Travel to Peru

Russell says: 

We left Nottingham on the National Express at 10 Wed starting a journey of more than 24 hours.
The coach trip was fine although the driver was not as good as me and we got to Heathrow very early. That was the plan just in case anything happend but all was fine.
It was boring waiting at the airport but eventually they let us check in and we went to sit and watch the planes taking off. We managed to be among the pre-boarded passengers so getting on the plane was quite fine. We got an all important window seat and the trip to Madrid was fun and pretty comfortable.  Rocio managed to fall asleep during take off and pretty much slept all the way to Spain.
The change over in Madrid went just as it has before. We had to run and run through the airport and drag poor Michael along by the arm to get to the terminal and run along the walkways to the gate and still we were almost the last there and boarding had already started. Somewhere along the run we were supposed to get boarding tickets but I don't know where. We hardly saw any staff at all. Still the kind man on the gate sorted us out and we were on the big plane for Peru.
No window seat this time but it was already dark so that's OK. 
As almost always happens our vegetarian food  order had been forgotten. I don't know why we bother requesting it. They found us some nice pasta though.
Despite the plane being better and more spacious than the other it was still a horribly uncomfortable 12 hour ride. I don't know how to sleep sitting up and I couldn't find any other way to fit. I must have slept dozens of times for 5 minutes each time. Horrible. Michael and Rocio seemed to manage it much better. 
Getting to Lima at 6 in the morning with your body clock saying it is midday is unpleasant but meeting Rocio's Mum in the airport was fantastic and made it all good.
We got a lift to an aunty's house and were immediately surrounded by brilliant Peruvian hospitality nice food and everything in Spanish language. Just what we needed.
 Michael says:

I liked it on the plane when we blasted off because we had little tellies. 
In Lima I like the  food. I had a fruit called Tumbo and I didn't like the dog poo. Which is disgusting and everywhere on the streets.
I liked seeing Mami Noemi  and playing with Esteban.

Going back to Peru. 12/07/2017

I intend to start using Michael's blog again for our 7 weeks in Peru, so here goes. This is just to see if I remember how to post to it and share and to help anyone interested to find the long abandoned blog again Here's a picture of Michael actually from late last year...

See you all soon

The rest of November

November was the end of the settee in the garden. We had really enjoyed having it there and throughout months in the summer it never rained and it was fine, but by November it was raining most afternoons and although the settee would be scorched dry by the fierce morning sun it was really suffering. It was falling apart as you can see. Still Michael loved it and spent a long time clambering around on it.

He is getting better at feeding himself these days. He eat with enthusiasm and concentration, although accuracy could still be improved.

Michael is practising his romance skills. He already has the part with the rose all worked out, he's not sure about the part with girls yet though.

I like this picture of Mike and I although it shows the results of his not being careful climbing the chairs in the hallway.

Day 496 Mum's birthday 8/11/2012

Of course the most important date in November is Rocio's birthday and we had a party at the house for it with Rocio's friends. Mike had a great time with lots of people to play with and lots of dancing. Here he is doing the other thing he likes, watching the world from the comfort of the manta on mummy's back.

Day 470 A day in October 13/10/2012

I've just got so behind on the blog thst I think I'll post a few quick photos and videos to try to catch up. Here is Michael with Rocio in the garden at a wedding that I was playing violin at.

Day 445 Toddler Mike 18/09/2012

Today we went to visit Rocio's friend Liz in San Jeronimo, a town about 30 mins outside Huancayo. We had a good time there talking and eating but the highlight of the day was going to the local park with Michael and him finally deciding that he can actually walk unaided. For the last month or so he has been walking very capably but only with someone holding on to him. As soon as you let him go he would sit or fall. Today he just took 4 or 5 steps alone and then 20 or so and then walked across the part of the park we we in, stopping and starting and turning corners and crossing the cobble stones with no problem. He was so very happy with himself for doing it and I kept taking him across the park away from where we were all sitting and he would walk straight back again. I am so proud of him Luckily we had Rocio's camera to capture almost his first toddle. as a bonus here are Rocio, Mike and Liz's daughter Fergie. So now we no longer have a baby, we have a toddler. Should be interesting.

Day 437 Getting wet 10/09/2012

Michael is getting very good at walking these days but he is still reluctant to walk without someone holding on to him. We often walk up the road to the shop with me just holding the back of his collar in case he falls and apart from him getting very easily distracted he can do it no problem. If I let go however he gets upset and sits down to start crawling. I don't think it'll be long though until he gets into it.
He is understanding a lot of language now in Spanish and English and even knows one word of Quechua "Wiksa" which means belly, if you ask him where his wiksa is, he'll lift his t-shirt to show you!
It was really hot today and Rocio was sitting in the garden washing clothes, we both miss England the land of washing machines, and Michael of course was getting as involved as he possibly could be. Which left him very wet all down his front. So we decided to give him what he has always wanted, time playing with water actually inside the sink.


He did eventually get really wet and cold but soon warmed up in the blazing sunshine here.


Michael had his Whooping cough immunisation the other day. It seems to be an endless series of immunisations for the poor thing. He has learnt to try to avoid the section of the doctor's where they do immunisations. This one seemed quite rough on him too. We were told to give him paracetamol every 6 hours for two days after it and I think he needed it. We all had a very sleepless night as Mike's arm was obviously hurting him a lot and it was quite swollen the next day. He avoided using it and was grumpy all day. I've never seen him suffer with an immunisation like this before. Still I have no idea what whooping cough is like and I intend to keep it that way. That's the deal, my poor boy suffered for a day with a sore arm but he will never die of whooping cough and he will never pass it to someone else so they die either.
They are very keen on immunisations here and can get quite forceful about it. You are best to always take baby's immunisation record card with you when you travel as we found out going recently to Mentushari in the jungle. The travelling doctors there were trying to insist on immunising Michael and I had to convince them that the doctors in Huancayo had it all under control thanks and Michael didn't need any extras.