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South America

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    23. juni 2019
    Ward-eringTheWorldSouth AmericaWard-eringTheWorld

    Here we go!!

    23. juni 2019, England ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Here we go! Blog post numero uno!

    Why South America?

    I travelled Australia last year as my first solo trip. I had the best time and met some incredible people which gave me the travel bug! South America is one of those destinations I wanted to do when I was young. Motivated also by the fact that I see people in my profession who have shock illnesses/diagnoses that change their life forever, I truly believe in living in the moment and seizing every opportunity.

    So over the next 9 weeks, I will be in 7 South American countries doing everything from the beaches in Rio, trekking the Inca trail and snorkeling in the Galapagos (see maps for my route).

    I have a data plan for the first 30 days so expect frequent updates for the first month. Then I will be in the back of Bolivian beyond and my contact will become more sketchy. I will update you when I can!

    Please keep in touch, tell me what's happening at home. Its always so lovely to hear from loved ones.

    See you in Rio! 😁    Læs mere

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    Rio in 48 hours

    25. juni 2019, Brasilien ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    With only 48 hours in Rio, there was a lot to see in a short amount of time. First stop was Christ The Redeemer within the Tijuca national park. The view from the top were stunning and allowed us a birds eye view of the city.

    Copacabana beach was where we spent the rest of our afternoon before heading out for a meal and a few Caiprinhas 🍹🍸

    Day two started with a guided tour of the Vidigal favela, in the south of Rio. Here we learnt about some of the projects that are being run in the community to improve the lives of the residents, including an eco park and a drumming classes. We also visited the Vidigal Capoeina project which teaches discipline and teamwork through capoeina music. We got to try it for ourselves which was a lot of fun!

    The first visit of the afternoon was to the Escardia Selaron, 215 steps covered in colourful mosaics. This was followed by a trip to Sugar loaf mountain to watch the sun set over the city.    Læs mere

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    Ilha Grande

    27. juni 2019, Brasilien ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Swapping city life for island life we made our way to the paradise of Ilha Grande. This beautiful island was the perfect way to relax after a couple of busy days in Rio. We took a boat tour around the island and had time to enjoy several of their beaches. We also went snorkeling and were lucky enough to see some turtles!Læs mere

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    Paraty

    29. juni 2019, Brasilien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Paraty may be the prettiest place I have ever visited. This colonial town has beautiful white wash buildings with vibrant coloured door & window frames. We spent most of the day chilling on the beach (it's probably the last time we are going to see one for a while), before heading on a walking tour to learn more about the history of the town.Læs mere

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    Iguassu Falls

    1. juli 2019, Brasilien ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Iguassu Falls are one of the seven natural wonders of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site & the largest waterfall system in the world. Our first day here we visited the Argentinian side of the falls, where we walked through the national park and got up close and personal with the waterfalls. There are 275 waterfalls in total, varying in size, the longest drop being 82m.

    In the afternoon we took a speed boat up the river which gave us an even closer perspective of the falls. The boat went under the falls which was great fun, despite the fact that we came back soaked! (Videos to follow once they've been uploaded).

    We visited the Brazillian side the next day which gave a panoramic view of the falls. Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour and we didn't get to see the classic rainbow over the falls. However the view was still spectacular despite the mist & fog.    Læs mere

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    Uruguay Ranch

    4. juli 2019, Uruguay ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Leaving Brazil, we took an overnight bus through Argentina and arrived in our ranch in Uruguay mid afternoon. The ranch is in the middle of nowhere, and was a brilliant way to rest and relax. It was a lot colder than we were expecting - goodbye summer clothes, hello winter jacket!

    Our first activity was to take a walk around the ranch and go fishing (we caught nothing). Our evening was spent enjoying home made soup & pizza as well as bonding as a group by playing some team games.

    We did various activities the next day on the ranch - milking a cow, going horse riding, making empanadas as well as having time to chill out in a hammock. In the evening we had a bonfire and toasted marshmallows which was a great way to celebrate 4th July for the Americans of the group.    Læs mere

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    Buenos Aires

    8. juli 2019, Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Another border crossed, we are now in the capital of Argentina - Buenos Aires. Our first stop in this city was to La Boca a brightly coloured, energetic neighbourhood with markets, live music and tango dancers lining the streets. We spent our evening at a live percussion show with local groups performing.

    The next day we spent here exploring the city - visiting some of the historic sites of the city. One of the main attractions is the cemetery- where the 'streets' are lined with impressive statues and marble mausoleums.

    This was the last night on the tour for some of the group so as a final farewell we went to a tango show. Prior to the show, we were given a tango lesson and a 3 course meal and then got to see how the professionals to it! Such an amazing experience and a great way to say goodbye to those who are leaving us.    Læs mere

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    Salta

    12. juli 2019, Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We took a flight to Salta in North Argentina. Here we spent the afternoon walking up to a view point - but of course we took the way the cars go rather than the footpath 🙈 The view was worth it though!

