Atacama Desert Activities

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One day before, I drove from Uyuni to Calama and then to San Pedro de Atacama through the Atacama Desert: I saw endless red sand, high mountains with white summits, a few canyons, the sunrise and a sunset. It was beautiful. The bus drove through the “valle de luna” (moon valley) because it looks like on the moon. It was the reason why I wanted to go to San Pedro but now I have seen it. Thus what to do today?

Actually I have a plan; I rent a bike and start for a desert tour before sunrise. It is still cold and dark and I am happy about my head lamp which they lent me in the bike rental shop. The asphalt road ends and a dirt road starts. My bike is old and the gears are useless. However it is really adventurous. I am alone in the desert and I am not sure if the way is the right one. The sun rises. It is impossible to describe the feeling when you are alone in the desert and the sun rises. Imagine how you would feel.

Finally the way is right because I see the sign “Laguna Cejar”. This is my first target today and I reach it one hour before it officially opens. 30 Minutes are free (without shower) afterwards it costs more than 20€. Laguna Cejar is a lake which consists of more than 20% salt. Hence it has a higher percentage than the death sea. Due to the high percentage of salt you swim on the surface and can read newspaper or make pictures (like I do ;-)). It is a cool experience.

After a breakfast and a shower at my hostel I ride to my second destination today. It is the “valle de muerte” in the north of San Pedro and has many mountain bike trails. Except a river everything else is very dry. The rock formation reminds me to some places in the desert of Utah (USA). Sometimes I have to carry my bike on the devil trail (I changed the bike into a better one for the second part of my bike tour which was definitely the right decision). I am wondering why I meet nobody. Maybe it is too hot. I follow the trail. Although I have a little map I feel lost. The trail seems endless and finally splits. I start driving on a mountain. Due to the directions and some tracks in the sand I decide for the right way and come back on the main road. What an amazing trail, very tough and lonely. Then I ride my bike back to San Pedro because my target is to get a lift to Argentina today. In the end I fail but this is another story.

A theft in Buenos Aires: A good day for a thief

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Again no pictures and no videos, also no eyewitnesses…Actually I have already written some other articles which I cannot publish anymore but maybe this is even more exciting: Here is my story:

I have just arrived at the bus terminal in Buenos Aires. On the way, I could see some parts of the city. We drove through a shabby area but I was still sleepy. Thus I did not pay attention. It was a long over night bus journey from Mendoza.

Now I walk along the ticket offices and compare prices for bus tickets to the famous Iguazu waterfalls. I find a cheap one-way ticket (80€) and wait in a chair. Eating my sandwich from the last day I start waking up slowly and decide to read while waiting for the bus in two hours. My luggage is next to me and I have a good view to the bus track. Suddenly a woman starts talking with me and gives me some money which is rolled together. She tells me it would belong to me. I wonder and I even wonder more why she is going away so quickly. While I am counting the money which are the smallest bills i look on my other side and see that my black daypack is vanished. I run to the next police officer and explain the situation in a broken Spanish. Instead of doing something he asks me always the same question. I explain him that my travel money for one month in cash (normally I have no cash but in Argentina exists a blue market), laptop, visa card, passport and a lot more were in the backpack and he should do something. Finally I run through the bus terminal looking for the woman but of course, no chance. I ask the people sitting directly next to me, if they have seen something. „No“ Impossible! I feel like the biggest idiot, a victim, I am extremely angry on myself. How could that happen? Me, an „experienced“ traveller….I only hope that the money will be used for education and usefull things, then it is at least a little bit like development aid.

At the police station I called my bank, the embassy and my parents. Fortunately, I have a second passport (which is full and can only be used as identification but better than nothing). I arrange money transfer by western union. My parents are extraordinary. Furthermore a police protocol is important for the bus company, the embassy, insurance if you have some (I do not have one).

Embassy: The woman at the front desk was not very polite. However the woman at the phone and another one I meet later are even more helpful. All in all a good job of the embassy, I get a temporary passport the next day. (Costs: 75€ incl. pictures)

Bank: I block my visa card and ordered a new one. It is not possible that the bank send a new one abroad. Usually you get only a provisory credit card with which you can only pay but not withdraw. In my case this option would be senseless. I have luck that a good friend will visit me soon.

Other documents: It is really difficult to get a new driver license. I hope to get a new one but it will take months.

Finally many people help me in the situation and I can sleep at Malte and Fenna’s place, friend of friends. I am very thankful to have good friends all over the world. Thank you very much! A special thanks goes also to my old company Schenck Process which supports me with a laptop.

