La Guajira - where the desert meets the ocean

Whenever I am asked about the highlight of my trip, my answer is 'La Guajira'. 

Merciless heat, no trees to give even an inch of shade, an I ncredibly limited food supply and close to no running water make for the harshest conditions I have encountered on my travels. The magic of this region is difficult to capture and neither words nor pictures can come close to explain why exactly it is these four days out of 238 on the road that remain so crystal clear in my memory. 

Maybe it is the feeling of adventure, the isolation that is so difficult to find on a continent where the backpacker's trail is already well trodden or the surreal contrast between the desert and the ocean. Probably it is all of these aspects combined, and more. 

Our group of 4 started the journey to Cabo de la Vela in the small beach town of Palomino by catching a bus from the side of the road. With its reclineable seats and air conditioning it would be the most comfortable ride by far for the following days.

Dropped off at an intersection called '4 vias' (literally 4 ways), we were quickly approached by a middle-aged man offering to take us to our destination. After negotiating the price, we were told we would have to wait for two more passengers. Thinking this would take half an hour at most, we sat down with a cold beer for less than $1... an hour passed and meanwhile, our driver was getting progressively more drunk on numerous beers. We finally agreed to pay more just so we could leave.

The drive that ensued was pure hell. The ruthless driver became even more so with every additional drop of beer (which is sold every few kilometers along the dirt road), driving at 70 kph where I wouldn't dare to drive more than 50. Arguing that it would take us hours at a slower pace, he would not slow down, and we had no choice but to hold onto our seats and hope.

Finally, after what felt like forever, we got to Cabo de la Vela. Wanting to get away from our driver as quickly as possible we ignored his recommendations for a place to stay and walked off on our own. Since the town is nothing more than a single street along the coast, we had no possibility to get lost and quickly found a 'hostel'. With two rooms and space for 4 hammocks behind the house on the beach, it was basic to say the least but after the ride we'd had, I blissfully relaxed into my Chinchorro, the typical hammock in this region.

In the evening, we drove to the lighthouse in the back of our host's truck to see the sunset, picking up about 10 Wayuu (the name of the indigenous people of this region) children along the way. These kids seemed to radiate pure joy and had an innocent curiosity about them, listening to Thomas playing the Ukulele and singing in French before trying to grab the instrument themselves.

The people in this region are some of the poorest in Colombia and I have never felt the gap more strongly than here. Water is rare, vegetables other than tomato, lettuce and onion impossible to find and jobs are for the majority dependent on the influx of tourists. On the hand, I truly hope that the increasing tourism will give them more opportunities in the form of schools, electricity and running water but then again I wonder if it would truly make their lives better or just destroy their local culture. Honestly, I am not informed enough to pass any sort of judgment.

What I know is that I was speechless sitting on top of the hill, staring out onto the seemingly endless mass of water left, right and right in front of me. As the sun set, the clouds became orange, then red before finally disappearing when the entire sky turned dark.

I was woken up at 4:30 the next morning by the family's rooster and it's dozen friends in the village. After falling in and out of sleep for a few hours I decided to get up and started the day with a dip in the perfectly refreshing ocean a mere hundred meters from my hammock. Were it not for the salty taste in your mouth, you would think you were bathing a in a lake, seeing how flat the sea is.

We then made our way to another view point, this time on the back of two motorbikes. Samy and I were lucky enough to be on the better bike and made it there in one piece, but Thomas and Dominic ended up crashing on the sand and Thomas burned his leg pretty badly. 

This of course dulled the excitement, and I felt guilty enjoying this place as much as I was while he was in obvious pain.  Still, the views were incredible and it was difficult to not simply stand in awe.

Time seems to pass more slowly in this part of the world and I relished in the fact that there was nothing to do but swing in a hammock, read, play cards, go for a swim and repeat. 

Having spent an entire day in Cabo de la Vela, we planned to leave for Punta Gallinas, the northernmost point of South America the next morning.

At 5 am, we stood outside our accommodation, waiting for the truck that would bring us to Punta Gallinas. In true Colombian fashion, it was over half an hour late but we were eventually on our way.

After a bumpy ride and a short boat trip, we arrived at our final destination. Hospedaje Alexandra stood on top of a hill, nothing more than a dinning area, a bathroom building and two hammock areas. The lack of walls allowed you to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings even more and we all settled into our 'beds' happily. 

As a vegan, the food situation had been difficult for me the past days, but breakfast on the first morning in Punta Gallinas was the only time that there was literally nothing for me to eat. Everything was already prepared and so I accepted my fate, having to get by on 3 Oreo cookies until lunch. 

Not even the fiercest hunger could have lessened the magic of this morning though. Vast sandy plains turned into turquoise blue water while the midday sun beat down on us. We slid down a massive sand dune right into the ocean and sought shade under the only tree in a range of hundreds of meters. I couldn't help but smile, being there with this random group of strangers who I got on with so effortlessly it felt like we'd known each other for years.

I am still amazed every time by how close you can get to people in a matter of days when you're traveling. As so often, we had nothing much in common but the fact that we wanted to see more of the world and were incredibly grateful to be there, and this was enough to create the wonderful athmosphere that makes me still get a warm feeling in my chest when I think back on those days.

We walked to the beach for one last sunset through the desert. I tried my best to enjoy every second of it, knowing I probably won't come back any time soon.

Quite a few of these pictures were taken by Dominic, so check him out over at wanderholic.com!

Coastal Moments

When I left Luxembourg, I was decidedly against anybody coming to visit me. This was my trip and I was going to do it entirely on my own, without my family or friends intervening.

Then there I was, sitting on the couch at my hostel days after Christmas and suddenly the prospect of my mum making the jump over the big pond to come see me didn't sound so intrusive anymore but rather comforting. Furthermore when would I ever have the possibility to explore Colombia with her again?

So I said yes, she booked a ticket and little more than 4 months later I was standing at the airport in Cartagena, nervous and incredibly excited. 

The following days where everything I'd needed and more. 

Between walking the colonial streets of Cartagena, hiking through the hills around Minca and lounging on the beach in the famous Tayrona National Park, I feel like I saw a different side to this woman I've literally known my entire life. We had more private conversations in 12 days than in months back home and talked about subjects we'd usually glaze over.

It was a chance for me to take a break from backpacking, from constantly meeting new people, making friends and saying goodbye, from using those ridiculous excuses of towels made out of microfiber,  having to get into and out of the shower fully dressed and keeping my stuff packed into my backpack at all times, from explaining to people what and where Luxembourg is and most importantly showing them who I am.

