billyandsophie

Farewell Party
Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom
Thanks to everyone who came to see us off, it was good to see you all and it was a really good night.
To see more of Disco in his shorts and other stuff, follow the link below.
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/TheFarewellParty
written by  billyandsophie on March 15, 2008 from Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: South America

Hi everyone!
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
Where to start?! I reckon food would be a good place to begin!... Me and Billy have been sampling the parrillas/asados which are grills/roasts. Meals have included black pudding, spicy sausage, pig´s tails and veal kidneys, all served from a guy single handedly manning a barbecue, spit and grill and served up at the table on a kind of mini barbecue. Other foodie highlight has been the rather amazing egg custard flans, I have become addicted to them and have had five in the last week. Billy is keen on the empenadas, little meat and veg pasties you can get everywhere. I also like Dulce de Leche-a sweet caramel spread which is good on bread for breakfast. Yeah anyway you might be more interested in what we have been doing rather than the contents of our stomachs!..
City Centre: We started the trip in the centre of the city, it was all very modern with big shops and posh restaurants. The first night at the hostel we took advantage of a free tango lesson. Billy was pretty good and as we had to swap partners ended up dancing with some pretty ladies. I on the other hand was hopeless and put off further by the sleazy american dance partners I ended up with pressing themselves aganist me, yuk!
Sightseeing included a trip to the parliament buildings, a look at the Casa Rosada with the balcony from which Evita and Maradonna adressed the crowds, a look round a catholic church and a former convent. We also saw demostrations against the goverments treatment of Faulklands veterens (it being the anniversary of the start of the conflict) and chatted to a a veteran himself who was v. friendly, advised us on places to go and had no ill feeling towards the english anymore.
San Telmo: Half way through the week we moved to San Telmo, an older part of the city famous for its tango bars. From there we went into Boca which according the guide books had v.definate no go areas however it all felt very safe as it was match day and the streets were flooded with police. Managed to get tickets for La Boca vs Banfield. The stadium was amazing, we were seated right at the top with a fab view of the supporters groups, banners and the pitch itself. The stadium shook with the sound of chants, people jumping up and down and the drums of the supporters band.
On sunday we headed to the outskirts for the goucho fair for abit of entertainment, more empanadas and plenty of lazing in the sun. On sunday evening we returned to san Telmo where a fair was also well under way. We watched people of all ages tangoing, it seems that the younger people feel quite honoured to be asked to dance by older more experienced dancers. In between the dancing (which was open to everyone and Billy even made me get up and make a tit of myself) a professional couple showed off their moves. The music was varied, me and Billy particularly liked the electro tango which included a tango version of enjoy the slience by depeche mode!
Other highlights have included visiting Recoleta - the cemetry where Evita was buried, seeing the museum about her life, seeing a massive flower sculpture which opens its metal petals at dawn and closes them at dusk and just relaxing and taking things at a more leisurely place for a change.
Weath: Its hot. I wont rub it in too much because Billy´s mum says it snowed in Newark at the weekend.
People: really really friendly. Theyve helped us out at every opportunity when we have been lost/confused etc.
Hostels: again everyone is friendly and you get free internet access, towels, sheets and a hearty breakfast all for less than a fiver. The only downer is that most of the dorms we stay in are predominantly filled with men so it smells of boys!
Anyway, Im off to enjoy a last lazy afternoon in San Telmo before heading off on a 16 hr bus journey to Iguazu falls in the north of the country.
Speak Soon, Soph n Billyxx
P.S. For Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/BuenosAires
written by  billyandsophie on April 9, 2008 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
from the travel blog: South America

Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu, Argentina
Hello again,
Since leaving the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires we have spent five days in the sleepy town of Puerto Iguazu. This is close to the Brazilian and Paraguay border. Due to strike action and demonstrations we were unable to see the waterfalls for a couple of days as the roads were blocked and were forced to pitch our tent and make use of the swimming pool. (Not all bad)
We visited Brazil for the day to see full panoramic views of the falls which were truly spectacular (see pics here - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/IguazuFalls and video here - ). The next day on the Argentine side we saw the waterfalls up close and got soaked. Throughout both national parks we saw a variety of multicoloured birds, butterflies and lizards.
Camping was abit of a challenge. As well as all the mozis and creepy crawlies,we endured a 13 hour tropical storm (we sat in the tent eating bread and jam and playing cards from 5 in the evening til morning) but thankfully our little tent kept us warm and dry.
Some statistics for you: Steaks eaten: 5
Flans eaten: 8
Billy´s beard growth: 1/2 cm
Hours on buses: 42
Tropical storms: 2
Number of stray animals adopted for the day: several cats and two dogs
We left Puerto Iguazu for Salta where we are right now. We´re off for a a parilla (grill) put on by the hostel, Speak soon,
Soph and Billyxx
written by  billyandsophie on April 16, 2008 from Puerto Iguazu, Argentina
from the travel blog: South America

Salta
Salta, Argentina
Hello again,
We've been out in the sticks for a few days so its nice to get back to civilization...
Since the last update we have visited the north west of Argentina.
Salta was a small city in the middle of nowhere. When you were in it it felt really lively and there was lots to do and see but you only had to look down the street to see clear blue sky and mountains. The buildings were apparently neo-colonial, not sure what that is exactly but the main cathedral looked straight out of a barbie box and was baby pink with a purple glittery dome with cherubs on top.
We used the city as a base to explore some of the mountains and saw remains of pre-inca settlements and the multi coloured rock of the mountains created by the various minerals that are mined there.
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Salta
From here we moved top Cafayate which produces a small but increasing amount of Argentina´s wine. We spent the morning in the bodegas for tours and tastings and had to go to bed in the afternoon. The wines smell really fragrant, something to do with the fact the vines are grown at high altitude, but they taste pretty rough which is probably why you dont see them on the supermarket shelves in the uk. Still, after several tastings it started not to taste so bad..
From here we stopped off at Catamarca where we visited a huge catholic church which had built a shrine to their virgin of the valley whose statue apperared to three lost men in a cave and guided them back to their town. Once there, they put it in the church but she vanished and went back to the cave. They took it back to the church and in order to keep her happy built her her own shrine complete with a marble stircase, two angels to guard her and a big glass dome which she sits in with gold stars on the ceiling. People constantly file in and out to pray to her and she has a whole room dedicated to gifts, flowers, poem and prayers that people leave her on a daily basis. Talk about diva status.
After having in been in well known and lively spots and often bumping into people we had met at other hostels, we decided to get away for a few days and visit the thermal springs in Fiambala. Its a ten hour round bus trip and a taxi ride to reach it and there are no phones or internet access just several pools of varying temperatures which you can camp beside. As its cooler in the mountains it was lovely to get into the really hot pools at night for a swim, lay on your back and look up at the stars.
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Fiambala
We have just arrived in Mendoza, a major argentine wine producing area so looking forward to more sampling of the local produce!
Speak Soon,
Sophie and Billyxxx
written by  billyandsophie on April 27, 2008 from Salta, Argentina

Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Hello again,
After lots of long bus journeys we spent a very relaxing five days in Mendoza. It is famous for its wine production although me and Billy decided to skip the wine tasting and get at 4 in the morning to trek to the base of Acongagua in the snow. (I know, I know...) However, It was well worth just for the contrast between the warm weather and greenery of Mendoza compared to the Bright white snow and freezing temperatures. We both got to wear our sexy thermal tops and long johns.
Before setting off we went to see the nearby Puente del Inca which is a bridge that has been naturally formed from water errosion.
The trek would not have been too taxing if it hadnt been for us being up to our knees in snow most of the time. When we reached the edge of the National Park we were accompanied by a pack of dogs who didnt leave our side until we had compltede the trek and guided us through when we were unsure which route to take. (See the picture site to see Billy as Doctor Dolittle).
Acongagua itself didnt look much higher than the mountains surrounding it although you could see that unlike the others it consited of glaciers making it a challenging climb. Numerous people have lost their lives attempting the sourthern face (the other routes are much easier) and a mummified body was found part way up that dates back to pre-incan times and it is thought it was used as a sacrificial site.
Billy will probably want it noting that we also visited Mendoza´s football stadium, originally built for the 1978 world cup but renamed the Malvinas stadium after the war.
Photos here - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/MendozaAconcagua
written by  billyandsophie on May 9, 2008 from Mendoza, Argentina

Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Hi there,
It dawned on me and Billy that we are already a quarter of the way through our journey. Its going too fast!
We arrived in Santiago with no chilean currency and totally clueless as to where our hostel was. The confusion came from me not realising there were four bus stations in the city and so the hostel we thought was just up the road was in fact Miles away. Once we realised this things should have got easier but Billy had the map upside down and we were both really tired and disorientated. After an hour and a half trudging round the city we found a cash point which took visa and got a taxi.
Santiago is huge and very spread out. Most of it is pretty nondescript aside from an area called Bellavista which is filled with bars and restaurants covered in art work each with their own theme or style.
As usual me and Billy explored the parks and museums and I dragged Billy up lots of high buildings and hills and he got vertigo alot and I tooks lots of pictures of the views whilst Billy leant against the wall feeling sick. All good fun. We also saw I street parade of a cross between Morris Dancing and Rave dancing, in traditional Chilean costume, see video here,
A highlight was the house of Pablo Neruda. He led an inetersting life (poet, diplomat, politician, exile) and his house was a proper party house on different levels with several bars and hidy holes where he jumped out to suprise his guests. His wife was a chilean pop star and latterley filled the house with fab sixties and seventies furniture which me and Billy loved despite our guide being very snooty about it all.
Unfortunately Chileans are even more difficult to understand, they dont finish off their sentences and use lots of slang. We are getting lots of practice in though.
Bye for now xx
More photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/SantiagoDeChile
written by  billyandsophie on May 9, 2008 from Santiago, Chile

Valparaiso
Valparaiso, Chile
We are at the beach! No need to get too jealous, its freezing!
Our first stop on the coast was Valparaiso, a town with multicoloured houses clinging to the cliffs and lifts taking people up and down.
There is an open air art gallery with art work on the walls of houses. There was some excellent graffiti too. We enjoyed sea food and took advantage of the bars and clubs. Billy's favourite was a rock bar which played really cheesy old stuff, lots of Guns and Roses and Skid Row. I reckon he is a closet mosher.
We stayed at a boarding house with a German/Chilean couple, two kids and two dogs. They made us feel really welcome, made us lots of tea, prepared us a feast of a breakfast and we sat in their living room with them drinking beer. They even took us through their German punk rock collection one night.
We hope all is well in England.
Here are some photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Valparaiso
P.S. (Billy writing this bit) - while Soph was writing this post, I was phoning people and managed to phone Jarrod whilst he was on Medz's stag do in Barcelona, he was having to lie down in his hotel room at 7:45 on Saturday night as he was that bladdered, amazing!!! Jarrod if you are reading this - I hope you managed to get back on it.
written by  billyandsophie on May 10, 2008 from Valparaiso, Chile

La Serena
La Serena, Chile
Hello everyone.
We visited the Humboldt National Park from here. This is home to one of the smallest species of penquin which only lives in this region. The penquins were incredibly cute, jumping belly first down the rocks, although a highlight for us was the large community of sea-lions that posed for photos and sounded like Chewbacca. We were also lucky enough to see dolphins jumping out of the water.
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/HumboldtReserve
La Serena has a museum which houses on of the few Maoi outside of Easter Island. The museum acquired the Maoi by accident. Originally the Maoi was donated to La Serena by the president at the time and resided in a local park for many years, (for drunks to pee on!). It was then moved to be part of an exhibition in Barcelona and suffered decapitation during shipping. The insurance money from this paid for it to be restored and to have a special home built for it in the museum. The crack in its neck hardly shows.
Also in the museum are mummies and shrinken heads from Pre-Incan times, one in particular looks like Billy with a hangover/the guitarist from Gorrilaz.
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/LaSerena
written by  billyandsophie on May 17, 2008 from La Serena, Chile

