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South America
  • Miel Degang
  • Laura Debyser
  • Miel Degang
  • Laura Debyser

South America

A 161-day adventure by Miel & Laura Read more
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  • South America
    Museo Nacional QuitoStreet vendors sell the most random stuffLifeStraw, our best friendSupport for Diana Salazar, the attorney general leading the battle against narcos and corruption

    Quito

    Apr 24–27, 2024 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Back in Quito! We stayed a few days to acclimatize after the jump from sea level to 2800 m and mostly walked around the city.

  • South America
    1Cotopaxi 🌋
    Corazón - clear in the morningCoca leaves 🤢Corazón summit (4788m) - selfie with some locals in the cloudsA dog we named Choclo followed us all the way to the top and back!Our guide Segundo drove us around Cotopaxi NPSome hot coca tea (good for altitude sickness) at Refugio José Ribas1Miel couldn't resist crossing the 5000m barrier so went a little higherLaguna de Limpiopungo with Rumiñahui in the background11Avenue of the VolcanoesOur guesthouse Mateospaxi and Kaiser, one of its dogs

    Cotopaxi & Corazón

    Apr 27–30, 2024 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    We started our exploration of the ‘Avenue of the Volcanoes’ 🌋 with the ascent of El Corazón at 4788m. Despite the Diamox, coca leaves and lots of water, Miel still developed altitude sickness and spent several hours in bed with a splitting headache.

    The next day we were fortunately able to admire the almost perfectly symmetrical cone of Cotopaxi, with its 5897m one of the highest active volcanos in the world. As we aren’t sufficiently acclimatized to climb the summit of the volcano (+ it's quite expensive), we were happy to enjoy the views from Refugio José Ribas!    Read more

  • South America
    Choclo II and Miel collecting litterMonte Juyende (3930m)1Socializing with some Quechua women on the bus. They made a TikTok video with Miel 😂

    Quilotoa

    May 1, 2024 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    The Quilotoa Loop is one of the most popular hikes in Ecuador. The first day, we hiked from Sigchos to Isinliví and were joined by a shy dog, Choclo II. We wanted to adopt him, but when we arrived at our hostel, he'd had enough of us and wandered off. The hostel (Taita Cristóbal) was the best! Hammocks, tea, a cosy fireplace and the best food! The second day we continued to Chugchilan through lush greenery and passed many farms, cows, and pigs 🐮 🐷.

    Because we didn't want to miss the weather window for a view of the large crater lake on the third day, we decided to take a taxi to Quilotoa instead of walking. We arrived just in time to enjoy the spectacular views before the clouds came 🌧️.

    PS: although this is one of the most popular destinations in Ecuador, we didn't meet any other tourists on the trail and we were the only guests in the guesthouses along the way. It's heartbreaking to see how these people struggle. First there was the pandemic and now the emergency situation keeps tourists from visiting this wonderful country. Thus far, we've always felt very safe, and people are extremely friendly! So come to Ecuador :)!    Read more

  • South America
    Pailón del Diablo22The active Tungurahua volcanoCuy - roasted guinea pig 😢1Casa de Arbol, a famous Instagram spot, is usually overrun, but we had the place to ourselvesCascada de la VirgenTermas de la Virgen, the most popular hot springs1The central Church has paintings depicting miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary

    Baños

    May 3–8, 2024 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Officially called Baños de Agua Santa, referring to the thermal baths heated by the nearby Tungurahua volcano, this town has turned into Ecuador's adventure capital. We biked the Ruta de Cascadas and stopped along the way to admire the waterfalls or (in Miel's case) go down some ziplines and swing from a huge suspension bridge. We also hiked to some of the surrounding viewpoints, the most famous one being Casa de Arbol.Read more

  • South America
    1Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción
    Mercado 10 de AgostoRio TomebambaIngapirca - even before the Incas, it was a sacred place for the Canari Indigenous PeopleLa Cara del Inca (Inca Face - for once we agree with what people see in rocks)Cajas NPPolylepis forest - these cool trees can grow at altitudes up to 5000m!Laguna Toreadora

    Cuenca

    May 8–12, 2024 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    The historic center of Ecuador's third largest city is UNESCO World Heritage and it shows. There are beautiful colonial buildings and well-preserved churches everywhere ⛪. We also found a lot of cozy cafes and good vegan restaurants here, which added to its charm.

