And in keeping with my desire to see the whole world while eclipse chasing, I took advantage of the opportunity and booked two weeks in Peru before the eclipse. Lima - Puno - Cuzco - the Inca Trail - Machu Picchu. Classic Peru.

The big attraction for me in Peru was the Inca Trail - the famous 4-day hike through the Andes Mountains to the city of Machu Picchu. I had wanted to do this journey since I was old enough to read.

Entering Peru through the city of Lima, I move straight to Puno. At 12,500 feet, Puno is one of the highest places on the continent and it’s famous because this is where you go to visit Lake Titicaca - the world’s highest navigable lake and a critical location in the Inca heritage.

The city of Puno.

It takes me two days to get over the symptoms of High Altitude Sickness.

I head out on to Lake Titicaca and visit the floating islands of Uros - where a traditional culture lives on man-made islands, fashioned from the endless supply of reeds growing in the lake.

It floats!  Islands of Uros in Lake Titicaca.

Imagine your house - your floor - your bed - all made out of this.

Boats too!