    The following day we went to a ranch for a bbq, so much food and a good way to meet the new people who joined the group in Buenos Aires.    Læs mere

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    San Pedro de Atacama

    13. juli 2019, Chile ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Crossing another border we arrived in Chile! The drive over the border was a long one, but had stunning scenery and we reached new heights - 4100m above sea level - our first experience of altitude.

    The town of San Pedro is quaint, situated on the Atacama desert - the driest place on earth. We spent the morning wandering the towns dusty streets and enjoying the sunshine. In the afternoon we took a trip to Valley of the Moon which has various stone & sand formations carved by sand, wind & water. This makes the texture look like the surface of the moon. There are also dry lakes where the salt makes a white covering of the area. We watched the sun set over the valley, turning everything a beautiful colour of red!    Læs mere

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    Salt Flats

    17. juli 2019, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Before I left home, this was one of the parts of the trip I was most looking forward to. And it didn't disappoint! The salt flats in Bolivia are the largest in the world with bright white salt rock formations & cacti islands. We had so much fun taking pictures on the salt flats - it's a lot harder to get the results than it looks!Læs mere

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    Potosi

    19. juli 2019, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Warning - this blog post is taking a different approach and is about to get deep. Maybe it's because I've not been feeling 100% but being here has made me reflect on the real world issues that 3rd world countries face. It has been really easy when travelling to only see the positives of South America. However when you stop to think about what you are seeing, you realise that it's not all rosy. Despite school being free and mandatory here, kids wonder the streets selling items or helping their families at work. These families cannot afford the pens, paper etc to send their kids to school with and therefore they miss out on an education. Not all the houses here have windows or full roofs - their construction is sketchy at best.

    The point of me writing this? Back home our country is torn over Brexit. A self inflicted problem that has cost billions with no result. It has caused a divide in the nation and at the end of the day is it actually important? Imagine if all the money that has been and will be spent on Brexit was redistributed and could give all these kids an education. Build decent houses. Make sure everyone has access to food and clean water. Make the world equal.

    This blog post does in no way mean I am not enjoying my trip, it's just a reflection on how our first world problems really aren't problems. We are so unbelievably fortunate and do not always appreciate what we have.

    Anyway deep thoughts over ... Potosi is situated in the highlands of Bolivia, 4060m above sea level. The city has a mining community and was the place where the Spanish colonial mint was founded. We spent our morning learning about the mint and then went for a walk around the city.    Læs mere

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    Sucre

    22. juli 2019, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Sucre used to be the national capital of Bolivia, and is lined with whitewashed buildings making it a very pretty city. On our first afternoon here we took a walk up to a viewpoint of the city to watch the sun set. We then had a group night out, good food, drinks and music.

    The next day we took a trip to the dinosaur park which has ancient dinosaur footprints that you can walk beside. It was pretty amazing to see!

    We were then lucky enough to be invited for a traditional Bolivian lunch hosted by a local family. The food was so good and the family were so welcoming, it was lovely to learn about their culture and traditions. This was followed by a Salsa lesson later in the evening.    Læs mere

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    La Paz

    24. juli 2019, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Our last stop in Bolivia - La Paz. This city sits between 3500 & 5600m above sea level city has a cable car network to transport people around the city. We spent the morning doing a waking tour of the city, before using the cable cars to get an aerial view of the city, such a relaxing way to get amazing views (and escape walking up steep hills!)

    The second day in La Paz involved us doing a Death Road Bike Tour. Death Road is a 60km stretch of road that connects La Paz to Yungas starting at 4600m descending to 1200m. Due to the hairpin turns and cliff drops approximately 250 people died each year using the road. This is why the road was named 'The most dangerous road in the world'.

    Death road is now used as a mountain bike trail. Starting early in the morning, we climbed high into the mountains where we encountered snow meaning we had very little visability. It was decided because of this we would omit the first part of the route and start at a lower altitude. When we got here, the rain was pelting down but we got out and started on the bikes. In some ways the weather was a little disappointing as we never got a clear view of the scenery however I'm not sure it would've made a lot of difference as I was so scared of falling off! The route was a lot more off road than I anticipated and after the initial thoughts of 'I don't like it, I'm out', I calmed down (still with a firm grip on my brakes) and did enjoy the ride. The mud of the road got everywhere, our clothes, face, hair, eyes which made for some interesting sights once we had finished!    Læs mere

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    Lake Titicaca

    26. juli 2019, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    It was touch and go whether we would make it to Lake Titicaca due to strong winds. The route we were supposed to take involved a ferry which was cancelled, so instead we hung around in La Paz most of the day before getting a public bus to Puno - arriving very late at night.

