Kylie Sugar

Lake Titicaca Bolivia is exactly how I pictured South America to be - dense jungles, eerie deserts, high altitude cities, hot and steamy villages in the low lands... Everything looks like its meant to be here. And it is an amazing, if slightly difficult, country to explore. I started Bolivia by crossing Lake Titicaca (which borders both Peru and Bolivia). One of the highest navigable lakes in the world, Lake Titicaca has long been part of the Andean culture. The villages in this area are attempting to preserve as much of their traditions as possible, although now mostly in support of tourism. But, unlike other parts of Central and South America, their traditions did not appear fake or forced, and touring the villages provided a real immersion into their culture. The tour I took started with ... read more

Chiclayo and Sipan Leaving the beauty of Ecuador I was extremely suprised to realise that Peru consists of a lot of desert. Hours and hours and hours of it, between the coast and the Andes. With Peru being so large, and with long bus trips the norm, I was suddenly a little doubtful of how I would pass the time without the views I had been used to. With a few overnights planned to stretch my legs in the towns of Piura, Chiclayo and Chimbote I started my venture to Huarez, the trekking capital of Peru and the Andes. I spent a few days extra in Chiclayo owing to the ruins and treasures of Sipan. I had wanted to head out to other ruins further into the Andes, but one look at travel times vs travel ... read more

Bocas Del Toro Leaving one tropical destination for another was always going to be a risk... (what if it is not as good) but Bocas Del Toro is an amazing place and a must see if in Panama. Getting there was somewhat of a drama with my travel buddy realising just before the border that she had left her passport behind. So she had to turn around and I continued on. An interesting border crossing, it involved crossing a bridge best described as a little worse for wear then being made to buy a Panama to San Jose bus ticket (which was never going to be used) and a visa before getting the all important stamp. Panama is renound for checking tourists´ passports in the hope of catching them out, so the stamp was more necessary ... read more

Leon After leaving the fun filled metropolis of Teguicigalpa, I settled into a chicken bus expedition across the border. All was going really fine and I was feeling quite proud of my amazing spanish skills until at a transfer point I saw my pack drive off on top of a shuttle bus without me on it. I was in line for my quesadilla at the time so could only stand and watch. The bus driver had definitely told me quince minutos until it was time to go. Lucky for me, I just went out to the road, waited a while and the bus came back for me. I have no idea how Central American people can read my mind but they always know in advance what bus I want to catch and look out for me. ... read more

Flores and Tikal Heading into Guatemala via a little used border crossing was just a taste of what the real Central America is like and an excellent introduction to Guatemalan time which is, well, not on time. Despite a very exciting morning (my travelling companions slept through their alarm, woke up 5 mins before the bus, and whilst speedily trying to pack, came across a scorpian hiding in their clothes - needless to say they were very awake despite it being only 6am) the trip quickly disintergrated. What should have been a four or five hour trip was slightly extended after spending three hours sitting in no mans land on the river bank that separates Mexico from Guatemala waiting for a connecting bus. All in all I caught two mini buses, one river boat, one school ... read more