    We did two day trips from Cuenca. One to Ingapirca, the largest Inca ruins in Ecuador and one to Cajas National Park, where we hiked along a few of the 786 alpine lakes at an altitude above 4000 meters (= Miel with a headache).

    After spending a month on the mainland in the rainy season, it's time to move on to Peru!    Read more

  • South America
    Brunch at Las Palmeras, our favorite placeGiant iguanaCheapest private villa ever

    Mancora

    May 13–16, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We caught the night bus from Cuenca to Mancora, crossing the border in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, we arrived at 4:30 AM so we had to wait in the dark until our hostel opened. The town and its beaches aren't that special, but we really enjoyed our hostel (that we had to ourselves), the sunshine and good food at cool cafes!Read more

  • South America
    Huaca del Sol - administrative center of the Moche capital.
    Huaca de la Luna - spiritual center of the Moche capital.The primary god of the Moche: Ayapec.1Moche craftspeople achieved an extremely high quality in the items they produced.Catedral de Trujillo3 local civilizations displayed at Casa Urquiaga. Simón Bolívar led the local Revolution from here.1Laura getting the cheapest haircut ever (although it shows 🙊).1Miel getting an extra piercing in a dark dungeon.Chan Chan - the Chimú capital.One of Chan Chan's palaces, surrounded by 10-meter-tall wallsChimú

    Trujillo

    May 17–18, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Trujillo itself wasn't that impressive (although it played a vital role in the fight for Peruvian independence), but we came here to visit two cool archaeological sites.

    The Moche culture (100-800AD) was very sophisticated and strongly associated with religion. Their principal city was established at the foot of the impressive Cerro Blanco. The city was dominated by two imposing mud brick structures: the residence of the Moche rulers (Huaca del Sol) and the great temple (Huaca de la Luna), where human sacrifices were made after ritual combats.

    The Chimú people (800-1470AD) were the descendants of the Moche, from whom they inherited the ability to build large edifices with mud. Chan Chan was the main city of the Chimú and home to an estimated 60 000 people, making it one of the largest mud cities of the ancient world. The Inca Tupa Yupanqui conquered the Chimú around 1470, after which many of Chan Chan's craftsmen were brought to Cuzco.    Read more

  • South America
    1Laguna Parón
    Laguna ChurupKm 42, alternative trailhead to Laguna 69. This way we avoided the crowds of the day tours.Laguna 692Camping at the foot of Peru's highest mountain - Huascarán (6768m)Frozen tent ❄️1Santa Cruz trek - day 2Santa Cruz trek - on top of the Punta Union Pass (4750m)The picturesque Taulliraju (5830m)Sheltering a dog in our tent during the only night it rainedSanta Cruz trek - day 2: view of Alpamayo (5947m)Santa Cruz trek - day 3: Laguna Arhuaycocha (detour)Santa Cruz trek - day 3: Laura getting out of the steep Quebrada Santa Cruz on the final kilometer.1The weird Puya Raimondii plant on the way to Pastoruri3Pastoruri glacier (can you spot Miel?)Starting the climb of Mateo at sunriseMateo summit (5150m)3

    Huaraz

    May 18–27, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We stayed in Huaraz for ten days and could easily have stayed ten more. There is so much to do and see!

    To get used to the altitude (the city sits at 3052m above sea level), we did several day hikes. Wilcacocha offered the first beautiful overview of the Cordillera Blanca. We made trips to Laguna Parón and Laguna Churup, two of the 882 high-altitude mountain lakes in this mountain range.

    After this, we were sufficiently acclimatized for the real deal! We set off on the Santa Cruz trek on our own. That way, we could make a stop at the famous Laguna 69 along the way, add a detour to yet another alpine lake and do the trek in 3 days instead of 4. It was so nice to camp among the impressive mountains (although a bit cold as well - our tent was completely frozen every morning ❄️).

