• Alina Julia
  • Alina Julia

South America

Bolivia, Peru and whatever might come up Læs mere
  • Start på rejsen
    15. september 2024

    Goodbye Swissy

    15. september 2024, Schweiz ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Nicest view from Kriens - even some sun came out before leaving to Latin America. Switzerland, you're not making it easy to leave 😄 But even more grateful for what I have and super excited and ready - as you can tell from the second picture 🤪 - for all the new experiences to come 🤍Læs mere

  • Sucre

    18.–25. sep. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Arrived in Sucre today and will stay for around a week in a very cute hostal. The next days I discovered el Mercado Central, Monasterio de La Recoleta, mercado de camposito and much more. I also started taking spanish lessons 🇪🇸Læs mere

  • Potosí

    27. sep.–2. okt. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Arrived after only 3h bus ride to Potosí. Initially I planned to only stay for one night to see the mines, but the town turned out to be super interesting so I extended my stay for 2 more nights in the hostel and then for another 2 more nights in an art gallery with two new lovely friends. ✨️

    Some facts about Potosí:
    - Is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal 4,090 m
    - Was once the city with the highest population of the world
    - Potosí sits at one of the largest silver deposit systems in the world
    - Cerro Rico de Potosí (rich mountain) is part of a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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  • Uyuni

    2.–3. okt. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Took the bus to Uyuni and and arrived at dawn in a city that looked like from an old western movie. Only few people but many dogs were on the street.

    For the next 3 days I have an exciting tour ahead of me. The landscape is going to be insane 😍Læs mere

  • Day 1: Uyuni Salt Flats

    3.–4. okt. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Day 1: Uyuni – Train Graveyard – Colchani – Incahuasi Island – Agencha

    The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, covering over 10,000 square kilometers in southwest Bolivia. Born from the evaporation of prehistoric lakes, this vast expanse of white salt creates an almost surreal landscape.Læs mere

  • Day 2: Uyuni Salt Flats

    4. oktober 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ -1 °C

    Day 2: Chiguana Desert – Ollagüe – Andean Lagoons – Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve – Siloli Desert – Stone Tree – Red Lagoon

    The Chiguana Desert is framed by multiple volcanoes, including the active Ollagüe. Next we journeyed along a rugged path to explore the Cañapa, Hedionda, and Chiarcota Lagoons, which are frequented by flamingoes.

    The Siloli Desert is recognized as the world’s highest and driest desert, holding the famous Rock tree’, a natural lava rock formation.

    The Red Lagoon, an incredible body of water with an intense red hue, is home to numerous pink flamingoes.
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  • Day 3: Uyuni Salt Flats

    5.–6. okt. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ 🌙 0 °C

    Day 3: Sol de Mañana Geyser – Hot Springs – Dali Desert – Green Lagoon – Chile

    We kicked off your day early at around 5:00 a.m., heading to the Sol de Mañana Geyser, situated at an altitude of 5000m. 🌋 The temperatures of the steaming craters range from 150-200°C. The temperatur outside however was freezing AF 🥶

    The next stop therefore was perfect: Hot springs with waters at a comfortable 35°C.

    After breakfast at the hot springs the journey continued to the Dali Desert, named for its resemblance to Salvador Dalí’s surrealistic artwork. The mesmerizing blend of colors and formations indeed made me feel like I am in a d
    Dalí painting 🎨

    From there, we explored the Green and White Lagoons, known for their toxic copper waters, nestled at the base of the grand Licancabur volcano, close to the Bolivia-Chile border.

    At around 9 am, I continued my journey with 2 new friends to Chile 🇨🇱
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  • San Pedro: Valle de la Luna & Arcoíris

    8.–9. okt. 2024, Chile ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), locatedin the Atacama desert, is part of the Reserva Nacional los Flamencos and was declared a Nature Sanctuary in 1982 for its natural environment and strange lunar landscape. The Atacama desert is also considered one of the driest places on earth, as some areas have not received a single drop of rain in hundreds of years.🌑 🏜

    The Valle del Arcoiris (Rainbow Valley) is located in a Rio Grande Basin, close to Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs . It owes its name to the variety of colors that can be seen in the hills of the valley; earth colors, red, beige, green, white, yellow, combined with white salt and blue sky. The colors show the richness and different concentrations of clay, salts and minerals. 🌈⛰️
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  • Arica, Chile

    11.–14. okt. 2024, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I made it to the beach in Arica. I didn't had any expectations of this place since i decided very spontaneously to come here as an overlay on my way to La Paz. The place and especially the people made my stay unforgettable and turned it into a second home 🥰Læs mere

  • La Paz

    14.–24. okt. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Crossed the border again to return to Bolivia and made my way to La Paz. I got ill during the travel day (probably a parasite 🫣) so I decided to spend two days in a hostel before heading to my workaway stay. I afterwards spent over a week at a locals home and helped him building up his startup while discovering the incredible city of La Paz.Læs mere

  • Deathroad & Coroico

    24.–27. okt. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Big cities can get quite tiring, so I decided to spend the weekend in Coroico, located at the beginning of the Amazonas. 🦜🕷🐒 Even though I was a bit scared, I booked the tour for the deathroad which is close to Coroico. El camino de la muerta is said to be the most dangerous road of the world. It turned out to be an incredible experience 🚴‍♂️⛰️Læs mere

  • Copacabana & Isla del Sol

    28.–31. okt. 2024, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Arrived in Copacabana via boat 🚤 The next day I did a day tour to isla de la luna and the north of isla del sol, crossing Lake Titicaca, which is the largest freshwater lake in South America and the highest of the world's large lakes (3810m above sea level. It is also thought to be three million years old).

