2023 Passport Chronicles

august - december 2023
  • Salma T
Embarking on an epic five-month adventure across multiple Spanish speaking lands to reset my cultural chakras! I’ll be collecting stamps, walking countless miles and creating lasting memories solo and with beloved travel companions. Læs mere
  • Salma T

Liste over lande

  • Mexico Mexico
  • Argentina Argentina
  • Bolivia Bolivia
  • Peru Peru
  • Tyskland Tyskland
  • Spanien Spanien
  • Frankrig Frankrig
  • Vis alt (10)
Kategorier
Verden rundt, Vandring, Hjem, Natur, Rejser alene, Ferie
  • 72,6krejste kilometer
Transportmidler
  • Flyvning60,8kkilometer
  • Bus5.660kilometer
  • Bil1.998kilometer
  • Tog1.358kilometer
  • Vandring959kilometer
  • Gåture222kilometer
  • Cykel109kilometer
  • Motorbåd22kilometer
  • At blaffe20kilometer
  • Cable car1kilometer
  • Motorcykel-kilometer
  • Tuk Tuk-kilometer
  • Campingvogn-kilometer
  • Campingvogn-kilometer
  • 4x4-kilometer
  • Svømning-kilometer
  • Padling/Roning-kilometer
  • Sejlads-kilometer
  • Husbåd-kilometer
  • Færge-kilometer
  • Krydstogtskib-kilometer
  • Hest-kilometer
  • Skiløb-kilometer
  • Helikopter-kilometer
  • Barfodet-kilometer
  • 86fodaftryk
  • 151dage
  • 955fotos
  • 43kan lide
  • Madrid reunions: take 2

    22. september 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    How many Erikas could I possibly reunite with over one weekend!? 😃

    When I found out Erika would be in Madrid this weekend, I made sure to be there too! We were hoping the rest of our crew could make it also but it didn’t work out.

    In the morning I walked around the city and indulged in so much good food! First some churros and chocolate at St. Ginés and then all sorts of mouthwatering pinchos at the San Miguel Market. 🍽️

    I then met up with Erika in the afternoon at a square in Madrid’s city centre. She was with family friends and the plan was to go for tapas. I lost count of how many different places we drank and nibbled at but by the time I got back, it was past midnight.

    It was a hoot being surrounded by so many Venezuelan women! 💛💙❤️

    The best part was that we couldn’t believe it’d been more than 13 years without seeing each other. It was amazing to catch up and talk as if no time went by! It was also lovely to e-meet her husband during the evening. We left hoping the next time we’d meet up would be in the Canary Islands! 🤞🏻
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  • Madrid reunions: take 3

    23. september 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    From Venezuela, to Australia and now in Spain! It was so nice to reunite with Vane and Rafa. Last time I’d seen seen them they were in Oz on their honeymoon and now they had 2 lil ones.

    We met at Parque El Retiro which I hadn’t seen yet and spent the whole afternoon walking, chatting and enjoying the scenery. The park was so beautiful and their youngest wanted to walk everywhere holding my hand (what a cutie!).

    Lucky I’d gotten used to carrying 10kg on my back because there was a bit of piggy back riding too.

    After the park, we went to Santerra, a restaurant they’d opened up a few years before that had been awarded the “Best Croquetas in Spain”. And of course, I could not leave without trying them! So worth it!

    The food, the wine and even better company. What a memorable day 🤍
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  • Madrid reunions: take 4

    25. september 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    One final reunion before leaving Madrid!

    Meeting up with Gabo was such a happy coincidence because he wasn’t working today so we could make it happen.

    We spent the whole afternoon between beers and pinchos as if more than 15 years hadn’t gone by! I loved reminiscing about our uni days and getting to know what we’d both been up to all these years. He hadn’t changed a bit, always laughing and never shy to speak what is on his mind.

    We probably could’ve hung for many more hours but I had a train to catch and we said adios with the hope that the next one wouldn’t take us another 15 years! 🤞🏻
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  • Following my Camino back to Pamplona!

    25.–29. sep. 2023, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Pamplona wasn’t part of the plan but sometimes you just got follow your heart! 🙈

    Since I had a few free days before going to Hamburg, Jorge suggested I visit him. I got there Monday close to midnight and left Friday morning.

