South America
Our travels to South America. Discovering a different country, a different continent, a different culture and a different mind-set... This trip changed us in so many good ways!
-
9 Tips for Backpacking South America
Here are just a few things you need to know and others which are nice to know before your South American backpacking adventure. 1. Spare cash in US Dollars Hide some spare cash…
-
17 Things for Backpacking South America:
Traveling South America is a lot more popular and easier now than it was 20 years ago. We’ve really had such an enjoyable and fulfilling experience that I would recommend a break-away journey…
-
Traveling South America as South Africans
People were generally surprised to hear we’re from South Africa because there aren’t many South Africans touring South America – yet. When they discovered we’re South African their attitude towards us became even…
-
Back Home – Sao Paul to RSA
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss We’re back on African soil! It has been an incredible 3 months backpacking through Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Every…
-
Ilha Grande
This bus we are on now smells like burnt incense sticks and a dirty nappy. My nose will probably soon get used to it…I hope. We made it, just in time once again.…
-
The Curious Case of Traveller Joe
We don’t know Joe… But we’ve seen him 6 times in 2 months in 4 different countries…. Is this merely coincidence? Is he perhaps secretly following us? Are we meant to learn something…
-
Rio de Janeiro
At first we were afraid. We were petrified. Kept thinking there might be a criminal right by our side, but then we stopped spending our nights thinking of what all could go wrong,…
-
Florianopolis – Our Halfway Stop between Iguazu and Rio
After our visit to the falls in Foz Iguazu we travelled on yet another overnight bus to Florianópolis. You really get used to long bus rides and sleeping on busses… After a few…
-
Brasil’s Iguazu Falls
It wasn’t part of our original plan. (not that we really have a strict plan.) We were very impressed and content having experienced the magnificent Iguazu Falls from the Argentinian side. The plan…
-
Argentina’s Iguazu Falls
The first thing we noticed about the small town of Puerto Iquazu when we climbed out of the air-conditioned bus is that it’s hot! Really hot! You immediately feel as if the air…
-
3 nights in Buenos Aires
We are usually not big fans of big cities but Buenos Aires was a pleasant surprise. It has so many beautiful buildings, parks with huge trees and plazas with green grass. The many…
-
From Glaciers to Whales to Buzzing Buenos Aires
After returning our wet and muddy, hired gear of the glacier trek, we ate a hamburguesa at a cute, local bar in El Calafate center. We noticed a Nelson Mandela quote written on…
-
Experiencing the Perito Moreno Glacier
The site and sound of the white giant is absolutely incredible! The famous Perito Moreno glacier is almost impossible to describe and one just tends to stare at it in awe of the…
-
Arrived in El Calafate
We are the most South now than we have ever been on this planet! We arrived in El Calafate today and our “Big Ice” glacier tour is tomorrow. Very excited! We hired a…
-
Bariloche to El Calafate on Route 40
“That went up like a scuba-diver’s fart.” If anyone knows the meaning of this expression or when one would use it, please let me know. We ate supper together with other travelers at…
-
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
Bariloche is even more beautiful than what people were telling us it will be. It’s Spring here now so we can’t ski, but it’s still “muchos frio.”(very cold) The town has a real…
-
On the Road again after Work Away
Our first work-away experience was awesome! Susan and Dave were such great hosts and our time with them went by so quickly. They immediately made us feel comfortable and welcome. Rex’s “sound effects”…
-
3 Argentinian Ways of Life
This post was written by Marc 3 Argentinian Ways of Life We are still on Suzan and Dave’s farm outside San Rafael. Here are 3 “Argentine ways” which are normal here and have…
-
Working Away in Argentina
“When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either stop being mistaken or cease to be honest.” That’s one of Dave’s quotes which I like. (It was originally said…
-
Argentina – Mendoza, our first stop in Argentina
This post was written by Marc Argentina – Mendoza, our first stop in Argentina So far Mendoza has been one of the prettier cities in Latin America we have seen thus far. Most…
