Expense Report – Page 2

Category: Expense Report (page 2 of 12)

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – January 2024 (Bolivia)

January was a bit different than other months, since Mark, Maya, and I were stationary at the Las Lomas Campground in La Paz, Bolivia, with our truck camper, Thirsty Bella, for 26 out of 31 days. One of the reasons we took on the managing position for this property was to save money – or better, not spend much. But there are always extra expenses. Always. All in all, it was a decent month, though.

Drone footage of the campground during the holidays

Home for over a month

As camp hosts, we had our own key to come and go on the property.

Surprisingly, the car category was still the highest. Fuel was manageable, since we sat still for so long and didn’t top up our tank until we left.

Hauling fuel from the gas station – no, we didn’t run out.

Putting gasoline in our tank, five gallons at a time!

When we arrived in La Paz, however, we noticed sparks in our engine. Mark diagnosed this as corroded ignition coils. He managed to clean a couple, but we had to buy two new ones in Bolivia – one in December and one in January. Since they were of inferior quality, he also ordered two better ones in the US, to pick up later. Hence the $200 amount for repairs. We happily discovered the source of the rust, so this problem shouldn’t be repeated.

Cleaning another one of the corroded ignition coils

Preparing an engine job

Replacing the last of the ignition coils

Tolls in Bolivia are affordable and you can sometimes reuse a ticket on the same highway.

Toll booth ahead – at least the roads in Bolivia are in good condition!

First toll booth

One of the handful of tollbooths we passed in one day

This one has a gate, with manual lever!

Toll tickets are stamped when they are reusable

The grocery cost was average and our exquisite dining out expenses affordable, because we were treated by others, in person or virtually. I promised previously that I’d mention the prices of our gastronomy delights in La Paz in this report.

Produce vendor in Bolivia

Empty fridge – time to go grocery shopping again!

Popular – and closest – supermarket in La Paz

When cooking on the grill at high elevations, we need to crack the lid to produce enough oxygen for the grilling.

Thank you gift from Marcos, the campground owner

At Gustu, the #23 on the 100 Best Restaurants of Latin America list, tasting menus cost the equivalent of $65 per person for a 7-course meal. We used gift money from my parents for that splurge.

Fancy dining in Gustu

Enjoying one of the courses at Gustu

Ancestral, the #62 on that list, offers 8-course tasting menus for $42 a person, plus $26 per wine pairing, which we split per couple. Our friend Brandon treated us here, because Mark helped him set up a new phone for an entire day, after his old one was stolen at El Alto Market on New Year’s Eve. And, we used the last bit of our gift money – and some of our own earnings – for a second dinner at Ancestral, just the two of us.

Tasting menu prices at Ancestral

Appetizer on the house in Ancestral

Rose wine as part of the wine pairing in Ancestral

Exquisite dining with friends

Glass of wine at Ancestral for Mark

At Popular, the amazing restaurant in downtown La Paz, the set gourmet lunches cost $12 per person. We paid for that, although we received one tip from a friendly camping couple and put this towards that meal. Plus, one of you sent us a dinner donation, the day we went out for an amazing pizza meal in Uyuni! So, in January, we almost ate out for free! ????

Mark’s appetizer at Popular

My soup at Popular

Can you believe that this is a chocolate flan?

Dessert at Popular

Mark needed to get blood work done, six months after two values were off in the US. Since it had been one and a half years since I had any tests done, I ordered a full panel at the same clinic. All these blood tests set us back $61. I wonder how much this would cost in other countries, without health insurance.

Vietnamese lunch special

Delicious western-style pizza!

Bottle of decent wine at the pizza restaurant

Our alcohol expense was average in January. With four small tiendas near our campground, all we had to do was walk a few minutes if we wanted to drink wine that night. Decent bottles of red, like Campos or Tentación, and white wine, like Terruño, cost the equivalent of $4 here. Beer in the grocery store is pricy at around $1.50 a can, and rum is cheaper than in the surrounding countries.

Affordable wine in Bolivia – the popular wine region is called Tarija

Our favorite rum (Flor de Cana) is affordable in Bolivia. (This photo is a preview of our Salar tour in early February.)

Because fuel is tricky to purchase as foreigners in Bolivia (more about that in a future post), Mark and I decided to buy an (expensive) jerry can in La Paz for the rest of our road trip through this country. We also obtained a new, small, plunger for the camper as the original one didn’t suction well anymore.

Traveling with a fuel can in the car – not ideal!

Our monthly Starlink fee remains the same at $35 a month (of which our business pays the other half). Turning it off during our stay at Las Lomas, which offers free WiFi, would turn into a hassle, so we kept paying our subscription. While settled at the campground, we used colectivos (minibuses), cable cars, taxis, and Uber to get around. The total for those services amounted to $24.

Colectivo (minibus) in Bolivia

Colectivo ride into town…

… with Maya

One of the many cable car rides in La Paz

The blue cable cars

The Silver Line above El Alto

We bought a couple of things for the camper, like electrical cleaner spray (at a local store) and a door strut (on Amazon – packages in the US are piling up again), since the current one is broken and Bella’s door doesn’t stay open anymore. I had my cheapest, fastest, shortest, and best haircut in South America for $3. And, we took Maya to the vet.

New haircut

This door strut is broken, so we ordered a new one on Amazon in the US.

The day we arrived in Uyuni, Maya was bitten by a loose dog (more about that later as well). Luckily, its owners took responsibility and paid the first vet bill of $16. We covered subsequent check-up visits, one of which still took place in January. Luckily, animal clinics are affordable here.

Taking Maya to the vet after her dog bite

Stitch job well done!

From Las Lomas, we left with full tanks of potable water and propane gas, and clean clothes after doing laundry. These services were free for us as camp hosts.

Topping up our propane gas before leaving

Getting water and finishing laundry at Las Lomas Campground

Laundry machine in the kitchen

Once back on the road, we boondocked on the way to and in Uyuni, meaning that we didn’t spend a dime on accommodation in January. We are happy with a total of under $900, but had hoped to do better while “sitting still.”

Thirsty Bella camped by the Train Cemetery in Uyuni

Boondocked between ruins and a rising river

Boondocked in Uyuni

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Annual Expense Report of a Nomad – 2023 (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia)

January 25, 2024 / Liesbet / 28 Comments

Our first yearly expense report (2016) can be found here, the report of 2017 is here, the one for 2018 here, our 2019 expenses are located here, our total costs for 2020 are documented here, those for 2021 are detailed here, and 2022’s financial summary hides here.

In 2023, Mark, Maya, and I drove from Colombia through Ecuador and Peru into Bolivia with our truck camper Thirsty Bella. During this multiple-year South American overland journey, which started in November 2022, we have visited Colombia for six months, Ecuador for three, Peru for five, and Bolivia for over a month so far. That’s a lot of driving.

A beautiful but narrow gravel road in the Colombian Andes

Driving along a salt lake in Peru

One of the mountain roads during the rainy season

Narrow dirt road along the cliffs in Colombia

Welcome to Bolivia!

So, it is no surprise that the biggest expense category for last year was, once more, our vehicle, with over $3,200 going to fuel. We also bought a new hub for one of the wheels ($250), a safety kit required by local police, a cow horn just for fun, caliper pins, fluid, and cleaners for the brakes, a new taillight, grease, and oil filters. We also reimbursed the baggage fee for a friend who brought a sharp tool back from the US for us.

Fuel station in Colombia, where gasoline cost $2 per gallon

Mark brought a hub back from the US in his carry-on luggage

Button on the dash to make the cow horn moo

High fuel prices in Peru ($5/gallon)

Filling up with fuel in Peru

Other big car repair items were two oil changes ($200), which are more expensive in South America than in the US, security film for the car windows ($160), and an ignition coil ($85) with another one going towards this year already. Plus, we needed a mechanic to check a tire issue and someone else to fix six malicious punctures. Furthermore – and surprising – is the fact that we paid $151 in tolls, mostly in Colombia. These sure added up!

The metal rod that some criminals stuck into our tire in Soacha, Colombia

A Colombian mechanic discovers one of our hubs needs to be replaced.

Oil change in Pasto, Colombia

Security film for the truck windows

We extended our vehicle insurance in Colombia after deciding to stay an extra 90 days, bought liability car insurance for six months in the Mercasur countries (Bolivia and south from here), and spent a total of $55 on parking – in SA and in the US when Mark went back for a visit.

Car wash in Huaraz, Peru

Toll rates in Ecuador

Toll booth in Ecuador

Toll booth prices in Peru

Most toll booths in Peru are still burned down from protests in early 2023

Groceries cost $2,585 (averaging $215 a month). Not bad. Probably because the dining out amount is high, at over half that ($1,542)!

Colorful market in Colombia

I have a weakness for good European bakeries

Visit to a grocery store in Colombia

Produce market in Ecuador

Well-equipped grocery store in Peru

Lots of fruit on the markets in Peru

Being in “cheaper” countries means that we are splurging at restaurants much more than in the US, which is reflected here!

Eating out for lunch in Colombia with Sheri and Jeff

Vegetarian meal in Colombia

Mark’s birthday dinner in Jardin, Colombia

Dinner out: pizza!

Amazing vegetarian set lunch in Colombia

Afternoon splurge in Banos, Ecuador

Local day menu for lunch in Ecuador

Dinner at a local restaurant in Peru

Amazing seafood dinner in Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Amazing dinner at Teriyaki in Cusco, Peru

Fancy dinner out with Griet and Wim

The computer category is substantial, due to Mark requiring a new laptop and accessories, me needing a new smartphone (Google Pixel) as my original one was stolen in Cusco, and our decision to buy a Starlink satellite internet system for almost $500 in Peru. Hooking it up in our camper required extra parts and cables as well. Usually, our hosting fee is higher, but thanks to donations from you, dear readers, those costs related to the Roaming About website are taken care of.

