'In every ending lies a new beginning.
Quote apparently from Miguel de Unamuno

For me, this means that I will close the chapter on South America in 2025, however it is not the final end, but rather the starting point for something new. Let's see what it will be.....

The best thing about handing over the Sprinter was checking into a hotel with air conditioning and not having to share my room with any mosquitoes.

Over the last three weeks in Colombia, the temperature was over 28°C at night, and I had a lot of friends visiting me after 5:30 pm. Most of the insect repellents didn't work, and  Thermacell only worked on mosquitoes, not the other tiny black flies.

My last stop in Ecuador was to be the Angel National Park with its Polylepis trees. They look really impressive.

On the way to Tulcan, I once again chose the direct route. At about 5 o'clock it was over for me. I had got stuck in a mud hole. About 10 km to the next house, 25 km to Tulcan and no traffic on the road.

In the evening at 8 p.m. Sebastian, who was on his way to Tulcan in his Checy 4x4, rescued me.

I have now been caught out too. When I arrived at Finca Sommerwind, my neighbours from Holland asked me where I was from. I wanted to point to my number plate, but it was no longer there. Only the screws of the bracket were still in the bumper.

No real problem, because it had only been a dummy licence plate. Let's see if I can get a licence plate holder in Ecuador, or even just find out what it's called in Spanish.

Inti Raymi is the festival of the winter solstice (June 21st in Ecuador). In Quechua, it stands for ‘Festival of the Sun’. Indigenous communities honour the goddess Pachamama (Earth Mother) in Ecuador with dances, music and energetic rituals.

There was plenty of this to see in Quito.

Even a few Predators came to watch the festival. In any case, the city was pretty busy.

When you sink your Sprinter on a sandbank in the Rio Marañón, twice within an hour, you don't need a Peruvian campesino who complains and doesn't help.

The only good thing about the situation was that I didn't really understand him. 😤

Overall it took me 3 hours without help to get moving again

Altitude sickness is the medical conditions that can happen when you move to a higher altitude too quickly. In our case from sea level to 4'300 m.a.s.l. Altitude sickness can cause many symptom

• Headache 
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue, even when resting
• Trouble sleeping
• Dizziness 

In Clara's case Headache & Nausea. When we drove below 3'900 m.a.s.l the symptoms quickly disappeared

As I didn't go to Machu Pichu, I traveled around it via the Ruta 28B and CU100. It was really worth it. Stunning mountains, 4 passes over 4'000 m.a.s.l, a glacier, rain forests and steep gravel roads

A landslide after ACCOBAMBA really pushed me to my limits. For Peruvians this was normal, for a German on the verge of madness.

Next to the road, it goes down the steep slope for about 500 meters. I admired the excavator driver who made the slope passable within a day.

When I look at the top destinations in Peru, the Rainbow Mountains, Vinicunca and Palcoyo are among the top 5 destinations. It was only by chance that I came across Pallay Punchu at Laguna Langui.

I had already seen various cerros with many colors, but this idyll at 4,700 m inspired me. Probably also because I only came across 10 tourists in 2 days compared to the hundreds a day at the Rainbow Mountains and the whole thing is free.

At Pallay Punchu - Layo Canas the alpaccas still graze freely along the road

The ride from Laguna Pomacanchi to Campi was spectacular. Before Acomayo I left Ruta 117 and drove the next hour on the steep slopes of the mountains. The road in Campi was tight and bumpi however thereafter was great. The views from my pitch were reward enough.

The hike to Waqrapukara was too much for me. However the outlook during the hike was worth the 15 km on approx 4'000 m.a.s.l.

Another example for a less touristy location in Peru, I saw 3 other hikers that day

Yesterday, more by chance than by design, I found myself on the Ruta 34 E with the Dog.O.Mobil on a pass that has no name but is 4'789 meters above sea level. If you are looking for it, its location on Google Maps is about here

I couldn't really enjoy it much, as it rained, snowed and stormed all afternoon at over 4'500 m.a.s.l. What's more, the Ruta 34 E was the worst fucxxxx dust road in South America for me. I had never had so many potholes over 25 km before and now I can say thereafter

Puerto de Tiquina on Lake Titicaca is a ferry port where wooden ferries still bring everything from cars to trucks to the other side of the lake.

It only takes about 15 minutes and costs less than €5. Many Europeans can't imagine such a thing 🥳

What can I say, after crossing the Paso Agua Negra at over 4'700 m.s.a.l without any problems, I had been looking for higher and higher pitches over the last few weeks.

At Lago Chungará I cracked 4'500 m.a.s.l. It wasn't just the altitude, but also the fact that I drove up from Arica (sea level) with just one stop.

The pitch was brilliant, the view unbeatable. Temperatures at night were below -5 Celsius and I had to leave the parking heater on all night for the first time. But I didn't feel too bad at that altitude.

