Travel Blog Posts
Salt Lakes & 4x4ing
Published: October 28th 2005South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Salar de Uyuni
October 18th 2005
In the south of Bolivia there is a well known tour called the The Solar Tour. It consists of 4 days in a very old Toyota Land Cruiser touring around the south west corner of Bolivia. Day 1 Consist of a 7 hour drive across the worlds highest and biggest salt lake. It is huge and very weird old inland sea. You get to stop of at a small island in the middle, which was previously a coral reef. And you can see a full 360 panoramic, at about 50 meters height, of most of the northern end of the lake, but it is so big you cannot see the southern end. As you drive along the edge of the lake you begin to notice that the edge is very much like many seascapes you get ... read more
The Amazon Basin at last
Published: October 21st 2005South America » Bolivia » Beni Department » Rurrenabaque
October 13th 2005
We have finally made it into the Amazon Basin. After spending nearly 3 months up in the Andean mountains we decided it was time for a change. We booked a flight to a small town called Rurrenabaque and a trip to 2 different areas of jungle exploration. The Pampas Is a vast area of Bolivia that is very flat and very wet. It is considered the easiest place to see wildlife in all its glory. After a 5 am start in La Paz we arrive and had another 3 hours in a jeep along a very muddy road, then another 3 hours in a boat to reach the camp. As soon as we are out of the jeep we start to notice 100s of species of very colourful small birds in all directions, as well as ... read more
The Cordillera Real
Published: October 15th 2005South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » Coroico
September 30th 2005
The Cordillera Real is a mountain range that sits between the high lands and the jungles of Bolivia. It is only 40 km across but drops from 6000 m to nearly sea level in the jungles. We decided to take one of the famous treks here known as “El Choro” trek. Again we just packed our bags and off we go. No more donkeys, guides and cooks. We started off at 4900 m in a near white out blizzard and walked a very old Inca route that dropped down to 1300 m near the jungle. Most interesting point about this trek is some great unrestored ruins and Inca steps. The change in weather from the altitude difference also left something to the imagination. Really pretty walk but very hard as a lot of the down was ... read more
Bolivia here we come
Published: October 14th 2005South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » Copacabana
September 24th 2005
Copacabana, yes like the song, sit on the shores of Lake Titicaca. This is an immense lake that sits at nearly 4000m on the border of Peru and Bolivia and is an immensely beautiful, if a little cold, place to chill out for a few days and recover from you Inca Trail experiences in Peru. It is considered the highest navigable lake in the world. The lake makes for really great sunsets. The main attraction is the supposed location of the beginning of the Incas (birth place of their first god), know as the Island of the Sun. Personally I was not that impressed as there was not a huge amount of ruins. Considering what they built in Peru it seems a little suspect that there was only one small building at their legendary birth place! ... read more
The Long Road to Machu Picchu
Published: October 14th 2005South America » Peru » Cusco » Machu Picchu
September 13th 2005
Well we did it and managed what is arguably one of the hardest treks we have yet undertaken. It was a very long hard 8 days and 7 nights, even with the help of 7 mules, 2 mule drivers, a cook, a guide just to support 4 people. We ended up with the organizer a great lady from US and then SJ and me. Day 1 and 2 - Were ONLY!!! 7 hour walking days to get to the first set of ruins named Choquequirao. This is supposed to be one of the final stands for the Incas as their empire was being pulled apart. After getting to Machu Picchu we found this far more interesting as it was not completely restored. You are walking though primary cloud forest and stumble across doors and walls covered ... read more
September 12th 2005
Well after 6 days and 4 buss journeys of 10 hours+ across the center of the Andes, ahh poor Sarah and Jason I hear you all cry... We have finally landed in Cusco to check out the center of the old Inca Empire. The town is one of the more beautiful places we have stayed, but also one where you get hassled the most. The city is considered to be the longest inhabited locations in all of South America. The Spaniards built directly on top of the old Inca city, and this has made for the most interesting colonial architecture centers yet. Lots of narrow cobbled streets and buildings built on top of Inca walls. Also this is one of the main tourist spots in all of Peru and therefore some great pubs and food places. ... read more
September 7th 2005
Wari Ruins - These people were older then the Incas and were the last to stand and fight against them, the Incas took nearly 500 years to take over here in Peru. There were many other older societies, but the Incas are remembered most due to the report from Spain. There were some great ruins to check out and they were incredibly sophisticated society! The Last Battle - Monument at the location of the final battle that finally rid South America of the Spaniards. This was a really interesting spot miles from anywhere. There are many celebrated places of defeat for the Spaniards but this is the definitive final location, certainly for Peru, but possibly the whole of South America. ... read more
September 6th 2005
Well that was one of the hardest, scariest journeys we have ever done. The road was a very narrow dirt track along the backbone of the Andes. It was noted in our Lonely Planet guide as being “a little hard on the back”. Well at one point the back wheels came off the road and they had to jack it back onto the road, and the drop must have been at least 500m directly down, down, down. Luckily the journey was over night so we could not see how dangerous it really was. After 7 hours the buss came to a stop and just sat there. We were not sure what was happening and then we found out there had been a landslide and there was a cue of about 7 busses and trucks waiting to ... read more
September 5th 2005
Well we have decided to take a not so used route from Lima to Cusco following the old Inca route. We have found a great hostal with a great suana but we now find out that it is a much more time consuming route. Luckily we now have time. We are heading out to Ayacucho soon and there are lots of interesting archeological sites there.... read more
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