• Bolivia

    Copacabana and Isla del Sol

    May 31, 2015 - By 

    I write this after having visited Lake Titicaca on both Bolivian and Peruvian sides. Whereas the Peruvian side stirs the fascination for indigenous culture, the Bolivian side captivates the eyes with its picturesque scenery.  Lake Titicaca is a popular resort town for both locals and internationals, and getting there from La Paz couldn’t be easier. At ~3,800 meters in elevation, Lake Titicaca is dubbed as “the highest navigable lake in the world”…whatever that means.  We had just hiked around Lake Chungara, Chile at 4,500 meters.  There were no boats at Lake Chungara, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t bring a small boat and navigate…

  • Bolivia

    Yungas Road

    May 26, 2015 - By 

    One outdoor adventure excursion offered daily from numerous tourist companies in La Paz is advertised as “Biking Down The Most Dangerous Road In The World.”  This road, Yungas Road, is located in the town of Coroico approximately 60 kilometers northeast of La Paz. Despite its technical terrain, steep downhill curves, lack of guardrails, narrow single lane, high cliffs, fog, and water runoff from the rainforest, it’s really not as dangerous as it sounds.  With common sense (and maybe a little cycling experience) and the capacity to clutch onto your brakes for a couple of hours at a time, the bike ride…

  • Bolivia

    La Paz

    May 25, 2015 - By 

    After 2 months in modern Chile and Argentina, I was excited for some culture (despite the long and unnecessarily tedious visa process for Americans).  Research on Bolivia made me assume there were similarities to Southeast Asia with regard to street food, lifestyle, and cost of living…excluding the high altitude. Prior to arriving I knew La Paz was the highest metropolis and administrative capital in the world at ~3,650 meters; however, I had no knowledge that it was a bowl-shaped supercity with sharp, rugged mountains in its surroundings. With its rolling hills in every turn plus the extreme altitude, it made walking in…

  • Chile

    Lauca National Park

    May 20, 2015 - By 

    Literally every other traveller I met told me they had never heard of Lauca National Park when I told them that it would be our final destination in Chile before departing for La Paz, Bolivia. In the process of figuring out the logistics of getting there and away, transport, and lodging, I soon discovered why it was not a part of the typical backpacker’s route in South America.  Lauca National Park is highly underrated. In my opinion, its “wow” factor is comparable to the increasingly popular Torres del Paine in the far south. I think most people don’t travel there…

  • Bolivia

    Off-Roading To Uyuni

    May 18, 2015 - By 

    One of the many highlights of South America is the 3-day/2-night or 4-day/3-night off-roading adventure from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile to Uyuni, Bolivia.  The days are filled with incredible panoramas of deserts, volcanoes, lagoons, salt flats, geysers, wild animals, fauna, and more…all between the altitude of 3,500 meters and 5,000 meters!  Tack on the high altitude, freezing temperatures, and heatless nights, and you get an amazing and memorable adventure that is not for the faint of heart. There is no shortage of tour companies in San Pedro selling excursions to Uyuni, but after reading numerous nightmare stories about drunk guides, shitty…

  • Chile

    San Pedro de Atacama

    May 13, 2015 - By 

    Going from one remote place to another wasn’t difficult; we had grown accustomed to marked up food, items, and lodging due to the necessity of hauling in products from major cities. However the difference between Easter Island and San Pedro de Atacama was a major one. Albeit both of Chilean territory, one contained the warmth and relaxation of island life while the other boasted volcanoes and salt lagoons in high altitude deserts. Both territories are remote but each come with their own distinct, opposite reputation of beauty and wonder. After returning from Easter Island, we spent two days in Santiago and packed…

  • Chile

    Fun On Easter Island

    May 8, 2015 - By 

    There is so much more to Easter Island than all the moai statues—the cycling, the hiking, the beaches. In my post about Easter Island On A Budget, I lay out all the logistics and costs associated with the trip, but in this post I will highlight all the activities we enjoyed. Day 1: Rano Kao It wasn’t until around 4pm when we were finally free to explore the island. Our plane landed around 2pm, we walked to Camping Mihinoa from the airport, and we “checked in” to our tent. The hike up to Rano Kao, the extinct volcano that is…

  • Chile

    Easter Island On A Budget

    May 4, 2015 - By 

    Just like anywhere you travel for vacation or adventure, you can spend money lavishly or frugally, but Easter Island’s reputation comes with a hefty price tag. Due to the remoteness of Easter Island (smack center in the Pacific Ocean with its nearest neighbor located ~2000 km away), it is clear why things cost so much. But with proper planning, budgeting, frugal decisions, and maybe a bit of luck (which I will later explain), it is actually not as expensive as one may think to travel to and explore one of the most remote places in the world. Flight Assuming you…