After our disastrous hostel stay in Lima we were pleased to be leaving the city. It was our first day on the Peru hop bus. We are not ones for bus tours and prefer taking the general buses but we decided to take Peru hop for convenience. The first day saw us heading south to the coastal town of Paracas. On the way we stopped off at a rip off breakfast place and then to a country house where we did a tour of the slave tunnels. The house was owned by a rich Spanish guy and he brought in slaves from Africa and sold them on. The tunnels were to hide the slaves. It was very eery in the tunnels and very sad knowing that people used to live down there.

Paracas was a mixture of beach town with quad bikes. Alex and I rented an ATV and followed a guide out to the nature reserve. The scenery was amazing along the coast. We even saw some flamingos from a far! Paracas is a place aimed at tourists and the sea front is lined with restaurants. We ignored all of them and went for a local stall for $3. The next morning we took a boat trip out to ‘the poor mans Galapagos’. Before going on the trip I thought it was a bit of a harsh name but having done it and having been to the Galapagos I now understand it. There were however lot of sea lions and penguins and one small island was completely covered in birds which was quite a sight.

As Alex and I had already been to the reserve we didn’t get on the bus to see it again with everyone else but instead had a chilled few hours. We waited for the bus to collect us but it never arrived. Unbeknown to Peru hop there was a triathlon in the reserve causing major delays. Luckily for us another bus came along we could get but only 24hrs into the bus trip and already we had nearly been left behind!

Our next stop was to the desert oasis of Huacachina. After being reunited with our bags that had been on the other bus and giving the guide some firm feedback about communication we checked into our room to find we had 4 beds just for us! The ‘thing’ to do in Huacachina is take a sand buggy out into the dunes and go sand boarding. I wasn’t massively keen as I thought it would be very touristy but we did it anyway. It’s a sunset tour and you get in a 10 person buggy driven by a guide. The speed they drive at is insane. It felt like a rollercoaster. Our initial reaction was one of sadness and embarrassment. The dunes were covered in plastic which we think came from a local village. But it was the volume of sand buggies swarming everywhere that made us really feel embarrassed to be there. The sand boarding was pretty fun and Alex got some great distance on the final one. I meanwhile had to kick to get myself going! That evening we had a free drinks voucher at one of the hostels. We stayed just long enough to down our drink and gleefully leave the most awful place full of rowdy 20 year olds. We had dinner at a much quieter place outside covered in fairy lights. Much more up my street.

The next day the bus didn’t leave until 1pm. I assume they think everyone will be hungover. After trying to catch up on my diary (although still way behind as I’m still in Ecuador!) we soon found ourselves on the bus and on a Pisco tour. This is the alcohol of Peru and the famous drink is Pisco sour. We did a few free tasters. Drinking it neat is not pleasant! That night was our overnight bus to the town of Arequipa. After a stop off for dinner we were provided with a blanket and tried to get some sleep. I barely slept and felt hideous when we got to Arequipa at 6am. Our hostel was amazing and let us have a delicious breakfast even though we couldn’t check in until later. They also let us check in early so we could have a snooze! Feeling marginally refreshed we got some lunch and signed up to another free walking tour. This one was the best yet and we got to go to a place where they had llamas and alpacas. We both came away wanting an alpaca! They’re hilarious. The tour finished in the main plaza des armas square which was half decorated with Christmas stuff. It was such a nice square and we had a drink watching the sunset on one of the roof top bars. With a 230am alarm ahead of our 2 day trek in colca canyon it was early bed. Although we did witness a weird scene when having dinner when a lady walked past with a baby llama on a lead. Only in Peru…!

Mancora is the first main stop off that people entering Peru from the north come to. It’s a sleepy surfing town designed more for yoga and chillaxing then anything else. After getting a few hours of kip post the night bus, we wandered along the beach towards the centre of the town. The beach is pretty pristine and not what you think of then conjuring up images of Peru. We did get caught out by the tide though – which was embarrassing for us being sailors at heart – so we rocked up in town with slightly soggy shorts. Nothing a drink couldn’t solve though so we grabbed a beverage at the nicest looking bar overlooking the beach and watched the surfers practicing in the water was a bit manic and at points there were at least ten people going for the same wave, but it all seemed to work out in the end.

Our thirsts quenched, we wandered into town to try and find some food. The weird thing about travelling at this time of year is that bey few other travellers are out and about. This meant that lots of places were closed for the season so we settled on a place called Buddha Bar. In hindsight, trying to get this cuisine in Peru should have been a warning sign on its own. The meal was a disaster and we jumped in a motor taxi home feeling thoroughly ripped off. However we got an early night and hoped our luck would be better tomorrow.

The next day we’d decided was going to be a relaxing one. Nothing more than book reading and working on our tans. After breakfast we wandered to the beach. This time we went away from the town as we’d heard it was more secluded. On the way we saw fire and smoke, and smelt burning. The ,coals explained to us that the police were evicting 300 squatters from an illegal settlement further up the road, so we moved on before it got dodgy and found a place on the beach to relax.

One hour later and we were baking, so we had a quick swim and headed back to the hostel, noticing that the eviction was ongoing. We spent the rest of the day reading and writing blogs before once again wandering down the beach, dodging the incoming tide, and grabbing another refreshing drink at the bar in the beach. We watched a young surfer absolutely tearing up the waves – definitely a future champion in the making – before heading to a sushi bar we’d read good things about (we’d done our research today). The meal tree Doug to be astonishingly good and we were both amazed at the quality. Apparently Japanese Peruvian crossover is well known and we washed down amazing Maki rolls with Pisco Sours. We rolled home – we actually we got another $1 motor taxi which rolled home for us – and watched another west wing before bed.

After breakfast the next morning we packed up our kit ready for our trip south to Lima. Having done some research the previous day we decided to fly from the local town as we didn’t much fancy an 18 hour bus ride through the Peruvian desert. We grabbed the bus to the airport – only an hour or so away – and looked forward to seeing some of the arid vistas that this part of the country has to offer. Instead, all we saw was rubbish. Piles and piles of it stretching for miles and miles. Peru was to become our least favourite country so far in this regard. The people seem not to care about where their rubbish goes and it was absolutely filthy, which was a real shame given the beauty of the countryside. The bus ride couldn’t finish quickly enough and we got another motor taxi the short ride from the bus station to the airport and checked in for our flight (not before I managed to break one of our iPhone chargers in the
departure lounge).

