Otorongo Lodge & Iquitos – Peru

Canoes, Monkeys, and a Master Fisherman

Kim and Hernan in our canoe as we explore the flooded Amazon Jungle.

After spending an uneventful night in Lima we flew into Iquitos, which holds the distinction of being the largest city in the world unreachable by road. The reason for this inaccessibility is that Iquitos sits deep in the Amazon jungle, making the construction of a road impractical; other than flying in the only other way to get here is to take a boat down the river, which can take anything up to 8 days.

From the airport we were quickly transferred into the centre of town. Our car wound its way through the chaotic traffic of motocarros (motorcycles with small rickshaw-like seats attached to the rear) and taxis all jostling aggressively for position as the oppressive jungle sun beat down. Eventually we stopped outside Otorongo’s offices where we met our guide Hernan (Kim still remains convinced his name was Herman), were given a packed lunch, and were relieved of the large wad of notes we had brought to pay for our 5-day trip into the jungle. Without catching our breath we were piled back into the car and taken to the riverside port, led through a disorganised warren of narrow streets, open markets, and waterfront walkways, before being ushered onto a watertaxi. After a short wait while the boat filled up with passengers, we sped off down the Amazon.

The Lares Trek & Machu Picchu – Peru

Quechuans, a Bread Hustle, and the Other Picchu

View over Machu Picchu, with Huayna Picchu rising through the cloud in the background.

We awoke at the ungodly hour of 5am on the morning we left for our trek through the Lares Valley, high in the Andean Altiplano. Stumbling blearily into the van that would transport us to the starting point of the hike, we discovered that we were the only two people signed up for this particular tour, and that this meant we would have a personal entourage, consisting of our guide Jose, a cook, a horseman, three horses, and a mule, all solely for our benefit.

Stopping briefly at a market so that our cook could buy a few last minute necessities, we were asked if we might like to buy a few gifts for the Quechuan people who we would be passing on the trail, as this would be a good way to endear ourselves to them. Coca leaves were apparently the offering that would be appreciated the most, as they are difficult to obtain at the high altitudes we would be traversing, and for the children of the villages we would be passing through it was suggested that we bring some bread. I didn’t know quite how much children would appreciate being given bread, so I also picked up a large bunch of grapes. This turned out to be a very good decision.

Cusco – Peru

Ruins, Stews, and a Grand Alpaca Hat

View over Cusco’s historic centre, as seen from our hostel.

Cusco was one of the places we had been looking forward to ever since we started planning our trip. Boasting a beautiful historic centre, and stunning mountain setting, Cusco would be a fantastic place to visit in it’s own right, however we had been excitedly anticipating arriving there as it was to be our base camp for a 3-day trek through the stunning Peruvian Andes, ending with a visit to Machu Picchu.

Our journey to Cusco was very pleasant until we reached the outskirts of a non-discript mining town nestled next to a picturesque river that babbled and splashed its way through a wide green valley. Before this we had been enjoying the view from the bus windows as we wound through dramatic, grass covered mountians, making good time as we snapped pictures of the passing scenery. Then the bus reached a long tailback stretching from the aforementioned town, and stopped. For nearly 3 hours. The issue was a blockade (yes another one) which had closed the road. Here protesters were angry at the arrest of a journalist who had been championing the causes of the miners who lived in the town. It was difficult to glean much more with our clumsy spanish, but eventually the protesters moved off and we could continue.

Copacabana – Bolivia

A Lake, An Island, and an Amazing Sunset.

A Campesina walks her sheep into town to graze.

After the stress of La Paz what we were really hoping for was somewhere quiet, beautiful, and relaxed. Copacabana was all of those things.

Only reachable on the Bolivian side via a small local ferry, and situated with the placid shore of Lake Titicaca on one side and green, rolling hills on the other, Copacabana is a picture perfect town. Our delightful guest-house was situated half way up the slope of one of the surrounding, lush hills and came with a lovely view over the town and lake from a small balcony adjoining our room. It was such a relief to be somewhere other than La Paz, and the town was so pleasant we achieved little more during our first day than hiring a peddleo for half an hour and then reading while gently rocking in hammocks. However, the next day, feeling recharged and raring to go, we caught the small ferry to Isla del Sol, where we had heard there was a great day hike and some interesting Incan ruins.

Torres Del Paine – Chile

Walking, Camping, and Cowboy Coffee.

View down the Valle del Francés.

After crossing the border into Chile our first port of call was Puerto Natales. It’s a relatively uninspiring place, but it is the jumping off point for those undertaking the famous W-trek (or circuit for those who really want a challenge). We had heard that the weather on the trek could be horrendous; heavy rain, winds that can knock you off your feet, mist and cloud that can reduce visibility to just a few meters. So we were not encouraged that upon our arrival Puerto Natales was under cover of grey cloud and rain was incessantly pouring down.

El Chalten – Argentina

Lofty Mountains, Long Hikes, Local Beer.

View of Mt. Fitz Roy.

Nestled between mountains on the flat floodplain of a meandering glacial river El Chalten is the perfect jumping off point for treks in the Los Glaciares National Park. In fact, given it’s remote location there really is little else to do but explore the mountains.

Arriving mid-afternoon, we chose the shortest of the trails for our first taste of the world class hiking to be found in the area; a 45 minute climb to the Mirador de los Cóndores which offers panoramic views of both the town and the nearby Lago Viedma.