[ o l e ] South America Travelogue

My Itinerary

October 2005

  • Timetable, Frankfurt International AirportFrankfurt Airport   Germany   N 50° 8' 9"   E 8° 40' 11"   Locate on map

    Departure: Oct 7, 2005.
    Returning home: Jun 5, 2006.

  • Atlanta Airport   USA   N 33° 38' 25"   W 84° 26' 23"   Locate on map

  • Bogotá panorama from Monserrate hillBogotá   Colombia   N 4° 36' 0"   W 74° 5' 0"   Locate on map

    Exploring the colonial quarters of Colombia’s capital (approx. 2600 m). Watching the city from Monserrate hill (3200 m). Being deeply impressed by the underground “Salt Cathedral” of nearby Zipaquirá.

  • Wax palms, Valle de Cocora, La Zona Cafetera, ColombiaLa Zona Cafetera   Colombia   N 4° 38' 15"   W 75° 34' 13"   Locate on map

    Colombia’s coffee-growing region (approx. 1500-2500 m). Enjoying the relaxing countryside, seeing how coffee is made on a traditional coffee finca, hiking through the Cocora Valley towards the Parque Nacional Los Nevados.

  • Sunset over the Old City, Quito, EcuadorQuito   Ecuador   S 0° 13' 0"   W 78° 30' 0"   Locate on map

    Ecuador’s capital (approx. 2850 m): my base for exploring the northern and central parts of the Ecuadorian Andes.

  • Ridge around Laguna Cuicocha near Otavalo, EcuadorAround Otavalo   Ecuador   N 0° 14' 0"   W 78° 16' 0"   Locate on map

    Hiking around Laguna Cuicocha (approx. 3200 m) and the Lagunas de Mojanda (3800 m). Climbing Fuya Fuya volcano as a first acclimatization for the higher peaks (4263 m).

November 2005

  • Majestic Cotopaxi (5897 m) rising out of the clouds after sunriseIliniza Norte volcano   Ecuador   S 0° 40' 0"   W 78° 42' 0"   Locate on map

    My first time above 5000 m. I did not make it to the very top (5126 m) ‘cause, being all alone, I got a little scared and turned around at approx. 5050 m. The sunrise at 4700 m (above the clouds) is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

  • View into the crater of Cotopaxi volcano (5897 m), EcuadorCotopaxi volcano   Ecuador   S 0° 41' 21"   W 78° 26' 16"   Locate on map

    After the successful climb of Iliniza Norte and jsut days before I would leave for the Galápagos, I felt I had to try Cotopaxi (5897 m). But it was too much for me – between 5400 and 5500 m I had to go back down. Two of my group made it to the top and brought amazing pictures with them.

  • Juvenile Frigatebird, Genovesa Island, Galápagos IslandsGalápagos Islands   Ecuador   N 0° 0' 0"   W 90° 30' 0"   Locate on map

    An amazing 1-week cruise around most of the Galápagos Islands offered countless opportunities for wildlife photography. After the cruise I stayed some more days on laid-back Isabela Island.

  • Laguna Quilotoa (3800 m), EcuadorChugchilán   Ecuador   S 0° 48' 0"   W 78° 55' 0"   Locate on map

    The remote village of Chugchilán is a perfect place for exploring the Ecuadorian Andes. And nearby Laguna Quilotoa, a depp-blue lake in the crater of Quilotoa volcano, is spectacular.

December 2005

  • Baños   Ecuador   S 1° 24' 0"   W 78° 25' 0"   Locate on map

    (no pictures)

  • New Cathedral from inside, Cuenca, EcuadorCuenca   Ecuador   S 2° 53' 0"   W 78° 59' 0"   Locate on map

    Probably Ecuador’s most beautiful city, not as big, polluted and noisy as Quito and with lots of colonial architecture.

  • Night sky over swimming pool, Vilcabamba, EcuadorVilcabamba   Ecuador   S 4° 15' 0"   W 79° 15' 0"   Locate on map

  • Wall of the ancient Kuelap fortress, Amazonas province, PeruChachapoyas   Peru   S 6° 13' 0"   W 77° 51' 0"   Locate on map

    Nearby Kuélap, a giant fortress on a mountain-top, is one of the most impressive pre-Inca ruins of all Peru.

  • Wall detail, Chan Chan ruins, near Trujillo, PeruTrujillo   Peru   S 8° 7' 17"   W 79° 2' 28"   Locate on map

    The impressive adobe city of Chan Chan and the Hucacas de la Luna y del Sol (Temples of the Moon and Sun) are relics of different pre-Inca cultures who inhabited the deserts of North Peru.

    In the nearby fishing town of Huanchaco you can still watch the fishermen go to sea in their traditional reed boats.

  • Artesonraju (6025 m) at sunrise, Llanganuco – Santa Cruz trek, Cordillera Blanca, PeruHuaraz and the Cordillera Blanca   Peru   S 9° 32' 0"   W 77° 32' 0"   Locate on map

    The Cordillera Blanca, one of the most scenic parts of all the Andes, offers the best trekking in Peru.

  • Lima   Peru   S 12° 3' 0"   W 77° 3' 0"   Locate on map

    (no picures)

  • Guanay Cormorants, Ballestas Islands, PeruIslas Ballestas and the Reserva Nacional Paracas   Peru   S 13° 42' 0"   W 76° 13' 0"   Locate on map

    Tens or hundreds of thousands of birds can be observed on the Islas Ballestas just off the coast of the little town of Pisco.

  • Sand dunes, Huacachina, PeruHuacachina   Peru   S 14° 5' 13"   W 75° 46' 6"   Locate on map

    An oasis in the desert, enclosed by sand dunes hundreds of meters in height. Favorite activities: sandboarding and cruising the desert in a buggy.

January 2006

  • Hands, Nasca Lines, PeruNasca   Peru   S 14° 50' 0"   W 74° 57' 0"   Locate on map

    Flight over the mysterious Nasca Lines.

  • Stairway, Santa Catalina Monastery, Arequipa, PeruArequipa   Peru   S 16° 24' 4"   W 71° 32' 6"   Locate on map

    The “white city” is one of the best I have seen on my trip. Nearby Colca Canyon is one of the best spots to see the majestic Andean condor.

  • View of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu, PeruCusco   Peru   S 13° 31' 6"   W 71° 59' 19"   Locate on map

    Cusco, capital of the Incas. Impressive ruins in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Walking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

  • Saying hello, floating islands Los Uros, Lake Titicaca, PeruPuno   Peru   S 15° 50' 0"   W 70° 2' 0"   Locate on map

    The Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca.

  • View over Lake Titicaca from Isla del Sol, BoliviaCopacabana   Bolivia   S 16° 9' 0"   W 69° 5' 0"   Locate on map

  • La Paz   Bolivia   S 16° 30' 0"   W 68° 9' 0"   Locate on map

  • Arica   Chile   S 18° 29' 0"   W 70° 20' 0"   Locate on map

  • Vicuñas, Salar de Surire, ChileLauca National Park   Chile   S 18° 12' 0"   W 69° 16' 0"   Locate on map

February 2006

March 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

  • Santa Cruz de la Sierra   Bolivia   S 17° 48' 0"   W 63° 10' 0"   Locate on map

  • Bogotá   Colombia   N 4° 24' 0"   W 73° 53' 0"   Locate on map

Ole Begemann 2005/2006 — License/Imprint: Creative Commons (except where otherwise noted).