Entdeckungsreise Südamerika I

[die Tourbeschreibung ist momentan nur auf Englisch verfügbar]

Day 1: Lima (Peru)
Your tour leader will usually hold a group meeting at
approx. 6.00pm on Day 1 (check the notice board in the
hotel reception for the exact time and location). Your tour
leader will give a briefing about the tour, outline the plan
for the next few days, answer any questions and collect
your ‘Local Fund’ payment in full in US$ cash. Then there
will usually be the option for everyone to go out for dinner
and drinks to start to get to know one another.
Lima was founded by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco
Pizarro in 1535, after he eradicated the Incas and made
the city his capital. Lima has many fine colonal buildings
and some of the best museums in South America including
the Gold Museum, Museum of the Inquisition and the
Catacombs below the San Francisco Church. Peru’s
capital has heaps to offer and many of the sights,
including the city’s two main squares the Plaza de Armas
and Plaza San Martin, are within easy walking distance. If
you want to have time to explore Lima properly you may
want to arrive a day or two early.

Days 2-3: Paracas - Nazca
After a few days in Lima, a short drive along the Pacific
coast brings us to Paracas where we camp in the grounds
of a hotel (with swimming pool) – a good time for a Pisco
Sour party! Early the following morning there is the option to
go by speedboat to explore the Ballestas Islands, passingthe unusual ‘Candelabra’, a giant design carved into a
desert hill, along the way. On and around these celebrated
islands you’ll see thousands of sea lions plus many varieties
of aquatic birds. Continuing on, we stopover at
Huacachina, a desert oasis surrounded by massive sanddunes.
Here you have the chance to take an awesome ride
in dune-buggies or, for the even more courageous, sand
boarding down the dunes is an unreal way to spend an
hour or two. Travelling further inland, we reach Nazca,
famous for the strange parallel lines and geometrical figures
etched into the desert floor. Here you can take a flight in a
light aircraft to see the ‘monkey’, ‘hummingbird’, ‘condor’,
‘spider’ and even what appears to be a spaceman. There
are many more designs to be seen on this 30 minute flight
but to this day, no-one knows why they are there! After a
short drive we’ll stop at the bizarre Chauchilla Cemetery
where you’ll see ancient mummies that still have skin and
hair intact after thousands of years.

Days 4-6: Puerto Inca – Arequipa
Heading back along the coast our journey takes us to
Puerto Inca, the Inca';s original port, which was only
rediscovered in the 1950’s. Tonight we camp by the
beach just down from the actual ruins.
Travelling back into the foothills of the Andes we reach the
city of Arequipa, located 2,380 metres above sea level
and dominated by the conical snow-capped El Misti
Volcano. Here the attractions include the Plaza de Armas,
one of South America’s most charming main squares and
the Santa Catalina Convent, which is like a walled colonial
town dating back more than 400 years. Shrouded with
mystery, the convent’s 450 nuns lived in complete
seclusion until 1970.

Days 7-10: Chivay – Cuzco
Ascending up to Colca Canyon through breathtaking
scenery, we pass several ghost towns which were
destroyed by earthquakes. The Colca Canyon is twice as
deep as the Grand Canyon, making it the world’s
deepest. From the lookout point at Cruz del Condor you
can see the river flowing 1,200 metres below and you’ll
have a very good chance of seeing condors as they soar
out of the canyon on the hot thermal currents. Our base
for visiting the canyon is the town of Chivay where we’ll
also have time to soak in the nearby hot thermal pools.
As we depart Chivay you will see incredible pre
Columbian terracing along the sides of the mountains
which is still yielding crops to this day. It gradually becomes
greener as we get closer to the former Inca capital of
Cuzco, which means ‘navel of the earth’ in the Inca
language of Quechua. This enchanting city has a mostly
indigenous population of around 275,000 and is centred
around the Plaza de Armas, which is dominated by the
Cathedral and La Compañia de Jesus Church. Nowadays
Cuzco is also legendary for its party atmosphere and
brilliant nightlife and is jam-packed with arcades housing
many fine restaurants, bars and shops. For people wanting
the challenge of the 4 day Inca Trail trek there will be a
briefing in which your local guide will chat about the
arrangements for the next few days.We have a full day trip through the Sacred Valley of the
Incas and if you’ve purchased your Cuzco visitor’s ticket
previously then you’ll be able to visit the Pisac ruins
perched on a hill high in the mountains and the famous
Indian market of the same name, in the valley below
(that’s free). This is a great place to buy textiles, pottery
and jewellery, not to mention the delicious empanadas
(pasties) at the famous bakery. After spending time at
both, we move down the valley to the temple fortress of
Ollantaytambo, with its enormous terraces climbing up the
hillside (you’ll need your visitor’s ticket again). If you are
trekking the Inca Trail you will spend the night here at one
of the little hostels in preparation for the next four days.

