We were up at a very nice 5am the following morning to weigh our bags and store anything we wouldn't be taking with us. We took a bus from Cusco to a small Tambo (resting place) situated about five minutes from the start of the trail. Here we bought wooden hiking sticks and a large bag of cocoa leaves, to help us with the nose bleeds of course! We jumped on another bus to the first checkpoint, showed our passports and started the trail. The first day was consider...

Our last two days in Arequipa were interesting to say the very least. We spent one afternoon in the Main Square and dined on alpaca ribs for lunch, cooked authentically on hot stones in a clay kitchen, served in terrocotta dishes. The waitress was very patriotic and showed us around the kitchens so we could see how the Pre-Incan civilisations would have prepared their meals. When we returned to our table they had poured us two glasses of their very own home made ...