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Showing posts from January, 2015

Back to Patagonia: The W Trek, Torres del Paine

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When I went to Patagonia in January of 2014, I knew I'd be heading back the following year. This time, my mom and her husband met me in Punta Arenas and we took an "Active Adventures" tour with tons of hiking. Many of the places (Perito Moreno & El Chalten) I had been to, but several I hadn't (Torres del Paine). I don't normally see places by tour, but it was nice to step away from planning every bit of transportation, food, and lodging for awhile-especially after weeks on the road!! This first batch of pictures is from our four-day "W" trek in Torres del Paine, Chile. And we're off! In our bus to Torres del Paine (blue towers) National Park We saw guanacos and rhea on the way Ready to start! Up, up, up we go. Great views and decent weather for day 1 After we dropped our packs off and had lunch at the first refugio, we continued up, up, up. We made it, and as we arrived, the clouds lifted! These are the towers the par

Guatape, Colombia

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My last stop in Colombia was definitely my favorite. I went to the lakeside town of Guatape for a night, and ended up staying for about a week, until I had to catch my next flight south. It was only a couple hours from Medellin, but a world of difference! I'd spent too much time in big cities, and it was nice to be out in the country a bit more, with outdoor activities! On my first day I did what everyone does in Guatape: climb the 740 steps up the nearby La Piedra. The view was worth it! The next day found me hiking to a nearby waterfall with some fellow hostellers. I then spent a lazy day exploring the town. All of the buildings have cute fresco-like paintings on the sides. Some advertise what's sold inside, and others are just cute. The next day a few of us at the hostel hired a driver, and went to the neighboring town of San Rafael. Here, we went on another hike to a waterfall/swimming hole, had lunch in the town and met some cute kids, and walked along a