Days 11-14: Inca Trail or free time in
Cuzco
If you are not hiking the Inca Trail, you will return to Cuzco
where there are many other options available including
an overnight trip by train to Machu Picchu, white water
rafting, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing, jungle
excursions, shopping (make sure you bargain!) and
sightseeing etc.
If you have chosen to hike the Inca Trail you will cross
spectacular passes and visit more Inca ruins en-route to the
Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu. A local guide will lead
this expedition and there will be cooks and porters to carry
the main equipment, leaving you with just a small daypack.
The trek begins after a short bus journey and the first day is a
relatively easy 4½ hour 10km walk which will get you
limbered up for the highest pass at Warmiwañusca (4,200m)
which you will reach before lunchtime on Day 2 (and which
translates to “Dead Woman’s Pass”!). During Day 2 you will
cover approximately 12km in about 7 hours and after the
high pass it’s all down hill as the trail winds its way along old
Inca stairs to our campsite. On Day 3 we pass the ruins of
Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca, walking approximately
15km in 7 hours. The last morning, after an overnight stop at
Wiñay-Wayna, you will rise early for the final walk to Machu
Picchu and greet daybreak over the famous “Sun Gate”.
There will then be time to explore on your own or simply take
in the magnificence of the place before your guided tour.
The ruins were only discovered by the outside world in 1911,
when American explorer Hiram Bingham found them while
looking for another “lost city” called Vilcabamba. Due to
their isolation many of the buildings are still quite intact and
you can’t help but admire Huayna Picchu (“Young
Mountain”), which towers above the ruins. It is a hard climb
to the top of the mountain (it takes about 50 minutes) but
you are rewarded with spectacular views over the whole
site. After spending most of the day at Machu Picchu you
have the chance to soak your tired muscles in the hot
springs at Aguas Calientes or meander through the markets
before returning to Cuzco by train.

Days 15-16: Cuzco
Making the most of your last free time in Cuzco you can
explore its amazing churches, colonial buildings and
picturesque streets, most of which have Inca walls, arches
and doorways. Leaving Cuzco, we drive along roads
bordered by herds of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas before
reaching the Altiplano (high plain). Our journey takes us
past hot mineral pools, snow-capped mountains, through
villages where the Indians sell food, fur hats and alpaca
sweaters. And over the La Raya Pass at 4,321 metres. Our
final destination for today is near the Sillustani ruins where
we will free-camp for the night. Here you will have the
option to visit these ancient burial towers and the
fascinating little museum.

Days 17-19: Puno
The following morning we have a short drive down into
Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, which at 3,855 metres,
is the highest navigable lake in the world. From here you
have the chance to take an excursion to the islands of
Amantaní and Taquile. On Amantaní we arrange
homestay accommodation with the native Aymara /
Quechua Indian families and you will have the chance to
eat with the family, perhaps enjoy a party and dancing
and maybe play soccer with the local children! The next
morning you’ll visit Taquile Island where the people live in
simple adobe huts and the men knit colourful hats. You will
also visit the floating reed islands in the Bay of Puno, to see
the Uros Indians’ way of life and ride in a traditional reed
boat. Continuing back to Puno, you’ll arrive in time to visit
the colourful markets.

Days 20-22: La Paz (Bolivia)
We drive around Lake Titicaca to the border town of
Desaguadero where we can change money before
crossing into Bolivia. Driving on dirt roads we pass adobe
villages before reaching a highway which winds its way
down the canyon into La Paz, the highest capital city in
the world at 3,636 metres.
La Paz is built in the basin of a spectacular valley with the
snow-capped Mount Illimani in the background. The city
has colourful Indian street markets including the ‘witches
market’ where women in flared skirts sell, amongst other
things, dead cats and llama foetuses which are placed
under new buildings to keep evil spirits away. The main
square, Plaza Murillo, is where many years ago a president
of the republic was lynched from a lamppost. La Paz is
one of the best places to see a traditional peña show of
Andean music and dance where local musicians play
their time-honoured instruments such as zampoñas (pipes)
and charangos (ukulele).
There are heaps of optional excursions available in La Paz.
Check out the Moon Valley with its strange rock formations
shaped by the weather or take in the incredible views
from Mount Chacaltaya and the world';s highest ski resort
at 5,221metres. Another fantastic excursion is to Coroico,
the gateway to the Bolivian jungle region and a great
place to see sub-tropical vegetation and plants. En-route
you will cross a 5,000 metre high pass before descending
to 1,300 metres on narrow mountain roads bordered by
sheer drops. The excursion to Coroico can also be done
by mountain bike, as it is downhill nearly all the way and
very exhilarating, but not for the fainthearted!