Our new family member: Starlink

Installing all the wiring for Starlink

Finished three-day project: Starlink is now a part of our ceiling

My new phone, a Google Pixel 7a

Another higher-than-usual category is accommodation. In the US and Mexico, we pretty much boondocked (wild camped) for free 100% of the time. Because of logistical and safety issues, we have paid for campgrounds in Colombia and Peru. A third of the almost $1,000 for lodging went to renting Airbnb apartments and hotel rooms during the visit of my cousin and her husband in November and December and a two-night stay in Quito with friends.

Pay campground in Huaraz, Peru, where we took the camper off and just used the truck to reach amazing scenery high in the Andes

Airbnb in Quito

Paid campground in Ibarra, Ecuador

Spending a few nights at a pay campground in Medellin, Colombia

Our Airbnb in Santa Teresa, Peru

Of course, most of our nights we still camped for free on the edges of towns or in spectacular natural surroundings. Otherwise, this lifestyle would be unaffordable for us.

Camped in the Tatacoa Desert in Colombia

Parked for the night at a village square in Colombia during the holiday period

Camped for free by a quiet pond in Northern Ecuador

Wild camped in front of Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador

Wild camped in Ecuador, near Chimborazo Volcano

Camped on a beach in Peru

Wild camped in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

Boondocked at the pretty Laguna Antacocha, Peru

Maya has lots of allergies. This means she eats a specific diet and dog food brand, which is more difficult to come by and much more expensive on this continent than in the US. Therefore, the dog category went up compared to last year. Despite us bringing three big bags into Colombia. Vet visits, on the other hand, are affordable here and our dog – touch on wood – has been pretty healthy on the road.

Maya gets weighed at the vet

One of Maya’s nails got ripped out on an escalator in Medellin, Colombia

Health certificate for Maya, leaving Ecuador

Maya needed a muzzle to enter the cable cars in La Paz, where we stayed for a month.

Even though we have our own mode of transportation, we end up spending a chunk of money for that category, no matter the location in South America. Mark has to fly back to the US once a year for health check-ups (I skipped mine in 2023) and, once we are camped near a main city, we use Uber, InDrive, taxis, minivans, tuk tuks, and cable cars to get around. Those forms of transportation added up to over $600 last year.

Efficient, clean, cheap, modern, and amazing cable car system in La Paz, Bolivia

Plane above Quito, Ecuador

Tuk tuk ride with Maya

The category one expects to be high when traveling the world is entertainment. Yet, we often find free activities, like hikes and viewpoints. I feel we didn’t skimp on excursions in 2023, visiting plenty of volcanoes, ruins, canyons, museums, and hot springs.

High-altitude hot springs in Colombia

Hot springs in Ecuador

Equator monument in Ecuador

Hot springs in Ecuador

Ventanillas ruins in Cajamarca

Archeological site along the Northern coast of Peru

Colca Canyon in Peru

Other tourist attractions that stood out were the Three Colored Mountains, the reed islands of Uros, and the Sacred Valley archeological sites in Peru and, of course, the biggie: Machu Picchu.

Three Colored Mountains in Peru

The reed islands of Uros in Puno, Peru

Moray Archeological Site in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Maras salt flats in the Sacred Valley of Peru

Machu Picchu

Our trio also paid to visit the Nazca and Palpa Lines, Gocta waterfall, a salt cathedral, and a bird sanctuary.

Gocta Waterfall in Peru

The Palpa lines and geoglyphs in Peru

Exploring the salt cathedral near Bogota with Maya, who was only allowed in this mine when seated in a stroller

Cantalloc Aqueducts in Nazca, Peru

The cock-of-the-rock bird or gallito de las rocas in a bird sanctuary in Jardin, Colombia

We used the cable car in Bogota, joined a few “free” walking tours, and I jumped off a bridge in Banos, Ecuador.

Cable car in Bogota, Colombia

Free walking tour in Medellin

Jumping off a bridge in Banos, Ecuador

Mark and I could do better with our alcohol expenses. But, especially when hanging out with friends, it’s nice to have a drink. Or two.

Homecooked dinner and wine with Valeria and David in Bella, Peru

Our rum selection with family

A massive change regarding utilities is our acquisition of Starlink in September 2023. We now have internet at our fingertips everywhere and all the time. The price for that is $70 a month, half of which is paid by our business. Since we replaced the RV’s propane fridge with an electric, compressor fridge, our cost for propane gas went down to $50 for an entire year, compared to $180 last year. Our potable water expenses were negligible.

Waiting to have our propane tank filled

Buying five gallons of emergency water

Every home needs maintenance, including a camper. Last year, we spent $342 on camper improvements inside and outside, like a propane hose, fridge thermostat, wood for a platform in the bed of the truck, water filters, screws, glue, caulk, and plexiglass for the Starlink installation.

Building and installing a wooden platform for the camper to sit on

Buying plexiglass and having it cut to size

Installing Starlink and the plexiglass in a dome of our ceiling

More than $200 went to drinking out in 2023; either with friends or just the two of us. This includes hot beverages and juices as well.

Drinks and dinner out with friends John and Susan in El Retiro, Colombia

Afternoon splurge at a café

Meeting fellow overlanders in Cuenca, Ecuador, for drinks

Pina Coladas on my birthday in Peru

Brewery visit with family in the Sacred Valley, Peru

The next categories down the list are birthday and Christmas gifts for family and friends, Customs and Immigration, mainly our three-month extensions in Colombia and a Bolivian visa for Mark, and medical, namely medicines at local pharmacies (no prescriptions are needed in most of Latin America) and a tooth exam and X-ray for Mark.

Christmas gifts of Baileys in La Paz, Bolivia

X-ray for Mark

Clothing and household items had the same number attached ($125) and enriched our cabinets and drawers. I bought a wool alpaca poncho, while Mark purchased a couple of alpaca sweaters in Ecuador and shorts in the US. Other (extra) clothing was obtained with gift money from my parents. They also sponsored a biking activity and two dinners out. Our household purchases contained a new router, vacuum cleaner, camping chairs, cutting boards, ice tray, and dishtowels.

My new alpaca poncho, bought in Huaraz

Packages brought to us by American friends Heather and Rodney

Mark’s new alpaca sweater, bought in Ecuador

Every year, we pay a $90 fee for the use of our Chase visa card. This allows us to collect points, which then can be redeemed for flights or other items, meaning the card is essentially free.

The miscellaneous category contains more than random expenses and toilet visits, or the amount would be lower. This is where we include souvenirs, mostly for me: a leather purse from Colombia, small paintings from Ecuador, and a Pachamama (Mother Earth) statue in Peru.

Little painting from Ecuador: Cotopaxi Volcano

Store in Jerico, Colombia, where I bought my leather purse

Little painting from Ecuador: Laguna Quilotoa

We also ran into a few obstacles with our “giant” camper, like a roof in Villa de Leyva in Colombia and another person’s car (his fault) in Huaraz, Peru. We reimbursed the owners for their tiles and side-view mirror.

Someone was parked on the side of the road, so we had to squeeze by and ran into this overhang with the top corner of our camper.

Pile of tiles on the sidewalk, after we ran into the roof overhang

The two remaining items in the report are laundry – quite low on a year basis, because we stayed with friends at times, who let us use their washing machine – and health & fitness, which resembles two haircuts for me, one in Colombia and one in Ecuador. Mark and I have clippers to cut his hair every other month.

Haircut in Villa de Leyva, Colombia

Laundromat in Colombia

2023 Overview:

Car (fuel: $3,203; maintenance: $972;

tolls: $151; insurance: $146; parking: $55):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Computer (hardware: $1,124; hosting: $44; software: $2):

Accommodation (Airbnbs, hotels, camping):

Dog (food: $525; supplies: $116; vet: $84):

Transportation (plane ticket M, Uber, taxis, cable cars):

Entertainment:

Alcohol:

Utilities (internet: $408; prop.: $51; water: $11):

Camper:

Drinking out:

Gifts (B-days, Christmas, NY):

Customs & Immigration (extensions Colombia; visa Bolivia M):

Medical:

Clothing:

Household:

Bank fees (Chase visa card):

Miscellaneous (souvenirs):

Laundry:

Health & Fitness (haircuts L):

TOTAL:

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

And that’s a wrap! If you are enjoying these posts and would like to help out with our expenses maintaining this blog, please click on the donate button underneath, in the side bar, or in the menu bar on top. I promise Roaming About will remain an ad-free website. Thank you!

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – December 2023 (Peru & Bolivia)

January 13, 2024 / Liesbet / 18 Comments

For part of December 2023, Mark and I parked our truck camper, Thirsty Bella, at the Quinta Lala campground in Cusco, Peru, while we explored the city and surroundings with my cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim. After they flew home to Belgium, we got ready for the road again, met up with good friends, and made our way to the Bolivian border, which we crossed on December 19th. After a few days in Copacabana, we reached La Paz, where we’ve been stationary since, to run the Las Lomas campground for a month.

Another goodbye to our friends Katherine and Brandon

Happy hour with Katherine and Brandon in our camper

Dinner in our camper with Sheri and Jeff

Welcome to Bolivia

Camped in busy and popular Las Lomas, La Paz

The car category was huge! Not only did we spend almost $300 on gasoline, we also had two costly “repairs,” and purchased liability insurance for six months in the Mercasur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay with Bolivia and Chile being associated states).

In Cusco, we added “unbreakable” security film to the four side windows of our truck, after reading repeated reports of foreign cars being broken into in Chile.

Getting security film added to our car windows took around three hours.

Waiting for the work at the window tinting place to be done. It was a tight fit into their workshop!

Before leaving Peru, Mark noticed sparks in our engine, each time he started the car. Once in La Paz, he discovered corrosion in some of the ignition coils. He managed to clean and reinstall two of them, but one had to be replaced. Our options were to buy a low-quality coil locally for twice the price than a high-quality one in the US, or to pay heavy import duties when ordering what we wanted online. We decided to purchase one ignition coil in La Paz. At the moment, one more coil is broken, so we need another part… The good news is that we figured out the cause of the rust, yesterday.

