Weekend at Lago Futalaufquen
Once again I was on the bus from Esquel to Villa Futalaufquen, but this time it wasn’t raining. Rather than clouds all around, the skies were clear and the forecast for the weekend was pleasant. I took all my things with me and paid for a camping spot on a…
Atacama’s steamy and dreamy side
After an intense bike ride through the Atacama desert, I joined a couple of tours to visit the sites further from the town of San Pedro de Atacama. My day begun at the ungodly hour of 4am. It took us about 2 hours to get to the Tatio geysers and…
Through the Andes to the desert
I’d left Chile from Puerto Varas at the end of March, but I returned for a few days in June to see another highlight of the country: the Atacama desert. It was a shame I didn’t see anything else of Chile’s north, but you have to make choices. I entered…
A hike in the highest lake
The main activity in Bolivian Copacabana is probably a visit to Isla del Sol, the sun island. It’s named this way because according to Inca legend, the sun god Inti was born here. From here the first king and thus the Inca empire was created. The island is located in…
Freezing to Uyuni
I was freezing in the car. The border was still closed when we arrived around 6.30am. So why did we have a 5.30am pick up time? I shivered and the driver didn’t turn on the heat in the car. We were joking we got the cheap tour, so heat was…
Salta’s Southern loop
The Salta and Jujuy provinces are a popular place for backpackers to rent a car and start a road trip. I wasn’t very keen on driving, so I was happy when I saw a message from Freek, whom I’d done some day trips with in Córdoba. He would be in…
Penguins in Antarctica
When I tell people about Antarctica, I often get the question if I saw penguins and polar bears. Well, there are no polar bears in Antarctica, but boy did I see penguins! January is a great time to meet some penguins, since they are all on their nests. The first…
Mixed feelings
Leaving Chile felt strange. I was on a bus from Puerto Varas to Bariloche. It’s not even that far away, as the crow flies. Yet I had the feeling I was closing a chapter. I was ready for a change of scenery, but I almost felt like I was cheating…
My “failed” escape to nature in Chiloé
Before heading out to Cucao, on the West coast of Chiloé, I had a spare day in Castro. I waited with my move because of the weather forecast. A girl in my hostel mentioned she had a car and wanted to go hiking. She confirmed in the morning, but when…
The growling glacier: Perito Moreno
It’s expensive. 45.000 pesos for a day in the national park, which is about 45 euro. I decided to buy a one year national park pass for 200 euro instead, hoping to visit many more of Argentina’s parks. On top of that I shared in rental costs for a car.…