Vicuna
Vicuna, Chile
Hi there.
Spent a couple of days in the Elqui Valley.
We visited a collection of bugs, butterflies, fossils and spiders. The beetles were particularly gruesome, some bigger than your hand, with giant pincers and feelers. Reassuringly several of these are found in Peru and Ecuador, we shall look forward to that!
We experienced an earthquake which lasted around twenty seconds and made the windows shake, however it was quite mild compared to the one we recently had in England. They have them all the time in Chile and no one batted an eyelid.
The Elqui Valley is home to the oldest Pisco distillery and the largest Pisco co-operative in Chile. We visited one of the plants and tasted their new lines.
In the evening, we visited the observatory at Mamalluca where we got to see close ups of the moon with its seas, craters and even the American flag. We also saw Saturn, its rings and one of its moons as well as Mars and a number of constellations.
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Vicuna
written by  billyandsophie on May 17, 2008 from Vicuna, Chile

San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Hello all.
Arrived in San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis town in the Atacama Desert. Got up the following day at 3:45 am to visit the Tatio Geysers, which are hot pools of steamy water caused by volcanic magma underground. It was 10-15 degrees below freezing (pretty cold), but it was worth it to see the huge steam clouds and feel the water bubbling under our feet.
Also visited Death Valley and Moon Valley which look like they sound, saw the sunset and the moon rise almost simultaneously (this only happens when its a full moon), then took great delight in running down a huge sand dune like a couple of kids.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/SanPedroDeAtacama
written by  billyandsophie on May 18, 2008 from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Iquique
Iquique, Chile
We are at the beach! Enjoying tucking into freshly caught seafood and drinking our own weight in Pisco Sour after watching John Terry´s penalty miss! (Sophie not really interested would have drunk it anyway). Took time to recover from our hangovers by lazing on the beach.
Visited the nitrate ghost towns of Humberstone and Santa Laura. Saw the geoglyphs (symbols scraped onto the mountain sides thousands of years ago). Some of them had a religious significance but others such as the ones showing groups of Llamas are thought to have been a kind of shop sign!
Visited some more thermal springs but these ones had caves to swim into. They were very dark which meant you had to feel your way through them. Unfortunately Billy mistook a rather large man for the cave wall! Needless to say we didn´t stay very long!
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Iquique
written by  billyandsophie on May 20, 2008 from Iquique, Chile

Arica
Arica, Chile
We are now close to the border with Peru in another Seaside city. The nightlife is an interesting combination of Pheonix Nights style tables and Karaoke singing. Me and Billy thought we were very funny, especially with our rendition of Ghostbusters, and the Americans were equally as bad. We were all a bit embarrased when the Chileans took to the floor singing powerful love ballads very seriously, perfectly in tune.
Also visited a church designed by Eiffel and walked to the top of the cliff to see a statue of Christ that marked the end of the War of the Pacific.
More pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Arica
written by  billyandsophie on May 25, 2008 from Arica, Chile

We arrive in Peru
Arequipa, Peru
Crossed the border of Peru in a taxi cab that managed to fit six people. Arrived in Arequipa to see ladies dressed in traditional long skirts and shawls loaded with produce and the occasional baby peeping out the top. On arrival we tried the local pick me up: a hot syrupy drink steeped in herbs including coca, mint and dandelion.
The city of Arequipa lies in front of the El Misti volcano which is still active.
From here we trekked the Colca Canyon (the second biggest canyon in the world, the Grand Canyon is the third). The sides of the canyon are made up of ledges which the local communities use as farmland. Huge Condors can be seen in the mornings searching for food. The three day hike was challenging as it was mostly uphill but we were rewarded half way through when we visited an oasis town where we were able to swim and sunbathe. The last morning woke up at 2.30 to trek uphill in the dark but it was worth it when we reached the top of the canyon as the sun was rising.
We then rested our legs in the thermal pools of Chivay.
On our last day in Arequipa we visited the market to sample a local delicacy: a drink made up of egg, evaporated milk, vegetable extract/ tonic, fruit, stout and honey! It filled us up and made us feel slightly woozy.
For pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Arequipa
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/ColcaCanyon
For video -
written by  billyandsophie on May 27, 2008 from Arequipa, Peru

Cusco, Peru
The town of Cusco is divided into two parts, the central area at the bottom of the valley and the higher area which includes the ruins of Sacsayhuaman (or Sexy Woman as the locals call it).
Visited the ruins of the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo was particularly impressive with it's huge terraces, temples and even Inca fridges.
For pictures -
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Cusco
http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/TheSacredValley
written by  billyandsophie on June 2, 2008 from Cusco, Peru

