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Daniel Mezger
Daniel Mezger

Daniel Mezger

traveled in 53 countries Read more
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  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Travel to Argentina

    May 3, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today we woke up around 7am for what would be the biggest travel day of our trip so far!
    We went early to grab some takeaway breakfast and snacks before departing San Pedro around 8.30am en route to Salta, Argentina.
    We crossed the border into Argentina at approximately 1pm before then spending another 6 hours on our way to Salta. It took about an hour and a half and then we were in Argentina!!

    During the day we read, observed the magnificent landscapes and watched a lot of Netflix!
    We arrived in Salta around 8pm, caught a taxi to the hotel and went to their fast food chain called Mostava (like Maccas) for dinner before bed.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    San Pedro De Atacama

    May 2, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We decided to have a longer sleep in today to let our bodies rest after moving around a lot.
    We got a late breakfast snack from the supermarket then walked around the town with some of the group to explore. There is not too much to see in San Pedro and we opted not to do any daytrips as we had already explored the desert in the previous days!
    We found a local restaurant for lunch which was really yummy before heading back to the hotel in the afternoon.
    Gab then did a few workouts at the hotel on our balcony whilst Daniel went with some of the group to watch a soccer match at a sports bar.
    We then all came back to the hotel around 5.30pm for some drinks and snacks before heading out for dinner.
    Daniel and Gab shared a huge empanada for dinner with the group before going back to the hotel for bed.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Desert Crossing to Chile

    May 1, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We started with breakfast at our hotel before leaving around 7.30am to make a quick stop at a house where we got to pat llamas.
    We drove to our lunch spot where we first went for a relaxing dip in the natural hot springs - by far the best hot springs of the trip (and the hottest!) plus an incredible view of flamingos and vicunas!
    We then had a buffet lunch before jumping into the 4WDs for the last time as we headed toward the Chilean border.
    We exited Bolivia and were in ‘no man’s land’ for about 20min until we reached Chilean immigration and entered Chile!
    Our bus driver dropped us of at the town of San Pedro de Atacama in the middle of the desert. He described it as a "small village, lots of tourists, very expensive and lots of dogs!" From our first impressions, this seemed accurate!
    We reached our hostel and then went straightway to withdraw money and exchange for USD which we would need in Argentina.
    We explored the local markets (Gab bought a dress and Daniel bought a shot glass) and enjoyed an ice cream!
    We went out for a nice dinner with the group where we shared a Chilean red wine, a chicken dish and a quesadilla. There was a fire in the middle and a band. The "main street" on San Pedro is a dirt road and the restaurants / bars look small from the outside and when you enter, they are larger and go back quite far with often open areas with bonfires and tables with live music. We discovered this again whrn we went out to another place with some of the group where Gab had a sangria and Daniel had some beers and we chatted and played drinking games with the group until they shut.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Salt Flats/Desert Crossing

    April 30, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    We started the morning with a 7am breakfast at the lodge and left the lodge at 7.30.
    Today was a big travel day in our 4WD as we made our way towards the Chilean border through the desert and we made a number of stops along the way:
    -San Juan village for a quick bathroom break/stretch the legs
    -Viewpoint to see the Ollague volcano, which sits half in Chile and half in Bolivia
    -Laguna Canapa which is a lake where we to spotted flamingoes (we spotted a lot of Bolivian flamingoes which are identifiable by their yellow legs whereas the Chilean flamingos have black and red stripes on their legs)
    - Laguana Hedionda which was another lake area where we had a buffet lunch at the Eco Lodge
    -middle of the desert to view the Chilean rainbow mountains (the colours are from the minerals in the mountains) and play some frisbee/soccer
    -another stop in the desert to see the Andean rabbit (Vizacacha) which is a funny looking “wise” rabbit which was climbing in the rocks and eats dried grass
    -Arbol de Piedra (Rock Tree) where we climbed on some natural rock structures generated by volcanic activity
    -Laguna Colorada (Red Lake) to see the natural red colour developed by the reaction of sun and wind with a specific type of seaweed in the lake. Such a cool site (but it was very windy and cold here!)

    We enjoyed our day in the 4WD with our driver, André, Ash and Marielle (a British couple on our tour). We played lots of music (lots of sing-a-longs) and Who Wants to be a Millionaire trivia on the phone!

