We're starting in Cusco on December 6th, the day after I finish exams. We will spend two days in Cusco, two in the Sacred Valley, and one at Machu Picchu. From there, we are planning to cross the border to Bolivia by passing through Lake Titicaca and the floating islands. On the Bolivian side of the lake, we hope to visit Copacabana and the Isla del Sol. As an American, I have to have a yellow fever vaccine to travel to Bolivia, which I received here in Perú, and I also have to pay a fee around $100 to cross into the country. This is a method of reciprocity, because all Bolivianos who apply for a visa to the US must pay as well. Once we cross the border, we head to La Paz, the capital, and to the nearby Yungas coca region. We're looking at doing a trek in the mountains/glaciers, although we're not sure if we can, seeing as it will be the rainy season. We then plan to visit the Salares de Uyuni (salt plains), an amazing site (see photo below) and the colored lagoons. From there, we'll hit the Potosí mines, a still living mine that was incredibly important for the history of Perú and Bolivia.
Because we can't effectively travel during Christmas, we've elected to spend those few days in Sucre, an older, colonial style city with a mountain of churches. On December 28th, we travel to Arequipa to visit and do a trek in the Cotahuasi Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world. After a trek of 4 days and 3 nights, we travel back to Lima. At midnight between January 4th and 5th I get on a flight to Houston, and from there to Minneapolis. I arrive in Minneapolis at 10:36am, January 5th after five months in South America.
Up next, packing list!
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