Two Backpackers

Photo of the Day: Bus Ferry Across Tiquina Straits

| by Jason | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

We were leaving Peru and crossing the border into Bolivia to arrive at the beach town of Copacabana. During our border crossing drive, we arrived at the Straits of Tiquina.  The bus dropped us all off at the waters edge and we quickly discovered what was about to happen based on other floating buses and cars in the distance.  The buses drove onto these fragile bare-bone barges, thankfully without us, and they were towed across the lake using very small outboard motors.  It was a constant operation that seemed to work rather efficiently, as long as buses weren’t sinking.

Bus Ferry Across Tiquina Straits in Bolivia

Mendoza Argentina Wine Pictures

| by Jason | 23 Comments » | Argentina, Photo Essays, South America

One of the most popular wine regions to visit in Mendoza, Argentina is Maipu.  Maipu is easily accessible from Mendoza by local bus or your own transportation.  The entire Mendoza wine region is most known throughout the world for it’s Malbec wines.  Experience the thin skinned grapes in a variety of vineyards serving the intense red Malbec wines.  The greatest reward for tasting wines in the Mendoza region is the dramatic landscape featuring the Andes (Los Andes) Mountains and high plains.

This compilation of Mendoza wine travel pictures was taken during our visit to the Maipu wine region in 2024. (more…)

Machu Picchu Pictures

| by Jason | 35 Comments » | Peru, Photo Essays, South America

The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru is perhaps one of the most spectacular sites you can visit in South America. From the complexity of building the city on top of a mountain ridge surrounded by mountains, to the unbelievable story of how it remained intact and untouched for hundreds of years all contribute to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

This compilation of Machu Picchu pictures was taken during our visit to the cultural Inca site in 2024. (more…)

Puerto Natales, Patagonia Chile

| by Jason | 13 Comments » | Chile, South America

Puerto natales 1 371 by Adriuu, on Flickr

If you are planning on visiting Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, you will inevitably arrive to Puerto Natales.  Lying next to the cloudy turquoise glacier shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza, extreme wind conditions are common.  It’s a small town with most buildings only a single story with the main street clearly more developed and groomed than the less traveled side streets.  Like many of the towns visited in Patagonia, they have become entirely dependent on tourism, from the backpacker to tour groups of retirees.  Towns centered on tourism mean you will typically find a modern super market, plenty of adventure rental equipment, touristy restaurants and unlimited lodging. (more…)

Photo of the Day: Long Shadows on Salar de Uyuni Bolivia

| by Aracely | 16 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Long Shadows Captured during a Sunrise over the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

Photo of the Day: Peppers Drying In The Salta Sun

| by Aracely | 2 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Peppers Drying In The Sun Near Cachi, Argentina

Photo of the Day: Cerro Calvario, Copacabana

| by Jason | 3 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Cerro Calvario (Calvary Hill) Copacabana, Bolivia Overlooking Lake Titicaca

Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, from where boats leave for Isla del Sol, the sacred Inca island. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia.

The town is a destination for tourism in Bolivia. The town is also known for its famous Basilica, home of the Virgin of Copacabana, its trout, and its quaint atmosphere. Built between Mount Calvario and Mount Niño Calvario, the town has approximately 6,000 inhabitants. Copacabana’s religious celebrations, cultural patrimony, and traditional festivals are well known throughout Bolivia. – Wikipedia

This is a photo of Cerro Calvario (Calvary Hill) which is lined with monuments representing the 14 Stations of the Cross. Pilgrims visit the Stations for prayer and penance and many tourists climb the hill for its fine views. The Stations of the Cross were built on this hill in the 1950s, when the government decided Copacabana should have more to offer its thousands of pilgrims than just the Basilica of the Virgin. – Sacred Destinations

It took a friend and I (Chuck) 30 minutes to walk all of the steep steps to the top. The exhausting climb was worth the beautiful sunset view out into Lake Titicaca. Some of our best Bolivia sunset photos were taken from this perch.