The flight to Lima was quick and smooth, and we looked down onto the sprawling city as we touched down. Our Uber to our hostel an adventure in itself. Not only did it take us 20 minutes to find the driver, we then spent a hair raising 60 mins dodging in and out of the Lima rush hour traffic. They seem to fit 10 cars into a space designed for 4 and accompany their driving with liberal use of the horn and hand gestures. We were glad to finally make it to our hostel alive.

Our hostel turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. Without going into too much detail, it was one of the last available in the city due to a big football match going on. It had good reviews but a series of errors by management meant we had a pretty terrible couple of nights, culminating with them moving all our things to another rom without our permission. Needless to say we were livid and the manager made himself scarce less he should have to face Hoff’s wrath – although mine wasn’t far off hers. We felt sorry for the girl on reception who got the brunt of our anger but we learnt some valuable lessons about hosteling.

Lima itself was alright. It certainly had some pretty parts along with old buildings to see, but apart from that it was too busy and dirty for our liking. We did however manage to book our bus south, organise a tour to see Machu Picchu and get a 5* dinner for half price so it wasn’t all bad. We spent too much time running to and from ATMs and trying to work out which exchange rates were better for us, and I felt sorry for the girls trying to sell us dinner that night as we were tired and not sure what we wanted (we ended up going for sushi again). We reluctantly went back to our hostel again – there was nowhere else free – and got an early night as we were being picked up at sparrows fart the next day to start our bus ride towards Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Next up – Hoff will take you through our journey south to Arequipa and the start of our first hiking trip in Peru.

Having decided that 3 days of walking wasn’t sufficient we took a bus out to Cotopaxi volcano. The bus dropped us off at the entrance to the park where we then had to haggle for one of the many Toyota Hilux’s waiting to take passengers on the standard tour of the area. We paid the small entrance fee and were soon whizzing along with our driver speaking to us in rapid Spanish about the area. Between us we got the gist! As the sun was out we headed straight up to the car park where we would start the hike to the refuge and then onto the glacier. It took us an hour to do a kilometre. We were at 4800m and we had to set ourselves little targets (big rocks etc) to aim for. We had to stop probably every 10 steps. We finally made it to the refuge where there was snow around.

After a hot drink we embarked on walking to the glacier. My legs could only do about 5 steps at a time before I needed a break and all I wanted to do was crawl along! The altitude made it really hard to keep going. It was not an enjoyable experience. Deciding we had seen enough we turned back and suddenly the fog came in. We followed the cut backs back to the car park but it was so foggy you couldn’t see the path below you. Back in the car I braved my first bit of food in 24 hours! You’ll be pleased to know I was ok!! Our driver showed us a photo he said he had just taken whilst we were walking. The first picture looked like a fox. The second a wolf. He said it was the same animal. We were not convinced that the second one was even real. With thunder rolling around us we went to the visitor centre (where we learned that they did have wolves in the area) and stopped at a lake. It had begun to rain and we just didn’t have the energy to walk around it. We headed back to the entrance to catch our bus back to Latacunga.

The buses just pull over on the motorway for us to hop on. It’s crazy. That evening we came across a new part of town which was really nice. We found a great place to eat with cheap wine. South America so far had only offered crazy priced wine. Feeling brave I had 2 glasses. Error. Clearly I was still ill! That evening I was back and forth to the bathroom whilst Alex slept soundly, none the wiser!

The next day we caught a bus to Riobamba and changed for Banõs, a town of thermal baths. The second bus driver drove so fast around the corners that when we got the Banõs the brakes were literally on fire. Smoke was pouring out from under it. We were very relieved that 1) we had made it and 2) we were not continuing with that driver. One lady got off to stretch her legs and I think she regretted doing that once she saw the state of the bus. We’d checked the hostel situation the night before and there was heaps of stuff free, so we’d decided to gamble and find a place once we arrived. 16 hours later and everywhere seemed to be full! We camped out in a cafe to regroup and Alex started whizzing around the town armed with a list of hostels to try. We were soon settled into a very new hostel which seemed nice. We headed off in search for lunch and, needing a break from ecuadorian food, we went to a Mexican place. It was so delicious that we we ended up going back for dinner too!

That afternoon we decided to treat ourselves to a massage which was a welcome relief after the kilometres we had put on our legs the previous week. The next day we grabbed a bus up the mountain. We wanted to do the big swing over the cliff at the top but it was very foggy and so we couldn’t see anything! We walked all the way down which really lost its appeal about half way down as it was pretty boring and our legs felt like jelly. Lunchtime took us to the central market where we got shouted at by all the individual food stalls. It’s pretty overwhelming and it’s all the same food anyway so you just have to commit and plonk yourself down on a plastic chair. The menu offered tripe which we swiftly avoided. Soon our table was full as they tried to squeeze more people onto it. Behind us one cook mixed water and oil. It didn’t go well as suddenly the pan burst into high flames. Instead of panic there was laughter and no one really batted an eyelid. That evening we decided to try salchipapas. It’s essentially a plate of chips with frankfurter sausages cut up! Its everywhere in Ecuador. As far as we could tell it’s the equivalent of a kebab for Brits….ideal after a few beers. When sober it just seemed like chips and cheap sausage. We had a long bus journey ahead of us the next day to Cuenca and so it was home to bed.

After a long bus journey we arrived in Cuenca. We checked into our hostel where we had an enormous but basic room. We walked past a curry house and decided that was on the cards for dinner. We had an incredible curry house near us where we lived in London (their peshwari naan is unbeatable) and we have often spoken about it on this trip when we talk about missed foods! Up there on missed foods are also my mum’s roast chicken and her macaroni cheese, and Alex’s mums roast beef and lasagne, and Devon tap water!! Even the bottled water here tastes weird. Anyway. Back to the curry house. It was ok but it wasn’t the same as our London one, but it filled a hole!

That evening we got woken up around 3/4 am by people talking SO loudly in the corridor. Alex had to walk out in just his pants to tell them to pipe down. It’s amazing what goes through peoples minds as to how they thought that was acceptable. As always, the next morning we signed up for the free walking tour. One of the first stops was randomly to a pharmacy and we could try some rehydration drink. Apparently it’s THE cure for a hangover and they sell about 200 litres of it on sundays alone! We soon decided that Cuenca was a very nice town. The flower market was incredible and they were very proud that they had provided the flowers in the recent Beauty and the Beast film. We also tried some absolutely rank water from a convent. Alex liked it but I thought it tasted of earth. It was supposed to have calming powers or something like that. The tour was good but not in the same league as other ones we have been on.

