We left Hotel Miramar and travelled to Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in a converted jeep. After a good couple of hours or more we were dropped off by the jeep and were fed a decent lunch at the local ‘restaurant’, which seemed to be the last line of civilisation in the jungle. While we were getting acquainted with the guys who would be our fellow trekkers for the next five days, we were all wondering where the driver (whom we presumed was the guide) had gone. There were two Colombians in the front of the jeep. The driver who looked young fit and healthy. The passenger, complete with a barrel as a belly looked old, obese and unfit. As we sat looking around thinking ‘where did the driver go?’ We probably overlooked the ... read more

Arriving back in Riobamba I had to catch up with Cecilia who had gone ahead while I was playing in the hills, so I wasted no time in getting a bus to Ecuador’s very own tourist trap of Banos (toilet - and a toilet it is!). Ok I didn’t like the town - far too commercial but Banos is very close to something very special, Volcan Tungurahua. In 1999 Tungurahua rumbled back into life and has been erupting ever since. With Cecilia back in tow we hired out quad bikes and rode to a peak of an opposite mountain, then sat and watched the sporadic activity of Tungurahua filling the air with huge blooms of smoke. Wasting no time in touristville (other than a quick bike ride through Ruta De Casada (Waterfall route)) we travelled back ... read more

After twenty hours and seven different journeys we had arrived at our first intended stop in Ecuador, Vilcabamba. Not only was it a long journey but it entailed the most remote border crossing I have ever experienced - a town of no more than twenty buildings, with a rather intriguing system of having to visit two different official Peruvian offices, twice. The real intrigue came when we were safely on the Ecuadorian side. The hourly shuttle bus (of sorts) left La Bolsa with us clinging on for dear life. The now-classic South American drive for heath and safety again left us impressed with the state of their roads. We travelled to the Ecuadorian town of Zumba on a makeshift lorry with open wooden constructed ‘bench’ seating and a luxurious roof. Maybe the roof’s materials would have ... read more

After Santa Cruzour direction was aimed northeast with an overnight journey to Trinidad and our first taste of the mighty Amazon Jungle. We only planned to stay a few hours before travelling into the depths of the rainforest. But our plans were scuppered by greedy bus ticket salesmen demanding we paid gringo prices (a good 40% increase). By refusing, the last tickets were sold, leaving us stranded for two days (oddly enough the ticket price for next availible bus had dropped by 40%). Frustrated we ventured into the centre of this laid back and interesting town just tucked into the edge of the Amazon. We drank freshly sqeezed orange juice from the carts at the main plaza and pondered on our next move. With thoughts of an Amazonian river trip we visited a travel agency, but ... read more

Embarking on another 22 hour journey started with a less scenic overnight section, followed by the very scenic daytime Andes crossing back into Argentina. As the road cut through varied and contrasting terrain. Gorges, multi-coloured mountain faces covered with cacti and the odd salt flat appeared. Salta has a nice colonial center, complete with the hussel and bussel of a large city. Wandering around the cities Churches, museums and monuments for a day gave us what could be our last taste of 'convenient' culture before we head into Bolivia. Being Holy Wednesday we were treated to an evenings blessing and parade at the cities magnificent Cathedral. Coasting further North towards the Bolivian boarder we stopped in the indigenous town of Tilcara. Tilcara is situated in the middle of the picturesque Quebrada De Humahuaca region. With plans ... read more