Mark works on the engine

We finally bought a tire plug kit, in case we run into a puncture problem again (like that terrible incident in Colombia). We also took Thirsty to a carwash before leaving Cusco, paid for parking when needing the car close to our Airbnb, and handed over cash at a few restored toll booths. We had gotten away with not paying tolls in Peru for months, after protesters burned most of the stations down in early 2023.

Burned-down toll booth

Our grocery bill was above average, because we went on a couple of extensive shopping sprees, after finishing all the food from the fridge and making a dent in other provisions, before we stored our camper for three weeks. And, there were lots of homecooked dinners, among which two special ones over the holidays.

We did not buy any of these animal parts at the San Pedro Market in Cusco

Buying a big bread in the “bread capital of Peru” – it was too sweet for me

Buying more Parmesan at the cheese farm in Tinajani Canyon

Potluck dinner on New Year’s Eve

Meat was popular on New Year’s Eve!

Campfire on New Year’s Eve

We ate out quite a bit, having friends and family – and incredible restaurants – around, including a fabulous birthday dinner. Despite Griet and Wim’s generosity, we still spent more than usually in this category.

Fabulous – and fancy – birthday dinner at KusyKay in Cusco, ranked the #1 restaurant on Tripadvisor with a 5-star rating!

A nice and special touch

Taking Griet and Wim to our favorite vegetarian restaurant in Cusco, El Encuentro

Taking Katherine and Brandon to our favorite vegetarian restaurant in Cusco, El Encuentro

Mark’s fancy meal at Ofrenda: ossobuco

My fancy meal at Ofrenda: stuffed pepper

Dinner outside at La Cupula (Maya was not welcome inside the restaurant) in Copacabana

Dinner at a Greek restaurant in Copacabana – Mark’s meal of goulash

Dinner at a Greek restaurant in Copacabana – My meal of vegetarian lasagna

The next big and unexpected expense was a new smartphone for me. The day after my family arrived, we were strolling through downtown Cusco, ready to join a walking tour. Griet and I were chatting non-stop. In the excitement of the day and the company, I had forgotten to zip up the pocket of my sweater, which was wrapped around my waist. My phone was located in this pocket and skillfully removed from it by someone, without me noticing it.

My phone was stolen in this area, on a pedestrian stretch further down.

I couldn’t help but feel this robbery was my fault, despite being the victim and stealing being a crime. Of course, I should have zippered up! Instead of joining the Cusco Free Walking Tour, Mark, Maya, and I spent that afternoon at the main police office (a story for another day). Needless to say, I never retrieved my one-year-old Google Pixel 6a, of which I’d finally had the cracked screen replaced a month and a half prior. I was beyond bummed.

After one year, my badly cracked screen was replaced!

But, as “luck” would have it, my birthday was coming up and our Canadian friends, Sheri and Jeff, had another week at home, before meeting us in Peru. They joined forces with Mark and managed to find and bring me a new smartphone: A Pixel 7a. Mark surprised me with it, one day on a hike. Interestingly, while I’m super happy to have a good camera again, being without a phone for a month was somewhat liberating; I enjoyed taking less photos and not “having” to post them on Facebook; my main use for this device.

My new Google Pixel 7a smartphone

Our accommodation costs for last month included splitting an Airbnb in Cusco for a week with my cousin and her husband, storage for Thirsty Bella during that time, another few days of camping at Quinta Lala, and tipping a farmer in Tinajani Canyon to boondock on his land for three nights.

A repeat visit to Tinajani Canyon for a few quiet nights

Camped with Jeff and Sheri in Tinajani Canyon (Photo credit Sheri Ouellet)

December is the period of gifts. I created annual calendars with 13 photos of the two – or three – of us in exciting locations for family members in Belgium and the US, we bought a bottle of Baileys for Sheri and Jeff, whom we celebrated Christmas with for the second year in a row (on a funny side note, they happened to select the same bottle for me as a gift), and we ordered an electric heater for my mother-in-law as an early birthday present.

Jeff and Sheri got us stockings for Christmas!!

Sheri and I bought each other the same gift: a bottle of Baileys

Our alcohol expense seemed average – surprising, when celebrating the old and the new year with friends – but I have to add a note about the utilities category. We actually pay around $70 a month for our Starlink satellite internet subscription, but Mark realized that some of that fee should be put towards our business/freelance careers, hence the reduced amount of $35 for unlimited internet in this report and going forward. We also filled our propane tank, before leaving Cusco. This should last us three months.

Getting our propane tank filled at this place, before leaving Cusco – and Peru

Road closures in Cusco

One more drive in Cusco, dealing with lots of traffic and aggressive drivers

We paid for a rickety barge crossing of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and frequently used taxis to get around in Cusco and La Paz. Plus, we enjoy(ed) taking the cable cars in La Paz. In cities, it is just safer – and less frustrating – to keep the vehicle parked at a secure location and get around with public transportation.

Taking the rickety barge across Lake Titicaca with Thirsty Bella

Barges are the only transportation across this channel

Crossing the isthmus of Lake Titicaca

The Blue cable cars in La Paz

Taking the cable car over La Paz

The Yellow Line above La Paz

The only real excursion we did in December was a strenuous hike on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca, leaving from Copacabana.

Some of the bays in Isla del Sol reminded me of the Mediterranean Sea.

Hiking on Isla del Sol with Sheri and Jeff

Leaving Isla del Sol from its biggest village, Yumani

The rim trail on the island went up and down for many miles.

I explored a few more ruins with my family around Cusco, but those were included in my 10-day tourist ticket, bought in November.

The archeological site of Tipon

The archeological site of Pikallaqta

My ten-day tourist ticket

Our friend, Jeff, and I also bicycled Death Road (aka “The World’s Most Dangerous Road”) on a long and exhausting, but fun, day trip from La Paz. I used gift money from my parents for that adventure. More about that in another post.

Our awesome biking group for Death Road

I’m ready for the most spectacular bike ride in the world – and the most dangerous one

Biking downhill on Death Road

The remaining categories were all under $20. We went out for a few drinks with friends, obtained meds from the pharmacy for my headaches, sore throat, and birth control, sourced a few items for the camper, bought two new camping chairs that were super affordable (the only negative, we discovered later, is that none of our glasses or stainless-steel water bottles fit in the cup holders), found a muzzle for Maya so she could join us in the cable cars of La Paz, and exchanged coins for toilet visits.

Buying two tasty and cheap fruit juices at a market, while waiting for the “window tinting”

A toast for my birthday with Griet

Our new camping chairs at Lake Titicaca

Maya is allowed on the cable car system, but only when wearing a muzzle

Crossing the border into Bolivia didn’t cost anything and once there (and at a beach south of Puno earlier), we wild camped for free again.

Camped with Sheri and Jeff at the beach of Moyapampa, Peru, along Lake Titicaca

Home in Copacabana, Bolivia, for a few days

Free camping on the edge of La Paz on Christmas Eve, before heading to the Las Lomas campground the next day

Our total for December was high again, around $1,900, but we are determined to begin 2024 on a lower budget. For once, we are off to a good start.

December 2023 Overview:

Car (fuel: $288; maint.: $271; ins.: $77; tolls: $5; parking: $5):

Groceries:

Computer hardware (smartphone L):

Dining out:

Accommodation (Airbnb: $115; camping: $35; storage: $20):

Gifts (calendars, heater, Baileys):

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $35; propane:$9):

Transportation (barge Titicaca, taxis Cusco & La Paz):

Entertainment (Isla del Sol):

Drinking out:

Medical (pharmacy):

Camper (silicone spray, zip ties):

Household (camping chairs):

Dog (muzzle):

Miscellaneous (toilet visits):

TOTAL:

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – November 2023 (Peru)

December 23, 2023 / Liesbet / 28 Comments

In November 2023, Mark, dog Maya, and I explored the southern part of Peru in our truck camper, Thirsty Bella. These last two months have been extremely busy and overwhelming, hence my delayed expense report.

We drove a lot, from Arequipa to Colca Canyon and then back to Cusco and the Sacred Valley, to meet family from Belgium. Yet, our car was not the highest expense category, last month. That honor went to Mark’s new computer and a few “accessories.”

The main square in Arequipa

Part of the main “highway” from Arequipa to Cusco!

Most of the burned-down tollbooths haven’t been re-instated yet.

Maya sniffing along the drive

A couple of months ago, I wrote that Mark’s laptop (needed daily for work) kept crashing. We were trying to figure out how to send his Surface back to the US and get it replaced under warranty. Being in Peru made this impossible, so we went a different route.

We are very fortunate to have a lot of (accommodating) friends. Two of them returned from the US and had space in their luggage. So, Mark ordered a new laptop, which Rodney and Heather brought back to Cusco in November. My cousin and her husband flew back to Belgium via the US and managed to drop off the broken one at a UPS box in one of the airports. A new Surface should be waiting for us whenever Mark returns to the US on his annual visit. This spare laptop will probably become mine at some point. We also needed a new router, hard drive, and Windows Office key for the arrived laptop.

Some of the packages brought back to us in Cusco by Rodney and Heather

The car category – especially gas – was high again; no surprise there. Gasoline is expensive in Peru, our truck has awful fuel economy (10mpg), and we covered big distances on steep, gravel roads. We also paid for parking a bunch and our friends brought specialty grease back from the US. But no tolls had to be paid.

Driving through the Andes Mountains

The rain is turning some roads into mud

Road to Santa Teresa

Another extra expense last month (and this one) was accommodation. My cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, came for a multiple-week vacation to Peru, some of which to the Cusco area. I’d booked hotels and Airbnbs ahead of time and we split the accommodation costs for sixteen nights.

Our hotel in Santa Teresa

Our tiny, basic room in Santa Teresa

What’s wrong with this bathroom?

In the meantime, Mark and I left Bella at the Quinta Lala campground in Cusco and we used the truck to travel between sites and hotels. Sometimes, we parked Thirsty in fenced lots in towns, other nights, we put him next to Bella at the campground. Before my family arrived and a few nights afterwards, the three of us stayed at Quinta Lala in our camper.

