When I was five years old I wanted to visit South America because I didn’t know anyone who had actually been there (as a child I tended to think ‘outside the square’!). At the age of fifteen, my reason for wanting to visit was more tangible – I’d set my sights on finding a guapo named Juan, Pedro or Enrique!
Thankfully, by the time I was twenty-five, I’d found a much better (and possibly more respectable) reason for crossing the Pacific….. I truly wanted to experience this continent of contrasts. Since my first trip back in 2006, I have been fortunate enough to return to South America.
Places Visited
Argentina: Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, San Ignacio, Cordoba, Rio Ceballos, Unquillo, Mendoza
Brazil: Iguassu Falls
Bolivia: La Paz, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca (Sun Island)
Chile: Santiago, San Pedro de Atacama (Atacama Desert)
Ecuador: Quito, Mashpi Rainforest Reserve, Ecuadorian Amazon river cruise, Andean Highlands (Otavalo, Cotopaxi National Park, Patate, Banos, Riobamba and Alausi – including the Devil’s Nose train), Cuenca, Guayaquil and Galapagos Islands cruise
Peru: Lima, Ica (Nazca Lines), Paracas, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cuzco (Inti Raymi Festival), Sacred Valley (Pisac, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo), Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, Puno, Lake Titicaca (Uros Islands, Taquile Island, Suasi Island)
Uruguay: Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo, Punta del Este