A month in the Yungas: Quime, Licoma and Suri

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Entering the peaceful town of Quime, Bolivia

Entering the peaceful town of Quime, Bolivia

What was meant to be a 3 or 4 day stop in Quime turned into nearly a month in the small town, plus a week of checking out a couple of other tiny Yungas towns. I found out about the tranquil stopover between La Paz and cities further south from the Wikitravel site, which is the work of Alaskan expat Marco, who runs Hostal Colibri. The hostal has great private rooms (some with fireplaces) and a full kitchen, which makes it a perfect spot to relax after several weeks or months on the road.

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Chacaltaya: The World’s Highest Ski Lift

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A view of the colorful mineral lakes from Chacaltaya

A view of the colorful mineral lakes from Chacaltaya

On the recommendation of a British couple I flew back to La Paz from Rurrenabaque with, I booked a day tour to Chacaltaya to see the world’s highest ski lift. Unfortunately, there’s been no skiing at Chacaltaya for the past five years since the glacier melted, but the views from 5,400 meters is still impressive.

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Hiking Around Lake Titicaca

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The start of sunset over Lake Titicaca viewed from Cerro Calvario

The start of sunset over Lake Titicaca viewed from Cerro Calvario

Thankfully, the disputes causing the road blocks between La Paz and Copacabana were resolved shortly after my arrival in La Paz and I was able to plan a trip to Lake Titicaca via Copacabana and Isla del Sol. I spent an incredible three days hiking around the lake and getting to know some of the magnificent street dogs in the area. Honestly, some of the dogs I met there were the best travel companions I’ve had so far!

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Peru Roundup

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A plate of ceviche in Trujillo

A plate of ceviche in Trujillo

Peru was the first country on my RTW and it made for an excellent start. I spent 24 days in the country and visited five major sites (Lima, Trujillo, Huaraz, Cusco and surroundings, Arequipa and surroundings). My average daily budget was US$50, although I definitely splurged during my time in Cusco on some of the nicer restaurants (Uchu is highly recommended!) and did a bit of shopping.
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Three Days in the Colca Canyon

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Standing in front of the Colca Valley on day three

Standing in front of the Colca Valley on day three

Located a few hours’ drive outside of Arequipa, Colca Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world at 4,160 m (13,650 ft) and is an excellent location for hiking and learning about Andean culture. I booked a 3-day/2-night trip with Peru Schweiz (Jerusalen 400 A in Arequipa). There are 2-day options available, but if you’ve got the time the 3-day trip is definitely worth it. You hike a bit more slowly and get to enjoy more time in the canyon.

I was picked up at my hostel at 3am and taken to have a basic breakfast. Then we stopped at the Cruz del Condor (Condor’s Cross), where we saw several condors showing off their wings. We were driven another 15 minutes or so to begin our hike. Although with the three day trip we only hiked about 3-4 hours each day, it is steep. Going down is a test of your ankles and knees, while getting out is a true test of lung capacity and endurance! The views and Andean experience are worth the pain.

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