Camped at Quinta Lala campground in Cusco

Homemade dinner with Rodney and Heather at the campground

Driving around in our truck

I will write about the visit from Griet and Wim later, but I will admit now that we didn’t have the best experiences with our lodgings. Every night, there was something that kept us awake, resulting in a couple of very exhausting weeks. We surely missed our home on wheels!

Boondocked in Arequipa

Boondocked in Chivay

Boondocked at the Uyo Uyo ruins

Boondocked for a couple of nights at the condor viewpoint along Colca Canyon

Boondocked along the long drive back to Cusco

We did our best to save money on other nights, by boondocking (wild camping) in nature, and enjoyed natural hot springs instead of developed termales.

Free natural hot springs

Free natural bath tub in Chivay

Since we stayed in hotels for one third of last month, we ate out a lot, upping that category. Griet and Wim were very generous visitors, treating for dinner often. Yet, this cost ended up higher than usually.

Part of a Peruvian day dish at a local restaurant in Arequipa

Cheap and tasty day dish in Cabanaconde

These day lunches come with a soup, a “segundo” (main course), and a refresca (drink)

A tasty Poke Bowl dinner at the highly recommended Teriyaki restaurant, one of our favorites in Cusco

Dinner at our favorite vegetarian restaurant, El Encuentro, in Cusco

Pizza for dinner in Ollantaytambo

Birthday dinner in Santa Teresa

Lasagna B-day dinner

Which lead to our grocery category being on the low end, at well under $200. We cooked much less, which meant no dishes and less time spent in the kitchen!

Eggplant Parmesan, cooked in our tiny oven

Maya loves lettuce!

Bakery in Chivay

Produce market in Chivay

Maya is our composter

Mark, Maya, and I visited Colca Canyon, for which there is an entrance fee of 70 soles (US$20) per person. This boleto turistico (tourist ticket) allows access to condor viewpoints, a hike into the canyon (which we didn’t do), and a few other sites. I’ll write about these excursions in my next blog post.

Colca Canyon

Pinchollo Geyser near Colca Canyon

Uyo Uyo Archeological Site near Colca Canyon

Juanita Museum in Cabanaconde

Looking for condors in the Colca Canyon

Condor

Viewpoint in Cabanaconde

To save money – and since we had already (briefly) toured the Sacred Valley – we only bought one ten-day tourist ticket for when my family arrived. I joined them at some of the archeological sites (new ones and revisits to others), while Mark did the driving, waiting, and working.

Griet, Liesbet, and Maya at the lower part of the Q’enqo Archeological Site in Cusco

Sacsaywauman Archeological Site in Cusco

Tambomachay Archeological Site near Cusco

Hike from the Pisac Archeological Site to Pisac town

Moray Archeological Site

All of us did visit Machu Picchu, the end of November, which lived up to its fame and popularity. For this excursion, Griet and Wim arose early on our first day in Aguas Calientes (“base camp” for MP); Mark and I explored this site on the second morning, while my family watched Maya. More about that later as well.

The iconic Machu Picchu photo

As always when we have family – and friends – around, the alcohol expense goes up. Good times were had by all, which was a nice change to our regular lifestyle.

Rum tasting at our first Airbnb in Cusco

Our Starlink satellite internet fee is roughly the same every month, based on the exchange rate. We didn’t use it as much these last two months when staying at hotels and the campground, where WiFi was present, but, being back on the road now, we still love this installation and investment!

Not living in our truck camper also meant we needed to use public transportation, like taxis and Uber, quite a bit, especially in Cusco, heading back up the hill to Quinta Lala to pick up the truck or when we were camped there. Plus, the 20-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu (a monopoly) was expensive at US$14 each way. I bought a return ticket and Mark hiked down the steep steps after our visit.

Masses of tour buses for the ride to Machu Picchu

Flea collars went on sale in the US, so we bought one online for Maya and will pick it up in Massachusetts one day. Mark and I went out for drinks with friends and family a few times, Rodney and Heather also brought back an urgently needed 12-volt vacuum cleaner from the US for us (required to dry out our ceiling after fixing a couple of leaking holes in our roof; our old one had died), I bought a Pachamama (Mother Earth) statue at one of the sites (which Griet took back to Belgium for me) and we managed to drop off all our dirty laundry in Arequipa for a decent price.

Beer tasting for the men on a rainy day, at the cerveceria del Valle Sagrado (brewery) near Ollantaytambo

Fabulous drinks at the Teriyaki restaurant

Pina colada cocktails for happy hour on my birthday

Immediately putting our new vacuum cleaner to good use

In conclusion, November was another expensive month for us at over $2,000, because of the extra expenses (Mark’s new computer, our accommodation costs, pricey Machu Picchu, extra transportation, and Maya’s meds). I’d like to say that this month will be better, but it has mainly been an extension of the previous one. Maybe, we will do better next year?

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – October 2023 (Peru)

November 13, 2023 / Liesbet / 40 Comments

In October 2023, Mark, dog Maya, and I explored the southern part of Peru in our truck camper, Thirsty Bella. It was another expensive, above-average month, but, luckily, much cheaper than the previous one. Peru has been hard on our budget. To be honest, we were ready to leave after our allocated three months, but due to (fun) commitments, we added another sixty days and lots more driving (and fuel costs) in this country to our schedule.

Drive to the Bolivian border to receive more time in Peru

Needing to drive to a second border of Peru with Bolivia – in vain…

Customs truck in Khasani, a border between Peru and Bolivia

Therefore, the highest category – again – was the car, more precisely, fuel. Peru is huge, gasoline costs about $5 a gallon, and we are driving more than ever to cover distances and timelines.

Gas station sign

Stopped by another fuel station

Fuel prices

Fuel station price list

Filling up with gasoline again

The fuel pump rain out, so we had to wait until there was gasoline again.

We also spent money on maintenance for our Ford F350 by getting an oil change done in Cusco, which was a bit of a disaster I wrote about here. We ordered car parts in the US, which our Canadian friends will bring back to us early December. And we had the valve of our spare tire replaced.

Oil change in Cusco

Getting the leaking valve of our spare tire replaced for $3

The tolls were very affordable, because many of the booths were still in disrepair after being burned down during political protests in the beginning of this year.

Burned-down toll booth

Our grocery and alcohol costs were pretty average, but two extra categories were added in Cusco. Mark arranged his expensive visa for Bolivia there, which took a full day (story here) and, because we had a bunch of camper and car projects to complete (and we were sick), we stayed at a pay campground for nine days. We also handed over money at two parking lots in the Sacred Valley that allowed us to camp.

Our favorite bakery in Cusco

Visit to the Bolivian consulate in Cusco

Popular campground in Cusco

Doing projects at the campground

Wiring up our Starlink antenna

Parked for the night in Ollantaytambo – photo taken from the archeological site

Parked for the night in Chinchero

The rest of the month, we boondocked for free around the Sacred Valley, the Andes Mountains, and the Peruvian countryside.

Camped close to the Pisac ruins

Camped on the edge of downtown Cusco

Parked for the night by Laguna Huacarpay

Camped by a river along the dirt road up to Three Colored Mountains

Parked for the night at a viewpoint along Lake Titicaca

Camped in Tinajani Canyon for a few nights

Camped on the edge of Puno for a couple of nights

Camped on a beach of Lake Titicaca

Parked for one frigid night at Laguna Salinas (over 14,000ft or 4,300m)

Mark and I ate out a few times – Cusco has good and diverse restaurants, and day menus for lunch everywhere are filling and affordable – but kept that total amount under $100.

Sangria with a vegetarian dinner out with friends

Main dish of a typical local lunch menu in Cusco

Main dish of the lunch menu in Urubamba

Day menu lunches include a soup, a main dish (“segundo”), and a drink, either some kind of cold juice or lemonade, or hot tea

We also topped off our propane tank in October and paid our monthly subscription fee for Starlink, our satellite internet solution, which has been awesome. After installing the dish permanently in our camper, we can now not only get online 24/7, but we also manage to listen to music (Spotify) while driving in the middle of nowhere and rely on the GPS/Google Maps more. This monthly fee hovers around $70, affected by the exchange rate.

Starlink is permanently installed under an existing hatch in the camper

Driving by Laguna Salinas, listening to music

Driving in the mountains, listening to music

Since the Sacred Valley and Cusco area have a lot of interesting sites, our entertainment spending went up. Most of this expense covered our two-day tourist ticket to see the archeological sites of Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, and Chinchero.

Ollantaytambo Archeological Site

Pisac Archeological Site

Moray Archeological Site

Chinchero Archeological Site

We also paid for a visit to the salt mine of Maras and the colored mountains of Pallcoyo. When reaching Titicaca Lake, we enjoyed a guided boat tour to the floating reed islands of Uros. More about those two incredible excursions in an upcoming post.

Maras salt pans

Three Colored Mountains (Pallcoyo)

Exploring the stone forest at Pallcoyo

Reed islands of Uros

Guided boat tour through the islands of Uros

Mark ordered a few parts for the camper as well (coming with our friends), we had to pay the annual fee for one of our website addresses, Maya was due for a vaccine, which was administered at a vet in Puno, and I forgot to bring pain medicine on our prolonged trip to the Bolivian consulate, so had to buy extra Tylenol at a pharmacy when my head acted up.

Driving through the Andes Mountains in Peru

One of the reasons Mark and I set out on this South American journey is its perceived affordability. Unfortunately, we do not succeed to stay under our American expense average at the moment, so this has to change. We have been able to work more than usually, but none of this is fun, of course, and it would be nice to eat out or splurge more in cheaper countries. Plus, there always seems to be an unexpected expense… What’s the solution? Stay put longer in places and drive less? Leave Peru? Time will tell.

