After cable cars magically lifted our bicycles and us up and out of the deep valley of La Paz, we cycled back onto the open grasslands of the altiplano. Soon we were cruising along the shore of the enormous, high-altitude Lake Titicaca - the mythical birthplace of the Sun and the Moon. We then said ‘goodbye’ to Bolivia, and ‘hello’ to Peru, the other country that shares the legendary Lake Titicaca.

Cycling north out of Uyuni, Bolivia, we were surrounded by mostly-empty landscapes occupied by more vicuñas than people - where the wind whipped up towering sand storms that had us running for cover. As we got closer to La Paz, villages surrounded by dusty quinoa fields became much more frequent, and sheep replaced the vicuñas. Eventually we were able to immerse ourselves in the cultural kaleidoscope of La Paz - a heady mix of traditional mysticism and modern commerce - capped by a plunge by bicycle down the infamous Death Road.