There’s A Whole World Out there (and I will always get lost)

In less than two days, prospective travel writer and archaeology enthusiast, moi, shall be aboard a Boeing 777. Destination: Peru!

It is my second trip to this part of the world and this time I hope to spend more time writing and less time getting lost. Having said that, getting lost is part of the fun, particularly as I will be travelling with a close friend and organiser extraordinaire (commonly known as Emma).

In July and August 2010, I spent four fantastic weeks in a town called Nepeña on the Western Coast of Peru, not far from the (rather fishy) city of Chimbote. I was to spend my days taking part in an archaeological dig, not far from the derelict Moche temple of Pañamarca. It was here we uncovered a domestic settlement occupied around a thousand years ago by the fascinating Moche culture. For more information on this particular trip, you can read my blog at (http://peruviantreasuresandotherbanter.blogspot.com).

This year, unable to ignore the voices in my head shouting ‘RETURN! RETURN!’ I am to spend another 4 weeks digging in the dust, looking to uncover the secrets of the Moche culture. I am also to be joined by a couple of friends from University (including the illusive Emma) who are fellow course mates at Bristol university (we study Archaeology and Anthropology in case you were wondering).

I am also to spend a couple of weeks travelling around Peru, which I am sure will be an experience of a lifetime. We are hoping to visit Nasca, Cuzco and Lake Titicaca among other places, and I have full intensions of documenting my travels.

From my experiences of internet cafes in Peru, this is easier said than done. I once sat at a computer for an hour and succeeded in reading one email. However, I hope now that I am older and wiser (well at least older), I will have the patience to write this blog every couple of days.

For those who know me, I am sure you are well aware that I am somewhat clumsy, so I hope this blog will provide you with some amusement.

For those to whom I am just a stranger, I hope that you will feel as if you know me by the time I return home to England, a.k.a drizzledom.

For now, adios!