Continents

The first day of the new year

Once again, we dared to board a bus that should transport us to Puno for 8 hours. Once again, we regretted it. The bus felt like it was 50 degrees Celsius inside, and without air conditioning, it was quite uncomfortable. Additionally, every single seat was occupied, and it felt like everyone was breathing too much. Fortunately, after a few hours, we managed to secure seats in the lower compartment of the bus where the temperatures were more bearable. So, this is how we started the new year. In a stuffy, shaky bus, haha.

But not too bad, because we were on our way to our next adventure!

Uros Floating Islands

Once we arrived, we hopped on a boat to visit the so-called "Uros Floating Islands." Uros Floating Iceland ".

It's a very impressive group of islands floating on the water, built from totora reeds.

Fascinating! Many families live here right in the middle of Lake Titicaca.

A local explained to us briefly how it all works. Apparently, the reeds have a very thick root that floats on the water's surface. If you connect several pieces of roots together, they grow together after a few years. Then, reeds are laid out in a cross shape on the ground, and voila! You have the foundation to build a shelter.

It's somehow completely unimaginable: a "floating" home on the water. But for the families here, it's completely normal. 

The fact is: We have to try this.

"Sleeping on a floating island in the middle of the famous Lake Titicaca once!"

An incredible panorama unfolded. Pure tranquility and fabulous sunsets. 

Of course, kayaking and canoeing were also part of the experience!

The traditional boats are filled with collected plastic bottles so they don't lose their buoyancy.

But, like almost everywhere in the world, not everything is perfect here either. 

Due to COVID-19, tourism has almost completely dried up, which used to finance the lives of the locals. As a result, many families have to move to the city to find work. There is also a school on the floating islands, which has been closed for months due to COVID-19. No education for the children... Even in the city, schools remain closed!

Next stop: Arequipa

Read more

• Peru Travel Tips — Costs, Route & Practical Information
• Cusco Travel Report — Inca Capital, Rainbow Mountain & Tips
• Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu — 5 days hike Peru

The Horror Trip from Paracas to Cusco

Once again, we booked a bus. This time, the journey was supposed to be a bit longer. A whopping 18 hours! Last time, we had a great experience. We sat upstairs in a double-decker bus, the ride was great, and we could lie down perfectly. Now, we add 14 hours to that, and it's an absolute catastrophe!Crap! Our seats were in the lower section and right at the back of the bus. So, we couldn't adjust our seats all the way back like the other people. First problem. Moving would have been a solution if the whole bus hadn't been packed. Second problem: Right behind us was the air conditioning, and it wasn't by any means quiet. At one point, our entire lunch bag flew through half the bus and rolled into what seemed to be leaked toilet water in the corridor. Lovely! But we couldn't really eat anyway, as we were constantly sliding from A to B or bouncing up and down due to the 1000 curves, mountains, potholes, and whatever else there was. The fact is: We were not feeling well at all! An absolute horror trip!

We made 10 crosses when we finally reached Cusco!

Welcome to Cusco

An impressive city, located at an altitude of 3400 meters! The highest mountain in Germany can't compete with that. Here in Cusco and the surrounding area, you'll first learn about altitude sickness. The higher you are, the less oxygen you have. So, if you travel or climb too quickly to a higher altitude, symptoms like headaches, nausea, dizziness, or fatigue can occur. 

Now we're somewhat unsure if we might have perceived our bus journey as an extreme horror trip for this reason too! It took a while for our headaches to go away and our well-being to become more bearable again. 

Here are some pictures of Cusco:

We were finally looking forward to our Airbnb. Huge kitchen, large bedroom, living room with TV. Nice. However, at 9 degrees Celsius without heating, not so nice. Actually, we didn't pay attention to whether heating was included when booking (since it was definitely a given for us). No dice. It was colder in our apartment than outside. After a long back and forth with the landlady and contacting the Airbnb team, she finally brought us a space heater. She took a photo of the electricity meter and explained that we would have to pay for the consumption at the end of the stay. So, the landlady wasn't really friendly and showed no understanding that we didn't want to freeze in our apartment (or sit at the table with a winter jacket). Thankfully, Airbnb had a different opinion, and we didn't incur any additional costs. 

Somewhat recovered from the horror bus tour and finally warmed up by our new space heater, we went on a tour of the beautiful city of Cusco!

