The journey commenced in Cuzco, the ancient centre of the Inca Empire.

We took a taxi to the railway station, and boarded the train that was to take us on a 10 hour journey to Puno on the edge of Lake Titicaca.

Ladies do you have a strong bladder? If not be prepared for a precarious balancing act when visiting the loo! It/s a bumpy ride. They told us that the railway had be constructed by the British..... This.....I find hard to believe!!!.. Ensure you have stocked up well with sweets, pencils, pens etc as the children clamber round the train as it stops in each station. The views are amazing, you see people in such isolated spots tending to their flocks of Llama and Alpaca and the views of the Andes in the backgound are tremendous.

Puno is a bustling town with a very colourful market! It sits on the shore/s of the Lake, which incidentally is the highest navigable lake in the world.. 13,000ft above sea level.

If your budget allows, spoil yourselves and stay at the Hotel Isla Esteves overlooking the lake as the views are too wonderous for words. I was particularly fortunate, due to problems with my original room they upgraded me to the penthouse suite! In the morning the view from my windows, which filled 2 full sides of my room, floor to ceiling, were breathtaking!

Ensure you find time to take a boat out on the lake to visit the Uros Islands! They are islands made entirely from reeds, and are anchored in to the bed of the lake. It is like walking on a waterbed! The islanders live a simple life, although it is now a major tourist attaction.

We visited extremely early in the morning and the experience was surreal! One of the great memories of my amazing holiday.Travel certainly puts life in perspective!

The next leg of the trip was a journey by road (again very bumpy.... but they didn/t say that the British built these!!) across the border to Bolivia. Be prepared for a long wait at each of the control points..... The activities however more than make up for this....... I had never seen a market setup in Nomansland before! It was thriving as locals are able to cross the border at will, no documentation required!

Copabana is a beautiful border town and well worth exploring. Stalls are setup outside the beautiful church, selling extremely colourful christening gifts. The town gave its name to Copabana beach in Rio when statues of the Dark Lady of the Lake were sent to Brazil.

Then it was down to the jetty to board the hydrofoil to Sun Island. Our guide, good old Ernesto, thought it would be /nice/ for us to climb the long way up to the hotel/pension, rather than take the easier route like the more sensible tourists on the hydrofoil. Well at least he provided llamas to carry our belongings! Climbing midday...not a good idea, especially if you are still wearing the thermal vest you put on at 6am when visiting the Uros Islands!!!!

The hotel was in a fabulous setting, and the scenery magical. Another tip, it gets cold very early and layers are necesssary to deal with the vast changes in temperature. I suffered from altitude sickness whilst I was here and a hot water bottle would have been greatly received!

Legend has it that is was on the Isla del Sol that the Inca/s were born, parents Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo were called from the waters of the lake by the Son God. There are many myths and legends about the Lake and my /On the Trail of the Inca/s/ tells the story of Wiraccochan so take a look if you are interested.

We climbed to the very top of the island on our second day and visited many sacred sites, including the stone in the shape of a turtle. It is a hard climb and make sure you are carrying plenty of water as if you are as unfit as I am, it can take 3 hours to complete. But is definitely all worth while when you see the amazing views.

In Huatajata, very much a tourist site /The Andean Roots/ complex gives the visitor a glimpse into the traditional Bolivian life. you can have your fortune told by a medicine man and meet the person that helped Thor Hejerdahl to inact his theory that Indians sailed their reed boats to the Pacific Islands.

Also don/t miss Tiahuanaco its a vast site containing the famous Gateway of the Sun and it has a very interesting museum.

The next stop for me on my Grand South American tour was La Paz, the highest city in the world........ and a bright and lively one at that.........