South America

October 2015 - February 2016

A 127-day adventure by Vera Read more

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28.2kkilometers traveled

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Flight20.6kkilometers
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 62
- Sunday, December 13, 2015
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Altitude: 2,405 m
- Colombia Valle del Cocora 4.63816, -75.485194°38’17” N 75°29’7” W
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Valle de Cocora
December 13, 2015 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Valle de Cocora is a day trip from Salento. We left quite early in the morning to catch a jeep with a few other tourists (13 plus the driver! including three hanging off the back) to the bottom of the valley. From there we could have chosen a horse riding trip like most of the Colombian tourists were doing, but instead we decided to try a hike which we'd read about, supposed to take about 4 hours.
We later found out that we'd taken the wrong road from that very first point, leading us in totally the wrong direction into the middle of nowhere. Luckily we met a group coming in the other direction after about three and a half hours uphill who suggested that we turn back rather than continue on the 3 day route which they were just finishing!
On the bright side we did manage to see loads of great views, cross mountain rivers through the water or over very dodgy little bridges, make friends with some clever horses who were doing the route on their own, and eventually climb up to the top of the mountain at 3000 metres.Read more
Vera and Tom We were often in or above the clouds, a very strange feeling.
12/15/15Reply
Vera and Tom The wax palms, Colombia's national tree and the tallest type of palm. They look like little stars all over the mountains.
12/15/15Reply
Vera and Tom Sweaty and disgusting but finally at the top
12/15/15Reply
Vera and Tom Being very brave
12/15/15Reply
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 63
- Monday, December 14, 2015
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Altitude: 1,909 m
- Colombia Río Navarco 4.628008, -75.5849394°37’41” N 75°35’6” W
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Finca El Ocaso
December 14, 2015 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
An authentic coffee farm where we had a great tour and did some farming.
Vera and Tom Picking the 'cherries' from the coffee plants
12/15/15Reply
Vera and Tom Separating the seeds from the skins
12/15/15Reply
Vera and Tom The stages of coffee production, from the berries to the ground coffee
12/15/15Reply
Vera and Tom Still feeling the previous day's hike, we decided to take the lazy way home.
12/15/15Reply
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 65
- Wednesday, December 16, 2015
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 1,725 m
- Colombia Guillermo León Valencia Airport 2.444814, -76.614742°26’41” N 76°36’53” W
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Popayán
December 16, 2015 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Popayán is 7 hours away from Salento,, a bit long but we decided to make a bigger step towards Ecuador, the route was scary like always but the view was beautiful, very different landscapes to what we had seen before. We got there at night time but it was nice even in the dark.
Popayán is the second most important colonial city in Colombia (after Cartagena) but much less touristy and pushy (they don't try to sell you something at every corner) Huge difference was that Cartagena was all colourful, Popayán was all white and we found a llama here!Read more
Vera and Tom An empanada, a bit like a pasty but usually fried. Available on every street in Colombia and probably the rest of South America. They are fincsi and cheap so we usually have them at least once a day.
12/19/15Reply
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 67
- Friday, December 18, 2015
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 2,900 m
- Colombia Ipiales 0.825542, -77.6395040°49’32” N 77°38’22” W
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Ipiales
December 18, 2015 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Our last stop in Colombia. Ipiales itself is not particularly nice and a bit a bit dodgy at night, but it is right next to the border with Ecuador and also El Santuario de las Lajas, a huge church built across a gorge for some reason. The original little church was built after a local man saw the image of the Virgin Mary on a rock, since then thousands of miracles have been reported and a much bigger church was built.
While visiting the church we met a man from the Isle of Mann who joined us for the border crossing in the afternoon, lucky for us as he was prepared with US dollars (used in Ecuador) and could help us out.
The border crossing was fairly easy, a stamp in the passport on either side and then we were in Ecuador! A new country and then a few hours later a new hemisphere as we headed down to Quito across the equator.Read more
Vera and Tom Thousands of thank you messages to the Virgin Mary for her miracles.
12/19/15Reply
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 68
- Saturday, December 19, 2015
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Altitude: 2,915 m
- Ecuador Hacienda Batán Grande -0.180653, -78.4678380°10’50” S 78°28’4” W
Quito
December 19, 2015 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Finally got to Ecuador, Quito. The hostel is long way from the station so just got a taxi, by this stage we noticed that Ecuador is much more expensive than Colombia was (including hostel, taxi, cigi, food, due to the dollar probably).