San Pedro Market and Plaza de Armas

First, we went to the San Pedro Market.A huge market full of small food stalls, groceries, and clothing stores with local products. The best part was definitely the delicious avocado toast with fried cheese for only 3 soles (about 80 cents).

Here, we also bought the so-called Coca Leaves..

A few facts about dried Coca leaves:

• Tastes like green tea.
• Effect: comparable to coffee
• Can be drunk as tea
• Traditionally, about 10 leaves are rolled together, chewed a little, and then left in the cheek for 20-30 minutes. 
• Supposed to prevent altitude sickness (helps to suppress fatigue, hunger, and cold)
• No risk of addiction
• Illegal in Germany (so unfortunately, we can't bring any for you to try!)

Next, we went to the old town to the"Plaza de Armas".A beautiful square with old houses and their beautiful wooden balconies. Everything is decorated for Christmas, there are small food stalls on every corner, or vendors walking around with their alpacas. And alpacas are soooooooo cute!!! Overall, the city is very clean. However, there are a lot of free-roaming dogs here, so there is a lot of poop on the ground just outside the city center. Also, here again, you could easily disappear into a huge hole in the middle of the sidewalk (So: Watch your Steps!). 

Here in Cusco, it's not uncommon to see dead, plucked chickens for sale everywhere on the ground, tables, or in plastic buckets, or even the delicacy "Guinea Pig" (a type of guinea pig).

Beautiful in the bright sun, and not uncommonly, some insects crawl over them. Clean, cut fingernails or any kind of gloves are not often seen on the sellers. The right word here, I think, would be: takes getting used to. But I think anyone who has been to Asia is toughened up! So, Max and I still eat the meat, and for some reason, we have no stomach problems at all. Thank goodness! The food here is just insanely delicious and super cheap! You just shouldn't look too closely 😉 ! If someone now says, "I wouldn't eat that" - good luck finding something to eat. Without chicken? Without pork? Hardly possible. Of course, there are vegetarian options here too. But our vegetarian options ordered in restaurants looked something like this: Sandwich with sausage or rice with vegetables and occasionally accidentally one, two, three small pieces of chicken. If you go to the really local restaurants, there's a 99% chance that there won't even be a dish without meat, and you'll get some strange looks if you just want to order vegetables with rice. They won't do that. I suppose many dishes are already prepared and mixed beforehand, so it's not possible to just leave out the meat. Of course, there is somehow the possibility to survive as a vegetarian, but it's hard. At least harder than in Germany! They have fresh vegetables and fruit, but you just have to be careful about what and where you order.

Pictures speak louder than 1000 words:Pictures speak louder than 1000 words:

Cusco has half a million inhabitants and was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Therefore, you can book tour after tour here to learn about the life and culture of the Incas. For this, we got a combination ticket, the so-called"Boleto Turistico"This cost 130 soles and was valid for 10 days.

Maras and Moray — Salt Terraces and Inca Site

We first did the Maras y Moray Tour:

Moray is an ancient Inca site and was used for agriculture back then. For example, a lot of potatoes were planted in various varieties and colors. The water seeps away through the stones underground, so that there is no large accumulation of water.

For only 10 soles (2 euros extra), we could visit a mosaic of 4000 salt fields near Cusco

Furthermore, during the tour, we were also shown how various fabrics are made. What was particularly interesting was the source of their colors. For instance, tiny parasites lurk on cactus leaves, which release a red liquid when squeezed.

Later, we strolled through the beautiful Christmas market in Cusco, which was located right on the Plaza de Armas. Normally, the market only takes place once a year on the 24th of December, but due to Corona, it was spread out over a few days. There was mulled wine, candied apples, cotton candy, or lard cakes on every corner. Super tasty! With 1000 people bustling around, it was sometimes quite difficult to get from point A to point B. There's a lot to tell about Cusco, but in the next few days, I'll first share our very special adventure.

Onward to the Salkantay Trek

We embarked on one of the TOP 25 hikes in the world! The so-called Salkantay Trek''! 

Next stop: 5 days of pure wilderness!

We set off for the small town of Paracas, located about 3 hours southeast of Lima. For this journey, we used a bus for a few Euros, which even had nicely adjustable and padded seats. Perfect!