    We arrived at the lodge in Quentenas around 7pm for dinner and then cards followed by bed.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Uyuni/Salt Flats

    April 29, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We had a chilled morning starting with breakfast in the hotel followed by another workout in the gym.
    We went to get some snacks before being picked up at midday in 4WDs to begin our off-road adventure across the Uyuni Salt Flats.
    The first stop was in a train cemetery where over 100 unused trains sit after being decommissioned many years ago. We explored the rusted trains and even saw some meta art which people have started creating from the train wreckages (the art included Transformers characters and the Terminator!)
    Our next stop was in a small town where we had a tour of the salt refinery process - they can produce up to 5t of salt per day with 8 people! The salt produced from the flats are all used for consumption in Bolivia - 90% for human consumption and 10% for other industries.
    We entered the salt flats with our first stop at the Dakar Rally sign where there are flags of all countries which had completed in the years the race went through the salt flat - unfortunately no Aussie flags!
    We then drove a bit further into the flats to find a private area to take our perspective photos. These are photos were things appear different sizes due to the lack of perspective at the salt flats - some of the ideas were very cool like stomping on each other and getting chased by a dinosaur! :)
    We stayed taking different photos for over an hour before heading to our last stop which was an ‘island’ in the middle of the salt flats, called Isla Incahuasi. This island was essentially a coral outcrop from when the salt flats was previously a lake and now offers an incredible view over the salt flats. It contains cacti which grow at just 2mm per year and can be as high as 14m.
    We then made our way to our accommodation which is a G Adventures funded lodge where we had a three course dinner followed by drinks and games before going to bed.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
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    Uyuni

    April 28, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We had breakfast in the hotel before getting picked up around 8.30am to head to our next destination, Uyuni.
    We arrived around 1pm and went to a vegetarian restaurant for a yummy salad and toasted sandwich.
    There was a gym in the hotel so Daniel went back for a quick workout whilst Gab went to the shops with some of the girls.
    We were then picked up at 3pm for our salt flats experience. We put on gum boots and headed into the Uyuni Salt Flats - a flat barren area which used to be a lake that has since dried and left a salt deposit up to 460m in areas. It is a truly incredible sight! This area of the salt flats is wet which meant everything looked incredible in the reflection in the water.
    We started with some reflection photos in the water with some props provided by the tour operator who is a professional photographer. After some photos in a boat, Daniel used the gold wings while Gab used an umbrella and did the Chicago pose on a chair (as directed by the photographer!)
    We then had some wine and snacks on the salt flats followed by birthday cake for Marielle, one of the other girls on our tour.
    Once the sun set, we tried out some light painting - a technique where you use long exposure on a professional camera to capture different images as we drew them with glow sticks and lights. Daniel drew a bridge and then we had love hearts lights drawn around us.
    We then finished the light painting by drawing happy birthday for Marielle before heading back into town. It was quite chilly and our feet were cold so it was a relief to be back in the car.
    We had pre-ordered pizzas which we picked up on our way back and ate before heading to bed.
    (Note: professional photos to be added)    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Potosi

    April 27, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    We had breakfast in the hotel and then boarded a bus at 8am to go on a tour of the Potosi mines. The town is known for its mining activities and the main mountain produces silver, tin, copper and zinc. When the Spanish arrived, a lot of the silver was mined from the top of the mountain and now the mountain is 4800m (down from 5100m).
    We first stopped at the operators office to get kitted up with our mining gear before heading to the markets to buy some snacks for the miners.

    We arrived at the mine and walked around the outside before heading into the mine. The reason the mine is underground is because the mountain that is above the mine is protected by the Bolivian government and cannot by open-cut.
    We explored deep into the first level of the mine and witnessed the eye-opening conditions that the miners have to work in. No lights, no ventilation, all work is manual - minerals are mined by inserting small pieces of dynamite into cracks in the earth and then set off. Minerals are then loaded into wheelbarrows by shovel before then being put into mine carts. The mine we visited had some electric carts but most mines only have manual carts - requiring someone to push 1ton in a cart! It was quite difficult in some parts climbing through small passages.
    We saw one of the statues of the mine god which the miners give offerings to every Friday and wish for a more prosperous following week of work.

    The whole experience was very eye opening learning about how difficult it is for the people working in the mines in such poor conditions. We learnt that many of the miners' life expectancies are only around 43 years old because of the effects of working in the mines and although their salaries are above the Bolivian minimum wage, it is comparably very low to Australia's/other country's salaries and when you take into account the working conditions in the mines.

    We then made our way back out of the mine the same way we came in and headed back to the hotel for a delicious 3 course lunch (for the equivalent of $6 each!)