Puno, Peru
Visited the Temple of Fertility in Chicuito, an Aymaran community. The temple was a bit of a disappointment as the rows of willies appeared to have been vandalised. However a Peruvian pop band, 'Markas de la Corazon' had chosen the temple as a location for their latest pop video. Dressed in gold trousers and tassley jackets they mimed to a love ballad, whilst a film crew of just two men filmed them. The music to mime to came from an 80s style ghettoblaster.
We were about to leave when the lead singer invited us to dance in the video. Sophie decided to forgoe her shot at Peruvian pop stardom to video Billy dancing uncomfortably. (Billy here - it only started feeling uncomfortable when the lady singer stopped dancing to start singing a love song up close to me, whilst I had to carry on dancing on my own).
See the making of here - ,
The next day we took a boat across Lake Titicaca to visit the floating islands of Uros, over forty islands made of reeds and anchored to the bottom of the lake. We visited Chupi: an island named after the flower from the reeds that form an essential part of life for the inhabitants. The reeds are used to built the base of the island as well as the houses and the boats. They also eat the inside of the reed as well as using it for fuel. From the president of the island we learnt that neighbourhood disputes were quickly resolved by simply removing the anchor and floating until finding more suitable neighbours. In a similar way island disputes were resolved by carving the offending household away from the main island! We rode on a traditional reed boat across the lake to another floating island.
In the afternoon we visited Taquile, a Quechuan community where you can tell the age, social and marital status of the inhabitants by the style of their hats.
For pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Puno
written by  billyandsophie on June 12, 2008 from Puno, Peru

The Inca Trail - Machu Picchu
Cusco, Peru
Day One: Met the rest of our group and our guides and porters for the trip. The first day trekking was relatively easy going so we could all adjust to the high altitude. Whilst we walked steadily with plenty of breaks, our group of porters put us to shame as they carried 160 pounds of weight on their backs and ran the route in order to get to the campsites to set up our tents and cook our food. The first night we celebrated with a beer whilst we enjoyed the views of 'Veronica', the 19225 ft snow-covered mountain.
Day Two: Soph woke up feeling sick and felt progressively worse throughout the morning. Despite this we completed the most difficult part of the trek, uphill all the way for 5 hours. Whilst Billy tried out Quinoa soup and freshly caught Trout from the Urubamba river, Sophie laid down in the shade and had a special herbal tea made by the porters to combat sickness. Continued trekking in the afternoon and Sophie left her mark on the trail by puking in the bushes.
Day Three: A day of steady trekking and the opportunity to see two important Inca sites. Chilled out at the campsite that was very much geared towards travellers, complete with a bar and cheesy 80s music.
Day Four: Up at 4.30 am in order to get to the entrance of the final pass of the trail. An easy trek led us to IntiPunku (The Sun Gate) from where we got our first glimpse of Machu Picchu still slightly shrouded in darkness, but beautiful all the same. Close up views we really spectacular, better than any postcard could ever do it justice. Our guide showed us the Temple of the Sun, the royal tomb, the Temple of the Water, Temple of the Three Windows and the Principal Temple. We learnt that an American botanist thought he had discovered Machu Picchu but on clearing the forest to reveal the site he found that a local man had in fact found it, graffitified his name on it, but failed to declare it in order to steal priceless artefacts. Whilst Billy took the full guided tour, Sophie crouched behind a rock feeling sick. She was rescued by a park official and spent the rest of the day in the toilet. (She still thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience).
For pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/TheIncaTrail
For video -
written by  billyandsophie on June 5, 2008 from Cusco, Peru

Bolivia
Copacabana, Bolivia
We nipped across the border to see Lake Titicaca from the Bolivian side.
From here we took a boat trip to the Isla del Sol, where we visited ruins, saw objects recovered from under the lake where they think there may have once been pre inca settlements and touched a sacred puma (it was a rock that supposedly looked like the animal, it just looked like a rock to us but we touched it for good luck anyway...)
It took over three hours to trek from one side of the island to the other but it was worth it for fantastic views of the lake.
See photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Copacabana
written by  billyandsophie on June 15, 2008 from Copacabana, Bolivia