Hitchhiking in Chile and Argentina

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Unfortunately, I cannot provide pictures for this story…Anyway after my adventures in San Pedro de Atacama it is already afternoon and I try to hitchhike to Salta in Argentina because the only bus is full. Hence I stand on the road together with two other hitchhikers and soon I realize that it will be difficult challenge. There are no cars or trucks to stop. Only the sun shines without mercy. After a while a truck stops for a break and we use the chance. However there is space for one person and the Argentinian girl has to get her flight tomorrow from Salta. We, two german guys, continue waiting and instead of more trucks more people come who want to hitchhike. Our chances get lower and lower. After 4 hours it gets dark and we give up for today.

The next day at 6 o’clock I am the only one at the road and there are many trucks making a break or the truck driver even sleep. I do not want to stay forever at the road so I knock on the door and finally a car truck gives me a lift. The best is I can sleep in one of the cars which are in the back of the truck. Slowly the truck drives up the mountain pass. I enjoy the view on the red desert mountains, which have all a white snow nose on the top. I see some flamingos. The sun rises more and more and it is really cold in the car. The window is open and we are now on over 4600 hm. I hope it goes down soon.

When I wake up we are at the border and nobody is in the truck anymore. Quickly I leave the truck and go to the immigration office where I meet other hitchhiker colleagues from the day before. The border control tells me friendly that he will not let me cross the border without a vehicle and I ask a Chilean family for a lift. I have luck; immediately they say yes and instead of only crossing the border, they give me a lift to Salta (6 hours drive). They offer me food and juices. More luck I cannot have. We pass salt lakes, high mountains. Then the landscape changes again. Now the rocks of the mountains are green. The deeper we come the more plants grow and becomes even greener and greener. Happy but tired we reach Salta. To find a hostel or supermarket are no challenges anymore.

Iguazu – Massive Waterfalls and the Long Way Back

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I have already bought my bus ticket to Puerto Iguazu (with the massive waterfalls) which is close to the Paraguayan and Brazilian border. There are the broadest waterfalls in South America. The waterfalls are in a national park really close to Puerto Iguazu and lay exactly between Argentina and Brazil. The highest waterfalls are around 82 meters high. The impressive waterfalls consist of more than 275 single waterfalls. Before I can enter the bus to Iguazu my bag is stolen. Thus I have to spend two days in Buenos Aires and a lot of organization work to do. Anyway two days later it is time to get the bus to Puerto Iguazu.

After 18 hours the bus arrives in Puerto Iguazu. I walk to a hostel which is unfortunately full. In the end I find a place in another one and decide to go directly to the national park with the next bus. The park entrance is expensive (around 26€ for foreigners). Due to the large amount of tourists each day the park company built a slow train for transportation in the park. It is funny but very touristy.

First, I decide to see the waterfalls from above. It is beautiful and the amount of water which falls down is incredible. I have already been at the victory falls but here it is almost possible to touch the water and here are a lot more waterfalls. I get completely wet which is not the worst due to the hot temperature.

Second, I walk to some smaller waterfalls which are not so big but there are also less people. Finally, I watch the large waterfalls at the bottom which is a totally different view. If you want to have an adventure you can drive with a speed boat extremely close to the bottom of the waterfalls. In the trees of the national park you can see some birds like the toucan which is a colourful and beautiful bird. In one of the rivers I can see a crocodile. The wildlife is impressive especially for such a crowded place.

Another day I visit Brazil and Paraguay for one day but in the end the best activity is too leave Argentina and get stamps in my passport. The reason is that my new passport has had no immigration stamp from Argentina before because it is issued in Buenos Aires. Now I m sure I will not have any problems at the following borders. At the hostel the people are really nice. I m always surprised of the kindness of Argentineans. We share food and exchange travel stories.

The third day I want to return to Buenos Aires by hitch-hiking. Unfortunately it is not as easy as everyone told me. I wait from 8 o’clock in the morning until 16 o’clock and it is very hot. Hence decide to take a bus to the next provincial capital and try my luck there. After two hours without luck there, it is 21 o’clock. I have sunburn, am hungry and I stand next to a highway where not even the buses stop. I do not know what to do: If I go to the next hostel I do not have enough money for the bus tomorrow and I doubt that I am more successful in doing hitch-hiking tomorrow. I decide to walk to the next church and ask for help. This experience is also an important lesson that sometimes not everything is possible and you need to ask for help. The people help me to find the next bus stop and offer me further help which I refuse. At 23 o’clock I am sitting in the bus to Buenos Aires and look forward to my dinner in the bus.

