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Latin America

February - August 2017
A 189-day adventure by Elly Read more
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  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 77

    Salar de Uyuni

    April 20, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Wow. Welcome to Bolivia. It's bloody freezing.

    Arriving in Bolivia could not be more of a contrast to Chile. After leaving Chilean customs and arriving at Bolivian immigration which can pretty much be summed up by 'one man and his dog' manning the border, we put on all of our extra layers as it was absolutely freezing and ate some breakfast.

    We then were separated into groups and got into the 4x4s. My group was great - Helen and Andrea who I got on really well with and were in my hostel in San Pedro, a German guy called Peter and a French couple. Our driver was called Eddy and he was a G.

    The first day we were in the national park, and drove to different lagunas including the white lagoon, the green lagoon and the pink one. We also stopped off at thermal springs and geysers. That night we were staying in a Refugio in the national park. There was no heating or electricity and that night you could hear the wind blowing so loudly and when we woke up it was -20 degrees outside. Some people had really bad nights sleeps because it was so cold, but I wasn't too bad because I had put so many layers on and also had my sleeping bag.

    The next morning we drove to a couple of other places but because it was so cold and the wind was so bad it made getting out of the car for longer than a few minutes really difficult. At one point when we were driving there was a huge sandstorm and you couldn't see anything out of the windows. We ate lunch in Alota and then continued driving through villages (basically ghost towns - it's pretty remote around here) until San Juan.

    That night we stayed in a salt hotel. At first I was really disheartened when I saw the hotel from the outside, because in all honesty it looked like a shack. However, I was surprised as the inside was actually really nice! We were able to have hot showers and charge our phones which was nice. I was in a triple room with Andrea and Helen which was good because it's one of the first times I've managed to sleep without being woken up by snoring! That night we had a really nice dinner and we were also able to use wifi for an hour which was good because I hadn't spoken to Josh for nearly two days.

    The next day we got up at 4.30am to set off in time to see sunrise on the salt flats. The salt flats really exceeded my expectations - they are huge and just as cool in real life. The sunrise was really special, and we all took lots of photos. After we drove to this island where there are loads of big cactuses and good viewpoints. It's weird having to walk uphill and be really out of breathe from the altitude. We also got loads of the typical tourist photos and Eddy was pretty good at coming up with ideas of what we could do. Someone in the other group brought a drone with them and they took loads of cool videos.

    After we went to Colchani market and I bought some tourist souvenirs and also paid 5Bs to get a picture with a baby llama which was so adorable. It tried to kiss me and my heart melted. We had lunch and then went to the train cemetery as the last stop before the end of the tour.

    I was sad the tour was over because I really enjoyed myself. It was nice to be looked after and have all your meals cooked for you. I was also sad to leave Helen and Andrea as we got on so well but they were staying in Uyuni and I was moving on to Potosi with Peter.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 80

    Sucre

    April 23, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    I couldn't for the life of me tell you what Sucre has to offer as a city because all I did was drink in the hostel and go to the same vegetarian restaurant three times.

    The first night me and Nicole arrived and went out to eat to the vegetarian restaurant which was really good food. We wanted to go on a night out but in the end we had a glass of wine and it made us feel really tired, so we ended up going to sleep instead.

    The next day, we moved hostels to Kultur Berlin which is a party hotel. I spent most of the day catching up with messaged and FaceTiming Josh and my mum and dad, before my dad comes out to Bolivia next week. We also went out for lunch and then started drinking pretty early. We played this hilarious Dutch drinking game and then went out to the veggie restaurant again. This time I had the falafel sandwich which was actually so delicious and only 25 Bs (£2.80).

    That night we went back to the hostel and carried on drinking. There's also a club in the hostel which was pretty funny and I ended up meeting people and continued partying with them until 6am.