My last stop in Chile was Lago Chungará at the border to Bolivia. There are so many volcanoes and mountains in the Parque Nacional Lauca that this national park is definitely my favourite in Chile.

Firstly, because the panorama at over 4'500 metres is hard to describe, but it is brilliant. Secondly, because the wildlife at this altitude has so much more to offer besides llamas, flamingos, pumas and vincunas.

But if I'm honest, the altitude did get to me. I was glad to go to lower altitudes in Bolivia

In the last 2 weeks I have seen one or two llamas, then groups and at the weekend herds. They can reach almost two meters in length, weigh up  to 190 kg

I stayed with a breeder who had more than 200. The animals are so damn photogenic and the little ones are really cute.

I've been traveling through the Puna for days. I crossed passes up to 4'500 meters above sea level on the way and descended again in the evening to a maximum of 3'500 m.a.s.l.

Worked well. When I was standing at the Cone de Arita yesterday, I told myself that I had to break the 4'000 m.a.s.l. barrier for a pitch. I slept last night at 4'055 m.a.s.l. I feel brilliant! However I have to say it was fresh this morning with 2.5 Celsius outside

The Salar de Arizaro is a salt lake in the center of the Puna and lies at an altitude of 3,460 m.a.s.l. The ‘Cono de Arita’ is one of the sights of the Salar and one of my first goals for South America. Goal achieved!

The last 20 kilometers to the Cone de Arita are some of the worst Ripio tracks I have driven to date. I crawled along the track at 10 to 20 km/h at 25 degrees

It's around 320 kilometers from Vicuña, CL to Jachal, AR, with the Paso Aqua Negra in between. No really steep sections, tarmac road, but from the Embalse La Laguna you drive on gravel. Not a really bad track, but it's enough. It goes over approx. 158 km from 616 m.a.s.l. to 4'753 m.a.s.l., so it goes up about 25 m per kilometer. It looks similar on the other side in Argentina. 

I have to say that I was more excited about the journey up and down than the pass itself. Apart from a few signs, there's nothing there. 

Without warning, this fog forms on the Pacific coast. The temperature quickly drops from over 25 degrees to well below 20 degrees.

I found this phenomenon so interesting that I made a video with the drone. Unfortunately, the drone crashed after almost 25 minutes. I couldn't find it afterwards. The next morning, Marcus, Siegfried and I tried again. With success!

I drove for approx 1 hour on R-801 and it was one of the most spectacular valleys in Chile so far. But this tiny little bridge, or better what was left of it forced me to go back to Lonquimay. So I had twice the opportunity to enjoy the valley you could say, correct!

The whole R-801 is a gravel road, however the last 20 min to the missing bridge was covered in a black powder, so fine that it got into the car through every crack. Guess what I did the day after 🥴

Arrived at Lago Llanquihue in the late afternoon after a hike in the Parque Nacional Alerce Andino. What a view of the Osorno Volcano! Should be doable for me!

In the evening I looked at the weather forecast and I knew that it wouldn't be Osorno. Rain for the next few days. The next morning, the volcano was covered in clouds. It would be a different day and a different volcano!

If there's one thing I'll remember, it's the bad weather along the Carretera Austral. Below travel blog post didn't quite apply to me.

Patagonia in the dry season (December to February). During these months the temperatures are very warm, averaging 20° C, and the amount of rainfall is much lower than in the rest of the year. This is the high season and best time to travel anywhere in Chile

What do you do when your mind says no, but you really want to see the glaciers from your pitch..... 2 hours later I was out again. 

Thanks to Elisabeth and Carlheinz. Without help it would have taken much longer. 

After 2 weeks in Argentinian Patagonia, I crossed over to the Carretera Austral (R7) in Chile. The journey to Paso Roballos and the border station were definitely a highlight for me.

Next stop Cochrane. Refuelling and shopping

I am still not able to grasp the sheer distances in the Santa Cruz Province and as I call it the Estepa Province

Hardly a journey between 2 must-see spots under 300 kilometers and mostly on tiringly straight roads. Only the wind forces you to stay alert

Finally I have seen Fitz Roy. For me the most beautiful place in Patagonia. Even after a 19 km hike I felt so balanced and relaxed

At 8:00 this morning I entered the NP Los Glaciars to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier.  Paid 45 € and 30 min later I was one of many others, that drove the only one road that gets you to the Mirador. The viewpoint is nicely arranged with pathes that gives you the opportunity to see the Glacier from all angles. 

New Year's Eve is like Valentine's Day 

Some people party, others sit in front of the TV and I celebrate in Patagonia without fireworks and a TV

Happy New Year!

I wish you a Merry Christmas 

from the shores of the Pacific Ocean

north of Punta Arenas

After almost a week of rain and strong winds, I can once again enjoy a cup of coffee in front of the Dog.O.Mobil with a view of Tierra Del Fuego.

It's only 13 Celsius, but it feels so good. Afterwards I make myself a campfire to round off the Saturday in style