Our first Workaway assignment took us to the beachside resort of Los Suenos del Mar in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador. It was essentially a run-down resort that would have been at its best back in the 1940s. However with the pristine beach and the pool, we were all happy to relax by the sea and embrace the warm weather that we had been missing on our extended stay in Peru.

Our tasks were varied. Matt was doing construction work to build a new bar and I was responsible for general tidy up, sweeping and room cleaning. The kids were free to roam and enjoy their new surroundings.

In February 2014 we took the plunge and signed up for the ultimate living abroad experience, running a hostel with the help and support of our friends and family.  Although it was a hostel prior to us taking over, it felt more like we started from scratch, as we painted, renovated, purchased furniture and re-branded the building into our very own Casa Emilia (named after our daughter).  

Yes it was a lot of hard work but we had some fun along the way - the best part was being able to meet the variety of amazing people who came to our door.  From single travellers, backpackers, couples and families - many who will remain in our hearts and memories for a long time to come.

And while we started way down the TripAdvisor list at number one hundred and something, we persevered and got all the way to number 13 on the top B&B list in Cusco.  Not bad going for the new kid on the block.

And although we haven't been living there for the last two months of the lease, instead opting to rent it out to a wonderful family from Florida, we will miss it when we can no longer call it our own.  We might not miss the sleepless nights or the hard work that it entailed to set it up in the first instance, but we will miss the people we met and the great experience the hostel offered us.

So with one month remaining on our lease, here is our hostel journey in pictures...

and some more...

Casa Emilia - definitely our favourite place to stay in Cusco!

To go from a 10 bedroom B&B to a van travelling across the Americas didn't seem right - so we set a plan in motion a few months back to try to downscale and prepare in a so-called transition phase.  This phase has us today huddled together in a one bedroom apartment playing musical beds and trying to work out where everyone fits the best.  And so far it is working well.

The relocation saw us discard a lot of stuff we had and enabled me to sort through and donate a couple of bags to charity.  That helped a lot, although the move itself highlighted the fact that we still have too much stuff and will have to pare down considerably before we leave in March.  

We came to Cusco 16 months ago with 4 suitcases and one small bag each (and a laptop) - now we have considerably more and an extra laptop to boot.  I wonder how we will go trying to get it down to 2 suitcases and one small bag each (the two laptops will of course continue on the journey provided they last the distance).  

So at this stage, all I can say is so far so good.  Maybe the two kids will have a huge growth spurt over the next couple of months saving me the hassle of working out what stays and what goes.