    He had to work during the week but in his free time he showed me around town and we indulged in way too much good food and wine! 🍷

    The first night I was there he made me us a lovely dinner with trout he’d caught in the river a couple days before I arrived. He also made sure I had coffee every morning and cooked lunch for us almost every day. I was pampered my whole stay! 🥰

    And because everyone knew about my love for and slight addiction to tortillas by now, he took me on afternoon to the best place in town… they were to die for! We also went to El Gaucho for some pinchos. 🤤

    El Gaucho is an institution I’d missed out on when we went through Pamplona during the Camino.

    I spent my last day walking around, painting for hours at a beautiful park, enjoying one last tortilla in Spain and chatting with lovely people at a lil wine bar.

    The highlight of my stay though, apart from all the time I got to spend with Jorge, was getting to know part of his family. We went out one evening with his dad (who I’d already met) and another one with his sister and brother in law. If I liked him already, I liked him even more after meeting his beautiful family. 🤍

    When Friday morning came, it was hard to leave but we knew it wasn’t a goodbye but rather a “see you soon” as we’d figure out a way to see each other again in no time! 🤞🏻
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  • Hamburg! But first a Lüneburg side trip

    29.–30. sep. 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    After way too many years, today I finally got to see Svenja! There was no way I’d go to Europe without visiting her. She picked me up at the airport and there were so many tears of joy when we finally hugged! So much happiness in that long overdue reunion! 🤍

    I thought I’d be spending more days in Hamburg but it ended up being a shorter stay and I’d already promised Meik I’d visit him in Lüneburg, so I went there on the first evening.

    We first drove to Svenja’s home so I could meet her family and we had a couple hours to catch up before they dropped me off at the train station. 🚊

    When I got to Lüneburg, Meik was waiting for me at the station and straight away he suggested we go on a walk to catch the sunset over the town. Walking together was kinda like being on the Camino again and the city was so so beautiful! And I got so many historical and architectural insights along the way. 🥾

    After 10k steps to the lookout followed by 4km in pouring rain, we made it to his house where a beautiful German dinner and beers awaited me! It was all delicious and he even took the time to design a menu describing everything we were feasting on and where everything was sourced from. Most importantly, we enjoyed hours of fascinating conversation as is always the case with Meik! 🍻

    In the morning, there was perfectly brewed coffee and we shared a wholesome brekkie before I returned to Ahrensburg hoping we’d get to meet sometime again in the future! 🤗

    PS: Who knew German trains being late was a thing!?!? A very regular thing! ⏰
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  • A few days with Svenja in Ahrensburg!

    30. sep.–2. okt. 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    My days in Ahrensburg where an absolute joy, spending so much quality time with Svenja, Moritz and the 2 lil cuties!

    There were so many special and heartwarming moments during my stay I wouldn’t even know where to begin!

    From sharing beautiful meals, coffees and cocktails, to trying all the amazing German bread, to exploring Ahrensburg with my dear friend and cooking together, to watercolouring with the kids, to discovering a shared love for rum with Moritz and the endless conversations like time never went by.

    Loved how her lil ones were so comfortable around me that they would talk to me in German all day even though I couldn’t understand a word and Jelva would hold my hand everywhere we went, so adorable! 🥰

    Saying goodbye at the airport was such a bittersweet moment and saying goodbye to the lil ones broke my heart but I promised I’d stay in touch and send them postcards from my travels. 🎑

    Can’t wait to see them all again in Europe or in Australia! Hopefully both! 🤞🏻
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  • Bye bye (for now) Europe!

    2.–3. okt. 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    My flight to Lima was from Paris and my initial plan was to fly from Hamburg on the morning of the 3rd but flights were so expensive (think because it was a public holiday in Germany). So when I found out Marielis would be working in Paris on the 2nd, I reconsidered my plan and we made another reunion happen!

    The last time I’d seen Mari was at least over 12 years ago and she was bummed when she couldn’t make it to Madrid to reunite with Erika so seeing an old friend in Paris would bring her so much joy. It brought us both so much joy! 🤍

    I’m sure if we’d planned it, it wouldn’t have worked out but what a way to spend my last night in Europe, reunited with a dear friend, seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time and indulging in some cheese, wine and so many tales! It’s not possible to catch up on 12 years in one evening but we gave it our best shot!

    What a lovely night and what a journey so far! Can’t wait to see what else is coming my way ✨
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  • I’m in Huaraz but where is my luggage!?