    We had showers and chilled out after lunch before heading to the worlds highest brewery in the afternoon. We shared a beer whilst we walked around looking unsuccessfully for a soccer pitch for a game. We went to the main square for some yummy churros and then had drinks and played cards in a pub. We then went to Mexican for dinner before some of the group went back to the hotel to watch a movie at the hotel.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Sucre/Travel to Potosi

    April 26, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We chilled out in the morning and had breakfast at the hotel before checking out at midday.
    We went to a local market to try traditional saltenas (a pastry filled with meat) - Daniel has meat and spicy meat whilst Gab has chicken.
    We then explored the local market and got an amazing mango smoothie for our walk back to the hotel.
    We got on a bus at 2pm which arrived in our next destination, Potosi, around 6pm and checked into our hotel. Potosi is a small mining town.

    We went out for a group dinner before an orientation walk around the town to see the main square and a few of the main sites including the San Francisco Church and House of the Coin (where the first silver coins were made).

    We then came back to the hotel and played cards with some of the group before going to bed.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Sucre

    April 25, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We had a chilled morning and breakfast in the hotel before starting our first full day in Sucre.
    We decided to get on the ‘dino’ bus at 11am which took us to the location of the world's largest dinosaur footprints.
    The footprints were actually discovered by the cement plant (which is next door to the dinosaur park) when they were looking to mine limestone to use in the cement.
    We joined an English speaking tour and learnt all about how the footprints came to be in Sucre and why it looks like the dinosaurs are walking up walls! This is because the tectonic plates moved here and pushed the ground up which was previously flat so it is now vertical. Millions of years ago there was a lake in Sucre where dinosaurs would go to drink - you can even tell by the spacing of the footprints whether a dinosaur was going to the lake (larger spacings because they would be running!) or coming from the lake (shorter spacings).

    After examining the footprints up close, we viewed the museum before heading back to the main square where we did a tour of the House of Liberty. This is where Bolivia's declaration of independence was signed so it is very significant for Bolivia's history. We took a tour with an English guide and learnt about Bolivia's history. Sucre was part of an area previously know as La Plata in the 1700s. There were a number of uprisings in the late 1700s / early 1800s seeking liberation from the Spanish rule. Many of these were started by indigenous groups and there are rooms of the musesum recognising the significant contributions of many people in the lead-up to Bolivia's independence. A significant couple who fought during some of the uprisings are Manuel Ascencio Padilla and Juana Azurduy and their ashes are held in the musesum. Even though Bolivia was the first South American country to have an uprising and seek independence, they were the last to obtain it because of their lucrative resources. After 16 years of battles, Bolivia obtained its independence in 1824. It was called Alto Peru (High Peru) prior to this and was called Bolivar for 2 months (after the general Simon Bolivar). In 1825, Manuel Martin Cruz said that "From Romulo becomes Rome, from Bolivar becomes Bolivia" so the nation's name was changed to Bolivia. We also learnt about the many battles with Chile (known as the Pacific War), Brazil and others which led to Bolivia also losing some parts of its land. The tour finished with us in a room with different presidents and learning about their histories. We also learnt that the Bolivian flag contains the colours red to represent the blood of the people who fought during the uprisings, yellow for the country's minerals and green for the rainforest.

    After the musesum, we went for a quick snack of paninis before having showers at the hotel to freshen up. We went for dinner and drinks at an incredible rooftop bar where we had a massive schnitzel for dinner!

    We then went to a salsa club and participated in another salsa class which involved us having to rotate partners with people all around the room! Daniel and a lot of the group went back to the hotel and Gab stayed back with some of the girls and danced a bit more before calling it a night!    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Sucre

    April 24, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We arrived at 9am to our hotel in Sucre after a 13hr night bus - our group had the whole top level and we were able to completely recline to have a proper sleep. Sucre is Bolvia's capital city but only has a population of around 200k people.

    We had breakfast close to the hotel and then had showers before heading out on an orientation walk of Sucre.
    We stopped at a few churches, explored the main square and then went to a cemetery. Some of the ‘tombstones’ were very decorative and there were ones for musicians which were guitars/pianos.
    We then walked to a small viewpoint next to the juvenile prison before heading to one of the main parks of Sucre where there is a replica Eiffel Tower which some of the group (including Daniel) climbed.
    We then made our way back to the main square for a late lunch before heading uphill to the main viewpoint to see the sunset.
    After sunset, we went back to the hotel and Daniel went with some of the group for a few drinks with some of the group.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    La Paz (Death Road) - Daniel

