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A greasy pole, ham slapping and 165 tonnes of tomatoes – It’s La Tomatina Time!

Hello Valencia, La Tomatina and catching up with Steph and Tyrone (Girles Gone Wild).

Unfortunately our London-living friends brought the weather with them 😉 and southern Spain greeted us with cool weather and rain!

We booked La Tomatina through Busabout tours, which provided us with accommodation, transfers, entry, after party tix and singlets for our festival fun and it was all well organised.

Seeing as we hadn’t seen the Girle’s for a year, we wasted no time finding some paella and drinks as we caught up on all our travel stories.

Day 2 and it was festival time! We were up early for a bus to Bunol, a small town outside of Valencia which hosts the annual festival.

We arrived with plenty of time to have a look around and immerse ourselves in the party atmosphere with an early morning Sangria!

We left the camera behind (which was a good call) but I’ve put a couple of YouTube clips in so you can see what we experienced.

We found a good spot close to the greasy pole to watch locals and tourists attempt to scramble to the top to reach the jamon serrano (ham placed at the top of the pole) – a much sought after prize, but rarely accomplished.

11am and BOOM goes the first cannon, which signals the end of the greasy pole scramble, and the start of the La Tomatina festival.

Dump trucks rolled through the narrow streets (squishing the 22,000 attendees aside) with volunteers on top starting the tomato throwing fun. The trucks dump more than 165 tonnes of overripe, fat juicy tomatoes and its every man and woman for themselves.

Tom and I were in the thick of the action, throwing ourselves into the first pile of dumped tomatoes to squish and throw at the thousands around us.

BOOM! An hour later the second canon is fired to signal the end of the tomato fight. We were inches deep in tomato juice and covered from head to toe.

As we made our way back out of the main square, we took advantage of the many locals who had their hoses out to help festival goers clean up.

With the tomato chunks washed off we enjoyed a paella and sangria before bussing it back to Valencia for a much needed shower.

La Tomatina was really something else! The world’s biggest food fight festival is not for the faint hearted if you have a problem with massive crowds, pushing and shoving and tomato projectiles in the face – but if you’re prepared for what awaits, it will be one of the best days of your life!

After the hairdryer in face heat of Morocco, we were relieved to be welcomed to Portugal with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-20s.

We landed in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and booked an awesome hotel called the Old Town Hostel.

Our first afternoon we decided to get an overview of the city so we walked to a nearby lookout where we had to blink twice to make sure we were in the right city. Looking towards the harbour, you could be mistaken for thinking you were in San Francisco thanks to their Golden Gate Bridge replica – or we had diverted to Brazil thanks to their own Christ the Redeemer statue (but more on that later)!

 

We made our way after to The Rua Augusta Arch – a triumphal arch-like stone on the Praça do Comércio (Commercial Square). This arch was built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake.

The Praça do Comércio is the largest of Lisbon’s mighty plaza and before the great earthquake of 1755, Commercial Square was the seat of power for the Portuguese royalty for around 200 years. In those times it was named Terreiro do Paço (The Palace’s Square).

 

Day two we joined a free walking tour to learn about the city’s history. We visited the old Jewish and Moorish neighbourhoods, various lookouts, and discovered their version of the Golden Gate Bridge – called the 25 de Abril Bridge (25th of April bridge), was installed by and originally named for their dictator Salazar, but was changed to 25 de Abril Bridge after he was removed from power. (Yes JK Rowling also used his name for the founder of Slytherin house).

The Christ the Redeemer statue was a gift from Brazil to Portugal for not taking part in WWII (on a side note – Brazilians speak Portugese and their first King was Portugese).

 

That night we visited a local restaurant to watch some Fado – music from the soul.

The next day we hired a scooter and rode along the coastline through Belem, past Cascai and Guincho Beach, before heading inland up to Sintra to see the beautiful and colourful Palace de Pena (Pena Palace) and medieval Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors).

 

Both sites were unique and nearly a century apart in their creation. The Castle of the Moores was built in the 8th and 9th centuries and was an important strategic point during the Reconquista. After the fall of Lisbon in 1147, the castle was taken by Christian forces.

 

In a major contrast and only 450 metres further up the hill of Sintra, the Pena Palace is really something else! It’s modern in comparison, colourful, intricate, elaborate and a national monument which constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world.