Yet again we ended up in the central market for lunch. Alex tried the famous roast pig. There were about 12 roasted pigs all lined up at the stalls. It’s essentially a hog roast. I opted for a veggie dish which was delicious. The afternoon was spent trying to get Peruvian soles ahead of our night bus and border crossing into Peru that night. It turns out only one place does the exchange and the rate they offered was laughable so we were forced to go into Peru empty handed and rely on US dollars. After some pasta and glass of red we headed for our 930pm bus. The bus was actually very comfortable and we both managed to get a bit of sleep. At the border you wait in one line to get the exit stamp then step about 5 metres to the next queue to get the entry stamp. You all then get back on the bus, drive a couple of minutes and the luggage gets checked. You then drive on again for about 2 minutes and a immigration official comes on the bus and checks everyone has an entry stamp. One guy, who looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights, hadn’t got an entry stamp. He seemed completely clueless. So he was taken back to the beginning to get it sorted. This was all taking place around 130am.

Eventually we were on our way again and arrived in a beach town in north Peru called Mancora at 0430. It’s known for its surfing. We got in a bizarre contraption to our hostel. It’s like a tuktuk but different. It’s a moped attached to a weird buggy. Anyway. We were too tired to care and we were hurtling along the bumpy roads arriving in less than 3 minutes. The hostel door was opened before I got off the buggy and as our room was already free we could sleep straight away. Magical! Alex can tell you about Mancora and beyond.

The Quilotoa Loop is, as the name suggests, a walking loop that takes in some stunning scenery just west of Latacunga and culminates in a steep climb up to an extinct volcano and the lake in its crater. After a very bumpy and windy bus journey, during which we both felt sick both from the motion but also the huge steep, near vertical drop offs each side (exacerbated by the bus speeding around muddy hairpin corners) we jumped out and gladly began our trek toward our first overnight stop, the village of Isinlivi.

The first few miles were pleasant – flat dusty roads weaving through the valley. It then began to rain, lightly at first, but soon it was basically torrential and we had to don our raincoats. Then the climb out of the valley began, and soon we were both feeling the effects of the altitude. It was steep, muddy, and very wet. We were both very wet from both the rain and sweat when we reached the top and it was with some relief that we reached our hostel for the night. The views would have been lovely had we been able to see them through the clouds so we settled in next to the fire and read our books whilst drying our clothes over the stove. After a beer and lovely warming meal we both crashed out for the night – the warm day turned into a cold night and we were glad for the extra blankets.

We awoke the next day to find that the weather had cleared a bit and we were rewarded with lovely views over the valley below us. It was bitter sweet though as we knew that today we had to walk into it and then straight out of it again to reach Chugchilian, our next stop. It was doubly interesting as Hoff had succumbed the night before to a nasty bout of the trots, and had spent much of the morning visiting the porcelain throne! Dosed up on Imodium, we set off.

The walk down was slippery but fun, and we turned left along the valley and followed the river to a small village. All the villagers were working together to hand Harrow a field, as the kids were all at school, and we wandered through avoiding the local dogs as well as the loose wandering sheep and cows. We then had a steep slog back up the other side of the valley. It was so steep and the altitude so high that every minute or so we had to stop to catch our breath. At the top we had a wonderful view back down the valley and gave our last biscuits to two children who followed us for a few minutes. The last section was on a nice tarmac road so we literally marched into town to find our hostel. After a quick shower we went to explore the town – which took all of 2 minutes as it was tiny. Retiring back to our hostel with a beer, we played Guess Who and Jenga (the latter which we completed, if that is possible) next to the fire until it got dark, then scoffed down dinner before getting another early night. Hoff was still suffering with tummy trouble so didn’t get much sleep, but seeing as the curtains were basically see through, neither did I!

Thursday dawned and it was miserable. Sheet rain was falling and we had our longest and hardest day ahead of us. Coupled with Hoff still feeling dodgy we weren’t exactly looking forward to it. Luckily we caught a break in the weather and hiked off to make the most of it. Our route today followed the top of the valley- interspersed with some steep climbs and descents along its edge – before we began the gargantuan climb up Quilotoa itself. Just as we started the climb proper the rain began again and we were both pretty miserable – Hoff feeling pretty ropey and me running low on energy. We struggled up through the clouds and reached the rim of the volcano, and could see – nothing. Absolutely nothing. The cloud was so thick it was like walking through pea soup. Disheartened we dropped down into the bowl a bit hoping to see the lake. We couldn’t see anything, and coupled with the fact that we were walking along a treacherous ledge, we began to feel the whole affair had been a waste of time.

Then suddenly, as we dropped down a bit, Hoff shouted to me that she could see something below us. Sure enough, out of the mist emerged a huge lake which encompassed the whole of the dormant volcanoes crater. It was spectacular and as we dropped further down it all appeared. It was majestic and well worth the whole hike – trots and all! We were suddenly joined by an old man who through mime and hand gestures indicated he would show us how to get back to Quilotoa, the local town and our pick up point. We tried in vain to tell him we didn’t need his help but he persisted until we eventually turned to Google Translate on my phone to thank him for the kind gesture but that we didn’t need his help. He then stood his ground as he asked us for money – we’d been expecting this – so we gave him 50 cents and said bye. He had the slight cheek not only to count the money but then ask for more but we walked on, knowing that there would be another group behind us that he could try his luck with (and sure enough, there was). We plodded on towards the town – the rain starting again in earnest as we did – and by the time we reached the top we were soaked and had definitely had enough. We grabbed a coke for some energy and almost ran down to the bus station hoping to catch the 2.30pm, and made it by seconds. Hoff said a fleeting goodbye to ‘Sticky’, the stick she had found on day one and carried to keep stray dogs at bay/help with the steep climbs, then we hopped onboard. We were both asleep almost as soon as our bums hit the seats and woke up outside Latacunga as we were weaving our way back down the valley towards the town.

From the valley top we could look out north east all the way to Cotopaxi, another huge, but this time active, volcano, as it rose up to the dizzy heights of 5800m. That would be our challenge for Thursday, but for now we needed food, water, and lots of sleep to rest ahead of the climb the next day. We grabbed a take away pizza which I scoffed most of and gave the crusts to Hoff – now on day three of her tummy troubles she wasn’t taking any risks – and rewarded ourselves with a West Wing before falling asleep, dead to the world, recharging our weary legs (and in Hoff’s case, stomach muscles) ready for the day ahead.