    Thankfully the next day the weather had improved and we were able to get out on the lake. The Incas called the lake 'The womb of mankind' and it is still home to traditional Andean culture. Our first stop was to Uros or the 'floating islands' where we were greeted by the inhabitants of the island, shown how they built & maintained the island as well as trying on traditional clothing and seeing the products they make.

    Arriving at a second island for lunch, we were lucky to witness a traditional celebration with music and dancing. We learnt about their culture - how hats are a symbol of relationship status - with men knitting and designing their own hat to court women. When asking a family for a ladies hand in marriage, the man has to present his hat to them. The hat is judged on its knitting standard as well as the design. If it meets the family's expectation then a marriage can take place. Once married, the man kints and wears a new hat - one which is mainly black in colour to symbolise he is no longer available.

    Our final stop was to the island where we were staying for the night. Some of the group played football against the locals before watching the sunset. We were then dressed in traditional Peruvian clothing and got to participate in their traditional dance. We were then introduced to our local families who we would be staying with. The family I was with had six kids - ranging in ages from 2-14. After being served a home cooked meal we had time to hang out with the kids - I was in my element especially with the younger ones. Despite the language barrier we played a VERY competitive game of uno before heading off to bed.

    The next morning we helped out preparing breakfast before helping out with elements of daily life. The family had some farm animals (sheep, pigs, chickens and donkeys) so we helped feed them before spending a lot of time taking dried corn off of the cob. I then went to cut some reeds as more feed for the animals before helping to prepare lunch.

    This stay has been one of the highlights of the whole trip for me. Partly because I had so much fun playing with the kids. But also because I have learnt so much about the Peruvian culture and experienced first hand how these people live. It seems like such a simple way of life, with no strict schedule, being fairly self sufficient and having a strong family and community bond.    Læs mere

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    Inca Trail

    1. august 2019, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    The Inca Trail - a 42km trek over 4 days in the Andes of Peru arriving at Machu Picchu on the final day. The first day was a gentle introduction to the trek, with gradual inclines and passing through small villages of locals. We visited our first Inca ruin site of llactapa and saw the beautiful scenery that surrounded the path which gave us a taste of what was to come.

    The second day was the hardest day of the trek. A very early wake up call of 5am was a shock to system but enabled us to climb to the top of Dead Womans Pass (the highest point of the trek at 4215m) and to our camp by mid-afternoon. The scenery along the way was breathtaking, especially at the peak with snow capped mountains in the distance.

    Day 3 was supposed to be the longest day of the trek and we should have arrived at the camp next to Machu Picchu late in the afternoon. However, somehow, there was no room for us in this campsite and we had to camp up in the mountains. This was frustrating especially as the majority of the group had booked the Inca Trail so that we could be one of the first to arrive at Machu Picchu. So instead day 3 was a more relaxed day, hiking at a shorter distance at less of an incline than the day before. The trek showed us more beautiful scenery and Inca ruins before arriving at camp for the night 'the town above the clouds'.

    Due to the change of plan, we had to wake up at 2am on day 4 in order to reach Machu Picchu at a reasonable time. We had around a 10km trek to complete before arriving here, which was challenging as it was pitch black outside and we had a steep decline to tackle (give me uphill anyway!) Determined to reach our destination on as much time as possible, we walked with a serious pace, reaching the checkpoint not much later than we would of if we had camped in the closer campsite.

    Finally we arrived at Machu Picchu!! 😁 We were overcome with relief and a sense of accomplishment. Unfortunately it was cloudy at the sun gate meaning we didn't get a sighting of the ruins from this viewpoint but as we walked into the site itself, the cloud lifted and we could see Machu Picchu in all its beauty. It is a truly stunning place! The Inca's were so talented in order to produce such a structure with as much thought as they did and so little resources. We spent the rest of the morning here learning about the site and getting to explore the ruins (see separate blog post for photos)

    In order for us to reach Machu Picchu we had a fantastic team with us - our guides Josef and Rene who's knowledge on the history of Inca was second to none. The chefs who enabled us to eat like kings; each meal would be 2 or 3 courses and is genuinely the best food I have eaten since being in South America - soups, buffets, cake 😋 They are insanely talented to do what they do with such little resources, in a tent & always providing variety! The most important people who helped us are the porters. These incredible humans carry ~25kgs each on their back along the Inca Trail to enable us to complete the trek. From our tents to extra clothes, to the table we ate at and our food, each and every one of them are heroes for being able to trek (sometimes run!) with that weight on their back. They are so humble about the job they do, always taking time to clap us for completing that section of the trek, such a small detail but it made such a big difference to our day. Without them our trek wouldn't be possible and they do not get nearly enough credit for what they do. Forever grateful ❤    Læs mere

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    Rainbow Mountain

    5. august 2019, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    After failing to get to go to Rainbow Moutain a week earlier due to a sickness bug, nothing was stopping me this time. The 4am start to get to the mountain was rough, but I was just happy I was well enough to go.

