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2020 march: Chile Tierra del Fuego and Magellanes

My last destination in Chile was Tierra del Fuego. We drove via Puerto Natales to Punta Arena, starting point for the next 5 days on Tierra Fuego (Tierra Fuego).

2020 march: Chile/Patagonia Torre del Paine

It was not far from Calafate to the Chilean border, where we switched back to the Chilean part of Patagonia. The destination was the small village of Villa Cerro Castillo on the edge of the Torre del Paine National Park and the starting point for the next 12 days.

2020 march: Argentina/Patagonia Los Glaciares

The next morning we crossed the border to Argentina and drove 750 km south to El Chalten, in the Los Glaciers National Park.

2020 february: Chile - Patagonia / Carreterea Austral

In Puerto Montt we took over our Land Cruiser and went on the ferry to Isla Chiloe.

2020 february: Chile - Desierto de Atacama

Arrived in Chile was 2.5 months ahead of me. The plan was to start in the Atacama Desert and drive across the Argentine part of Patagonia to Tierra del Fuego. Then by plane to Quito in Ecuador and on to the Galapagos Islands. From there again to the Ecuadorian southern Amazon. On departure there were already strong signs of the Corona pandemic, although at that time only in China. It was anticipated - I then had to cancel Ecuador because the borders and national parks were already closed at the end of March. However, I was able to finish Chile and Argentina almost as planned.

2019 november: Ecuador - Quito

The end of my two-month tour of Colombia and Ecuador was approaching.

2019 november: Ecuador - Yasuni and Cuyabeno, Amazon

The next morning, I took the plane and flew to El Coca or Puerto Francisco de Orellana.

2019 november: Ecuador - Guamote and Laguna Quilotoa market

Early in the morning we drove to the Laguna Quilotoa.

2019 november: Ecuador - Chimborazo

From Banos de Agua Santos we went to the highest mountain in Ecuador, the 6,263 m high Chimborazo volcano.

2019 november: Ecuador - Banos de Agua Santos

With Cuenca, the southernmost point on my trip through Ecuador was reached and we drove to Banos de Agua Santa.

2019 november: Ecuador - Cuenca and El Cajas

The way further south led us to Cuenca, capital of the province of Azuay.

2019 november: Ecuador - Cotopaxi National Park

Our next destination was the Cotopaxi National Park with its 5,897 m high Cotopaxi mountain.

2019 november: Ecuador - Cloud forests of Mindo (Bosque de Nublado)

The following day we drove south from Tulcan, past the capital Quito, into the cloud forests of Mindo.

2019 november: Ecuador - Paramo forests of El Angel, Laguna Coicocha

I arrived in Quito early in the morning after a two hour flight from Bogota. At the airport I was already expected by Andres, my driver and companion for the next three weeks. After a quick breakfast we drove north to the small town of Otavalo.

2019 October: Colombia – Medellin

The last stop on my trip through Colombia was the metropolis of Medellín. Medellín is in a state of change. Not so long ago Medellin was known for its drug cartel and a very high crime rate. Since then it has developed rapidly and has become more and more a showcase for the whole of Latin America.

2019 October: Colombia – Valle de Cocora

Further we drove via Bogota to the Cocora Valley (Valle de Cocora).

2019 October: Colombia – Barichara and Valle de Leyva

Barichara and Valle de Leyva are known for their well preserved colonial architecture.

2019 october: Sierra Nevada Santa Marta Part II

We left La Guajira heading south and made a second stop in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, only this time on the eastern flank with a starting point in the small village of Valledupar.

2019 October: Colombia – Guajira Desert (Desierto de La Guajira)

The first destination in the Guajira desert was Cabo de la Vela. On the peninsula, people still live almost exclusively from the Wayuu indigenous group.

2019 October: Colombia – Tayrona National Park

On the way to the end of Colombia and also South America we reached the Guajira Desert where we stopped for two days in the Tayrona National Park.

2019 october: Colombia – Sierra Nevada / Santa Marta

Arriving in Cartagena, in the north of Colombia, I was welcomed by Marcos, my driver and mainly an important intermediary and trusted representative for access to the rather reserved indigenous peoples of the Kogi and Arhuaca.

2019 august: Montenegro - Dormitor National Park

The next morning, I drove Belissa to the airport, her vacation was over and I continued my journey. The goal was the Dormitor National Park.

2019 august: Montenegro - Podgorica

From Theth it went on to Montenegro.

2019 august: Albania - Albanian Alps

It went from Shoder to Koman in the early morning.

2019 august: Albania - Shkoder

From Saranda in the far south of Albania we drove to Shkoder in the north.

2019 august: Albania - Gjirokaster, Saranda

From Permät it went via Gjirokaster, one of the oldest cities in Albania, past old and well-preserved monasteries to Saranda on the Albanian Riviera.

2019 august: Albania - Barat - Osum Canyon - Sevran Gorge - Lengarica Gorge - Permät

From Tirana we drove via Barat, the Osum Canyon, the Sevran Gorge to the Lengarica Gorge in the south of the country.

2019 august: Albania - Tirana

This summer, our third and last part of a trip through the Balkan Peninsula followed. After traveling to Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia in summer 2017 and Serbia and Macedonia in summer 2018, Albania and Montenegro followed this year.

