The trip from Mendoza to Arequipa, Peru will live in memory as one of the worst journeys of our trip. Quite what we were thinking when we booked the 35 hour bus journey from Argentina, through Chile and into Peru, god only knows. After 42 hours we arrived in Arequipa, knackered, pissed off and smelling of the coach toilet that hadn't been emptied for the duration of the journey, glamorous stuff this globetrotting!

This leg of the trip was pre-planned, meeting with our friends Sarah and Mark who are also travelling in South America. Arequipa is a great place to spend a few days relaxing, with interesting museums, good restaurants and nightlife. Unfortunately James, Sarah and Mark were all ill during our time together, but we managed to make the most of it with some great meals and an exhilarating rafting trip.

Once James was over his food poisoning and Sarah and Mark went on their way again, we went on a 3 day hiking trip to the Colca Canyon. Trekking in the middle of the Andes mountains, condors swooping overhead, simple, healthy living, we loved it. Peru is such a beautiful country, miles of snow-capped mountains, colourful fields and warm, friendly people.

After a week in the Arequipa region we crossed country to Cusco, the Inca capital of South America. James ventured off on his own to trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu whilst I volunteered with a local charity, Bruce Peru, helping poor local children with schooling and healthcare. A great surprise was my trip back to Urubamba to visit the family I stayed with 4 years ago. A surreal experience as absolutely nothing had changed apart from the fact that I can now speak Spanish and hold a decent conversation, the visit brought back lots of happy memories!

(JAMES) The 4 day, 3 night trek to Machu Picchu was a personal highlight for me, although the trail wasn't as demanding as I was led to believe it was still pretty tough, especially the final 500m climb to 'Dead Woman's Pass' at 4200m on the second day.

The organisation of the trip and the efficiency of the porters who carried our mobile camp including tents, tables, chairs, portable kitchen, food, drink, etc was brilliant. These guys are absolutely amazing, each carrying around 25 kgs each, practically running up the mountain. Bizarrely (and embarrassingly) they then clap you when you enter the camp, having struggled along the same trail carrying nothing but yourself and a bottle of water! On top of this, the food they cook up on a simple gas stove is worthy of a Michelin star!

Reaching the 'Sun Gate' and the first views of Machu Picchu on the final day was an exhilarating experience. Our group of 6 were amongst the first to reach it at 6.15am on the 4th day just before a huge cloud enveloped the whole site. The site itself is something that has to be seen to be believed and in no doubt deserves its 7th wonder status, incredible.

Once reunited, another highlight of the trip was meeting up with my family in Cusco. Not only was it great to see friendly faces, they also smuggled across lots of home comforts and goodies, Marmite, decent deodorant, toothpaste and our own mini pc! We now have 10 days travelling together through to Bolivia, with a fresh wallet we're hoping our standard of living will improve dramatically!