A journey to forget
I made it, but only just. The problem didn’t seem to be getting out of the Amazon. It wasn’t the pirañas, jaguars, caimans or any other animal. The problem was arriving to my starting point in Rurrenabaque. Everything was planned. I would fly in on Monday morning and join a…
Picking the right chair
Bolivia seems to have plenty fiestas. Perhaps every religious event is a reason to dress up in colorful clothes and just let go. In my original travel plan, I had intended to be in Oruro for carnaval. However, I was traveling way too slowly and didn’t reach Bolivia until June.…
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…
The road trip continues through Jujuy
Tilcara may not be the biggest town in the quebrada de Humahuaca, but it is one of the main tourist hubs. It was easy to find a restaurant and I enjoyed stewed llama the night we arrived. We walked around the square for a bit, with souvenir stalls on every…
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…
The beauty of the North
Salta. When I stepped on the plane to South America, I had never heard of it. I think the first time I heard about it was in Ushuaia, as a recommendation from some Argentinians. Then I started seeing it in Facebook groups and when I changed my itinerary, Salta was…
The mountains of Argentina’s smallest province
Tucumán is Argentina’s smallest province. It seems to be a fairly popular stop for South American travelers, but less with Europeans. Since it’s on the way from Córdoba to Salta, I decided to stay a few days. I was so surprised by the city! But also by the surrounding countryside.…
Córdoba connections
Sometimes life just takes over. You enter a roller coaster ride where you don’t have time to think and just go with the flow. And then suddenly the ride ends and leaves you lonely and uncomfortable, without a plan. I built a wall of protection a long time ago, protecting…
Jesuit ruins in Paraguay
In the 17th century, Jesuit missionaries came to the Río de la plata area. They built 30 missions, of which 7 in current Paraguay. It is said that the local people were allowed to keep their own customs and traditions while converting to Christianity. The complexes included a church and…