Ushuaia – The End of the World

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The plane is shaked by turbulences. We are really afraid. Subsequently, we are extremly thankful when the plane lands. The landscape I have seen from the air is incredible but the view from the ground is even better. We (a good friend and I) are just landed in Ushuaia, the southest city in the world due to good marketing. Puerto Williams (a city in Chile) is more south. A friend joins me for one month in Patagonia.

The first day we are a little bit tired due to the flight and the different weather. Thus we sleep for a couple of hours and just walk around in the city. The next day we have big plans we want to hike to the lagoon Esmeralda. We take a bus to the end of the city and hitch-hike there. Due to the fact that we are three people nobody takes us. Hence we split and soon a Chilean guy gives us a ride. He is owner of a sailing boat which takes tourist to Antarctica. Furthermore he gives us an overview and offers us to do a daytrip with him to the end of the beagle channel. The landscape is beautiful, maybe one of the most beautiful places I have been. High mountains, yellow grass fields and green forests, the colours are intensive. Furthermore there are plenty of rainbows per day. It sounds like a fantasy place but it really exists and we are there at the moment.

We exchange stories with the sailor who is originally from the Easter Island and has worked as miner and mechanic for aircrafts. Since 2006 he has lived in Ushuaia and now he lives there with his German wife and child. At night he invites us for dinner and shows us a movie how he sailed around the world. It is really interesting.

The following day we try again to go the lagoon Esmeralda. The weather is not good today: rainy and cold which is typical for Patagonia. However after 40 minutes we find a person who drives us until the entrance to lagoon. We decide to take the smaller path which is free and walk 2 hours. The way is beautiful and empty. We pass beaver’s lodges, yellow grasses and forests. Suddenly after a curve, we see the beautiful green and blue lagoon Esmeralda. Due to the weather conditions we do not stay too long. After eating our sandwiches we return to Ushuaia. An Argentinean woman called Edelweiß who has roots in Italy (which is quite common in Argentina) gives us a lift back. With regard to two men (us) she asks me a little bit afraid but also with a blink whether we would kill her…of course we do not! After walking to a glacier we end the evening celebrating St. Patrick’s day in an Irish Pub.

At the third day in Ushuaia we visit the national park Tierra del Fuego. In comparison to the other two days it is a little bit less impressive but more sporting. In total we walk more than 20 km in the park. I can highly recommend walking the coastline path which offers beautiful views on the mountains as well as the Beagle channel. On the way back to Ushuaia we have big luck. Exactly before it starts raining a couple (on their honeymoon) picks us up and drives us until the city. Obviously, I really enjoyed the time in Ushuaia and I m sure that I will come back one day to go to Antarctica from here.

Torres del Paine – A Pearl of Nature

Reading Time: 3 minutes

After two hours by bus from Puerto Natales we reach the entrance of the national park Torres del Paine. In compare to Bolivia the mountains are small (approx. 3000m altitude). There are two ways in Torres del Paine for hiking: the “W” and the “O” circle. We decide for the “W” due to limited time and the weather. We pay the entrance and have to look an information video, then we are allowed to enter the pearl of nature. The first 7 km we skip by standing on the back of a pickup due to a boring bad road.

At the campsite we meet again a German couple which we have met in the bus before. After having a small breakfast and built up the tent we walk with them up to the “Baso de Torres” which is viewing point at a lagoon directly below the Torres towers. From time to time a piece of ice from the glacier falls down the rocks. The sound is loud like a jet. Very impressive! The way back seems endless. In the evening we use the first time our camping gear and are thankful for some advices from our neighbours. Unfortunately, we only have sleeping bags for summer; therefore it is really cold at night. At the second day we have extremely luck with the weather and the torres towers glow red during the sunrise. We pack together our equipment and start. Although we have to carry our heavy backpacks with all the food, we are highly motivated. The landscape is beautiful. On the right side are the mountains; on the left side are lakes which sparkle in the sun. We pass burned forests, fenlands and grass fields. Then we arrive at our camp for today. We are relieved not to carry our backpacks anylonger. I decide to run up to the glacier which is the right decision due to the incredible view. I enjoy the sun and the panorama. However, the bath in the glacier river afterwards is one of the coldest in my life. Fortunately it is not too cold at night. We wake up before sunrise and leave the camp early. We want to finish the “W” and leave the national park today with regard to the bad weather forecast.

