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South America
  • Taylor S
  • Taylor S

South America

A 184-day adventure by Taylor Read more
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  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Tunja, Colombia

    April 8, 2017 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    A long bus ride and I ended up in Tunja. With no more buses going to my destination I had to find a hotel (for cheap) and managed to after a few tries. The next morning to my surprise the hotel staff ( a family) told me that there would be a Palm Sunday procession through the town that morning. I went to take pictures and saw the procession of various Catholic costumes that are a bit frightening being from the US. There were military and youth marching bands playing Simon and Garfunkle's song Sound of Silence.

    It was great to see another Semana Santa procession and witness the smaller town traditions that are so popular in the interior of Colombia.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Villa De Leyva, Colombia

    April 10, 2017 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Not so far from Bogota is a smaller colonial town that is quite popular with tourists. I thought I'd check it out and besides I could camp there for cheap. The large plaza, white houses, and cobble stone streets of the other colonial towns I had been too were also here. It was a very pretty town with large mountains towering over. I wondered the streets and sat drinking tinto in small cafes.

    I was lucky there was a cultural week in progress at the San Francisco monastery. Two nights in a row I went to see live music the first night classical music and the second traditional Colombian music. I also watched a German film in a local theater that was free too.

    It was a nice relaxing town with not a whole lot going on which is what I needed before heading on to Bogota.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Bogota, Colombia

    April 12, 2017 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Bogotá is the capital of Colombia known as being cold and massive it truly lives up to that name. I was lucky enough to have a great Couchsurfer, Jorge, who gave me some good tips and was a photographer who had his own darkroom.

    As it was Semana Santa (Holy Week) the city felt pretty empty , but still many people where in the city center visiting the churches and walking inn the parks.

    I got 13 rolls of film developed by a man named Efraim who did and excellent job. I was able to try some of BBC (Bogota Beer Company) craft beers and get out of town into the nature on good Friday when everyone climbs the mountain just outside Bogota to the monastery that sits at the top.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Leticia, Colombia

    April 15, 2017 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Leticia sits on the middle of the Amazon along the river and borders Peru and Brazil. It's not super big but is definitely a town and has some great parks, views of the river, tours to the Amazon and the place id start my River journey down the Amazon.

    I stayed at a hostel that a friend of mine worked at. We had met on Ecuador so it was nice to see a familiar face and hangout in Leticia with new friends.

    I originally only planned to stay one night but since no one knew the schedule for the boat down the Amazon and it was Easter I ended up staying two extra nights which was fine by me as Leticia was cozy, the hostel had a pool and I was in good company.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Tabatinga, Brazil

    April 16, 2017 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Since Leticia is on the border of Brazil I was able to walk into the small Brazilian town of Tabatinga. I went with a Brazilian friend from my hostel and surprisingly I could understand a bit of Portuguese. Normally US citizens need to pay for a visa to enter Brazil but on the border you don't need one. It's kind of like the honor system and they even have signs that remind you that you need to come back.

    We walked into the "town" to buy me a hammock, bug net and some Brazilian chocolate for my friends back at the hostel. Also bought a liter of Açai juice which comes from the Amazon and has a lot of energy.

    It was fun to go into Brazil without the visa because next time I enter I'll need to pay $160 :(    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Iquitos, Peru

    April 20, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After 2 1/2 days on a boat I arrived in the jungle city of Iquitos. The worlds largest city accessible only by water or air. I was surprised by how big it was and how you really couldn't tell you were in the middle of the Amazon. With 30,000 Moto-taxis and very few cars the city is buzzing with life. I stayed with a Couchsurfer from Colombia and got to go out for exotic Amazon cocktails and go to see a Peruvian movie on the theater. Iquitos also has a wonderful barrio called Belen known for its market and the fat that half of the year it's partially underwater making it only accessible by boat and small wooden walkways. The Venice of the Amazon. I enjoyed walking around the streets, the parks and getting my beard trimmed for the price of one song on Harmonica.Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Tarapoto, Perú

    April 30, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After many days in the Amazon traveling within the jungle and along the river I finally made it to where the road starts. In Yurimaguas I caught a car to Tarapoto where I spent a few days with a great Couchsurfer Fernando and his family.

    I was able to go to Sauce a beautiful little lake and try out the mud spa as well as another town called Lamas home to a castle and the Wayku people.

    I'm the evenings Fernando showed me around town on motorcycle and I even met a random old Peruvian couple whose daughter lives in Minnesota and the señor fought along side Che in Cuba.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Chachapoyas, Perú

    May 3, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    A lovely colonial town that technically is in the Jungle. It was cold and I nice change of weather from the actual jungle. Besides the lovely town it's close to two great sites. First is Kuelap a huge complex made by the Chachapoyas culture and Gocta a large waterfall (3rd or 5th largest in the world it's up for debate).Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Leymebamba, Perú

    May 7, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    A small town with a great museum of over 200 mummies and lots of well preserved artifacts from the Chachapoyas culture that were in tombs located by their sacred lake.