As we departed, Max placed his newly purchased black sunglasses in the side compartment. There was a couple sitting next to us. A woman with slightly curly, reddish hair, wearing glasses, and aged between 40 and 50. Beside her, a slightly younger, slender man with a colorful cap.

Upon our arrival in Paracas, we queued at the luggage counter to collect our backpacks. Suddenly, Max realized he had left his sunglasses on the bus. The couple behind us seemed very nervous, but at first, we didn't think much of it. The search was futile. When I asked the couple if they had seen the sunglasses, the woman nervously waved her hands and avoided any eye contact. However, the man showed me his grayish glasses that he was wearing and insisted that I take a closer look at them. Something definitely seemed off, but unfortunately, we couldn't search them. So, we left it at that and collected our backpacks. Shortly after, the woman came back to us and, with her slight French accent, said, "The sunglasses were in the side compartment, right?". We agreed. However, that seemed to be just a passing comment from her. But it made us even more suspicious. At least it was only "the sunglasses".

Eventually, we moved on, this time without the sunglasses. 

The next day, we had a beautiful sunny weather for a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands.  We had never seen so many birds gathered in one place in our lives! The large rock protruding from the water was completely covered with these beautiful creatures! In between, we could also spot a few penguins and sea lions. It was an incredible day and definitely a MUST SEE!

After the tour, we took a leisurely walk along the harbor at sunset.  

Paracas was a really beautiful place and definitely worth a visit!

ICA

Originally, we only went to ICA to take the desert tour from there. But now, our stay will probably be remembered for a bit longer. Our hotel had a huge lounge with a pool table, a TV room, a kitchen, and a ping pong table. The room was surrounded by windows with a great view of the city. We often sat there to work. One or two windows were open, and at some point, a pigeon flew in. It tried for a long time to get out, repeatedly pecking at the window with its beak. Alright! We were sure: this pigeon needed help! We tried to carry it out with a broomstick. At first, it seemed very promising, but towards the end, not so much. The pigeon got scared and flew directly to the opposite side. There, it crashed with full force into the window and then fell to the ground. Oh god. It lay motionless. Is it still alive? Is it maybe unconscious? No idea??? Google to the rescue. We followed the instructions and placed it hopefully in the shade, checking on it from time to time. After 2 hours without any movement, it gradually dawned on us that we probably weren't the best rescuers for pigeons. 

Huacachina – Desert Tour

In Huacachina, we went on a dune buggy tour with sandboarding. Pure action! The driver of our jeep pressed hard on the gas pedal. We sat right in front and raced up and down extremely steep dunes. I felt like we were about to tip over or slip on the sand the whole time. Max was more relaxed about it. Sometimes the driver would drive right up to the edge and brake abruptly. Heart attack! At the top of a huge sand dune, we grabbed the sandboards. When I looked down, I was sure that I would definitely not survive sliding down the dune with the board and decided it would be better not to do it (...and I never have a fear of heights!!!). A few other group members shared the same sentiment. It didn't take long before Max was ready for the descent. He was the very first one to slide down the huge dune. When he safely reached the bottom, he shouted encouraging phrases like, "Not so bad" and "It's so much fun!". Eventually, I gathered all my courage (it probably doesn't look as dramatic in the pictures and videos, but once you're up there!...) and went down. And it was really FUN! I think that's the most impressive thing about traveling. You do things you never thought you'd do or overcome fears that eventually lead to an unforgettable experience! And of course, having such a great travel partner as I do, nothing can really go wrong. After sliding down almost every dune many times, we finally watched one of the most beautiful sunsets in the middle of the desert landscape. Infinite beauty.

Next stop: Cusco

Good to know:

Here, too, we realized that you should at least master the basic words in Spanish. Not many people in South America speak English.

Luckily, we've been learning Spanish for more than half a year now and can communicate very well. However, I have to admit that Max is a bit ahead of me, but I'm following closely :D!

