Our day in Chan Chan, Peru

Today we have been on a trip to see the Chan Chan ruins, I wont bore you with all the details as you really have to be there to appreciate it (if anybody is genuinely interested then I'm sure you can get details on Wikkipedia!!)
We had our own English speaking guide (who is French) and a local guy who drives you round in his car (cosy) for 6 hours and the cost was 190 sol, which is 33GBP!!
If we did the same trip anywhere in Europe/States we would have paid hundreds!!
We got some good pics even though the weather is still really grey and overcast, we will try and get them uploaded in the next couple of days.
Tomorrow we are going to the Capital, Lima.
It is approx 570km and will take us 9 hours by bus, the bus cost 140 sol for both of us which is about 10GBP each.
Im sorry to keep quoting you prices but I'm just trying to get across how cheap it is here.
When I first met Matt we always talked about travelling and places we had been, places we would like to visit etc, and we agreed that we would go round the world together at some point.
As much as I love travelling and experiencing new things, I couldn't help think in the back of my mind, I won't go, I'm not cut out for travelling/backpacking and thought that when Matt would mention it again that I would just evade the subject and make plans for other things (i.e buying a house)(not babies!!!)
Matt would tell me about how cheap it was to travel in places like Thailand, and how he had spoken to other people/friends who had travelled through Sth America and how easy it was and all the time I would think, how can it be that cheap, you can't get a hostal for $4 a night, you cant go on an overnight bus journey for $10.
BUT YOU CAN!!!
It really is as cheap and as easy as he told me it would be and its GREAT!!
I never thought I was cut out for hostals, long bus trips, unwashed clothes (sometimes) cold showers, and even the jungle, but I have surprised myself with how resilient I am and Im having an amazing time (as you have probably worked out from the blog!!)
Don't get me wrong I still miss a nice bubble bath and all the other stuff, my nice clothes, my never ending supply of toiletries etc but it's all just superficial stuff that will be there when I get back (unless my mum and dad have thrown it all out!!!)
The buzz you get from arriving in a new place and learning about a new country, the cultre, it's politics etc is priceless (for everything else there's Mastercard!)
I have even found myself trying different food, which for most of you is probably no big deal, but back at home I am a bit of a fussy eater (no I wont be eating Guinea Pig in Peru and my Vegetarian Diet is going very well thank you!!)
The lady that was our guide today was about 60(ish) and she has been in Peru for 18 months, she is an extremely intelligent woman who has travelled the world extensively and knows all the pitfalls, politically and financially, she has decided to stay here in Huanchanco as it is a very uncomplicated life, wherby if she doesn't earn money she doesn't eat!, again here in Peru you get nothing from the state, if you dont work you have no money and you don't eat.
She stays/lives at a local hotel and gets a really good rate as she is here long term, she makes her money by giving these tours to the Chan Chan (all of which she has found out about by going to study with local archeaologists, reading and a general interest in Peru)
She really is an interesting woman and I wish her well, I will put a link onto her site later for anybody that wants to take a look.