    April 23, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today Daniel was picked up at the hotel at 6am for his adventure to the famous Death Road of Bolivia.
    After a bit of confusion with those who had pre-booked and those who had only signed up in the previous few days - Daniel ended up being on his own for the morning with a different tour operator to the rest of the group.
    The first stop was at the suppliers office where he was kitted up with overalls, knee pads, elbow pads, helmet and gloves, as well as having a good breakfast of bread and jam with tea and hot chocolate.
    Daniel then got back on the bus and headed for the start point of the ride which was Los Yagunas at approx 4400m. As the bus got to the start point, Daniel saw the rest of the group and was very excited (see below picture!) that he wouldn’t be doing this alone!
    We started the ride in the sun and were soon riding down through the clouds along the highway and it was very cold on the fingers!
    We made a few stops along the highway as we got used to the bikes before reaching a tunnel which would be our breakpoint.
    We then boarded the buses and made our way to the official start of Death Road, approx 20min away from the breakpoint.
    We had a quick snack before beginning our ride down the worlds most dangerous road!
    It was quite foggy at the top which made it easier to focus on the gravelly road rather than look out to the scenery and it was also raining a bit which made it just that more difficult to see!
    We took our time safely down the road, stopping frequently to hear about the history of the road and constantly checking on the bikes for punctures etc.
    We also passed some insanely steep drop offs and even needed to walk across some landslides!
    As we got nearer to the bottom, the sun came out and started to dry us as we got towards the end, which finished with a 5km winding dirt road down to the main town which was really fun!
    We got back on the buses and went to our lunch spot which was a very welcome buffet lunch and a much needed shower before jumping back on the buses and a heading back to La Paz.
    We got back to La Paz around 5pm, enough time for everyone to pack their bags and get a small dinner before boarding our night bus to Sucre, Bolivia :)
    (Note: death road pictures from tour operator and footage from Daniel’s GoPro still to be added)    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    La Paz

    April 22, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We had a very chill day today after a big night and a busy few weeks.
    We had breakfast in the hotel and then Gab went back to the room to relax while Daniel went for a walk around the city with some of the group.
    Daniel then went for lunch with some of the group before chilling out on the rooftop.
    In the afternoon, both Daniel and Gab met some of the group to explore the city on the cable cars - very cool views and perspective of the city!
    Daniel then joined some of the group for dinner before everyone attended the welcome meeting for the next leg of the tour from La Paz to Buenos Aires.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Lake Titicaca/La Paz

    April 21, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We started the day with a beautiful sunrise over Lake Titicaca before a delicious homestay breakfast. We said goodbye to our island resort and headed back to the mainland.

    Before lunch, we explored the town and visited the church; which was quite interesting given that the people are predominantly catholic but also had the traditional offerings to Mother Earth. We then hiked up to a spectacular viewpoint (quite a steep hike!) where we could see over all the town and our toward the island where we had stayed the previous night. There were panels and crosses representing the Stations of the Cross there.

    We had lunch in the same spot as yesterday before repeating the short bus trip, short ferry trip and then long bus trip back to La Paz which got us back around 6.30pm.

    We then freshened up, bought some drinks and pizza and chatted with the group on the rooftop of our hotel while enjoying games and music.

    We then got in taxis and went to a club for some more drinks and dancing before returning in the early hours of the morning :)    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
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    La Paz/Lake Titcaca

    April 20, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We had breakfast in the hotel in La Paz before boarding a bus en route to our overnight home stay on Lake Titicaca.
    We made a small stop for a quick break before getting to a wharf where we got a short 15min ferry across to save a 4 hour drive around - our bus was on a separate ferry next to us!
    We then had lunch of soup and trout (caught fresh from the lake) before boarding a 1.5hr ferry to the location of our homestay on the Isle of Sol (Sun).
    Along the way we learnt some fun facts about Lake Titicaca:
    -it is 285m deep at the deepest point
    -it is over 8500km2 in area
    -it is the largest lake in the world with international borders (Peru and Bolivia - Peru have 60% of the lake).
    We jumped off the ferry and then went for a hike across the island to our homestay location and had some amazing viewpoints (over 4000m) along the way.
    We did a quick checkin at the homestay before going back up to one of the viewpoints to watch the sunset - absolutely beautiful! :)
    We then had a lovely home cooked dinner and played cards with some of the group before calling it an early night.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
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    La Paz

    April 19, 2023 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    We caught a flight from Cusco to Lima (around 1hr 15mins), waited 3 hours and then caught a 3am flight from Lima to La Paz! It doesn't make much sense but there was no direct flight to La Paz. So at 6am Bolivia time (there is a one hour time difference between Peru and Bolivia) we arrived in Bolivia at 6am. We had a quick breakfast at the hotel and then slept until midday (as we had hardly slept most of the night!)

    Daniel went for a walk to get cash out and have lunch whilst Gab washed her hair/chilled out.