The Nazca Lines
Nazca, Peru
Boarded a light aircraft in order to see the famous Nazca Lines from the air. Sophie was totally petrified but we both really enjoyed the pilot swooping down low to show us the various figures etched onto the desert plains.
Various theories exist as to what the figures represent. They are thought to be offerings to the gods made by the pre-Incan Nazca tribe.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Nazca
For video -
Also visited the Chauchilla cemetery to see the tombs of mummies. Some tribes distinguished themselves by deforming their skulls whilst others grew dreadlocks down to their feet. These characteristics were still clear to see.
Took a tour of a plant for extracting precious metals. In order to separate the mineral from the mercury added they had to crush and mix the two together by way of standing on a plank on a barrel and swaying from side to side. This takes hours so to eleviate boredom they play loud Salsa music and rock in time to it.
written by  billyandsophie on June 20, 2008 from Nazca, Peru

Paracas
Paracas, Peru
Spent a couple of days by the beach tucking into Ceviche - raw fish marinated in lime juice and herbs - a Peruvian delicacy.
written by  billyandsophie on June 21, 2008 from Paracas, Peru

Lima and Miraflores
Lima, Peru
Decided to stay in a suburb of the capital city, Miraflores, due to Lima's reputation for being smelly, noisy and unsafe during the night.
We visited Lima Centro by day to see the various squares, government buildings and churches. Tried out various dishes from the restaurants and street stalls of Chinatown. One highlight was a visit to the Catacombs where we saw the underground tombs piled high with skulls and bones from the thousands of people buried there until the 17th century. Our favourite museum was that of the Spanish Inquistion where we learnt about the process of the conviction and punishment of Catholic heritics.
Billy got to watch Germany v Turkey at 'The Estadio', a football themed restaurant which displayed memorabilia from teams around the world, including Forest (you Reds, two European Cups). They even had life size models of Pele, Ronaldinho and Beckham.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Lima
written by  billyandsophie on June 23, 2008 from Lima, Peru

Trujillo
Trujillo, Peru
This place is famous in Peru for it's brightly painted buildings with elaborate ironwork on the windows.
From here we visited two adobe pyramids. Much of the decor has remained intact and depicts the face of the Decapitator - the man responsible for making religious sacrifices. Part of the community's main square can still be seen, as can the chute which took blood from the victim being sacrificed at the top of the pyramid and carried it down to spectators in the square.
At the site were two 'Perros Peruanos', an ancient breed of dog which is totally hairless and has a body temperature of over forty degrees. They are sought after as they are said to sooth arthritic pain. Previously they kept people warm at night in the mountains. It felt like stroking a pig.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Trujillo
written by  billyandsophie on June 29, 2008 from Trujillo, Peru

Piura
Piura, Peru
Last stop before we cross the border into Ecuador. Watched the 'Copa de Libertadores' final between Liga of Ecuador and Fluminese of Brazil, which Liga won on penalties. We think this will put everyone in a good mood for when we cross over!
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Piura
written by  billyandsophie on July 1, 2008 from Piura, Peru

Ecuador, Loja
Loja, Ecuador
First stop in Ecuador.
Explored the city's churches and plazas but the real highlight was a children´s park which had models of famous buildings and architectural styles from around the world. We are unsure as top why Big Ben was lilac and white but our favourites were the Eiffel Tower with table tennis at it´s base and St Paul´s Basilica complete with three slides. I hurt my bum attempting to try them all out!
For pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Loja
written by  billyandsophie on July 3, 2008 from Loja, Ecuador

Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Here we visited a Hacienda where we went horseriding, sampled organic products from the farm itself and helped the children collect eggs and care for the chickens.
Billy's horse was unfriendly at first but he soon had her doing as she was told. Mine on the other hand was a little sod and wouldn't go through puddles and kept lagging behind the group to eat grass. Sure enough it wasn't long before he stepped on barbed wire having totally ignored my attempts to stear him clear of it. I had to hold on tight whilst he panicked and bucked, stopping only for a few seconds so I could jump clear of him. Apart from that the ride was really enjoyable as we rode through the Cuencan countryside.
Discovered we have both been carrying around special souvenirs from our travels: two amoebic parasites. Lovely!
For pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Cuenca
written by  billyandsophie on July 7, 2008 from Cuenca, Ecuador