For a little less than two weeks, I was with one of the two people who know me best in the world (Hi Dad!) and it was liberating. Almost like being back home with better weather and the welcome presence of the ocean. 

I have definitely noticed that being on the road is tiring, for my body, mind and soul. I need to make sure to unplug from time to time, remove myself from the constant stimulation or else I can be sitting on the nicest beach in the world unable to appreciate it because my batteries are empty and my storage full (let's just pretend I'm a phone, ok?).

What made this vacation from backpacking even better were of course the stunning places we saw.

From the turqoise water on Isla Grande to breathtaking sunsets in Minca, Colombia showed itself from its prettiest side and I was once again reminded why I chose to stay here longer than in any of the other countries I have visited.

I hope I've given you a taste of the beauty of Colombia's north coast through these pictures but what i cannot show you is the kindness of its people. 

There's the guy who carried both my backpack and my mother's suitcase up a hill on his shoulders faster than we could follow him, the hostel owners who gave us their room to sleep in or the hotel concierge who did everything in her power to help us with absolutely anything.

Because yes, Colombia offers an endless array of marvelous nature, bustling cities and all the activities your heart could desire, but it's the people who make it so special.

I am incredibly grateful to have been able to share this country with one of the people I love the most.

Salsa in Cali

Salsa is definitely not only to be found in Cali - it is all over South America, and I could just as well have taken classes anywhere else earlier on my trip.

However, I had simply not felt ready. In Peru, I was busy trying to cope with cultural differences and not understanding what was said most of the time, as well as being entirely on my own on this foreign continent. Then there was Ecuador, where I had to pull myself out of a major emotional down...throughout these first 4 months, being here was enough of a challenge to make me stick to simply seing the countries instead of immersing myself in the culture.

But Colombia was different: a country I had heard nothing but praise about, so much that I was scared I could only be disappointed. My worries were unnecessary though, I fell in love at first sight. I felt comfortable here - my spanish was finally on a level where I could hold a decent conversation and traveling from one place to another had become second nature.

In fact, I had become a little too comfortable.

I quickly decided that I had to push the boundaries of my comfort zone again. Staying with locals via couchsurfing was a first dabble into unknown territory and taking salsa classes in Cali, the world capital of this style of dancing, was second on the list.

A little on my relationship with dancing: I have always felt like my arms and legs are ever so slightly too long for me to fully control them, they either move too much or too little but never quite in the right way. Even after years of dancing, this sensation remains - especially when I am supposed to move in new ways.

Therefore, while I had no problem shaking to Beyonce or Jay-Z, Salsa terrified me. Nevertheless, I was determined to face my fears - so I signed up for 10 hours of private classes at my hostel.

Michelle, my teacher, was basically the perfect salsa dancer. Undeniably beautiful, she moved her body so gracefully it made you stop in your step - all while making it look completely effortless. Furthermore, she had a positive energy about her that made me feel comfortable from the first second on.

We started with learning the 5 basic steps of Cali-style salsa. This style involves quick leg movements, with the stress being on the 1st and 5th beat. You end up mostly using two of the five steps and even with just these steps, I was twisting and spinning around within mere hours.

I was hooked- this was one of the funnest things I'd ever done and I craved to keep learning.

So I decided to stay longer in cali - two and a half weeks exactly, instead of the planned five days.

I signed up for 10 more hours with Michelle and 10 hours with Dani, a teacher from a different school. Every night, we would goout to a salsa bar, where sometimes I was dancing for hours on end - and other times was only asked to dance a handful of times. This side of salsa started to bother me pretty quickly - as in so many ways in South America, the men are in control: it is them who are supposed to ask the women to dance, they lead and it is considered rude to say no to a dance. Now, women can definitely ask for a dance as well, though it is less common, but I was too shy to do so - so i guess I am at fault here too. In the end, i had to accept that this is how it works.

I met some great people within my first few days in cali ; Kathrin from Austria who was just as crazy about salsa as me, Kristina from England, another permanent resident at the hostel, Colombians Carlos and Jon who we went out with every single night... thanks to them, I enjoyed every minute of my first week there.

Then, after about 15 hours of class, my progress seemed to reverse and on top of that, i caught a sinus infection. So far, i had been on an exponential curve when it came to dancing, so it was frustrating to feel like I had been better after a couple of days then now after over a week of committing to salsa. 'Relajate, Tranquila,...' is what I heard probably thousands of times from Michelle and Dani. But I couldn't relax - how was I supposed to when my feet hips and arms were already not moving how they were supposed to.

Eventually, I had to admit two things to myself: firstly, I was pushing way too hard while my body was begging fror a break and secondly, my high expectations for myself were prohibiting me from enjoying the experience... I looked at other women dancing and thought 'Why can't I do that?', failing to acknowledge that they had been dancing for years while I was barely getting started.

After taking a few days off to restore my health, things started looking up again.

I had some moments of triumph, where I was landing my turns, laughing and simply enjoying moving to the music. My arms where no longer hanging at my sides like two lifeless beings and the basic steps started to feel natural - i had so, so much fun. I wish this sort of partner dancing was more common in western Europe - it is an entirely different experience to respond to somebody else's moves than to just focus on your own.

My stay in Cali was so much more than I had expected - I fell in love with Salsa and intend to continue dancing back home.

Recommendations:

• Where to stay:

El Viajero:

This hostel is perfect if you want to meet people and enjoy the salsa culture - I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you're seeking calm and quiet. The beds are comfortable, you can cool off in the pool and there's hammocks if down-time is needed. My only complaint would be the low number of toilets and sinks, though this wouldn't keep me from staying there again.

Price: dorms from 30.000 COP, private rooms around 90.000 COP

Zanahoria Hostel:

If you want somnewhere more quiet, this hostel only minutes from El Viajero is cozy, clean and boasts pod-style beds. It looks like a dreamy place to stay.

Price: dorms from 22.000 COP, privates around 90.000 COP

• where to eat:

Bioway:

The veggie burgers at this vegan restaurant are divine, with many patties,sauces and toppings to choose from, and the pasta I had was delectable. It is a little more expensive than the otherplaces on this list, but definitely worth the extra pennies in my opinion! The location found on tripadvisor is incorrect, it is now connected to Zanahoria hostel.

