Another activity that ranked highly on my list of things to do in South America was to make it to a top level futbol game. Like most people at home, I had heard all sorts of stories about how crazy the games could be. So far, the Argentines had lived up to my preconceived notion of them - fiery, passionate, dramatic, loud, highly opinionated and expressive. I was also in no doubt of their love for futbol, it was everywhere; the local teams' jerseys were always o...

So, it was finally the day to do one of activities that I had most eagerly anticipated when I booked my trip to Bolivia; cycle 'Death Road'. Like many people, this stretch of road first came my attention when the 'Top Gear' crew decided to tackle it - I had to get involved! 'The World's Most Dangerous Road' owes it name to the fact that, in the not so distant past, an average of 26 vehicles per year disappeared off the edge of the narrow (3.2m wide) gravel road ...

So after doing more trekking over the 4 days of the Inca Trail than I'd done in the entire previous 26 years of my life it was time for some R&R. Firstly, we took ourselves to Aguascalientes where one can soak the aches and pains of their first major trek - I'm more used to choosing which of the 3 lifts to get to my 1st floor workplace than 4 days up and down the Inca Trail! Next we paid over the not so grand total of about 2 pounds for an hour long message ...

So to the final day of the Inca Trail and the lost city of Machu Picchu. For all their glory, the Incans only really bossed things for around a 100 years period. Their thirst for expansion began around 1438. The empire grew exponentially over the next 25 years. It peaked in size at this point and it was during this time that scores of mountain top citadels, including Machu Picchu, were built. In 1532 the Spaniard, Francisco Pizarro, lead a defeat of the Incan k...

After a few days of 'acclimatisation' in Cusco it was finally time to take on the infamous Inca Trail - the 4 day trek to the lost citadel of Machu Picchu, the Incan's jungle capital. The total distance of the ancient trail laid by the Incans is 49kms. It winds it's way up, down and around the mountains snaking over 3 high passes. The first 2 days of the trek are widely accepted as the toughest as the irregular sized stone steps climb on a steady assent fro...