Climbing Monte Roraima is a dream for many adventurers: a 6-day trekking, walking more than 90 km to get to know this prehistoric place. It stands 2.800m over the sea level and is one of the most spectacular adventures in South America.
I spent 30 days visiting 19 places in 4 Australian states. I bought my ticket to Sydney and had 5 months to plan it all. First I had to decide what I would like to see, there are so many options that I had a hard time narrowing it down. My brother lives in Perth (5.000 km away from Sydney), so I decided that would be my last stop. Then I researched what I would visit on the way.
Pictures from backpacking in Peru. May 2006.
My last adventure was an expedition to Chilean and Argentinean Patagonia, with a group of 18 people guided by eco-friendly walkers. It was an 18-day walk through 130 km in Los Glaciares National Park, Tierra del Fuego National Park and Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile. We reached the cities of El Calafate, El Chaltén and Ushuaia.
The first destination for visitors to El Chaltén, Perito Moreno, Torres del Paine and many other attractions at Parque Nacional de Los Glaciares – due to the airport and good structure to welcome tourists. El Calafate is cozy but with lots of adventure, the weather is warm during the day and very cold at night. It is a great place to eat parrillas, empanadas, sweets and ice cream.
El Chaltén, a newly-founded village due to territory issues with Chile, is growing fast because of tourism. Less than 30 years old, it is the newest town in Argentina. It intends to be the new Bariloche with ski resorts in the winter, trekking, climbing and mountain bike in the summer. It is considered the trekking capital for receiving sportspeople searching for adventure on the two toughest mountains in the world: Fitz Roy and Torre.
Whoever goes to Rocha – Uruguay, finds several options of leisure and accommodation – starting in CHUY, great for shopping spree in the freeshops and for those who like gambling. On the Brazilian side there is BARRA DO CHUI, a beach with rock formations and a lighthouse. Crossing the border, there is FORTE SAN MIGUEL with great architecture and a museum.
Located in a military area, Santa Teresa National Park is a fascinating place, designed with an aesthetic sense, keeping the ecological balance. It started in the surroundings of Santa Teresa Fortress, in 1762. After being abandoned and laid waste, there was a restoration in 1928, and has been taken care of by Uruguayan military men since then.
The most important tip in Peru is: haggle! When taking a taxi, choosing a package tour, going shopping and eating out. They start with prices for European tourists and then ask how much you want to pay. I did not think the weather would change so suddenly, neither that the sun would be so hot this time of the year (May).
Islands in Lake TITICACA (navigable lake with the highest altitude in the world, 3827m), made of totora reeds. Very old communities live there and use totora as food, house, boats and handicrafts. The funny thing is that when families have an argument, they draw an imaginary line on the island and each group stays on one half.