Tip of the Month: a more natural way of keeping the sandflies at bay
From Mexico and further on south through the Americas, sandflies can be an irritating problem. Ecuador and Peru especially have plague proportions in certain areas. One sure fire way of keeping these annoying little critters at bay is to purchase one of the local repellents.

Of course, these lotions contain plenty of chemicals and quite often high percentages of DEET, so if you want a more natural solution then why not try smearing a layer of baby oil on your unprotected skin. It really does work, though you will need to do this regularly throughout the day. Still, it can't harm you, and you end up with baby soft skin as well.

Huanta (Peru) - La Paz (Bolivia)
Kilometres: 1321 kilometres and 440 metres
Riding days: 18 in total
Alti meters: 15,763 meters up
Weather: too much rain, cold high up in the mountains
Best accommodation: Hospedaje Qoñi Wasi in Puno, Peru. Great room, WiFi, safe bike parking, use of kitchen and above all extremely friendly and helpful.

Special thanks to:
James and Kevin for a great time cycling from Cuzco to Copacabana and all the lovely diners (mainly pizza) and pub time. Keep practising pool and darts, boys! • John Denson at Serfas for replacing my bike gloves and sending them to an address in Chile at no cost • Sibylle Mueller at Katadyn for sending a replacement pump handle for our water filter to La Paz • Luisa and Cristian at Chuquiago Café in La Paz for receiving our mail for us and for the nice time we spent in the café.

Breakdowns:
07: flat trye Son (2x)
08: flat tyre Son
13: flat tyre Son (3x), Ali (1x)
14: flat tyre Ali (2x)
19: flat tyre Son
20: flat tyre Son
21: flat tyre Son
23: flat tyre Son