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Cajamarca, Perú

    May 9, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Back to the sierras and the 10 gallon hats! Cajamarca is a larger Sierra town with a plethora of old churches, the room what the Incan emperor was killed , and quite the Guinea pig market. I got to go to some Incan thermal baths and climb around some cliffs looking for ancient petroglyphs.Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Trujillo, Perú

    May 12, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Trjuillo sits on the pacific coast in the north of Peru, the coast is lined in desert and home to some of the coolest ruins I've seen set and museums full of the most detailed and wide variety of artifacts and art from the cultures.

    The first were the Huacas Del Sol y Del La Luna. Two pyramid like temples home to the Moche culture. Used to house the religious and politically elite they created large and colorful reliefs on their temple to represent their God and their myths. Large human sacrifices were made to keep the gods happy, both regularly and in the years of El Niño. Every lifetime they would build over their temple allowing their art to be perfectly preserved.

    The second are the remains of a large city called Chan Chan from the Chímu culture. These huge walls that remain scattered throughout the desert coast mark the remains of a large civilization that had great architectural skills and a great respect for both the ocean and the mountains.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Huamachuco, Perú

    May 14, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    In an attempt to get to another town I had no choice but to take a van to Huamachuco. Because we arrived late I had to stay the night. It was Mother's Day and I went for a walk. I ended up outside the towns bull fighting ring where I could hear music inside. There was a Mother's Day concert. I bought a ticket and entered in to the bull fighting rig full of dancing Peruvians. I was the only foreigner and tallest person there.

    I was quickly adopted by a family that bought beers, danced with me and wanted to take photos of me attempting to dance like a Peruvian. It was the best accidental place to end up.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Santiago De Chuco, Perú

    May 16, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Santiago De Chuco a town smack dab in the middle of the Andes, while having a large population 30,000 it has a small town feel. The only reason I came here is because a man I met in Tarapoto is from here and told me I should check it out. It's also along the way of my detour through the Andean pueblos where there is little transport and very few tourists just the way I like it.

    I spent a couple nights and enjoyed the early morning and afternoon sun as so walked the streets and enjoyed the view of the endless Andean hills. I also visited the grave of Perú's most famous poets Cesar Vallejo who was from this town.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Angasmarca, Perú

    May 17, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    From Cachicadan I caught a van they call them "Combis" to Angasmarcas another small deserted town that lies beneath a giant rock surfaced hill. Here I waited another 4 hours for another Combi to pass. I sat in the square with my bags and made friends as they passed by. The icecream man, a local woman, a gang of girls playing with a top, and witnessed as various locals pulled horses through the square carrying their goods, a funeral procession passed by as the locals carried the coffin towards the church, and as school let out a swarm of children on blue sweaters smiling and yelling GRINGO as they passed by.Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Cachicadan, Perú

    May 17, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Just across the valley from Santiago de Chuco is Cachicadan (Also extremely fun name to say). I caught a van here in the morning from Santiago and checked out their thermal baths. After months of cold showers especially on the Andes where it's quite chilly at night at around 3,000 meters you take advantage of all the thermal baths and warm water you can get!Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Santa Clara De Tulpo, Perú

    May 18, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Santa Clara De Tulpo is a small village in the Andes surrounded by beautiful hills and eucalyptus forests where most of the men work. I arrived on the rain and was surprised that in such a small place that didn't have a restaurant open had a brand new hostel with rooms far more luxurious than any I had yet to say in. In order to get a room I had to walk up the Main Street to knock on the house with the green door.

    I spent a day wandering the streets and ended up spending most the afternoon talking to a gentleman who told me his life story and fed me lunch! Such great people in these small towns.    Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    La Yeguada, Perú

    May 19, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Stopped here for a night as the bus to my next destination would leave at 4am from there. A charming little village where kids were digging up lines to mark a football field and a daughter and her grandmother took me out to the field to cut alfalfa to feed their Guinea Pigs!Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Pallasca, Perú

    May 20, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    I ended up in Pallasca as it seemed the next logical move on my trip through the Andes, what I didn't realize is how beautiful this town would be. Sitting on top of a hill and over looking a great valley with mountains as far as you can see the red clay roofs of all the house, the church from 1650 with ornate design and the fresh mountain air all made this my favorite place in the Andes between Huachuco and Huarez.Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Chuquicara, Perú

    May 21, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Stopped here for an hour to change buses but the bus ride from Pallasca to here following the Tablachaca river and down into the Canyon de Pato is one of the most beautiful I've seen. Not written up in any guide book but highly recommended by me.Read more

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    Huaraz, Perú

    May 24, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    First artisanal beer I've had in a while, Huaraz is a great stopping point for some hikes, and offers great views of snow topped peaks.

  • Taylor SSouth AmericaTraveler

    San Marco, Perú

    May 27, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    I stopped at a small town called Chavín named after the Chavín de Hauntar culture whose ruins are located there, with great underground tunnels and stone carvings it wS quite cool. I then made my way to San Marco for the evening.Read more

    Trip end
    May 28, 2017
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