And so this is the end of the road. The path that we set out on, have been enthralled with and challenged by, shed tears of happiness and anguish upon, have thrived and stumbled upon, the road that we have travelled for almost nine hundred days enters its final chapter. There have not been many things that we have done along this colossal journey that could be construed as taking the easy option, instead choosing to challenge ourselves along the more difficult path whose rewards are often all the more rich for the effort. It was fitting then that we should end our adventure in that exact vein, taking the long way round to Machu Picchu via the mountain pass of Salkantay, a five day trek to reach one of the most astounding places in this ... read more

Thankfully, mercifully, whatever one may say about a three hour journey that took us from La Paz to the shores of Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, we arrived safe and unharmed for what would be a two night stay. Rather than stay in the town of Copacabana itself, a pleasant place with all the creature comforts you could hope for at this stage of our trip, we decided upon the advice of others to stay on the Isla del Sol itself, situated within the lake accessed via 90 minute boat ride. Given the natural beauty of the island and its place in the history of the Incas, it was not such a difficult decision. The lake itself is found at 3,841m above sea level and despite other smaller lakes found around the world being at higher altitudes, ... read more

Bolivia is South America’s most indigenous country. It is also it’s poorest. For us, these factors make it arguably the most interesting to travel. First stop, Uyuni. We were greeted by women in traditional dress; shin-length skirts puffed out above many layers of netting and underneath them woollen socks pulled high to cover the knee, fixed in place with string. Feet cramped into tiny, cumbersome shoes; they look a little like hooves. A cardigan and shawl wrapped tightly around the upper half; the high altitude across Bolivia makes for frigid temperatures. Then the iconic hat, perched on top, balanced precariously, fixed curiously. It’s called a “bombin” and was introduced by the British railway workers back in the 1920s. And beneath every bombin hangs two long, black braids, many streaked with grey from old age and hard ... read more

To spend 24 hours on a bus and not lose it completely is a painstakingly acquired skill, nurtured over time. Lots of time. We have acquired it. Slowly. Gradually, with every ride longer than the next. Passing time is a skill. Switching off. Waiting for as long as you can before picking up that book just to put it down after a couple of pages as the road is just too bumpy. And now you feel nauseous. Then what? Day dreaming. A cat nap. I find that copious snacking alleviates boredom greatly, but that’s a slippery slope... For the final 10 of the 24 hour long stretch there was little to see out of the window other than black desert and barren cliffs. The stars were huge, and I wondered whether it was because we were ... read more

Crossing the entire width of Argentina, from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, we begin by driving head on into a spectacular sunset. As the daylight faded, then the colour, the sky blackened but the darkness that remained was short lived as we continued for the duration of the journey alongside a raging electrical storm. Arriving in Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes mountain range, it was still dark at 8:00am leaving us disorientated when woken by the call for the final stop. It wasn’t in our plan to be in Mendoza so soon, truth be told. From the comfort of our home, many moons ago, we talked of heading southward, into Patagonia. We imagined trekking the Torres del Paine and further exploring... But plans and schedules have changed along the way and we have found ourselves ... read more