    We then went for an orientation walk around La Paz at 2.30pm to get introduced to the city. Bolivians definitely have a very different way of showing appreciation to pachamamma (Mother Earth) - they dehydrate baby llama foetuses and present them / purchase them to burn as an offering as well as various sweets. We saw the llama foetuses hanging in stores in the Witches Markets as well as other interesting potions and items! The streets around the Witches Markets have cool umbrellas and dolls hanging across the streets.

    We then walked to the local markets, passing some churches and the main square before arriving at an English pub for a late lunch. Gab enjoyed a steak and ale pie and watched the champions league game.

    After the game, some of the group headed up to one of the highest viewpoints in the city (around 4000m) to watch the sunset and see an amazing perspective of the city. The lights of the city are beautiful!

    We went back to the English pub for a drink and dessert before heading back to the hotel to play cards with some of the group before calling it an early night.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
    Streets of Cusco
    Gab's delicious vegan lunch!Green Point Cafe

    Cusco/Travel to Bolivia

    April 18, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Our final day in Peru!

    We had a pretty chilled day all round - Gab rested in some of the common areas (after having a spanglish conversation with a pharmacist and obtaining some sinus/cold flu tablets - an essential tourist task!). Gab also went for a delicious lunch at a vegan cafe (pad Thai with Ginger and lemon kombucha!) The Cafe, Green Point, has won awards and been in Forbes magazine.

    Daniel went for a few short walks around Cusco with some of the group and watched the soccer at the Irish pub.

    We chilled out back at the hostel and grabbed some food before needing to leave at 7.30pm to catch our flight to La Paz, Bolivia.

    Adios Peru! It has been truly wonderful!!! ❤️    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Cusco

    April 17, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Gab went for breakfast at the hostel and wrote some postcards whilst Daniel slept in. After Daniel woke up we went for lunch at the Chinese restaurant next to the hostel with some of the group - very yum and much needed :)
    After lunch we went to the post office to send some postcards and then came back to the hostel before going to our cooking class at a local organic restaurant.
    The cooking class was incredible, we started with learning about the different fruits and vegetables (many which were staples of the Incan diet) and how they are used to make different sauces and tried all of them :)
    We then walked through the herb garden and smelt/tried some of the herbs which the restaurant grows on-site.
    We then proceeded to the kitchen where we first prepared a quinoa and vegetable salad followed by our main course. Gab cooked a chicken dish whilst Daniel did a beef dish. We cooked on an industrial stove top and was lots of fun getting the flames going to chargrill the meat!
    Once our food was prepared we were able to sit down and enjoy it - it was delicious! We also tried a strawberry/kombucha style beer (from fermented corn) which was interesting.
    After eating, the final part of the class was to prepare and drink a Pisco Sour. We measured the ingredients and shook the drinks ourselves and it was probably the best Pisco Sour we have had in Peru!
    We made our way back to the hostel to meet the group before going to a beer tasting. The tasting was at the Sacred Valley Brewery and the beers were pretty good! They explained how each of the beers are named after the owners or a significant landmark etc in the Sacred Valley. Daniel's favourite was their West Coast IPA!
    After the tasting, we went for a drink at Paddy’s Irish Pub before calling it a night as everyone was still quite tired from the night before!    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
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    Inca Trail Day 4/Machu Picchu

    April 16, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Machu Picchu Day!

    We started with a 3am wake up call (no that’s not a typo!) for a light breakfast before commencing our walk to the checkpoint. The reason the day starts so early is to allow our porters time to pack up the camp and make it to their train. Also, it ensures that we get to the checkpoint early so we can enter as early as possible into the final ascent to the Sun Gate which overlooks Machu Picchu.

    We arrived at the checkpoint around 4:15am and waited until the gates opened. We commenced a very brisk uphill walk to the Sun Gate around 5.30am. We made it to the Sun Gate just as the sun was shining on Machu Picchu and the view was incredible! Such a beautiful clear morning! So lucky!!

    We then took our time taking photos and slowly making our way down to the entrance to Machu Picchu where we took some more photos. We then grabbed a light snack before entering into the historical site for the official tour through the Incan citadel and learnt a number of interesting facts about the Incan empire:
    - The Incan empire originated from Lake Titicaca on the border of Bolivia
    - Cusco was capital of Incan empire
    - When the Spanish invaded and destroyed Incan cities, they luckily missed Machu Picchu which is why it is untouched and still remains
    - The name of the mountain is actually Machu Picchu, an explorer heard that there was an ancient city on the mountain which is how the citadel gets its name.

    We saw the various temples and terraces of the city as we ventured through the ruins - something cool about the construction is that the Incans did not use any mortar for their bricks; they cut to suit and dry stacked.