After two hours we arrive at the camp where we want to leave our luggage. The price is ridiculous high for a luggage storage at a camp site (6€). Consequently we continue hiking with luggage. In total Torres del Paine is definitely a more expensive national park than others in Chile. However it is worth to pay the price for this pearl of nature. When we arrive at the first viewing point we divide ourselves and I run alone until the glacier lagoon Grey without luggage. Spectacular! Subsequently I return and we enjoy the last sun rays before taking a catamaran boat back to the bus terminal. We leave the national park while the sun is going down.

Carretera Austral – Wildness, Loneliness and Adventure

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After hiking in El Chalten (around the area of Fitz Roy) we hitch-hike north through 700 km of desert to Chile Chico. We decide to continue our trip at ruta 7 also called carretera austral in Chile due to amazing panorama landscapes. The carretera Austal is approximately 1350 km long and goes from Villa O’Higgins to Puerto Montt. It is the only road in Chile for us to go north. The roadwork starts in 1976 and is still not finished which we also have to experience.

We start in Chile Chico a town at a beautiful lake and have to change our plans directly because there is no bus at Sunday. Hence we take the ferry to another place and take a bus there. The lake lights up green-blue in the sun.

Buses do not go regularly at the carretera austral, sometimes only once a week. Thus we decide again for our most convenient transport type. However we are almost ready to give up when a nice man stops and offers us a lift. Hitch-hiking is the best way to travel regarding my Spanish skills. I practice a lot and learn a lot about the region, the people and the culture. However after the next hike we are really in the middle of nowhere. No cars for at least 30 minutes and the asphalt road stops. We are surrounded by mountains and it starts raining. The wind is strong and I am freezing. Then two ambulance coaches stop. Unfortunately we cannot get a lift because they transport an infected person and we renounce voluntary. Finally, a truck stops and we use our chance. Apparently he likes techno music and speed according to his sporty drive style.

In addition he is chain smoker but he is also a funny and cool guy, so I do not want to complain. The road consists of mud and stones and nothing more. Hence we are really afraid and try to concentrate on the landscape which reminds me to some jungle regions I visited before. After one hour driving the road is blocked (the whole afternoon) because of a blasting to build parts for the new road. Afterwards we can continue our journey. The road goes through a landscape which you see normally only in storybooks. It is impressive. Then it gets dark and cows sometimes run on the road. This time it reminds me to some remote areas in Africa. Distances are extreme in Patagonia. In the city Villa St. Lucia we stayed in the only open hostel which is not more than a ramshackle hut.

The next day it is still raining and due to a lack of a bus we wait for cars. However in the first three hours there is not even one. Can you imagine our motivation? Furthermore there is nothing in the village. We thought we were in the middle of nowhere yesterday but seriously today the situation is even worse. We also need a bank but in the end (in the afternoon) we have luck: three cars later we are in Argentina and enjoy a hot shower and a good meal in the hostel. If I do the carretera a second time then I will ride a motorbike or have an own car. All in all the landscape is incredible and there are a lot of empty beautiful places.

Patagonia: The End of the World

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

It is hard to describe the last couple of weeks. I experienced a lot and spend many hours on the road. I travelled together with a good friend of Germany. Sometimes we had extremely luck, sometimes we had to wait hours on the road. We saw beautiful nature. Sometimes the desert was just boring. One thing is sure, Patagonia is huge and it can be really confusing if you travel 1000 km and the landscape or weather does not change.

How would I describe Patagonia in three words?

Wild Nature Everywhere

Serious, in Ushuaia you have mountains; afterwards there is almost nothing except desert until Bariloche. In Chile there are mountains again like you can see on pictures of Torres del Paine. In the north of Patagonia on the carretera Austral, there are rainforests in Chile (However it is still cold). You have huge glaciers in El Calafate and El Chalten, beautiful lakes in El Bolson and Bariloche. The people are friendly and less afraid of foreigners (I guess they are quite used to them) than at other places in Argentina.

Life in total is very expensive in Patagonia, but there are many outdoor activities and for sure it is one of the most beautiful regions in the world. The most convenient way to travel around is by bus. Unfortunately I could not discover a special Patagonian dish. Maybe I can say that it is meat like everywhere in Argentina. In Chile you can find everything from Pizza to Chinese food. But to be honest most of the time we cooked by ourselves. The nights in hostels are between 14-20€, sometimes they are cheaper and the quality varies from shabby unclean hostels until friendly clean hostels with amazing people.

