After exploring the soaring heights of Arequipa and the breathtaking depths of Colca Canyon, Nikki and I found ourselves craving a completely different environment. Five months into our South American journey, we’d grown accustomed to mountains, deserts, and coastal landscapes, but the mysterious allure of the Amazon rainforest was calling our names. With our trusty …
Continue reading “From the Andes to the Amazon: Our 4 Days in Tambopata National Park”
After our altiplano adventures in northern Chile’s remote national parks, Nikki and I were ready to move northward and cross into Peru, a country we’d both been looking forward to since planning our overlanding journey. The border crossing from Chile to Peru was next on our list, along with exploring the culturally rich city of …
Continue reading “Crossing into Peru: Arequipa to Puerto Maldonado”
Nikki and I stood at the edge of the vast salt flat, watching as the morning light transformed the stark white plain into a shimmering mirror. Our truck was parked about 100 yards back, our home on wheels looking particularly small against the enormity of Chile’s northern altiplano landscape. After two incredible weeks exploring the …
After recovering from our unfortunate bout of food poisoning in San Pedro de Atacama, Nikki and I faced a difficult decision. We wanted to explore the famous salt flats and high-altitude lagoons of Bolivia, but we had heard about gas shortages in Bolivia which would make the remote driving more stressful. Even though the idea …
In 2020 when we sadly had to cut our trip of a lifetime short, one of my biggest regrets was not seeing the Atacama desert. As we left the beautiful coastline of the Pan de Azucar and Ruta 1, I knew our next stop was the famous San Pedro de Atacama. We had heard countless …
After our time in Mendoza, our journey continued into the mystical Valle de Elquí. Known both for its crystal-clear night skies (home to several major international observatories) and as the birthplace of Chile’s beloved pisco. We drove along winding roads that followed the Elquí River, watching as the landscape gradually transformed around us. The valley …
Continue reading “Valle de Elquí, Nevado de Tres Cruces and Pan de Azúcar”
After nearly 4 months on the road through South America, living out of Taka, navigating the ups and downs of long-term travel, we decided to splurge for our (belated, but still officially uncelebrated) honeymoon. Our destination of choice? The wine country of Mendoza, Argentina. We had heard tales of this region’s spectacular Malbecs and mountain …
Continue reading “A Belated but Still Meaningful Honeymoon in Mendoza”
We were really grateful to be home for the holidays. Being travelers at heart and living across the continent from our families, we have had our fair share of missing holidays, birthdays, celebrations and hard times, but this year we felt strongly that we needed to be home for the holidays. We spent several days …
Continue reading “Siete Tazas National Park – Lircay – Tricahue “
Nikki and I said our last goodbyes to Matt and Clarissa as we watched them pass through security of the tiny Temuco airport. Our time with them was so special! We got to share our life on the road, overloading with them in one of our favorite places ever – the Cochamo valley. Our time …
On this trip, we are endeavoring to split the blog writing a little more evenly given that I (Nikki) am not applying for PhD programs or sitting on advisory boards or working for the World Bank while we’re on the road. So, get ready for slightly more sarcasm and definitely less actual funniness today as …
Continue reading “The Breton Brunch Bunch Take on the Lake District”
Nikki and Colter's South American Travel Blog