I stands for ice, ice stands for Iceland. I will share more about this magnificent country in next posts. Here just a few photos from the ice cave, I visited. Though, just want to add that it really is difficult to stay for some time and take photos in -15C. Even thought, Iceland is worming you up inside!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because we’re about to embark on a whirlwind tour of… well, travel! Prepare your funny bones and your passports, because this blog post is about to get as lost as your luggage.
Travel: The Art of Being Wrong in a Foreign Country (and Loving It)
So, you’ve decided to travel? Congratulations! You’ve officially signed up for a masterclass in miscommunication, questionable street food, and the eternal quest for a decent Wi-Fi signal.
First things first: Pack light. (Said no traveler ever.) Seriously, though, try to resist the urge to bring your entire wardrobe. You’ll end up lugging a suitcase the size of a small car, and trust me, that’s not a good look when you’re trying to navigate cobblestone streets.
Next, embrace the chaos. Getting lost is practically a rite of passage. Consider it an opportunity to discover hidden gems, practice your charades with locals, and maybe, just maybe, stumble upon the world’s best gelato. (It’s a real possibility, folks.)
Language barriers? They’re your new best friend. Learn a few basic phrases, butcher them with gusto, and prepare for a lot of laughter. The locals will appreciate the effort, even if you’re ordering “two pizzas and a goat” instead of “two pizzas and a Coke.”
Food: Be adventurous! Try everything! (Except maybe that suspicious-looking thing from the street vendor. Use your judgment.) You’ll discover flavors that will blow your mind (and possibly your digestive system).
Finally, remember to relax and enjoy the ride. Travel is messy, unpredictable, and often hilarious. So, go forth, explore, and make memories that will last a lifetime… or at least until your next Instagram post. Happy travels!
Holding the title of the highest navigable lake on the planet, as well as on my list of the most beautiful water basins in the world, tucked away high in the Andes between snow-covered peaks, Lake Titicaca is one of the most popular places to see in South America. Known for its unique panorama during the day and the night time, crystal-clear air and water, combine with mountain range around. Believed to be the birthplace of the first Incas, along with the sun, moon and stars, when creator came out of the lake.
The main two bases to explore Lake Titicaca (and other sites in the region) are Puno, in Peru, and Copacabana in Bolivia. I did visit these two mentioned towns, and I stayed a minimum of two nights in each, which gave me some time to look around and discover them. If you’re backpacking and having loads of time, you can stop in both to see the Bolivian and Peruvian side of Titicaca, as they are very different. However, if you’re rushing a bit, I would definitely suggest staying just in Copacabana in Bolivia. Why? Well, for few reasons really. From there, most tour operators run a day trips to the Isla del Sol, with a quick stop at the Isla de la Luna. Bolivian town is way smaller and cutter. Very touristic too, which I don’t always like, but can be handy when it comes to accommodation and organized trips. Lake is looking really amazing (way better) from this side as well, you can hike some mountains around to spot the stunning panorama of the pool and surrounded areas. In Puno the lake side can`t be really accessible properly, there is no beach to sit and enjoy, and there’s not so many hills from where you can get a good grip of Titicaca. Having said all that, I loved Puno for its truly Peruvian vibe. There is loads of street food stands around, loads of mercados to grab a very tasty local meal, stand with fresh fruits, vegetables, colorful ladies with coca leafs…everything really.
This can not be found in Copacabana, I was really struggling there to find a proper local food, and once I even ended up ordering a pizza. Not so cool. However, It’s just a food, and I think exploring the lake is the reason we are there in the first place, so again, that points us towards Copacabana over Puno. There is also loads of hotels by the lake (I was lucky to be in one), when in Puno you can hardly find any so close to the water. So I think we have a winner at the end-Copacabana. However, again on another side, Puno hold a very strong argument of having a famous Floating Islands, a must see while there. Yet, I think the trip can be booked from Copacabana too. The other reason (to cheer you up really, if you cant do both) to stay at just one place is the fact that any route you will take to get there, you will be able to have another good look at the lake, as streets are usually around the lake. If you will come from La Paz, like myself, to Copacabana, you will even cross Titicaca on the boat.
Verdict:
Just for the lake and islands Copacabana is a winner, but if you want to feel the true vibe, less touristic place, traditional food and real life more than lake, then Puno is definitely for you!
Either way you will choose, the bottom line is not to skip this place. Trust me, Titicaca will stay in your heart forever.
Backpacking, as a new way of life for loads of us, or just as an episode, always requires loads of planning ahead. It is probably the fastest growing way of traveling nowadays, especially for young people. Costing, creating your trail and allocating the amount of time, you are planning to spend in each place, is something every traveler came across. 
