Peru – Bolivia – Chile

Santiago – Lima – Huaraz – Chiacas – Lima – Cusco – Machu Picchu – Lago Titicaca (Puno) – Copacabana – La Paz – Potosi – Uyuni -  San Pedro de Atacama – Calama – Pisco Elqui – La Serena - Santiago

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While I was spending my time in Santiago de Chile, a good friend of mine was doing a volunteering in Huaraz Peru. After I celebrated Christmas with some friends in the nearby city Valparaiso, I took the plane to Lima. As soon as I overcame the first shock in the airport (I just couldn’t get rid of a nasty taxi driver) I went to the center of the city to walk to the Plaza de Armas and the Plaza San Martin. The same night I went to Huaraz where Martin welcomed me at 5 am. For more than a week I could live with him and his host family. For the first days I got used to the height and got to know his work, his coworkers, the city and the people. I think I never was so near to poverty. Even if you read or here about it, even if you see pictures…as long as you are not in touch with these people you don’t know what poverty means. Incredible, shocking!
We wented then to visit the village Chiacas where many Italians are “helping” local people. Unfortunately I got sick und spend most of our visit in the bed (and the bathroom).

Shit happens. Literally.

I also spent the new year 2007/08 in the bed and went only out on midnight to cheer with my friends. After recovering Martin and I decided to move on to Cusco. So we took the first bus to Lima and took a look to the richer neighborhood Miraflores. Then we did a 22 hours ride to the Inca’s capital. Unfortunately the bus broke down and we had to do the last 3 hours in a taxi. We immediately got surprised in seeing Cusco, as it is a rich and expensive city full of tourists in the middle of Peru. We spend our time in this incredible city and surroundings by visiting the archeological sites in the Sacred Valley and also went to the mystic city Machu Picchu. It was a long and expensive trip there, but it was definitely worth it and it is almost impossible to describe in words what we saw there. In general, the Inca’s could build like nobody else. The walls are so perfect that you cannot put a sheet of paper in between the stones and some of them are higher than I am. Our trip went on to the Titicaca Lake where we visited the Floating Islands of the Uro people and the Island Tequile. It is incredible how people could life for so long time on the self-built floating island where humidity kills you within 45 years.

Bolivia is famous for the highest everything.

After we visited the lake Martin had to go back and I went on alone. I crossed the border to Bolivia and was soon immerged in the Bolivian altiplano life. I had a bad first impression as it seemed that Bolivians don’t like travelers. But when I went into La Paz I forgot about my concerning as I got stunned by this incredible amount of houses built all over the valley and the adjacent slopes. After a short rest I went on to Potosi, where I had a highly explosive experience. I went to see the silver mine in the mountain Cerro Rico. We walked (or better crawled) along the mine at 4200 m above sea level. So with already no air we went deep inside the mountain where heat, lack of oxygen and strong smells made this experience almost a small nightmare (two of our group members had to leave). We could see how Bolivians were working: mostly by hand they load and carry the material, the only powerful help comes from coca leaves and dynamite. Outside the mine we tried the dynamite sticks we bought before on the market…

After you see mine workers in Potosi you will do every small homework without the smallest complain.

After a nice evening with couple other travelers I went on to Uyuni with my new travel mate Alejandro. The road there was pretty bad and after we crossed a thunderstorm with a flooded road I understood why I shouldn’t to this trip in the night. In Uyuni we took a tour to the Salario and the Lagunas. The salar was already flooded, but so we had an almost perfect mirror and had the “sky on earth”. We saw the train cemetery and slept in a small town. Next day we saw many lagoons, with many flamencos and an endless number of amazing mountains and volcanoes. We also saw the stone tree and the Laguna Colorada which is red with good light. After a snowstorm we arrived to our next accommodation. We left this one early in the morning to reach the geysers at sunrise. After that we had a nice swim in the thermals while our driver (and cook, guide and mechanic) was preparing breakfast.

Never forget about the rain season when you are in Peru and Bolivia.

Then, again alone, I crossed the border to Chile and soon arrived in the more than touristy town of San Pedro de Atacama. I rented a bike and went up the mountains from which I could see an amazing thunderstorm which produced incredible sand clouds. I went down the “Valle de la muerte” and watched people boarding down the dunes. Then I biked to the “Valle de la Luna” where I could see an amazing sunset. The next day I went on to Calama and La Serena, from where I immediately went on to Pisco Elqui. There I set up my new bought tent and walked in an incredible heat through the valley. The Valley Elqui is actually a desert, but due to the river they grow tons of grapes to make Pisco. Hence I went to see a Pisco plant and for the evening I climbed one of the mountains. The next day I spent in La Serena on the beach. The same night I went back to Santiago and was welcomed by a cheese and wine party at Pauli’s place.

This trip had many different highlights, whereas Machu Picchu and the Uyuni jeep tour where for sure the best ones. But what was also part of this trip was the experience to be in some of the poorest countries of the world. In addition for me it was also the first backpacking trip (aside from the road trip in Sweden and trekking in Patagonia) and also the first solo trip. Concluding, an amazing trip as you can see from the pics: the next time I would spend more time in one country to see more different places.

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