Peru
Cusco
After my cousin and her husband left Cusco on December 6th, Mark and I finished some work assignments and camper projects (and I created a 2024 calendar for my family), and socialized with our Canadian friends Sheri and Jeff. Just as we were ready to leave town, we learned our American motorcycle friends Katherine and Brandon would arrive the following day!
(As always, click on or hover over photos to read their captions.)
We didn’t want to miss that, of course, and decided to camp on the edge of Cusco for a couple of nights to spend time with them – and work. We have met up with Katherine and Brandon in “every” country of South America so far: Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. (And, most recently, Bolivia.) After seeing them several times in Baja, Mexico and Idaho and Oregon in the US.
Sheri and Jeff – who we were supposed to meet down the road – had finished their Sacred Valley explorations by then and joined us as well. We had fun times together, especially when Jeff revealed one of his T-shirts… I mentioned in a previous post that our friends had a few surprises for us. 😊
Tinajani Canyon
Us, truck camper overlanders, moved on and drove for two long days. Our first stop – after filling up with propane at the other end of Cusco – was Tinajani Canyon, where we had camped and walked before.
It was quiet at night, but a tad chilly at 13,000ft (around 4,000m). We paid the cheese factory a visit, but they were out of Gouda. This is where the exhaustion and sickness caught up with me, leading to an extra night of staying put, for me to rest. The symptoms reminded me of the flu and I was “out” for five days.
Playa Moyapampa
Yet, we wanted to keep moving and preferred to spend extra days along Lake Titicaca, namely at Playa Moyapampa, another favorite free camping spot, because it was peaceful and beach walks were endless. Jeff and Sheri stopped by at the canyon for one night and joined us at the beach, after visiting a few more sites. We had done this journey along the lake multiple times before and were happy to get settled here for a few days before our border crossing. While I was bedbound, I finally caught up on my diary entries; I’d been two weeks behind, the equivalent of 14 hours of writing!
Once I felt better, we could have a few happy hours and meals together with our friends. Due to work, tiredness, and being sick, our communal time turned out different than we had in mind… Then, there were the car issues. Jeff and Sheri needed a couple of jump starts and a new battery. Mark discovered sparks in the engine of our Thirsty. We would take care of the issue – fouled ignition coils – in the next big city, namely La Paz, Bolivia.
Bolivia
Our trio crossed the border into Bolivia on the same day Jeff and Sheri did. For real, this time around. Third time’s a charm. Everything went smoothly. We bid Peru farewell after five months and looked forward to discovering a new-to-us country. Entering Bolivia was quick and easy as well. Just like all the other frontier crossings in South America, we didn’t have to pay money for anything – and local currencies were easily exchanged.
Copacabana
It was only a 15-minute drive over potholed roads to reach the Bolivian “resort town” of Copacabana. Here, we finally slowed down and camped at the same place – still along the shores of Lake Titicaca – for five days. The scene was immensely different from the Peruvian side: power boats pulled different plastic toys, local tourists were out and about, there were heaps of restaurants, the weather was drier and sunnier, the people were friendlier, and there seemed to be (slightly) less trash.
Here, we could recover and work on assignments without deadlines. Our entry stamp into the country was valid for 90 days (surprisingly also for Mark – Americans usually receive 30 days) and we estimated to only stay for one month. Town offered fresh bread and produce from the market and we could walk Maya along the dirt road we were parked along. One evening, we splurged on a Greek dinner out.
During the day, it was quite busy and loud with motorcycles and ATVs (quads), rented by Bolivian tourists, but at night, it was dead quiet. The loose dogs were troublesome in town, where Maya got bit for the second time in a few weeks. The very first time – since arriving on the continent more than a year ago – this happened in Cusco.
Interesting near the main plaza were the car blessings, performed in front of the basilica. Here, drivers and passengers decorated their vehicles, sprinkled them with booze, waited their turn, and watched as a priest blessed their precious mode of transportation.
Isla del Sol
Sheri and Jeff joined us for some of our time in Copacabana. We all set out on a daytrip to Isla del Sol, where the sun as well as the Inca empire reputedly were born. The ferry ride to the island – me on the roof of the boat to prevent sea sickness; the others inside on comfortable chairs – was extremely slow. It took over two hours to reach the town of Challapampa on the north side of the island. Because of the delays, it was after 11am by the time we arrived. This meant we had less than five hours to hike across the island before the last boat left at 4pm.
The ridge trail we embarked on was seven miles long (11km) and turned out to be much more strenuous than expected. We climbed hill after hill to descend again, and repeat. Each time, we hoped the next top would be the last one.