    The next day I literally had 4 hours sleep and then had to check out at 10.30am. We went to get some breakfast - again the same restaurant and I had the pancakes which were banging. Nicole was staying in another hostel so we went to her new hostel and slept and hung out there for most of the day. It was a lot quieter and more chill which was exactly what I needed in my state. After, Charlie and I went back to our hostel and just got ready for our night bus to La Paz. We went for some food and I had a really tasty burger for 35Bs.

    I'm really excited for La Paz and for my dad to come out next week. It seems everyone from Kultur Berlin goes to the same hostels (Wild Rover) so I'm sure I'll recognise some faces there.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 80

    Potosi

    April 23, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    After being told not to stay in Uyuni, I got the bus with Peter and Nicole to Potosi. Although there is a lot of poverty there, it was quite a nice city in the centre. I was told it's one of Bolivia's more affluent cities which unfortunately isn't much of a statement.

    I only stayed in Potosi for one night as a stop off before Sucre but my hostel was fairly nice. I was told by others about the mine tours there, which was absolutely terrifying but I'm also so happy I did it.

    Our tour guide was an ex-miner and had a good sense of humour. At first we were given overalls, hard hats and wellie boots to put on for going into the mine. We then were driven to the miners market where for 20 Bolivianos (less than £2.50) you can buy a 'goody bag' of coca leaves, cigarettes and 96% alcohol for the miners. We then went to the refinery where you see how the miners extract the zinc and silver from the rocks. This was really interesting, but the main part was actually going into the mine itself.

    At first you have to climb down a ladder and into the mine which was actually terrifying. I was pretty scared because at some points the passage was so small and narrow that you had to crawl or climb. My heart was racing but I eventually got used to it.

    We went a lot deeper into the mine and were shown different parts of it. There were people working in there and they wheel around the rocks in carts. The conditions are pretty rough as they work 6 days a week from 3am until 6pm. One of the miners started at the age of 13 but they said it's less common for children to now work in the mines.

    We met two miners and got to ask them questions, and when we had finished speaking with them we thanked them for having us. They said that they liked having tourists come down into the mine because otherwise they don't get to see people and it makes them sad - especially the ladies haha. As terrifying as it was, I was really happy I experienced it. It felt like I was supporting the local economy and the miners by going and it was nice to know that they actually like the mine tours instead of finding them a nuisance.

    As good as it was, it was nice to come back up out of the mine and into the daylight. After, Nicole (this cool Dutch girl I met) and I got a three hour taxi to Sucre for around £5 each! It's crazy how cheap this place is.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    1
    Day 90

    Rurrenabaque

    May 3, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    The Pampas Tour was incredible, maybe even one of my favourite things so far.

    Dad and I got up at 5am to get to El Alto airport for our flight to Rurrenabaque. It was funny because we by random coincidence got the plane with some people I had met in Patagonia (small world eh). The plane was the tiniest plane I've ever been on - it could fit about 20 people and you could see into the cockpit from where you were seated. Once in Rurrenabaque we met our tour group (2 Belgian guys, 2 girls from Holland and a South African woman) and drove 3 hours until we reached the Yucuma river.

    We then got onto canoe boats and had a 2 hour boat ride to our jungle lodges. The boat ride was incredible because we stopped and got to see all sorts of different wildlife - pink dolphins, cappuccino monkeys, eagle, turtles and loads more. I really liked the lodges we were staying in, they were built on the water and have caymans beneath us named Pepe and Santa 😂. Dad and I got a twin room which was good because the others had to share a dorm.

    We went to watch the sunset and when it got dark we went looking for caymans. This was difficult because you can only really notice them from the light reflecting off their eyes. We did see some but the best bit was the stars because there was no light pollution so you could see the whole Milky Way so clearly. That's only thing we really do miss out on in England, especially in London.

    The next day we went looking for anacondas in the swamps. This was made more difficult because it was the rainy season and so there was more places to look. We had to get waist-deep and wade through the water, and we only found one snake at the end and it was really small. After we went swimming with pink dolphins which was fun. Once we got back in the boat and started to leave we saw a green mamba coming towards our boat like it was about to attack our boat. This was pretty scary because we had just got out of the water and it was really close to where we had been swimming. Our guide said that if a green mamba snake bit you you'd only have 30 minutes to live.

