In case you missed it, read our recap of Month 1 & 2, Month 3, Month 4, Month 5
I can’t believe we are a 6th month into our trip around the world. Time flies faster when you are constantly moving around, without having a clue what day (and sometimes month) is.
In January, we finished our travels around Colombia and moved on to Peru. Colombia was hot and our time was mostly spent on Colombian countryside or in the Caribbean.
Lima, Peru
In Peru, on the other hand, we’ve visited capital Lima only for a few days and then visited Huaraz in the Cordillera Blanca – paradise for outdoor adventures. It was nice and warm, even though Huaraz is 3000m above sea level.
Our stats:
Travelled: 3561 km
Spent: 13 days in Colombia (total 30 days), 18 days in Peru (continuing in February)
Average spent per day per person: 36 USD (34 EUR) in Colombia, 45 USD (42 EUR) in Peru
Slept in: 3 beds in Colombia, 3 beds in Peru
Transport used:
- 2 planes (Cartagena → Bogota, Bogota → Lima, Peru)
- 2 buses
- 2 boats (Cartagena → Isla Grande → Cartagena)
- 4 bike rides (Bogota, Colombia, Lima and Huaraz, Peru)
- 1 cable car – Bogota, Colombia
Highlights
Swimming in a lagoon with fluorescent plankton, Isla Grande, Colombia
On a tiny island Isla Grande, there is a lagoon in which you can swim any time of the day. What makes it special is the fluorescent plankton you see at night. It had to be really dark but when we jumped in, the plankton was glowing in blue colour. I’ve never seen anything like that – it was pitch black around us, just fluorescent plankton around our bodies as we swam.
Biggest waterfall in Colombia
While we were adjusting to high altitude in Bogota (2640m) before heading to Peruvian Andes, we’ve visited La Chorrera – the biggest waterfall in Colombia. It was a pleasant hike through Colombian countryside ending with a refreshing spray from the waterfall.
Visiting Laguna 69, Peru
One of the most beautiful hikes in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca is Laguna 69. It is considered an acclimatisation hike because it’s at 4650m, and is usually done before a longer trek. It was a 20 km trek with stunning views all day long.
Santa Cruz trek in Cordillera Blanca, Peru
This trek is the most popular in the area. During 4 days, we hiked 50 km and crossed the mountain pass Punta Union at 4750m. Since we hiked during offseason, we haven’t met many people along the way, which is always a plus.
Mountaineering Mateo Peak, Peru
Our most unexpected adventure so far. I’ve never would have thought that me and Michal (who suffers from vertigo at heights) would come up with mountaineering. There were some parts during the climb, where it was a bit scary and we were sweating more than normal. But we were accompanied by a professional guide and made it to the top of Mateo Peak 5150m. It’s the highest point we’ve ever been at and the experience we will never forget.
Cycling Canyon del Pato, Peru
This is the scariest canyon I’ve ever seen. And we went to see it on a bike. We biked only one way, it was mostly flat or downhill, but the huge canyon below us and rocky wall above us made us feel very tiny.
We biked through 35 one way tunnels with no light at all and hoped there won’t be a car coming the opposite direction. 40 km took us 4 hours because of a number of stops we had to enjoy the view. It was one of the best things we’ve done in Peru.
Lowpoints
Cartagena & Isla Grande, Colombia
Cartagena is a colonial walled city with nice colourful buildings in the city centre. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But other than walking in downtown where many street sellers are trying to convince you to buy a souvenir from them, there is nothing else.
Isla Grande – the Caribbean island itself is not a place I would visit again. There is only one tiny beach where all visitors of the island can go. And you need to catch a place on the sand with many day visitors from the mainland. Other than swimming with fluorescent plankton as described above, there is nothing special about this place. There are many other Caribbean islands that can be called paradise – for example Little Corn Island in Nicaragua.