I know it from autopsy, especially from my 6 months trip in South America. Budget was as important to me as a discovery of every possible amazing place in this colorful continent. It is not easy to find this balance, but well possible. I, myself, spend more time in Bolivia and less in Argentina, to keep my finances in place. Luckily, Bolivia became as the highlight of my journey, and I found Argentina least attractive. Mathematics and rational thinking is laughing at as at this point, as of the fact that longer you are planning to travel, the cheaper it will get. I did my backpacking in 2015-2016, but I have rechecked the recent, as of May 2017, prices, to provide you with a very current information on Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. So where do we stand with the cost? Lets have a look.
Overlook: Most expensive in South America and expensive in general. Difficult to fully explore and enjoy for a budget backpacker, but possible to survive.
Accommodation: Not as expensive as food and transport. Hostels starts from just 7$, hotels from 14$.
Transport: Extremely expensive as of South American pricing.
Buses: Thought, the distances in Argentina are great, and you know you will need usually 10-20h to get from A to B, buses are still way more expensive than expected. If you are brave, try to hitchhiking. Otherwise expect to pay around 100$ for a 10-12h of a journey. I paid around 180$ for a fully recline chair from Puerto Iguazu to Buenos Aires, and it took 22 hours.
Public: 0.40$ in Buenos Aires for a single ride. Please note that you need to buy a Sube Card, or you can pay to someone to swipe you in.
Taxi: Since there is one official tariff, you are not going to be charged more. Relatively cheap at 0.92$ for 1 km.
Food: Hot-dog and burger stands are on every corner in Buenos Aires, and usually cost 3$, but meal in restaurant is for 15-20$.
Daily budget: You can easily make it at 35$ a day, but this does not include traveling between cities, going and eating out.
Overlook: One of the cheapest countries in South America. Please do enjoy, buy organized trips, eat only out, stock up on anything you need (clothes, backpack, etc).
Accommodation: Hostels start at 4-5$, hotels at 8$.
Transport: Very cheap, especially between cities (but dodgy buses with no toilet), very cheap to travel around the city too.
Buses: Depending on the comfort, 1-3$ for 1h of journey.
Public: 0.15$ for micro bus for single journey, 0.40 $ for single ride in a minivan (La Paz).
Taxi: 1.43$ for 1 km, as official info, but it can be way cheaper!
Food: Main meal in the market (with drink) cost 1-2$. Soup 0.50$.
Daily budget: Possible to make it with just 15$ a day.
Overlook: Not cheap, not expensive either. Buses tend to be pricey, but accommodation and food are affordable.
Accommodation: Hostels starts at 5$, hotels at 12$ (Sao Paulo).
Transport:
Buses: 40-50$ as the cheapest sit for 11h of journey (Catarinense company).
Public: 1$ for single journey by metro, 0.74-1.10$ for the bus (Sao Paulo).
Taxi: 0.82$ for 1 km (Sao Paulo).
Food: Kilo shops are the cheapest, it is a buffet style restaurant where you dish the food yourself, and you pay for the weight of it. Approx 7-8$ for 1 kg.
Daily budget: Can start from 20-25$ a day.
Overlook: A bit more expensive then Brazil, cheaper than Argentina. Capital Santiago a bit expensive. Buses and restaurants are pricey, accommodation is not so cheap as well.
Accommodation: Hostels start at 9$, hotels at 25$.
Transport: Relatively expensive.
Buses: Expensive, but you can save by buying in advance (around 20% cheaper). Around 90$ for 22h of journey (Santiago to San Pedro).
Public: You have to buy a Bip card that cost 2.24$. Micros always cost 1$ per trip, and the metro ranges from 0.90$ to 1.05$, depending on the time. If you ride the bus then transfer to the metro within 60 minutes, you will just be charged the difference in fare.
Taxi: 0.97$ for 1km. Please note that its normal to cheat on tourists. I did not watch the tariff, and I paid 35$ for 5 km!!!
Food: Expensive to eat out in a restaurant in Santiago, easily 15$ for a lunch for one person. Fast foods and food stands (hot-dogs, empanadas, churrascos, chips, burgers, pizza slices) are cheaper (2-5$) and can be found very often. There is a big, main mercado, where you can eat a big main meal for 5-6$ in Santiago.
Daily budget: Starts from 20-25$, and can be done for 20$ only when cooking by itself.
Overlook: One of the cheapest countries.
Accommodation: Hostels starts at 5-6$, hotels at 10$.
Transport: Public, taxis and domestic transport is very cheap.
Buses: 11h of journey starts at 25$ (Cali-Bogota).
Public: 0.49$ for single journey.
Taxi: 1.54$ for 1km. Please use only licensed taxis, ideally recommend by hotel
Food: Very cheap to eat out. Rice, beans and meat can be found at 1.5$.
Daily budget: You can survive at 15$ a day.
Overlook: Vary from very cheap (in less touristic places) to more expensive (Montanita, Banos).
