13 hour bus trip from La Paz to Cusco, we experienced what is called 'thundersnow' a weather phenomenon featuring the unusual combination of snow, lightning and thunder. Some of the lightning struck so close, blindingly bright. Border crossing was a case of get exit stamp from Bolivia, then walk across bridge and get entry into Peru. Arrived Cusco 4am, got to hotel and we checked in straight away plus given coffee, all we expected was to store our bags and per...

55 kilometres....starting at 4700m elevation, finishing at 1200m....1000m drop-offs in parts....on a mountain bike....5 hours.....death road, bolivia....done and got the t-shirt!! I ache all over, my butt hurts the worst...but I feel fantastic!!! Maybe 10years since I been on a bike, but I nailed it....woohoo!!! Riding through clouds, under waterfalls, majority of road is gravel and rock, water crossings, and once section the road completely missing so had to cli...

So our hotel, Stannum Hotel, is the 12th floor in an office building, very funky. Staff are fantastic, extremely attentive and stop what they doing as soon as a guest approaches to face them and acknowledge them. Walking tour of city today, first stop was San Pedro Prison (refer book 'Marching Powder'). The prison is painted pink, just outside is the school for the kids that live in there and stalls set up by wives selling the handicrafts made by husbands inside...

Spent the night of 6th March in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Busy city with beautiful plaza areas and buildings, only got chance to do meander through main part as Santa Cruz was just a layover spot. Boarded bus at 2pm yesterday, we were seated in the very front of bus with the big picture window to see absolutely everything. As I mentioned we boarded bus at 2pm and sat there for 30mins with no aircon, felt like a sauna dripping in sweat. Finally we off and moving, airc...

Last day in Rio, went to Copacabana Beach for the morning. Coffee, people watching and souvenir shopping. Garbage trucks lined the streets, with police escorts, finally starting to clean up all the rubbish. By midday they had only done 1 side of the strip along the beach. Wandered down to Ipanema before heading back to Flamengo. Out on a boat around the harbour area to watch the sunset - too cloudy, so not a good sunset, actually non existent. Was nice to be out...