Driving to Pallcoyo Mountain

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – September 2023 (Peru)

October 9, 2023 / Liesbet / 45 Comments

In September 2023, Mark, dog Maya, and I explored the central part of Peru in our truck camper, Thirsty Bella. It was an eventful month – financially and otherwise – and the most expensive one this year, at around $2,300.

Note: Traveling overland in this country with your own vehicle is VERY different from flying in as a tourist, using organized transport, visiting the highlights, eating in high-end restaurants, and sleeping in comfortable hotels.

Sunset in Paracas

In Peru, nothing is easy and every event comes with a story or a crazy twist. Hence this longer than normal report. Despite extra expenses, the car category was, again, the highest one for last month, because of the high cost of gasoline (around $5/gallon), our bad fuel economy, and the tons of (mountain) driving we did. Peru is a large country, we only received three months of entry, and when we don’t like a place, we move on… so we drove a lot. Still, spending almost $600 on gas hurts. Other car costs went to parts, a checked airline bag to have a friend bring said parts to Cusco, tolls, and parking by a grocery store.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Prices for gasoline hover around $5 per gallon.

Getting fuel

Toll booth along the Panamericana

Prices for the toll booth

The first big and random expense was for a Starlink satellite internet system. After months of debate (it’s a pricey product and service), dealing with relatively decent cell service in Colombia and Ecuador (dismissing the purchase), and struggling for weeks to get online in Peru, we bit the bullet and decided to buy Starlink.

Except, we couldn’t. Mark tried for three days to order the product on Starlink’s website for around US$500. The price of the system and the monthly service fee depend on the country – in Ecuador, the dish was the cheapest at $300; in Colombia, the monthly service is, at $65. All our credit cards were declined, even a debit card. We tried different shipping addresses, email addresses, and local ID numbers. Several people provided info to help out, but nothing worked. We couldn’t purchase the dish.

In Lima, we searched for alternatives and found a guy who sold brand-new units for $450. We were leery about it, not wanting to meet inside his house, so set up an appointment at the parking lot of a grocery store. Junior didn’t show up on time, so we bought groceries and were ready to give up on the whole endeavor. While messaging with him, he asked us for more patience and offered a discount if we gave him another chance to show up. So, that’s what we did.

Parked at a mall to deal with the Starlink purchase

Getting groceries, so our drive here, with the camper, wouldn’t be a total waste

When Junior eventually showed up, three hours late, in a wheelchair pushed by his girlfriend, we felt guilty. Of course, it wasn’t easy for him to meet outside of his house (which is located in a questionable area of Lima). It took another couple of hours to transfer the Starlink account and for Mark to make sure the system worked. Well, it actually didn’t at that location and, since everyone was losing their patience, we took a leap of faith and committed to buying the system then and there.

A brand-new Starlink unit

Junior and his girlfriend patiently wait while Mark checks the equipment and makes sure it works.

In an act of goodwill, Junior gave us all the purchase receipts, information, and a one-week “warranty” to return the product if we didn’t get it to work properly. We paid the agreed-upon $430 (in local currency), shook hands, and moved back to our parking spot in Miraflores, where, miraculously, the system worked. We stayed in touch with Junior, recommended his service online, and helped out with questions he had for future customers.

A new family member sharing the bed with us!

No, we did not keep the box.

Finding a spot to store Starlink before we permanently install it isn’t so easy.

Starlink in action!

We usually put the Starlink dish on our roof when we want to use it. A cable has to run through an open window.

Paying for Starlink’s monthly internet service wasn’t easy either, due to the same international credit card issues but at least, as official subscribers, we can now contact their customer support. Starlink has been a game changer for us. It provides unlimited internet throughout South America and the world, but, in the last few weeks, we did have connection issues three times: when a massive sandstorm blocked access to the satellites, when we were camped in a deep canyon, surrounded by two steep walls, and when being parked next to a patch of forest, the trees interrupting the signal…

The sandstorm blocked the sun and our dish’s connection to the satellites. Doesn’t the sun look like a full moon?

Camped along a river towards Cusco, out of view from the main road and surrounded by steep canyon walls

Other costs that fall into the “computer” category were parts for a future 12V conversion for our Starlink system (a massive project), which our friend Lauren brought back from the US, the renewal of one of our internet domain registrations ($22), and, after one year of having a cracked screen on my Google Pixel Smartphone, we had it replaced in Cusco for $40, providing our own screen, which Mark brought back from the US a little while ago.

After one year, my badly cracked screen was replaced!

Prepping the Starlink installation

Our grocery purchases were average at $267; as usual, we cooked most of our meals at home. The next big expense was dogfood for Maya. As a highly allergic dog, she eats a special kind of fish-based food of a brand called Taste of the Wild, which is not available in every South American country, let alone, city, and is pricey, especially outside the US. We had three big bags delivered to our friends’ address in Lima, and managed to find storage for them in Thirsty Bella. Maya should be set now for another 18 weeks.

An extensive range of potatoes at the San Pedro central market in Cusco. The price for one kilo is around $1.

We found flaxseeds at a bulk section in the Orion grocery store in Cusco – time to stock up!

With all the eating out we’ve been doing in Lima and Cusco, the total cost wasn’t too bad at $126. We don’t eat out often and are picky about the cost – and reputations – of the places we splurge at. September offered a nice balance.

Finally ordering the Caldo de Gallina – rooster soup

Caldo de Gallina is tasty, filling, and affordable

Costazul is a popular and recommended seafood restaurant in Miraflores, Lima.

Wonderful seafood dinner in Miraflores

Sharing a pitcher of sangria with friends at a vegetarian restaurant

Enjoying a lovely day dish (menu del dia) in Cusco for the equivalent of $3 per person

Our utilities were higher – and will be from now on – than other months, because we switched to Starlink satellite internet. Our monthly (Peru) fee for that is $70. Last month, we augmented that with the local Claro service before we switched over and for a bit afterwards, as it’s our only means to have cell service away from the camper and – currently – while driving, since the unit hasn’t been permanently installed yet. We hope to cut Claro – and any local service – out entirely, because we hate giving money to companies that don’t have their act together and frustrate us.

We managed to get most of our potable water for free at gas stations, confirming multiple times that the water, indeed, was okay to drink. Once, in Paracas, when we were totally out, it took an hour to find a place that sold 5-gallon (20L) water jugs, at an elevated price. We needed one to hold us over another day at the beach. Easier to fill up with our hose!

How do you fill your water tank when the faucet doesn’t have threads for your hose?

Our water thief in action!

Filling with potable water at a gas station

Whenever we can, we use a filter when filling our water tanks. It slows the flow a lot. We also have an indoor, under-the-sink filter.

Slowly filling with water at a gas station where we topped up our fuel as well.

A third, unexpected expense went to a hospital visit for Mark. For many weeks, he’s been having chest pain, in between his ribs. Because of his medical history, everything out of the ordinary raises flags and has us worried. A visit to a private clinic and a chest X-ray concluded all seems fine and his body is just bruised, but the pain has not disappeared yet. An unpleasant side effect of this hospital visit is that he came home with a bug or a virus and we’ve both been sick for a week now. Wearing masks is still important!

Parked on the edge of Cusco for a week, here next to the Italian van

Blocked in during the weekend. We couldn’t even leave if we wanted to.

Mark’s chest X-ray didn’t show anything out of the ordinary

We spent some money on alcohol in September, but didn’t really drink, apart from being with our Italian friends Valeria and Davide in Paracas and Cusco. The reasons for this abstinence: often camping at high altitude requiring lots of hydration, having frequent headaches, and being sick.

Spending quality time with our new Italian friends, Valeria and Davide

Enjoying a wonderful Italian dinner in Bella, cooked by our friends

Second Sunday pancake breakfast with Val and Davide

Transportation is not a usual category as we have our own, but in Lima and Cusco, we took a handful of cabs to reach places. We always used Uber or InDrive (a bit cheaper) to visit sites or people while camped at the edge of Lima, and to get to the hospital for Mark in Cusco, when parked outside of the “tight” town.

Buying a piece of plexiglass and having it cut to size in Cusco

We bought a few new items for our household (ice tray, cutting board, frying pan, toothbrush charger) and for camper projects (screws, caulk, plexiglass), went out for drinks once (the staple Peruvian cocktail, Pisco Sour), had our laundry done in Cusco, and explored a few sites.

My first Pisco Sour

Two Pisco Sours during happy hour in Barranco, Lima, cost around $10.

Entertainment was provided by a guide in Lima, who we tipped at the end, and a visit to Paracas National Park, leaving Maya in the car.

Our walking tour guide in Lima

Entrance to the “fountain park” in the evening is $1 per person.

Under grey skies, it is difficult to see that one lagoon is blue and the other pink (Paracas NP.

Cathedral Bay in Paracas National Park

Coastline in the park

Our free camping spot in the town of Paracas for a week. On this Sunday, a group of tuk tuk drivers decided to have a party next to our camper for the day.

Between the coast and Cusco, we stopped at several archeological sites. Mark and I enjoyed the Palpa Lines and geoglyphs more than the Nazca ones and made a little detour to the cemetery of Chauchilla.

Huacachina L:agoon

Camped in the desert by the Pampa geoglyphs

Some of the Palpa lines and geoglyphs

Two men as part of the Palpa lines

Some of the Nazca lines seen from an observation tower

Cemeterio de Chauchilla

We were annoyed by a disrespectful parking situation – and attitude of the attendant – at the impressive Acueductos de Cantallos, so I visited those by myself. And then, we headed back into the mountains, not yet paying for anything in the Cusco area.

Acueductos de Cantallos

Camped on the way back into the Andes mountains, before the elevation became super high again

And there was the minor accident in Huaraz, before we left the Cordillera Blanca, on the 1^st of the month. Drivers in Peru are impatient, aggressive, and “unaware” of any rules. Add to that road construction and a traffic jam, and things really spin out of control. Instead of waiting in one line, like everywhere else in the world, the drivers keep going and pushing, creating five lanes in one direction, making a bad situation even worse and blocking traffic from the opposite side. Of course, there are hand signals and honking involved as well.

