The last week or so has unfortunately been a bit slow for us on the training front, although we did walk 4-5 miles each day we were in Prague and this included walking up and down two towers of around 300 steps (the views from which can be seen below)!

Over Christmas we received some more donations from various people, so thank you very much to all of you that donated.  We also got some presents that will come in handy when training:
   Teri's Dad & Cheryl bought the walking boots mentioned in an earlier
   post and some walking trousers (yet to be purchased!)
   Teri's sister bought us fancy drinks bottles
   Teri's Auntie & Uncle bought us some walking socks
   and Matt's brother bought a headtorch

Matt's Mum & Dad also bought us a book about the Inca Trail, which I'm sure we will find interesting reading before we go!  We've thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas break, but once we're both back in Reading after the New Year, training will get really serious and we'll need to fully concentrate on raising and saving the last of the money.

With plastered up blisters we headed out to Barbury Castle Country Park for our walk this afternoon.  It was a very dull day, with freezing winds and some very steep, muddy and slippery hills, so we were quite pleased it was only four miles long!

We're trying to pick walks to do where there are things to see along the way, or little bits of history to learn about.  I'm hoping to start on our 'Peru' scrapbook soon, which will follow all our fundraising and training as well as the trek itself once we've returned.

It's going to be hard to find time to train for the two weeks over Christmas, especially as we're off to Prague for a few days and then we're dotted about over the UK visiting family and friends!  I'm sure we'll be dragging members of the family out and about with us to burn off those Christmas dinners.....!

We've managed to get through the first week of our training plan!  Two hours of stamina-building exercises during the week and a 5-mile walk at the weekend might not sound a lot to most of you, but as two people that have barely done any exercise for a good couple of years we need to build things up slowly!!!

Today was such a beautiful, crisp morning for a walk; if the weather's like this every weekend before we go we'll be laughing!  We walked from Ramsbury to Littlecote House near Hungerford (a stunning hotel I've been to before to set up a wedding).  We also passed the remains of a roman villa, which had a stunning mosaic floor that was uncovered back in 1727.  Before our walk we stopped off to shop for some walking boots for me, and I only came back with two blisters!

We're starting to think of our next fundraising events, and I'm thinking of planning a 'girls night in' sometime in the new year.  Virgin Vie, Ann Summers, Chocoholics, Body Shop and Pampered Chef parties all rolled into one night!  Sorry boys, but this night will be for girls only!