Quito. Where do I begin? We got picked up by our hostel at the airport and the journey was terrifying. 60 minutes of holding onto anything stable in the car. At corners the driver sped up. No one indicates. Where there are 2 lanes the cars seemed to make 3. We were glad to arrive alive!

Our hostel room was…a total dive. The panel above the door was missing so we heard everything and the bathroom had a huge gap from door to ceiling. Still. We decided to move past these ‘quirks’. We’ve always said we wouldn’t judge a place if we arrive at night as everything seems weird/sometimes scary. I judged Quito. We were given a map of the area and the hostel employee drew on the areas where we should avoid after 8pm. These roads were only a few blocks away. Hungry, we decided to venture out to get a takeaway. We only went a few minutes from the hostel but I was so edgy I could barely talk.

After a rubbish nights sleep we moved rooms. We booked ourselves onto a free walking tour and wanted to give Quito a proper chance. The tour was brilliant. We saw the old town and ended up in the central market for an epic lunch. We climbed to the top of the cathedral for a view of the town. You realise how crowded the place is. Buildings packed in to any possible space. The real issue with Quito as a traveler is the altitude. I had to take at least one rest going upstairs!

That evening we decided to cook and use one of the local sauces. Note to self. Always taste the sauce before covering noodles. It was like eating pure salt. Totally rank. Alex was not about to be defeated so rinsed the food in water and we managed a few more mouthfuls. Not our most successful meal!

Quito has a cable car to a great viewing area. There is a mountain you can climb but we didn’t do this. There was a swing at the top which makes you feel you are swinging over nothing which was fun! We were both finding it really hard to breathe and always had a slight headache. Back to the central market for lunch as it was so delicious. Today we had soup with avocado slices on top. Slightly random but it worked. We took a taxi to see a statue which is a bit like Christ the redeemer in Rio. We had been told under no circumstances to walk to it as it’s mega dodge. We got that vibe when going up in the taxi. It also seemed to be the place that every man decided to take a leak next to my side of the taxi so I got to see a lot more than I bargained for! The view was ok and neither of us were blown away by the statue. La Ronda is the street where ‘all the fun happens’. It’s essentially a narrow street that has bars and restaurants and attracts tourists. Not wanting to miss out we also headed there and enjoyed the local drink which is a hot cinnamon drink and v boozy. I stuck with a classic: mulled wine.

Our plan for the next day was to go to a town called otavolo which has a huge market. Whilst it sounded my kind of place we already had too much luggage so wouldn’t be able to buy anything anyway! At 3am we called off the trip to the market. Alex hadn’t slept for 3 days (we later discovered it was altitude insomnia) and so we sacked off the market and bought our plans forward a day. We got a public bus to Mindo which is a town in the rainforest. The bus journey was hilarious. At every stop whether an official one, or just stopping by the side of the road, hoards of people come on selling water, ice cream, snacks and fruit. The aisles get pretty chaotic. Arriving in Mindo we didn’t have anywhere booked to stay but I had read about an option called Cinnamon House. It was so lush. The bed was massive. It was dark, clean and no altitude to contend with! Hooray! We looked forward to a good night of sleep. We explored the town which seemed quite sweet. Full of the usual tour operators and souvenir shops. After trying to replicate the food from the central market (which I have to say was a very good effort) it was time for a beer and bed.

The next day we headed into the rainforest. We bought a multi ticket which started with a ski lift over the rainforest. It was brilliant. It had to be started up for us as no one was using it! It was very high and there were sweaty palms but a really good trip. Next we headed to the waterfalls. But to get there we had to take a short cable car. This thing FLEW! The speed was insane. Like a jet over the rainforest. We actually felt a bit sick. The waterfalls were nice. I was going to go in but then I saw what we think was a leech so I hastily withdrew my foot. The rainforest was hot, sweaty and noisy. So everything we had expected. Alex tried to cross one river without taking his shoes off and failed, so got wet feet. I was sensible and took my shoes off!

After returning on the crazy cable car it was time for zip lining. This was the star of the show. 10 lines. Through the rainforest. At speed. Alex and both had our crotches in the guides face when we tried out the butterfly and superman position. It was hilarious. Even though we got bitten alive by the mossies it was still brilliant fun. The final chapter of this ticket was the canyon swing. From the viewing platform it looked tiny. Having done a bungy jump I felt confident I had this covered. No dramas. Alex went first in our group. The guide attaches to ropes to you, one of which is so tight you are forced to walk forward. He then opens the gate stopping you from stepping off and you are supposed to swing. Alex stepped off the moment the guide opened the gate.

My turn. It was absolutely terrifying. After a few deep breaths I was falling to the ground. Luckily the ropes caught me. Looking back it was quite fun but the zip lining was definitely better. That evening we had signed up to a night walking tour. Alex declared he was afraid of spiders and our guide said we would definitely see spiders! We both kept our jacket hoods up the whole time. With our mega bright torches we soon found ourselves searching on leaves and up tree trunks trying to spot things. We saw spiders including a tarantula, frogs, stick insect, bats, a possum and so many moths. Alex found his speciality in the walk which was finding moths. Every set of eyes he thought was something huge. Just another moth.

The next day we soon found ourselves heading back to the bus for Quito for a quick collection of our luggage, a change of bus terminals and a bus down to Latacunga for the Quilotoa loop. Alex can fill you in on that trip.

Friday morning dawned and it was time for us to don our waterproofs and put in the earplugs again as we were off to San Cristobal, one of the other main islands. It was just as well that we did as we got thoroughly soaked on the way over. It did make us chuckle to see a group of gap year girls get on, strip off and slather themselves in sun cream ready for what they expected to be a gentle sun bathing cruise, only to get drenched and look miserable for the rest of the ride.

Two bouncy hours later and we were in SC. The town is much smaller than Puerto Ayora and you can walk from end to end in 10 minutes. We got settled in at our air bnb before heading into town to sort out some diving. Through word of mouth from another traveller we’d had dinner with we’d heard of a decent dive outfit and how much they charged. Some swift negotiation and not so swift wetsuit fitting later and we were ready for our dive tour to Kicker Rick the next day. We had a home made lunch of omelette – which to be honest wasn’t the most pleasant thing we’d ever eaten – along with a few beers, and then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the town. After the failed lunch we decided to treat ourselves to a pizza that evening and ended up at a place called Giuseppe’s which did a mean half and half pizza. Both thoroughly satisfied we rolled back to our gaff and watched yet another West Wing before hitting the hay.