 

Day four in Portugal and we hired a car to drive down to Lagos. Lagos is a beautiful beach town in southern Portugal and a popular spot for holiday makers.

When we arrived we made our way to Praia Dona Ana beach for an afternoon of swimming, sunbaking and admiring the surrounding sea cliffs and coves.

 

Our hostel had a rooftop terrace where we enjoyed a cheap beer, cheese platter and the sunset.

The next day we booked the sea kayaking tour, which we cannot recommend enough. We spent around two hours paddling on the most beautiful blue water through sea caves and crevasses along the Portugal coastline.

We stopped at a secluded beach for a swim and to admire the nearby rock formations and cliffs, before being lazily towed back to the starting point.

 

After a nice lunch in town, we wandered along the harbour and made our way back to the beach. This time we visited Camilo beach, which was once named in the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.

It was up there with the sea cliffs, blue water and pebble sand, but being from Australia we can be a little biased – our beaches really do put theirs to shame.

 

Another beautiful sunset was the perfect end to our Portugal adventures.

Our last day in Portugal we stopped at the lighthouse for one last glimpse of the southern coastline, before driving back to Lisbon for our flight to Valencia.

Salaam Aleikum! We had arrived in Casablanca – the bustling business hub of Morocco.

Arriving on Sunday, most places were closed so we used this arrival day to unwind and rest before our 10 day tour around the country with Geckos Adventures.

Day one began in Casablanca and had us visiting the fourth biggest mosque in the world – the Hassan II Mosque.

On a guided tour we learned more than 6,000 craftsmen joined forces to build this beauty in 1993 and the cost went well into the $1B + price tag. It’s one of the few mosques in Morocco foreigners are allowed to enter.

That afternoon we took a local train (or what we can only describe as a travelling sauna 😥) to Meknes. Here we took a taxi to the whitewashed village of Moulay Idriss, one of Morocco’s most important holy pilgrimage sites.

Here we were treated to a home stay with the best Tagine of the entire trip, and a walking tour of the city, stopping along the way to witness a stunning Moroccan sunset.

The next morning we took a drive through the beautiful rolling hills to Volubilis for a guided tour of the epic Roman ruins which are more than 2000 years old.

After exploring the ancient site we drove back to Meknes where we met our local guide for a tour. We visited the Medina and an old grainery before enjoying an unusual lunch – a camel burger!

After lunch we were back on the Sauna Express heading for Fes – the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco.

We spent our first afternoon here finding a feed and enjoying some evening drinks with our tour friends.

Our first full day in Fes had us taking a tour of the city, from the old Medina which is a maze of windy, narrow roads, to the Medersa ou Inania, a ceramic factory and stinky tannery where they dye leather.

It was a shopaholic’s dream and we were tempted by the beautiful paintings, carpets, clothes and leather products more than once.

The next day we were off to Midelt – originally built as a base for nearby mining, we stopped here overnight on our way to the Sahara Desert.

We left behind the Sauna Express and swapped it for a mini bus as we drove south through different terrains. Midelt landscape was beautiful and we hiked to a nearby canyon and local village to admire the countryside.

After a nice night with our group by the much enjoyed pool (temperatures were regularly exceeding 45 degrees!) we were off to Mergouza for our Sahara adventure.

Along the way we stopped to see some spectacular views at the Gorges du Ziz and the 500 year old ruins of the Ksar of Meski.

Finally it was time for our camel ride in the Sahara desert, the highlight of the trip!

This time it was all aboard the Camel Express as our group enjoyed spectacular views of the mountainous sand dunes and the thrill of riding these stunning creatures on our way to a private desert camp.

As the sun came down, a storm rolled in and we witnessed not only sunshine in the Sahara, but a sand storm followed by cool rain.

By early evening it cleared and we enjoyed a fun night sleeping under the stars.

The next morning we rose early, hopped back on our camel and rode back to the resort, stopping to watch the sunrise over the Sahara. It was the most beautiful and surreal moment of our trip so far.

After a good shower and breakfast, we were back in the bus heading for Todra – a small but beautiful town in a valley where cliffs rise over 1000 metres.

We enjoyed a walk through the canyon that afternoon and a quiet night to catch up on the excitement of the past two days.