El buen alimento:

This vegetarian restaurant quickly became my got-to place for lunch,dinner and anything in between. They offer a good lunch menu as well as a variety of dishes ranging from pizza to falafel, really good coffee and (vegan) cake. I haven't seen vegetarian food done so well often!

Yala:

Sadly,I only found Yala during my last days in Cali,otherwise I would have eaten here more often. The place is extremely nicely decorated so you feel right at home while enjoying some of the best arab food I've had on this continent! Portion sizes are generous for the price.

ZeaMaiz:

If you, like me, have been disappointed at the lack of creativity of common arepa-fillings, this place will satisfy your cravings! With a huge list of options,it's difficult to choose just one way to eat this colombian staple - good thing they offer small sizes so you can try to your heart's desire.

Macondo:

Though I only had coffee here once, I imagine it's a nice place to have dinner or lunch as well. The coffee in and of itself is incredible and there's live concerts on the weekends - when we showed up one saturday there wasn't a single table available so be sure to reserve in advance.

• salsa classes:

Rumba y Salsa:

When booking classes through El Viajero,you mostly end up taking classes with one of the teachers at Rumba y Salsa. I loved my classes with Michelle and Victor and they definitely offer the best price for private classes.

Price: 1 hour for 45.000 COP, 5 for 180.000 COP (36.000 COP/hour) and 10 for 300.000 COP (30.000 COP/hour)

Salsa Pura:

This salsa school is roughly 5 minutes by foot from El Viajero and has the benefit that you're in a nicer dance studio than the one at the hostel. They have a ton of great teachers, I had the pleasure of taking classes with Dani and Jessica who were both delightful. That being said, the classes are quite a bit more expensive, so it is up to you to decide if the slight raise in quality is worth the steep pricetag. I enjoyed the combination of taking classe at both schools, as thepackage at Salsa Pura also gives you access to their group classes for free!

Price: 1 hour for 50.000 COP, 10 for 430.000 COP (43.000 COP/hour)

Others:

I heard good things about both El Manicero and Son de Luz, though they're a little further south so you'd have to take public transport to get there if you're staying in the San Antonio neighbourhood.

 

Sibundoy - El Carnaval del Perdón

 

'Camentsh, Camor, Mente'

'now, here and in this moment' 

 'Pai', I say to the woman handing me a plastic cup with a shy smile on her face. The chicha (the andean version of beer) has been flowing steadily since the morning and it won't stop until the early hours of the following day. Bowls and buckets of the fermented corn liquid are scattered around the room, cups passed on to anyone within near vicinity.

Just about every person in the Kabildo, the center of the indigenous people, carries some sort of an instrument, from flutes to drums to a simple necklace that produces noice when shaken. The beat is a steady 'bum bum bum bum' that never stops while the same simple melody is played over and over again. It feels like a sort of trance and the energy of the crowd carries you while you dance for hours and hours on end to a single song.

One week earlier I didn't even know this event existed and there I was celebrating with the indigenous family I'd been staying with during my time in Sibundoy. We spent hours making the colorful headdress they all wear for carnival, played music around a campfire, shared cups and cups of chicha...I feel more a part of the festivities than I ever could have staying at a hostel (not that those exist in Sibundoy).

The Carnaval del Perdón is celebrated amongst the two indigenous groups Inga and Kamentsa. It is a day to dance, sing, drink Chicha...and mosr importantly to forgive. People dress up in traditional clothing, wear intricately designed 'coronas', carry anything even remotely resembling an instrument and celebrate for over 12 hours.

This day was so incredibly different to anything I could have experienced in Europe. It was impossible not to be sucked in by the enthusiasm and pride of the indigenous groups...I don't think I have ever felt this sort of energy before. 

Needless to say, it was one of the stand-out experiences of my trip and I am so glad to have stopped in this deceivingly unremarkable littke town. 

Where I stayed:  

 Through a guy I met on the bus to Sibundoy, I stayed with the Aguillón-Chindoy family. They do have a profile on couchsurfing and I highly recommend you stay with them if you're passing through Sibundoy.

They shared their home, food and culture with me and I couldn't be more grateful. 

Where I ate: 

Next to the market and a little further up the street you can find little stands in a courtyard selling the typical fare of rice, beans, salad and meat for 3000 to 5000 pesos  (between 1 and 2 euros) at a good quality.

What else to do: 

While I didn't go there, there's natural hot springs at a 2-3h walk out of town and everyone I've met who went raves about them. They're supposedly the only purely natural (meaning no artificial pools)  springs (in colombia, south america or the world i've never asked).

Cuyabeno Wildlife Preserve - Impressions

Sitting on a boat on the Cuyabeno river, I struggled to stay awake. After an 8 hour bus ride from hell through the night, I'd made it to the Cuyabeno National Reserve, the part of the amazon which is easiest to access from Quito. It felt surreal to actually be here, in the middle of the jungle, riding on thick,muddy water making you wonder what may be hiding beneath.

And in some ways, the rainforest was exactely what I thought it would be. Bustling with millions of insects, monkeys jumping from tree to tree along the river, birds chirping at all hours and a heavy humidity in the air. 

However, it was also so very different. Calmer somehow, with close to no mosquitoes (the acidity of the water keeps them away), not nearly as much rain as I'd imagined and a quite pleasant temperature. One definitely notices the effects of human presence in this region, to see the more rare species, going this far simply does not suffice.

And still, it is a different world. We made traditional yuca bread with a woman from a tribe still living there, learnt about their medicine from a shaman, saw enough monkeys to make me happy for a life time, swam in the lake at sunset and took long walks through the jungle where every corner holds a new species to be discovered. 

I enjoyed my time there tremendously and am glad to have been able to share it with the kind human beings in my group. 

Here's a selection of the hundreds of pitures I took!

Where I stayed: 

I stayed at Guacamayo lodge and booked the jungle tour through Comunity hostel's travel agency, both of which I can thoroughly recommend!

The guide was incredibly knowledgeable, the rooms clean and beds comfortable and the food delicious! 

The only downside was the transport which included mire waiting than would have been necessary, but that's South America for you! 

Banos de Agua Santa - an incomplete guide

After having been on the coast for over 3 weeks, I felt it was time to move on. Even so, it was hard to let go of everything this environment has to offer - sun, surfing and a general ease of living. Everyone I'd met who had already been to Banos raved about this place, yet I felt no sense of excitement. 

How good can a simple town in the mountains really be after all? 

I hereby stand corrected. Banos boasts a beautiful location surrounded by lush green hills, a seemingly endless array of activities and great food options. 

