From Mendoza to Santiago de Chile
20. december 2024, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
The road from Mendoza, the Argentine wine capital, to Santiago de Chile was absolutely spectacular, with many unique mountain landscapes and other interesting sights. Although we had initially plannedLæs mere
Santiago de Chile
22. december 2024, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
We spent December 21st and 22nd visiting Santiago de Chile, which, like many places in the world, is getting ready for the Christmas holidays. We really enjoyed the cosmopolitan city, with its manyLæs mere
Florin Paun
Seeing this type of staircase very often in South American buildings reminded me of "Historia de una escalera", a play by Antonio Buero Vallejo. The play analyzes Spanish society through the neighborhood of a staircase. The main themes are individual frustration and love between young people. Although the desire for social affirmation of the inhabitants of a building is very strong, they do not find solutions to improve their social condition. Two generations later, the same unfulfilled dreams are still spoken on the steps of this staircase...
Florin Paun
"Pisco Sour" is the national cocktail of Chile. The base spirit is Pisco, a grape brandy named after the city of Pisco (in Peru). The drink is prepared from Pisco, lemon or lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white, mixed with ice and strained into the glass. The other cocktail, "Araucano", the orange one, is also a very "South American" type of cocktail.
Valparaiso & Punta de Choros
26. december 2024, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
We left Santiago de Chile on December 23, choosing Valparaiso as our first stop on our way north. Although practically in all the brochures and tourist information Valparaiso is considered in the "TopLæs mere
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Some graffitis are very humorous, for example this one: "It's forbidden to fall in love with the driver"! :)
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The explosion of colors of the graffiti contrasts strongly with the mood of the character on the left of the image. Although absolutely fine during the day, this labyrinth of streets whose walls are covered in graffiti is not the place to walk at night.
Florin Paun
Where there are highways in Chile, they are in excellent condition. To use them, you have to pay tolls (clearly lower than in Italy or France). On the other hand, fuel is clearly cheaper than in the EU, a liter of diesel costs about 1 USD.
Atacama Desert
29. dec.–1. jan. 2025, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Continuing north towards Antofagasta, the landscape gradually becomes more and more arid, eventually giving way to the driest place on the planet (except some Antarctic regions), the Atacama Desert.Læs mere
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Roadside shrines are common in South America. Here is a shrine to Saint Lawrence. Sometimes memorial altars or crosses are planted on the site of people who have died in traffic accidents. Unfortunately, they are very numerous...
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Museo Ferroviario, free entry, but to get here you have to walk on an unpaved track for several kilometers. This open-air museum is located on the site of a former steam locomotive depot. These trains were used to transport various minerals extracted from the Atacama Desert.
San Pedro de Atacama
31. december 2024, Chile ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
San Pedro de Atacama is a large village, which has several tourist attractions around and has become a magnet for tourists and backpackers. Arriving here after enjoying the solitude of the PatagonianLæs mere
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In the distance, the now inactive Licancabur volcano, almost 6000 m high. The photo is taken from approximately 2800 m.
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In this larger village that lives off tourism, I had the feeling that I had landed in Southeast Asia 20 years ago. Comparing certain prices of different tourist attractions from various sources, it is noticeable that they have increased exponentially with the number of people led here by tour operators or "trip advisor" type tourism. For example, a banal hot spring where you could bathe for free ten years ago, is now presented as a "spa" but without major infrastructure improvements and has an aberrant entrance price of 35 USD/Person. Of course, we did not go there!
North Chile
6. januar 2025, Chile ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
We spent the last few days in Arica, the northernmost city in Chile, located on the Pacific coast, and in Putre, a city located at an altitude of 3700 m, at the entrance to the Lauca National Park,Læs mere
Florin Paun
It's hard to say whether the many natural resources found in Chile are a benefit or more of a problem for Chile. Here is a mining village, located on the coast. On the right are the ore ships, waiting to be loaded with ore. What is not visible in the photo is the dirt and garbage thrown around.
Florin Paun
A city located on the Pacific coast and surrounded by the Atacama Desert. The roads are absolutely incredible. The mountains and massive sand dunes that surround the city make the location truly spectacular.
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The entire city developed around the Santa Laura salt mine and operated for about 100 years, from 1862 to 1960, when it was abandoned. The city is impressive, you can walk through administrative buildings, people's homes, the market, the theater, the church and of course the abandoned industrial buildings. Saltpeter or sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula NaNO3. It is used for the production of fertilizers, pyrotechnics, explosives, glass and ceramic enamels, food preservatives and even solid rocket propellant. It was extracted on a large scale for these purposes.