    After the trek, we visited the Pastoruri Glacier, which has shrunk tremendously in recent years 😢. Miel left that same night to gain his first mountaineering experience, climbing the glaciated Cerro Mateo (5150m) 🏔️.    Read more

  • South America
    Views from De la Reserva Boulevard
    Larcomar mallOne of the hundreds of cats that live in John F. Kennedy parkLa Feria Unión de BarrancoCrazy ChinatownSide trip to a museum in the suburbs that turned out to be closed 🤦(vegan version of) Causa, an ancient Peruvian dishHuaca Pucllana, a great Adobe pyramid built by the Lima culture around 200 AD3

    Lima

    May 29–Jun 1, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    'Lima la Gris' lived up to its nickname; during our three days here we didn't see the sun once. There is a colonial centre and a pre-Hispanic archeological site, but our focus was mainly culinary, cruising the many vegan spots in town. Outside the central modern neighborhoods full of expats, we also ventured into the suburbs where people have to make do with a lot less. It's easy to forget that 30% of Peru lives in poverty when you're sipping from your chai latte in a trendy coffee shop ... 😳. We had some interesting talks with locals about the problematic government corruption here, making us appreciate our privilege to be able to travel once more.Read more

  • South America
    Playa Roja (which looked more like a black beach in the absence of the sun)
    Some off-road funFossils 🤓A common Turkey Vulture soaring over the cold ocean

    Paracas NR

    Jun 1–3, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This reserve spans a part of the Peruvian coast where the desert meets the ocean, protecting both ecosystems. Since Laura wasn't feeling 100%, we decided to rent a scooter instead of a MTB to cruise around the place (nostalgia for Asia!) 🛵. We skipped the popular boat cruises to the Islas Ballestas since we'd already seen similar wildlife on the Galapagos Islands and instead walked along the fancy holiday homes right outside of town.Read more

  • South America
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    Ica

    Jun 2–4, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We used Ica as a base to take two day trips. The first to Huacachina, a desert oasis a few kilometers outside the city, where we drove around the sand dunes in a buggy and went sandboarding (lots of fun!). As Ica is the main location in Peru for the production of red wine and pisco, we also went on a tasting tour, starting with the visit of the oldest vineyard in South America - the Tacama winery that has been producing wine since the 1540s - and ending with a tasting of so many local liquors that we couldn't do anything else for the rest of the day 🥴.Read more

  • South America
    El árbol (Nazca)
    El gato (Nazca)La Familia Real de Paracas

    Nazca

    June 5, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We made a short stop in Nazca to admire the famous lines, not from a plane, but by climbing different miradores!

    We saw a lot of large straight lines, 4 geoglyphs (depicting animals) from the Nazca culture and a dozen figures from the lesser-known and even older Paracas culture (the Palta lines, depicting more human forms).

    They are believed to have had ritual astronomical functions, although their significance remains largely shrouded in mystery. More than 2500 years old, they remain well preserved because it doesn't rain here 🏜️    Read more

  • South America
    Plaza de Armas
    Inti RaymiQorikancha (Sun Temple) - considered the centre of the world by the IncaCusco as the centre of TawantinsuyuColonial church and convent of Santa DomingoSan Blas neighborhood1Twelve-angled stonePisco Sour 🍸Chicha morada & arroz con leche y mazamorra, 2 Peruvian classic dessertsCuy (roasted guinea pig) everywhere

    Cusco

    Jun 6–9, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Cusco (Cuzco/Qosqo) was the religious and administrative capital of the Inca Empire. It was laid out in the form of a puma and dominated by fine buildings and palaces covered in gold ⚜️. The capital was built around four principal highways which led to the four quarters of the empire (Tawantinsuyu). When the Spaniards conquered it in the 16th century, they preserved the basic structures but built churches and palaces over the ruins of the Inca city.

    As Peru's most popular city is located at 3,400m above sea level, we took a few days to acclimatize. The city is filled with beautiful historical buildings, charming small streets, cosy cafes and restaurants, ... We certainly didn't get bored🍸.