Accommodation: Hostels starts at 5$, hotels at 10$ (Quito). Hostels starts at 10$, hotels from 25$ in very touristic Montanita.
Transport: Cheap in general.
Buses: 1-1.5$ for an hour of journey.
Public: 0.25$ for single ride (Quito).
Taxi: 0.40$ for 1km (Quito)
Food: Loads of very cheap places to eat, but need to be found in less posh streets. Rice, meat, salad with drink can be found for 3-4$.
Daily budget: Can start from 20$ a day.
Overlook: Very cheap, the cheapest next to Bolivia when it comes to food, transport and accommodation.
Accommodation: Hostels starts at 5$, hotels at 8$.
Transport:
Buses: starts at 1$ for 1h of journey.
Public: 0.40-0.60$ for a single ride (Asunción).
Taxi: 0.94$ for 1 km (Asunción)
Food: Very cheap, if not the cheapest in South America. Main meal can be found from 1.5$ in mercado area.
Daily budget: 20$ a day, but can be done from 15$.
Overlook: Peru is very affordable, just a little bit more expensive than Bolivia, cheaper than Ecuador. Cusco, from where you can do Machu Picchu, is most expensive along with Miraflores area in Lima.
Accommodation: Hostels start at 6$, hotels at 8$ (hotels at this price are in a very dodgy areas in Lima).
Transport:
Buses: Can be found at very affordable price or for twice more for the same standard bus, so it is good to do some research. Starts from only 35$ from Lima to Mancora (18h of journey). Here I have to recommend a Civa bus company as of a cheap price and very good comfort.
Public: Starts at 0.15$ for single ride (Lima).
Taxi: 1.52$ for 1 km (Lima)
Food: Very cheap. In mercados possible to find a main meal for 1.5$.
Daily budget: Same as Bolivia and Paraguay starts at 20$, but can be done even from 15$.
Overlook: Expensive, just a little bit cheaper than Argentina, thought the size helps to explore it better.
Accommodation: Hostels starts at 12$, hotels at 16$.
Transport:
Buses: Around 7$ for 2h of journey.
Public: 1.10$ for a single ticket (Montevideo).
Taxi: 0.74$ for 1 km (Montevideo).
Food: Very expensive to eat out, especially in the evening in the restaurant. Lunches starts at 8-10$, but as the cheapest one in a dodgy place.
Daily budget: Can start from 35$, very similarly to Argentina.
Bolivia is, and probably always will be, one of the most diverse, colorful and simply amazing places I have ever visited. I felt in love with the landscape, people and atmosphere as soon as I crossed the border on the desert between Chile and Bolivia. It was one of the nine countries, I have visited during my six months backpacking trip through South America. Even planning this trip at home, I already knew that Bolivia will be my favorite destination. The one, I will remember forever. And it happened to be one indeed. In this section, I will briefly write you about my experience, but my main goal is to give you an overall look at prices, transport and food in this absolutely stunning country.
Probably the hardest thing to deal with in Bolivia, and pretty much in every Latin country, is zero to minimum English-speaking people around. I have to admit that it was difficult at times with my limited Spanish. You really have to learn basics to travel there around, otherwise you may miss or lose on loads of things. Thought, in most hotels or hostels receptionists speak English, it’s not always guaranteed, and remember that they are not going to be with you everywhere anyway. But here’s something to cheer you up. Bolivia is one of the cheapest places in South America, I think only Paraguay is cheaper, so enjoy! That can also be handy in taking Spanish classes there. Sucre, capital, is most popular for it, with prices starting at just under a 5$ for a day long course. Apart from study, once there, if you need a new clothes, buy them. That’s the best place to stock up on anything you need. Don’t also waste your time in the hostel’s kitchen to cook. You can get an amazing main meal for just 1-1.5$ that comes usually with drink and sometimes even with a soup. Trips are very affordable, even that I prefer always to do everything on my own, I bought few, and I was very pleased with them. Plus, I have met other travelers too, while doing so. Prices depends on season, agency and your negotiation skills, but let’s say one day trip to the jungle can cost around 20$, including all meals, transport and guide. Ha, almost forgot to mention how important negotiations are. Try to do it if possible, especially while dealing with travel agents. You can always get a discount. I never done it while buying food or meals, simply as It was cheap already. I was even paying more, just as I felt that they deserved a little bit extra from us, tourists. But hey, do what you want!
