October 6, 2018 – October 8, 2018
Parque Nacional Sajama is a small park on the western border of Bolivia. Volcan Sajama, at 6,542 metres (21, 463 feet) is the highest mountain in Bolivia, and is the centre piece of the park. The small town of Sajama within the park has a few small hostels, but you are allowed to wild camp almost anywhere in the area….we loved it!
August 27, 2018 – August 29, 2018
Huacachina is a tiny, oasis resort town surrounded by huge sand dunes. It was once the playground for elite Peruvians, but is now frequented more by tourists who rent snowboards or skis to first climb up, then swoosh their way down the sand dunes. We stopped in town for some lunch and watched boarders climb the enormous sand dunes in the hot midday sun, we didn’t see many coming back down though; maybe they were reluctant to climb back up again. After lunch we decided to move on.
The lagoon in the middle of town.
August 19, 2018 – August 24, 2018
The Cordillera Blanca (White Mountain Range) of Peru, according to our guide book, is,
“the world’s highest tropical mountain range and encompasses some of South America’s highest mountains”
As we drove, snow and ice capped peaks began to appear behind the nearer mountains that lined the valleys. The steep valley slopes were terraced and green evidencing centuries of farming knowledge. We drove through rural town centres, filled with fruit and produce markets, traditionally dressed indigenous locals, and backpacking tourists readying themselves for long treks in the Andes of Peru.