-
Our Stay in Santiago – Part 2
Here we are lying and relaxing in the main park of Mendoza, Argentina. It’s pretty and green with lots of trees, water-fountains and the sound of a happy flute playing in the background.…
-
Our Stay in Santiago – Part 1
There was a minor glitch on our way to Santiago. We got on the wrong bus! We walked to our seat number and found someone fast asleep in Marc’s seat. We woke up…
-
Our Road to Santiago
Our last day in San Pedro de Atacama was spent chilling and lurking around town. We leeched some Wi-fi from a restaurant we ate at earlier but they must have seen us sitting…
-
Tandem Cycling around San Pedro de Atacama
Have you ever cycled on a tandem bicycle? We got on a tandem for the first time yesterday. We had such a fun day cycling around town! Holly and Ian were in our…
-
Uyuni Salt Flats Tour (still with the same terrible guide) – Day 3
We had to wake up at 3:00 am the morning of the 3rd day of the tour. Cesar was no longer looking intoxicated but we all still wanted to punch him for ruining…
-
Salt Flats with a Terrible Tour Guide – Part 2
After spending the entire day deserted at the Salt Hostel, making phone calls and waiting for the other vehicle to arrive like Ripley’s Tours kept promising… At half past five that afternoon guess…
-
Salt Flats with a Terrible Tour Guide
We crossed the border into Chile this morning (big smile) and we’ve booked 2 nights in San Pedro de Atacama. Our Bolivian Salt Flats Tour was a disaster! Salt Flats with a Terrible…
-
Passing through Potosi and Uyuni
How do you know your Bolivian bus driver was driving too fast?… When you arrive at your destination 3 hours earlier than expected, and your husband stays seated even after you and all…
-
-
Dinosaur Footprints in Sucre
Here we are in Sucre, Bolivia. It’s a pretty city with lots of white buildings. We still need to do some exploring… We are staying at the top of the city in Casa…
-
Stay in Coroico
We survived Death Road twice! (Only got one T-shirt though.) After our downhill cycling experience with Vertigo 4 days ago, we spent a few days at the town near the end point of…
-
Cycling Bolivia’s Death Road
Written on Monday, 7th October. (Posted today because we found wi-fi.) When we were struggling with our Bolivian Visas I asked my good friend, Willem, if Bolivia is worth the effort. (Him and…
-
Two Nights in La Paz
We are in Coroico, Bolivia! As you probably already know wifi is very scarce and slow here. We have found a place at the top of the hill, Sol y Luna, with limited…
-
Copacabana to La Paz
We had a very scenic and interesting bus trip from Copacabana to La Paz. All of us (bus passengers) had to get out of the bus to cross a part of Lake Titicaca…
-
Our trip to the Floating Islands
Can you believe that there are people in this world who have spent their entire life living on floating reeds!? It sounds crazy! We did a tour to the Uros Islands on Lake…
-
-
Inka Trail Day 4 – Machupicchu
Inka Trail Day 4 – Machupicchu Watching the sun rise over the lost city of the Inkas was amazing. We had such a feeling of accomplishment. We did it! We followed the Inka…
-
Inka Trail Day 4 – Race to the Sun Gate
This post was written by Marc. Inka Trail Day 4 – Race to the Sun Gate The last morning was the earliest wakeup, 3:30am. We were told no room service on this day…
-
Inka Trail Day 3
Inka Trail Day 3 Day three of the trail was an easy (compared to the previous day) 9km walk through the cloud forest. This is the start of the Amazon Jungle so we…
-
Inka Trail Day 2
Inka Trail Day 2 We were all quite nervous for this day! We knew Dead Woman’s Pass lay ahead of us which is at a 950km higher altitude than our campsite, Ayapata. I’m…
-
Inka Trail with Llama Path Day 1
We said we would tell you more about our Inka trail. So the next 5 posts will all be about our big trek to Machupicchu. This post was written by Marc. Inka Trail…
-
10 Cuzco Curiosities
Like every city, Cuzco has it’s interesting and strange things that make it different from any other place. It is our last day in Cuzco today and we really enjoyed our time here.…
-
Back from the Inka Trail
What an incredible experience we had! The Inka trail was unforgettable! We are completely exhausted and in need of a shower. My legs are dreading having to climb the stone stairs up to…
-
Our Inca trail is starting early
