Can't thank this crazy bunch enough, our fellow Hungry Llamas! (left to right) 'Old Times Whiskey' Michael; 'superwoman' Kristen (carrying not far off the weight of a house on her back the whole way round); the lovely Nadia and Ine from Belgium; Aussie 'how was the train?' Josh; feisty Brazilian Renata with Mike her American husband, then us!

DAY 4 @ altitude 2650m- A nice early start in the hammering rain, awaken for our coco tea and a massive bug in our tent we quickly pack up and get going to the gates of the Machu Pichuu trail. The gates open at 5:30am so we had an hour wait there where we would (if it wasn't so foggy) watch the sunrise. We waited under-cover in our ponchos huddled up in our team. There were many other groups waiting in the same place, waiting to be let in to the final part o...

Day 3 @ altitude 3600m-2650m- Having day number two (the hardest day) out of the way was a great relief, however, a bit of a challenge would still be good and I can vouch that were definitely not left twiddling thumbs or skipping around horizontal switch-backs. My favourite day of the trail, the sun was out, the hike very varied, steep on-going ups, daunting down tracks, caves to squeeze through with the odd summit to climb up and sneak a breath taking view...

DAY TWO @ altitude 3000m-4200m- Why oh why would the Incas make a trail like this?!! Again, superhuman crazy people only way to explain it. What a nutcracker day! Day two is known to be the hardest day of the trail and good grief, I sincerely hope this is true! The trail went up, up, up a bit more, up again, get the idea??...IT WAS NEVER ENDING!!! Pain to the butt, hips, knees, legs, calves and still, the porters are running past us in their sandals. A bonus...

The day we had both been quietly dreading for the last three months was upon us....INCA TRAIL DAY ONE!!! Picked up from at our hostel at 5:30am we were in for a long day, being the first to be collected we had time for a mini nap in the back of our bus while the others joined us. Thankfully we met our group last night for an introduction meeting at the Cusco office, only a nice number nine of us in the group and from just that meeting I could tell we had- than...