Instead of one lane being queued in the forward direction, there are at least four.

Buses, cars, and trucks overtaking everyone in the right lane prevent traffic from passing in the oncoming lane.

Some scuff marks on the camper’s jack and door from the mirror we hit

One guy had pulled up to our left (not a lane), inches away from our camper. When Mark moved forward a bit, following the main lane, he swung out a tad to start making a turn and our right rear camper jack crushed the mirror of said car. Not our fault, really. The man shouldn’t have been there. I explained to him the rules of the road in Spanish and refused to give him money for his mirror.

Eventually, we all calmed down a bit. Plenty of time to contemplate… Mark and I didn’t really want to involve the police (we all know how that would end in Peru) and we DID ruin his mirror, so we settled on paying $15 towards a repair or replacement. Everyone was “happy,” we waited in line for another hour, and I took up the role of traffic controller at some point, because none of the police officers did and the local drivers kept obstructing everyone else with their stupidity. If I sound harsh, I’m not. Ask any foreign – or educated Peruvian – driver in Peru about their driving experiences.

Camped at Casa Lena along the multiple-day drive towards Cusco

The school building and project of Casa Oye, ran by a Belgian-Ecuadorian couple

As always, we camped for free, with the exception of one night on a Belgian-Peruvian property called Casa Lena. We wanted to support the owners for what they accomplish with their education program (Oye Lena) for local, poor children. Since the nasty biting bugs (gnats, chitras, or sandflies) were awful and we don’t really get much out of paid campgrounds (when there is no potable water available), we left the following day.

Boondocked at Laguna Antacocha

Our preferred spot to camp in Barranca… but it was too loud at night, so we had to move.

We moved to this neighborhood in Barranca after 10pm. It was marginally quieter.

Our camp spot in Miraflores, Lima, for a week

Laguna Huaypo

Some of the other places we chose caused issues as well, not the least when we agreed with a friendly, local land owner to spend time at his peaceful riverside property and were basically chased off in the middle of the night, because his son entertained visitors with a party and campfire by the river. It was tricky to back out of the driveaway in the dark but luckily, we found a truck stop nearby and were settled again at 1am. We hate driving at night here!

Our pretty campsite, where we planned to spend the weekend, before being “chased off” in the middle of the night

The river where we hoped to spend a nice weekend

Clear, pretty, litter-free!

Maya taking a dip in the ice cold water

After leaving the river spot during the first night, we ended up at this truck stop.

Thus, we entered October and our third month in Peru. And, believe me, there are many more stories to tell…

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – August 2023 (Peru)

September 6, 2023 / Liesbet / 37 Comments

In August 2023, Mark, dog Maya, and I explored the Northern half of Peru in our truck camper, Thirsty Bella.

The golden light near Laguna Churup

We literally taste Peru with all our senses, from smelling the smoke from a neighbor burning trash and the black exhaust of trucks, to hearing barking dogs, partying locals, honking cars, homemade fireworks, and the killing of pigs, to seeing trash being tossed in rivers, the sea, or the roadside, to tasting the bland food at local stands and limited vegetables in remote villages, to touching the hungry, skinny, attention-deprived stray dogs huddling around our camper, to being stared at by sustainable farmers and squeezed by aggressive drivers. Being part of Peruvian life has been challenging and heart-breaking, but some of the scenery has been awe-inspiring.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Two cute and hungry stray puppies at El Brujo

Driving among trash along the coast

A common sight along the Pan-American Highway in Peru

Take care of the environment, don’t throw trash…

The Cordillera Blanca

Impressive peaks from our free campsite in Caraz

It is no surprise that our biggest spending category last month was the car, more precisely fuel. At about US$5 per gallon for gasoline, this has been “killing” us. Over half of our total monthly amount went to gas! On top of the high prices for this commodity, our fuel mileage has been worse than ever, due to all the mountain driving (up and down relentlessly; no tunnels), the liberal placements of topes (speedbumps) everywhere, and the abundance of potholes. There is a lot of accelerating and slowing to a crawl.

Time to fuel up again

Many speedbumps (and potholes) to slow us down and make us use even more fuel

First fill up in Peru – over US$140!!!

High fuel prices – gasoline is over US$5 per gallon

Thirsty got a bath for the equivalent of US$3 and we paid for a few toll roads as well. Unlike in Colombia, these highways in Peru are actually smooth, wide, fast, and awesome. As long as you don’t look to the sides.

Filthy Thirsty needed a bath after driving on all the dirt roads surrounding Huaraz

Toll rates on the highways: around US$3 for a normal car

Despite grocery items being more expensive in Peru than Colombia and Ecuador, we didn’t spend a huge amount in supermarkets, for two reasons: we are being frugal about what we buy and we rarely see decent stores. They only exist in bigger cities.

Our first decent grocery store in two weeks, in Cajamarca. Yay!

Full cupboards again…

Annoying local dairy store to buy butter from the source – no prices and no friendly service, but affordable and good butter

Bakery in Carhuaz

We mostly obtain produce and eggs at local markets (when present) and don’t eat very varied these days. We have to be creative, just like when we sailed in the remote islands of the South Pacific. Obtaining raw, hanging meat at those mercados is something we are not keen on, so our protein intake has been low.

Lots of fruit at the markets and at roadside stands

Vegetables like at this stand are harder to find and don’t keep long

Dogs are happy at the mercado central

Hanging chickens at the market of Huaraz

Trying to eat varied and healthy at home

Because of the high cost of fuel in August, we refrained from too many splurges. We ate out a few times, but none of that was noteworthy. People keep saying that the food in Peru is excellent. So far, we have not experienced this. If you have traveled here, please enlighten us.

The small, local restaurant where we had a decent and affordable lunch

This ceviche was tasty – it’s the first course of a day menu

Main course of the day menu in a tiny fishing village. The US$3 meal also comes with a juice.

Mark’s meal in Trujillo: beef hearts and gizzards on sticks

One day, not having bread for a sandwich lunch at home, we decided to eat a local meal on our daytrip to a fabulous lake in the Andes Mountains. When asking what was served, the answer was chicharron (pig skins). No chicken? No, but they could make potatoes and eggs for us. Sure! We were only slightly surprised to each receive a bowl with four boiled potatoes in the skin and one, unpeeled hard-boiled egg on top. Never mind that the menu poster showed two boiled eggs (peeled) per plate!

Poster on the outside wall of the food shack

Cooking on wood fires

Our bland lunch

Here is the best part of being in Peru: the scenery and sights! When we can reach and afford them, anyway. ???? Fascinating ruins, incredible views, rewarding hikes, spectacular lakes. We did a bit of all that, which will be elaborated on in future posts.

Upper part of the Gocta Waterfall

Ventanilla de Otuzco

Cao Viejo ruins

The amazing wall art in Huacas del Sol y la Luna

View along the incredibly crappy road to Llaca Lake

Laguna Llaca at 14,000ft

Willkawain Ruins

Laguna Paron

After keeping an eye out for an alpaca poncho in Colombia and Ecuador, but never biting the bullet, I did treat myself to a colorful poncho at the artisanal market in Huaraz. It wasn’t cheap, but I love it and have used it since on those chilly nights in the mountains.

Showing off my poncho in the Cordillera Blanca

Watching the rising of the full moon in Caraz – with my comfy poncho

Finding usable internet to work has been tricky in Peru. And we have moved camp a lot for that reason. Only some towns have reliable cell service, the biggest plan you can buy is only for 1.5GB, and while Claro states Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and other social media channels are included in the plan, it is our experience that this is not correct. Sometimes, we’d have full bars of 4G service and not one page loads in our browser. One moment, we can connect, the next, nothing…

Getting a Movistar SIM card in Chachapoyas

Mark hard at work at night, often the only time to focus on computer stuff

First time we used our pump to transfer water from a 5-gallon water jug into our tank – we were totally out of potable water

We have been able to stay stick to our $30 average budget for internet, but it has been due to careful consideration and planning around accessibility and the few times we bought an unlimited day plan. That’s when I upload photos to my website and read other people’s blog posts. And for anyone who wonders… yes, we are seriously considering buying Starlink. Ouch! For the first time in a year, we paid for potable water as well.

Recommended chocolate shop in Celendin

Pretty and tasty bonbons!

Carhuaz is famous for its local ice cream

Trying three different and new flavors

We stopped for a sandwich lunch in Carhuaz and I splurged with ice cream for dessert!

Our alcohol expense wasn’t too bad. We stayed at high altitudes for most of August and when dehydration, headaches, and shortness of breath threaten, an adult beverage is not appealing.

Sunset at our wild camping spot near Pueblo de los Muertos

Urban camping in Chachapoyas

Camped for a night at the cold, windy, and rainy Calla Calla Pass

Camped for a night in the countryside

Promising free campsite in Puerto Malabrigo

Sunset along the coast in El Brujo

Urban camping in Trujillo

Tortugas: not a bad place to spend a few days

We spent a few nights along the long, narrow, dirt road to Laguna Paron in Caraz

Most of our campsites were wild and free, but we did stay at a paid campground for three nights; something we usually don’t indulge in. The reason was two-fold: we wanted to take the camper off the truck, because that was the only way to visit most sights around Huaraz in the Cordillera Blanca and we needed to fill with potable water. Finally meeting other campers was a bonus. Most of our fellow overlanders stay at places like this.

Our paid campground – Marian Wahi – in Huaraz

Unfortunately, Marian Wasi didn’t have WiFi and the Claro cell service was not strong enough to work, so we had to leave the camping earlier than expected. Not that this was an easy feat… We cleared the lowish entrance gate when arriving, but not when leaving. Letting air out of the rear tires was the solution. Good we have an air compressor with us!

A very tight fit leaving the campground

Too close for comfort! Our camper did not clear the gate upon exiting.