After an hour of hiking on rocky paths and taking in nice views of bays, ruins, and an old Inca offering platform, and quickly stuffing a sandwich into our mouths, Jeff and Sheri decided to follow a different trail back to our arrival port, while Mark, Maya, and I kept going, huffing and puffing. We were hiking at above 13,000ft (4,000m), so that made things a tad challenging as well. And, we had a deadline, so breaks were far and few between.
These conditions quickly brought on a headache, nausea, and exhaustion for me, which turned into one of the nastiest migraines I have ever had. I persevered on the trail and we did make the last ferry after an incredibly steep and long descent towards the town and harbor of Yumani.
Next, we faced another hot, 1.5-hour boat ride back to Copacabana. When the captain stopped at another ruin for twenty minutes, I could have killed him. All I wanted – and needed – was to get home and rest in my bed, shades closed. Needless to say, I skipped dinner out with our friends and suffered alone instead, trash can nearby.
La Paz
On Christmas Eve, Mark, Maya, and I left Copacabana towards La Paz, the administrative capital (not the actual, constitutional one, which is Sucre) of Bolivia. We were shocked to see hundreds of begging children along the street, their parents sitting in the grass or the ditch or rigging tarps and shelters.
We later discovered this is a tradition: around Christmas time, indigenous families walk from their villages to major roads, where more affluent people and organizations pass by to donate money, clothes, food, and gifts to the less fortunate.
Our next challenge was crossing a narrow part of Lake Titicaca on a barge. Usually, this is not too big of a deal, but, in our case, things didn’t go as planned. Just when Mark was ready to enter the ramp onto the barge, someone in charge told him to back up and wait for a bigger boat (they all looked the same to me). I didn’t quite understand what was going on, Mark reversed without seeing anything (or me getting out as usually), and before we knew it, the back of the camper hit something: a concrete barrier.
One of our jacks and its bracket were bent and the mood was ruined. The trip across this body of water was a bit bumpy, but our minds were elsewhere. Later, Mark managed to hammer everything back into shape and we were happy to discover that no substantial damage had been done.
We continued our journey to busy and chaotic La Paz, found a free spot on the edge of the city to save money, and I grabbed a taxi to a grocery store to buy food and drinks for the holidays. The following morning – Christmas Day – Mark drove us to the Las Lomas campground, where Jeff and Sheri had already arrived. If it wasn’t for them, the holidays, and us needing to fix the car, we would have skipped this metropolis altogether.
Before arriving at the safe Las Lomas haven, we had to conquer steep hills and potholed roads with other obstacles. While focusing on a raised manhole cover ahead, Mark nor I spotted a speedbump disguised as pavers. We immediately knew that the shock that followed wasn’t a good one…
At Las Lomas, we had to wait for a camping spot to open up before we could get settled. Parked in an unlevel position, Mark assessed the damage from the bump. It wasn’t pretty. Everything in our cabinets had jumped, fallen over, or turned upside down. A bowl broke, with splinters all over our kitchenware. The bottom of our pantry had fallen out and a shelf in the fridge broke.
Instead of making Christmas pancakes for breakfast with our friends, like last year, this special morning turned out differently. But at least no attempted robbery took place and we didn’t start the day at a police station with fireworks exploding above our heads.
Mark set out fixing some of the issues and we cleaned and reorganized. When we finally settled in a decent camping spot, my husband only had one comment: “We are leaving La Paz as soon as possible; from the moment our truck is fixed.”
To prove his point, he immediately started taking Thirsty’s engine apart to see what the scoop was with our ignition coils. Some had been sparking and appeared corroded. He managed to clean one, but a second one was beyond repair. We needed to find – or order – a replacement part.
Luckily, Christmas Day ended on a nice note, with a special dinner in the company of Sheri and Jeff. They had brought us personalized stockings from Canada and – when exchanging gifts – we discovered they had bought me the same present as we had gotten them: a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream.
When we met the owner of the campground, Marcos, that same (holi)day, we learned he could use caretakers while he left on vacation for a month. The following morning! Food for thought, since Mark, Maya, and I were urgently in need of a longer break to charge our (personal) batteries, catch up on tasks long postponed, work more, and fix our camper.
We needed to decide and act soon. I was on board, but Mark needed convincing. After all, we had just arrived, our approach and first impressions of La Paz hadn’t been favorable, and we hadn’t even spent one night at the campground yet.
Camped next to Jeff and Sheri in Las Lomas Campground, La Paz
The advantages of this arrangement outweighed the disadvantages, so we committed to staying at Las Lomas for a month during Marcos’s absence. We’d camp for free (usually $15/night, which is pricey for this area) in return for taking care of the camping guests, grounds, and facilities.
