Oxygen is underestimated, you dont realise quite how useful it is until you dont have it! The four day trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu began quite well, a pleaseant stroll in the mountains past some ruins, enjoying tasty food and lovely views. Day two involved a hike upwards for several hows to 4200m to a point named Dead Womans Pass, and that was where I began to miss the luxury of oxygen. It was made all the worse by the porters (carrying 25kg each) who used the uphill, altitude track to practise their jogging skills.

The porters were amazing though, they managed to prepare us four course meals and even bake a fresh mango sponge cake all using gas stoves and camping tools. By day three the up and down walking was taking its toll on my knees, and after a painful hobble to the final campsite of the trip we finally managed a shower and a cold beer. 3.30am the next morning we were woken for breakfast and set off at 4am, to the Sun Gate, a 90 minutes hike ending with a flight of steps known as the Gringo Killer (which we somehow managed in 45minutes!!!!!). As if by magic, Machu Picchu appeared from a cloud sea as the sun rose and we headed back downhill past the llamas to explore the ruins before beginning the journey back to Cusco.

I thought that South America had a passion for football, but it seems they are even more passionate about strikes, we got of the train to be told that the roads were blockaded and there would be a delay, so after sitting in a bus for a while we set off on an "alternate route". This involved the bus driving over a field and onto the train tracks which it then followed for a while before stopping and dumping us at a train station. Several hours later more buses came and we we finally got back to Cusco (dodging rock barricades on the way).

We are know in Nasca and about to hop on a little plane to see the Nasca lines (if some sort of strike doesnt stop something or other) :)

Love Rich and Em x