    4.–7. okt. 2023, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    So I landed in Lima but already knew from my layover in Miami that my luggage had not made the plane. I was heading 9 hours north to Huaraz and I’d have to wait about a day and a half to receive it. The plan was to stay in Huaraz for about 10 days, spending a few days climatising on day hikes and then doing the 4 day Santa Cruz trek but American Airlines had a different plan for me.

    I actually had to wait 4 days to receive my luggage (very annoying!) and ended up spending the first days in town exploring, indulging and meeting some beautiful people!

    On the first night I met Cesar (ARG) who was volunteering at the hostal and Lauryn (USA) who was also staying there. Cesar was super excited to encounter a Spanish speaking person among all the Europeans and volunteered himself to accompany me to find somewhere to have dinner. Lauryn came along too.

    I spent the following day with Lauryn and a few of her friends heading up to the lookout.. a 4km walk up that took 2 hours with the altitude 😅. We enjoyed a few drinks at the top and made it down just as it started to pour so we found shelter at a bar that looked like a strip club… it wasn’t! 🤷🏻‍♀️

    On the third day, I met Maria (VAL), another Spanish speaker staying at the hostal and, with Cesar, we went to have lunch at the markets. Maria wanted to get some fresh fish too which Cesar kindly offered to cook for us that night. Yay for chef friends! 🧑‍🍳

    Our group dinner got carried away when we also decided to buy ingredients to make pisco sours… Spaniards are a “bad” influence! 💃🏻

    Around 10pm when the bottle was finished and they suggested we go out for one more, I was a no go. We laughed so much that night but my jet lag kicked in and I was about to collapse. They came back at 2am! 😵

    By then, I knew my luggage would arrive the next morning and Cesar had organised a group to go camp at Lake Churup. I was so keen to go and the whole group was happy to have a late departure so I could get my bag, so nice! 🥰
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  • Overnight camping at Laguna Churup

    7.–8. okt. 2023, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Finally my bag arrived and I barely had time to get back to the hostel, have a shower and get my things ready to go.

    It was 8 of us going including 3 French gals, a couple from the UK, Cesar (who was our guide), Maria and me.

    It took us about an hour in a van to get to Pitek, the starting point. The 600m climb over 3km to our campground was quite steep and very slow (3 hours!) between the weight of our packs and the altitude.

    By the time we got to the top, rain was coming so we had to setup camp quickly. Very shortly after, the UK couple started feeling pretty ill with altitude sickness and they were getting worse by the minute so Cesar had to take them down and hike back up in the dark. 😔

    It was very cold so we were all napping in our tents waiting for Cesar to come back to have dinner together. The poor thing made it back around 9pm, so beat but still with the best of moods. He made Coca tea for the remaining group and we all crashed afterwards. ⛺️

    In the morning, we all went up to the lake while Cesar packed up the tents. Lucky we didn’t have to carry our packs for this because it was almost a 100m steep climb on boulders and chains! ⛓️

    We got to spend like an hour enjoying the landscape! The colour and reflection on the water, the rock formations surrounding the lake, all breathtaking!

    Around noon, we started making our way down and on the drive back we picked up a few climbers who ended up serenading us with an ukulele!

    To wrap up the day we went for a lovely group dinner but it was an early night as a few of us would be waking up at 4:30 am to go to Laguna 69 the next day!
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  • A day in Laguna 69

    9. oktober 2023, Peru

    Waking up at 4am today was not easy but it was totally worth it!

    We spent a few hours on the bus to the start of the trail and our journey led us through a scenic pit stop at Valle Llanganuco where we were mesmerised by the turquoise waters of Laguna Chinancocha.

    The 14km return hike in Huascaran National Park, which has Peru’s highest peak at 6,700m, started at 3,900m, with a 700m elevation gain to Laguna 69 at 4,600m.

    Most of the way was a gradual winding uphill, with most of the elevation gained in the last (very steep) kilometre. It was drizzling the whole way and the altitude was a bit tough so there wasn’t much conversation happening with the lovely french gals. 🥖

    The last Km was particularly tough for one of the girls who was starting to battle altitude sickness but once she made it to the top, she was all better! 😮‍💨

    It also stopped raining then and the sun came out shining on on the lake! We were so lucky to enjoy our lunch with the most amazing of views ☀️

    The whole way down was also full of sunshine and the clouds cleared to show some of Peru’s majestic peaks! And this beautiful weather only added to the jaw-dropping scenery! 🏔️

    After we got back, a well-deserved dinner in town marked the end of a day where altitude demanded its toll. 🥱
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