Rhod and Anna's World Adventure

Now Peru didn´t start quite as planned. I knew it was a risk to trust my parents to arrive unaided in the southern hemisphere and sure enough I was right. Thanks to Continental Airlines and their over-booking policy they didn`t get a seat on their flight from Houston and arrived in Lima one day late for the tour after a journey via Costa Rica. Luckily out tour guide Jose took this all in his stride and made arrangements for them to be collected, taken to a hotel and then get a flight to Arequipa the following moring to catch up with the group. So the grand family reunion actually took place 36 hours later than planned but they are here safe and well now. I`m not sure that they will get home un-aided but they have sometime before they need to go back to work.

Peru is a magical holiday destination but there is always the nagging worry of suffering from altitude sickness. We were feeling pretty confident that having travelled for 5 months on our own needing no more than a plaster and a paracetamol we would be fine health-wise. Wrong! I´ll spare you the details right now but if any of you would like to know more on our return we´ll be more than happy to fill you in on the gory details. Basic details Anna throat infection, Rhod food poisoning but we got the same antibiotics.

First to visit the Peruvian hospital in a small town called Chivay was me followed by Rhod 2 days later. Most people have a horrendous experience in hospital however on both occasions we were the only people in A&E and hence were seen immediately by the most friendly doctor and nurses you could hope to meet. The place was clean, airy and we were in and out in a maximum of 20 minutes, antibiotics in hand. Britain, you have a lot to learn!