    We went back for lunch and then had a siesta in the hammocks. After we went piranha fishing which (I never had myself down as someone who would enjoy fishing) but it was actually really fun. I kept nearly catching the fish but you have to pull the line out of the water really quickly and the fish had escaped by the time I pulled it out. In the evening we played cards and pool.

    The last day of the tour we got up early in order to watch the sunrise. We also did more swimming with the dolphins and then headed back to Rurrenabaque for our flight back to La Paz. The airport is also a one man and his dog kind of place but it was nice because we sat outside and drank beers until we had to get on the flight.

    We had such a great time in the Amazon, made even better by a fun tour group and a really good guide. The wildlife there was incredible - some of the best I've seen in South America so far. I'm so glad I can tick the Amazon off my bucket list and I got to do it with my Dad.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 90

    La Paz

    May 3, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    La Paz is a big, sprawling, chaotic mess - it's a really cool city but I stayed here too long and there isn't tonnes to do.

    The first few days I was so sick off the altitude that I was basically bed-bound and couldn't really eat or move without feeling really dizzy. After recovering, I went to the tour agency to book the Pampas Tour from Rurrenabaque for when my dad arrives and also did a bit of life admin, cos travelling isn't always beers and beaches.

    The third day I finally did some touristy stuff and did the walking tour and the witches market which was really interesting. Bolivia is a really cool and culturally interesting/ progressive country so it was good to find out more. There are also loads of really good vegan and vegetarian restaurants and we went to Namas Te which did tasty food.

    In the evening, our hostel (Wild Rover - where basically every English person stays) did a karioke night which was actually hilarious. We got a group to sing 500 miles by the Proclaimers and everyone joined in. After we went out to a few bars and ended up getting home at around 4am.

    The next day we were all feeling pretty rough so Charlie, Sadie, Ali and I went to Mercado Lanza for the best £1 sandwiches ever and juice. This was honestly my saviour as I was feeling pretty bad. We then had a film day in the TV room and watched Moana, Harry Potter, 50 Shades of Black but unfortunately not Mulan (the running joke for the day). I was knackered so I went to bed pretty early and I wanted to feel fresh cos my Dad was arriving in La Paz the next day.

    The next day I went to meet my Dad at the hotel we were staying at for the next couple of days. I was so excited to see him as it had been just under 3 months since I left England! I was worried he was going to be dying from the altitude just like I was, but actually apart from being tired and a bit out of breathe he was on pretty good form. We had a walk around the city centre and got some food before going back for a rest in the hotel. The hotel is SO nice - such a treat after staying in hostels/ tents/ overnight buses for the last 3 months. In the evening we went for more veggie/ vegan food at a place called Magick which was really nice.

    The last day of La Paz we got the cable cars all around the city. This was nice because you really got to see all of the city, from the quite rich Western parts to the poorer parts at the top of the city near El Alto. Even though it's not exactly a pretty city, the views are pretty spectacular. After we went got some lunch and juice at Mercado Lanza and then chilled in the hotel for the afternoon because Dad was still adjusting and also it started to rain quite heavily. In the eve we went out for food at Ali Pacha which is one of the best restaurants in Bolivia. It's insane how cheap it was - we got a 3 course meal for 100 bolivianos which is the equivalent of £11. The food was so beautifully decorated, it was like something you'd see on Masterchef. Each course came out and we were explained all the different ingredients and flavours. It's nice to push the boat out and spend a bit more sometimes.

    All in all, La Paz is a cool city with some really amazing restaurants. I spent a bit too long here, and didn't do things like Death Road or Valle de La Luna, which maybe I should of done if I had got my act together a bit quicker. But in all fairness, I don't really mind because I've already done so much stuff on my trip that to miss out on 1 or 2 things doesn't bother me that much. Anyways peace out La Paz - you big chaotic sprawling mess ✌🏼    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 93

    Copacabana & Isla del Sol

    May 6, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Our last stop in Bolivia brings us to the shores of Lake Titicaca, before we cross over into Peru.

