Our trip began in
Cuzco, Peru as a medical volunteer trip. On the weekends, we visited
Lake Titicaca and
Machu Picchu. Since our time was limited, we took the train to Machu Picchu. I think
hiking there would have been a better experience.
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| Lake Titicaca is about 12,000 ft. above sea level! |
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| The mountain of Machu Picchu resembles a face. |
After the volunteering, I decided to explore a little bit of South America on my own. My first destination was
Valparaíso, Chile. The city was originally a popular port for ships traveling between the East and West Coasts of the United States, before the Panama Canal was built.
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| Valparaiso during late afternoon. |
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| Valparaiso during the evening. |
Valparaíso is now known for beautiful murals produced by famous graffiti artists. Attending a
street art tour is a must!
My final stop was
Rio de Janero, Brazil. Popular local drinks are frozen acai and fresh green coconut.
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| Frozen acai is a delicious drink! Try this. |
Top sights are Christ the Redeemer and Copacabana Beach.
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| It is often foggy up here. Check the weather to ensure you'll be able to see the statue. |
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| The view from the statue shows dense fog flowing down the hills of Rio. |
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| Copacabana Beach during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. |
Quickly visit many sights on a
bike tour of the city. If you're up to the challenge, I recommend
hiking Sugarloaf Mountain. You can't get to the second mountain without paying for the cable car, but that doesn't add much to the experience anyway.
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| I found my bike tour on Tripadvisor. Our guide was excellent! Iconic Sugarloaf Mountain is in the background. |
I wish I had more time to travel. Someday I would like to visit the
Uyuni Salt Flats, Iguazu Falls, Padagonia, Easter Islands, Galapagos Islands, and possibly even Antarctica.