    The trek to the top of the mountain started off very flat, lulling us into a false sense of security. The peak of rainbow mountian is 5036m above sea level, so when we started the incline, the altitude started to kick, making it very slow on the way up. But it was so worth it! The view from the top was stunning with rainbow mountain off to one side, red valley in the distance and a glacier behind. We also trekked to red valley which was equally as beautiful. So happy I finally made it 😁    Læs mere

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    Arequipa / Colca Canyon

    9. august 2019, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After an overnight bus, we arrived in the 'white city' of Arequipa. The morning we spend on a walking tour of the city, before having a chilled afternoon shopping and at the park. We also visited the Andean Sanctuary museum which is host to one of the best preserved mummies in the world. Juanita was a 12 year old girl sacrificed by the Incas to the gods in the 1450s and is in remarkably good condition.

    The following day we went to Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world. Here we saw condors (the largest flying land birds in the western hemisphere) which for someone who does not like birds was great fun 🙃 We also were lucky enough to spot alpacas, llamas and vicunas. In the afternoon we stopped off at hot springs to chill out and relax!    Læs mere

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    Galapagos: Santa Cruz

    15. august 2019, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I made it to the Galapagos! 😁 After an early morning flight, I arrived in Santa Cruz, the most populated town in the Galapagos with 25,000 inhabitants. I spent an hour walking around the town before boarding the boat I was staying on for the next few days. The boat is lovely, I'm lucky enough to have a top deck cabin to myself (so strange after 7 weeks of shared rooms)!

    In the afternoon we visited El Chato Ranch which is a reserve for giant tortoises. They are incredible animals and the reserve has done so much work conserving the species.    Læs mere

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    Galapagos: Floreana

    16. august 2019, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Our morning began with a tour of the islands coast in our dingy boats. This allowed us to get up close and personal with the islands wildlife. We saw sea lions, turtles, penguins, iguanas, blue footed boobies and herons. My favourite was a sea lion pup who was very playful with our boat and kept jumping up to say hi 🙂

    We then stopped on the island and went to Post Office Bay. This was used as a post office by whaling vessels in the 18th century. Today it is used by tourists who leave unstamped letters for other tourists pick up and deliver. Of course I had to participate in the tradition- let's see if works.

    We then did two lots of snorkeling, the first from the beach where we saw so many turtles. It was so special to be swimming alongside these beautiful animals. The second was a deep water snorkel, where we saw more fish, turtles and even spotted a shark. When we got back on the dingy someone spotted something in the distance. When we got closer we realised it was a humpback whale!! It stayed with us for a bit and got really close to the boat, being a maximum of 5m away. Such a special moment!

    Finally for the day we went for a walk around the north of the island. Here we spent time on the beautiful beaches as well as getting to see the flamingo lagoon. The island only is home to 150 people making it very untouched and natural.    Læs mere

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    Galapagos: Española Island

    17. august 2019, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After a bit of a rough overnight crossing we arrived in Española. Our morning activity was a walk around the island wildlife and bird watching. We were lucky enough to see albatrosses, hawks, boobies, sea lions and iguanas to name but a few. The island itself was beautiful, rugged coastline, clear blue ocean and white sands - the perfect combination!

    In the afternoon we sailed round to Gardener Bay, with its stunning white sand beach home to many sea lions. After exploring the beach, we went snorkeling. This was another good snorkel, this time seeing a huge school of tropical fish and a diamond ray.    Læs mere

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    Galapagos: San Cristóbal

    18. august 2019, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Who gets up at 6am to go snorkeling?! Me apparently 🙋‍♀️🤦‍♀️ This time it was a deep water snorkel at kicker rock. The steep, vertical rocks rise from the ocean and are home to many galapagos sea life including turtles, white tipped sharks and sea lions which we were lucky enough to swim with!

    Spending some time on land, we visited the San Cristobal interpretation centre to learn about the history of the islands. San Cristobal itself is a beautiful town and we were given some time to explore it.

    A second snorkel and walk around Isla lobos allowed us to see even more wildlife and enjoy this beautiful place.    Læs mere

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    Galapagos: Santa Fe & South Plaza

    20. august 2019, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    My last full day in the Galapagos 😪 First up a walk in the cactus forest of Santa Fe, one of the oldest islands in the Galapagos. Again we saw more wildlife and learned more about the history of the islands. We then spent time snorkeling off the island, the crystal clear water allowing us to see many schools of fish.

    The afternoon was spent in South Plaza, one of the smallest islands of the galapagos. It has one of the largest population of land iguanans and a diverse range of coastal vegetation.    Læs mere

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