Days 23-27: Free camping – Sucre –
Potosi
From La Paz we travel across the Altiplano free camping
on our way to Sucre where we spend a couple of nights.
This is the official capital of Bolivia even though the
governing of the country actually takes place in La Paz.
Sucre is a small attractive city where, by law, all the
buildings are painted white. Our next stop is Potosí (4,070
metres), the highest city of its size on earth with a
population of 110,000. The city was established in 1545
soon after the discovery of a rich vein of silver in a nearby
hill, the Cerro Rico (or “rich hill”). Silver from Potosí
underwrote the Spanish economy, particularly the
monarchy';s extravagance, for over two centuries. Millions
of Indians, and later, African slaves, worked in the mines
where conditions were so appalling and dangerous that
miners died in astronomical numbers, either in accidents or
from silicosis pneumonia. You have the chance to visit one
of the mines where you can see first hand how rough the
working conditions were and still are!

Days 28-29: Uyuni
Travelling on we head to the desolate town of Uyuni in the
south of Bolivia, to visit what is claimed to be the largest
salt flat in the world, the brilliant white vast Salar de Uyuni.
There is an opportunity to take an excursion to Fisherman’s
Island where there are great views of the surrounding lake
and giant cacti and llama provide perfect photo
opportunities. The fantastic contrast of the brilliant blue sky
(weather permitting of course) and the pure white of the
salt flats will take your breath away.

Days 30-33: Free camping (Argentina) –
Humahuaca – Salta
Winding our way along the dusty roads of Bolivia, which
are some of the worst in South America, we head towards
the Argentine border passing through Tupiza and Villazon.
Our first night in Northern Argentina is spent free-camping
amidst the vividly coloured rock formations and giant
cacti of Humahuaca Canyon. Next stop is the striking city
of Salta in the Lerma Valley, established in 1582. Salta has
many old colonial buildings, a cathedral with ancient
statues of Cristo del Milagro (Miracle of Christ) and the
Virgin Mary, which were brought over from Spain in 1592.

Days 34-37: San Pedro (Chile) – free
camping
We head due west across the Andes making our way into
Chile. We drive past salt lakes and volcanoes, and, if we’re
lucky, we may see pink flamingos and a variety of other
wildlife before reaching the Atacama Desert, the driest
desert in the world (it hasn’t rained for over 250 years!).
Here our first camp is near the eerie eroded salt mountains
of Moon Valley. From here you have the option to visit the
excellent archaeological museum at San Pedro de
Atacama, which houses a good selection of mummies
and other ancient artefacts. We drive on to Calama and
shortly afterwards cross the Tropic of Capricorn (a great
place for a group photo). We make our way to the Pacific
coast near Antofagasta, Chile';s largest northern port, and
camp by the coast.

Days 38-40: Bahía Inglesa – La Serena
Further south we camp by the beach again, first near Caldera (Bahía Inglesa) and then La Serena, a pleasant
little town founded in 1544. The surrounding district is one
of the most important astronomical centres on earth, with
observatories dotted among the hills. While in La Serena
you can laze around on the long beach, visit the
interesting town or stroll to neighbouring Coquimbo along
the bay. In the evening we can enjoy a barbeque
followed by a visit to the nearby casino.

Days 41-43: Santiago
We enter the Chilean heartlands and head towards the
capital, Santiago. Pedro de Valdivia established Santiago
in 1541 but, except Santa Lucia Hill where the original
fortress was constructed, not much remains of its original
glory. The hill offers good views of the city below, but for
even better photo opportunities, take a funicular railway
to the top of San Cristobal where the Statue of the Virgin
overlooks the capital and the distant Andes. At the
viewing area there are wine-tasting facilities and a couple
of brilliantly located swimming pools. In the Plaza
Constitucion at the Palacio de la Moneda you can see
the changing of the guard or you can take an optional
excursion to the port of Valparaiso and the resort of Viña
del Mar. Santiago is a very clean modern city with
fountains, parks and buildings.