The next morning we were down at the dock early to get our dive boat. It was pretty packed and we had to squeeze ourselves in for the ride out to the dive site. Once in we were surprised at how chilly it was, despite the two wetsuits. Even though we were only 50 miles or so from Santa Cruz Island the temperature difference was noticeable. The first dive turned out to be a bit of a farce. With such a big group, many of whom were inexperienced, we ended up strung out and people used up their air way too fast. In the end Hoff and I just did our own thing, keeping in sight of the group and coming up safely of our own accord using our dive computers. We weren’t exactly impressed but we figured that next time might be better.

After a quick surface stop we jumped back in again. This time the dive was a bit less manic and we managed to see hammerheads, turtles and quite a few smaller black tip sharks. Again we ended up surfacing last as everyone else had used up their air, but we were getting cold so didn’t mind too much. Lunch was spent on a nearby beach where Hoff and I amused ourselves by playing the age old game of “who can hit that rock with pebble first”. Then it was back onto the boat to head back to SC. That evening we went for a light bite and a drink with some Americans we met on the boat. It was fun to exchange travelling stories and catch up on world events – they were only there for a couple of weeks so had more of an idea of what was going on in the real world. Afterwards Hoff and I shared a fajita at the local fast food place, where the waitress took pity on us and gave us a free pudding. Evidently the fact that we were sharing food and drinking water from our own water bottles were hints enough that we were ‘travellers on a budget’.

On Sunday morning we grabbed our towels and walked the couple of kilometres to the local beach, stopping off to pick up a chocolate croissant on the way. We scoffed them en route and soon both felt sick – too much pastry too soon in the morning. On our way we realised how close the airport was to our bnb – the flights literally skimmed the road towards the beach as they took off – and how we’d not quite planned things as well as we could. Instead of flying directly back to the mainland from San Cristobal, we’d booked to go from Santa Cruz, and we could have avoided a costly, wet and bumpy ride back. We chalked that one up to learning and plodded on to the beach.

When we got there it was covered in sea lions along with lots of tiny sea lion pups. It was great to see them, but not so great to see moronic humans trying to take selfies with them. Eventually we had enough when one party cut off a pup from its mother in their attempts to get the perfect shot, and Hoff got out her lawyer hat and got the lifeguard to tell them off. Suitably chastised, they backed off, but they were soon replaced with another idiotic group trying to do the same thing. We couldn’t believe our eyes but luckily the local wildlife guide had clocked them and soon told them off. We spent another hour or so on the beach before the heat got the better of us. Even though it was overcast the suns rays still got through and we decided to head for shelter.

We ended up having the rest of the day out of the sun before grabbing a bite to eat at a very weird restaurant. The owners were going for some kind of nautical theme which had spiralled out of control somewhat, so the decor contained a very random mix of trinkets. One large shared bowl of shrimp spaghetti later and we again called it an early night. The combination of early mornings, busy days and early sunsets meant most days on the equator ended up in a relatively early night! We felt like we were both 90 years old as we turned in for the day at 8.30pm!!

We started the new week with a 5km jog up and down the sea front, then scoffed an egg sandwich on our way to the local museum and eco information centre. It was interesting to learn about the history of the islands and also what the locals are doing to protect them for the future. As Hoff mentioned previously, some of the indigenous wildlife is struggling to adapt to the rising temperatures and humans were also having their troubles securing electricity, food and water, with much of the latter two having to be shipped in from the mainland. We stopped off at the small beach in the way back to town, where we watched sea lions playing in the surf alongside humans, and grabbed an almuezos (cheap lunchtime deal) before heading back to grab our stuff and get in the ferry back to Puerto Ayora. We had a slightly panicked moment when the ferry providers told us we weren’t on their lists – as the saying goes, if your name isn’t down, you’re not coming in – so we ended up having to pay another provider to take us back. After the crossing we marched straight to the woman who sold us our tickets a few days before and got our money back. To be fair, it wasn’t her fault, but we’d have missed our flight the next day had the other provider not had space so we weren’t impressed. We went for one final dinner at our favourite place, TJs, before heading to the hostel to pack.

Tuesday morning dawned and it was a beauty. Typical that our last morning should be perfect when all the others had been slightly overcast (which is standard for that time of year on the islands). We only really had time to do a last minute bit of souvenir shopping before we grabbed a taxi to the airport and had to reverse the whole ferry and bus process as well. We had a while to wait the other end which Hoff filled with shopping for a t shirt. She’d ummed and erred over one in town and when she finally decided to buy one, the shop was shut. Luckily she found an even better one in the airport but our ability to haggle over prices was decidedly reduced! However we’ve got a saying on the trip – “no regrets” – which means that if we want to see something, do something or buy something, and we’re likely to regret not seeing/buying/doing it, we do it regardless of cost (within limits obviously). So Hoff came away happy with her purchase!

Before we knew it we were rumbling down the runway and climbing out of Baltra. We both couldn’t believe we were leaving already and it felt like just a day ago that the wheels were touching down at the start of our stay on the Galapagos. We’d had an awesome time and the islands really were everything we’d hoped for and more. It’s not often you go somewhere and it totally lives up to all your expectations but the good thing was that we left wanting more, and we’d definitely go back if we had the chance. As we settled in to another West Wing episode on the short flight to Quito we looked back with fond memories but forward with anticipation as to what mainland Ecuador, and the rest of South America, had to offer us.

Next up – Hoff will take you through our time in Quito, the highest capital city in the world, and our jaunt into the Ecuadorean cloud forests.

After our first 2 dives we came out of the water feeling pretty shaken and exhausted. We were due to dive Gordon rocks the next day which is renowned for having strong currents. Feeling pretty nervous about doing this we decided to change our dive schedule to do a few more easier dives before going in at the deep end. On speaking to our diving company they got the instructor down to speak to us and he was brilliant. He calmed us down and went through the dive plan with us. We decided to keep the same schedule and what a good decision that was.

Gordon rocks is said to be the best place for day scuba diving trips on the islands. On our first dive we saw a whole family of hammerhead sharks. It was amazing. At the surface break I asked the instructor if manta rays hang out here but he said unlikely as it wasnt really the season. Alex and I have never seen a manta and along with a whale shark it’s the main thing we wanted to see. At exactly 2 mins into our second dive the instructor made the manta ray motion. And then it came out of the murky water. So graceful. So huge. It was incredible. It floated away but then came back past us. Alex and I did a little celebration dance underwater! At one point in the dive we had to hold onto the rocks and wait as Hammerheads like to swim into the current. Sure enough they came past us. And there were even a few mobula rays (look like mini mantas) there too. What amazing diving. By far the best dives we’ve ever done sealife wise.