Thirsty Bella stuck under the gate – Mark drove, I stood on the ladder to check the minuscule clearance and guide him,, two guys hung at the back to add weight, and we deflated the rear tires

Spending an hour alongside the narrow road to inflate the tires again with our small compressor

The last three expense categories consisted of a few loads of laundry in Trujillo, buying an orange squeezer and new cheese grater, and drinking fresh juices at a café on the coast and coca tea at a high-elevation refugio to help with altitude sickness.

Restaurant/store where we had our juices

Refreshing and fresh orange juice on a hot walk along the coast

Our laundromat in Trijullo

Based on how we kept spending money on all of this in August, we expected our total to be higher than the $1,058 recorded, so we don’t feel too bad about just cresting $1,000. September, however, will sport some super costly items, which will bring us closer to $2,000!

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – July 2023 (Ecuador)

August 12, 2023 / Liesbet / 34 Comments

Mark, dog Maya, and I concluded the month of July in Ecuador with our truck camper Thirsty Bella, before crossing the border into Peru.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Last night in Vilcabamba – further away from town to “escape” the fireworks

Happy hour at home, after all the drinking out!

Boondocked by a dam and violent river on our last night in Ecuador

We splurged in July, mainly on eating and drinking out in places like Baños , Cuenca, and Vilcabamba, where quality establishments are plentiful. Yet, our total expenditure for July was well below US$1,000, our new goal.

An extensive lunch at the excellent Korean restaurant “Maya’s Kitchen” in Vilcabamba

A set lunch – main dish and juice – for $2.50 at Mr. Café in Cuenca

Awesome dumplings in Cuenca

We found the best Chinese restaurant – making their own noodles – in Cuenca

Hot chocolate and coffee in Cuenca

Splurging with a sweet crepe in Baños

Awesome empanadas in Baños

Local dish at the market in Baños

Amazing pizza dinner in Baños

Tasty, hot soup in Quilotoa

Set lunch (almuerzo) in Quilotoa – $5 per person for this main dish, the soup pictured, and a juice

Ice cream treat in Cuenca

Decent Mexican burrito, except for the tiny bones in the chicken

Ecuador’s local beer – Mark didn’t like it at all

Important to note is that Mark and I have been receiving more paid work than before and if that’s reflected anywhere, it’s in those two categories. We spent A LOT in European bakeries in July; good bread (and pastries) is important to this Belgian! Of course, we’ve been busier as well, needing more internet data and having to chase cell service. As a result, we’ve been making more than we are spending, so are not dipping into savings anymore. What a concept! ????

The French bakery in Vilcabamba – pastries

The French bakery in Vilcabamba – breads

Vilcabamba has two European bakeries – pastries for Sunday breakfast!

While it has been fun to meet up with friends for drinks and dinner out, after one such night in Vilcabamba, on which we spent US$50, we had to reign ourselves in. That’s a lot of money. Especially for us. Especially in South America!

Happy hour with new friends in Mr. Café, Cuenca

At this restaurant, you can choose your empanada fillings.

Going out for dinner with our friends Eric, Brittany, and Caspian

The empanada cook

Drinks out at Vilca Garden in Vilcabamba

More drinks at another brewery in Vilca

The grocery cost was quite high, mainly because in early July I did a “failed” border run to Colombia and went shopping in our favorite store, D1, where I stocked up on olive oil, Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, and snacks. These items are expensive or elusive in Ecuador. While the snacks have long disappeared, the bottles of olive oil and “real” soy sauce will last a while.

While in Ecuador, we always shopped for groceries in an Aki (or Gran Aki or Super Aki), because prices were usually pretty good there.

Produce in Ecuador was very affordable – all these potatoes cost 99 cents.

Incredible produce market in Baños

Fabulous homemade meal – Mark is a good cook!

My favorite meal cooked by Mark; mushroom burgers on a bed of lettuce with rice and aioli

The car was the second-highest category, with around $180 for fuel (we covered 2/3 of the country with that amount and topped up before the border; you’ll find out next month why), some tolls, and our SOAT (liability insurance) for Peru, which only cost $16 for six months.

Meeting the smart, idealistic, and generous Tayrone of the Cuenca Store

A wonderful gift from Cuenca Shop owner Tayrone

Filling our propane tank north of Cuenca

I mentioned the dining and drinking out; our fun expenses. The next one was for utilities. We average paying $30 per month for internet in South America (Mark keeps bringing up Starlink, since cell service has been hard to come by at times) and we filled our propane tank near Cuenca. Running out of gas one chilly morning surprised us, while heating water for a shower. We managed to keep turning the water heater back on each time it turned off and reached lukewarm temperatures. Our reasoning for this unpleasant discovery: spending a lot of time above 12,000ft (3,700m), running our gas heater at night. We are more careful now.

Quilotoa Lagoon

The fee station before entering Quilotoa town

Liesbet getting ready to dive off the bridge in Baños

Geared-up for the “bridge dive”

Viewpoint over a canyon, for $1 a person

The two of us spent about $40 on activities. While national parks in Ecuador are free, pretty much all other entertainment costs money. For this amount, I dove off a bridge in Baños ($20), we paid the town’s entrance fee to Quilotoa Lagoon, the three of us visited some waterfalls, Casa del Arbol (all near Baños as well), and a museum in Cuenca, and we immersed ourselves in the Inca ruins of Ingapirca (see next blog).

Machay Waterfall

El Pailon del Diablo Waterfall

La Casa del Arbol

Ingapirca Ruins

A great museum in Cuenca

Ruins at the Pumapungo Museum in Cuenca

The remaining categories were low – we bought ourselves two small paintings of a local artist in Tigua, barely purchased alcohol in stores, had a few loads of laundry done, obtained a $10 health certificate for Maya as a requirement by Peru, and I got my biannual $5 haircut.

Painting of Cotopaxi Volcano

Painting of Laguna de Quilotoa

Visiting a vet in Loja to obtain Maya’s health certificate

Maya’s $10 health certificate for Peru

A massive way to save money for us is to wild camp/boondock. We don’t want facilities as we are self-contained for up to two weeks (at which point we need potable water), so make due with free parking available in towns and on public lands. In July 2023, we only spent $2 for overnight parking in Rio Verde. The other nights – 30 of them – we “camped” gratis.

Free camping spot near Chimborazo Volcano

Camped among other overlanders in Baños

Paid overnight parking ($2) in Rio Verde

Free overnight parking at the ruins of Ingapirca

Camped by a park in Cuenca for almost one week

Camped along a river between Ingapirca and Cuenca

Camped with friends at a park north of Loja

Wonderful free camping spot along the river in Vilcabamba, where we stayed about a week as well

A negative about not paying for established campgrounds is that we haven’t slept well, because of fireworks, traffic noise, and other sounds, either at night or early morning. Not that paid camping would solve all these issues… And, some views from our preferred campsites in nature are hard to beat!

Boondocked by Cotopaxi Volcano

Now that we are in Peru, life has become much more pricey and we have to convert our money again – no more US dollars, like in Ecuador!

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – June 2023 (Ecuador)

July 14, 2023 / Liesbet / 26 Comments

My goal was to write and publish this expense report a week ago. But a large, multiple-day translation assignment arrived in my inbox, which was followed by a few days of driving and sightseeing, as our time in Ecuador is quickly coming to an end. And just like that, it’s Friday again!

Home for another 3+ weeks!

Sunset view from Graham’s property

Maya hid in the bathroom when there were fireworks in Ibarra – mostly during the weekends

In June, the first ten days were spent exploring Northern Ecuador a bit more with our truck camper Thirsty Bella. Mark flew to the US for 2.5 weeks and then joined Maya and me in Ibarra to conclude the month at our friend Graham’s place. This time around, Thirsty Bella was parked for over three weeks on Graham’s driveway. Add our five-day initial visit to his family in May, and for one out of our three months in Ecuador, we lived in Ibarra!

Mark was dropped off at Quito airport for his short journey to the US.

Quito airport

Our biggest expense last month was the car. We filled our F350 pickup truck up with gasoline a couple of times in Ecuador and Mark did the same for his mom’s car in Massachusetts. There were toll roads here but most of the parking money went to a Dana Farber parking garage in Boston, when Mark dealt with health check-ups.

Toll rates in Ecuador

One of the frequent toll booths along the PanAmerican Highway in Ecuador

Another chunk of money went to maintenance of our truck, which is not that high all things considered, because we did all the work ourselves. Once Mark returned to Ecuador, we used Graham’s driveway to replace the 25-pound (11.5kg) front wheel bearing hub on the passenger side (which my husband brought back from the US in his carry-on luggage!) and check the brakes, including disassembling them and lubricating the parts. We planned to replace the rear brakes, but it wasn’t necessary yet.

Mark managed to bring back a brand-new wheel bearing hub in his carry-on backpack.

We had to take the camper off to do truck maintenance.

Cleaning up the brake pads

Uninstalling the old wheel bearing hub took a couple of hours.

Installing the new wheel bearing hub

Dealing with brake maintenance

Believe it or not, but $55 of those $113 that went to car stuff was spent on a frivolity item that Mark had his eyes on for many months… He bought a “moo horn” for our Thirsty Bella.

Mark installed this button of our “moo horn” on the dash, so we can both reach it.

Now, with the push of a button, she sounds like a cow as well, delivering even more smiles in the villages we pass through.

Our groceries for June cost less than $200, due to me not buying much for just one person and Mark’s mom covering the food bill in the US. Our dining out category was relatively high – we splurged on a few meals in Mindo, Ecuador, and enjoyed taking our friends out for some food as a thank you.

Eating out in Mindo

Eating a late local dinner out with Graham on the way to the airport

My splurge at Finca Sommerwind on a long lake walk in Ibarra with Maya.

This $1 lunch on my bus ride back from the Colombian border consisted of rice, a boiled potato, and a chicken thigh.

Our annual Chase credit card fee was payable last month, so that was a one-time expense, as well as the high amount for transportation. This $95 covered Mark’s two-hour transfers to and from Quito airport, his train trips to and from Boston airport, a couple of taxi rides to Ecuador’s capital from the spot where we left our camper, a bus ride for me to Yahuarcotcha Lake and one to the border with Colombia in a failed attempt to return on my Belgian passport, and two cab rides to Ipiales for me to go shopping at my favorite Colombian grocery store, the D1.