As I tried to research how to do certain activities, I became increasingly frustrated at the severe lack of useful information. Therefore, I thought I'd write my own (incomplete) guide to Banos in hope that this helps some one in the same situation!

1. Activities

• Swings

If you've googled Banos, chances are you stumbled upon pictures of the swing at casa del arbol. The swing has become the symbol for Banos and while it does offer some instagram-worty picture opportunities, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

The swing is nice - nothing more. If you're lucky, you can get a great view but unless the weather plays along, I wouldn't bother going.

Instead, I would opt for the swing at 'Velo de la Novia'. This swing is gigantic and you get a phenomenal view of the valley while satisfying your inner child to the fullest.

Casa del Arbol:

how: bus from the corner between Vicente Rocafuerte and Pastaza, leaves at 11am or 2pm, returns about 2.5 hours later.

how much: $1.5 entrance fee and around $2 for the bus

recommend? 2/5

Swing at Velo de la Novia:

how: taxi for $6 or bus, though I don't know where they leave; bus back goes every 15 minutes

how much: we payed $2.5, normally it costs betwen 7 and 10.

recommend? 5/5

• Ziplining at Velo de la Novia

We found the second swing by chance after doing ziplining at Velo de la Novia. While I prefered the swing, this was still a fantastic experience.

The first line goes over a waterfall while the way back gives you a stunning view of the valley. Neither of the two lines gave me an extreme adrenaline rush for lack of speed, however I was in awe of the sheer beauty of the valley from this unique perspective.

At 'Velo de la Novia', you have two ziplines. A friend of mine did 'Adam y Eva' as well as the one I did and prefered the second one by a landslide. But hey, you're welcome to cash out on both!

how: same as the swing

how much: $15 without or $20 with gopro to film your ride

recommend? 4/5

• Biking to Pailon del diablo and/or Puyo

Renting the bike to see the 'ruta de las cascadas' is one of the most popular activities in Banos. And rightfully so - at $7 per bike, it's a cheap way to spend half a day and enjoy the scenic route.

We decided to take it a step further and bike the entire 62km to Puyo, a town right at the border to the amazon rainforest.

The famous 'Pailon del Diablo' waterfall is reached after 20km of mostly downhill cycling. This waterfall is the most impressive on of its kind I've seen. With different platforms to admire it in all its glory, I felt in awe of the violent power of the rushing water.

Considering the weather on the day we went, we probably could have stopped here...it is easy to catch a bus back and they should stow your bike no questions asked.

If you're up for a more heart-pumping exercise and the sun is showing its face, i think it's worth cycling for a little (or a lot) longer. You see and feel the transition towards the jungle as the air becomes more humid and the surrounding mountains even more lush. We never made it to Puyo since it was pouring buckets and we were soaking wet...we ended upcatching a bus back from a town 20 km out of Puyo.

Despite the changing weather this was my favourite day in Banos, so i highly recommend you give it a shot!

how: rent bikes at one of the many agencies; we chose geoTours and the cheaper bikes which were completely fine. They will explain the rout to you in more detail and give you maps.

how much: $7 bike plus around $2 for the bus back

recommend? 5/5

2. Food & Relaxation:

• Steam Bath at Spa 'El refugio'

After a rainy bike ride, we felt we deserved to treat ourselves to some spa time.

'El Refugio' offers various treatments, includinga typical ecuadorian steam bath. For this, you sit in a wooden box with only your head sticking out for 4 series of 10 minutes. After each session, you bathe in ice cold water. This was definitely an intense experience and I grew more and more fond of the cold water breaks.

The next day, my skin was silky smooth and I felt deeply relaxed. During the treatment, you get iced tea, and fruit afterwards...for the price, I couldn't have asked for more.

how: walkr or take a taxi for $3

how much: $8

recommend? 5/5

• Restaurants and Cafes

Honey Coffee & Tea:

this cafe boosts an extremely cute interior and a large selection of teas and coffee as well as arange of delectable-looking desserts. Basically, look no further when it comes to cofee shops.

Information

Cafe Hood:

I ate at this restaurant twice in only 3 days - needless to say I loved it. The menu is international and provides something for meat-lovers and vegetarians alike. They have a large collection of books to read or exchange and the athmospher is casual and comfortable.

Information

3. Accommodation

I stayed at KIWI hostel in Banos.

It's a clean, modern place witha well-equipped kitchen and decent free breakfast. Each bed has a curtain and you can fill up your watterbottle in exchange toa voluntary contribution.

Basically, it's a ncie option if you want to be rather quiet. The location isn't optimal but since banos isn't particularily big, its no more than a 5 minute walk from the centre.

Would I stay there again?

Maybe. I believe there must be hostels in town with a little more personality.

Information

The Quilotoa Loop - Impressions

Leaving my hostel in Latacunga in the morning, I envisioned what the following days would be like. I pictured myself walking alone in the wilderness, the only noises being my footsteps on the ground and the wind in my ears. 4 days of solitude; time to reflect, read and get a much needed break from the constant stimulation that traveling provides.

Little did I know that I would meet a group of 11 students from the US, an australian-spanish-american trio, another solo traveler and about 10 more people who all embarked on the loop the same day I did. Once again, things didn't turn out as I'd thought they would... instead of admiring nature on my own, I did so while getting to know some amazing people and nights of self-reflection were replaced by dinners filled with laughter and conversation.

These three days are engraved in my memory as some of the best I've had on my trip... I made great friends, saw breathtaking scenery and defied what I thought to be the limits of my physical capabilities. 

I hope the pictures I took will give you an idea of the sheer beauty of this area and maybe inspire you to take on the loop yourself if you ever find yourself in Ecuador!

The Quilotoa Loop - how to do it

For pictures and my thoughts on the loop, please check out this pst!

The Quilotoa loop is a 3-5 day hike through the Latacunga canton in Ecuador, either starting or ending with a visit to the Quilotoa crater lake. Many choose to skip the hike and opt to simply see the lake on a day trip.

However, for me, these three days were an absolute highlight of my entire trip, so if you can spare a few days I would highly suggest you attempt to do the entire loop!

Before jumping into the logistics of embarking on the hike, I'd like to address a common question I got:

Isn't it dangerous to do the loop on your own?

Well...first of all, I ended up not really being alone (see here). When I started hiking, at least twenty other people did. Therefore, it was easy to join togethernand avoid being lost alone in the wilderness.

