Or old birds must travel there!
Such highs and lows, much like the mountains to the plains. God I have loved this adventure.
Starting in Bogota in a daze that I’d actually decided to go on this mammoth mission and ending in Cartagena. In the interim, traversing Peru with its finest archaeology. Visiting the more distant and difficult sites and barely catching my breath. Constantly readjusting my plans to accommodate difficult terrain and hostile environments. Girls, you gotta go there if it’s the last thing you do.
Gold museums in every place, glittering their spoils. Ancient artifacts interpreting the ancients view on life and their fantastical imagination. Blood and guts of sacrifice of old and later when the Spanish arrived.
And that train journey to Agua Caliente? A pisco sour made by a proper mixologist?
Pisco Sours all the time in Cusco amidst the visits to the museums and sites there.
Those painted long forgotten tombs on the mountain only rediscovered recently to amaze and enthrall. With mysterious steep spiral stairs down into them.
Local people who loved and disliked the traveller in equal measures. Colour, music, art and oh such lovely food. Danger and poverty, highs and lows. A passion to regain their heritage and languages.
Tatacoa Desert. Burningly hot red sand sculptural hills in a maze where you could easily be lost only toe be found mummified like in antiquity.
Gruelling bus rides with ghastly younger tourists to arrive in those tricky places.
My best bits I think though we’re the more tourist free areas where the people had not yet become cynical. San Augustin and Tierradentro spring to mind as well as my lovely Trujillo. Hideous wake up calls were Lima and Cartagena. Bogota was a no go after 6 at night but was easy during the day. I must say for the solo traveller let alone a solo old bird it’s safe to say few places are safe after dark there.
Mysteries aand ancient knowledge, still uncovered secrets and dripping with gold to die for.
Modern art that’s so different it makes your head spin.
It’s truly a rollercoaster but surely that is what you want or you’d have gone on an all inclusive beach holiday, or god forbid a tour guided trip from hell. You have to be quick on your feet mentally astute and love adventure
Old Bird Travels Solo! 