    After the tour, we boarded a bus which took us down to our lunch spot in the town of Aguas Calientes - safe to say we were very hungry!
    We relaxed for a bit before saying goodbye to our tour guides and then boarded a train back to the town of Ollantaytambo. We then hopped on our private bus which took us back to Cusco in time for dinner.

    We had a quick dinner and trivia in the hostel before Daniel headed out with the group for drinks and dancing to celebrate our accomplishment over the last few days (Gab unfortunately went to bed before clubbing because she had a sinus headache after being blocked up for a bit with a cold!) Daniel had lots of fun and a late night!    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
    A short stint of rainAmazing cake made by the chefsLast night in the tent

    Inca Trail Day 3

    April 15, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Day 3 - our longest day of trekking!!

    Starting altitude: 2650m
    Finishing altitude: 2650m (but with some mountain climbing in between!)
    Distance covered: 16km
    Weather: It was pretty clear during the morning but in the afternoon (when we were descending), it was raining but not too heavy!

    We started with our same 5am wake up call with coca and breakfast at 5.30am (bread, omelette and tea). We left the campsite and headed for an Inca site at the top of the mountain (2 hours uphill) which would be our last big climb of the trek!

    At the Incan site, we learnt about how the construction techniques of the Incans were lost when the Spaniards invaded because they killed all the civil engineers and architects. That is why the same techniques have not been able to be passed on.

    It then started to rain a bit on our way to our lunch spot which consisted of an incredible buffet lunch (lots of different meats, vegetable and quinoa dishes) and much needed soup :) We then had a special dessert of a sponge cake which the chefs cooked at the top of the mountain!

    We then began our steep descent to our campsite where we passed more Incan sites before we arrived at camp around 4.30pm.
    We had our happy hour at 5.30pm as usual, followed by dinner of soup, crumbed chicken, rice and mashed potatoes.

    We then said goodbye to our porters as we wouldn’t be seeing them tomorrow before going to bed for our early start tomorrow! They have been truly incredible- we are not sure how they do it!!    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
    A bit cold up the top of Dead Womans Pass - but very happy to have made it!!
    Morning pancakes with our names!The views were truly...breathtaking!1Going back downNot a bad view from our tent!Lauren, Elin, Saskia and GabGab making a friend - a Peruvian hairless dog

    Inca Trail Day 2

    April 14, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Day 2 - the hardest day of the trek!

    Starting altitude: 3000m
    Highest altitude: 4205m (Dead Woman's Pass)
    Finishing altitude: 2650m
    Distance covered: 16km
    Weather: It was pretty warm during the day with sunshine but it was a bit cold up the top of Dead Woman's Pass!

    We started with a 5am wake-up call (if you don’t count the rooster at 4am!) with coca tea delivered to our tents. We had breakfast at 5.30am (bread and jam/honey, porridge and even pancakes with our names on it in caramel sauce!)

    We commenced our trekking at 6.30am. Today we were basically able to go at our own pace as there was only one path and a guide would always be with the last person. Daniel went ahead with a group of the guys whilst Gab walked further back with some of the girls and our head guide, Joseph, who pointed out different plants that only grow at altitude and told us about different animals and birds in the area. Most the the morning was hot as we ascended with steep hills and steeps over 1100m from our campsite to ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’ at an altitude of 4200m. It was pretty cold at the top but definitely very rewarding! The view was amazing!

    We then descended what felt like the same as the incline before arriving at our campsite around 12:15 pm. We had quick cold ‘showers’ in the river (Daniel managed to completely submerge himself by lying down) before a much needed lunch which started with a cold vegetable dish, then pasta vegetable soup followed by beef stir fry and then a desert of apple/banana cake - crazy to think that they cooked it up in the mountains.

    We then chilled around the campsite and played some cards before having our happy hour of pizza, crackers and hot chocolate.

    Dinner consisted of soup, chicken with rice and vegetables. It was very cold during the night as the campsite was around 3600m and plenty of condensation in the tents!    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
    Saskia, Sid, Ash, Lauren, Elin, Marielle, Lea, Matthew, Nathan, Britt, Ophelia, Ian, Tommy and BenLlama fingers!Cody's Andean twin!The 'QR10' - the 10 of us who are doing the whole 65 day tour from Quito to Rio!Our amazing crew!!

    Inca Trail Day 1

    April 13, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We departed Ollantaytambo at 8am and boarded the bus to the start of the Inca trail. We passed through the checkpoint with our passports and were officially on the Inca Trail at around 9am! We called our team the 'Pisco Pumas'!

    Starting altitude: 2400m
    Finishing altitude: 3000m
    Distance covered: 12km
    Weather: It was pretty warm during the day with sunshine- nice for our first day of trekking!