Crossing the Andes to Bolivia
7. januar 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
On January 7, we left the small town of Putre and passing through Lauca National Park we crossed the border with Bolivia. The highest point of mountain pass on is located at over 4700 m altitude. TheLæs mere
Florin Paun
1. There is a pedestrian crossing on the highway, because the pedestrians do not use the bridge (over the highway). 2. One car drives on the wrong side, ok, on the emergency line. 3. The pedestrians in some places have to climb the fence between the highway's lines. 4. The highway runs through the middle of the town. 5 On the emergency line you can go shopping.
Florin Paun
We spent the night from January 7 to 8 at Colibri Camping, La Paz. During the night, a heavy rain softened the ground considerably. An old caravan belonging to a Spanish family got stuck in the muddy ground. We lent them our sand boards and helped them free themselves from the muddy ground. Wow, those people were very happy! We parted hugging... When we were getting ready for the expedition and buying the sandboards, I said to Rahel, "I hope we don't have to use them, but I'm sure one day we'll help another camp with them".
La Paz
10. januar 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
We spent the last four days in La Paz. Because a large group (no less than 18 campers - organized group "Panam Tours") was going to arrive the next day at the campsite where we spent the first night,Læs mere
RejsendeHey Florin, good travels ahead! May I ask where do you have such good internet connection from to post all these? :)
Leaving Bolivia
12. januar 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
On January 12th, with enough gas in the tank to get to the Peruvian border and another 100 km, we left La Paz. I have to admit that even though we chose to leave on Sunday morning, the traffic in theLæs mere
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Rahel wasn't expecting me to take a photo, and she unexpectedly entered the picture! :)
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Simón Bolívar (1783 – 1830, colloquially known as "El Libertador") was a Venezuelan statesman and army officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia to independence from the Spanish Empire. Bolivia gained its independence in 1825.
Titicaca Lake
13. januar 2025, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
After crossing the border with Peru we continued on the Antiplano (or Andean Plateau) along the southern shore of Lake Titicaca to Puno. In the city of Puno we found an excellent campsite, a gorgeousLæs mere
Florin Paun
Unfortunately, the pollution of the lake is obvious. For example, this duck is having a rest on a used tire.
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The Uro Islands or “Floating Islands” are small islands created by the Uros people from layers of cut totora, a thick, floating reed that grows abundantly in Lake Titicaca. Legend has it that the islanders (Uros) are native to the Amazon basin. The Uros harvest reeds that grow naturally on the lakeshore to make the islands, continually adding reeds to the surface. As an “island chief” told us during our excursion, there are about 140 islands in total. Other sources indicate a slightly smaller number of islands (60 islands, about 1200 inhabitants). An island has a lifespan of about 35-40 years. Although these inhabitants originally engaged in fishing, the main source of income today is tourism (which is why a trip here is not very authentic, as the inhabitants are very involved in selling souvenirs and adding to the sale of boat trips). There is a real tourism industry...
Cusco
17. januar 2025, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Finally, here we are in Cusco!... It is not only an interesting city in itself, but can be used as a starting point for a number of remarkable attractions in the surroundings, the most important beingLæs mere
Florin Paun
This tea, made from coca leaves, but whose cocaine content is far below the amount that qualifies it as a narcotic substance, is traditionally used by the inhabitants of the Andes against altitude sickness and headaches. It also has a stimulating effect. However, it is forbidden to have coca leaves in your luggage when crossing the border. In my case, it obviously helped me reach the top of the mountain!
Florin Paun
Although the climb to Vinkunia Peak (5036m) starts at 4600 m, the difference in level being “only” 400 m, the lack of oxygen is clearly felt. Along the route, there are several locals with horses. They help exhausted climbers reach the summit or transport them to the valley if they get (very) sick from the altitude. There is also a parallel route to this one, where locals with motorcycles and quads (another business opportunity!) transport you close to the summit to take your vacation snapshot. It must be said that transportation by horse or motorcycle costs more than the cost of the entire trip (transport from Cusco to the base of the Rainbow Mountains, breakfast and lunch are incuded plus entrance ticket to the national reserve)! :)
Florin Paun
Despite the unfavorable weather (during the descent it even started snowing) we managed to reach the summit without any help!