Our next stop had us arriving at “The Hollywood of Morocco” – also known as the medieval mud-brick town of Ait Benhaddou, which has featured in many films and television series including Gladiator and Game of Thrones.

We took a walking tour of the old Kasbah where we visited a local home and enjoyed stunning views from the top of the hill, before visiting a local market.

Back on the bus for the last time the next morning, we were on our way to Marrakech. The windy roads through the Atlas mountain weren’t too enjoyable, but the stunning views quickly made up for it.

Arriving in Marrakech we took an orientation walk around the old Medina, which took us to the 18th century Palais Bahia, Saadian tombs and the main medina square where you can find snake charmers, fortune tellers and souvineers galore!

Our last day in Marrakech we visited the famous Majorelle Garden before cooling off by the hotel pool. We spent our last night in the Medina soaking up the party atmosphere and enjoying a sunset dinner on a nice rooftop restaurant with our new friends.

Morocco was truly a magical experience, only made better by the people we spent it with.

Next stop for the Wild Reids – Portugal!

After a comfortable 12 hour flight from Bolivia (thanks Valium) we were finally back in Europe – a continent we were excited to return to after our first trip in 2015.

We would be starting our European adventures in Madrid, Spain.

We stayed at Hostel One which happened to be one block from the Royal Palace of Madrid, and happened to have some of the most stunning sunset views from the adjacent park!

We spent out first afternoon soaking up the city’s beautiful parks, streets and plazas. We found a park with a great view over the city where we stopped to enjoy the lookout, and see the featured Egyptian temple.

We made our way back towards the restaurant strip where we found a nice Menu del Dia and a cheap bottle of red.

The next day we planned to join a morning walking tour but thanks to jet lag we unintentionally had a late start to the day. Luckily the walking tour group Sandemans New Europe had a 2pm walking tour we could join.

The tour took us from Plaza Mayor to the old city walls, a convent, cathedral, the palace and gardens – all the while talking about Spain’s colourful history and its past Kings.

That afternoon we joined a walking tour specifically focussed on the Spanish Inquisition to learn more about this part of Spain’s history when the Jewish and Muslim people were banished from the country or forced to convert (failure to do so resulted in torture, jail and sometimes death).

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest functioning palace in Europe (yep – bigger than Buckingham) and it was there we were heading on day three to see inside the spectacular building.

The tour took us to the grand staircase, various bedroom chambers of past kings, the grand dining room, chapel, throne room, royal crown and septor, as well as the main courtyard and a special art exhibit.

For only a small entry fee, the tour is definitely worth it. The palace is stunning and you get to see a generous amounts of the palace inside.

That night it was time for some tapas, wine skin drinking and a Flamenco show. Flamenco is a Spanish art form made up of three parts: guitar playing, song, and dance. It was quite the spectacle!

Our next stop was Seville in the south of Spain so we hopped on a Renfe train the next morning and were there in less than three hours.

We stayed in Hostel Catedral in the Jewish Quarter and it was without a doubt the best hostel so far. Free meals, walking tours, rooftop bar, 1€ beers and curtains on the bunks.

After checking in we made our way to two cathedrals, the first was San Francisco Cathedral, which was smaller than the city’s star attraction cathedral, but beautiful inside.

After our visit there we made our way to the Seville Cathedral, which was once originally a mosque during the Moorish dynasty and now the largest gothic cathedral in the world.

The cathedral is not only architecturally stunning inside and out, it is also the resting place of Spanish sailor and conqueror Christopher Columbus, and visitors can see his tomb.

The Giralda is the bell tower of the Seville Cathedral and was originally built as a minaret during the Moorish period, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty.

Climbing around 35 levels up, the bell tower climb is worth the effort as it has has a beautiful view over the surrounding city.

After a Spanish siesta we wandered through the narrow streets to see some modern architecture. Called “The Mushrooms” by locals, the Metropol Parasol looks more like waffles to me. For only 3€ you can visit the top, get a free beer and wander around to the lookout which gives you a great 360 degree view of the city. It’s also claimed to be the largest wooden structure in the world.

Back at our hostel for the night we happened to be arriving the day they opened their rooftop bar and enjoyed christening it with a drink at sunset.

Day two in Seville we joined a free walking tour to better explore the city.

