My South America trip 2012-2013
a trip
by McKay Savage
Share- Monday, January 2, 2012
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Santiago, Chile (9:16 pm)
Day 1-3. Landed in Santiago. Cool hostel, good staff, good location. First days spent wandering the neighborhood, relaxing at cafés and enjoying the summer weather. -
- Thursday, January 5, 2012
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- Saturday, January 7, 2012
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Bariloche, Argentina (10:54 am)
Trekking and bicycling and hanging out for a week in Alpine-esque Bariloche and trekking 3 days through Frey and a day-trip to Mt Tronador. Gorgeous area. -
- Sunday, January 15, 2012
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Hostel Melmac Patagonia, Puerto Varas, Chile (11:56 pm)Walker Martínez 561, Puerto Varas, Los Lagos Region, Chile | (0)65 230 863
Arrived back to Chile from Bariloche by bus. Cute town, hostel has character. Amazing to see the ash-covered forests in the national parks along the border. -
- Monday, January 16, 2012
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Margouya 2 Hostel, Puerto Varas, Chile (11:58 am)Purísima 681, Puerto Varas 5550561, Décima Región de Los Lagos, Chile | (0)65 237 695
Switched to this very cute and friendly hostel in Puerto Varas.
Hanging out in Puerto Varas this week waiting for the Hot Rocks climbing group to arrive down. Gorgeous views of Volcán Osorno, swimming in the lake, canyoning and a brief minute of paragliding. Fun place to hang and chill. -
- Friday, January 20, 2012
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Puerto Montt, Chile (3:00 pm)
Met up with the Hot Rock climbing group and spent a couple days resting and resupplying in coastal Puerto Montt before heading into the mountains. Oh, and we had to check out the small circus while we were there! -
- Sunday, January 22, 2012
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Cochamó, Chile (2:00 pm)
An incredible week climbing, camping and hiking in the Cochamó valley. Just so gorgeous and dramatic landscape. Pure white granite cliffs towering over the valley on all sides. Sleeping under the stars, climbing perfect cracks of granite, exploring this vasty region was a really well-spent week. -
- Friday, January 27, 2012
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Margouya 2 Hostel, Puerto Varas, Chile (5:00 pm)Purísima 681, Puerto Varas 5550561, Décima Región de Los Lagos, Chile | (0)65 237 695
Back in Puerto Varas for a day, catching up on email, getting cleaned up and relaxing after an amazing week in the mountains of Cochamó. -
- Saturday, January 28, 2012
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Puerto Montt, Chile (7:00 pm)
Back in Puerto Montt for a day or 2 after our climbing week in Cochamó to wash up, re-supply, say goodbye to some Hot Rockers and pack up for crossing back to Argentina next. -
- Monday, January 30, 2012
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Petunia Campground, Bariloche, Argentina (5:41 pm)Exequiel Bustillo 5AV. 13500, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro Province, Argentina | (0)2944 46 1969
Back in Bariloche with the Hot Rocks group. Climbing crags for a few days then it's back up to Frey for a week climbing spires in the alpine. -
- Friday, February 3, 2012
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A week of rock climbing incredible granite spires up in Frey, camping by the lake and refugio. Gorgeous sunsets, amazing routes, challenging leads, awesome views. Fell in love with the place and would go back in a heartbeat. -
- Thursday, February 9, 2012
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Petunia Campground, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro Province, Argentina (5:30 pm)Exequiel Bustillo 5AV. 13500, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro Province, Argentina | (0)2944 46 1969
Down from Frey and back in Bariloche for an evening to re-pack and re-supply before heading to summit Mt Tronador. -
- Friday, February 10, 2012
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Mt Tronador, Argentina (6:00 pm)
Mountaineering ascent of Mt Tronador, an awesomely glaciated 3400m volcano. We summited the lower Argentine peak at 3167m because the International Peak was shrouded in cloud and a bad season of loose rock fall and challenging access. The wind was fierce as we got high, but it was a beautiful vista and really fine route and climb from the Otto Meiling Refugio. -
- Sunday, February 12, 2012
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Petunia Campground, Bariloche, Argentina (8:30 pm)Exequiel Bustillo 5AV. 13500, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro Province, Argentina | (0)2944 46 1969
Back in Bariloche and our campsite home one final time after summiting Mt Tronador before leaving the Hot Rock group and catching a bus back north to Buenos Aires. My mountaineering boots didn't make it down from Tronador. -
- Thursday, February 16, 2012
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Buenos Aires, Argentina (7:05 pm)
Back in Buenos Aires for my good friend Erica's wedding. Hung out with friends and the wedding party, danced until dawn - more than once - and toured the street art scene. Took some more Spanish lessons, tried the tango and had an incredible time. -
- Sunday, February 26, 2012
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Santiago, Chile (2:30 pm)Enrique Mac Iver 661, Santiago 7500000, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile | (0)2 664 8451
Back in Santiago to visit a friend I met along the way. Good meals, outdoor patios, walks around town, enjoying summertime in the city. -
- Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Pichilemu, Chile (8:00 pm)
5 days in awesome, chill Pichilemu, surfing, relaxing on the beach, doing yoga, sleeping in late and enjoying wonderful company and a little get-away from busy Santiago. Stayed in this amazing hostel, Casa Verde Hostal, just south of town near the surfing beaches. Such good people and great space. We loved it. -
- Sunday, March 4, 2012
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Santiago, Chile (5:00 pm)Enrique Mac Iver 661, Santiago 7500000, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile | (0)2 664 8451