Machu Pichu & Sacred Valley
20. januar 2025, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
In this step we are talking about two days of visiting archaeological sites around the city of Cusco. On January 19th we took an organized trip to the "Sacred Valley", this trip took us to variousLæs mere
Florin Paun
The train that takes you to Machu Picchu... The atmosphere is more of a provincial circus than a preparation for contemplating a special historical place. Notice the marked excitement of some tourists moving to the rhythms of the music... :)
Florin Paun
Machu Picchu village. This is where the special train drops you off, but from here... you have to take another bus that will take you to the actual site. Another 12 USD/person (one way, about 15 min. drive) and another passport control when boarding the bus...
Florin Paun
Rahel reads about Machu Picchu and its history... There is no historical information inside the site. You cannot rent audio guides. An abundance of guides (I don't know how real or skilled they are) ask you in the queue at the entrance if you don't need a guide...
Manu National Park
27. januar 2025, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Of course, a trip to South America cannot be considered complete without a visit to the Amazon Basin. And since for technical reasons Brazil was not on our itinerary, we decided to visit the ManuLæs mere
Florin Paun
The South American species of bees do not sting, but if they are in danger they can attack an opponent in a group. A kind of "kamikaze". However, a failed experiment in the 1960s also spread wild African bees to South America.
Florin Paun
These traditional hats are worn by the Incas and Amazonian peoples. The richness of the colors is said to have been inspired by psychedelic experiences with ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic plant that is used (among other things!) by indigenous peoples in "purification" ceremonies.
Florin Paun
Here, next to a coca bush, Rivelino explains the story of the famous plant and many other fascinating stories...
From Cusco to Nazca
31. januar 2025, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
The road from Cusco to Nazca, although picturesque and full of great places to photograph, is not easy... And that's because you have to cross the Andes again, from the Amazon to the Pacific.Læs mere
Florin Paun
In some local markets (especially provincial ones) it is hard to find something "normal" to eat. Bananas, mangoes, papayas are always a possible option. This gentleman, however, carries cooking bananas, not normal bananas; some greenhorns buy them and are surprised that they are not good to eat raw.
Florin Paun
These structures, although called "aqueducts," are actually fountains. There are over twelve of them in total, and they date back to the pre-Inca period.
Florin Paun
The small building in the background (in the shape of a kiosk) is the tourist office. Unfortunately, like in many places where we tried to find additional information at the tourist office, no one was working...
Lima
3. februar 2025, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
After struggling through the chaos of Peruvian traffic to get to Lima, we arrived there on 31.01 and stayed for two nights. As a campsite we chose "Club Swiss", a sports club with tennis courts, aLæs mere
Florin Paun
Brother to the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, unfortunately the one in Lima is no longer operational and cannot be visited.
Florin Paun
Here it is noticeable that the statue of the famous conquistador, the one who together with a few dozen daring comrades-in-arms on horseback destroyed an entire empire, is surrounded by a fence. I asked the policemen guarding it why. A left-wing demonstration seemed to be about to begin and the statue must be protected! In the Western world democratically elected regimes, being afraid or sympathizing with the Wokist movements, have allowed the incited leftists to take down the colonial statues...
Florin Paun
According to the tradition, the bulls of Pucara represent prosperity, happiness and fertility. They are also protecting the welfare and good luck.
Playa de Colan
9. februar 2025, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
For the first time on this expedition we are "stuck". We are currently in Playa de Colan, Peru and are waiting for the reopening of the border with Ecuador, which is currently closed due toLæs mere
Florin Paun
The Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum is located in Lambayeque, Peru. It contains most of the important artifacts (ceremonial vessels, necklaces and jewelry) found at Huaca Rajada in 1987, including the Lord of Sipán and his entourage. The museum was designed to present the ancient Moche (100 to 800 AD) artifacts and tombs. Although the road from Lima north (towards the Ecuadorian border) has relatively few "attractions", this interesting museum is one of them.
Florin Paun
Various clay statuettes of members of society are placed according to their rank in society. Unfortunately, the position of the woman was (or at least the hypothesis seems plausible) just as important as that of the prisoner...
Florin Paun
Note the (plastic?) garbage to the left of the eagle. Unfortunately, the presence of garbage in places where it shouldn't be is a major problem in Peru...
