MACHU PICHU 13.

This poor lady was blind and wore a smile larger then most.

MACHU PICHU. PERU. 12.

So we began climbing back up into the mountains with fresh bodies after a full nights sleep. We knew roughly how long it would take us to get back so we took a lot more breaks to enjoy the spectacular views that the Peruvian countryside has to offer.

MACHU PICHU 10.

After spending hours exploring Machu Pichu it was time to go back and collect our bikes, fortunately this time we caught the train. In hand, some how we mad the most amazing old hand crafted full bed blanket that I drunkenly bought the night before.
Once we reached the hotel the young 10 year old who seemed to be running it convinced us it would be a good idea to spend the next hours with him at the local hot springs. Which was amazing, but meant we had to ride out on the long weaving road which tightly hugged the side of a mountain with a loooong fall to death if u went over the un barricaded side.
Sophie ended up unfortunately crashing her bike 2 more times on the way out. Once on a river crossing  just clearing the water by feet and the other one in which we were stuck in pitch black darkness for around 20 mins trying to get the bike started again. A car stacked with Peruvian men stopped and all of them tapped and pressed random buttons to no avail. In the end I somehow roll started it and we were out of there!
Once we arrived to the town with out eyes sealed tight full of dust a little lady swooped us off the street to her place and gave us a bed to rest our tired bodies. The lady was astounded that we were unscathed, other people had been mugged on that very road of all their possessions the night before. She informed us that bandits were prevalent around that area at night looking to cash in on the cashed up tourists taking the one way in or out for Machu Pichu. Gracias Pacha mama!!!!!!!!!!!

MACHU PICHU 9.

If you ever get the chance to visit Machu Pichu in this lifetime then do it. The setting and surroundings are impossible to express with photos.

MACHU PIHCU 8.

Literally within an hour of curving and swerving down a never ending hill, mud brick houses started to re-appear and small farms, covered in banana trees, papaya, mangoes and many other tropical fruits. Amazing to see that this sweeps all the way down to the Amazon! What laid ahead for the next hours of our trip were some what unexpected and unwanted

We arrived to the end of the road after Sophie took a little crash on the edge of a cliff that served as nothing more then a scary backdrop. She dusted herself off and in no time we were negotiating with a 10 year old boy to stash our bikes at his dads hostel. Within minutes we were speeding off to the station to catch the final train of the day, and then a large truck slowed us up for what seemed like eternity the driver attempting to dart past him on numerous occasions. The result was that we missed the last train and were faced with a 2.5 hour hike down the train tracks in the pitch black dark. Fortunately I invested in some beers incase things turned pear shaped. As we walked along the train tracks under cover of the night Sophie started to think she was so exhausted that she was beginning to hallucinate. Little darts of light shooting between the trees like shooting stars. Fireflies lit up the cold air ahead for a brief moment and seemed to lead us the way to 'Aguas Caliente' the town you set off to hike to Machu Pichu from. So after a long long long looooooonng eventful day we found our hotel quite drunk by this stage and hit it out for dinner, followed by a much needed massage in which I passed out immediately! With a 4am wake up the next morning we were sound asleep with full bellies in no time, exhausted, but feeling more alive then ever!  

MACHU PICHU 11.

Improvisation is the skill to survival out of the city. I LOVE seeing the ingenious ways that people manipulate, build, repair to thrive in the countryside.

MACHU PICHU 7.

Once we crossed the high Andes the landscape swiftly changed its form like a chameleon. Rocky, snow capped mountains gave way to small shrubs and trees as we rode down the mountain. As our triple layered bodies heated up it was time to stop off for a picnic lunch and to strip down.

MACHU PICHU 5.

I love mountain environments more then anything else on earth. When im up there my respect for nature is heightened as any change in weather could be life threatening and these changes can come on out of nowhere. The vastness and never ending beauty empowers and stirs up the adventurous soul of any human.  

MACHU PICHU 4.

Shanty ghost towns with very sketchy eateries serving guinea pigs and all kinds of strange delicacies.

MACHU PICHU 3.

4800 meters above sea level. The dogs are hostile up here. "Do not throw trash" painted in red!