This aside, you can get detailed instructions from hostels and it seemed as though most paths converged in the end. Google offline maps or maps.me can be useful tools when (cause you will at least once) you have taken a wrong turn.

The trail in general felt safe and manageable, so I would not let your solitude get in the way of having this experience!

Want to embark on the route? Here's everything you need to know.

1. Which way to do it?

I chose to leave the crater lake to the end of the hike, as a highlight to look forward to. This means I ascended a total of about 1200 meters from the lowest to the highest point.

Now, doing it in the opposite direction might seem easier, but the constant downhill is bound to take a toll on your knees. Furthermore, seeing the lake after 5 hours of mostly uphill hiking was incredibly rewarding to me and I wouldn't have wanted to get the best views on the first day.

Therefore, I recommend the following schedule:

Day 1: bus from Latacunga to Sigchos -> walk to Isinlivi

Day 2: walk from Isinlivi to Chugchilán

Day 3: walk from Chugchilán to the Quilotoa lake -> walk to Quilotoa -> bus to Latacunga

2. How to get there?

First, you have to make your way to Latacunga. Buses from Quito and Banos leave regularily:

• Banos:

To get to Latacunga, you catch the bus to Quito, which drops you off on the Highway.

Buses leave every 30 minutes from 4am to 6:40pm, take 2 hours and cost $2,25.

From there you can catch a cab into gthe centre of Latacunga for around $5.

• Quito:

Buses to Latacunga leave roughly every 30 minutes from Terminal Quitumbe.

The journey takes a little over an hour and costs about $1,50.

In Latacunga, I suggest you stay the night at Hostal Tiana. Despite some bad reviews on the internet, I found the service to be friendly, the beds comfortable and the included breakfast was one of the best ones I've had.

For $1/day, you can leave your big backpack in a video-monitored room with lockers for your valuables.

From Latacunga, you then catch a bus to Sigchos the next morning, at the main bus terminal.

For early birds, there's the 6am option, which will probably allow you to escape the rain. For those of us that want to have a bit of a slower morning (inculding breakfast at the hostel), the next bus leaves at 9:30am, every half hour until 12pm and then every hour until 6pm.

I would definitely take the 9:30 or 10am bus, the earlier you leave the less likely it is that you will get caught in the rain. The bus takes about 2 hours and costs no more than $3.

3. The actual hike

quick tip: downloading maps.me for the area can be extremely helpful to know if you're heading in the right direction!

• Day 1: Latacunga -> Sigchos -> Isinlivi

If you stayed at Hostal Tiana, you will have gotten thorough instructions for the walk to Isinlivi. Now, sometimes you might not find the landmarks described - this is where maps.me comes in handy, as well as asking locals. However, we simply followed whatever path most closely resembled the one we were looking for (going downhill, to the river, etc...) and found our way just fine!

duration: 3-4 hours

difficulty: easy, short climb at the end

where I stayed:

Llullu Llama: best hostel on the loop! comfy beds, delicious dinner and breakfast, cozy interior.

$19/night, recommend 5/5

Important: you need to reserve your stay as it fills up quickly, through their website.

• Day 2: Sigchos -> Chugchilán

On this day, the only difficulty we encountered was at the very beginning. The instructions say to ignore all paths going left or right, but we found you had to actually take a path going steeply downhill to the left less than 5 minutes after starting the hike. From there on, the trail is well marked by yellow, red or orange spray paint. 

duration: 4-5 hours

difficulty: medium; some tricky downhill parts and a steep uphill towards the end. what got me were the 2 kilometers of slight incline on the road at the very end.

where I stayed:

Cloud forest: once again, I was really happy with this place! hammocks galore, tons of cozy blankets and a cute interior make it a nice place to relax after a day's hike. The only minus for me was the food, which was uncreative and the breakfast a little too small for my liking.

price: $16 recommend 4/5

• Day 3: Chugchilán -> Quilotoa lake -> Quilotoa -> Latacunga

Here your instructions come in handy once again. We chose to follow the path to La Moya/Quilotoa which is supposedly more safe. It was about an 11km hike to the lake.

From the crater lake, we walked towards the right (counter-clockwise) along the rim and once we got to the top of the crater, walked left until we made it to Quilotoa (the town).

From there, just ask for the bus to Latacunga which should take around 2 hours.

duration: 5-6 hours

difficulty: this was by far the toughest day, while also the most rewarding. The trail goes mostly uphill the entire time, but if you take it slow anyone should be able to do it. The hardest part for me was walking up the crater...though there really is no other way out so you'll just have to push through it.

Guayaquil - a hate/love story

When I first got off the bus in Guayaquil, it felt like I had walked into a wall of heat and humidity. My plan to stay two nights got abandoned immediately and I was out of there the next morning.

Needless to say, my initial impression of the city wasn’t the best. It was noisy, dirty and felt more dangerous than any place in South America I had been to before.

After three weeks on the coast, I had no other choice than to go to Guayaquil once again. Though I could have done the trip to Baños in one day, I decided to stay the night to catch up with a friend I’d met in Peru.

That one night turned into three and over the course of those 4 days I got to know a different side to Guayaquil. While it still scores pretty low on my list of favourite cities, I had to admit that it’s not quite as horrible of a place as I’d first made it out to be.

Guayaquil is a city with many faces.

On the one side you have the chaotic, busy, dirty streets. Walking alone there I just did not feel comfortable and found it hard to see why anyone would voluntarily live here.

And while the chaos is omnipresent, after a few days, I found myself getting more used to it. I started to see that amidst the chaos are hidden gems, such as the best soy milk I’ve found in this part of the world, a park filled with Iguanas and a giant fruit and vegetable market where you can get strawberries for 1 dollar per half a kilo.

I walked along the (to me underwhelming) Malecon, at the end of which stands this renovated building reminding me of our train station in Luxembourg. Once again, it doesn’t really match its surroundings but I’ve come to appreciate this as the charm of Guayaquil. You might be amidst shabby houses one minute only to be surrounded by luxurious villas the next.

My (and probably everyone’s) favourite area is ‘Las Peñas’. This neighborhood is situated on a hill towards the northern end of the city and as soon as you enter this part of town it feels like you’re in an entirely different city. Colorful buildings, cobblestone streets and an overall atmosphere the rest of Guayaquil is lacking… as you climb to the top, a welcome breeze makes the heat more bearable, the air feel fresher.

