Peru: a review.

It has been a week since I got back from Peru.

It feels like I never went away but it also feels as if I was there for a lot longer than the week I was allowed. It was one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited, the locals were engaging and incredible, the food was delicious (if not slightly disconcerting at times) and I have met people that I will never forget and who I feel developed for knowing. It was really hard at times, maybe harder than the Sahara, not harder, but different.
I suffered a bout of sickness during the hike, which peaked on the second day, the toughest of the four days we were “out in the shit”. Climbing to 4,200 feet with nothing to run on but a Mars bar was a challenge but the sense of achievement I got at the top was worth it. There are more stories and more adventures and they will pour out in time. While I’m on the subject, if you visit, try the roasted guinea pig, it’s delicious.

I owe a debt of thanks to Tom and Hera’a, to Tariq, Elizabeth and everyone else at Action Challenge, to Dr Bob and Dr Poo, to Eddie and the other guides, to the porters and the cooks and once more to the wonderful green team.

I’m not going to write a blow-by-blow account of what went down because I am saving it for the book I am currently writing as part of NaNoWriMo. It will be a follow up to Yallah! Repeated characters and general thoughts and feelings as I get to travel around the globe and see and do these wonderful things with these incredible people.
While I’m on the subject of Yallah! I would like to thank everyone who has downloaded it. During the five days that it was free for the Kindle it got to the number 1 spot in its category which is a first for me. Although The Stamp Collective  and Where Did All The Money Go? were well received, they never got to the coveted number one spot. That may have been more to do with the categories they were under but I was completely enthralled and overwhelmed to see it rise through the ranks and momentarily peak above Mark Twain.

I love writing and I do it solely for myself but to receive the responses I have recently is humbling and beautiful so I thank you all.

In the mean time, I must get back to Martin Salinger, who is hovering around Heathrow airport worrying that once more, his bag is going to be considered oversized.

As with the Sahara I have put together a video of my time in Peru: