One week to go and Alastair is pretending to work hard... Actually is working hard. Work doesn't stop just because we're going on a trip. There's plenty to finish so we can depart with our minds and consciences clear and open to new experiences: intercontinental jet lag, coca tea, inca cola, altitude sickness, culture shock, language breakdown. Hay pulgas en mis calzones! Someone told me that's Spanish for 'I'm itching to get there...' I'm very grateful for their help with my Spanish lessons. Graham is still trying to work out how to say: 'Hello, I am not American!' His mullet haircut should help. I believe George Bush has declared war on mullets.

So what's this trip all about? Graham and I are members of CIIR's communications team. We're going to visit CIIR projects in Peru and Ecuador, meet people, interview them, take pictures, and use the words and pictures for fabulously interesting stories in future CIIR publications. I'm looking forward to it because the last time I was in Latin America, in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus's so-called discovery of the Americas, the indigenous peoples of Ecuador rose in protest at 500 years of oppression, blocking roads with burning tyres, and leaving me somewhat inconveniently stuck in Riobamba for a week. Let's hope this doesn't happen again, otherwise it will begin to seem personal...

So I'm looking forward to see what this trip brings. Bring it on!