The juice at the San Pedros market is so fresh! You can choose whatever fruit you want and they freshly squeeze it for you. We met up with our german friends at the…
-
Regional Strike and the Inca Trail
The Inca trail winds across the Andes Mountain Range to the mysterious Machu Picchu. It is one of the world’s best known classic treks but it is much more than a great hike.…
-
Walking with llamas
We did our own tour of the Inca sites around Cuzco by foot. It was physically quite draining but was also a nice, memorable walk. We used our Boleto Turistico ticket to enter…
-
Toilets and Flushing in Peru
This is embarrassing and probably not something one should blog about but it’s something you should know when in Peru. We only found this out today. The toilet in our room got totally…
-
Climb every Mountain in Cuzco
Day 4 in Cuzco Have you ever thought of what should happen to your body when you die? I’m not trying to make you morbid, it’s a practical question which I think you…
-
Sacred Valley Tour of Cuzco
Day 3 in Cuzco – Part 2 This post is a continuation of our Sacred Valley Tour we did yesterday. All the history is quite overwhelming but knowing a bit more about it…
-
Brief History of the Incas
Day 3 in Cuzco – Part 1 Today we were typical tourists! We took a tour bus to use our Boleto Turistico ticket to see some famous Inca Ruins. We toured the Sacred…
-
Getting to know Cuzco
Day 2 in Cuzco It was cold and rainy in Cuzco today so we opted for indoor activities. We gave our laundry in to be washed at a laundry service.(A rainy day is…
-
Day 1 in Cuzco
Day 10 Peru Day 1 in Cuzco This morning we arrived in Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire. Alvero, from Qolqampata hostel where we are staying, picked us up at the…
-
-
Ica to Arequipa with Cial Bus Company
Via taxi from Huacachina we made our way to the city of Ica where we spent about 5 hours before catching our bus. We walked around for a bit, ate late lunch and…
-
Adventure Activities in Huacachina
The sandboarding and dune buggying in Huacachina was awesome! The dunes are huge and in every direction you look you see more sandy hills. Our driver didn’t hold back! He drove that buggy…
-
Our stay in Huacachina
It’s amazing but also funny, we are in Peru, at an oasis, in a desert we didn’t even know existed just a few days ago. It is so unusual it almost feels like…
-
Aliens of Paracas
We strolled into the privately owned Paracas History Museum which is right next to our backpackers. It opened up a whole new world to us of mysteries and endless possibilities of Paracas’s alien…
-
Tour to Ballestas Islands is Awesome
I have never seen so many birds in my entire life! I was absolutely amazed! This morning we went on a 2 hour speed-boat tour of Ballestas Islands. These are a group of…
-
-
Traveling with Cruz del Sur
We travelled from Lima to Paracas with Cruz del Sur bus company. I was very impressed and will definitely use them again. When Marc got on the bus and saw our seats he…
-
LP Gas Powered Cars in Peru
This post was written by Marc. In Peru (not sure of the other Southern American countries) all the taxi cabs run on LP gas! When we landed I saw the taxi we climbed…
-
Our stay in Lima, Peru
Today was Day 2 in South America and Day 2 in Lima, Peru. Our Spanish has improved dramatically! Hardly anyone here speaks english. Bed and Breakfast Lima Casa Guadalupe was a good guesthouse…
-
Our Sao Paulo stop-over Drama on our way to Lima
I told you we had a bit of trouble with our stop-over in Brazil. Now that we are relaxing at Quadelupe’s Casa in Peru with Quadelupe preparing breakfast for us we have forgotten…
-
We are in Peru
We are in Peru! We are in Peru! I can’t believe that we are actually in Peru! The lady from the guest house, Guadelupe, picked us up at the airport. She is very…
-
Flying from Africa to South America
After a hearty breakfast this morning with family we are now chilling in the Slow Lounge (thanks to FNB) waiting for our flight. They have these awesome blue cupcakes here (they call them…
-
Visa Requirements for South Africans traveling to South America
What visas do South African Passport holders need to travel to South America? Surprisingly, the “green mamba” (RSA passport) gets you into many South American countries without a visa! We are planning to…
-
South America is Huge
South America sounds similar to South Africa, right? So, many people seem to think that they are more or less the same size as well. (I know the one is a continent and…
