And then I recieved the first mail from my mum.

With Judith Hanton's permission....saying goodbye to Bolivia, trying to get to Peru for the flight to England.

"After we crossed the border it was hot in the bus and we both fell asleep. Next thing I knew, the bus had stopped and all the lads were playing football. As I suspected it was a blockade. I soon got over being upset as we had to decide what to do???? As you know John wasn't feeling very lively becuase of the 'gut rot' and he didn't want to know about walking. I had to make him go and ask the driver what was going on in Spanish but he was waiting for instuctions from his boss. An hour later, no news and a couple of people started walking. Some said it was dangerous as the local protestors would throw rocks at you. I kept thinking of what the hotel man from Puno said about walking for an hour and then gettng a small bus after the blockade... SO, with a great deal of difficulty I made John start walking. He wanted to wait until the sun went down because it was sweltering. I said I wasn't doing it all in the dark and wanted to go. We walked for an hour and I had to egg John on every step. He really was quite ill. Then we managed to get a lift each on the back of a couple of bikes and as we had only a little change we knew that would run out soon and so we walked abit more and then another bike. I couldnt stop laughing as it was so funny on the back of the bike, legs astride and John with the backpack clinging on to smelly lads and hoping for the best. At least it gave our feet an occasional rest?

I kept thinking how you two would have laughed and then I couldnt stop laughing. One boy would'nt stop when I wanted him to and I thought I would never see John again. It was blockade after blockade and at one they had killed a dog and put a big note round his kneck. I don't know what it said but it was so scary. 2 hours on and we saw the 1st car, he piled about 6 or 7 locals in and took us half a mile or so and then we walked again. He was cheaper than the bikes .Then it was dark and I fell in a ditch and don't forget John was moaning every step of the way. He wanted to sleep the night in a barn and was refusing to go on. We must have walked for best part of 3 hours and then we came to a small town with bridge and all thes tuktuks where waiting and we said 'Puno' and he nodded. It was freezing but were so glad to sit down.

Anyhow, we were taken to the bus station and we borrowed 2 sols off a couple of locals who we had walked part of the way with and we said we would pay thier fayre on bus and it was still nearly an hour into Puno but the blockades went as far as Puno. We managed to get past that one as their seemed to be only police there. Then one police lady got on the bus and attacked an old local lady sat in front of us dragging her bundle off her and shouting and then she took a bag off another lady and had a go at another. It was frightening. I was so scared in case she started on us and I had the bag with Steven's present in! Any how, all the locals ganged up on the police woman and almost threw her off the bus so we continued to the bus station and got another tuk tuk to our hotel. It was just after 9 we just looked for the other hotel and he wouldn't go lower than 60 soles but we would have paid anything after all we had gone through. It was really nice and we stayed 2 nights and had a bit of luxury. Next installment tomorrow as my kneck is killing me, love to you both, Miss you so much already, Mum and John xxxxxxxxxxxx --