Fed up with Irish winter's, we (myself, john butler and dave conlisk) decided a trip below the equator was in order and so to South America, in particular Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. We left on the 21st of November for two months of adventure.

First stop - Lima, the capital of Peru. Being similiar in style to most Western cities, we didn't stay long and headed south on route to Cusco. We stopped in Nasca to visit the much talked about Nasca Lines (etching on the desert floor of birds, animals, plants, and even an astronaut - which can only be seen clearly from an airplane) and Arequippa for a night to recooperate. Nice city, very white everthing appeared white washed.

We arrived safely in Cusco after an interesting nite journey across the mountains on a bus. Rather bumpy and cold to say the least. Cusco was nice and quiet during the and had a raging nite life once the sun set. This was to be our base for a couple of weeks. We decided first things first, since the season was ending within weeks we should go white water rafting along the Apurimac River, it was amazing, a combination of breath taking scenery and adrenaline pumping rapids.

After a couple of day's rest we embarked on the Inca Trail towards Machu Picchu. A four day hike through the sacred valley, climbing as high as 4200m. The scenery varied from snow capped peaks, desert lands, jungle and marsh until we eventually set our eyes on what is know as Macchu Picchu, set in the midst of the sacred valley miles from any civilisation We spent the afternoon wandering around followed by an evening in a neighbouring village 'Aguas Caliente' bathing in the natural (supposedly) hot springs. It was rather relaxing when you forgot about the green coloured water and the little kids running around with bars of soap.

The whole adventure proved to much for me and I was sick for the next couple of days. Once I felt good enough to travel, it was onwards and upwards to Bolivia. Heading in the direction of Lake Titticatta, we arrived in the town of Copacabana for lunch, and caught a ferry to 'Isle del Sol' that afternoon. Apparently this little island is supposed to be where the Sun and the first Inca King were born. It is certainly the setting for it. Snowcapped peaks in the distance, lots of mountaineous paths and rocky views.

From here to La Paz, the capital of Bolivia and by no means the richest. Families of homeless begging on the streets. No such things as shops, just street stalls and hundreds of them. The city is set at about 3700m high and so is quite cold and you feel the altitude. We took a bus out of the city to the highest ski resort in the world. Only slope though, but situated at 5385 m high. From there we went across town to Lunar Valley - or as the could be know as giant anthills. This is the wealthy part of town. Giant mansions (persumably worth millions) surrounded the sides of the roads going up to lunar valley.

Next on the agenda was Rurrenbaque, the land of jungle and pampass. Swamps and jungle - loads of fascinating animals but most of all mosquitos, arghhh, I hate them. The tore into my ankles and forhead. So itchy. The trip was great, 3 days, in a dug out canoe following the river searching for strange and unusual animals. But the mosquitos just kept biting....

It was coming up to Christmas, we decided to go to Sucre, although I was begining to feel sick again. So after a 10 hour wait for our flight to La Paz and then a 14 hour bus journey we where finally nearing our destination. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems. The bus starting to chug about 5 miles from Sucre. Coughing and spluttering is crawls into a petrol stations. Ah it has run out of petrol. To our horror, so has the petrol station. So it crawls out of the petrol station and starts the long journey to sucre running on fumes along. We eventually made it and in time for Christmas, it was only the 23rd. I felt horrible. Managed to sleep most of the rest of the day and well into Christmas eve. Christmas day was a little different than usual. Everyone carried on as normal, as if it was any other day of the year, shops, markets, etc were all open. Christmas dinner was spent in a pizzeria, followed by a trip to see giant dino footprints on St. Stephens Day.

With Christmas behind us we carried on to Uyuni passing through Potosi (the highest city in the world), to cross the Salar Uyuni into Chilli. The salar uyuni (the salt planes) are giant lakes of solid salt spaning hundreds of miles across southern Bolivia. Masses and masses of white in all directions. The horizon dissappeared into a mirage. As we travelled through the salt planes, the salt gradually changed, so that sometimes it had a film of water on it and others, it was amazing reds greens and yellows. We travelled through the desert which could only be comparable to what we think of the Sahara desert as. Vast areas of sand in all directions, a few mountains (snowcapped) and active volcanos and fields of boulders, similar to Fontainbleau. We eventually arrived in Chilli, San Padreo de Atacama then onto Calama where we stayed a night. Seeing as it was coming up to the New Year, we headed on to Arica, to spend the New Year. We spent a couple of days on the beach and then headed on to Arequippa, back into Peru, where we trekked into the Colca Canyon (the deepest canyon in the world)

Relaxation was required so off to Ica and the oasis in amongst the sanddunes. A little sand boarding but mostly reading and lying by the pool for 2 or 3 days, it really was a little paradise.

Time for beaches - a 24hr bus journey to Mancora a beach in north Peru, great, sandy roads, big beachs, a little surfing more relaxation . From there a herendous border crossing through in to Equador and up to Guayaquill and Salinas . I decided to stay there for the day, have a wander around. When they returned it was off to Montanita and Peurto Lopez (idillic beaches, sandy beach, palm trees, wooden cottages, hamocks and good food)and Banos for some more baths, a little hiking and lots of shopping. Quito our last stop, we went up to see the Equator not much there but the equator, but it had to be done. To the plane.

We got fully searched in the airport, they actually brought us behind the scenes to where they load the plane to search and were really rude about it, taking out absolutely every possession we had. Got lost in Guayaquil, was to supposed to stauy on the bus but we didn't know and managed to get through customs, for a second time.

But we survived and arrived in Madrid all safe, met up with John's Sister, had dinner, calsped with exhaustion, and headed to the plane bright and early the next day. Dublin, wet and cold but good to be home.