After our loco time in La Paz we thought it best to start detoxing so headed for Lake Titicaca. Copacabana is a tiny hippy town on the lake shore where you can take a boat trip for some trekking on Isla del Sol. Our private ensuite room with lake views left something to be desired, as the shower had no water and the floor to ceiling windows meant it was colder inside than out, thanks Lonely Planet.

Spent the first day chilling in the cafes (none of which actually had any food, despite their extensive menus) and settled into a place called Nimbos run by a friendly Rastafarian with a talent for making nachos.

The next day we set off early for our island hike, bumping into our friends from La Paz on the boat. The boat dropped us off at the north end of the island, and told us we had 4 hours to reach the south in time for the only boat that leaves for the mainland. Thinking we had plenty of time we ambled across the hills, through local villages, admiring the donkeys, Inca ruins and beautiful sunny lake views. With no map and limited Spanish we obviously ended up having to rush for the boat, whilst avoiding the locals who kept trying to charge us for crossing the pathway. Classic Bolivians. Sarah fell in love with some dogs (again) while Phoebe gave her sweets to some Bolivian children who were playing with their pet alpaca. We just made the boat in time and sailed back to mainland looking forward to our rainbow trout supper, fresh from the lake.

It didn't disappoint, we were in heaven when it came with layers of garlic sauce and extra plates for all the sides; we were even accompanied by some adorable windpipe playing boys.

Next day we crossed the border to Peru taking a detour to Puno, the rough side of the lake, before winding our way through the Andes to Arequipa. The old town of Areuipa is beautiful, with a huge central plaza surrounded by a stunning medieval cathedral, palm trees and old colonial buildings, with an incredible view of snow-capped El Misti volcano looming in the background. After weeks at high altitude we were practically drowning in oxygen at a measly 2000m. We took advantage of this and headed out for cocktails and a Peruvian meal deal.

Next day, after planning our next trek into Colca Canyon, we spent our time basking in the sun at a rooftop cafe and wandering through markets and monasteries. For dinner we found an amazing tiny restaurant called Papas, which served dishes based on Andean sweet potatoes topped with chicken, herbs and cheesey sauces. Carb-loading for our trek the next day. The owner even put our geography skills to the test to win free pudding.

We set out at 3am the next morning and drove to a Peruvian home for a not so appetizing breakfast. After, we arrived at Condor Landing in time to see the sun rise across Colca Canyon. It was only at this point we discovered it is three times deeper than the Grand Canyon, not quite the gentle warm-up for Machu Picchu we had imagined. The condors were an impressive 3 metres wide and swooped over our heads as if performing for us.

Stripping off our layers and working the walking boots, we set off downhill into the canyon. Distant views of the oasis below kept us moving along what felt like hours of steep non-stop switchbacks. It only just dawned on us that we'd be walking back up this the next day. Armando (Amanda) the trek leader kept us entertained and reassured us that he was rope rescue trained in case we fell off the canyon path. On reaching the bottom, we learnt the true meaning of Peruvian flat - actually pretty uphill. Amanda showed us the tropical fruits and avocados growing in the canyon and painted on our warpaint with a cactus parasite. We kept trekking deeper past a deserted quechua village, creepy old church and finally into the oasis for sunset. Our headtorches were put to good use as our room for the night was a cave style mudhut with no electricity. We made it a romantic experience with dinner by candlelight and stargazing before bed. The milky way is impressively clear in the desert with no artificial light. The astronomers would have been proud.

Armed with headtorches at 5am, we set out to climb back up the canyon, although this time we weren't treated to breakfast first for fear that we wouldn't make it to the top with a full stomach. At least that meant we had food as an incentive to get there. Super trekker Sarah power-walked to the top while Beccy made made canine companions and nursed Phoebe's blisters - true friendship. It had definitely been our most productive morning yet, having climbed 2000 metres up a canyon by 8am. Phoebe foolishly laughed at the fatties taking mules back up, before riding one herself to breakfast. We spent the rest of the day visiting local villages, eating alpaca sandwiches and drinking well deserved colca sours.