What is the purpose of a holiday? I ask  because after almost two years of abstinence I indulged for the first time recently. But rather than feeling refreshed and invigorated I am now mentally and physically exhausted - and a bit depressed. It has led me to the conclusion that I may have gone about the process in the wro ng manner, working non-stop before stopping abruptly, slamming on the brakes and heading for paradise. Don’t misunderstand me, it was a wonderful, pleasure-filled roller coaster of experiences and emotions, 14 full days of relaxation, overindulging and self-pampering. Spending money without guilt, eating and drinking whatever I wanted with the ‘it’s ok I’m on holiday’ get out of jail free card. But I think diving head first into the pleasure dome of holiday bliss straight from the treadmill of normality may have left me with a sizeable hangover. A bit like a sugar addict who after two years of abstinence gorges on the entire contents...

Visiting the mystical Machu Picchu was a magnificent experience I shall never forget but for me the true highlight of Peru came from veering off the tourist trail. In the north east of this fascinating country lies Iquitos, a chaotic, head-banger city  carved deep into the Amazon basin. Arriving from the relative serenity of Cusco was like landing in a different world - from stepping from the plane onto the sweltering tarmac, through the equally stifling ‘airport’ which was little more than a concrete structure with luggage belt surrounded by squabbling locals, before driving into the city. My first glimpse of this wondrous place came about an hour before, from my seat on the plane I watched the view transform from arid, brown Andes mountains to miles and miles of lush green rain forest. The Amazon basin covers more than a million square miles but until I watched the bright green canopy disappear over the horizon I didn’t get just how colossal it is. An endles...

Sometimes you travel around the world only to find the things you went in search of are a bit of a anticlimax. But a four-hour winding train journey through Peru’s sacred Andean valley will take you to one spot that is guaranteed not to disappoint. Machu Picchu is on many a traveller’s wish list and it certainly deserves to be as this 15th century Inca site, located almost 8,000 feet above sea leve l is truly magnificent. In fact it is nothing short of breathtaking. I was not brave enough to do the five-day Inca trail hike through the mountains to reach this sacred spot, but why would I when there is a perfectly good public transport system to take me there. In truth, just walking around the site is exhausting so I respect anyone adventurous enough to trek the 50 odd miles in true 15th century Inca style. There are plenty of intrepid travelers doing it, equipped with walking sticks and laden down with rucksacks. The train taking those less adventurous to Machu...

Day four of Paddington’s Peruvian adventure saw him travel around 350 miles from Lima to Cusco - a short hop of 55 minutes by air. The trip itself was not without excitement as who should be at Jorge Chavez Airport  but A-list Hollywood film star Zac Efron. His visit seems to have caused a bit of a stir here in Peru with many of his South American fans tweeting their excitement at his arrival. Apparently the High School Musical star was flying from Lima to Cusco though he wasn’t spotted on the same flight as Paddington and his intrepid companions.  Twitter has been abuzz with sightings of him since with offers from several very generous Peruvian ladies to put him up at their homes during his stay. Cusco is very different to Lima, much cleaner and more tourist-orientated with the cobbled streets bustling with souvenir shops and trinket-vendors trying to sell their wares. There are three who hang outside the hotel persistently trying to make a sal...

Today saw Paddington take more of an educational  trip of his old stomping ground - with a visit to Lima’s cultural centre. The day was made all the more enjoyable by our brilliant guide Luis who after nabbing us outside Lima Cathedral gave us the definitive tour of the region. There is a lot to see in Peru’s capital which after centuries of Catholic influence is heavily laden with religious buildings, a cathedral and monastery. Admittedly there are only so many statues of Jesus and saints that you can take in one day and Lima has enough for the most die hard history buff. But it is fascinating all the same. Luis knew and filled us in on every spit and cough behind the architecture, art and stories behind all that he showed us around the city. The most prominent saint in Lima seems to be Saint Rosa de Lima who is represented heavily across the city - particularly in a very haunting picture of her in the church of Santo Domingo. Like the Mona Lisa, her ey...