsteps and make my own way down. Meanwhile a very fit and surefooted Julia and Sarah have ploughed on ahead unaware of my plight. We arrive back in Banos at 3.30pm after 11km the trek taking us 5 1/2 hours which when we set out thought it would take a leisurely 3 to maybe 4 hours. I have a very enjoyable shower fully clothed in order to remove some of the mud and then spend quite some time trying to clean my raincoat. I have a back, neck and foot massage booked for 5pm which I am now really looking forward to so has Rebecca, Sarah is having a pedicure and Julia is having a manicure at 6pm so Rebecca, Sarah and I head off together. Rebecca and I are put in same room to await our fate, and I would have to say it is the best massage I have ever had I feel so good after I could nearly climb another volcano (just joking). We all meet at 8pm for dinner at our breakfast restaurant and another excellent night is enjoyed by all, we are all loving Banos very pretty place with lots of activities and all agree we could easily spend a week here.

Wednesday 8th October

Early departure today for Banos, Julia and I slept in didn't hear alarm or the knock on door we were supposed to get at 5.15am for 5.45am departure, luckily I happened to wake at 5.30am to go to toilet and realised we had 15 minutes to get packed, out the door (as it was a public bus and not a tour bus it was not going to wait for us so we had to be on it) and on bus so I managed to wake Julia (she had earplugs in so wasn't hearing me) fortunately she took my advice and packed her bag last night and just left out what she would need for the morning which she wasn't going to do, she thanked me. Oh what a mad dash just pulled our clothes on , so no shower well don't think we smell that bad. Arrived Banos 11am it is wet, lunch is toasted ham roll, chips and coffee , 2pm we depart for our adventure activities I am suffering with a bad back so decide to only do zipliner which involves being attached by your back to a cable and flying across the top of a gorge, great fun but the ground rush at the end was a bit scary but I survive. After all completing our task we continue on for the others to do the bridge swing which I decline due to my back not wanting to jar it and make it worse so I reluctantly watch the others have terrifying fun which they all enjoy immensely Back to Banos with some free time for laundry, emails, shopping, etc. 6.30pm we have a half hour salsa lesson for $A5.oo not as easy as it looks on tv but I will learn. Tea is at 7.15pm in a beautiful traditional restaurant and I have the best trout in a garlic cream sauce and some very good Chilean red wine. Tomorrow is a free day so have organised to do a trek up volcano with Julia, Sarah and Sang where we will have lunch in restaurant at the top if we make it.