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The big one
  • Katarina Power

The big one

Une aventure de 255 jours par Katarina En savoir plus
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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Cruz del Condor

    21 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Our first stop after three hours of driving is right at the beginning of the cañon. This is where we will have a first look at one of the deepest canons in the world and start our adventure.
    As we were running little bit late, we didn't have much time here.
    But we have managed to see not just one but about 15 condors magnificently navigating the sky.
    Those birds are so huge and have a real present when they fly above you. We have seen few in Chile but this has been so much better and a truly amazing experience.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Start of the trek

    21 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After Cruz del Condor it was only short drive to the start of our adventure.
    It's been quite chaotic to find who is our guide and get everyone sorted.
    We got changed to shorts and t-shirt as the blue sky was predicting beautiful and hot day.
    We were ready pretty quickly but our guide has left his shoes in the bus that continued to the village further and had to get it organised. It was so funny to watch him and as we were the slow pace group, we didn't mind at all.
    In the meantime we could watch all the farmers from surrounding area to pop in to fill their buckets with water to enable them to water their little fields.
    Little girl with her mum from the shop there tried to sell us some rather overpriced waterand snacks but as we take our budget very seriously, we had everything ready for the upcoming three days.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    San Juan de Chucho

    21 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Our first part of the trek was only downhill what has been actually quite demanding and difficult for our knees.
    Thankfully the weather was just right and not too hot so it was pleasant and views of the valley were absolutely breathtaking.
    Along the way we got chatting with few of the fellow travellers and they all seemed very nice.
    Once we have crossed the bridge, our final destination has been short hike away.
    We arrived very thirsty and we gladly accepted lunch as our breakfast wasn't huge. The noodle soup was delicious and main with alpaca was nice as well.
    After lunch we accepted to play UNO with others what was great fun. Once we all had rest, our guide Roy suggested walk around the farms so he can shows us different fruits that grow in the area. We loved the lush avocado trees and opportunity to try fruit we haven't tasted or seen before.
    We got back with moon on the sky and after dark. Few others who stayed behind were already gathered for dinner and we joined them immediately.
    Afterwards we stayed to play cards a bit more and chat about our travels and adventures in this beautiful and diverse continent.
    Once we got to our room, we inspected it closely for any insect and after brushing teeth with star-gazing we felt in bed tired but excited about next day.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Oasis in Colca Cañon

    22 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Our second day of hiking in the Colca cañon has been the easiest one.
    We had rather late morning and delicious fresh pancakes for breakfast. Once we packed and got ready, we started the slow 4 hours hike towards the Oasis where we will be spending night.
    I must say we got really nice group of people on this trip and along the way we chatted with different people about life and travels.
    Roy has been brilliant and showed us even more fruit that we could try out.
    After little uphill we grabbed a break at a little guinea pig farm and refreshed with kiwi like fruit.
    From here it was only nice slow hike through a village that grows lots of avocados and along a lovely waterfall.
    The oasis looked very welcoming when we spotted it from.above for the first time. Everyone picked up pace and we made it there right around lunch time.
    We enjoyed lovely lazy afternoon with a quick dip in pool. There was a football much scheduled for 5 p.m. between the different groups and locals.
    What an experience! I only watched and cheered but it was such a fun! The slightly tipsy locals where source of jokes and "Negro" was just amazing to watch. Every time the ball would get out of the football pitch, he would lay on the ground and chill! What a legend!
    With the match over, it was only time for quick shower before we headed for dinner.
    Vegetarian option of pasta and tomato sauce wasn't anything to rave about but carbs will be very handy for the next day hike.
    As we needed to get ready for an early morning, there wasn't too much of a party and everyone just headed to their own bungalow for couple of hours of sleep.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Cabanaconde

    23 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    To finish our hike through Colca cañon we had to get up super early at 4:15 a.m. and by 4:30 a.m. be ready to hike the 1 200 meters of elevation.
    Thankfully as it was pitch black outside and we were still sleepy, the first part of the journey was just about watching your step and trying to wake up.
    After about an hour, the sun started making it's way to the sky and with every inch, the valley looked more and more beautiful.
    The hike itself wasn't as difficult as we thought it would be and with a steady pace, we made it to the top in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
    Already there were cheering for us Daniel and Luke from our group. We wrapped up as it felt colder then in oasis and patiently waited for others to hike up.
    Main character of our group, an Israeli with nickname "Lobo", was greeted with huge cheers and shouts from us.
    Within two hours, everyone was up and we could continue towards Cabanaconde for breakfast where we got scrambled eggs and nice bread. Now it was just waiting for bus that would take us back to Arequipa.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Journey back to Arequipa