    After arriving in Copacabana, we found our hostel, Piedra Andina, which was so nice - like a little home away from home. The weather was glorious and we had a great view of the lake from our balcony. We then went out to explore the town. It's fairly small, you don't need that long to explore there.

    We walked up to El Calvario which is 4,100m above sea level. It was a bit of a walk due to the altitude but the views from the top made it worth it. We also visited the Catderal which is a beautiful white building amidst the typical Bolivian half-built houses. We got our bus tickets for Cusco and then had some food and played draughts.

    The next day, Dad and I got up early to go to Isla del Sol. We didn't realise that the boat takes one and a half hours to go a fairly short distance - the boat was painfully slow and we made the mistake of staying on the boat even longer to go to Isla de la Luna which there is virtually nothing there. We finally arrived at Isla Del Sol around 1pm (we had left at 8.30am) and had some lunch. After we explored a bit. Once you're away from people trying to sell you stuff the island is really idyllic and peaceful. On great form, the sun came out and we enjoyed a good view from the top of the island.

    We left the island at 3pm and got back at 5. I had forgotten that the entries for the London Marathon closed the next day and we were getting a night bus to Cusco. In a frantic rush before our bus, I went to an Internet cafe to apply for the ballot. We then got our bus and crossed the border into Peru.

    This marks the end of another country on my travels. I have really enjoyed Bolivia - it's a world away from Chile and Argentina. It's a lot rougher around the edges but there is so much beauty in the country and the people I found to be friendly.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 97

    Machu Picchu

    May 10, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We left Cusco early and headed towards Ollantaytambo to begin the Inca Jungle Trek. We had booked for 4 nights and 5 days to do a number of activities including mountain biking, white water rafting and zip lining before we went to Machu Picchu.

    The first activity, mountain biking was probably my least favourite. We started off at 4,800 metres on a really windy road and at the top it was absolutely freezing. It started to rain heavily and we all got absolutely soaked - including our walking shoes. I did the first half of the biking but when we stopped for a break I started to feel light headed and so didn't continue any further.

    After lunch we went to our hostel in Santa María and then went white water rafting. I've not done it before so it was really fun and the people who ran it made it even better by having a joke along the way.

    The next day we did the jungle trek from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa where we were staying the second night. It was 21km up and down hills and through the jungle. We even trekked a bit of the original inca trail too which was stunning. The trail goes along cliff edges but the scenery is out of this world. We stopped off along the way at coffee plantations and local farmers shops which was nice. At one point we even got changed into traditional Peruvian clothes and our guide painted our faces. We finished off the day at the hot springs in Cocomayo and had a beer.

    We did zip-lining the next day which was also really fun. At first I was a bit apprehensive because the lines were so high but once you got the first one out of the way it was really good. After we walked from Hydro-eléctrica to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town) and got ready to wake up at 3.30am to climb the mountain up to Machu Picchu.

    The walk up to Machu Picchu was really difficult (literally a vertical climb up stairs) but we managed to get up to the top in 50 minutes. We arrived just before 6am and we were one of the first groups to be let in. At first, it was really misty and you could barely see a thing. After a while, the mist cleared and for the first time we could see Machu Picchu. It was absolutely incredible. We had a guided tour around and then spent more time looking around ourselves. We climbed up to the sun gate for a really good view over the whole of the site. Overall we spent 7 hours there and then walked back down to Aguas Calientes which took another hour. Absolutely exhausted, we finally slept.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 99

    Cusco

    May 12, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    After getting back from Machu Picchu we spent a few days in Cusco.

    As it was Dad's last day, we went to San Pedro de Mercado on the hunt for some souvenirs. We also ate at the cevicheria (fish bar) where you can eat fresh fish for as little as £2! I also bought some tea bags (essential as I'm really starting to crave for tea) and black quinoa also for £2.

