Straddling the border between Peru and Bolivia is Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. Its surface elevation sits at 3800 m (12,500 ft), which is 21 times higher than that of Lake Superior. Gregor and I have seen plenty of high-altitude lakes on our mountaineering trips, but never one as high as Lake Titicaca. We were looking forward to seeing this famous lake with our own eyes. (more…)
Every country has a “must-see” attraction. In France, it’s the Eiffel Tower. In Rome, it’s the Colosseum. In Peru, the big “must-see” is the 15th-century Incan citadel, Machu Picchu. When friends and family found out we were going to Peru, they asked in excitement: “Are you going to see Machu Picchu?” Well, t’yeaah. I mean, who goes to Peru and doesn’t see Machu Picchu? As travellers before us can attest, seeing Machu Picchu is only half the fun – getting there is the real adventure. (more…)
After spending several weeks in Peru’s dry and dusty coastal desert, Gregor and I were totally ready for a change of scenery. Up to this point, we hadn’t yet seen any of the majestic Incan ruins or fluffy llamas or traditionally dressed Peruvian natives that I had expected to see at every corner. If I’d actually done my geography homework, I would have realized that all that good stuff can be found in the country’s higher-altitude regions to the east. So we left the sand and sea behind and ascended the winding roads to Cusco, the former capital of the Incan Empire. (more…)
It was the end of April and we were in Cuenca, Ecuador. We wanted to be in Ushuaia, Argentina, by early December to enjoy the warm weather in the southern tip of continent. Since touching Lucky’s wheels to South American soil, we had driven about 4,000 km in 4 months. We needed to drive at least another 10,000 km in 7 months to get to Ushuaia. Google Maps told us the ugly truth…if we didn’t start picking up our driving pace, we would never make it there on time. (more…)