And then there’s the view from the top: this is when I realised how vast the city truly is. Buildings of all shapes and sizes spread nearly to the horizon in each direction, providing homes to over 2 million people.

I am incredibly glad I gave Guayaquil a second chance. While most of my initial judgments remained true for me, I also discovered the beauty within the chaos.

Quick facts: 

• where I stayed:  Munay hostel, 5$/night, great value! 
• what I did:  walking tour organized by the hostel, walked along the Malecon, hiked up the hill in Las Peñas, ate at Lorenabo (good, cheap, vegan food) 

A day in Ayampe

6am. 

My alarm goes off and I'm tired. So I lay there, finally convincing myself to get up and see how the waves are.

I put on my bikini which is still sandy and wet from the day before, wishing I had rinsed it properly and hung it outside to dry. Well, at least I'm awake now...sort of. 

On the balcony, two of the other guests at 'La casa' are not so impressed by the look of the ocean.  And for good reason - it is incredibly flat today.

Maybe in half an hour, they say and all I can think is that I could have slept for 30 more minutes. I guess I'll just meditate for 15 minutes. Yes, apparently I have become THAT person. 

Afterwards I trot down to get the energy I'm still lacking from a fresh cup of coffee.

Now this is the best part: to go surfing, all I have to do is grab my board and walk 50 meters to the ocean. Zero effort required. 

At first, I paddle a whole lot and catch absolutely nothing. There's over 20 people in the water and few waves, so the competition is fierce. 

But then something shifts. All of a sudden, I'm in just the right position. Nobody else is paddling for this wave, I feel it's force propelling me forward as it comes underneath me and I stand up. Furthermore, for the first time ever, I glide down the yet unbroken face. I can't stop smiling.

From is point on, the waves just keep coming. They're small and mellow so instead of nosediving half of the time, I ride every single wave I get. The only thing driving me out of the water is my ever-growing hunger. 

All right. Food. Rest. Get back out there. 

2 months of travel and facing emotions

For the last two weeks in Peru, I had been traveling with a group of people, so when it was time to say goodbye and continue to Ecuador on my own, I felt sort of strange. On the one hand, I was excited to be traveling alone once again but on the other hand I couldn't deny the comfort that being with others had given me. ..especially since these guys were some of the nicest people I had met so far.

Walking along a desolate street in Lobitos, looking for a collective which could take me to the nearest time I wished there was someone with me. Even if they had been just as clueless as me, it's always better to be lost together than alone. 

Of course I made it to my next destination, Vilcabamba, just fine. The town was gorgeous, set in a valley between hills covered in lush green forest and the hostel I was staying in was a heavenly oasis on one of these hills. Yet, something just didn't feel right. This was not where I was going to spend Christmas, I decided mere minutes after arriving and started looking into accommodation in Cuenca. Two days later, I was sitting on a 5-hour bus to this colonial town, hoping that I had made the right move. 

Christmas was everything I could have hoped for. We celebrated like a big family of strangers, with a feast of food and playing music until the early morning hours. I felt at home. 

The two weeks I spent in Cuenca were filled with lots and lots of music, finally seriously studying Spanish and some really interesting people. This town is one of my favourite destinations of my trip and the hostel I stayed in set the standards even higher than before. However, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, some emotions kept bubbling op and at one point, I had to face them. 

The fact was, during the first 7 weeks of traveling, I hadn't given myself much time to reflect. Everything was shiny and new, exciting, sometimes scary but always stimulating. Every destination represented a new opportunity to meet people, to do things I had never done before and this thrill of the unknown kept me motivated. But now that the novelty of being abroad was starting to fade, I was face to face with the same old demons I knew from back home. I felt sad, lonely, self-conscious and remarkably unexcited about the following weeks.

Now, I knew from the start that this trip wasn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows, this was always about getting to know myself better and working through whatever issues might arise. I simply hadn't expected this time to come quite so soon, or to be quite so difficult.

This is why it has been so quiet on here. It felt pretentious to write a happy recollection of my recent travels when I was feeling anything but positive.

But this is my experience, and I want to share it as it is, not as it should be. It's become more apparent than ever to me that a place doesn't bring you happiness, it all depends on your inner state of being. I'm taking this as an opportunity to learn, an invitation to focus inward. 

Meanwhile, everything good seems to shine a little brighter in comparison. I'm excited to share my future experiences with you!

These pictures were taken on a hike in Cajas National Park, 1 hour outside of Cuenca, Ecuador.

Opportunity

Once again, it's been a while since I last posted on here. I had some ideas for posts, but I kept pushing back writing them... It started feeling unnatural to write about something that happened 2 weeks ago, though the memories were still there the emotions I'd felt had been replaced with so many new impressions that it was difficult to write something authentic. Hence, I've decided to not post anything about the last 3 weeks. 

Instead, here's my favourite pictures from Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Huacachina, Paracas and Lima, plus a little something I wrote while sitting in a park in Lima. 

What is it that makes us travel? 

Is it the people we hope to meet? The places we want to see? 

The thrill of being in a foreign place, with no obligations apart from doing whatever our hearts desire? 

When we travel because we think it will bring us joy, does that mean we're just running away from home, from 'real life' ? 

'Why did you come to Peru?' is a question almost every Peruvian I meet asks me. And honestly? I don't have a real answer. All I know is that something inside of me longed to leave Europe and South America appealed to me.  

'Why not Bolivia, Chile, Argentina or Brazil?' - Why does there have to be a reason? 

In my opinion, the place doesn't matter nearly as much as we like to think. We can be miserable in a   4-star hotel on the Maledives just as much as we can feel deeply satisfied in a small village in the mountains of Peru.

When you're in a mindset of lack, no place will ever be able to fill that hole.  

Sure, some countries appeal to us more than others, whether because of the culture or the simple fact that there's an ocean to swim in. 

Finally though, for me, it's the feeling of opportunity that makes travel so worthwhile. You CAN do anything, yet you also don't HAVE to do anything. There's no deadline, no expectations. Just endless possibilities. 

I hope to somehow create a life where I can make room for this feeling. Where I can spend my time doing things I love, pursue my curiosities and know that at any moment, I can change course if I want to. That doesn't necessarily have to mean moving countries or changing jobs; I understand that I will at some point have certain obligations. 

However, I believe that you can always make room for your own happiness. Isn't that what we all strive for anyways? 