    23 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Before reaching Arequipa, we had few more stops along the way. First we stopped at the hot springs in Yanque that weren't so impressive and we spent it sitting by the river chatting and watching hummingbird flying around.
    The next stop was in Chivay where we grabbed buffet lunch. It was a bit expensive and even though it was nice, there wasn't enough of it and we felt disappointed at the end.
    After lunch pretty much everyone felt asleep and we only opened eyes for stop at view of the majestic volcanoes and part of the reserve with alpacas and llamas.
    Overall we had an amazing time and met lots of new friends we hope we will stay in touch with once we return home.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Clinica Arequipa

    23 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Our end to the trip in Colca cañon ended in a hospital.
    Thankfully it wasn't one of us.
    One of the lively Swiss girls, Jessica, that we met on our tour had ongoing problem since Machu Picchu and asked Petr to help with translating.
    Me and Rebekka spent the time in waiting room people watching and chatting about our travels and all the adventures.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Ica

    26 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Coming from the stunning and well maintained Arequipa, the town of Ica has been a bit of a shocker.
    The environment around changed to a dessert like scenery and the town itself is rather worn down and very dirty. It suffered several bad earthquakes and it shows everywhere.
    Our main goal here is to visit the Oasis Huacachina and national park Paracas with its "poor man Galapagos".
    We decided to explore the town by joining city tour that will end with trip to Huacachina.
    The city tour itself has been waste of time as the town is not really nice.
    We were quite excited about visiting local wineries that were part of the tour. After being to several wine tasting back home and few really nice ones in Argentina, the Peruvian experience didn't really deliver.
    I think they have to learn a lot about customer service and get their act together a little bit. The wine itself was very sweet and not as nice. On the other side, the Pisco was lovely and very smooth.
    The second bodega was rather interesting as we got to try wine of year 2018 that has been poured to our plastic mini cups by bamboo stick.
    From here we headed towards Cachiche where was a statue of a witch that lived locally, at least from what we understood and after that a palm tree with seven heads.
    From here we could finally head towards Huacachina and the main attraction of the buggie rides.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Ballestas islands

    27 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I was looking forward to this trip for quite a while. Branded as "poor man Galapagos" the islands have plenty of wildlife around to spot from a very close distance.
    The boat ride took us first to view the Candelabra petroglyph and our tour guide explained couple of theories how it was created.
    From here we picked up speed and headed towards the islands itself.
    I don't think we have ever seen so many birds. Our favorite penguins were just relaxing on a huge cliff and I have no idea how they got there.
    The captain navigated around the islands perfectly and we could encounter sea lion and pelicans real up close.
    We finished the trip by visiting beach full of sea lions making the weirdest sounds.
    Journey back to the white was really fast with windy blowing around.
    What a great trip!    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Reserva Paracas

    27 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    From the islands we were heading for the rest of the tour towards the Reserva Paracas with its beautiful beaches.
    First stop was a viewpoint over the town Paracas before we continued towards the interpretation centre with lots of information about local fauna and flora.
    From here it was a short drive towards the Playa Dorada viewpoint and the beach itself.
    At the beach we didn't even open the minibus door and we were already offered a lunch at the local restaurant. As it seemed quite nice place and judging by the plastic chairs we thought the price might be acceptable as well.
    We were rather wrong and the prices were absolutely super high.
    Instead we decided to grab few bread rolls and tuna we brought from home.
    The beach itself was very nice but the ocean was rather cold, at least for me.
    We spent there about two hours just relaxing and people watching before we headed back to Ica.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Huacachina and buggie ride