Loja
11. februar 2025, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
This time fewer photos but... good news! Although the land borders between Peru and Ecuador were closed for three days during the Ecuadorian elections, they reopened this morning and we were able toLæs mere
Cuenca
14. februar 2025, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
On the way from Loja to Cuenca, Ecuador delighted us with its green mountain landscapes and clean air. The roads are generally in good condition, but a real symphony of serpentines. In some regions,Læs mere
Florin Paun
Shrunken heads (syn. tsantsas) were made by the Shuar and Achuar people who live in the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador and Peru. They were created by removing the skin and hair from a dead human skull of a male enemy (no heads of women, children, or Indo-Europeans were used), with other parts of the skull being discarded. The eye sockets and mouth were sewn shut to prevent the soul of the deceased from escaping. The resulting shrunken heads are about the size of an orange. These shrunken heads were worn as trophies, granting the wearer magical powers. While searching the internet for more information about these heads, I came across an article titled “Oxford Museum Removes ‘Racist’ Shrunken Heads from Display After 80 Years” (2020). In the most idiotic "woke" style, because we are not allowed to "criticize" the inhabitants of the tribes in question... These stupid woke-ists want to rewrite history, like in Orwell's "1984". I am convinced that the Papuan cannibals were actually vegans...
Florin Paun
In the Andes, masks have been used for many purposes, including to honor the dead, entertainment (carnival) and in religious dances.
Florin Paun
Here we visited, among other things, an impressive collection of photographs from the 50s-70s, as well as the cameras with which they were taken.
Quito
20. februar 2025, Ecuador ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
From Cuenca to Quito we spent two days on the road, although there are only about 420 km between the two cities. The road, quite narrow in places, winds through mountains greened by frequent rains. InLæs mere
Florin Paun
These excellent cakes can easily compete with the best Swiss chocolate cakes. The cake in the foreground, "Amazonia", even won a prize in an international competition. To be honest, I don't remember ever eating a better chocolate cake...
Florin Paun
The grilled Cilus (spanish: corvina) fish with patotaes and "Ceviche". The corvina is highly prized in South America as a food fish. Ceviche is a very popular cold dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus fruits and spices. Different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary cultures of various Latin American countries along the Pacific Ocean and is considered the national dish of Peru.
Florin Paun
It was raining heavily outside and the saleswoman was standing in front of the store with a tray of products for tasting. That's how she lured us inside the store... :) Cocoa is used to make the most varied products, not only chocolate and liqueur, but also creams, perfumes, beer and a sparkling wine (it has a strange taste, of... cocoa)! After the tasting, we bought a coffee-flavored chocolate.
Galapagos Islands (1)
24. februar 2025, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
The Galapagos is a place like no other in the world... The fauna and flora found here are absolutely fascinating and unusual. On the islands you find forms of vegetation that you have never seenLæs mere
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Tortuga Bay is located on Santa Cruz Island, about a 20-minute water taxi ride from the small town of Puerto Ayora. A 2.5-km walk is also possible (free and with beautiful nature to admire along the way). Tortuga Bay has a gigantic, perfectly preserved beach that is forbidden to swimmers, but open to surfers. The beach is full of wildlife, including the very common marine iguanas, crabs and Galapagos birds. There is a separate bay for swimming (here you are protected from strong currents thanks to natural barriers), where it is common to see small reef sharks.
Florin Paun
The photo speaks for itself... Not only is the enormous stretch of fine sand beach impressive, but the lack of mass tourism is evident. In this bay you can swim without fear of strong sea currents.
Florin Paun
The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise in the world and can weigh over 400 kg, with most specimens reaching a weight of around 300 kg. With a lifespan in the wild of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates. In the Galapagos they are generally free to move around the islands. Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish "galapago", meaning "tortoise".,
Galapagos Islands (2)
27. februar 2025, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
The Galapagos Islands. We spent a week here, marveling at every turn. It was a welcome change from our expedition routine. Snorkeling with sea lions, unusual fauna and flora everywhere and I was evenLæs mere
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The best tuna I've ever had. The grilled shrimp that accompanied it were also fantastic!
Florin Paun
Although the quality of this filmed sequence is poor, the moment when the sea lion swims next to you while snorkeling is fantastic...
Florin Paun
Although tourism is clearly the main source of income in the Galapagos, parts of the islands are devoted to agriculture. The photo was taken during a visit to a farm where sugar cane, cocoa and coffee produced on the plantations are processed. The machinery in the picture presses the sugar cane and is operated by people or donkeys turning the tree trunk. Sugar cane juice has multiple uses, including the manufacture of spirits.
