La Carretera Alta, Part 11 – The Nefarious Villains of South America

If you’re planning a trip to South America, you’ll be repeatedly warned of the multitudinous perils that await hapless tourists there. The infallible accuracy of Common Wisdom would have you believe that this is a land without mercy, a continent teeming with barbaric villains whose most … Continue reading →

La Carretera Alta, Part 10 – Full Brazilian

Brazil had been left off our original itinerary for no other reason than mere geography. Most of our South American destinations follow an inherently logical path, like links in a chain strung roughly along the length of the Andes. Not only is Brazil on the other side of the continent, … Continue reading →

La Carretera Alta, Part 9 – Hope Springs Eternal

Hark, all ye would-be overlanders! Heed my warning most dire – when purchasing Compulsory Third Party Insurance for Argentina, ensure you organise the purchase at least two weeks in advance. During La Carretera Alta, we’ve visited seven different countries and had approximately zero problems … Continue reading →

La Carretera Alta, Part 8 – And then I saw an Armadillo…

At Desaguadero, a dishevelled border town on the shores of Lake Titicaca, we were given a classic Peruvian farewell – an unofficial toll. We’d encountered such highly spurious enterprises on other roads, but this one came as a surprise, as we’d crossed this same border twice before without … Continue reading →

La Carretera Alta, Part 7 – Strikes and Gutters

As I vomited into the snow for perhaps the fifth or sixth time, I came to the realisation that we would not climb Alpamayo. Instead, we conducted an inglorious retreat from High Camp, but not before I deposited the vast majority of my stomach lining there. It was our first attempt on a Peruvian … Continue reading →