We visited some interesting sights including an old tobacco factory which is now a university, the walls of the Alcazar, a beautiful old mansion and the most stunning sight we have seen so far – the Plaza de Espana which was built in 1926 for the Ibero-Americal Expo of 1929

The complex was built to represent the four ancient kingdoms of Spain and we couldn’t help but take more than a few photos of the half-circle buildings, most and bridges.

After the tour, we went back to the Real (Royal) Alcazar to explore the palace and gardens on the other side of the ancient wall and it was well worth the visit.

The Royal Alcazar – known as Seville’s Royal Palace, was originally a Moorish fort built in the 10th century by the first Caliph of Andalucia.

We made our way to the river in Seville and some of the city’s gardens later that afternoon before enjoying another hostel dinner and drinks at the rooftop bar.

The next morning we were back on the train heading for Córdoba a small Spanish city in comparison to Seville, but culturally rich in history and beauty.

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita, is the star tourist attraction in Córdoba. This structure has a complicated and unique past (cathedral inside a 10th Century mosque!) so I’ll just suggest a hyperlink for you to read more about it 😉

Built in the 1st century, the ancient Roman Bridge is also worth a visit.

That afternoon we enjoyed some time to wind down and soak up the city’s quaint atmosphere, with a walking tour planned for the next morning. For dinner we devoured some amazing tapas along with a bottle of red.

Day two in Córdoba and we joined a walking tour around the city to see some old Roman ruins and monuments dedicated to the town’s Patron Saint San Rafael, who cured the city of the plague.

We enjoyed exploring the winding streets and soaking up the moorish and Spanish architecture before our evening train back to Madrid.

Next stop, Morocco!

With the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu ticked off the bucket list it was time to enjoy the rest of our South American adventure as we headed further south towards Bolivia.

Leaving the town of Machu Picchu by train, we spent the night in Ollantaytambo where we recovered with a shower and good night’s sleep.

On our way back through the Sacred Valley to Cusco the next day, we detoured to visit a local town and a farming village where Tom found his true calling – ponchos and bean picking…

Lunch was another interesting culinary experience, with our first taste of roasted Guinea Pig.

Continuing on our way we stopped at a wildlife rescue reserve where we saw monkeys, llamas, Pumas and condors.

That night we were back in Cusco and enjoyed a free day with a stroll through the city at night before preparing for our next stop – Puno and Lake Titicaca.

Puno sits higher than Cusco altitude wise and is the gateway to Lake Titicaca – the highest navigatable lake in the world.

After spending the night in Puno, we packed our overnight bags and hopped on a boat heading for our first stop – the floating reed islands. Here we learned about how the locals build the floating islands as well as how they used to live, but their main purpose now appears to be tourism.

Our next stop was to one of the peninsulas where we would be staying overnight with a local Quechua family.

The language barrier was a challenge and their living conditions were quite the eye opener, but there’s one universal language that bonded families and tourists – sport!

After enjoying a lunch with our family and some bean and corn picking, we made our way to the local park to play some volleyball (football was banned as the locals were getting a little too competitive).

After enjoying the Lake Titicaca sunset we made our way to the group kitchen where we helped our families prepare a traditional dinner. Traditional cooking calls for traditional clothing and Tom was definitely enjoying his pink poncho a little too much!

After a cold night and early breakfast our group said farewell to the Quechua people and were back on the boat heading for Taquile Island, also known as the Island of the Knitting Men.

As the name suggests, knitting is exclusively performed by males. Beginning in early boyhood, the local men knit skirts, hats and Pom poms for their wives and daughters.

Our timing was perfect as the community of 2500 had their annual festival and we were treated to colourful costumes and music before enjoying a light lunch with stunning views which have been compared to the Greek Islands.

That night we returned to Puno for one last dinner with our guide Jorge, who would be leaving us the next day at the Bolivian border.

The next morning our bus ride to La Paz became quite the experience. One hour in our bus was forced to stop with a road block of protesters causing a debacle.

While they were kind enough to move on and let us pass… they put us two hours behind schedule.

When we made it to the Bolivian border it was a fairly easy process to cross for us, however, some young Americans who were sharing our ride didn’t realise they needed visas, and created another two hour delay for our bus (and didn’t even apologise).

A couple more hours and another short stop when the bus overheated and we finally made it to La Paz!

The city is built into a canyon and is stunning at night. After a good feed and a sleep we were feeling refreshed and ready to explore the city.