    We also went to the Inka Museum which was interesting, as we had already seen Machu Picchu so we could contextualise it very easily.

    After we went for massages which is supposed to be one of the top things to do in Cusco. The massage was very relaxing but we had an interesting time with the woman in terms of paying. After negotiating the price down to 25 soles she somehow managed to get us back up to 40. It didn't really matter though because £10 for a 50 minute full body massage is still extremely cheap. After we felt tired but went out for some drinks and then dinner.

    Dinner was Peruvian steak in Uchu which was absolutely divine. It was such a nice way to mark the end of Dad's time out in South America with me. 2 weeks have gone so quickly but we had a great time and managed to fit in so much.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 102

    Arequipa

    May 15, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    The hiking chronicles continue.

    After accidentally booking 2 tickets to Arequipa, I recruited Charlie to join me. The bus cost us £8 but we ended up in cama. However, we did spent the first part of the bus ride worrying that they hadn't put our bags in the hold so that was interesting.

    We arrived in Arequipa at 4am and slept until we went on the walking tour around the city. Known as 'the white city', Arequipa is really beautiful. In the same desert region as San Pedro in Chile, it was boiling hot which makes a nice change. We walked round the city centre and then went for some traditional Peruvian food at La Capitana. We got 4 dishes for £5 which were really nice - apart from the cows cheek which was disgusting.

    After I went back to the hostel and organised myself for doing the Colca Canyon tour the next day. We went for drinks and an Indian - I haven't eaten curry since leaving the UK so this was a nice treat! We had some drinks but nothing too heavy because I had to get up at 3am the next morning.

    After an early start and really uncomfortable bus ride, we arrived at the Condor viewpoint at around 8am. You could see about 4 or 5 condors flying overhead which was cool. We then started our trek of the Colca Canyon - the second deepest canyon in the world.

    I liked my group because there were some girls I had met in La Paz on it so it was really fun. We trekked for about 2 hours downhill which was easy apart from that the track was so slippy as the rocks were basically dust. We had lunch and a quick nap and then continued to 'the oasis' which was our hostel for the night. The first day's trek was good but pretty exhausting and I was out like a light by 8pm.

    The next day we had to get up at 4.30am to start the trek back up the canyon. The trek is about 1000 metres up and it ended up taking nearly two and a half tours. It was hard but it was really good to have done it.

    We had breakfast and then went to the hot springs which was really good after having done all that walking. My muscles were achey but the hot springs relaxed them. We then got the bus back to Arequipa which took about 5 hours and arrived back in the city in time to have some food and then get the night bus to Ica.    Read more

  • Elly BlakeLatin America
    Day 104

    Huacachina

    May 17, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After a series of 3am wake ups and serious walking, Huacachina was a dream - sunbathing by the pool and wine.

    The town itself is a bit anti-climatic but we were staying in the most amazing hostel called Upcycled and yep - you guessed it - all the furniture was made from upcycled materials. It was really cool.

    The first day we spent by the pool with a few bottles of wine. This carried on into the evening.

    The next day was pretty much the same but we decided to do the sandboarding and also debate where we would go next - Paracas or Lima. After hearing Paracas described as 'not dreadful but not amazing' we decided Lima it was.

    The sandboarding was really fun - at first you drive in huge buggys up the sand dunes but it's like being on a rollercoaster. We then did the actual boarding which was great until one of the girls in our group went down a huge sand dune and fell off really badly. She didn't move for a few minutes and we were all like 😱 and when she finally moved she thought she had broken her collarbone and went to hospital. Needless to say after this no one else really wanted to do anymore.

    Our driver rushed her off to hospital and left the rest of the group stranded in the middle of the desert whilst he did that. After he came back we went to watch what was left of the sunset and came back to Huacachina for dinner.

    Lots of people I've met in Peru are at the hostel so we spent the night drinking and playing cards. Although this place is pretty dreamy and it would be nice to stay another day, we are now off to Lima for the weekend before maybe heading further north to either Huaraz or Mancora.    Read more

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