A few more days back in Santiago with Astrid before flying north to Perú stretched to a week and a half after a flight serendipitously got cancelled. Enjoyed the city, its good urban green spaces and its potential. -
- Thursday, March 15, 2012
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Lima, Perú (9:32 pm)
Skipping north to Peru as a stop-over on my way to Ecuador to meet my folks. Really liked the city and its summer sunshine. Incredible sunsets of pink and orange over the Pacific swells and clffside Miraflores. Even more incredible ceviche and leche de tigre. I swear they're pure joy served in bowls. Loving the Limeña food, the hip neighbourhoods and the busy vibe of the city. I think I'm going to like Peru. -
- Sunday, March 18, 2012
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Quito, Ecuador (4:15 pm)
A brief stop in Quito to meet the parents, do a day tour of the old town, stand on the equator (of course) and enjoying the excellent Ecuadorian food (potato soup, perfectly ripe avocados and all sorts of new fruits I don't know the names of). -
- Tuesday, March 20, 2012
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5 days in the Galapagos with my parents on a cruise ship seeing the amazing animals, snorkeling as much a possible and enjoying the gorgeous weather. -
- Saturday, March 24, 2012
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A couple more days in Quito, wandering around its old town, photographing it's lovely architecture, exploring the hill-climbing neighbourhoods in search of views and quiet time. -
- Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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Back in Lima exploring its neighbourhoods, catching the museums I missed last time, enjoying the lingering summer days and nights while I can, hanging out with some cool locals and eating, eating, eating awesome food. Deciding where to go next. -
- Wednesday, April 11, 2012
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Back in the mountains after shifting over to Cusco just in time to catch Easter celebrations. Spent a couple months here doing intensive Spanish lessons, trekking and of course Machu Picchu. Lived much of the time at the Healing House, an amazing intentional space, doing yoga every morning, learning meditation and taking classes in a wide range of subjects. Explored the Sacred Valley and dived into the local scene. -
- Thursday, May 24, 2012
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Salkantay Trek (6:00 am)
5-day guided trek through Salkantay and the Vilcabamba mountains ending in Machu Picchu. The scenery is spectacular as you hike between giant glacier-draped 6000m mountains. In the latter half of the trek, you descent down valleys through high jungle full of fruit trees and flowers. You pass through the town of Santa Teresa and follow the Urubamba river to Machu Picchu itself. Salkantay is considered one of the alternative Inca Trail treks to Machu Picchu and does not have the number restrictions or need to pre-book that the proper Inca Trail does. It is also a higher altitude trek, topping out at 4650m at the pass. -
- Saturday, May 26, 2012
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Santa Teresa (2:30 pm)
Arrived in Santa Teresa, a small town in the high jungle, for the 3rd night of our trek. The town is dusty and forgettable, but it is blessed with lovely hot springs a few km away, a lovely place to soak after a few days trekking in the mountains. The next day we continued trekking along the Urubamba river and the train tracks through Hidroelectrica and onto Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. - Sunday, May 27, 2012
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Aguas Calientes (5:00 pm)
Arrived from our trek to Aguas Calientes for a night stay before heading to Machu Picchu in the morning. - Monday, May 28, 2012
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Finally visited the world wonder Machu Picchu, every bit as amazing as I had heard about and seen in photos. -
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Cusco (10:00 pm)
Back to home-base Cusco after our trek to Salkantay & Machu Picchu, spending another month living at the Healing House, an amazing intentional space, doing yoga every morning, learning meditation and taking classes in a wide range of subjects. -
- Sunday, June 17, 2012
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Isla del Sol, Lago Titicaca, Bolivia (1:30 pm)
Spent 4 days on the serene and mystical Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), the mythical place where the first Inca rose. Absolutely stunning scenery of the rock-banded island over the deep blue high altitude lake (above 3800m) and glacier-capped 6000m mountains behind. Hiked and rambled around the island for a few days, slept out one night under the stars, ate at a surprisingly awesome gourmet restaurant tucked away in the forest and twice a day saw some of the most stunning sunsets and sunrises I've ever witnessed. Stayed for the sunrise solstice festival with the Aymara residents which was truly magical, welcoming back the sun from the shortest day of winter. - Thursday, June 21, 2012
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La Paz (5:30 pm)
Spent a couple days checking out La Paz, an amazing and pretty city clambering up its steep valley bowl. Wandered the sprawling local markets, my favorite so far in South America, met some cool people and got some party on. Definitely want to come back! - Sunday, June 24, 2012
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Cusco (4:00 am)
Back to Cusco and the Healing House. Getting opportunities to learn some new things like yoga, meditation and healing work, and do some much-needed personal development. -
- Tuesday, June 26, 2012
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Urubamba (4:30 pm)
A few days in Urubamba doing ceremony. Have been to Urubamba several other times as day-trips to go to the Eco Feria (not on itinerary) -
- Thursday, June 28, 2012
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Cusco (5:30 pm)
Back to Cusco and the Healing House. Getting opportunities to learn some new things like yoga, meditation and healing work, and do some personal development. - Thursday, July 5, 2012
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Pisac (11:00 am)
Getting away from Cusco for a few days for some meditation work and to visit the famous Incan ruins and the Pisac market. -