Our Bolivian guide Viv was amazing and took us on a walking tour to the main square which houses the presidential and government buildings where a parade was on to celebrate the city’s independence.

We then explored the San Francisco church and local witches markets which featured various offerings to the Mother Earth, from amulets to dried llama foetuses (used to ensure you have a nicely built house apparently), the markets felt a lot less touristy than those in Lima and Cusco.

The main public transport system in La Paz is cable cars, so that afternoon we hopped on and enjoyed a birds eye view of the city.

That night it was time to say goodbye to our group, with some continuing on the next South America tour, others going home, or some like us continuing on to our travels elsewhere.

Spain here we come!

Finally it was time for the highlight of our Peru tour – we were beginning the four-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu, one of the New Wonders of the World.

While “the lost city of the Incas” is undoubtably the star attraction, with options to arrive by train or take the shorter Quarry Trail, we were told by many to focus on enjoying the longer trek and all to see along the way.

On Day One our group reached the starting checkpoint, met our guides, checked our gear and started walking. 45 kilometres, three nights camping and more than 1000 metres of elevation was ahead of us.

 

The first day was relatively easy, with our guides mandating lots of stops and lots of water. We felt they were easing the group into the trek, particularly given the altitude we were walking in the Andes (starting at around 3000m above sea level and reaching well over 4km) can make breathing quite difficult.

Pretty quickly we knew we were in for a treat, the views across the mountains were already stunning and we had barely begun our elevation climb.

 

The other thing that was fast apparent was that our team of porters (20 including a chef and assistant chef) were absolute machines. These small mountain men were each carrying 25 kilogram packs (packed with tents, chairs, food, water, eating utensils, toilets etc) and were powering into camp each day hours early to set up.

We were actually a little embarrassed by the service provided by the porters – think hot water tubs each morning and evening to wash your face and feet; being woken with Coca tea every day (“tent-service” they said) and three course hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Surely this isn’t really roughing it?

 

We began Day Two psyched for a real challenge. This was universally considered the hardest day of the trek, with an unrelenting steep climb over “Dead Woman’s Pass” (4,200m above sea level) followed by a steep decline to camp (hello quad muscles).

Regardless, we powered on and got the job done in no time – our little group of speedsters self-naming ourselves ‘The A Team’. The view from the top was predictably spectacular.

Of course, upon arriving at camp our three course dinner, hot chocolate and popcorn was waiting for us.

 

Day three would prove the most scenic, with several impressive Inca ruins along the way. These included temples, small cities, lookouts and most impressively, enormous farming terraces built into the side of mountain. The last spot also providing the best views of the trek – huge mountains creating a deep valley which would also provide our final camping spot.

Best of all, these treasures were left only to those who braved the Inca Trail – those choosing the easy train option will have no idea what they’re missing…

 

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Day Four included an early start (3.30am -eek!). We then climbed the final few kilometres of the inca trail as the sun rose up, and waited at the Incan Sungate as the clouds lifted, revealing Machu Picchu – the lost city of the incas built 500 years ago, abandoned shortly after and only rediscovered in 1911. This was truly a surreal moment.

What makes Macchu Picchu so special? It was never found by the Spanish conquerors and therefore 80 per cent of the site is original.

 

As for our few hours exploring Macchu Picchu itself, pictures say a thousand words…

 

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All in all, these four days were deservedly the highlight of our Peru tour and we fully understand why Macchu Picchu is a bucket list destination for many travellers.

And as befitting for the “Inca Trail”, the journey would prove as stunning and inspiring as the destination.

Sitting high among the Andes was once the capital of the Incan Empire, Cusco was our next stop in Peru.

Arriving four days earlier than expected, we were a little relieved as we had more time to adjust to the high altitude before hiking the Inca Trail.

Our guide Jorge organised for our group to visit a number of archaeological sites around the region over the next couple of days – remnants of the Incan empire that once ruled the lands.

Our first full day in Cusco had us heading up into the hills to visit the Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and Saqsayhuaman ruins.

Some of the most fascinating features of each site include the perfectly sculpted boulders used to build each site, as well as their accurate lines and corners of walls, rooms and terraces.

Day 2 we made our way further out of Cusco to visit Chinchero. We stopped into the small village to witness the art of weaving and dying alpaca wool, before heading to see some Inca ruins, including a large mountain of terraces used for farming.

