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Central and South America
  • Ben Marsh
  • Ben Marsh

Central and South America

Una aventura de 124 días de Ben Leer más
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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh
    1

    The train to Lake Titicaca

    17 de diciembre de 2025, Perú ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    I've ridden more buses than I thought possible and decided to shake things up by taking the train from Cusco to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

    This was the nicest train I've ever been on. An observation car to watch the Andes roll by, breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea and incredible views.

    A really amazing way to wrap up an amazing time in Peru. I loved Peru so much that I ended up spending an extra week and a half here. Poor Bolivia will be a bit squeezed but I think it was worth it.

    Adios Peru!    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Copacabana and a night on Isla del Sol

    20 de diciembre de 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    The train ride ended in Puno, Peru, which is where I spent my last night in Peru.

    Leaving Peru was hard for two reasons. Firstly it is a beautiful amazing country. Second, I had absolutely no idea what to do in Bolivia.

    Luckily for me, an old friend called Noah who had made the Colombia to Peru border crossing with me happened to walk through the front door of the hostel I was staying in. Total coincidence but amazing luck.

    With Noah, we formed a group with other travellers in Puno, and before we knew it, we had a whole group to enter Bolivia with.

    The first stop for us was Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca and then a boat ride to Isla del Sol.

    We spent one night on Isla del Sol, which had amazing views of the lake and surrounding mountains. After this we tried to move on to La Paz.... this is when the road blocks started....    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    La Paz and CHOLITA WRESTLING

    21 de diciembre de 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    La Paz is a confusing city, a perfect example of what happens when you have absolutely no city plan at all and just let a city grow and grow and grow.

    At first we were a little lost as to what to do but were quickly given a top tip... Cholita wrestling.

    Cholita is the name of the indigenous women who live in Andean Bolivia. You can spot them immediately by their hair and dress. Long black plaits down their back and huge multilayered and multicoloured dresses. In the past the word Cholita was used as a slur or insult against these women but in more recent years the word has been claimed back by the women who now use it proudly to support their own businesses.

    Cholita wrestling is one of the best things I've ever seen with some amazing stunts and hilarious crowd work.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Pico Austria

    22 de diciembre de 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    After taking a day to find somewhere to stay, we headed out to climb Pico Austria. The mountain forms part of the Andes range north of La Paz and was the highest peak that any of us in the group had done before with a maximum altitude of 5350m above sea level.

    Hiking above 5000m was hard work, and you can feel the lack of oxygen, even for all of us who had all spent about 3 weeks over 3000m in Peru.

    The views of the lake, glaciers and mountains from the top though made it all worth it.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Football at four thousand meters

    23 de diciembre de 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Nearly at Christmas, but before the big day, we had an even bigger one to celebrate... Noah's birthday!

    From meeting Noah in the Colombian amazon to spending nearly 2 weeks together in Bolivia. In that time, we became great friends and had a great time celebrating his birthday.

    We went to a local playoff game for Bolivia 2nd lowest league, which was in an essentially empty stadium at over 4000m above sea level before heading to a Christmas market for dinner and drinks.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    A week in Sucre, the cultural capital

    30 de diciembre de 2025, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Sucre is where the Bolivian independence movement began and eventually became the first city of the Republic.

    It's a beautiful city where old colonial architecture and cobbled streets mixed with Bolivian art and flair.

    I was in Sucre with Lara, who had also spent Christmas with me in La Paz. We walked the city and visited Cretaceous Park whilst we waited for our other friends in Bolivia to catch up.

    P.S. Cretaceous Park is the largest in situ collection of dinosaur footprints in the world, with thousands of prints fossilised in the rock walls outside the city. The tiny park attached to it is also very funny.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    ¡Feliz año nuevo!

    1 de enero, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Happy New Year from Sucre, Bolivia!

    I spent New Years with the same friends that I had spent my Christmas with, which was amazing.

    After a celebration in the city square (this year was also the 200th year of Bolivian independence!) We headed to a rooftop bar where we stayed until 6:30am.

    When we left the bar to walk home in the morning sun, we were met by the sunrise band. A brass band that plays in the street as the sun comes up for the new year. It was great fun and only became funnier when my friends realised the band was playing underneath their hostel window.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Salar de Uyuni

    2 de enero, Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    The Bolivian salt flats! Everyone I met told me that this was one of the best things they had done in South America, which meant I was excited to have finally made it.

    I started in Uyuni and met my group and guide in the town. Over the next 3 days, we would drive in a land cruiser across the salt flats, deserts, and mountains, after which we would enter Chile via the northern Atacama desert.

    Day 1 we struck out to the salt flats directly, the remains of an ancient sea that had become trapped by mountain growth and raised up leading to its total evaporation, leaving only salt behind.

    Because of this, the flats are, as the name suggests, almost perfectly flat, which lets you take some very cool photos. Especially with some rain on the surface!    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh
    1

    Life in the desert

    3 de enero, Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Deserts are full of life, at least this one is! After crossing the salt flats, we entered the desert to the south. This desert is marked by volcanos, hot springs, and lagoons, which provide numerous oasis for life to make a home.