Transport. When it comes to transport you wallet is happy, but your back not so. Buses are very cheap, but that reflects on the comfort you are getting. There is not much choice around too. Well, loads of companies, but with the same standard buses (as of Feb 2016), so there is no need to look around too much, check just few to get the cheapest price (they don’t differ that much neither) and buy a ticket. Average bus ride for 8h will cost you no more than 11-12$. 80% of the bused do not have a toilet, or there is one, but permanently closed to the public view. Don’t panic. Bus driver will be stopping very often next to the toilets, restaurants and shops, so you will be able to stuck up on food or use a loo. Your intake and outtake will be well taken care of on the road. You don’t even have to go to the shop really, there will be loads of colorful ladies popping in to the bus to sell all kind of food and drinks. From hot meat, corns (my fav, miss them with all my heart), vegetarian or meaty delicious pastry, to nuts, all kind of fruits and sweets. Try saltena, they are all homemade and extremely delicious!!! Anyway, even that I mentioned how uncomfortable buses can be, with minimum recline chairs and no toilet in, there will be nothing more amazing and beautiful than what you will see through the window on the road. Landscape is just breath-taking. You think you are getting from A to B, but what you’re really doing is having an amazing cheap trip thought the Andes, valleys and jungle.
Now few worlds about city transport. Don’t hesitate to take a taxi if you need one. It’s very very cheap, but always remember to agree on the price before getting in. I am not saying they will try to cheat on you, as I found Bolivians more than fair, but just in case. For example 5km will cost you around 3$. Buses and minibuses are way cheaper…surprise, surprise ;). It is very difficult to get your head around, but once you will master that, just go for it! See yourself the real Bolivian transport system, extremely dodgy buses full of amazing people. For example, in La Paz you will be shock how buses do run, but they always have a destination shown on the front window, and they do go to the main “backpacker interest” places, so chill out. From minibus you can get off where you want, and get in where you want, just wave your hand or tell the driver to stop. They will cost you around 0.20$.
Hostels and hotels are very cheap too. Usually I was paying max 8$ per night. In one of the best Hotels, with balcony and view on Titicaca lake in Copacabana, I paid 35$ (oh well, I need that from time to time), so you can see that good ones are affordable too. There are loads of places to stay around, and I mean it! It is like a backpacker`s dream land, so you will not look for too long to find a place you like. Bolivia is elevated, so the temperature range tend to be as the lowest in South America. That’s why in most hostels you will get a hot water, so enjoy till last, as in other countries that’s like a rare pleasure.
At the beginning of my trip (in Brazil, Argentina and Chile), I was using a booking.com, but I quickly discovered that I am just paying more, as of booking.com fesses, so do look yourself or look online and then just go to your accommodation. There is hardly any hotel, hostel that is fully booked. As I mention before, it`s loads of them, especially in the city canter area and near all bus stations, so you won’t end up walking with your backpack for too long.
Maps.me. Please do get a maps.me app. It saved my life many many times. You can use maps with no internet connection, and even, as because it uses a GPS, it will show you your location in most of the places. Plus, it has hostels, shops and all places of interest on it, which make it easier to find your way around.
Food in Bolivia is like a dream. I loved it a lot. I guess, I still do, but it’s not a culinary side, so I will spare you writing much about it. However, it’s cheap, homemade, delicious and it’s available on every corner. Always go to the big markets (Mercados) to eat. Everything is there, and usually (at least in every place I visited so far) is divided in sections for stands selling fruits, vegetables, meat, clothes, cosmetics, and then there is that amazing food area, I am talking about. Oh, public toilets are there too. Well, to be honest, they are very dirty, smelly and not nice in general, but please don’t act with your nose up. It is a third world country. People live in this condition and often don’t have a choice. Think how lucky and fortunate you are. Use it, pay and leave. Anyway, coming back to my favorite topic, please do visit mercados and try the food there. Its traditional and made in front of you.
As I wrote above, the average price for the main meal and drink is 1.5$. Though, it’s not much of vegetarian range there, you can find something anyway. Otherwise you can have a delicious meat (chicken, beef) with salad and rice or potatoes. Pasta is very popular too. Dishes differ from very mild to very spicy. The most amazing thing is that you will eat with locals. They are all very nice, and they will always talk to you. I really would like to highlight places like that, as usually I was the only traveler there, and that gave me the chance to truly experience a daily life in Bolivia and atmosphere. Don’t be scared and don’t listen about food poisoning, upset tummy etc. For the whole 6 months (and trust me, I ate the cheapest street food, sometimes even sitting on my bum on the street..see pic under), and I’ve never ever experience anything like that!! Be brave and don’t act posh, but if you are like that, then Bolivia is definitely not for you!!
Girls, now you can relax, finally. There will be non to minimum harassment from Latinos in Bolivia towards you. It’s very interesting about that place, and I still don’t understand why. People are very distant there, not pushy at all, but nice when it comes to interaction. I think Nicaragua and Salvador are on the top of the list, when sometimes I was wishing I could just give them a good old face palm. So, enjoy it and walk around without unwanted attention. At the same time, I felt like Bolivia is the safest place too.
Solo female traveller 
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