Hostel is right in the old town and really nice even if we had to go for a dorm cause of the high prices. The next morning we decided to join to the walking tour, organized by the hostel but as they did not limit the number of people in a maximum it was like 30 of us and could not hear anything so after the first stop we left to discover the old town on our own. Quito is super hilly, lots of beautiful places though, squares, streets and 7 churches within a 2 hours walk. We spent the afternoon with planning what to do for Christmas as we heard everything is getting booked at the coast...Read more
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 69
- Sunday, December 20, 2015
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 1,797 m
- Ecuador Ventanillas -0.000239, -78.4062630°0’1” S 78°24’23” W
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Mitad del Mundo
December 20, 2015 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Mitad del Mundo (The middle of the world city) has a monument which shows we are standing right at the Equator. A little village is built around it with restaurants and souvenir shops where we could get some cards and info from the local guy who worked there. Told us - rather angrily - that this city is all fake and the Equator is not even where it shows but 300 meters away, he seems really upset about this. Also showed us a picture with stones on the top of a hill from pre Inca times which are thought to have marked the true Equator 1200 years before the Europeans tried it.Read more
Vera and Tom We have seen so many Christmas lights, decorations and nativities in Columbia and Ecuador. Christmas hippo, camel, bee and mouse so far and now here is the Christmas llama next to little Jesus, brilliant!
12/22/15Reply
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 70
- Monday, December 21, 2015
- ⛅ 29 °C
- Altitude: 1,270 m
- Ecuador Mindo -0.048717, -78.7751980°2’55” S 78°46’31” W
Mindo
December 21, 2015 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Mindo is a tiny little village sourranded by cloud forest (whatever that means). Got there on time for the frog concert! At the beginning we were just sitting by this beautiful lake on a terrace, drinking wine and listening to the frogs. When it got dark we left for an hour walk in the forest nearby to look for frogs, spiders, sleeping birds, other insects we even have seen and tasted pink banana. The next day went for a walk and saw some beautiful views, mountains in the cloud. It felt like it was tiny bit raining all the time. The hostel was great right next to the forsest and a river. Tom had his second haircut in South America with hair washing at the end (?)Read more
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 71
- Tuesday, December 22, 2015
- ☀️ 31 °C
- Altitude: 1,237 m
- Ecuador Mindo -0.052649, -78.7801180°3’10” S 78°46’48” W
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Chocolate tour
December 22, 2015 in Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
On our second day in Mindo we had a chance to go for a chocholate tour. All the process was explained and we could try out pure dark csoki at the end. :)
Vera and Tom the beans need to be dried for 20 days
12/26/15Reply
Vera and Tom a ripe pod
12/26/15Reply
Vera and Tom this amount is enough for 1-2 pure chocolate bars
12/26/15Reply
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 75
- Saturday, December 26, 2015 at 7:34 PM
- ⛅ 21 °C
- Altitude: 3 m
- Ecuador Río Canoa -0.464059, -80.4542790°27’51” S 80°27’15” W
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Canoa
December 26, 2015 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
It took 7 hours and 3 buses to get to Canoa but totally worth it, we loved it so much that we extended our stay with an extra day. Fantastic little beach town, the Pacific ocean is smooth and surprisingly warm with big waves. Even to managed to have our first proper night out on the 24th. Stayed out almost until 1:00! To be fair also started at 3 pm. Had lots of cocktails, beer, wine before we left for dancing where made some new local friends who's great idea was to share a bottle of tequila...
The beach was fantastic even managed to surf, had a 3 hours lesson (was suppose to be 1, but the guy was cool) and we were just professionals. Our faces are still so burnt and hot but had an amazing time. It's gonna be difficult to leave tomorrow from the relaxed little town where we spent our first Christmas together...Read more
Vera and Tom Iguanas on the roof
12/26/15Reply
Julie Boyle Photoshopped?
12/26/15Reply
Vera and Tom Nope, just very well timed before I fell off :)
12/28/15Reply
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Vera and Tom South America
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- Day 77
- Monday, December 28, 2015
- ⛅ 31 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- Ecuador Urdesa -2.17562, -79.910452°10’32” S 79°54’38” W
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Guayaquil
December 28, 2015 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Guayaquil is a bit grim, too hot and pretty dodgy, but a necessary stop-off to catch an international bus over the border to Peru. The day we spent there was mostly about planning what to do in Peru, but we managed to get some good ideas together in the end and also decided where to spend New Years Eve. The border crossing was easy but long, as we'd decided to go all the way down to Trujillo, some 18 hours through the night. In the morning we woke up to totally different scenery to what we'd seen before. No hills but flat, scrubby desert with hardly any plants. Some craggy mountains sprung up later but the sand continues. The bus was definitely the best yet. Huge, fully reclining seats, food, drink and films to watch, it's like a business class flight. A good sign because we have plenty more bus hours ahead!Read more
Vera and Tom Hundreds of figures for sale ready to be burned on New Years Eve
12/30/15Reply
Vera and Tom We haven't met any Hungarians yet but here is the first piece of evidence
12/30/15Reply
Vera and Tom Just over the border
12/30/15Reply
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