The TelefériQo is a cable car in Quito that takes visitors 2.5km up the side of Volcán Pichincha. At the top is a lookout at an altitude of 4100m.
Covering 519 km² of area of Colombia’s western Andes Mountains is Tatamá National Park (Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá). This lesser-known park is spread out over the departments of Risaralda, Chocó, and Valle del Cauca and is one of the more inaccessible national parks in the country.
Just 15 minutes from Belén de Umbría is Taparcal. It’s a tiny little village set beautifully on a small mountain ridge with incredible views in every direction. It’s located within the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Quinchía is a town in the coffee region of Colombia and part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. It has been described as one of the more beautiful towns in the Coffee Region, and has a large indigenous population.
Lashae and I were invited to go on a hike through Santa Emilia Municipal Park (Parque Municipal Natural Santa Emilia) one Saturday with an adult English class from Belén de Umbría. The park is located about 20 minutes from Belén. It has a nature trail through a dense forest that leads to a few waterfalls.
My primary goal in Bolivia was to see the world’s largest salt flats in Uyuni. I planned the perfect 10 days through Bolivia, booked all of my accommodation, tours, buses, and flights. Suddenly, the day my overnight bus to Uyuni was to leave, the lovely people of Uyuni decided to protest and block the only road into town. All buses to and from Uyuni stopped running.
Boat to Isla del Sol
In Copacabana, we boarded a small boat to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) and sat on the top deck. The ride was windy and cold but I enjoyed the scenery. Lake Titicaca is a strong shade of dark blue and the contrast against the clear Bolivian sky was an incredible sight. On the way, we passed by the Isla de la Luna (Island of the Moon), where the Incas believed the rising of the moon was commanded. The ride took about 90 minutes.
Iguazú National Park features the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls. It’s just a short drive across the border from Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil. The falls are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I spent a lot of time with the people I met in the hostel on Ilhabela, bonding after the bank robbery our first night. Ben, a Canadian, and Esmee and Julie, from Holland, went on a jeep tour with me to a nice beach on the Atlantic side of the island.