A few hackson how we learned a new language (and what we would have liked to know right away):

1. Most people use Duolingo or Babbel, but I have to say that these apps didn't really motivate us. Both of us useMemriseAn app that remembers your progress in learning and quizzes you again after a certain time. Plus, you see short video clips in which the locals speak the words with their own accent.
2. There's also a brilliant app called ItalkiThere, you can book an online tutor for as little as $5 an hour (it's easier to find a teacher on the platform who teaches you a new language in English). Additionally, you can categorize your goals (just speaking, learning grammar...). We personally use it just to have conversations!
3. Additionally, I can recommend the app tandem . It's a platform where you can communicate with people from all over the world. The model is designed so that you teach them your language and they teach you theirs. Some just want to speak in their native language, which is even better for us. Plus, you also have the opportunity to call people there, which is great practice for learning a new language as quickly as possible, and it's free. The app is free,even though it doesn't seem like it at first (only premium members pay, and that's not really necessary)!

We speak in the other language as much as possible. Read texts, watch YouTube videos or movies with subtitles, listen to stories or foreign radio, and create fun images from the most

We made it!

Without any problems, we were able to take our flight to Lima, the capital of Peru. The flight was breathtaking! Perhaps partly due to Peru's COVID regulations. "Wearing two masks is mandatory here." But mainly because of the beautiful landscape, with the huge mountains covered in clouds and the endless expanse.

When we arrived in Lima, we were immersed in a completely different world.

The streets were clean, no visible poverty, people well-groomed, plants blooming everywhere, and the place exuded safety.

But the best part is that there's a total Christmas atmosphere here. The street lamps are adorned with fairy lights, playing Christmas music around the clock (which can also get annoying!). Christmas garlands are hung everywhere, and you can buy candied apples and cotton candy on the streets. A type of pastry similar to Schmalzkuchen was even available, but about 10 times tastier than those in Germany.

And the churros here are incomparable! They're filled with Dulce de Leche. A type of Nutella made from milk, sugar, and vanilla. 

We expected a lot of dirt and high crime rates from such a big city. But actually, Peru is one of the safest countries in South America. A city to fall in love with and definitely worth a visit! The temperatures are currently between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. Google only shows rain, but luckily, we haven't experienced any so far! 

One of our highlights in Lima

The Parque de la Reserva

For just 1 Euro entrance fee, we saw an incredible light-water show. In the background, the many skyscrapers sparkled.

The Parque del Amor

The Park of Love. Flowers were blooming everywhere, with small birds sucking nectar from them. Thousands of love locks hung on the railings. Vendors, newly married couples, a few stray dogs, tourists, locals, and a lot of pigeons could be found here. Plus, there was a beautiful view of the South Pacific.

Other attractions, such as the Basílica y Convento de San Francisco, Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the Historic Centre, should not be neglected either!

We also visited some markets. For new clothes, you shouldn't miss Polvos Azules . A huge market where you can get literally everything. There are 1000 different brand products here at an ultimate bargain price.

For example, I bought a well-made North Face rain jacket here for 15 Euros, instead of 120 Euros.

It has already passed the waterproof test in the shower!

Mercado Central

Here you can get all kinds of food. Peruvian national dish Ceviche is particularly common here. It consists mostly of squid. It wasn't really for me, but Max was pleasantly surprised. We both liked the fried calamari rings the most. The aisles of the market are all very narrow, and everything seems a bit crowded. 

Lima is definitely a very, very diverse city. Just when you turn a street corner, a new incredible place awaits you. But you don't want to drive here. They drive here like "crazy." Similar to Asia, except here it's cars honking constantly instead of scooters.

The cost of living is very low. For a good double room with a private bathroom and a large TV, you pay around 15-20 Euros per night. You can have lunch in local restaurants here for as little as 1.20 Euros (that usually lasts for two days, the portions are so huge!). A cinema visit costs 3-4 Euros per person. Perfect!

Next stop: Paracas

Read more

• Peru Travel Tips — Costs, Route & Practical Information
• Paracas & Huacachina — desert oasis in Peru
• Cusco Travel Report — Inca Capital, Rainbow Mountain & Tips

Stopover in Paraguay

The Bus Ride

The bus ride from the airport towards the capital Asunción is what we'll probably remember the most. At every bus stop, people came into the bus one after another to sell something. Some carried a large, woven basket on their shoulder, covered with a white cloth. Inside were either sandwiches, pastries, or drinks. Others proudly displayed their electronic devices or jewelry in front of our faces. Next came the raffle ticket sellers, and lastly, you could buy socks or a new pair of underwear. The fact is: you don't need to go to a store. The stores come to you! We had to giggle a bit when we saw how suddenly all the vendors in this extremely narrow aisle of the bus were standing and struggling to get out again.

