Under The Llama

A kaleidoscope(!) of butterflies I canoed past on the banks of the Rio Amacayacu, a tributary of the Amazon in Colombia

More incredible art of the streets of Bogota. Ambitions ambitions... A mixture of political (you can't hear about the corruption and terrible things that happen in Colombia even today without feeling awful and guilty) and more mystical and purely aesthetic. All are beautiful

Well Barichara has got to be the best looking town in the world

The Suarez Valley, as seen from Barinchara, Colombia

Me and Catherine 5 mins before we paraglided off over Medellin! It was so much fun!! Out and through the clouds! 'Acrobatics' meant twisting, suddenly dropping and severe motion sickness... JK never mentions the feeling of your stomach falling away when on a broomstick... I'm with Hermione on this. Fun, but better to be on the ground!

Spent 5 mins so far in Colombia, and only ventured about 1km away from my hostel, but I know I'm going to love it!!!

Straddling the fake equator

Apparently you can't visit the equator without having this photo taken... And apparently it's only possible to balance an egg on the flat side of a nail on the equator.... I don't believe this. something about centrifugal force science blahblah acting on the liquid inside. Can someone prove this wrong? Toby or Ben?

The monument to the equator

Felt well enough for the first time in too long to try and eat lunch today!! I've been wanting to eat at the Mercado the whole 5 days I've been in Quito. The pic of the food court isn't great but I felt to intrusive taking a closer photo of people while they were eating. I ordered a mora juice for $1 and this delicious thing: llapingacho for $2.50 which consists of 3 fried cheese filled potato cakes, fried eggs, a chorizo type sausage, avocado and salad. The salad which, in sympathy to my stomach I left, but was desperate for. This much grease was crying for the red onion and lettuce! Never mind, it was delicious. Let's see if my tummy agrees.

Last sunset of Peru

The plants outside the Larco Museum in Lima were almost on par with the actual exhibits for brilliance!

Goodbye Lima, Hello Mancora!

Today we drove through Celendin, a town in the northern Andes. The town is famous for its millinery! The platform in the centre of the plaza was a giant hat, the local political figure's logo is a hat, (in Peru political names and slogans are painted on the houses along the road,) that is how famous their hats are. So the entire time I've been in Peru, I have been in search for hat - my scalp can't take this high altitude sunshine - and low and behold, our guide stops the car at this fabulous hat shop/workshop. I didn't fancy one of the traditional hats the women wear in this region- a very tall Stetson type hat, but saw this one hanging on the wall. I love it! (My face right now, not so much)

Tonight I am ashamed to say that I ordered Cuy for dinner... That is, Guinea pig... Ermintrude, my sweetheart, my childhood companion, I'm sorry!! If you meet this little cuy in Guinea pig heaven tell him or her that I'm sorry. It wasn't worth it. Finding the little hairy Guinea pig skull on my slab made it extra not worth it. As did finding undercooked meat as I searched deep into the carcass for something that wasn't bone or deep fried skin. I'm praying for a smooth digestive experience tonight. The v strong pisco cocktail with shredded coca leaves however was great! I think all the coca I drank balanced the alcohol and I am energised enough to crack on with my getting up to date with my journal! Although that could be from just having a pretty empty stomach.

The gang in the desert outside Trujillo, posing in front of the Moche city and the Temple of the Sun