Monday took us to another 2 dive sites. One we had already done and then a new one. On the first dive Alex and I were low on air first and so we went to do our safety stop before heading to the surface. As we hit the 5 metre mark and holding onto our safety buoy like Mary Poppins does with her umbrella, guess what swam past us, twice, only a few feet away….? Another manta ray! Amazing, and we were the only divers who saw it. It was surreal. The second dive involved loads of sealions playing with us at the end which was so fun. On land they are pretty clumsy but in the water they are so agile and were doing loops around us. They are like puppies underwater and love to swim close and bite your fins!

Tuesday was our day off. Diving is exhausting and we like to have a break if doing multiple days. So far we had only been on one island but we decided to mix things up and venture to Isabela island. To get between islands you have to go by ferry or plane. The former is much cheaper and as we love boats and the sea we thought it was a total win having 2 hours each way on the ocean. Wrong. The ferries are actually pretty small speed boats that are extremely noisy and you get pretty damp. We shoved tissue into our ears as ear plugs. Lots of people were throwing up so it was a pretty unpleasant experience.

We finally made it to Isabela where it was raining and we were wondering if we had made a huge mistake doing this trip. We had no plans but had read about kayaking and snorkelling. We struggled to find any trips going within our time frame but finally found one that was leaving in 20 minutes. It ended up being a private tour as the other people cancelled at last minute. At a cheaper price than the other tours as well so we had really lucked out. Before we went in we saw a sealion with a nasty bite. The guide told us it was from a shark. We hoped the shark wouldn’t want to bite us too!

Alex and I jumped onto a double kayak and off we went. Isabela is known for being one of the few places to be home to the Galápagos penguin. Within 5 minutes of kayaking we came across a few. They were tiny and so cute. Sadly their numbers are in decline as it’s too hot for them there. We watched them for a while and then headed off to do some snorkelling. I lost count at 12 of the amount of turtles we saw. I nearly crashed into one at one point. Just everywhere. Getting a bit cold we hopped back onto our kayak. Our guide then said he doesn’t like to snorkel in this area as there are bull sharks around!! Now he tells us!! Needless to say we didn’t get in the water again there. We headed back to the beach and surfed the waves in quite literally going over a turtle in the process, which luckily was on the bottom. When we got out it was the best scene on the waters edge. A pelican and penguin were whizzing around trying to catch a fish. The speed of the penguin was amazing. A sealion then turned up to get in on the action. It was like being in a nature programme!

After a couple of unknown food items for lunch we were soon on our way back to Puerto Ayora. Me with a very sunburnt right leg. The ferry back was equally as rank but we had seen the penguins so was definitely worth the trip. When we got back to shore Alex ‘needed to go and do a bit of shopping’ so I went to get breakfast for the next day.

Wednesday I turned 32! To have a birthday in the Galapagos is seriously special. Alex’s shopping turned out to be a great top with hammerheads on it and a necklace with a manta ray pendant. Good job! Again due to numbers we were shipped off to another dive boat and went back to Gordon rocks. We were diving with a group of Brits who had 300-400 dives each! My 85 seemed very inadequate! The visibility was seriously poor today but we still saw hammerheads, eagle rays and turtles so not all bad, and I got a rousing rendition of ‘happy birthday’ from the brits on the boat on the way back when they found out it was my birthday. We went for a celebratory caipirinha afterwards overlooking the bay. As we were diving the next day we decided to save my birthday meal for the following evening but we ended up bumping into the brits again and we all had dinner together which was fun. Alex maybe had a bit too much sangria haha!

Thursday saw us diving with a stack of Galapagos sharks. They look like mini great whites. They started circling us which apparently is the norm. It was great! A massive eagle ray glided past along with a diamond stingray cruising along the ocean floor. The sea was full of life. Another hammerhead on the second dive and the sea lions were back. Such cheeky creatures. You want to give them a little scratch and a pat! That evening we went out for dinner at a restaurant where we actually had to reserve a table! Posh! It was right on the waterfront and lit up like a Christmas tree. The food was delicious and it was a great birthday meal. We reflected on how lucky we had been with our diving even if we had had a dodgy start and how we felt like we’d never want to leave!

To be continued – again!!

After a good sleep it was another early start to get the airport. Breakfast was included at our hotel. My gcse Spanish was seriously rusty and the lady serving breakfast didn’t speak English. Luckily there was only one option to have so no conversation was required. We were soon in a taxi back to the airport AGAIN. After flying all day the previous day we were slightly fed up of being on the move but we we heading somewhere for the trip of a lifetime – the Galapagos!

After getting our luggage checked by the pest control people we were given the all clear and our bags were sent on their way. Whilst Guayaquil arrivals had been chaotic the departure lounge was the total opposite. I even had strong enough WiFi to skype Barclays as I’d essentially been locked out of my accounts. A bit of a pain! With access to money restored we were soon on our 2 hour flight to the Archipelagos.

Heading west, the islands suddenly appeared below us, surrounded by sky blue sea. As soon as we got off the plane I made Alex take pictures as I wanted to capture everything! The security check was fairly extraordinary. All of our bags were lined up on a conveyor belt and a very old Labrador walked around and on all of our bags, sniffing to check for contraband. Once that task was done we were free to collect our stuff and jump on the bus. We had arrived on baltra island and we had to get to Santa Cruz Island. This involved a ten minute bus to a ferry and a 1 minute ferry crossing. It was literally a dollar a minute per person. Our luggage was thrown onto the roof and so our first half an hour on the islands was already an experience.

Walking onto the jetty the far side we nearly stepped on a sealion which was lying right in the way! It was fast asleep and literally couldn’t care less that people we walking over it. We soon noticed more around the harbour. All snoozing away. We found 2 passengers to share a taxi with and we were soon flying along the road holding onto our seats. Speed limits don’t seem to apply here or be followed by the taxi drivers. We reached the highland part of the island and there was suddenly loads of giant tortoises around. In fields, gardens and even in the road. It was incredible.

