After some wonderful times along the coast exploring the surf and cultural ruins, we aimed for the capital of Lima with plans to pick up Sarah’s father Bob and step-mother Andrea who planned for a visit to sample Lima’s famous food and culture. We were very excited to see them and spend some time out of the van while learning even more about the fascinating history of Peru.
As we bid farewell to beloved Ecuador, we could only imagine what was in store ahead in the highly regarded country of Peru.
After experiencing a great stretch of coastline in Ecuador, we were ready to head back up into the mountains to visit the famous city of Cuenca and the surrounding areas. Our route towards the city brought us through Parque Nacional Cajas, which stunned us with it’s beauty and high elevation (12,900ft) causing us to immediately retrieve the cold-weather clothes again (which we love!).
The time was upon us to pick up Matt’s parents who were embarking on their third visit to Latin America, this time to the equator and south. We were thrilled to see them again, and with plans for time in the big city of Quito followed by some beach time in Canoa, we had a lot to be excited for.
Ecuador!! Our excitement was high as we crossed into the famed little-big country. Sarah had traveled here years ago with her friend Nancy and was thrilled to return to experience more of Ecuador.Our first quick stop was an impressive cemetery in Tulcan right across the border where intricate hedging designs evoke thoughts of an ancient cultures intermingling with modern Christian burial practices. It felt quite inviting and comfortable strolling around. We were thrilled to see the amazing roads Ecuador had to offer along…
After a wonderful time in Parque Nacional los Nevados, we headed off to see what other beautiful sights the Colombian coffee region had to offer. The region is famous for its lush scenery, diverse landscapes and of course coffee. The views did not disappoint and we spent a few days roaming around back roads and enjoying a cup of fresh coffee in a cute town named Filandia. The region is spectacular and full of people farming coffee, bananas and much more…
Back on the road, we were looking forward to heading East into the higher mountains of the Cordillera Oriente. The Capital of Bogota resides there, as well as Colombia’s most famous rock climbing areas. The roads between Medellin and Bogota turned out to be smooth and modern likely from the need to link the 2 big cities as painlessly as possible. Still, the drive was long and instead of finding a hotel in between, we opted for some natural peace…
After a magical time exploring Barichara in the Santander region, we began a small back-track through Chicamocha Canyon and towards the west to Medellin. The Feria de las Flores (Flower Festival) was in full swing and seeing one of the most important Colombian festivals was on our minds. On the way, our patience was tested again on the two-lane, steep, and incredibly curvy roads. We were having Guatemalan flashbacks as we ascended and promptly descended through the unrelenting topography.
So here we are, in the beginnings of our South American journey. After a good show in Mexico and Central America, followed by an amazingly beautiful journey by boat from Panama, we’ve arrived in big beautiful Colombia. The port city of Cartagena is a cultural hot spot and our first stop in the country we have heard so many good things about. Koru’s destination was Cartagena and we knew it might be a bureaucratic mess for his retrieval. When we arrived, we…
Often people ask us how we manage to travel for so long without jobs, and more often are asked, ‘why?’. For us, the answer is multifaceted, but in simple terms, we created a goal of experiencing the America’s and committed to seeing it through. It’s truly amazing what can be accomplished with hard work to make a dream become a reality. Our dreams of travel coalesced immediately when we met, and deep down we both knew that we’d spend a…