South America

June – July 2023

A 30-day adventure by Nicole Read more

List of countries

Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
United States

Categories

Around the world, Solo travel

5.5kmiles traveled

Means of transport

Flight4,113kilometers
Walking-kilometers
Hiking-kilometers
Bicycle-kilometers
Motorbike-kilometers
Tuk Tuk-kilometers
Car-kilometers
Train-kilometers
Bus-kilometers
Camper-kilometers
Caravan-kilometers
4x4-kilometers
Swimming-kilometers
Paddling/Rowing-kilometers
Motorboat-kilometers
Sailing-kilometers
Houseboat-kilometers
Ferry-kilometers
Cruise ship-kilometers
Horse-kilometers
Skiing-kilometers
Hitchhiking-kilometers
Cable car-kilometers
Helicopter-kilometers
Barefoot-kilometers

Newest first

Footprints
Photos

Traveler South America
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- Day 1
- Friday, June 23, 2023
- ⛅ 97 °F
- Altitude: 203 ft
- United States George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.986656, -95.33851629°59’12” N 95°20’19” W
Houston
June 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 97 °F
Boarded our plane to Lima, only to deboard the plane and spend 5 hours in the Houston airport. Don’t worry we found alcohol, made friends, and eventually made it to Lima at 4:00AM.
TravelerHuston
6/25/23Reply
TravelerIm a dumbass 😒
6/25/23Reply
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Traveler South America
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- Day 2
- Saturday, June 24, 2023
- ☀️ 73 °F
- Altitude: 495 ft
- Peru Plaza Mayor -12.045448, -77.03086112°2’44” S 77°1’51” W
Lima, Peru ~ Day 1
June 24, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
Hola penguins!

Day 1 in Lima is complete! In classic nic and aud fashion, it was eventful. After dragging ourselves out of bed at 11 am we found a market, ate some ceviche, went to the coast, and then took an Uber (with an exceptionally loud base and an EDM enthusiast driver) to partake in the worlds most boring walking tour. We walked ourselves right out of the tour and found an outdoor concert. After the concert, we went back to our hostel to promptly start drinking. After a few drinks we had convinced all Peruvians that we were sisters with a dead father. I will spare you the rest of the bar details as I am unsure if my mother is reading this, however we eventually made it back to the hostel where we spent the rest of the night taking care of a fellow traveler (shit quite literally hit the fan). I don’t think there is a worse place to get sick than in a hostel alone :( We are hoping for good karma and for our dear friend to feel better soon.

XOXO, gremlinRead more
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Traveler South America
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- Day 3
- Sunday, June 25, 2023
- ☀️ 73 °F
- Altitude: 495 ft
- Peru Plaza Mayor -12.045448, -77.03086412°2’44” S 77°1’51” W
Lima, Peru ~ Day 2
June 25, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
Hola Penguins!

Day 2 in Lima was slightly less eventful? After a solid 4 (maybe 3? who’s to say) hours of sleep we woke up and spent a good majority of the morning at the feet of a horse whisperer nursing her back to health. (note: she may or may not have ended up in the hospital later in the evening… Our teaching and accounting careers didn’t necessarily equip us for this kind of situation. But we really did do our best!) We then headed to the airport, managed to board with our bags listed as “small backpacks”, and landed in Cusco just as the sun set. We walked to go try “chufa” a classic Peruvian dish. After dinner, we hit the streets and wondered upon night markets, giant paper mache parade floats, and lit up castles. It is safe to say after this quick evening stroll we are absolutely in awe!!

Cusco is going to be a blast!

xoxo
city ratRead more
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Traveler South America
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- Day 4
- Monday, June 26, 2023
- ☀️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 11,148 ft
- Peru Plaza de Armas Cusco -13.518333, -71.97805813°31’6” S 71°58’41” W
Cusco, Peru ~ Day 1
June 26, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
Hola penguins!

Today we took a walking tour of Cusco, walked through the market, and then hiked up towards some ruins. On our way up to the ruins we met a Peruvian boy, who proceeded to take us on one of the most informational impromptu tours of the Cusco ruins, temples, and caves. Unfortunately on our way down from our lengthy hike/tour I began to feel less than 100%. 3 hours later, both aud and I were violently puking in the hostel. Ever puked to Mr. Brightside sung by 4 drunk Britts at hostel karaoke, cause I have. Apparently we did not get good travel karma…

xoxo
sick in CuscoRead more
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- Day 5
- Tuesday, June 27, 2023
- ☀️ 68 °F
- Altitude: 11,148 ft
- Peru Plaza de Armas Cusco -13.518333, -71.97805613°31’6” S 71°58’41” W
Cusco, Peru ~ Day 2
June 27, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
Hola penguins,

Not gonna lie we’re down bad today. We did not leave the hostel. While I wish I had documented this tragedy I was far too busy feeling sorry for myself. Instead here is a picture of the rainbow mountains, which we were planning on seeing today, had we had an ounce of energy.Read more
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- Day 7
- Thursday, June 29, 2023
- ⛅ 68 °F
- Altitude: 8,038 ft
- Peru Montaña Huayna Picchu -13.162729, -72.54498813°9’46” S 72°32’42” W
Inca Trail ~ Day 1
June 29, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
Hola penguins!