    We encountered thousands of Andean flamingos feeding in the acidic volcanic lagoons, alpaca, llama and guanaco moving through the open desert plains and hills alongside tiny desert mice and rabbit like vizcacha living among the rocks at the base of the mountains.

    This must have been one of the best days of my time in south america, I took thousands of photos across this day.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Volcanic activities

    4 de enero, Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ -1 °C

    Final day of travel through the desert was a hot one! We left early in the morning and visited a series of mud geysers that are clustered at the deserts edge.

    This mud is boiling hot and would be lethal if you fell in with temperatures in the hundreds of degrees. This is also the site of a large geothermal project that provides power to a number of towns in the region.

    After seeing the geysers, we drove on to another site of volcanic activity, natural hot springs! These pools were warmed by the volcanic activity nearby. Sitting in a hot pool whilst looking out at a salt lagoon of flamingos is not something I'll forget soon.

    At the end of all this we finally crossed into Chile!    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Villarica volcano, 6 hrs up 1 hr down!

    8 de enero, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The volcano here dominates the view no matter where you are. Visible from every lake and hill, you have no choice but to climb it.

    To reach the summit, you have to go with guides and start early. Due to volcanic activity, you must reach the summit by 2pm. It's a very doable hike with fun climbs over rock and snow, but it will take 6 hours to reach the top.

    The good news is that once at the top, you get given a snow suit, a plastic slide, and a shot of bourbon before you slide the whole way back down! I wish all hikes ended that way.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Bus to Bariloche

    10 de enero, Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    From Temuco in Chile, we took the early morning bus to Bariloche, our first stop in Argentina!

    Bariloche is on the east side of the Andes and marks the start of Argentinian patagonia. The town was founded by German settlers in the 1800s and as a result feels more like an alpine ski town than an Argentinian village.

    Lots of hiking to do here with an amazing view bagged on our first day.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    One night in refugio laguna negra

    13 de enero, Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    One of my favourite days from the trip I think! My Argentinian friend Lucia recommended this hike to me and Jo and what a tip it was.

    The walk takes you through the patagonian forest in the middle of a glacial valley before a steep climb straight up a cliff face at the end. Your reward is a night in a refugio built next to the black lagoon. Amazing views, fantastic food, delicious wine. Laguna negra, me amore.Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    High winds in El Chalten

    16 de enero, Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    El Chalten is known as the hiking capital of Argentina and is found nestled into the base of Argentinas patagonian andes. Jo and I did a day trip out from El Calafate and did a 20km hike through the valleys to the laguna torre.

    On this hike we could see the famous Fitzroy in the distance and other massive mountains in the range.

    When we arrived at the laguna we were literally blown away by 80kmh winds. We hid behind some rocks for lunch and were joined by a number of birds looking for a free snack.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    It is impossible to skip a bird reserve

    17 de enero, Argentina ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Just like being at home! Bariloche has a protected bird reserve for wetland and migratory birds that hosts thousands of ducks, gulls, and sometimes flamingos.

    Another day of super high winds, it is quite entertaining, though, to see ducks fly by at 100kmh!

    We also spotted gulls using the wind to hover in place before plucking caterpillars from the heads of daisies! Amazing behavior that I've never seen before.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Puerto Natales and the Last Hope Hostel

    19 de enero, Chile ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    After 4 days in Argentina, we are back in Chile! Puerto Natales is a gateway town to Torres del Paine, arguably the most recognisable Patagonian national park and home to some of its most impressive vistas.

    Before heading into Torres del Paine, though, we took a day to get to know the town and to visit the Milodon caves! The cave was discovered with the bones and skin of an extinct giant sloth inside of it alongside tools and evidence of early humans.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Mirador Cuernos and day 2 in TDP

    21 de enero, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Day 2 in TDP was shorter than day 1, but it delivered in totally new ways.

    We could not have been luckier with the weather, getting a full blue bird day of cloudless skies and bright sunshine. In this light, the mountains glowed, and the glacial lakes turned turquoise.

    In TDP, patagonia becomes the most beautiful place on earth. Especially when looking at Cuernos or "The Horns"    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    Glacier grey and day 3 in TDP

    22 de enero, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Our final day in TDP! What a day it was.

    Our goal was ambitious, to hike the entire glacier grey route and back in one day before the last ferry across the lake left.

    Unfortunately, we were scuppered early on when we became unable to board the first ferry of the day due to it being full. What felt like a curse quickly became a blessing, though. We met 5 other brits who were waiting for the boat, who then did the half of the hike that we did have time for after we all caught the next boat together.

    Our second blessing came at lunch when we saw an incredible condor pair do a fly past directly over our heads alongside the arrival of a hawk at our lunch spot! If we had been on boat 1 and stuck with the crowd, we would never have seen it.

    A beautiful final day in one of the most astonishing places I've ever been. Cannot wait to go back.    Leer más

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  • Ben MarshCentral and South AmericaBen Marsh

    We're gauchos now

    23 de enero, Chile ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    In Argentina and Chile, gauchos are horsemen and cattle ranchers who live out in the mountains wearing distinctive beret like hats whilst on their horses.

    Jo and I joined some for a day and have decided that we are now real-life gauchos as well!

    Great way to spend our final day in Patagonia.    Leer más

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