A Day in Zlatibor

Posted on by
The popular weekend resort town of Zlatibor

The popular weekend resort town of Zlatibor

It turns out that the bus system in Serbia is not as extensive as I had hoped, and accurate information about schedules and destinations is extremely difficult to obtain.  As a result, I found myself in the small resort town of Zlatibor en route to Tara National Park because that was the most convenient place I could get to from Belgrade. I took advantage of my day there by hiking and seeing some of the local sights. Although the mountains don’t quite rival the Andes, they were certainly a pleasant respite from the massive cities I’d been in for the previous few weeks.

Continue reading →

Iceland Road Trip: Day 3

Posted on by
Europe's Most Powerful Waterfall meets the Yank without a Chain

Europe’s Most Powerful Waterfall meets the Yank without a Chain

From Bakkagerdi I headed to the northern coast of the island and visited Dettifoss, “Europe’s Most Powerful Waterfall,” and the area around Myvatn – “Midge Lake” or “Fly Lake” in English. The road up to Dettifoss was the worst I experienced and I was terrified of getting a stone in my windshield. The insurance for the car doesn’t cover any windshield damage, which didn’t seem like such a big deal until I realized that it is actually very possible to get a stone kicked up at you from another car on these gravel side roads. Fortunately, this didn’t happen to me and I made the round trip to Dettifoss with my car intact.

Continue reading →

Iceland Road Trip: Day 2

Posted on by
The port and mountain view at Seydisfjordur in eastern Iceland

The port and mountain view at Seydisfjordur in eastern Iceland

On my second day I drove along the gorgeous eastern coast of Iceland and visited the small towns of Seyðisfjörður (Seydisfjordur) and Bakkagerði (Bakkagerdi).   I had my first real meal at Seydisfjordur at Hotel Aldan – delicious Atlantic salmon and beet salad – and went on a nearly 6-hour evening/night hike at Bakkagerdi. It was great to get out of the car and stretch my legs for a little while!

Continue reading →

Argentina: Salta y Alrededores

Posted on by
Tintin, a perfectly straight Incan road leading to Cachi

Tintin, a perfectly straight Incan road leading to Cachi

After spending over two months in Bolivia, I was eager to cross the border into Argentina for some great steak and wine. The Villazon-La Quiaca crossing was the easiest crossing yet, and from La Quiaca I took a bus down to Tilcara. The small town in the Jujuy province had been highly recommended by two American girls I went on a mine tour with in Potosi, and it was an easy stop on the way south to Salta. In Tilcara I hiked around quite a bit. I have to admit, although beautiful, the scenery was a bit redudant with what I had seen in Sucre and Tupiza in Bolivia.

Continue reading →

Bolivia Roundup

Posted on by
Sitting by a 1,000 year old cactus on the Isla del Pescado in the Salar de Uyuni

Sitting by a 1,000 year old cactus on the Isla del Pescado in the Salar de Uyuni

I spent 64 days in Bolivia, far longer than I’d anticipated and a number sure to be unmatched by any other country on my trip. Nearly half of my time was spent in the Yungas and the rest was split between the area around La Paz and the southwest of the country. My average daily budget was $26, balancing splurges like the Mashaquipe Lodge with super cheap, nearly free days in Quime and Suri.

Continue reading →