Days 44-46: Pucon
Heading south through vast vineyards, farmlands and
pine-forests we come to Salto del Laja, where we stop for
a photo of the waterfalls that drop 47 metres onto the
rocks below. We continue to the Lake District of Chile and
the picturesque town of Pucon, a small resort on Lake
Villarrica below the perfect cone-shaped Villarrica
Volcano. The whole area is surrounded by lakes,
mountains, forests, rivers and waterfalls and we have two
free days to take advantage of the activities on offer such
as volcano treks, white water rafting, horse riding,
mountain biking and water sports.

Days 47-48: Bariloche (Argentina)
Crossing the Andes and heading down into Argentina we
make our way through stunning scenery and pass Lago
Espejo (Mirror Lake). Further south we reach the resort
town of San Carlos de Bariloche on the shores of Lake
Nahuel Haupi. This town is a famous winter ski resort, but it
also has heaps to offer during other seasons. Built by Swiss
and German immigrants in the alpine style, here you will
find Swiss-style chalets, numerous chocolate shops and St.
Bernard dogs with brandy barrels around their necks!

Days 49-51: Free camping – Fitzroy National Park
Leaving San Carlos de Bariloche we enter Patagonia, a
dry windswept expanse stretching to the southern tip of
the continent; there are some long drives on this sector but
some spectacular scenery at the end of most days. After
free camping for a night near to the town of Perito
Moreno we continue to El Chaltén. The picturesque Fitzroy
National Park is nearby where you can enjoy some of
Argentina’s most scenic hiking. The park is at the foot of
the Fitzroy Massif which has spectacular jagged
snowcapped peaks. Depending on your budget, you can
walk to the Capri Lagoon or take a days trek to and on
the wonderful Viedma Glacier – reputedly the best
icetrekking in the country!

Days 52-53: El Calafate
A short drive from El Chaltén takes us to the pleasant town
of El Calafate, on the north-eastern edge of Lake Argentino.
This is our base for visiting the Moreno Glacier, 80 kilometres
away. The glacier is one of the few in the world that is still
advancing. It is continuously moving at a rate of 1.5 metres
per day and when you are close to the very front you can
hear cracking and creaking and see large lumps of ice
crash into the lake below. With a height of around 60
metres, a width of 5 km at the front and various hues of
blue, white and grey, it is an awesome sight.

Days 54-58: Torres del Paine National
Park (Chile)
Re-entering Chile we pass through Puerto Natales to stock
up on supplies, as we are not allowed to take food over
the border. We then visit the incredible Torres del Paine
National Park so named after its massive granite towers.
The scenery is simply stunning with snow-capped peaks,
glaciers, beautiful lakes and valleys. The park is also home
to an interesting array of native flora and fauna such as
Andean condors, guanacos (a relative of the llama) and
rhea (a type of emu). You have plenty of time to trek the
main trails in the park to see the famous Torres (towers)
and both the Francés and Grey Glaciers. You will also
have the chance to travel by ferry across Lake Pehoé to
wonder at this unbelievable panorama.

Days 59-63: Punta Arenas – Ushuaia
(Argentina)
Travelling further south we reach Punta Arenas, a duty free
port and early frontier town. There is time to visit Zona
Franca, the duty free district and the nearby Magellan
penguin colony which has literally thousands of these
fascinating birds. Leaving Punta Arenas we travel back
into Argentina and cross the Straits of Magellan by ferry to
the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire).
Stopping overnight in Rio Grande, we carry on to Ushuaia,
the world’s most southerly town, with a population of
about 42,000. Here you can take an excursion on the
Beagle Channel to visit the Isla de los Lobos (Island of
Wolves) where you will see colonies of sea lions and
aquatic birds and, with a bit of luck, maybe a whale. You
also have the option to visit the Tierra del Fuego National
Park where there are various trails along the lakeside and
the surrounding snow covered peaks. The park is also
home to a large population of beaver (introduced by the
Canadians), the world’s most southerly train (overpriced)
and it is also where the Panamerican Highway ends at
Lake Lapataia, 17,848 km from its start in Alaska.

Days 64-68: Free camping – Puerto
Madryn – free camping
Free camping en route back up the Atlantic Coast of
Patagonia; we eventually come to the Welsh community
of Puerto Madryn from where we visit the nearby Valdés
Peninsula. The Valdés is renowned for its wildlife and you
will hopefully see penguins, sea lions, elephant seals,
armadillos, guanacos, rheas, southern right whales, killer
whales, Patagonian hares and a great variety of seabirds.
After crossing the Colorado River, we leave Patagonia
and we drive across the windswept Pampa where cattle graze and enormous fields of sunflowers sway in the wind
(the oil from which is a large export for Argentina).