Today we started the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. For 4 days we will be hiking to the Machu Picchu ruins. We were picked up at 6am drove to the countryside where we had breakfast and met our hiking partners. Absolute characters. They are a family of 4 who have been driving through South America in a 4Runner for the past year (note: they have all 4 sleeping in the 4Runner as well). After breakfast we drove another hour to the beginning of the trek. The first day of the trail was fairly easy. We passed a few Inca ruins had lunch, talked with our guide David, and made it to our campsite. Once we got to the campsite we had dinner where Audrey and I made it our mission to figure out our hiking partners situation. We pestered them with questions and observed that by the way in which they housed food that they may have been hungry in their 4Runner.

Shout out to my mom for not making my family sleep in our 4runner for a year when I was 16 years old.

xoxo
BIG hiker girlRead more
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Traveler South America
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- Day 8
- Friday, June 30, 2023
- ☁️ 63 °F
- Altitude: 11,273 ft
- Peru Plaza de Armas Cusco -13.51449, -71.9791813°30’52” S 71°58’45” W
Inca Trail ~ Day 2
June 30, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
Hola penguins!

As I write this, Audrey and I are laying next to each other in a tent, in the middle of the Peruvian jungle, wearing matching lama sweaters. We woke up at 5am to eat breakfast and watch our hiking partners absolutely house some food, before we started one of the hardest hikes I have ever completed. We walked over Dead Woman’s Pass which stands at 4215 m above sea level. The hike consisted of about 5 hours of steep uphill climbing with little to no oxygen. Imagine doing the 12-3-30 but like 18-1-300 while wearing an altitude training mask. Have no fear, we both absolutely killed it, it did hurt, like a lot, but none the less we made it to the top!! The entire hike had amazing views and it is hard to believe we are in such a beautiful place. We had lunch with our guide and hiking family, took a nap, had dinner and went straight to bed.

xoxo,
Llama sweatersRead more
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Traveler South America
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- Day 9
- Saturday, July 1, 2023
- ⛅ 66 °F
- Altitude: 11,148 ft
- Peru Plaza de Armas Cusco -13.5183, -71.978113°31’6” S 71°58’41” W
Inca Trail ~ Day 3
July 1, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
Hola penguins!

Today we had the longest portion of the hike but also the most beautiful. We started the day at 5 in the morning, had breakfast, and began the hike. We immediately hiked up to an incredible ancient Inca site and then proceeded to summit our second pass. After our second pass we were promised the rest of the way was flat or Inca flat (up and down). Aud and I separated from the strange family and hikes with our guide to our lunch spot making friends along the way. One of the coolest parts of the Inca trail is that while you have a group that you eat every meal with you are amongst 10+ other groups all doing the same thing, hiking and camping at all the same spots. After walking past them or getting passed by them for two days you start to create friendships. Have no fear we made plenty of friends along the way! After lunch we continued to hike until 5:30 in some of the most beautiful landscapes, through a jungle and Inca ruins. After we made it to our campsite, we ate dinner (in which our chef somehow made us a cake in a tent) and went to bed in anticipation for a 3am wake up to hike Machu Picchu tomorrow.Read more
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Traveler South America
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- Day 10
- Sunday, July 2, 2023
- ⛅ 68 °F
- Altitude: 8,038 ft
- Peru Montaña Huayna Picchu -13.1627, -72.54513°9’46” S 72°32’42” W
Inca Trail ~ Day 4 Machu Picchu
July 2, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
Hola penguins!

Today we finally arrived at Machu Picchu, we woke up at 3am to start our hike in order to pass through the sun gates just as the first rays of sun hit Machu Picchu. We took a few pictures (probably more than a few), and then descended into the final part of the Inca trail into Machu Picchu. It was absolutely stunning, and taking the 4 day Inca trail made Machu Picchu all the better. I have a much better appreciation for the construction of the temple as well and the trek the royal Incas made from Cusco to the Machu Picchu. Once we arrived at Machu Picchu we took a tour and then made our way down to Aguascalientes, a small town below the temple to have lunch and say goodbye to our guide. After we said goodbye, aud and I proceeded to go to local hot springs while we waited for our train to take us back to Cusco. While you might think we would have been exhausted from hiking for 4 days and waking up at 3AM, we managed to drag ourselves from our hostel, meet up with one of the tour guides we met along the trail, and go salsa dancing with him and his friend.Read more
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- Day 14
- Thursday, July 6, 2023
- Altitude: 36 ft
- Ecuador Montañita -1.827132, -80.7525251°49’38” S 80°45’9” W
Montañita, Ecuador
July 6, 2023 in Ecuador
Hola penguins!!

I am currently leaving Montanita, Ecuador with many more sunburns and bug bites that I started with and much less sleep :) I am to tired to separate our days in Montanita so here is a brief recap. We started our first day with a surfing lessons, which led to relaxing on the beach with our surf instructors, which then led to a few drinks and lot of pool. Turns out I suck at both surfing and pool, but am significantly worse at pool. The next day we went to Isla de la Plata, which is also known as the poor man Galapagos. On our way to and from the island we saw SO MANY WHALES!! On the island we also saw blue footed boobies, snakes, lizards, sea turtles, coral reefs, and countless fish. We then grabbed drinks with all of our new local and hostel friends and danced all night. I think it’s safe to say we know everyone is this little beach town :) we had a slow last day in Montanita and planned the rest of our trip (yes we occasionally plan what we’re gonna do) and then hopped on a bus en route to our next destination!!Read more
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