A Bold Combo: Southern Peru, Bolivia, and Northern Chile (page 4 of 7)

And we arrive in Maca, with its church looking much more presentable in the sunlight,



and its inevitable tourist attractions that make us smile!



After a few more stops,

we arrive in Chivay for lunch.

After eating, we wanted to bathe in the thermal waters of La Calera, but it’s Sunday, and it’s packed with people—mostly Peruvian families enjoying these 38–40°C pools on their day off... So we decide to skip it 😕.

A quick stop at the Chivay cemetery, which isn’t very well maintained. In several places, people are burning grass, and we’d love to know the reason behind it.



We head back to Arequipa a little earlier than planned.

The paved road crosses a pass at 4,910 m. No altitude sickness issues—we’re 40 m below Tim’s tolerated limit, and anyway, the pass at this altitude is very brief!



We pass by the huge herd of alpacas again, which hasn’t moved to a new grazing area.



At Arequipa airport, we meet up with our rental company. Since the car had to be returned clean and we didn’t have time to wash it, we give them the equivalent in cash. When I show him the iron bar we bought to use as a jack, he laughs!

A taxi then takes us to the historic center, where we spend a fantastic evening—first at a rooftop bar, then at one of the city’s best restaurants, Zigzag. The chef is definitely French or Swiss (judging by the menu), and the service is very attentive. We all end up ordering a rösti with super tender alpaca... Absolute perfection... 😛

Our hotel for the night, Le Foyer, lives up to its name. The rooms are arranged around an inner courtyard, and breakfast is served on the rooftop.

Hi Guillaume, I’m following your travel story with pleasure and admiration. Kudos to the family for keeping up the pace! I can’t wait to read about the Salar de Uyuni—it’s one of my most beautiful travel memories... Thanks for sharing.

Like Carmen’s, I just caught up on this thread since I didn’t get any VF notifications 😕. So many gorgeous photos 😍! The way you justified your travel pace by comparing it to Franck and Sullivan’s had me laughing! 😏

The alarm goes off at 4:50 AM to have time for breakfast before tackling the canyon climb in the cool morning air.

Meet-up with the muleteer at 5:40 AM.

You’re really putting them through it! Is this to stick to a schedule (linking the sites and returning the car?), I guess? The heat wasn’t too bad during the day, right? Apart from mountain hikes in the snow to keep it firm before the sun softens it, or long treks (+8h) with afternoon storm risks, I’ve rarely woken up this early! Anyway, with my kids, I’d have struggled to get them to agree to such early starts—especially several days in a row! Still, what great teamwork—I’m impressed!

Your condor photos are amazing! Not having a proper zoom lens to photograph them is really my biggest regret from the trip—maybe even the only one.

Yes, your photos of Condor are amazing... unfortunately, I couldn't take any myself because I couldn't go there, but my husband did. However, I don't remember them being as close to you as they were. You were so lucky!

Like Carmen’s, I just caught up on my backlog since I didn’t get any VF notifications 😕.

Since VF reopened, I haven’t been getting any notifications—no replies to my messages, no new posts, nothing from the forums 😞

Well, for me, it depends: in some travel journals I have them systematically, and in others (like this one), it's really hit-or-miss 🤪.

Not only was your trip planned like a pro, but you also seem to have made all the right choices—and even got that little extra stroke of luck around the corners.

This travel journal is super detailed, and I *love* all the colors. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying this is one of the best travel journals of the year.

Well, if you get a move on, it's March now... 😉

I never give out compliments like this lightly, and many know I’m pretty hard to please :)

This travel journal is very comprehensive, and I really appreciate its vibrant use of colors. I don’t think I’m overstepping by saying this is one of the most beautiful travel journals of the year.

That’s not gonna motivate others to start or keep up their own travel journal. 😛 [;]

This travel journal is incredibly comprehensive, and I really appreciate its vibrant use of colors. I don’t think I’m overstepping by saying this is one of the most beautiful travel journals of the year.

That’s not going to motivate others to start or continue their own journal. 😛 😉

In that case, you should be sorry that the quality of yours has discouraged so many from making their own for a long time now. 😛

I, on the other hand, think that only excellence can truly inspire people to follow suit. That’s how we used to see things back in the day, before we started putting the cart before the horse.