    28 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We heard about this adventure experience ages ago from a German girl we met in Punta Arenas and were really looking forward to it.
    I must say we have been slightly disappointed with the oasis itself. I think we were expecting something more polished and better presented for the money you need to spend on accommodation here.
    Once we arrived we were quickly moved to the buggie and didn't have much time to waste. It was a little bit frustrating as we wanted to get GoPro ready.
    The driver started the engine and we were ready to rumble. This drivers are really crazy and they are not afraid of speed. With the first downhill everyone screamed for life and hold on for their lives.
    It was great fun to drive up and down and it felt like one huge roller coaster. After about 15 minutes of riding we stopped on one of the dunes to take pictures.
    Then we were ready to start a whole new sport, sand-boarding. We got boards out of car and prepared to slide. Petr went first and it looked so much fun. I was a bit worried but there was no time to waste and I braved the fast slide down.
    From here we could see one more dune that was even bigger. We jumped on boards and slides that one as well.
    From here we jumped back for fun fueled ride back to the Oasis. It's been such a fun thing to do and we have really enjoyed it. Only shame it wasn't too long!    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Lima - day one

    29 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The journey from Ica was really nice and not that long. We have researched how to get to the hostel but nothing prepared us for the mayhem of the Metropolitano buses we needed to take there.
    It was absolutely overflowing with people and to get in you really needed sharp elbows. On the top of that we had our huge backpacks what made the journey even more entertaining.
    Once we arrived, we got settled pretty quickly and decided to head towards the historic city centre for the evening.
    It was easy to navigate and looked amazing. There wasn't many tourist but lots of locals as there were different performances directly on the square and open air cinema with my favourite screen shot :) I was laughing for ages afterwards.
    We didn't stay too long and after quick dinner we headed back home to get a shower and a good night sleep.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Lima - historic city centre

    30 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We wanted to come back to the main square and enjoy it in a day light as well and therefore we have decided to head there first.
    It definitely does look very impressive and filled with tourists had the classic capital feeling. Everything is very neat and polished and there is police on every corner.
    We walked around before we started exploring the rest of the city. The narrow streets are crazier and crazier further from the square you go. First we have discovered their typical market place full of colours, smells and visual catastrophes. From here we wondered further away until we unexpectedly discovered the China town of Lima. Right on the first corner was lady serving up delicious stewed dumplings we just had to try.
    From here we walked back to the mains square to catch Metropolitano towards the Miraflores.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Lima - Miraflores

    30 avril 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Getting to Miraflores was quite easy but unfortunately again on super full Metropolitano bus. They should really get it fixed.
    Once we figured out where to get off And found the right way, we could enter another super polished part of the city. The sidewalks were nice and clean, huge shopping malls full of brands and and coffee shops and restaurants full of tourist or locals with "few" soles to spend.
    From main square here we walked towards the seaside and were in awe. Huge apartment building are lining the coast with fancy terraces and swimming pools on the top. The sidewalks green full of palm trees and the view of the ocean absolutely never ending.
    We walked along for quite a bit as we wanted to watch the sunset and enjoy the lovely atmosphere.
    The paragliders navigated the sky and surfers the ocean below us.
    To finish of our busy city day we have decided to enjoy a sandwich in popular spot of Miraflores before we headed back to the hostel for a good night sleep.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Lima - La Punta

    1 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    For our second full day in Lima we have decided to head a bit further away from the classic touristic spots.
    Firstly we wanted to visit district La Punta and the end of the city. To get there we had to catch first a Metropolitano and then a minibus heading that way. It was such an adventure, the coordinator shouting from open door or only window at people passing by and then at us with next stop.
    Just to watch that was worth the trip itself.
    Once we got to La Punta, we walked around the pretty square and towards the pier by the ocean.
    When we wanted to walk towards the Naval museum, we got warned by local that it's not really safe and instead we took a minibus.
    As there wasn't much else to explore, we decided to head back towards Miraflores and explore this area a little bit more.
    The journey there was even more fun as the minibuse heading that direction competed for customers with other small minibuses. That resulted in a race through the city with sharp breaking and loud music shouting from the radio.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Barranco District

