South America

Yes, I know, haven't I got enough on my plate just now building up a life in NZ without looking ahead to the final leg of my trip, through South America?!

I am focussed on the moment, don't worry, but this needs to be sorted out well in advance as I intend to visit the Inca Trail for which you need a special visa obtained a few months in advance. I fly into Santiago and make my way overland through Chile, maybe Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, then fly out of Lima. I am very excited about it, especially the Amazon Rainforest stay.

The trouble with this is... I would much rather do a group tour. Even though I speak Spanish so maybe could, in theory, get around myself, I'm not sure how safe I'd feel. And a grioup tour means fitting in with certain dates that they run the tour.

My visa runds out on 3rd May and I need to be back by 5th June when Fleur is due to give birth. And none of the tours I've seen from Santiago to lime fit in with those dates. None. I have been looking for over 4 months, and none of them do. It's been driving me mad. The closest I had come was leaving on 2nd April. and getting back to London at the beginning of May. I also had wanted to be back in time for my famous birthday party!! Come on, you all know how I adore my birthday :o)

But, I'm now thinking, possibly due to a certain lovely boyfriend who shall remain nameless, that I'd like to stay in Wellington until as close as possible to the time they'll kick me out of the country. But also lots of the tours take too long and would then get me back after 5th June. It's just been driving me crazy, i can't tell you how many hours I've spent looking online for a solution.

Anyway, I think I have one. 2 diffferent tours with two different providers. Firstly getting from Santiago to La Paz leaving on 30th April and arriving 20th May (my birthday in the highest capital in the world - quite an experience!!) and then catching an internal flight (they are just under 200GBP) to Lima either late on 20th or early on 21st and doing the Peru part of the tour from 21st May to 1st June and then flying home:

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/GDOF
http://www.dragoman.com/holidays/itinerary/inca-trail-and38-amazon

So I'd like some feedback - have I found the perfect plan or is this cutting it too fine to miss Fleur dropping her sprog (hereafter always to be refered to as little pea)? Aren't the first ones usually late? I bet she'll make us wait until 20th June or something :o)

And yes, as you can tell, I certainly am planning to come home at this point, so can you please all stop worrying about that?! I don't really have much choice in the matter anyway, I officially have to leave the country on 3rd May or the NZ Government will forcibly remove me!