Exploring South America

Have you ever had a picture inspire an adventure? For me, the answer is yes. And this is the picture...

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This is a photograph of the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia. The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, covering over 4,000 square kilometers of the Bolivian high atlas. When the rains come in the spring, the salt flats flood and turn into a massive natural mirror. This picture inspired the boyfriend and I to book a trip to South America.

Here is our eleven day itinerary in Bolivia and Peru. We left from Newark airport very late at night and landed in La Paz, Bolivia in the very early morning. It was the start of a vacation of early wake-up calls! If you are looking for an action-packed trip to South America, check out our itinerary below. You will spend most of your time at altitude, with enough time to acclimate before the big hike to Machu Picchu!

Ten Day Itinerary in South America

Day 1: Flight from USA to La Paz, Bolivia
Day 2 (very early): Day to visit La Paz
Day 3: Early flight to Uyuni, Bolivia, join tour group
Day 4: Bolivian high atlas tour
Day 5: Return from high atlas tour, return flight to La Paz
Day 6: Death Road Bike Tour
Day 7: Flight to Cusco
Day 8: One day hike to Machu Picchu
Day 9: Tour Machu Picchu, return to Cusco
Day 10: Day in Cusco
Day 11: Return to USA

Come back next week for the start of my South America series. I'll be sharing some of my favorite experiences from the trip!

 

 

Lima, Peru

In late August, I had the chance to travel to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time! I've gotten close to the equator before (Singapore is right on the northern side), but never have I crossed the line. I ventured to Lima, Peru for a conference and spent four days in the hotel. This was the view from my hotel room...

Since it was August, Lima was just coming out of winter and transitioning into spring. Apparently the sun doesn't shine during the spring in Lima and my view looked like this all five days that I was at the conference. Luckily my hotel room was amazing (definitely stay at the Lima Westin if you want a gorgeous bathroom!) and the conference was interesting.

Even the food at the hotel was tasty. Their chef is Malaysian, so the menu was a fusion of flavors from Malalysia and Peru. Sounds strange, but it was totally delicious.

I spent three straight days in the conference and didn't leave my hotel. I was due to fly back the day after the conference, but not until 10pm. I actually got to spend the day in Lima, taking a tour of the city. While I didn't see that much, it was a nice introduction to Peru.

Next time I visit Peru, I'll be sure to stop by Machu Picchu!