Waiting for this bus to take me back to Graham’s Place after an exhausting, hot walk around Laguna Yahuarcocha

My daytrip to the Colombian border was pretty much a waste.

The alcohol expense was average, I think; when we hang out with friends, we tend to drink more than when it’s just the two of us. Mark bought SD cards for two new security cameras, two pairs of shorts, wiring for the camper, and bandages for Maya while he was in the US. He also went out for drinks with friends one night. Internet was cheap, because we could use Graham and Amalia’s WiFi network for free when camped on their property, as well as the washing machine.

Other useful items Mark brought back from the US – most of them free through our Amazon Vine perk

The only camping we paid for was at Hostal Colibri near Quito airport, which we checked out as a potential place for me to stay while Mark was gone. It happened to be too noisy (from airplanes landing overhead), expensive, and tight to consider. All our other nights of camping were free.

This hostel/campground is located ten minutes from the airport by car.

Too close for comfort!

When you’re living in a camper here, the planes overhead are loud. Most people only store their vehicles here when flying to the Galapagos or abroad.

Free camping in Mindo town

Free camping by a “tubing” river in Mindo

Free camping in the Pululahua Crater

Most of our entertainment – hiking, sightseeing, reading – is free, but in June, we paid money for a waterfall hike in Mindo (see my next blog post) and I bought an eBook to support a fellow author.

Map of the park

Hiking in the jungle of Mindo

The first waterfall along our trail

The last waterfall along the trail – only Mark and Maya checked this one out

We didn’t swim; only let our feet cool off

Free hiking trail in the Pululahua Crater

Hiking in the Pululahua Crater

Based on Mark’s international trip and shopping sprees and my stationary time in Ecuador, last month’s total expenses of $1,043 are relatively low.

Stopped by a Chinese restaurant for lunch on one of my excursions with Graham and family

Graham dropped off a slice of take-out pizza a couple of times!

The reasons? The hospitality and generosity of friends and family (Thank you!!), the costs for plane tickets and car parts going to previous months, and the fact that Mark and I are both Amazon Vine members. This status allows us to order useful items for free, to a US address, in return for honest reviews of those products. Of course, we can only use this benefit in accordance with a stateside journey. Time to write some more reviews now! 🙂

New pepper and salt grinders

New (wireless) mouse

New laces for my old hiking shoes

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – May 2023 (Colombia & Ecuador)

June 13, 2023 / Liesbet / 30 Comments

Early last month, Mark, Maya, and I completed 175 days of exploring Colombia and on May 4th, we crossed into Ecuador with our truck camper Thirsty Bella. Did you know that the national currency in this country is the US dollar? It will make our tracking – and spending – that much easier. 🙂

The border crossing between Colombia and Ecuador was surprisingly mellow.

May 2023 was our cheapest month in years. We rarely dip under $1,000, but this time we surpassed ourselves. The reasons: because April was an expensive, above-average month, Mark and I tried hard to “save” money by not eating out and camping for free, and we had somewhat stocked up on dry food in cheaper Colombia. On top of that, we were surrounded by generous friends – old and new.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Graham treated us to a traditional Sunday lunch out in Zuleta

Fernando made a Mexican lunch for all of us

Spectacular dinner out with Katherine and Brandon in Quito

Yes, Ecuador has higher prices for pretty much everything except tolls, gasoline, and produce and you often have to pay for street parking, hiking, and natural sites. National parks seem to be free.

One of the many free national parks in Ecuador

A lovely park!

Peguche waterfall ($1 for two people)

The main roads, especially the PanAmerican Highway, are in better shape, motorcycles are less frequent, and tourism is more established than in Colombia.

Vegetable market in Otavalo

Vegetable bounty for $5

Sampling of our fridge

In Ecuador, homemade potato chips come with three condiments…

Big jar of honey: $6

Our highest category last month was groceries at under $200, followed by car expenses. We didn’t drive that much and only ventured around northern Ecuador the first five weeks, because Mark decided to leave from Quito for his annual medical and family visit to Massachusetts, USA.

View over Quito from Andy’s place, where we stored our camper for two nights ($8) while visiting the capital with friends

Before we crossed the border with Ecuador, we had an oil change done in Pasto. When you buy the oil at a garage, they perform the change for free. Unfortunately, the mechanic overfilled the reservoir, so Mark had to carefully drain some of it back out (and save it) the following day. There were some tolls too.

The shop part of the garage

Getting ready for our oil change in Pasto

If the mechanic could have, he would have poured two gallons of oil in the reservoir!

Tolls in Colombia are pricey, all things considered.

Our last toll road in Colombia

The last two nights of May, the three of us stayed at a funky Airbnb in Quito. This allowed us to explore the capital city on foot – our accommodation was located in the historical district – and to have quality time with our friends Katherine and Brandon, who are traversing Central and South America on their decked-out BMW motorcycles. We had an amazing time!

Our Airbnb in Quito consisted of an entire house and former hotel, El Palomar

Our bedroom, one of six

View from the top floor of our Airbnb

As usual, we boondocked (camp without facilities) 100% of the time and managed to mostly do so for free. Ecuador offers more public spaces than Colombia, but we did have to pay a small fee for overnight parking a few times.

Overnight parking spot in busy Pasto

Our first (free) camping spot in Ecuador was peaceful, so we stayed a week!

Camped for one night (free) at Grutas de La Paz

Free camping at Chachimbiro hot springs

Free camping near Laguna de Cuicocha

How’s this for a free campsite view?

Camped by the El Pisque hot springs (free)

Camped for one night (free) by the Pena Pivico rock climbing wall

Parked for the night (free) outside of the Jamanco hot springs in Papallacta

The reason we spent some money on camping is because I wanted to check out a few safe options for Maya and me to stay during Mark’s 2.5-week absence. In the end, I decided to return to the property of friends Graham and Amalia in Ibarra, where I’m currently typing this. Mark left on June 11th.

Mark, Maya, and I stayed here, with Graham, wife Amalia, daughter Leah, and grandma Ada for five nights and were invited back. This is my current location.

Lots of doggies at Graham’s place in Ibarra

Beautiful property at Graham’s

Night view from Graham’s place

Camped for one night at Cascada de Peguche in Otavalo ($1)

Checking out The Garden campground in Ibarra ($6 per person per night) – too noisy

We were camped for one night just outside the Oyacatchi hot springs ($1 for parking)

Checking out Fernando and Evelyn’s place in Puembo to potentially stay when Mark left. I really liked it here as well.

Despite trying our best to not eat out (cooking and doing dishes every single day does get old, though), we kept sightseeing without worrying too much about the cost. In Colombia, we paid $9 for the cable car (teleférico) from Santuario de Las Lajas back up to the parking lot.

Goofy photo at Las Lajas

Taking the cable car back up the hill to Thirsty Bella

We are being followed!

In Ecuador, we soaked in four (!) hot springs (termales) for $42 in total, paid $5 for road access into Cayambe-Coca National Park, and visited the solar clock and museum ($5) on the equator. The following photos are just a sampling, blog posts about all these attractions will follow later this month.

Hot springs at Grutas de La Paz ($2/per person)

Grutas de La Paz; an inspirational site

The Chachimbiro hot springs were fancy at $7/person

Nice pools to soak in at the Chachimbiro hot springs, my favorite ones.

Crossing the equator in Ecuador ($5/per person to visit the solar clock & museum)

The equator museum wants to change the orientation of globes and maps.

We didn’t visit the El Pisque hot springs and this is why…

Oyacatchi hot springs

Maya wanted to be part of the fun.

For $5 (“road tax”) you are allowed access into the Cayambe-Coca National Park, but only from the north.

Jamanco hot springs

We have been hanging out with friends in May so needed to make sure we had wine, beer, and rum. Also, before crossing into Ecuador, we topped up our propane tank as this is cheaper and more convenient in Colombia. The rest of the utilities category went to internet. Claro is the biggest cell and data provider here as well, but the plans are pricier than north of the border. Somehow, we still manage to spend around $30 a month, which is alright. The price is roughly $1 per 1GB of data.

Mark’s new alpaca sweater

Lots of clothes to choose from

Our new blanket is tested and approved by Maya at the Airbnb

The indigenous town of Otavalo reputedly has the biggest handicraft market in South America on Saturdays. Our trio visited on Sunday – we are not fans of crowded places – and Mark bought two pretty sweaters, one synthetic and one made of alpaca wool, for $32. At an artisanal market in Quito we finally bought an alpaca blanket for our bed after using a crappy fleece one from Walmart for six years. It was a tough bargain at $23.

Of course, I have to try “everything,” including forcha…

I did not like it!

A sad day – Mark finished the maple syrup we’d brought from the US

Homecooked hamburger with roasted potatoes

Another tasty and varied dinner at home

My treat in Otavalo: a fruit cocktail with ice cream, whipped cream, and a wafer for $1!

Our drinking and dining out expenses were ridiculously low. We thought there would be a spike during our time with friends in Quito, but they were super generous to treat us to a fancy dinner the first night, and on the second night we cooked and ate in the house we rented. If there would be a bakery category, however, you’d be surprised at how costly it gets.

Being served at the Oyacatchi bakery by a young girl

I found some good pastries in Quito and surroundings

Amazing steak dinner for our friends

Lovely evening out with friends in Quito – and the food and views were delicious

And that’s a wrap for May 2023, totaling $652. I doubt we will ever be able to match that amount, but we might as well try. Once in a while…

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Expense Report (page 2 of 12)

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – January 2024 (Bolivia)

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – November 2023 (Peru)

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – October 2023 (Peru)

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – September 2023 (Peru)

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – August 2023 (Peru)

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – July 2023 (Ecuador)

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Roaming About – Liesbet Collaert & Mark Kilty & Maya

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