    We made quite a few stops during the first day to adjust to the altitude/conditions, which also gave our guide for the trek, Joseph, time to explain some the the history of the area. We learnt that the sacred valley is ‘sacred’ because it’s shape and landscape mimics the Milky Way and the Andean animals. We learnt about Incan culture including that the Incans did not regularly undertake human sacrifices but they would occasionally in response to events such as bad weather (so our guide joked that hopefully we have good weather during our trek and don't have to sacrifice anyone!)

    Our first stop was home to a 5 month old Andean jug puppy which looked exactly like Cody and his name was Kot :) We then stopped at an Incan ruin site which used to be the administrative capital of the valley because it was at the centre of 4 valleys.
    We stopped for lunch which consisted of guacamole and fried pastry, vegetable soup, rainbow trout and then purple corn pudding for lunch.

    After lunch, it was a short hour or so walk to the campsite where saw another Incan site and got a spectacular view over the valley. We arrived at our campsite around 4pm.

    Before dinner we had a meet and greet with the porters and chefs. The porters are our superheroes who are the ones carrying all our tents, food, cooking utensils and basically everything else for each day (around 25kgs each!!) They also set up our campsites and help us with anything we could need during the trip! There are 18 porters in total ranging from 23 to 60 years old and are typically farmers who have joined G Adventures for a more prosperous lifestyle. We also have 2 chefs, our head guide and 2 assistant guides with our group of 18 people!

    We then had ‘happy hour’ which is some snacks and crackers before dinner (hot chocolate and popcorn). We enjoyed dinner of delicious soup followed by chicken and rice.

    We then played some more games with the group (including an interesting game with our group called Mafia!) before an early night.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
    Feeding the alpacasSeeing the different dyesGuinea pigs in the communityYummy alpaca pizzaA demonstration of washing wool

    Cusco/Travel to Ollantaytambo

    April 12, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    We had a very good sleep before having breakfast and boarding a bus on route to our final town, Ollantaytambo, before the start of the Inca trail.

    We made an initial stop at ‘white Christ’, a white statue of Jesus overlooking Cusco which had some spectacular views over the city.

    We then jumped back on the bus and made our way to the town of Ccaccaccollo, which is a community supported by G Adventures since 2005. This community is part of G Adventures Planeterra program which helps to provide funds to the community. There are around 650 people in the community, who speak quechua (the native language in the Andes). The community is mostly made up of women who do a lot of weaving as their husbands are porters on the Inca trail. Girls in the community usually learn weaving patterns from 4 years old. After feeding alpacas, we observed the entire weaving process from examining the raw wool (llama, alpaca and vicuana), watching it be washed in natural soap from a root, seeing how the different coloured dyes are made from natural plants/minerals (and by adding lime and sulfur to natural minerals from cactus plants) and then the dying of the wool by boiling the dye and then soaking the wool in the coloured water. It was an amazing experience to seeing the entire process and Gab got a keepsake alpaca beanie from their market stall which will come in handy for nights on the Inca trail! Gab enjoyed a tea which was a mixture of different plants including eculaptys. The support from G Adventures will go towards building a secondary school in the community (currently students walk hours to and from school every day).

    We then boarded the bus to Ollantaytambo and checked into our hotel before grabbing a quick lunch with some of the group and exploring the small town.

    After this, we went back to the hotel to chill out. Gab had a bit of rest whilst Daniel played cards with some of the group.

    We then headed out to pick up a few last minute things for the trek tomorrow and then had a delicious dinner with the group and we had alpaca wood fired pizza which was delicious! :)
    Time for bed, a big few days coming up!    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
    2On the way up (when it was sunny!)

    Cusco/Rainbow Mountain

    April 11, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    What an incredible day! We had a 4am wake up call and boarded the bus on route for our day to hike rainbow mountain.
    We stopped for breakfast at 6am before another short bus trip and commenced the hike at 4600m by 7.30am.
    The weather was clear and warm on the way up which made for incredible views. Both Gab and Daniel made it up to the top with no major concerns - obviously got the lungs and heart pumping though and we took plenty of breaks!
    We learnt that the different colours are due to erosion of different minerals: red-iron, green-copper and yellow-sulfur.
    We then walked around to another viewpoint which was a large stone hand statue and we were able to see some incredible views of the snow-capped mountains.
    We commenced our descent (much easier than going up!) and it even snowed a bit on the way down!
    We then boarded the bus to our much needed buffet lunch before arriving back in Cusco around 3pm.
    We then packed our small duffel bags which would be the only items we can take to our Inca Trail hike starting on Thursday. The porters will carry our main duffel bags so the company is quite strict in relation to the weight of these bags.
    After that, we met the group for an awesome dinner of alpaca streak with gnocchi for Daniel and trout and gnocchi for Gab plus some red wine from Peru :)
    We went to a club where we did some salsa and bachata classes with the group (we were much better this time!) before heading back to the hostel for some sleep.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Cusco