We got to our hostel and were told that we had a special room as we were staying for so long. If we had a special room we dreaded to think what the other rooms were like. It was very basic but fine. We dropped our kit off and went in search of some lunch. I had read about the special lunch menus which is soup and a main meal for a few dollars. Soon enough we came across a whole street of restaurants offering this menu. This was going to be our favourite street during our stay. After prawn soup and some fish for main for a bargain $5 each we tried to check in with our dive school. We forgot that most people take a siesta in the early afternoon so we were told to come back. To pass the time we were advised to check out the Charles darwin centre which is where we could see the Galapagos tortoises up close. They really are huge. They also look a lot like E.T.

Walking along the waterfront of Puerto Ayora was like being on an episode of blue planet. Everything I had seen on David Attenborough’s programmes and also google images became a reality. The area by the port where the fisherman brought their fish was the best scene. There were sea lions waiting to be fed. Pelicans hoping for scraps and also the odd frigate bird. Lazing about were marine iguanas. It was unbelievable. The sea lions are like Labradors. They beg for food and even nudge the people selling the fish! It pays off though as they do get some.

We’d only been on the island for a couple of hours and already loved it. It was also seriously hot. Being almost on the equator the sun is insane. We went back to the dive centre and we hit our first hurdle. As we we on the islands in low season the dive boat needed a minimum of 4 divers before it would go. Not something that had been explained to us before we paid our $100 deposit a couple of weeks ago. We were told that we would either need to change our dive schedule and delay diving by a day or the company would try and find another company for us to go with. We went with the latter. Whilst we didn’t like this idea we soon realised that this is the norm amongst the dive schools and it happens all the time during the low season.

The next morning, after a dreadful night sleep as cockerels were right outside our room crowing from 2am, we were picked up at 0700 to go to the dive boat. It was back to where we got the ferry so a 35 minute journey. It was a very odd drive as you leave Puerto Ayora in maybe a bit of mist. You then head into the highlands where it is normally raining and very foggy. Then you come out the other side and it’s sunshine. All in the space of 30 minutes. The company we were going to be diving with had a yacht rather than a speed boat which is unusual for diving. Their claim to fame is that David Attenborough filmed one of his programmes on it. They obvs play this clip on repeat in their dive shop!

The first dive was not a good experience for Alex and I. The current was very strong and despite being used to diving in currents the norm is to drift dive with the current, not swim against it. We had to do the latter and after 10 minutes we were exhausted. Alex wanted to come up and I was also struggling. After holding onto the rocks and calming down we managed to finish the rest of the dive. We saw a massive eagle ray which took our mind of things.

The first dive had really knocked our confidence. So much so that when we got in the water for the second dive at a different site I panicked. The water was quite choppy and my brain was asking why the hell was I going diving in v cold water! After taking a few deep breaths to calm down I decided to try again and I was ok. The water was freezing and the visibility not that great. We did see more rays though which was cool.

To be continued!

After an emotional farewell to Ronda – chiefly because we only discovered upon handing her back that there was a ‘free stuff’ section at the hire place that would have saved us a lot of money 6 weeks earlier – we grabbed an Uber and went to pick up our hire car. It was weird being in such a small nippy go cart after so long in Ronda, and Hoff found it slightly disconcerting being so low to the ground. Heading North we stopped off at an REI, a superb camping and outdoors shop we’d heard about from a fellow traveller in Zion NP. There we managed to grab a super discounted tent, after pleading with them to let us get access to the discount sale despite arriving 15 mins late. Then it was back on the road and the familiar search for a place to stay started again.

Having said no to a couple of dodgy looking places and finding another couple closed for the winter (in October!!), we stumbled across a (very) overpriced campground on the edge of a place called Guernville, a weird hippy cross redneck cross LGBT community (don’t ask – the explanation takes too long). We pitched our tent for the first time and then headed into town to see what we could find. After an overpriced beer at the first bar we ended up wine tasting at a place run by a lovely chap called Gary. Gary told us the story of the local town and gave us some good tips about what to see in the area. He also gave us free drinks after I tried to chase down some other customers who inadvertently left without paying (to no avail) and the wine definitely made our first night in the tent more bearable.

We awoke to a chilly and misty morning, and after a rather dank shower during which Hoff and I took turns on spider watch (a big spider was on the shower curtain so whilst one person washed the other made sure the spider didn’t get too close to them), we had our first breakfast in the open. It wasn’t glamorous but it was fun all the same. We quickly packed up our tent and drove on, aiming for nowhere in particular but hoping to find somewhere to stay on the coast.

Driving into a little place called Bodega Bay we stumbled across a small Sunday farmers market. Walking in we both said we wouldn’t blow the budget and only stick to our pre cooked pasta. This resolution lasted about 5 seconds and we ended up troughing down samosas, cheese, pizza and brownie, coming away with a block of very stinky fromage to eat with our remaining cheap Walmart plonk. Feeling both ashamed and happy with ourselves (ashamed at not having the willpower but happy from the sugar and flavour high) we found a place to camp by the bay and set out into the dunes for a walk. As you’ll have noted from previous posts, we somehow manage to get lost on even the simplest of treks and the dunes were no different. Eventually we found our way and got back to the tent where we spent the afternoon in the car watching West Wing, eating cheese and swigging wine from our travel mugs!

The next morning we shook the sand off the tent and drove east, where we ended up in a place called Sugar Loaf State Park just outside of a town called Kenwood. This ended up being one of our favourite campsites as there were very few people and the scenery and wildlife were amazing. Our tent was surrounded by quails, wild turkeys, woodpeckers and deer, all of whom weren’t afraid to come close. The first afternoon we walked the 3 miles back into town and then went wine tasting, wangling a couple of free tastings in the process. These were much more up our street compared to the awful tasting we did in Santa Barbara, and we ended the evening with a couple of burgers at a local restaurant. We couldn’t face the 4 mile walk back so we jumped in an uber. That night we woke up at 2am to try and see the forecasted meteor shower, but although we spotted a couple we didn’t see they spectacular display we were expecting so we turned in again, and were serenaded to sleep by the frogs in the creek behind our tent.