For the locals, this seems to be the norm because they were happily shopping here. When you looked out the window, you could see more vendors waving frantically, trying to seize the opportunity to sell their goods. 

As we continued, we saw old vehicles loaded with groceries. Often, there were cows, dogs, and chickens in front of every house. The background was lush green due to the many plants. The palm trees were particularly beautiful!

Arrived in Asunción

In Asunción itself, there aren't many tourist attractions. So, a few days here are perfectly adequate. In the center, there are some skyscrapers, and everything is close together. Occasionally, you'll find a small park in between.

Unfortunately, these parks are also (like in Sao Paulo) full of tents where homeless people live... When strolling through the city, you have to be careful not to fall into any pits or stumble over wooden pallets.

The most beautiful thing we found here in Asunción were the sunsets with a view of the entire city.

When it came to restaurants and such, we always had quite a bit of trouble finding something halfway healthy because the food here is often fried, contains a lot of sugar, is very meat-heavy, or the restaurant opening hours didn't match our hunger :D. Overall, there isn't really much action here. So, we were determined to move on. We booked a flight to Chile, as Max knows a very good friend from Germany who is currently a mountain guide there. The rough plan was set. We wanted to participate in tours together, celebrate Christmas with the Chilean family, and explore the beautiful regions. Easier said than done. It took 1000 steps just to book the flight. You have to present a current PCR test, register, make a sworn statement, fill out the health form, have your international health insurance translated into English with high coverage, and finally, validate your vaccination. After a huge amount of time, we finally had everything ready. At least we thought so. When we cheerfully and unsuspectingly stood at the check-in counter with our packed backpacks, we were informed of the following: "Your vaccination validation is still pending. No flight without complete validation." Well, that was it. We telephoned until our fingers were sore to get permission for the flight as quickly as possible. No dice. No chance. Validation can take up to 45 days. Too bad that wasn't apparent on the website! So, our plane flew away along with the 300 euros we paid per person. Bye bye! In a bad mood, angry, and frustrated, we spent the whole day somehow trying to get our money back. This involved hours of phone calls and what felt like years spent in the customer office. But thank goodness! Once again, persistence pays off.(We actually had a tariff in which cancellation was excluded)! A new flight was booked for us with only a small price difference. ''hopefully'' Yay! This time, we're "hopefully" going to PERU! The COVID measures there aren't quite as strict. We don't even need a PCR test.

PS: 

"As a traveler, you can't plan anything. Everything always turns out differently than you think!"

Good to know: 

For Paraguay, you need a yellow fever vaccination if you're entering from Brazil (costs about 90 euros)and an antigen test (costs about 20 euros)!

Next stop: Lima – Peru

Diving into a Different World

A new backpacking journey begins, this time with only carry-on luggage. Despite that, our backpacks still weigh around 10 kg. That's almost too much again, so you probably shouldn't take us as an example. 11 hours of flight time later, we reached our destination, where it's a warm 30 degrees! Thank goodness for the Uber app here in Brazil, making it quite easy and affordable for us to get from A to B. 

Poverty

Already on the drive towards the city center, the total contrast between the Google images and reality became visible. On traffic islands, pedestrian paths, and under bridges, you could see tents of various colors set up, where homeless people live. 

In one tent, even a child between the ages of 3 and 5 looked out. Their skin was lightly tanned and covered by a white, spacious undershirt. A few meters away sat an old man with tousled hair, a long beard, and torn, dirt-covered feet. He wore a piece of cardboard attached with a thick string as shoes. It's not uncommon to see people here lying randomly on the ground, wrapped in house carpets or completely covered with gray felt blankets. 

In between, a few chickens walked around with their chicks. Occasionally, you'd also see a shaggy dog, and all of this was surrounded by old rags, scraps of garbage, and a few shopping carts. I don't want to know how long it would take for someone to notice that there might be a dead body under one of the carpets or blankets. Just a creepy thought! In the background stood huge skyscrapers covered in graffiti, and old trucks drove on the streets, swirling the smell of gasoline into the air.

Five years ago, São Paulo looked completely different. The extreme poverty is due to the economic crisis, and of course, Corona hasn't made things any better!

Shopping and Eating

Here in São Paulo, you'll find one store after another. There's nothing you can't buy, and everything here is packed in 10 extra bags. REALLY EVERYTHING! They even wanted to put our 5-liter canister in a bag (I highly doubt it would have held).

Moreover, there are restaurants or bars on every corner. And I love the restaurants here! Almost everywhere, you can get a buffet meal with freshly grilled meat, cooked vegetables, fresh salad, typical Brazilian dumplings, and much more. The currency in Brazil is the "Brazilian Real" (1 Euro -> 6.33 Real). An all-you-can-eat buffet costs approximately 4.50 Euros per person. Alternatively, there's also the option to be charged per 100 grams of plate weight, which is even cheaper and usually totally sufficient. Overall, I would say that everything here is about half as expensive as in Germany. For some dishes, even 3 or 4 times as cheap. I also especially love the freshly squeezed juices! And FINALLY, there are ACAI berries here again, just like in Australia and New Zealand. The berries are mixed here and garnished with sweet treats like honey, coconut flakes, and oatmeal.

People:

Next, I want to tell you a little bit about the people here. Often, they have a broad smile on their face and are also extremely helpful and hospitable!Unfortunately, they are also quite anxious, which is understandable given the high crime rate.

Within the first two days, we were alerted by 5 different locals to be very cautious. Using a phone in the city? Better not here! While in Germany, it's normal to look at your smartphone all day, here it's rather rare. Even in the car, we were strongly advised against using the phone. In the car?? Unimaginable.

Many windows are tinted. On the passenger side as well as on the driver's side. A local, about the same age as us, told us about her horror story. Strangers broke her car window twice while she was on her way to the city center. They stole the navigation system and other valuables.

Tips from the locals:

In the evening, it's best to avoid being in the middle of the city. Especially not alone. Valuables should be made as invisible as possible (we always have our thin waist bag, worn under the t-shirt) and only safe means of transportation should be used (Uber!).

A little stroll around the city

Today we visited a typical flea market. Just like in Germany, there was a lot of odds and ends to buy here. But what you might see less often is the sale of little kittens and puppies amidst the hustle and bustle. After that, we checked out the famous graffiti area. There we found artfully crafted walls (and people), lots of little food stalls, and even some live music. Suddenly, everything felt beautiful, familiar, and safe again. And all of this just a 15-minute drive from the city center. In the evening, we went to a bar with a Brazilian friend of mine. I know him because we lived together in Braunschweig for a month before he returned to his home country.

In the bars of Brazil, there's only cold beer. Or rather, "ice-cold beer"! The refrigerators are set to -4 degrees Celsius, and on top of that, they serve the beer in an ice-filled bucket. Brazilians take this very seriously due to the very warm/hot weather conditions and despise lukewarm beer. So if the drink doesn't arrive at the right temperature, it's sent back! The most common cocktail here is the Caipirinha, which tastes very fruity and sweet! Also, small snacks on the side are quite normal here. We ate fried "Mandiocas" (a kind of root vegetable) and dumplings filled with cheese and meat. After that, there was plenty of traditional samba dancing!

A brief summary of São Paulo:

We've often been asked what impression we have of São Paulo. It's a mix of shocking and fascinating.

The food there is sooo delicious, the people are lovely, the nightlife endless, and the sights extremely impressive. But here in São Paulo, you experience two sides. The carefree life, but also a lot of suffering and neediness.

P.S.: I would advise against solo traveling here! Especially at the moment, due to the Corona situation, it's difficult to make contact with other backpackers because there simply aren't any, and you shouldn't take the current crime rate lightly.

Good to know:

Upon entry into Brazil, you need a complete vaccination certificate, a health form, a current PCR test, and of course, your other documents (travel health insurance, passport, standard vaccinations...)!

Upon entry from Brazil to Paraguay, you'll need a Yellow Fever vaccination!Just one vaccination ensures lifelong protection!

Currently, in almost EVERY COUNTRY (except Peru), a PCR test PCR test is required. The test costs approximately 60 Euros!Many border crossings are still closed. The circumstances aren't easy for us, so we'll need to rearrange some plans and probably won't be able to visit as many countries as planned.

Now, we're flying on to Paraguay!