Anyway, I don’t want to be part of the majority who stays silent, especially out of laziness for not writing a few lines of encouragement. And besides, this is a real crush—it’s rare, and it had to be said! 🙂

This travel journal is very comprehensive, and I really appreciate its vibrant use of colors. I don’t think I’m overstating it by saying this is one of the most beautiful travel journals of the year.

There’s also a travel journal about Morocco in the 90s that should be at the top of the list... It’s had us on the edge of our seats for way too long! In the meantime, I’m following these three, including Ticapi’s, which is also really great.

This travel journal is incredibly detailed and I really love its explosion of colors. I don’t think I’m overstepping by saying this is one of the most beautiful travel journals of the year.

That won’t exactly motivate others to start or keep up their own journals. 😛 [;]

Just try to give up yours, and I’ll swim across the lake to talk you out of it! 🤪 It’s this century’s obsession with ranking, rating, and giving thumbs up, when it’s so simple to just enjoy the huge effort a travel journal takes!

Hello Guillaume, I’m following your travel story with pleasure and admiration. Kudos to the family for keeping up the pace! I can’t wait to read about the Salar de Uyuni—it’s one of my most beautiful travel memories... Thanks for sharing.

Hi Béatrice, Thanks for your encouraging message 🙂! Ah... The Salar de Uyuni will be here soon. The kids were also looking forward to it during the trip! And that day became one of their favorites, even ahead of Machu Picchu or Palcoyo-Vinicunca!

Like Carmen’s, I just caught up on this thread since I didn’t get any VF notifications 😕. So many gorgeous photos 😍! The way you justified your travel pace by comparing it to Franck and Sullivan’s had me laughing! 😏

Speaking of Franck and Sullivan’s adventure from Lima to SPDA, they really outdid themselves—if I remember right, they stacked 4 nights on buses over just 18 days! And on top of that, they climbed a 6,000m peak! So yeah, our itinerary was pretty chill in comparison, right? 😛 😏?

The alarm went off at 4:50 AM to have time for breakfast before tackling the canyon climb in the cool morning.

We met the muleteer at 5:40 AM.

You really keep them on their toes! Is this to stick to a schedule (linking sites before returning the car?), I guess? The heat wasn’t too bad during the day, was it? Apart from mountain hikes in the snow to keep it firm before the sun softens it, or long hikes (+8h) with afternoon storm risks, I’ve rarely woken up this early! With my kids, I’d have struggled to get them to accept such early starts, especially several days in a row! Still, great teamwork—I’m impressed!

You’re right about the temperatures in Colca Canyon in winter. They’re actually quite mild, and that wasn’t the reason for such an early start. First, it was the 6 AM meet-up with the muleteer that forced us to adapt, even though they left much later.

Then, since we had a 4-hour drive ahead that day, I wanted the day to be more than just a hike and a drive—otherwise, we could’ve taken the more common bus or colectivo option. This way, we had time to stop whenever we wanted and could’ve gone for a swim in Chivay or the Chacapi hot springs if they hadn’t been packed. 😕

On this trip, I didn’t hear the kids complain once. They knew we’d be discovering three countries and three different cultures and were amazed every day. Enough to wake up calmly and without grumbling each morning! I’d warned them about the pace, and they were all in!

Yes, your Condor photos are amazing... unfortunately, I couldn't take any myself because I couldn't go, but my husband did. However, I don't remember them being as close to you as they were. You were so lucky!

Isabelle, we were indeed very lucky! The photos were taken at just 200 mm on a full-frame camera, with barely any cropping. A Peruvian next to me, with the same DSLR as mine, and I had a blast for half an hour comparing our shots 😎! He even almost offered to send me his because he was so happy with them too

Not only was your trip planning masterfully done, but you also seem to have made the right choices and had that little extra stroke of luck around the street corners.

This travel journal is so comprehensive, and I really appreciate its burst of colors. I don’t think I’m overstepping by saying this is one of the most beautiful travel journals of the year.

Hi Joël, Your kind and encouraging words truly touch me. It warms my heart and motivates me to spend all this time sharing our experience—maybe inspiring others to dare to follow our route at their own pace. Just like Franck’s experience and feelings encouraged me to take the leap. Thanks again