I could just see myself lounge on the couch of the communal living room, string a hammock somewhere, catch up on blog posts (haha), and enjoy time settled in one place, without many people around (it was just us and our Canadian friends at that moment). Of course, reality turned out differently…
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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January 29, 2024 at 07:59
Prachtige foto´s. Leuke t-shirt van jullie vriend! 😄Ik heb genoten van je blog.
January 30, 2024 at 13:05
Bedankt, tante Leentje. Het was leuk om goeie vrienden bij ons te hebben. Ze bevinden zich nu allemaal ver ten zuiden van ons!
January 29, 2024 at 08:11
Love Jeff’s T-Shirt!!! Sorry to hear about your 5 days of being sick. It must be going around because Carmen and I got sick about the same time for almost a week. 5 months in Peru! Wow! Now that you are in Bolivia (for real) Copacabana looks wonderful. Glad you were able to get a 90 day visa. So sorry to hear that Maya got bit again. As I have said to you before, stray dogs may the be reason we do not head south next year. Carmen thinks she will have a very hard time ignoring these abandoned creatures. OK, here’s a new one on me… blessing a car? Interesting idea. Hiking at 13,000 feet? You have mentioned you have done this before, but I still can’t get my head around it. Sorry to hear it brought on a really bad headache. What a ferry ride!!!!!!! Glad to hear no major damage. I have read about South Americas hidden speed bumps. I thought they were simply unannounced, but now I understand they can be disguised as pavers. So sorry to hear of what happened inside the camper because of the speed bump. Glad you were able to stay in La Paz a month in exchange for camp hosting. Sounds like it was a much needed break. Your last sentence is a ‘cliff hanger.’ Can’t wait for the next post. Jim
January 30, 2024 at 13:12
Hi Jim,
You always do such a good job reacting and commenting to my posts! Do you take notes while you read? I often have reactions in my head to so many things you two report on, only to forget most of them by the time I leave a comment!
I understand Carmen being worried about all the strays and loose dogs in Latin America. You really have to learn how to ignore their eyes and their needs. Bolivia has been awful with aggressive dogs and attacks. At least, you’d be able to pick Pico up when walking through towns.
Maya was bit – again – yesterday, in the tourist town of Uyuni. It was bad, this time, and involved a vet visit, anesthesia, stitches, antibiotics, and a return visit tomorrow. Also, since she now has an open wound, we can’t travel on towards another country until it’s all healed. We need that to happen before we can get a health certificate. Always something…
Yeah, the speed bumps are insane. We’ve caused a lot of damage to our camper and our egos missing a few in the last fourteen months. I thought about your comment yesterday, on the road, when we passed through a village with more of those blended speed bumps. I’ll share a photo one day…
February 2, 2024 at 10:27
Liesbet, the way I read blog posts that I plan to comment is this. I open the blog post in my browser and then shrink the window to fit on the left half of my screen. I copy the URL for the blog post and I then open a blank browser window that takes up the right half of my screen. I paste the URL so I have two identical copies of the blog post in front of me, one on the left and one on the right. I scroll the right side down to the comments section. As I read the blog post on the left, I comment on the right. That’s it. It works for me! Jim
February 3, 2024 at 16:59
That’s interesting and fascinating, Jim. And time consuming! Thanks for explaining your process.
January 29, 2024 at 08:41
When we named our blog “The Adventures of …,” luckily we never had adventures quite like yours! Your trip has been one endless adventure full of countless challenges that you meet with equanimity and aplomb! I hope this next month filling in for Marcos does allow you to recharge your personal batteries and get much needed work done on the camper.
January 30, 2024 at 13:19
Haha, Annie! We all have adventures of our own, don’t we? I do love that word! It resembles excitement, interesting experiences, and unknown horizons.
Traveling in Latin America with your own vehicle is much more challenging than doing so in North America. I often realize this. Take just one day on the road (like yesterday), on which we encountered toll booths, almost hit dogs and llamas, missed a few hidden speed bumps, avoided road blocks, passed one old blockade with cops keeping an eye out, had difficulty buying gasoline, witnessed Maya being attacked by a loose dog in the town we camped, visited the vet, had to change our plans, and at 10pm, right as we were ready for bed, a knock on the door and us moving the camper. Yeah… It was an eventful day.
This month at the campground was a welcome break and the car is fixed!
January 29, 2024 at 10:26
The t-shirts are great! Hope you each got a couple of those.
The barge crossing looks scary.