Our next stop was to see the Salt Mines just outside the Sacred Valley. Here we learned about the salt in the mountains which is extracted through the water. Another chance for local food – we enjoyed a block of dark chocolate with pink rock salt.

Our last stop was to visit the Moray ruins. The site contains unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions, as well as an irrigation system.

The next day our guide took us around Cusco and to some local markets which featured fresh produce, meat, souvenirs galore and witch doctor remedies.

That night we decided it was time to enjoy the local cuisine – alpaca. We found a great local restaurant called Organika and the food was outstanding! The alpaca was tender and similar to lamb.

After a couple of busy days in Cusco we spent our last day relaxing before taking on the Inca Trail!

Peru is a country of geographic extremes. While it has the highest navigable lake in the world and some of the world’s highest and most spectacular mountains, it also has the driest desert on earth and this is the region we were heading to first.

Arriving back in Lima after our short stay in the Amazon we were looking forward to starting our Essential Peru tour through Intrepid.

The first night we met our group which consisted of a great mix of Aussies, Kiwis and two sisters from Texas. Our tour guide Jorge took us out to dinner for some team bonding to get ready for the next 20 days.

Day 2 we made our way to Downtown Lima to visit Chinatown, the local markets and the Palace of the President to watch the Changing of the Guard.

The ceremony was much more elaborate (dancing, gun twirling, and marching) than the one at Buckingham Palace and is only performed every Sunday.

We enjoyed a free afternoon to explore the Mira Flores district of the city, including the beach, town square and a shopping centre built into a cliff.

The next morning we were up early for a four hour bus ride to Paracas, a small fishing town south of Lima along the coast which is famous for it’s wildlife (seals, penguins and flamingoes), as well as the picturesque coastline where the desert meets the ocean.

Arriving mid-morning, our group took a tour of the Paracas desert. Our guide was a little eccentric and enjoyed explaining how the desert came to be – pointing out shell fossils and coastline views, including one of only five red beaches in the world – Playa Roja.

That night we enjoyed a seafood dinner by the beach and soaked up another beautiful Peruvian sunset.

Unbeknown to us, an earthquake struck off the coast of Arequipa that night so the next morning’s boat tour to the nature reserve was cancelled. Instead we settled for a milkshake and a walk through the markets.

Later that day we were back on the bus heading for Nazca, a town famous for the Nazca Lines.

German Mathematician and archaeologist Maria Reiche dedicated her life to preserving and studying the lines. We learned about her theory of the lines aligning with certain constellations at a planetarium named in her honour. The planetarium is in a local hotel she called home for more than 25 years, before passing away age 95.

The next day we took a sand dune buggy through the Nazca desert to admire some ancient ruins of the Nazca people – including an aqueduct and a pyramid – before having a little fun hooning through the sand dunes and taking on sand boarding!

Later that day we had our first holiday mishap…

We were suppose to be boarding a bus that afternoon to Araquipa, however the aforementioned earthquake had caused a landslide along the highway.

With no other way there, we skipped Araquipa and painstakingly endured a 15 hour overnight bus to Cusco (mountain ranges and switchbacks had us feeling rather green), arriving three days earlier than intended.

While it wasn’t part of the plan, it gave us more time to explore the region’s many wonders we’ll share with you soon!

With the USA leg of our trip behind us, we were on our way to Lima, Peru to begin our South American adventures, starting with four days in the Amazon Jungle.

We had an overnight stay in Lima before flying to Puerto Maldonado. There we were met by our guide Moises who took us to our main mode of transport, a motorised canoe.

It was an hour and a half cruise down the Tambopata River to reach our accommodation, the Cayman Eco Lodge. The lodge is located in one of the best preserved areas of the Amazon and along the boat ride Moises pointed out monkeys, birds and cabaneros.

 

After settling in to our bungalow and enjoying the peace of no power, no wifi and jungle hammocks, Moises took us for a night time walk through the jungle to search for sloths, insects and tarantulas! While I’d rather we spot a sloth, we instead found the home of a mummy tarantula and her spiderlings who were feeding on a freshly caught caterpillar.

 

Our second day we were up early (3am) for a two hour cruise up the river to see the clay lick – a clay wall where macaws and other birds come down and eat clay, which neutralises all the fruit in their diet.

