My very first time hosting Christmas! Started impatiently as usual waking up every hour before th alarm went off. Chritmas is the one day of the year where excitement wakes me up early ( Read more... )

...Huh. i didn't manage to write a new year's post this year, nor have I written much else. I think I shall post a short update anyway (Facebook is really not that good for actual journal stuff, even if it's a useful place to post photos ( Read more... )

Anyone interested in an occasional combat LARP ( Read more... )

Have reached unpacking boxes in the office. This led to unpacking boxes of memoribilia and unfiled papers. This led to remembering that I as going to do a sort of scrap book as a record, including the odd LJ entry and some photos of things ( Read more... )

Saturday morning I discovered a large lump on the side of my neck. As I was still recovering from a cold, I figured it was a related lymph node infection, but decided to call the doctor anyway on monday. Turns out it's my thyroid. This means the cause is unknown, so I had to have blood tests, and yesterday went for an ultrasound scan ( Read more... )

So, on to Puno. Ah, puno, what can I say? Not much. By the time we arrived, my chest hurt and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had to take oxygen, and my heart rate was so fast the doctor did an ECG (it was fine). also Hanbury was starting with the temperature/nausea combo. Anyway, after some rest and pills we were feeling a little better, but ( Read more... )

Travelled yesterday over a mountain pass with lots of llamas, alpacas, vacunas, and a similar species whose name I forget. We took lots of photos. The top of the pass was at 4900m. Someone was sick, but I felt OK! ended at Chivay, wich is 3300m ( Read more... )

Went to Nazca. Climbed towers and saw several of the famous Lines - the Tree, the Hands, and various trapezoids. Bought a few rocks with symbols on for use as props souvenirs ( Read more... )

Left Lima for Paracas. Here we saw a national park, which is desert and has nothing living in it, and also interesting fossils and sand (I had a brief conversation with the guide that went something like: 'what kind of crystals are these?' 'Salt' 'yes I know, what kind of salt?' 'Taste it, it's salty!' 'Yes, but salt can mean lots of things. What ( Read more... )

Flight was very long and boring, although thankfully memory seems to have fast forwarded and filed as not worth remembering. Except for when we got near Lima and mountains emerged, rising up and towering over the cloud layer we were flying level with ( Read more... )