Alausi
Alausi, Ecuador
Took the train from Alausi around the Devil's Nose mountain. The mountain is so steep that the train has to perform a series of switchbacks. The views from the top of the train were fantastic and the conductor insisted on checking our tickets whilst stood on top of the train without holding on.
Overlooking the small town is a huge statue of Saint Peter made from mosaic tiles, we were particularly impressed by his massive big toes.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Alausi
For videos -
written by  billyandsophie on July 9, 2008 from Alausi, Ecuador

Riobamba
Riobamba, Ecuador
Visited the numerous markets and sampled tree tomatoes, finger bananas, custard apples and naranjillas (a type of orange). Also saw whole pigs being disected to be served in various ways.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Riobamba
written by  billyandsophie on July 11, 2008 from Riobamba, Ecuador

Banos
Banos, Ecuador
Spent five days in the spa town of Banos visiting the thermal baths, trekking and cycling around the surrounding countryside, having massages and chilling out in the town itself, aswell as enjoying a drink or two.
We adopted the hostal's dog, Gringa, and took her for several walks into the mountains and up to the various viewpoints to look out onto the town and the huge volcano that looms over it. We were only partially able to see the volcano though as it was permanently shrouded in mist.
One of the baths we visited is illuminated at night to show the waterfall next to it.
The 21km bike ride consisted of cycling through the surrounding countryside to Rio Verde, the site of the 'Pailon del Diablo', a massive waterfall. We saw several waterfalls on the way. As well as getting used to riding a bike again (Sophie) we had to negotiate two long dark tunnels with lorries and buses passing us. Saw people bungee-jumping of a bridge and also travelling across a gorge by way of a flimsy high speed cable car. On arrival at the Rio Verde we hiked to the biggest waterfall. We got so close to the waterfall we were soaked. We then crawled through a cave so that we could stand directly behind the 'Pailon del Diablo'.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Banos
For video - and
written by  billyandsophie on July 13, 2008 from Banos, Ecuador

Otavalo
Otavalo, Ecuador
Visited the local market which stretches over most of the town centre selling hand made goods. Bought souvenirs.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Otavalo
written by  billyandsophie on July 18, 2008 from Otavalo, Ecuador

Ibarra
Ibarra, Ecuador
Ate lots of 'Paila', the local ice cream, home made in copper pans.
Rode the tourist train. Sat on the roof which got scary at times as wires skimmed your head and plants and telegraph poles came within millimetres of your face. Went over narrow rickety wooden bridges and through long dark tunnels.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion/Ibarra
For videos - http://jumpcut.com/view/?id=EE62E5205DD511DDB9A1000423CF385C
written by  billyandsophie on July 19, 2008 from Ibarra, Ecuador

Quito
Quito, Ecuador
Stopped over for a night before setting off for the coast. No time for sight seeing, asied from the hostel, we only saw the inside of a supermarket!
written by  billyandsophie on July 20, 2008 from Quito, Ecuador

Puerto Lopez
Puerto Lopez, Ecuador
After a 12 hour bus ride from Quito we finally arrived in Puerto Lopez.
We spent a day on the beach and were suprised to see the sand in the distance appearing to move. Every time we moved, whatever was in the distance moved so we sat very still and waited to see tiny crabs surface from holes in the sand all around us, scuttle across the sand and then pop back inside their holes.
The main reason for our visit was to sail out to the Isla de La Plata, also known as the poor man's Galapagos. We saw whales on the way out and once there got up close to boobies, blue footed boobies, frigate birds with Bright red swollen necks, sea lions and albatrosses. On the way back to the mainland we stopped to snorkel and attracted a number of colourful fish with our left over sandwhiches.
We took advantage of the warm weather and sat out on the beach every evening under the palm trees to sip on fresh fruit cocktails.
For photos -
Whale watching -
Rolling Sea Lion -
Crabs on the beach -
Posing Blue Footed Boobie -
http://jumpcut.com/view/?id=DF812B885DD611DD8AFB000423CEF5F6
written by  billyandsophie on July 21, 2008 from Puerto Lopez, Ecuador

