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South America

April - May 2024
A 53-day adventure by Jono Read more
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  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 1

    Mindo & The Cloud Forest

    April 4 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    First we visited a private garden called hummingbird paradise where you are able to observe over 100 species of hummingbirds, we even had some feed from our hands.
    Then we took a cable car over a section of the cloud forest before going on a hike to see a couple of waterfalls, the water was nice enough for a dip.
    The waterfalls were followed by a zipline through the canopy of the cloud forest.
    The day finished up with a tour of the Yumbos Mindo chocolatier, where the history and process of making chocolate in Ecuador was explained.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 2

    Otalavo Markets, Mountains and Lakes

    April 5 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The first stop was in Cayambe for some traditional breakfast of bizcochos with local cheese and dulce de leche and a lesson on the traditional applications of the agave plant by the indigenous people.
    On the way to the Otavalo markets, we stopped by the San Pablo lake view point which was stunning. At the markets, we purchased some local artisanal items, including a poncho. We learned about the mythical hero Aya Huma. Otavalo is an interesting mix of indigenous traditions with modern culture, the best example of this being the traditional clothing style which is still worn by older generation women but the men had to wear more modern clothing when they had to travel to Quito for work during the economic crisis.
    After Otavalo, we walked to Laguna de Cuicocha (guinea pig lake), which used to be known as the lake of the gods before the Spanish came and changed the name, stating there was only one god.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 3

    Intiñan Museum and Old Quito Town

    April 6 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    As we drove to the equator, our guide started off by explaining the current local political landscape of Ecuador, which gave us insight into the situation compared to what we had heard in Australia. It was also explained how Covid impacted Ecuador's control over the cartels and their ability to expand their influence during the pandemic.
    We then visited Pululahua, an active volcano with a 12km caldera, which housed a very brave village.
    The morning was capped off by visiting the Intiñan museum, which lies on the equator. Intiñan translates to "the path of the sun" in the indigenous language, Quechua. At this location, we learnt about the importance of the solstices to the indigenous people and how they utilised sun dials to determine the season of the year and what to do with their crops.
    Next we visited the Basílica del Voto Nacional, which is the largest neo gothic basilica in the Americas. The Ecuadorian used animals from the region as inspiration for the gargoyles. It will be forever incomplete as Quito old town was declared an UNESCO heritage site during construction.
    We then visited the old town square and white house where we learnt about the Ecuadorian independence war, first in 1809 when the Spanish prevailed followed by a second fight in 1822 when the local Ecuadorians used the natural geography and altitude to their advantage in their fights for independence.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 5–6

    Santa Cruz Island

    April 8 in Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    It was an early start to fly from Quito to the Galapagos but the view of the mountains from the plane was well worth it.
    First day in Galapagos was on Santa Cruz island. Driving to our accommodation, we saw a giant tortoise in the wild.
    We then visited the Charles Darwin Research Centre, where we saw baby tortoises being raised as well as some adult tortoises. It was interesting to learn there are 15 distinct giant tortoise species on the Galapagos islands, 1 for each volcano but when Lonely George passed away in 2012 he was the last of his species and we are down to 12.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 6–8

    Isabela Island

    April 9 in Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    When we arrived on Isabela Island, the first thing that screamed to be noticed was Sierra Negra volcano dominating the horizon. Once we had settled into the accommodation, we went for a hike to see the caldera of Sierra Negra, which has a diameter of around 12km and was stunning. The first day finished with some beers and sunset.

    The second day was spent exploring the Isabela Island lava tunnels, an amazing underwater complex like no other. They were formed when Sierra Negra erupted, and it's lava hardened faster on the outside whilst it flowed. This caused a complex tunnel network that over time caved in, causing a natural canal system teeming with wildlife. While snorkelling, we saw seaturtles, penguins, blue-footed boobies and sea lions.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 8–10

    San Cristobal Island

    April 11 in Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    On the boat ride from Santa Cruz towards San Cristobal, we came across a pod of dolphins that put on a show. There must have been at least 100 of them. Once on the island, we were overcome with the sight, smell, and sound of dozens and dozens of sea lions. Once we had checked into the hotel, we walked to the Galapagos Interpretation Centre where we learnt some history of the islands and about the three main currents (the Humboldt current, the Panama flow and the Cromwell current) that drive the diverse ecosystem that is the Galapagos. Afterwards, we snorkelled at a nearby beach where we saw another turtle and swam with very playful sea lions.

    On our second day, we went snorkelling at a cleaning station called Kicker Rock, hoping to see some hammerheads. Unfortunately, whilst we did not see any hammerheads, we managed to see giant schools of fish, swim with reef sharks, and even managed to spot a school of eagle rays, which was amazing.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 11–13

    Lima

    April 14 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    It was time to say goodbye to Ecuador and our new friends we had made over the last two weeks as our new adventure was starting in Peru. When we landed in Lima, we settled into our hotel before going to explore Lima.
    The next day, we met the first of our new travelling companions, who we went on to explore the Miraflores district with before it was time to meet the rest of our soon to be Intrepid Family.
    Once we had our group meeting we went for a guided walk of Lima where we learnt about the origin of Paddington bear, explored Kennedy park (AKA cat park), tried a local dessert called picarones and went to dinner to try local ceviche and pisco. The night was capped with some introductory drinks with the group.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 13–15

    Amazon Jungle

    April 16 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    It was an early and hungover start to the day when we had an early flight to Puerto Maldonado, where we would start our foray into the Amazon Jungle.
    On our river boat ride to our lodge, we spotted squirrel monkeys, capybaras, and caymans. Once we settled into the lodge, we were treated to an amazing sunset over the river before going on a night walk into the jungle to observe some nocturnal Amazon denizens.

    On the second day, we headed out to Tres Chimbadas Lake to look for giant otters, but unfortunately, the weather meant we had to turn back. Once we got back to our lodge, we joined the locals to watch a game of the champions league, which was surreal considering we were in the middle of the jungle. Some Titi monkeys even joined to watch the game. After this, we played a game of soccer with the locals before getting ready for a night jungle boat ride to try and spot some more wildlife.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 15–16

    Cusco the Incan Capital

    April 18 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Delicious local dinner
    Wandered around the town square at night
    On the drive to Ollayatambo we stopped for a view over Cusco, learnt about Pachachuti and his heroics to protect Cusco and the expansion of the Incan territory into the neighbouring countriesRead more

  • TravelerSouth America
    Day 16–17

    Ollantaytambo

    April 19 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Today we left Cusco to head out to Ollayatambo where we would be heading to the starting point of the Inca Trail the following day. On the way we stopped by a small community where we learnt about their lifestyle and how they make all the different colour dyes for their beautiful textiles. After that, we were dressed up in traditional clothing before having a local lunch. After the community visit, we had a quick stop to try Peruvian chicha but in my opinion the Ecuadorian version was nicer.
    Once we were in Ollantaytambo we went for a walk and explored the last living Incan town in Peru.    Read more

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