    Cusco celebrates the festival of Inti Raymi in June (festival of the sun - related to Andean cosmology), so we witnessed dances, processions and ceremonies everyday 🎊.    Read more

  • South America
    Day 1 - sunrise at Capiluyoc pass
    Day 1 - Apurimac valley: long way down and long way up3Is that an angel? Definitely not when she has to climb 1800m1Day 1 - Marampata, goal achieved 💪Day 2 - Laura (on the right) climbing the last stretch to ChoquequiraoDay 2 - ChoquequiraoDay 2 - Llama terraces! 🦙Day 3 - breakfast at Choquequirao Pass1Day 3 - cooling down in the Rio Blanco after a steep and hot descent 🥵Day 3 - ... and up again along never-ending switchbacks1Day 4 - exploring some silver mines which the Incas usedDay 4 - conquering Abra San Juan (4150m)Day 5 - car trouble? Tranquilo, let's just continue and see what happens1Day 5 - relaxing at Santa Teresa's hot springs ♨️Day 6 - last part of the Salkantay Trek, going over the Llactapata PassDay 6 - last 10km to Machu Picchu along the railroad (🚂 = too expensive for us 💰)Day 7 - Machu Picchu!Like every Inca ruin, there was a Temple of the Sun

    Choquequirao + Machu Picchu Trek

    June 15, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Nowadays the Salkantay Trek - which is supposed to be an alternative to the popular Inca Trail - is getting crowded as well. So we decided to create our own trail, opting for the quieter but harder Choquequirao Trek (thanks Sandrien!) and then pushing on to Machu Picchu via the last leg of the Salkantay Trek ⛺.

    Because we'd already booked our ticket to the famous Inca site and our time was limited, we took a colectivo in between where there was a road. This turned out to be more dangerous than the trek itself, since a 2-meter metal piece broke off the car yet the driver decided to push on, driving on a road that was basically built on previous landslides ☠️.

    Exhausted (our daily hike usually included 1800m ascent ánd 1800m descent) but satisfied, we reached our goal. Although both were rediscovered by the same American (Bingham), show similar features and were constructed around the same time (probably even ordered by the same Sapa Inca), we noticed there's a world of difference.

    Choquiquerao - 'the cradle of gold' - is visited by around 20 people daily. Since the site is bigger than MP, we basically had it to ourselves and could explore it as we wished. There were only 2 other people continuing afterwards (and none of them carried their own gear like we did). The citadel is more secluded and the trail is much harder, with less facilities on the way, but the interaction with the locals felt very authentic.

    Machu Picchu on the other hand, sees 4500 visitors a day and even has its own tourist city. Still, it wasn't voted a (new) Wonder of the World for nothing, and beholding it and the backdrop was something truly special, even in the clouds. Overtourism is tangible here, and with the fixed route choice and check-out time pressure it's not really a relaxing experience.

    One thing is for sure: these Incas were tough people 💪!    Read more

  • South America
    The huge terraces at Chinchero
    OllantaytamboSalineras of MarasCircular terraces of Moray

    Valle Sagrado

    Jun 16–17, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    The Sacred Valley runs from Ollantaytambo to Pisac and was named as such because it was the perfect place for agriculture at Inca times (stable temperatures with a sustained source of water). It boasts an uncountable number of ruins in a beautiful natural setting.

    We visited picturesque Ollantaytambo (a former Inca administrative center and control point with extensive agricultural terraces, storehouses, religious buildings, ...), the circular terraces Moray (an agricultural laboratory where the Incas experimented with plants & crops as each terrace has a different temperature), the Salineras of Maras and Chinchero.    Read more

  • South America
    The mysterious Misti volcano 🌋
    Basílica de ArequipaEnjoying brunch on one of Arequipa's many rooftopsArequipeña classic: rocoto relleno con pastel de papa (and a not so typical burger)Mundo Alpaca - a company producing and showcasing alpaca textileMount Chachani, the highest volcano here. Miel will be back to climb it 🏔️Yes, I need a haircutLa festival de música happened to take place when we were here 🎶

    Arequipa

    Jun 20–22, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    'La Ciudad Blanca' is famous for three things: camelid textile, the sillar (white volcanic rock) buildings and the volcanoes surrounding it. Most people also visit the beautiful Colca Canyon but because Arequipa meant the end of our trip, we mostly spent our time in cosy, cheap restaurants before returning to expensive Belgium 🥲.Read more

  • Trip end
    June 29, 2024
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