Back to Quito
3. marts 2025, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
On February 27th we returned from the Galapagos Islands. The next day we changed the car's oil right at the Mercedes garage in Quito. In addition, we changed the fuel and air filters, the spare partsLæs mere
Florin Paun
If I regret missing anything in Ecuador, it's that due to the rainy weather we couldn't even partially climb the magnificent (and still active!) volcano.
Florin Paun
Breakfast in a B&B located right next to the campsite. Tobias rented a room here.
Florin Paun
Quito is in the midst of a local celebration ("carnival" I think would be an understatement) where locals spray each other with soapy sprays. Of course, tourists don't escape unscathed either.
Bye bye Ecuador, hello Colombia!
7. marts 2025, Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
On March 4th, after spending the night at a well-known campsite (Finca Sommerwind), we crossed the border into Colombia. The border crossing formalities took more than two hours, although the officersLæs mere
Florin Paun
These plants, depending on the species, have a multitude of uses, but the production of spirits (such as Tequila) is one of them.
Florin Paun
This place with a typical German beer hall atmosphere attracts tourists (especially those on organized tours) who miss Europe. We were not very enthusiastic about this place, the beer prices being even higher than in Germany... In addition, the very "business-oriented" owner Hans (a German who has lived in Ecuador for several decades) tries to keep you in this very inauthentic place for Ecuador.
Florin Paun
The traffic is typical Colombian: lots of mopeds between the lanes. Although in this photo the motorcyclists are wearing helmets, riding without helmets (even four people, 2 adults and 2 children on a motorbike) is common.
Cali & around
10. marts 2025, Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
With open-hearted and welcoming people, imposing mountains, spectacular roads, an abundance of vegetation, great biodiversity, fantastic tropical fruits and intense salsa rhythms, Colombia is anLæs mere
Florin Paun
In Europe I was never a big fan of avocados, but in South America they taste fantastic, especially the big green ones, with smooth skin. The seller's efforts are supported by the megaphone that continuously screams: "buy avocados! they're good for salad, good for guacamole, good for your health...". In addition, the seller offers the wonderful product for tasting.
Florin Paun
This location is truly fantastic. The owner is very friendly and welcoming, the finca employee cooked us a simple but tasty dinner. Here during the day we saw only a few photographers who came to immortalize the little hummingbirds, but in the evening we were left alone... Peace in the middle of the rainforest, far from the madness of mass tourism.
Cocora Valley
13. marts 2025, Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Colombia delights us with its nature, biodiversity and dreamlike landscapes. It is truly a great privilege to be able to travel through this country with your own expedition vehicle.
After leavingLæs mere
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Each fruit contains two beans (exceptionally three). Ripe fruits turn red. Coffea arabica is generally a superior quality to Coffea robusta. Robusta coffee tends to be bitter and has less flavor, but a better body than arabica. This is why about three-quarters of the coffee grown worldwide is C. arabica. Robusta strains also have some advantages; they contain about 40–50% more caffeine, can be grown at lower altitudes and higher temperatures, and are more resistant to pests than arabica varieties. Good quality robusta beans are used in traditional Italian espresso blends to provide a fuller flavor and better foam.
Florin Paun
Initially, coffee was grown in the shade of trees that provided habitat for many animals and insects, and at the same time, tall trees extract nutrients from the deep layers of the soil and refresh the soil with their fallen leaves, which is beneficial for the coffee bushes. The environmental impact is much lower than in monocultures. This method is commonly referred to as "shade grown coffee". Since the 1970s, many farmers have changed their production method to sun cultivation, in which coffee is grown in rows under full sun. This makes the fruits ripen faster and the bushes produce larger yields, but requires tree cleaning and increased use of fertilizers and pesticides. On Don Carlos's coffee plantation, only the traditional "shade grown coffee" method is used.
Florin Paun
The vegetable fibers extracted from this succulent species are extremely resistant and can be traditionally used to make coffee bags.
Florin Paun
This hotel enjoys an excellent location, being placed at an altitude of 3000m, immediately after the customs point between Argentina and Chile.After dinner we asked if we could spend the night in our camper in the hotel parking lot., They said yes, we were allowed also to use the hotel toilet and they gave us even the wifi password. Wonderful people!
Florin Paun
At dawn near Hotel Portillo. The building seen in the upper left is the Argentinian - Chlinien customs building, located at ca. 3200 m.
Florin Paun
The three mountain peaks are called the "Three Brothers", the one in the back being the highest, at 4750 m. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, although much higher (6961 m) cannot be seen because of the "Three Brothers" and another interfering mountain range.
RejsendeSuper Aussicht vom Hotel. 👍