Guayaquil
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Was in Guayaquil, Ecuador's second city, during the anniversary of it's foundation. Visited the Iguana Park, which as the name suggests contains tens of Iguanas. Strolled along Malecon 2000; a Riverside development containing sculptures, statues of important figures in Guayaquil's history, a Moorish clock tower, a miniature boating lake and various restaurants. The centre piece is a large statue of the two liberators Bolivar and San Martin shaking hands. The promenade was packed as the day was a bank holiday for the city's residents.
Visited 'Las Penas' and 'Cerro de Santa Ana', a cluster of colourful houses, an artists quarter, an open air pirates museum, a lighthouse and a church. Also went to the 'Parque Historico de Guayaquil' which houses Ecuadorian wildlife and examples of architecture from the turn of the late 19th century.
Also got food posioning, so we were both ill for a few days and further tests have reveiled that the parasites a back. Nice!
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Guayaquil
For video - http://jumpcut.com/view/?id=C82513D65DD711DD812A000423CF382E
written by  billyandsophie on July 24, 2008 from Guayaquil, Ecuador

Quito
Quito, Ecuador
Now in the capital city of Ecuador. Staying in the new town with numerous bars and clubs none of which we can visit as we are on medication for more parasites and food poisoning.
In the new town we have visited contemporary art museums, Ecuador's national museum, the second highest football stadium in the world (the national stadium) and parks.
In the old town Sophie climbed to the top of the Basillica by way of a series of rusty and rickety ladders. She was unable to go to the very top as the wire mesh floor was broken, this didn't stop any of the Ecuadorians.
Six km out of the centre, we visited the monument to the Equatorial line that passes through Quito. Visited a nearby volcanic Crater which is the largest active inhabited volcano in the world.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Quito
For video - http://jumpcut.com/view/?id=3B9AAAC6625911DDB2E5000423CF385C
written by  billyandsophie on July 27, 2008 from Quito, Ecuador

Montevideo, Uruguay
Visited the market, carnival museum, the Mexican embassy gallery and an archaelogical museum with a photographic display of how indigenous people had changed over the last fifty years. We did all this with our friend Cecilia who we bumped into in the square after last seeing each other in Lima, Peru.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Montevideo
written by  billyandsophie on August 6, 2008 from Montevideo, Uruguay

Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Spent one day here on a walking tour of the town, taking in the old town walls and the gate, the lighthouse, churches, squares and old fashioned cobbled streets. Ate a leisurely lunch in the sun as we prepared to return to Buenos Aires.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Colonial
written by  billyandsophie on August 8, 2008 from Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Buenos Aires - the Return
Buenos Aires, Argentina
We returned to Buenos Aires, to the suburb of Palermo, to experience the various bars and clubs this district is famous for. We decided to buy some new clothes for the occasion (as we had been wearing the same ones for four months). We also visited Malba a modern art museum whilst in Palermo.
After enjoying our time in Palermo we returned to San Telmo for a few days and visited the Sunday market and watched the tango in the square,a place where we had started our travels many months before. We spent our last night eating our favourite Argentine dishes Brochette and Bife de Chorizo, to celebrate our adventure.
written by  billyandsophie on August 9, 2008 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Return home
Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom
We returned to the airport to be greeted by our mums, who were very pleased to see us, picked up the cats and returned home.
This is the end of our adventure. Thanks for tuning in over these past few months, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.
Take care.
Billy and Sophie.
written by  billyandsophie on August 13, 2008 from Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom

Guayaquil
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Visited the Malecon 2000, a Riverside development containing sculptures, statues of important figures in Guayaquil's history and various other pieces of entertainment. It was the celebration of Guayaquil's foundation and therefore a bank holiday, so there was a carnival atmosphere with music and parades. We also visited the 'Cerro de Santa Ana', a cluster of colourful houses, an artists quarter and an open air pirates museum.
Also visited the Iguana park, which as the name suggests is home to tens of Iguanas roaming around the park.
For photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/trevallion74/Guayaquil
For video - http://jumpcut.com/view/?id=C82513D65DD711DD812A000423CF382E
written by  billyandsophie on July 24, 2008 from Guayaquil, Ecuador