After a quick shower the next morning – the showers here were 25 cents a minute so we went back to the Navy style we’d perfected in Ronda – we closed down shop and aimed for Sonoma, the famous wine region just down the road. On arrival we spent 4 hours walking around the town, which actually has some interesting history for an American town, and grabbed a bite to eat followed by a big scoop of local ice cream. We’d been hoping to find somewhere nearby to pitch our tent but the information centre told us the best place to try was the place we’d stayed the previous night. We had slightly expected this and already warned off the other campground, so we headed back to Sugar Loaf and after setting up camp again (we’d got pretty good at putting up and taking down the tent by now) and doing the bleep test in the car park (much to the confusion of our fellow campers) we endeavoured to eat as much of the remaining stinky cheese as we could, hiding in the car to avoid the mosquitos and watching another couple of West Wings. Pretty glamorous camping (or glamping as the cool kids call it).

We awoke on our last proper morning of USA travels to the sounds of quails and turkeys right around our tent. We packed everything away for the last time and aimed the hire car for San Francisco, where we’d booked an Air BNB before our flights the next day. It was nice to finally have a proper shower and a real bed to sleep in after 7 weeks on the road, and we celebrated our last night in the States with a slap up steak dinner. With alarm clocks set for 0345 we turned in for the night, sad to leave the US behind but excited about what lay ahead.

No sooner had our heads hit the pillows then we were woken up by someone downstairs having a loud phone call on their balcony, and minutes after Hoff had politely told them to shut up, our alarms were blaring and we were off to San Fran airport. We schlepped our kit over to the check in and before we knew it we were rolling down the runway, Miami bound.

5 hours later and we touched down in Florida, where we had time to scoff a burrito before getting in line again for our flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. We also had the remnants of the stinky cheese to eat, which Hoff had fashioned into a rather posh cheese and ham sandwich. We each managed to get one down the hatch but couldn’t face the prospect of another, nor did we think our fellow passengers would like us eating them on the next flight, so using bio-diversity restrictions as an excuse we sneakily dropped them in a bin then hopped on the plane before we could feel too guilty.

4 hours (and 30 minutes spent using McDonald’s WiFi to message our driver) later and we were in the taxi to our hotel. We were only in Guayaquil for one night as it was back to the airport early the next day to head to the Galapagos, so after a quick shower we hit the hay, looking forward to properly starting the next part of our adventure.

We arrived at El Capitan state beach and grabbed a great ocean view RV spot. Although it sounds crazy, travelling is pretty tiring as you’re always moving from place to place, so we took our kindles down to the beach for a rest! We spotted a pod of dolphins about 100m off shore which was awesome. After watching a great sunset with more dolphins, Alex went to bed at 1930! Santa Barbara had taken it out of him.

The next morning I headed down to the beach for a run which was great. The dolphins were back and there were only a couple of other people on the beach. Alex did the bleep test in the car park! I think I chose the wiser exercise option.

After breakfast we headed off in the direction of Morro bay. Our lonely planet guide suggested we divert to Avila and check out the fisherman’s pier. What a great recommendation this turned out to be. Sea lions everywhere and we got our first sighting of sea otters.

After a quick stop to grab a coffee and cake we got to morro bay state park. We had read we could kayak in morro bay and a short while later we found ourselves kayaking amongst sea lions, sea otters and pelicans. Deciding we had done enough exercise for the day we turned to our guide book again as it had mentioned we must try garlic fries from a specific place. They were delicious!! Avoiding the temptation to have another portion, we headed around the corner to Morro rock and it was there that we read signs that sharks inhabit the waters! I’m glad we read this after we got out of our kayak!!

The next day we properly started our trip on highway 1 as it hugs the coastline. What a cool road! The first stop was to see the elephant seals who hang out for a few miles along the Californian coast. We could smell them before we saw them after getting out the RV. They were enormous!! They are so funny as they all lie on top of each other. There was a volunteer guide who told us that the ones fighting in the water were the young males. The big males were out at sea and not back for a few months. We went for a walk and were surrounded by Californian condors. Watching them land on the beach was amazing as they were so smooth!

Heading further north we did a walk called ragged point. It was so steep down to the beach! We didn’t see much but it was fun all the same. We stopped at plaskett creek campground and we got the last space available, then headed to the beach and watched the surfers catching the rolling waves in the bay.

The next morning we had an early run on the beach. It was very misty! After weaving along highway 1 we got to Carmel. This felt a bit too posh for Ronda so after a quick stroll we grabbed an enormous cake and headed to Monterey. Our RV park was near a golf course so after dodging the golf balls we made the 90 minute walk into town. Most of it was along the waterfront so not a hardship. We had intended on doing a scuba dive as a little refresher before the Galapagos but at $250 each for only a 1 tank dive we passed. Instead we hit the happy hour that the Monterey bars had to offer. Having googled ‘best happy hour bars in Monterey’ before we arrived we were armed with a list and we ended up doing a bit of a bar crawl. One bar we went was hosting a radio show which was fun. We didn’t get asked to join the chat on it! We ended up staying there for the evening, getting our last food and beer order in just before the end of happy hour (making sure we told the kind waitress that we were on a long trip so needed to save the pennies)!

Our RV park offered free laundry! When travelling there is nothing better than having clean clothes so in the morning we maxed out and did 3 loads. It turned into an admin day and we didn’t head into town until early afternoon. We enjoyed a nice drink on the waterfront (happy hour obvs) to finish the day and toast our penultimate evening in Ronda.

The next morning we went for a run along the waterfront and treated ourselves to breakfast. I had eggs Benedict and it was huge and so delicious! Today was our last full day in Ronda. We wanted to get nearer to San Fran as we had to drop her off by 11am so it would be an early start. We drove towards Santa Cruz and ended up at sunset campground state park. It said it was booked out online but that had been the case with lots of campsites along our trip and there were always cancellations. As luck would have it someone had just cancelled. After parking up and heading to the beach the mist and clouds came in making it pretty rank. Being brits we didn’t give up on a little cloud and soon enough the sun was shining.

Before too long it was time to start parking up the last 6 weeks of stuff. We had accumulated a lot! We did have time to watch the sunset which was amazing. On the way back to the RV there was a massive owl in the tree above us which was amazing. We hadn’t seen any on our trip so far, only heard them. That evening we batch cooked loads of food ahead of camping for the next 4 days and we had to use everything up!

The next morning we set off early to San Fran. After trying to spot the cheapest petrol we soon found ourselves back at El Monte RV park. The handover all happened in about a minute. After a quick goodbye and a pat on the dashboard Ronda was driven off to be cleaned ahead of her next guests. RV’ing around western USA had been amazing. Was it cheaper than driving a car and booking hotels etc? We don’t know, but it allowed us so much more flexibility and we never had to use public loos! However, after 6 weeks we were ready to escape those 4 walls and start our next adventure.