5 interesting facts you should know if you like to travel to Patagonia:

1. Only travel to Patagonia if you want to have outdoor vacations
2. Bring warm clothes with you. You can buy clothes there, but everything is more expensive than in Germany
3. Calculate with long distances: Roads are not always paved. Thus even small distances on the map can take a long time, therefore you should bring time with you (at least 3 weeks)
4. Visit Torres del Paine and El Chalten
5. Bring a lot money with you and use the blue market in Argentina to change money from Euro or Dollar in local currency (Argentinian Pesos).

Travelling in Chile: Nature and City

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Travelling in Chile is special. It is 4300 km long and has a unique position in South America. In the north, there is the Atacama Desert, in the middle Chile has big cities like Santiago and Valparaiso and then you have mountains and nature until the southernmost point. I have already reported from the southern parts of Chile like the national park “Torres del Paine” and “Carretera Austral”.

In the last couple of weeks I have seen that also parts in the middle of Chile are very beautiful. A perfect example is Pucon. Unfortunately the volcano erupted a couple of weeks ago. Thus it is not allowed to climb up to see Lava. However there are many other beautiful places around like the national park Huerquehue. If you climb up until the top of its mountain San Sebastian you can see 10 volcanos and have a beautiful round view. The nature is totally different there. Consequently at the mountain plants are growing which I have never seen before.

Chile has not only beautiful nature, it offers also beautiful cities like Valparaiso which is in my opinion the most beautiful city in South America (I have not seen Rio so far ;-)). At my first day there, I decide to do a free walking tour to discover the city: Valparaiso is a harbor city which welcomes their visitors with beautiful colored houses. In addition it has beautiful spots to observe sea lions or you can go up the hill by using lifts called “Ascensor”. I am also impressed by the elaborate graffitis at the walls. Behind every corner there is something to discover and it makes great fun to walk around in the city. One of the most famous tourist attractions is the house of the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. From his house you have a beautiful view all over the city. Famous dishes in Valparaiso are “Completo or Italiano” which is a hot dog with Avocado and Empanadas which are buns filled with cheese and vegetable or meat. In contrary to my normal habit to stay in hostels I decide to do Couchsurfing which was a really good decision. At my host Natalia I could experience the Chilean culture.

My last stop in Chile is in Santiago. I m very happy to spend my last days in South America with friends I met in Bolivia. Together with my friends I discover the city by bike and suddenly this huge city (population: ap. 8 million) is not big anymore, almost everything is reachable. I have the chance to learn more about the history in Chile, especially about Pinochet and Allende. For instance we are visiting the museo de la memoria y los derechos humanos which shows impressively how important human rights and democracy is. Many people I met do not like Santiago, but Santiago offers a lot: churches, antique houses, parks, fancy streets which look similar to places in London, Paris or New York. Two of my favourite places in Santiago are the hill San Cristobal and the hill Santa Lucia from which you have nice views over the city and the mountains behind.

At this point I want to thank my friends in Santiago especially Branko and Benjamin for everything they have done for me. I have a great time in Santiago.

Continent Change: Goodbye America

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After travelling almost six month in North and South America, it is time to leave the continent. I have seen many places, meet many people, found many new friends and made many new experiences.

I travelled from New York down until Ushuai. More than 11.000 km by linear distance, 16 different countries; hundred of buses and hitch-hikes, and ship, two short flights. I discovered the jungles and beaches of Central America, the mountains in the Andes, the deserts in Peru and Chile, the waterfall and wine regions in Argentina, the beautiful landscape in Patagonia and I am still not tired.

South America is not a continent which is easy and cheap like Asia but also not difficult like Africa. The distances are long; the roads are (mostly) bad. The people are warm and friendly. The travelers are older than in other regions of the world. It is sometimes a little bit dangerous due to more weapons. The attractions are often in the nature like ruins, waterfalls, volcanos. In general I would say that cities in South America are huge and less interesting than the nature it offers. (Of course there are exceptions like Buenos Aires.) Hence there are plenty of activities to do in South America. I can only recommend to figure it out by yourself.

What are my strongest impressions?

I feel that it is unfair to name now single places due to the variety of them. However it is not the activity at one place what makes it special rather than the people I meet. Hence countries like Bolivia or Guatemala where I spent more time will keep more in my mind than countries like Peru or Costa Rica. I want to thank all the people I met on this wonderful colorful and happy continent who have enriched my time here. In order to learn more this continent also shows how a useful a negative experience can be. In the end I have learned to be optimistic and open-minded and everything will come as it should (earlier or later). Trust yourself!

Thank you South America!