Days 69-72: Buenos Aires
Our next stop is the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. This
beautiful city is known as the "Paris of South America" due
to its lovely green parks, plazas and wide boulevards. The
balcony of the Presidential Palace (Casa Rosada) is where
Eva Peron made many of her speeches and is also the
place where Madonna sang, “Don’t cry for me Argentina”
in the film Evita. Across the Plaza de Mayo you will also find
the Cabildo (Old Town Hall), the Municipalidad (City Hall)
and the Cathedral. Every Thursday afternoon in this plaza
the "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo" march in
remembrance of their family members who disappeared
in the 1970’s when the country was under military rule.
There are many excellent restaurants in the port of La
Boca with its colourful buildings and in nearby San Telmo,
the Bohemian area, there is a fascinating antique market
every Sunday. The Recoleta Cemetery, almost like a
separate city, is where Eva Peron and many other rich and
famous Argentines are buried. The reputation of Buenos
Aires'; nightlife is not exaggerated, as there are many
nightclubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas open until all
hours. For a great evening, you could see a tango show in
the city where the dance originated and you shouldn';t
leave Buenos Aires before trying one of the best
beefsteaks in the world!

Days 73-78: Free camping – San Ignacio
Mini – Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil)
From Buenos Aires we make our way to San Ignacio Mini
where there are some of the best kept Jesuit ruins in the
region. Crossing into Brazil we reach Foz do Iguaçu (Iguazu
Falls), where some 275 waterfalls cascade over a two and
a half kilometre wide cliff face. We spend the next 4 nights
here and there is plenty to do. You can visit both sides of
the falls; on the Brazilian side there are panoramic views of
the numerous waterfalls and on the Argentine side you
can walk through rainforest and along catwalks directly
above the falls. On the Argentine side you’ll also find the
famous "Devil';s Throat" where fourteen falls drop with such
force that there is always a massive cloud of spray
overhead. For a bird’s eye view over the entire falls you
can take an optional scenic helicopter ride. There is also
an excellent bird park nearby and you can visit the world’s
largest hydroelectric dam at Itaipu where videos show the
environmental planning behind the dam project (this tour
is free!). If you want to do a bit of country counting, then
you can pop into neighbouring Paraguay by public bus
(you don’t even have to get your passport stamped) for a
bit of shopping in Ciudad del Esté.

Days 79-81: Free camping – Bonito
Leaving Foz do Iguaçu we free camp on the way to
Bonito where we have plenty of time to enjoy its waterfalls,
caves and rivers. A variety of activities are available which
include cave and river snorkelling, rafting, rainforest walks
and wildlife spotting.

Days 82-84: Pantanal
Our next stop is the Pantanal Wildlife Reserve, a massive
wetland of 230,000 square kilometres. One of the unusual
things about the Pantanal is that there are also many
farms in the area and the animals from these farms live
quite comfortably with the other wildlife in the region. Wild
animals include approximately 650 species of birds,
capybara, howler monkeys, pumas, jaguars, ocelots,
coatis, yellow anacondas, marsh deer, caiman, tapir and
many more. The Pantanal is excellent for wildlife spotting
as the region is more open and flat than a jungle setting.

Days 85-89: Campo Grande – free
camping – Parati
Leaving the Pantanal, we make our way past the modern
city of Campo Grande and across the rolling hills of
Southern Brazil to Parati, free camping en route. Parati, our
final destination before Rio, is an awesome little colonial
coastal town. Vehicles are banned from entering the town
centre leaving the cobbled streets traffic free and
peaceful. Parati was a major port for the exportation of
gold and coffee during the 17th and 19th centuries
respectively and recommended excursions include a
sailing schooner cruise around the bays, rainforest treks
and walking the gold trail.

Days 90-91: Rio de Janeiro
We say goodbye to our final campsite possibly with a
lunch of locally caught seafood and drive on to Rio de
Janeiro, one of the most beautiful cities in the world and
where our trip ends. There are many things to see and do
in Rio so you may wish to stay on for a few more days after
the end of the trip. You can take a trip up to Sugar Loaf
Mountain and Corcovado with its famous Statue of Christ –
both of which offer great city views, visit to the Botanical
Gardens or the famous beaches of Copacabana,
Ipanema and Leblon. And of course, if you are in Rio
around February/March time, get ready for the world';s
biggest party, THE RIO CARNIVAL!