This is a story about travelling down the length of the Andes and the search to see condors. From the far north of the continent on the arid Guajira peninsular, the journey passes through hotspots such as Medellin and Bogota and climbing up Mount Puracé, an active volcano. There is a break in Quito to stand on the equator. There is a fascinating side trip to the Galapagos and a voyage through the islands that make up the archipelago. There is a huge array of wildlife that is not afraid of humans, so you can get really close to its tortoises and other unique wildlife. Then there is the experience of seeing some of Peru’s ancient civilisations and the country of origin of more than 3,500 varieties of potato before continuing down the Andes to the windswept wastelands of Patagonia to Ushuaia at the end of the world.
Norman Handy was born in Beckenham in the South East of England, was educated at a mixed boarding school in Cranbrook, Kent and studied Law for Accountants, Business Economics and Accountancy at Southampton University. During his studies, he travelled in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and after finishing university worked abroad. He returned to the United Kingdom and worked in a riding school and later in the financial services sector in London and abroad. He has two children and is a keen horse rider, walker and skier and of course writer! He spends his time between his home in West Sussex and travelling.