Mark's 4 Cuys with Potato and Salad

Hola everyone,

Have now traded the high mountains and rolling greens of Ecuador foranother new landscape again here in Peru, I havent seen a blade of grass in 2weeks, but really love it here. The deserts are really amazing, similar to aStar Wars planet with huge dunes and mountains thrown in as backdrop.

Seems civilisation in Peru is as old as it s mountains, with ruined cities, desert tombs, and mummified bodies scattered all over from past civilisations. The ruined city of Chan Chan in Trujillo was excellentto see, with kilometers of mud brick walls which once formed temples forthe hob nobs of times past to sing, dance and bury the dead........ well, something like that, cause thanks to the looters, and the Spanish among others, no one really knows much about it at all. But it still looks impressive even if it all falls down to ones own imaginations.

The capital city Lima was touted as a total dive of a place, but upon arrival there, we were surprised to find a great city that trapped usfor 3 days and could easily slot in beside the grandatures of Europe. Alsobumped into our Pommy travel buddies James, Alex and Andrea in the hotel, reaffirming our team of 5 that we had in Ecuador. Our hotel was a little obscure, a 3 story place with a mummified baby in a glass case in the hallway, marble Roman busts on all floors, a roof top terrace cafe hometo macaw parrots, one huge turtle crawling around on the concrete, and iguanas scuffled on branches overhead, randomly shitting on the guests eatingtheir breakfasts. The meals they served were a little suspicious looking too,and will also mention the old turtle went missing from the roof on the first day.

Spent 3 days of cruising the city, having a great time while fightinga stomach bug, and having 6 taxi drivers driving us all over town, showingoff their city in very proud fashion. Such a friendly bunch they are in Peru. Headed Sth from Lima with Lisa and the Poms to Pisco, a place where the famous Pisco sour is served in strong doses. 2 glasses of this strong tequilla lime concoction, it was lights out for the night, all of us sleeping like dead men. Took a boat the next day to a small rocky island, home to 10 penguins, several bird species, and 1000 smelly seals, hugepacks of female seals beside their gigantic bulls which produce the most horrible noises I ve head this side of hell, also the smells werent helping our hangovers either, but an excellent time had.

Further south to Ica, still in magic desert sceneries, we came to Ica, home to an awesome desert oasis lake with a few restaurants and hotelswith essential swimming pool, all surrounded 360 deg with huge desert sanddunes. Surfing the huge dunes is a favorite patime of the locals, and beforelong we hit the dunes also, flying out of control down the slopes, endingin huge getoffs and face plants, with sand finding every orrifice on our bodies, ears and mouths included. Brilliant fun. We all climbed the 100m highdune for sunset one evening, washed down with some red and white wine, overlooking the amazing horizon of endless desert dunes on one side,Andes mountains on the other, with the warm wind in our faces, magic!! Thenin near darkness, we sailed flat out down the face of the largest dune,almost ending up on the concrete court in the middle of the locals soccer game.

From the Ica oasis we bused 3hrs sth to Nazca, were we took a flightin a trusty old 6 seater plane for a 30 minute joy flight over the desert,to get a birseye view of the famous Nazca lines, which are giant shapes of birds, hands, monkeys, and trees drawn into the flat desert floor some 1500years ago. The shapes still baffle experts of their creation, like most ofpre Inca Peru, and were really amazing. I recon with a liitle more desert scratching, there s gotta be an ancient Kent set stashed under a rockthere somewhere, complete with stainless compasses, protractors and shatterproof rulers. Our tour guide Ronald and his brother were really nice guys, drivingthe 5 of us all over town in a classic beat up huge blue Impala, which leaned wildly to one side, true Cheech and Chong fashion indeed. Loved it!

Took a long overnight bus ride in a ultra stuffy bus ride to Arequippa,and it was time to match James in partaking in the 'Cuy Challenge! (Cuy is spanish for Guinea pig) Lisa and dutchman Bartwere in also, and we found ourselves locked in a huge 15minute bidding war between 3 restaurants in the square fighting for our custom, all offereng free drinks with the discouted Cuy dinners!! Soon enough, 4 of us had4 fried guinea pigs in front of us, complete with the little heads, wideopen mouth, and claws pointed vertically in dead bird fashion. Vegitarians Alex and Andrea looked on very concerned, as we slowly devoured our local delicacies, slowly crunching and chewing at first, before finally grabbing the hampsters buy hand and finishing them of KFC style. Despite being way too fiddly to knock of the chicken as fast food, they did taste good being fat free after all. To top off the laughs, sick man Jameseven took a claw home in his pocket to post to a mate back in England.

Hope all is tasty in you pastures too,

Mark. _ _ ______________________________________________________ _ _

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