It is one of the most colourful and interesting experiences in the Amazon and we saw hundreds of birds, including different coloured macaws, visiting the clay lick.

 

We were back at the lodge by lunch for some down time. That night we were back in the canoe for a night cruise down the river to spot some caymans, which belong to the alligator family. They’re a little shy but we managed to spot a few.

 

While spotting the caymans was fun, looking up at the Milky Way in the middle of the Amazon was truly something else!

The next morning we were up at 6am for a 17km return hike through the jungle. We were heading to a lake to look for anacondas and along the way we enjoying listening to our guide point out the different flora and fauna. We also came across some spider monkeys who seemed just as interested in us as we were by them.

 

When we reached the lake, we paddled up to the swampy grasslands looking for anacondas. Moises was confident as the weather was warm and there were fresh trails, but we didn’t have any luck (much to Jess’ relief).

Returning to the lodge late afternoon, we spent our last night relaxing on the hammocks with a good book and admiring the Amazon sunset.

Four days in New Orleans, known locally as ‘The Big Easy’ and ‘America’s most European city’, would be our last stop in the US before heading south to Peru.

With many fellow travellers having talked up the Louisiana capital as a unique, ‘must do’ US destination, our first impression fell short of expectations.

Upon arrival it was clear the city is still showing signs of damage and disrepair from Hurricane Katrina, not to mention the constantly shifting foundations, having been built upon unstable swampland subject to constant erosion from the mighty Mississippi.

The class divide and poverty that also came to international attention during the devastating 2005 storm was further on display, with NOLA (yet another often-used nickname) having the highest concentration of homeless people, begging and sometimes bothering tourists in the street, that we’ve seen outside of Europe.

Nonetheless, it didn’t take long for NOLA’s charms to start to rub off on us.

New Orleans is renowned as a mixing pot of cultures – French, Italian, West African, Spanish and American – creating a unique ‘Creole’ culture and cuisine not found anywhere else in the world.

Nowhere is this more evident than the city’s historic centre and main tourist hub – The French quarter.

We began Day Two with a walking tour of the French Quarter and it is pretty much is as described. Rows and rows of tightly compacted European style buildings, most dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, lined the Quarter’s narrow streets.

The small neighbourhood is steeped in colonial history (too much to even attempt in this blog), having been owned by the French, the Spanish and then the French again, before Napoleon sold the entire southern region to Thomas Jefferson in the famous Louisiana Purchase (effectively doubling America’s territory to the US we know today).

We spent much of our four days in NOLA wandering the French Quarter, sampling its myriad of restaurants (creole and cajun), having one or two drinks on sleazy Bourbon Street, and visiting many of the Quarter’s museums and historical landmarks including a 19th century pharmacy which showed some of the pre-germ theory treatments of illness (mercury injections for your syphilis)!

On day two we snuck in a half-day tour to one of New Orlean’s best preserved plantations – Oak Alley. This early 19th century cotton and sugar plantation is famous for the massive oak trees lining its pavements.

Oak Alley offered a great insight into plantation life in early Southern America, including the challenging and often brutal conditions faced by the 150-odd slaves doing all the work.

Day three we were able to explore and learn about the other famous historical district of New Orleans. While only a few miles apart, The Garden District feels a world away from the tight streets of the French Quarter.

This is where the wealthier Americans purchased large blocks of land and built mansions in the mid 19th century when first moving into New Orleans. The homes featured all of those things the poorer European settlers considered extravagant and obnoxious, like road facing facades, sweeping galleries, big gardens and interior staircases.

Very clean and well preserved (as pretty much the only area of NOLA not to go under during Katrina), the Garden District is where Hollywood A-listers have their southern holiday homes and it’s not unusual to see houses for sale at $5m+.

A blog on New Orleans cannot forgot the jazz! Just as Nashville was full of country music and honky tonks, New Orleans is famous for its jazz and blues clubs.

We spent three nights in famous Frenchmen Street, where each venue has a different vibe and the music ranged from classical guitar jazz, electric guitar blues, jazz-rock fusion, folk and even big brass bands playing on the street corners.

Needless to say, while we couldn’t exactly see ourselves living in ‘The Big Easy’, after four days we certainly could appreciate the lifestyle and culture that NOLA is known for the world over.