    1 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Once we got back to polished Miraflores with clean sidewalks, lovely restaurants and cafes, we headed straight for the coast and watched another beautiful sunset over the ocean.
    After about half an hour walk we got to very colourful district Barranco that is very hipster place to be around. There is lots of graffiti on the walls and we found a lot crafts market with local designers and delicious good.
    While we have been waiting for our yammi burgers to cook, I got myself a lovely new dress. They will come handy for the beaches in Dominican republic.
    From here we walked towards the Puente de los Suspiros, an iconic wooden bridge in the heart of the district with lots of street vendors and performers.
    As we were heading towards Huaraz next day, we decided to head back early and get a good night sleep.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Chavín

    4 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Another early morning for us as we decided to visit ruin in Chavín de Huarán that is part of the UNESCO heritage.
    Most of the tourist join a tour directly from Huaráz but we decided to take local bus that comes cheaper and visit the site ourselves.
    We took the bus at 7:30 a.m. from a small bus terminal heading that direction.
    The journey was very picturesque and we could admire the Cordilera Blanca along the way.
    Once we crossed the tunnel, the early morni g caught up with us and we had a little nap before we got out in Chavín.
    The village of the site is rather small and easy to navigate. After quick maintenance break we headed directly towards the entrance. The fee is very reasonable and before we knew it, we were reading all about the Chavín culture.
    From the interpretation centre we took the circuit around the ruin. From becoming there wasn't that much to admire but once we got on the right site, the remains of the temple opened in front of us.
    The temple has been built by Chavín culture around 800 BC and was visited only by the high society.
    Priest who took hallucinogens performed in front of few selected "multimedia show". River passing by together with musical instruments and costumes created show for all senses.
    Part of the circuit takes you into passages leading I side of the temple and that s where it got really impressive. We absolutely loved this part even though it felt slightly claustrophobic.
    Once we finished with the ruins we should have headed towards the museum with the artefacts found in the temple.
    But instead we got stuck with beer for 5 Soles (around 32 Kč or €1.30 for a litter) on a bench in front of a small shop in God forgotten street.
    We must have been quite am attraction as local girls passing on their way to school greeted us with the usual "Hola" and giggled right after.
    After very pleasant talk and just chilling we headed, slightly tipsy, towards the main square to catch a bus back to Huaraz.
    When we sat on the sun, we have discussed₩ as many things are not so much of cultural shock for us any more and how we got used to the exotic sight around us. That must have changed for the locals who we joined on the bus ride back, as we were the only tourists around.
    The rest of the journey was nice and we slept most of the journey.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Laguna Chinan Cocha

    5 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    After a very early morning, getting up at 4:30 a.m. and rather long journey we have finally arrived to our first stop, beautiful lagoon right by the roadside.
    It's turquoise colour was a preparation for the Laguna 69 where we are heading and as it was freezing outside, we made few pictures and jumped back on the bus to get dressed.En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Laguna 69

    5 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    From the car park to the lagoon is only 8 km but the altitude grows from 3 900 m.a.s.l. to breathtaking 4 600 m.a.s.l.
    The view along the way were absolutely beautiful even though the weather wasn't as good as we would wished for. Thankfully closer we got, more sun made its way on the sky and cleared some go the clouds.
    The last 200 metres was rather difficult as trying to catch a breath was very tricky and I did struggle a bit.
    After 2 and a half hours of walking we have been rewarded by spotting lagoon with the most beautiful turquoise water we have seen.
    As most of the people were behind us, we could take plenty of pictures after which we sat down with eggy sandwiches and chocolate.
    The sight of the mountains with peak over 6 000 m.a.s.l. were really impressive and we couldn't take our eyes of them.
    We have enjoyed good half an hour by the lagoon before it was time to head further.
    Petr came up with a plan for the journey back that would be full of surprises!    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Journey back from the Laguna 69

    5 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Well, what a journey this was!
    I was slightly reluctant to go back to the car park y different route but Petr really wanted to and therefore I had to man up and get on with it.
    To start of we had to climb from the 4 600 m.a.sl. to the highest point on our hike at 4 848 m.a.s.l. that is night of Mont Blanc!
    As I was already struggling to catch my breath, it took rather while to finally get there and even though the views were beyond beautiful, I was wishing to get it done and over with.
    From the highest point we could see the path we needed to take further. Unfortunately it was partly through snow and it was very steep. Therefore our progress was rather slow.
    By the time we got to the next lagoon where we again had to climb up, I was out of energy and our ti.e was running out.
    It took us good hour to cross around the lagoon and get finally on the path down to the parking space.
    From here we have decided that Petr will ran ahead and get the bus wait for us.
    I was trying to get down as fast as possible and at the end made it back with 20 minutes delay.
    Once we finally got on the bus, we both crushed on the seats and enjoyed journey back to Huaráz.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Trujillo