    I spent the loveliest night in Las Olas hostel in Copacabana. The architecture and view are incredible + llamas are freely walking around that made it felt like a dream. The last day I took the boat again to go to Isla del Sol, southern part of the island, and spent the night there. The island is super pretty and defenitely turned out to be one of my highlights.
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  • Puno

    1.–2. nov. 2024, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Crossed the boarder to Peru 🇵🇪 and spent one night in Puno as a layover to Cusco. The next day I visited the Islas Flotantes de los Urus, a set of around 80 islands that are built of totora, an aquatic plant. These islands are inhabited by the Uros, one of the oldest cultures of the continent which dates back to pre-Inca times🌾🐟Læs mere

  • Cusco & Sacred Valley

    2.–4. nov. 2024, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Took the nightbus and finally arrived very early in the morning in Cusco.

    The first two days I was discovering the city with friends I made along the way and on Monday I did my first excursion to the Sacred Valley - a site full with beautiful historical gems from villages like Pisac to Ollantaytambo, and Inca Ruins. Many more adventures are about to come.. ⛰️🌄🌈🥾

    Cusco:
    Is also known as La cuidad Imperial (The Imperial City) or El Ombligo del Mundo (The Navel of the World). Its elevation is around 3,400 m. Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire until the 16th-century Spanish Conquest. In 1983, Cusco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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  • Cusco & Rainbow Mountain

    5.–7. nov. 2024, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    The second excursion brought me to the Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Colores, better known among tourists as the Rainbow Mountain, with an altitude over 5100 m. ⛰️🌈

    After a 3h drive from Cusco it took us about 1.5 hours to hike up to the summit, gradually ascending 400m. At this altitude, breathing was definitely more challenging.🥵 After enjoying the views at the top, the tour continued to the Red Valley, showcasing a landscape that was out of this world. 👾💚Læs mere

  • Day 1: Salkantay Trek

    8.–9. nov. 2024, Peru ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    Itinerary: Humantay Lake and camping at Quiswarniyoc

    The adventure begins! Woke up at 4am to get ready for the 4 day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. The bus took us to Soraypampa, marking the start of the Salkantay trek. From there, we started hiking to the first spot, the Humantay Lagoons, starting at an altitude of 3'900m, ascending 300 m within 2h to 4'200 m.

    After visiting the lagoon, we descended  towards the Quiswarniyoc campsite. This part of the trek involved a 1h downhill walk followed by a 45 min flat trek.

    We arrived at the Quiswarniyoc campsite around 2pm where we were treated to a delicious lunch. The afternoon was free to discover the beautiful scenery. We spent the first night in super cute huts at this site.
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  • Day 2: Salkantay Trek

    9. november 2024, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Itinerary: Ascent to the highest point, salkantay pass at 4700m, descent to chawwllay and bus drive to Lucmabamba

    Today the hardest day awaits us, including 22km hike within 8h. The day began at 5am with a coca leaf tea that was brought to our bed. After some proper breakfast, the ascent to the salcantay pass began - the trek’s highest point at 4'700 meters above sea level. The uphill walk from the camp to the pass took us around 3h, including one very steep part called the Gringo Killer 😂. The main challenge really was the altitude, as breathing is way harder. We all managed to hike up. 🤟The weather was quite cold and rainy but we enjoyed being on the peak nevertheless. 🏔

    Afterwards we hiked downhill for about 2h  to the lunch spot at Wayracmachay. From there, the last but quite steep descent of about 3h from the Andes to the Amazon region began.

    Upon arrival at Chawwllay we had a quick break and then the bus took us to the second camp site of the day in Lucmabamba, where we spent the night in cute glass bubbles.
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  • Day 3: Salkantay Trek

    10.–11. nov. 2024, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Itinerary: Inca Trail to Llactapata, Machu Picchu Viewpoint, Aguas Calientes

    Today is the last hiking day before arriving to Aguas Calientes, the town from where you can visit Machu Picchu. The day began again early at around 5am. We hiked up 3h from the Lucmabamba campsite to the archaeological site of Llactapata, along an original and well-maintained Inca trail.

    From Llactapata, we gained a first view of majestic Machu Picchu, Waynapicchu, and the surrounding mountains.  After this viewpoint, it was time to start the steep 2h descent towards Hidroeléctrica. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continued towards the town of Aguas Calientes.

    The last part of the day involved a 3-hour walk along the railway from the Hydroelectric station to Aguas Calientes, the base town for Machu Picchu. This part was the most tiring and dragging one as thw 3 hours aling the railway felt like an eternity. However, we were quite lucky with the weather as it only started raining for the final bit. As a reward, a veautiful rainbow awaites us at Aguas Calientes. We made it!
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  • Day 4: Machu Picchu

    11. november 2024, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The grande finale - the long awaited day to visit Machu Picchu has arrived. We were super lucky the day before as we got some of the last tickets to enter Machu Picchu, Circuit 2 which is the best route to get the famous pictures of Waynapicchu.

    We started our day very tranquilo at 8am, got some nice coffee in Aguas Calientes and then decided to take the bus up to Machu Picchu as the weather was really hot and humid. We arrived at Machu Picchu at 12am with the nicest weather. The view is stunning and I honestly had to cry a bit as I was so overwhelmed by the magic of this place and the 3 day journey from Soraypampa up to here. 🥹🤎

    After walking down from Machu Picchu it was time to say goodbye to Aguas Calientes. One more highlight awaited us, as we took the train all the way back to Cusco.
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