    April 10, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We woke up in Arequipa and boarded an early flight to Cusco (which took 1 hour), arriving at our hostel by 10am.
    We had a very delicious and much needed big breakfast - see photo!
    We had an orientation walk around Cusco and explored some of its neighbourhoods and many squares.
    We walked through the San Blass region which is known for its artwork and culture, and has a great view over the city - including the Peruvian emblem carved into the opposing mountain.
    We then walked through the seven snakes corridor which links to the main square and is famous because it it believes Incas carved the snakes into the rock.
    We then went to the San Pedro main market (which was surprisingly designed by same person who designed the Eiffel Tower) to try some local fruits. Our favourite was the mango (so fresh)! Gab also loved the lucuma fruit which tastes like date.
    We then went to the Inca Museum and learnt about the history of the Incas starting from pre-Inca all the way through to the Spanish invasion. There was a large collection of artefacts and even some mummies.

    We then went to our Inca trail briefing at the G Adventures office! They explained everything we needed to know for our trek starting on Thursday and reaching Machu Picchu on Sunday.

    We then had a quiet dinner at the hostel of burgers and an early night to bed (as we have an early start tomorrow!)    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure

    Chivay/Travel to Arequipa

    April 9, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We had our final buffet (breakfast) in Chivay before saying goodbye and making our way back to Arequipa.

    Along the way we stopped at a local quarry and saw the effects of natural erosion volcanic activity on the landscape. We walked through the deep cavities of where the earth had been eroded which was very cool! :)

    We then went back to Arequipa for a late lunch before exploring more of the town. Gab went to the Santa Catalina monastery for the Dominican nuns. It was truly like a little Spanish city in the city (even with multiple streets and courtyards). It is around 20 thousand sqm. It was founded in 1579 and the second daughter in very wealthy Spanish families was sent to the monastery at around age 13/14. The families paid a dowry of 24,000 gold coins for their daughter to become a nun. The training took 4 years before they took their vows and the nuns could not leave the monastery or see anyone from the outside world (though family could visit on the other side of a meshed wall and pass gifts through a revolving door - doctors also used this method for passing through medicine). The women went to the monastery with their family’s servant/s and they each had their own room and large kitchen areas. They lived life like this until around 1750 when the Vatican introduced changes which meant all the nuns from then on sleep in one large dorm and eat and pray together. There are currently 19 nuns there now and they make chocolate, soaps, cookies and cakes as well as classes in music and study. It was all very interesting and a lovely spot!

    Daniel had a chilled out afternoon with some of the group.

    We then went as a group for a walk to a viewpoint (called Yanahuara’s Viewpoint) where we could see one of the mountains, Misti, at a beautiful lookout whilst the sun set. We walked back to the main square and went to an outdoor bar where we we had a Pisco sour (best one yet!) and then got some ice cream on our way back to the hotel.    Read more

  • D&G's 2023 Adventure
    The hot springs2

    Chivay/Colca Canyon

    April 8, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    This morning, we explored the Colca Canyon and stopped at numerous viewpoints through the canyon to admire the amazing scenery. The canyon is the deepest canyon in the world at approximately 4200m deep.

    Along the way, we had a short walk to a lookout to spot condors - large eagle-like birds that have a 3m wing span. They are considered the biggest flighted birds in the world. They usually live up to 65-70 years. Initially we only spotted one condor about 100m away but after half an hour there were so many swarming right around us (up to 10 at a time) - very cool! This was pretty amazing as there is only around 120 in this region.

    We then went to the small town of Maca on our way back to Chivay and tried a Colca Sour which is the region's spin on the national Peruvian drink using a local fruit which looks like a kiwi but is very sour. We both enjoyed it! Gab also got a photo with a Llama called Chocolate!

    We then had a buffet lunch (the alpaca and guinea pig was delicious!) and returned to the hotel for a bit of a rest. In the afternoon, we went to the hot springs in the mountains for a relaxing dip! The pools were of various temperatures but we struggled when we had to leave in the dark and the cold after 6pm.

    We went back to the hotel and we both spoke to family on a couple of Easter video calls which was lovely. We had hot showers and went out for hot chocolate. After the buffet, we didn't need dinner! We chilled out in the lobby and played a few games with the group before bed.    Read more

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