Cusco Favourites

As the very first destination on my travels, Cusco holds a special place in my heart. It's the city where I felt so incredibly lonely and lost, the city where I seriously asked myself if I had taken the right decision in travelling alone... Yet also the city in which I saw endless oppurtunities unfold before my eyes, where I got a taste of the wonders travel has to offer and knew within every molecule in my body that I could not have made a better choice than coming here.

I slowly fell in love with Cuscos cobblestone streets which I walked up and down and up and down, panting frantically during the first days before I got used to the altitude. 

I had a complete freakout when I 'lost'  my credit card, which led to an experience of uttermost kindness of generosity from complete strangers.

I cried my eyes out on the morning of the US election results and connected with people from all over the world who felt similarily desperate. 

Most of all, I met so many interesting, kind and intelligent people. I might not meet them again, but some of these conversations gave me an entirely new perspective and planted seeds for though which I'm excited to cultivate.

Without further ado, Here are some of my favourite places in Cusco!

• Supertramp Hostel 

This place was everything I needed.

Situated at the top of Sun Blas, it's quite the hike to get to...after which you're rewarded with an amazing view over Cusco. Their outside are is perfect for getting to know people just as well as chilling out with a book and the people working there were extremely welcoming; they took me out with them for Halloween on my first night there and we had a great time! I loved that most of them were latin americans, so I could improve my spanish skills, but they also spoke english.

The rooms are the best I've stayed in so far: each bed has its own locker at the foot of the bed, a little shelf on the wall, a power plug and a small light. If you close the curtains, you basicalyy have your own little room!

 This hostel is definitely not cheap, but you more than get what you pay for, I would recommend this 100%! It's nice and quiet if you want to relax and you can also party with the staff if that's what you're into.

• Green Point & The Vegan Temple 

Cusco has a bustling vegan/vegetarian restaurant scene and these two were my favourites. 

Green point has everything your heart could desire: from dumplings to (vegan) tiramisu to banana waffles, it's all there and every single dish I tasted was outstanding! I haven't met a single person who went there and didn't absolutely love it.

I only took pictures of the breakfast I had there (I was mostly too busy devouring the food as soon as it got to the table). The samosas and creole soup are to die for and I also adored the banana waffles and vegetable korma. 

The Vegan Temple is extremely different and equally delicious! It's a small family-owned restaurant where you eat sitting on cushions on the floor while meditation music is playing in the background...

Their lassis are gigantic and super creative in the flavour combinations available, the carribean curry I had was sweet, salty and spicy heaven and their burgers are some of the best I've ever had. Also, the price is unbeatable! 

• San Blas 

This neighbourhood feels like you've stepped into a different world. Away from the busy streets in the centre of the city, you can find vintage shops, yoga studios, small cafes and everything inbetween. I spent a few days just walking around, grabbing a cup of coffee at L'atelier and doing some yoga at Yoga Room or just enjoying the sun at plaza San Blas. 

This was by far my favourite area in the city! 

• The Maras Salt Ponds

Ou of the sights I visited around Cusco, the salinas de Maras definitely stood out. The number of aslt ponds is growing continuously as more families move to the town of Maras, since everyone has the right to their own salt pond. It is quite the sight, rows and rows of rectangles of different shades of white continuing seemingly endlessly into the distance.

 Cusco in general was not love at first sight for me. However, I truly adored these places (and more) and don't regret spending more than a week in this city. Cusco is definitely worth more than just a short stopover o the way to Machu Picchu!

The Salkantay Trek - an alternative route to Machu Picchu

Standing at the highest point of our 5-day trek, there was no doubt in my mind, that this was worth every drop of sweat, every single pain-filled step.

Stopping to catch my breath and being overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of my surroundings. Seeing the bluest lake in my life. Laughing histerically at each other's tired faces, bonding over quinoa soup and popcorn, sharing tents and altitude sickness medicine,... I can't count the moments during these 5 days in which I felt so grateful I thought my heart might burst. 

This trip exceeded all my expectations.

I was woken up on friday morning by two girls talking in my dorm room. At 3:15 am, they were happily chatting away, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they weren't alone in the room. Oh well, I thought to myself, I may as well get up 5 minutes earlier than planned. So I got ready and stood in the raining at 3:40. 10 minutes later, a minivan pulled up but to my disappointment, they weren't there to pick me up. When I told them who I was waiting for, the driver replied 'oh, they're looking for you!'. How, I thought to myself, could they be looking for me when I was here on time? I continued to panick for about 5 minutes until it hit me: it was 4am. I was only supposed to be picked up at 4:40.

Too tired to be angry, I walked back to my hostel to sleep for another 20 minutes before the tour agency finally pulled up 40 minutes later. 

Thankfully, this unlucky start was the worst thing that would happen in the following days... 

I feel like trying to put this entire experience into words would be pointless, so instead I'll leave you with my personal highlights:

• the group.

While the nature alone would have made this experience worthwhile for me, what truly made it special where the people. Not once did someone get truly annoyed, it seemed as though everyone really wanted to be there and tried their best to contribute to the positive atmosphere.

Coming from Canada, Brazil, Panama, England, Germany, Spain and of course Luxembourg with ages ranging from 19 to 40+, we still all had one thing in common: we wanted to enjoy this trip. There was never any rush to go faster, people happily waited for the last person and laughter was abundant. To me, it is exceptional that there wasn't a single moment of tension, given the lack of sleep we had... I am so incredibly grateful to have met each and every one of them!

• the lake at Salkantay Pass.

After we got to the highest point of the trip, all I wanted to was to descend. However, I went with the general decision to walk to a lake not far from the pass, and I'm so glad I did. I have never seen anything like this. The water looked so pristine and was of the most beautiful turquoise colour, I was unsure if this could actually be real.

• entering the jungle.

On the 3rd day of trekking, we only hiked during the morning, and the trek was never too steep (uphill or downhill), which made for an enjoyable hike. After being in the Andes with their mountain climate for 2 days, walking into the jungle area was just what I'd needed. The surroundings slowly got greener and greener, butterflies were everywhere and the air just smelled  differently. I was in heaven. All morning, there was a spring to my step as my legs felt a few kilograms lighter . This was by far my favourite day of the trek (visiting the hot springs in the afternoon didn't hurt either).

• Machu Picchu. 

Surprise surprise, these ancient Inka ruins didn't disappoint.  I took the first bus up (2000 steps?no thanks) so we  were among the first people to enter Machu Picchu. And it was just as magical as everybody said: surrounded by green mountains, this city exudes an energy that cannot be put into words. I tried to capture it through my camera and I'll let you be the judge.

