HannahLewis

It was 10am when we boarded S.V Leonides , joining a sea of swaying hammocks strung side by side like a scene from ‘Papillon’, our presence further clogging the heart of a boat that rusted by the second. Below us a manic scene unfolded. Angry bulls, their horns tied with rope, were run on board into a pen brimming with cows anxious to make space. Chickens remained calm in their boxes, resigned to their own fate, whilst a line of men moved back and forth like ants, loading everything from sacks of rice to whole trees on deck. The undeniable energy of the moment made the prospect of sleeping above all of this for twenty four hours seem tolerable but this was mad, even Noah would have gasped at the sight, and just to top it ... read more

The ancient ruins of Machu Picchu are what South American dreams are made of. A formidable fortress shrouded in mist, perched atop a stunning jungle-clad mountain, with the mysteries of one of the oldest civilisations hanging in the air. The 'lost' Inca city has put Peru firmly on the travelling map and, since its inclusion into the New Seven Wonders of the World, a wave of tourists have found the 'city in the clouds' high on their South American wishlist. Situated 2,430 metres above sea level and 80 kilometres northwest of Cusco, the Incas intended for their city to be hard to reach. Five hundred or so years later and it is not the getting there that is difficult it's choosing how. A plethora of travel agencies in Cusco will happily encourage you to walk, cycle ... read more

The city of Arequipa has got to be one of the most attractive cities in South America. It is encircled by a phenomenal cluster of snowcapped volcanoes, who have further contributed to the beauty of the city with their lava. Sillar is a photogenically sparkling white volcanic stone and a huge proportion of Arequipa's buildings are constructed with it. Walking into the Plaza de Armas and seeing the perfect conical shape of El Misti protruding behind the glittering Cathedral is a sight not easily forgotten. This gorgeous vista was just what we needed after having had a spot of bad luck at Puno bus terminal, which was followed by an endless undulating bus journey across the mountains. The bad luck I refer to was the snatching of Lewi's 20kg rucksack from the mototaxi we took for ... read more

Having rode high on the salt flats where evening temperatures left us frozen, it felt good to drop down to the barmy valley city of Cochabamba. Of course, this involved an overnight bus journey and a 3am connection in a cold Oruro but at least this time we did not have to rough it on the floor. In fact, we arrived into a sunny Cochabamba and found Hostal Jardin, a pleasent guesthouse around a flowery but manic garden. The owners were friendly, and their dog even more so, and thus we set about relaxing for a while. Cochabamba, like many South American city's, has a statue of Christ looming over it. Although not as impressive as Rio, this Cristo is a damn sight cheaper to get to and interestingly taller too. The gondola ride up ... read more

Eighteen hours into our journey across the barren chaco region that seperates Paraguay and Bolivia, our bus broke down. The midday sun was adding heat to a situation we had not been in for a while. Brazil and Argentina had dazzled with buses and prices to match any European country, but now we were back on a proper bus that rattled and smelled its windy way from A to B via C. The journey up to that point had not gone without incident. A few hours into the trip Han had exclaimed that "South Americans are good travellers". It was true that, unlike their Indonesian counterparts, nobody was sick aboard the juddering bus, but the man behind me was doing his best to dispel our theory. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and ... read more