We spent last night back in the Majoro hotel outside Nazca. After an excellent dinner of Peruvian bass, Argentinean wine and for some reason a lot of British toilet humour (you can take the boys out of Gravesend but… you know how it goes) we attempted once again to play pool on the table that resembled the terrain we had been driving on, only marginally greener.

There was no black ball, no white ball and cue’s which made the local peach coloured banana’s appear straight. Despite the horrible odds my brother and I challenged the table but of course never stood a chance. Then it was over to the ping pong table where we fared better until an inquisitive lama came from nowhere and took a fancy to the ball (which gave us a clue as to the whereabouts of the missing black and white pool balls). We attempted to retrieve the ball but someone said “careful they spit”. Not sure if we were ready for an eyeful of llama gob, we abandoned the match.  

Sunday we had the luxury of a lie in. The first since the Sunday before we left. As a consequence David and I who shared a room for the second time this trip and for the first time in over 35 years prior to that, woke at 11.45am. Perfect. With Peru entering the height of summer and now that we were not up a mountain we realised just how hot and beautiful it was.

We set out on the five hour journey back towards Lima with an overnight stop at the beach house of Gonzalo and his wife Alicia.  

The beach community we were staying at for the night was so beautiful we had a fleeting moment of guilt after everything we had seen over past 3 days. Thankfully it was only fleeting. This was paradise in every sense; surfing waves, white sand and ceviche.

The offer of champagne on the beach on Sunday morning was perhaps pushing our need for a little pampering as part of our emotional rehab but we did promise to help empower our hosts enabling them to work towards a better life.

Headed back to Lima and the hotel where we had started.

Now inspired and ready for flight back to London and the cold.