Part II. Peru and Ecuador: Don't fall off a mountain

From Bolivia, I'll cross the spectacular Lago Titicaca and its floating villages and find my way to the capital of the bygone Inca Empire, Cusco.

From Cusco, I'll continue along the mountains visiting as many Inca ruins as I can. The area around Cusco isn't shy on sites to visit: the Coricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Pisac, Moray, Winay Wayna, Llactapata, Ollantaytambo, and of course Macchu Picchu.

The route keeps my head in the clouds as I skim along the tops of the Andes until eventually turning east toward Chimbote for a couple of days of coastal cruising, after which it returns to the mountains, including a pass through Cajamarca, where Pizzaro's expedition ambushed and captured the Inca Emperor, Atahualpa.

Starting at this latitude, the mountain road crosses into jungles and in to Ecuador as I dodge volcanoes on my way to Colombia.