    7 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We have arrived from Huaráz quite late but as we were back at the sea level and the air was nice and warm, we could help ourselves to pop out and explore the place a little.
    Right round the corner from the square we have discovered a very nice Italian restaurant full of locals. As it smelled amazing, we went in for a dinner. The place was absolutely packed and we grabbed one of the last tables. The menu looked really good and we each chose a pizza with a beer.
    The service wasn't the fastest one but pizza was really nice and the atmosphere was great as well.
    From here we wondered around for a little bit before we decided to head back and have a good night sleep.
    In the morning we wanted to check out the town and options for visiting the temples around. We headed towards the bus station when we headed someone shouting Czechoslovakia! It was Lobo, an Israeli guy we met at the Colca cañon trek. We haven't seen each other since Arequipa and it was great to run into him.
    As we had only one full day before we continued to Ecuador, we decided to join a tour that would take us to both most interesting temples around here and take us to the beach at the end.
    The temples were really nice but the beach wasn't as I have imagined. It was rather cold and windy so we ran inside the minibus to warm up.
    Once we got back to town, we had time to drop of our luggage at the bus terminal before we enjoyed a lovely McDonald dinner right on the square.    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Temple de la Luna y Sol

    7 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We actually didn't really know much about the first temple we got to visit. The names are not original, they have been given by Spanish when they discovered the place.
    Our guide spoke only Spanish but we could understand quite a bit and were actually really impressed.
    First we got to visit really nice museum full of ceramic and artefacts and right after we got to have a look around the Temple de la Luna. There few bits really well preserved with original paintings and walls.
    The site has been much bigger then we have seen as there are three storeys below the surface and two more were above but now mostly destroyed.
    We were really glad we joined a tour and got to see the place as it was absolutely worth it!    En savoir plus

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    Chan Chan

    7 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The more known site and actually part of the UNESCO world heritage is area known as Chan Chan. It was the largest city in pre-Columbian era.
    When we were arriving we have seen piles of old buildings crumbling away. It looked like a shame but once we discovered that the site has originally around 20 sqm It was rather understandable.
    Only part of this huge area is preserved and can be accessed with a guide. The weather slightly caught up with us and light drizzle start falling when we walked around.
    The vastness of the place is amazing and at its best must have been an amazing place to be.
    We didn't have that much time but our guide explained about the Moche culture and their habits while inhabiting this city.
    From here were ready for our last stop at the beach. Even though it didn't really felt like beach time.    En savoir plus

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    Peru -> Ecuador border crossing

    8 mai 2018, Pérou ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    After more than a month in Peru was time again to cross the border. We have been in southern hemisphere for a while and with Ecuador we will be crossing the equatorial and getting back to the northern hemisphere.
    As with all border crossing in South America it requires long wait in different lines until we can get all the stamps in the passport and be on our way!
    I hope Ecuador has got some nice and hot weather ready for us as it's beach time!!! Yay!    En savoir plus

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  • Katarina PowerThe big oneVoyageur

    Finca San José

    9 mai 2018, Équateur ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After such a long time waiting to arrive to this beautiful oasis, we have finally arrived.
    Sandro and Pancho were super helpful navigating how to get to Loma Alta and we could make the journey within couple of hours.
    Once we have arrived, we couldn't believe our eyes how beautiful it is.
    It's really paradise set up in a jungle environment. Every night we can listen to cicadas outside and watch all the different insects trying to climb inside.
    While enjoying breakfast we can watch hummingbirds feeding on flowers in the garden or watch huge iguanas climb the trees in front of us.
    Every night we have some unexpected friend visiting. Anything from a small tropical frog in the shower to a gecko in the wardrobe or above our bed.
    I must say it truly is an adventure! A little bit too much insect for my liking but it makes the place!
    We have a use of a full kitchen so we can go crazy cooking our favorite dishes and prepare a fresh juice for breakfast every morning.
    I think we will definitely miss the place once we go!    En savoir plus

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