It was only about half an hour from La Paz before our first sighting of Lake Titicaca (meaning 'grey puma'). The beauty of overland travelling is you get to see so much more of the country, and I loved the views of the lakes and mountains, and the farming life around them. We had to cross Titicaca on a motorboat (our bus was on a separate ferry), to continue on to Copacabana where we had a short lunch stop before catching our bus to cross the Peruvian border.

We arrived in Puno in time to watch their Independence parade, celebrating 340 years of independence. Teenagers and adolescents donned colourful thematic costumes, and danced around the main street and square, each group accompanied by its own marching band.

We had a new tour leader join us in La Paz - also called Martin. He is the most switched-on of our leaders so far - very organised, provides us with a lot of information, and works hard to ensure we are all comfortable and happy.

I tried the cuy (guinea pig - a Peruvian delicacy which was served to the Inca kings) for dinner that night - it had to be done ... 'when in Rome...' and all that. It is actually tasty enough - rather like a chewy bit of chicken, but I will not be rushing to order another one again - too much hard work: too much fat, skin and bones, not unlike the Chinese delicacy - roasted suckling pig.