Sounds like that first area in Bolivia was really nice. Glad you got to spend so much time along the way with friends.
January 30, 2024 at 13:21
Hi Alex,
All the shirts our friends made and brought were mostly a joke. Mark and I each received one as a gift. 🙂 Every time we step outside our door or drive onto the roads, adventure awaits, many more memories are made, and stories created. Not such a boring way to live! 🙂
January 29, 2024 at 11:26
I also liked Jeff’s T-shirt. I have one with my book on it, but I’ve never worn it because I feel like a dork when I wear it. Jeff looks exactly like one of my good friends.
The Greek dinner looks amazing, especially with the amazing background.
It must be fun to get together with traveling friends and exchange adventure stories.
January 30, 2024 at 13:24
Hi Pete,
Jeff has a great sense of humor. A bit vulgar at times, but he still makes us laugh and is always full of surprises. Happy to read you have a similar-looking (and maybe even behaving) friend! It was very nice to have friends around for a little while.
You know, when I looked at those photos of this Greek dinner out in Copacabana, it almost appears like a vacation scene. What is not reflected, of course, was the chilly air, my body still not feeling healthy, and the fireworks in the hills that upset Maya. All at the same time we were eating.
When we are with friends, we try to have low key moments together and we often share tips. 🙂
January 29, 2024 at 14:25
Wow, I can’t even imagine hiking at those altitudes! No wonder you were sick. I was hoping your campground experience would turn out to be restful, but it doesn’t sound as though it did. Lucky you’re used to surprises! 🙂
January 30, 2024 at 13:27
Hi Diane,
I was really bummed – and mad at my body – on that hilly walk above 13,000ft. Mainly, because we had gotten used to that elevation for months. I’m not sure why this hike turned out to be so dreadful and hard. I really have to stop doing these exerting pursuits.
Haha, yes, we are used to surprises. But why do they always have to be negative? Anyway, we did have a nice month at the campground. In general. And the break from the road was super welcome. Time went too fast, as always.
January 29, 2024 at 15:01
Thanks for the update, Liesbet. Your friends Katherine and Brandon look spunky–and fun. That tee-shirt, fun too!
Safe travels and fewer high altitudes. Yes?
January 30, 2024 at 13:31
Hello Marian,
We had some fun times with our friends, as always. Now it’s just the three of us again and the two T-shirts as a reminded. We do hope to catch up with Brandon and Katherine, as they motorcycle back north after Ushuaia. They are gong fast at the moment, having arrived in Patagonia.
And, Jeff and Sheri are also out of reach now (in Brazil), but they will leave their camper again for eight months to work in Canada and when they return in the fall, we will meet up again somewhere in the southern part of this continent.
We will see about those altitudes… 🙂
January 30, 2024 at 22:06
Hi, Liesbet – I’m so sorry to hear that you were so sick and that Maya was bit with an open wound. I hope that you are both healed now. I absolutely love the t-shirts. It’s kudos to you and Mark that you have such great friends around the world. <3
February 3, 2024 at 16:47
Hi Donna,
Jeff and Sheri made our lives so much more fun when we hung out together. It was endearing to discover they thought about us during their eight months of working in Canada before returning to SA and brought goofy – and other – gifts back. They are now in Brazil and we will be soon at the opposite coast, but we are already making plans to catch up when they come back from another work stint at the end of the year. 🙂
January 30, 2024 at 22:22
I enjoyed all the mountain scenery!
February 3, 2024 at 16:48
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, Lexie. We are looking forward to the mountain scenery in Chile and Argentina.
February 7, 2024 at 07:43
I love the T-Shirts and glad there was no robberies this Christmas. But sorry to hear how ill you were and that Maya also got bitten. Mark is so good at doing all the repairs to Thirsty Bella. It must have been great getting personalised Christmas stockings.
And if I arrived at a campground where Mark and you were hosts, I’d pay $15 a night.
I’m not sure when you plan to visit Chile, but our news is showing some of the wild fires there at the moment. Take good care of yourselves, Liesbet.
February 8, 2024 at 06:47
Hi Hugh,
We were surprised at the stockings and the T-shirt gifts. Our friends did a good job with those. The previous Christmas, we surprised them with gifts from a local town in Colombia, so I had a feeling that they’d have something for us as well, this year. But we didn’t expect the personalized touches.
Your comment about staying at “our” little campground made me smile. 🙂 You are such a kind soul, Hugh Roberts!
We’ve heard about the wild fires in Chile, but they are more in the middle and south of the country. We plan to enter the north side of Chile within a week, but won’t stay long this time around as we need to take the seasons in account again soon, after leaving the equatorial zone.