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South America

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    Home-Ward Bound

    August 24, 2019 in England ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    And just like that my trip has finished 😭 What an adventure it has been! I feel so lucky to have had the experiences that I have, seen so many beautiful places and met so many incredible people.

    My highlights?
    (Am I allowed to say everything?!)
    Lake Titicaca was one of my favourite experiences because of the amount of culture we experienced and how much I learned about the daily lives of local people. Another high for me was reaching Machu Picchu after hiking the Inca Trail. It was a big sense of achievement and was the most incredible place.

    My lows?
    Being sick and missing hiking rainbow mountain with the group. Although I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to do it again.

    Things I'm looking forward to?
    Seeing and catching up with everyone, my own bed and not having to pack every couple of days! Also things like people being able to pronounce my name, decent wifi, flushing toilet paper down the toilet and fast food actually being fast!

    My learnings?
    1. The world is THE most incredible place. Both in it's natural wonders and in things that people have created. By seeing and experiencing we learn, we understand, we can grow as people, as a society, as a global community.

    2. Our first world problems aren't real problems. We have food, clean water, secure housing, free healthcare, minimum wage, an education. We should always be grateful for what we have as it isn't a given across the world.

    3. Success does not equal happiness. Society places so much importance on finishing school, getting a degree, building a career, furthering yourself, buying a house, settling down. The 'right way' to do things. We see wealth as a symbol of success, but what cost does this have on our happiness? Some of the people I have met on my travels, have very little material things, very modest homes but yet are some of the happiest people I have met because of a strong family and community bond. They have reminded me of what is really important.

    4. The environment is THE most precious thing. Single use plastic is the devil. I saw this first hand, especially in the Galapagos where protected/endangered species are dying because of what is ending up in our oceans. Every little thing adds up, small changes can make a big difference.

    5. We only get one life, live it. If there's something you want to do, do it today. Life is short, grab every opportunity with both hands as tomorrow it might not be there. Memories are the most important thing we own, make as many of them as possible!    Read more

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    Lima

    August 23, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Lima, the last stop on my journey 😪 The city is on the coast and is mainly built 500m above sea level with a cliff drop to the beach. This area has stunning views and is a really nice place to walk around.

    The historical centre is mainly influenced by the Spanish colonisation. Unfortunately there were strikes when I visited so restrictions were in place but its still pretty 🙂    Read more

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    Quito

    August 22, 2019 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Quito, the capital of Equador, lies on the equator line. I visited the middle of the world, which essentially is a line painted on the ground where the equator lies, but also hosts a museum. The museum is quite interesting and gives historical information about the people of equador but also has a light hearted element to it where you can experiment with different things on the equator line. For example, you weigh less standing on the equator so you can weigh yourself to (hopefully) see the difference!

    I also spent some time in the old town of the city. This is a very pretty area of the city and has many historical buildings and churches influenced by the Spanish.    Read more

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    Galapagos: Santa Fe & South Plaza

    August 20, 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.    Read more

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    Galapagos: San Cristóbal

    August 18, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Galapagos: Española Island

    August 17, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Galapagos: Floreana

    August 16, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Galapagos: Santa Cruz

    August 15, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Arequipa / Colca Canyon

    August 9, 2019 in 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!    Read more

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    Rainbow Mountain

    August 5, 2019 in 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 😁    Read more

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    Inca Trail

    August 1, 2019 in 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 ❤    Read more

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    Lake Titicaca

    July 26, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    La Paz

    July 24, 2019 in 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!    Read more

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    Sucre

    July 22, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Potosi

    July 19, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Salt Flats

    July 17, 2019 in 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!Read more

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    Back of Bolivian Beyond

    July 15, 2019 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    After crossing the Bolivian border, we transferred into 4x4 jeeps for a three day excursion to the salt flats via the altiplano desert. The drive allowed us to see some spectacular scenery - mountains, volcanoes, thermal baths, lagoons as well as the wildlife - alpacas, llamas & flamingos!Read more

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    San Pedro de Atacama

    July 13, 2019 in 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!    Read more

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    Salta

    July 12, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Buenos Aires

    July 8, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Uruguay Ranch

    July 4, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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    Iguassu Falls

    July 1, 2019 in Brazil ⋅ 🌧 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.    Read more

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    Paraty

    June 29, 2019 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 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.Read more

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