So this is my experience with the Salkantay Trek... I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who wants to experience something a little different (and also less expensive) than the Inca Trail.

To me, the trek made the journey worthwhile and if you're capable, I highly suggest you do one when visiting Machu Picchu.

To anyone who's wondering, I went with Salkantay Trekking and I was 100% happy with the way they organised the trip! 

Hiking Rainbow Mountain

When we went to the travel agency to book our day trip to rainbow mountain, we were told that the hike was easy enough, a mixture of flat and steep terrain.

Now, I would have done the hike no matter what they said. However, this made me feel quite confident and I was convinced I'd be one of the first to make it to the top.

I had however completely underestimated the effects 4000-5000m of altitude can have on your body... In fact, this was the toughest thing I've done in my entire life. 

Let's back up a little though... 

At 3:30 am, two girls I'd met and I were standing in front of the hostel, waiting to be picked up. When the minibus finally came at 4, it was already almost full, but we each managed to get a window seat and tried to sleep for the next 3 hours. This prooved to be rather difficult cause the roads were bumpy and curved, so I got little more than 30 minutes of sleep before we arrived at our destination. 

When we got off, we were in the middle of nowhere; Alpacas were grazing on surrounding farmland and the sun had just risen. We walked towards a tent where we had brakfast (bread and coca tea for me), before heading off on the hike. 

I knew that this was not going to be the relaxed walk I'd imagined, when our guide started telling us to go faster almost immediately...at that point, Amandine and I were even still at the front of the group!

After the first "climb", my heart was beating so fast I thought it might jump out of my chest any minute, I felt incredibly dizzy and simply couldn't imagine to keep going like this for another 3 and a half hours. Luckily, Amandine felt the same, so we decided to take it very very slowly, all that mattered was that we got to the top. 

While the third girl in our girl forged ahead at an incredible pace, the two off us took the smalest steps possible, only trying not to faint(me) or to get rid off a pounding headache(Amandine).

Up until that day, I'd thought myself to be rather fit, but this hike made me seriously question my capabilities...after every little hill waited another one, and in the distance we could see all that we still had to conquer.  

I'll spare you more whining, we made it in the end and being at the top was beautiful enough to make me forget all the pain I'd endured...I just couldn't stop smiling!

I mean how could you not with a view like that?(the pictures don't even do it justice)

The hike down was rather stressful, since our guide kept pushing us to go faster so we wouldn't miss lunch (even though we'd told him we didn't care) and we both got an awful headache from descending so quickly...I was happy we pushed ourselves though, cause 10 minutes after we got to the tent, it started pouring rain and hail outside. Throughout our hike, we'd been blessed with sunshine and now it looked as if the world was going to end.

Everything afterwards was uneventful, I was so physically tired that even walking the 300m to our hostel was exhausting. 

Now, would I recommend doing it?Definitely! 

If you're not as proud (or stupid) as me, you can even rent a horse to take you to the top, which I imagine could make the whole day more comfortable. However, even if you do want to hike, I can only suggest that you go at your own pace and don't let anybody tell you otherwise! And you might be so lucky to not feel the altitude as much.

If I were to do it again, I would either book through a different agency or better yet, try to do it on my own. I'm not sure how possible this is but if you can get a taxi driver to get you to the starting point and wait until you get back for ~100 soles per person, I would definitely do it this way. 

In the end,hiking rainbow mountain was one of the most physically challenging and at the same time rewarding experiences of my life,and if you're ever in Peru,I'd seriously consider doing it!

P.S. our agency was dream's journey peru. It's possible that we were just unlucky but I wouldn't necessarily recommend them. 

Arriving in Cusco

From the moment I stepped off the plane in Cusco, my legs felt incredibly heavy and unstable at once, my head was so dizzy that I thought I might faint,...so I guess 3400m is no joke. 

A chilean woman on my plane must have noticed that I was kinda lost, since she offered to share ataxi to the city centre. Determinately, she walked past every taxi dirver who wouldn't take us for 15 soles (that's just over 4€), until we'd found someone who agreed to the price. 

Though I'd felt like maybe my Spanish wasn't all that bady, this newfound confidence dissipated into thin air within less than 1 minute spent sitting in that taxi. Listening to the driver chatting happily with the chilean woman, I desperately tried to understand anything at all... 

• 

Arriving at the hostel all alone was strange... A single thought kept repeating in my mind: What am I supposed to do now? 

All the excitement I'd felt during the months spent planning this trip was suddenly gone and in its place sat a deep feeling of being sad and lost. However, some part of me must have known that it was mainly the altitude and lack of sleep which mad me feel so terrible, since I decided to go out to eat at the only vegan restaurant in town (cause what else would I do?) 

Now, though the food was phenomenal, the thing that made this lunch special was the conversation I had with the guy I shared a table with...it made me feel so instantly better. THIS is why I am doing this after all; to meet people and have honest conversations, without even knowing each other's last name. 

• 

Only after that meal could I see the beauty of Cusco... The indoor market where everything from toilet paper to handmade bags is sold, th children running around seemingly everywhere, the Andes in the background...

So while my first day didn't go exactly as imagined, I feel good in Cusco and am excited to see more of it once I get used to the altitude...oh, and the cold. It's bloody freezing. 

Hasta luego! 

How to flood a train toilet or my journey so far

I knew something like this was bound to happen, I just didn't think it would happen quite so soon.

Basically, when I sat down in the train that would take me to Brussels, I wanted to take my overnight oats out of my tote bag and only had half of the mason jar in my hand. It had broken of course.

Trying to clean up the brown gloopy mess in my bag, I went to the toilet and decided to pour it into the sink.

Don't. Ever. Pour something into a train toilet sink that's not 100% liquid. It WILL clog the entire thing.

While I was still trying to figure out what to do next, the train started moving from side to side and the brownish liquid in the sink landed on the floor, building a puddle on whichever side the train was leaning towards. I realised that there was nothing I could do to remedy the situation so I just cleaned everything as best as I could, threw my tote bag in the trash and left the toilet, my lunch and water bottle in hand.

Imagine the faces of the two guards when I told them the good news. They were not happy at all.

Apart from this incident, the train ride went smoothly though, apart from the fact that I left my hat on the last train. Oh well, it wouldn't be me if I hadn't already lost/destroyed at least two of my things.

Now can my bags PLEASE get to Peru with me? I think this is enough chaos for a few days.