2019 July: Peru - Amazonas – Iquitos y Rio Momon

Iquitos is the largest city in the tropical rainforest of the Andean state of Peru and is the starting point for one or more day excursions, more or less deep into the river landscape of the Amazon.

2019 July: Peru - Piura

We traveled a whole day to arrive in Piura. The moment has come to say goodbye to my faithful companion and driver Segundo, who had to return to Lima.

2019 July: Peru - Chachapoya

We continued northwest to the small town of Chachapoyas, located on the edge of the Amazon.

2019 July: Peru - Cajamarca

From the National Park Huarascaran we went on north.

2019 July: Peru - Parque Nacional Huascaran (Peruan Swiss)

The southernmost point of our journey was reached and now, we travelled back north.

2019 July: Peru - Canyon de Colca

From Arequipa we went to Cabanaconde at the Colca Canyon (Canyon de Colca).

2019 July: Peru - Ariquipa

Our next destination was the Colca Canyon.

2019 July: Peru - Lake Titicaca

At Ollantaytambo station, my driver Segundo was already waiting for me. After another overnight stay in Cusco, we drove south to Puno, to Lake Titicaca.

2019 July: Peru - Valle Sagrado and Machu Pichu

For most tourists, Cusco is the starting point for a day trip by train to Machu Picchu and back.

2019 July: Peru - Cusco

Our next destination was Cusco, the historical city of the Inca culture. Cusco is located about 700 km east of Nazca. The day in the car was very long and tiring. The road is well developed, but most of it passes through plateaus and at an altitude of 4300 m with innumerable bends through the mountains. During the day many trucks were on the road and this made it almost impossible to pass them.

2019 July: Peru - Nazca

200 km to the south is Nazca, a city famous for its impressive figures.

2019 July: Peru - Penisula de Paracas / Isla Ballestas

We left Lima very early with the destination of the Paracas Peninsula. The road along the Pacific coast took us through small fishing villages like Pucusana, where we could see fishermen unloading their night catches at the port. In the early afternoon and after 250 km, we reached the Paracas Peninsula. After the first orientation we drove to the port.

2019 July: Peru - Lima

When I arrived at the airport in Lima, my dear Segundo, the driver was waiting for me and guided my for the next 5 weeks.

2019 June: Bolivia Potosi and its colonialism charm

Before returning to the border crossing to Bolivia, we were blocked from the road for about 3 hours. During the night there was a heavy snowfall and the police let us through only after it had passed and cleared. The day was very long.

2019 June: Bolivia Altiplano

After visiting the Salar de Uyuni we head south through a 4000 m high Altiplano landscape with its many strange rock formations, volcanoes and lagoons. For me it was my personal highlight!

2019 June: Bolivia Salar de Uyuni

The next place in our itinerary was the salt lake "Salar de Uyunai" for the next two days. The journey there took more than 600 km of a super good asphalt road (of which only the last 100 km were gravel roads) to the village of Salina Garcia Mendoza, which is situated at the northern end of the lake, a super isolated village.

2019 June: Bolivia Lake Titicaca

Back in La Paz, we visited Copacabana on Lake Titicaca the next day. The lake is the largest freshwater lake in South America and at an altitude of approximately 3800 m above sea level. It is also one of the highest lakes in the world.

2019 June: Bolivia Yungas y “Camino del Muerte”

From La Paz, 3600 m, the road led us over the “La Cumbre Pass” at an altitude of approx.. 4700 m, before the road fell in many serpentines over steep mountain slopes in Coroico to 1200 m. After a short time we cross several climatic zones, from the cold climate of the Altiplano to the warm and humid climate of the Yungas rainforest. The change is very extreme.

2019 June: Bolivia La Paz and El Alto

When I arrived in Bolivia, Roberto my driver and partner for the next three weeks was already waiting for me. The altitude of the places to be visited was 80% at an altitude between 3600 m and 4300 m. To avoid altitude sickness, I had already been preparing myself in Germany by temporary acclimatization at home to imitate these altitudes with an altitude chamber, blood oxygen test and the test under load. The evaluations were good, and the risk was negligible. I was well prepared.

2019 May: Bulgaria – Sofia

On a warm May day, Belissa and I decided at short notice for an extended weekend in Sofia.

2019 april: Indonesia/Sumatra II - Berbak NP

The Berbak National Park is located on the east coast of Sumatra and consists of fresh water swamp forest and peat forests.

2019 april: Indonesia/Sumatra II - Bukit Duabelas NP. (Bukit Tigapuluh NP)

From Kerinci Seblat National Park I was then taken over by a new team that was to lead me through the southern national parks.

2019 april: Indonesia/Sumatra II - Kerinci Seblat NP

Now it went into the undeveloped and wild part of Sumatra in the south of the country.

2019 april: Indonesia/Sumatra II - Barumun NP ElephantSanctuary

We continued south to the Barumun National Park.

2019 april: Indonesia/Sumatra II - Bukit Lawang, Bohorok, Gunung Leuser NP

After 2016 I flew to Sumatra a second time. The plan for this trip was exclusively wildlife and the Anak Dalam ethnic group in the protected area of the Bukit Duabelas National Park. I had the contact persons addressed via my guide from 2016, Mr Rizal Chan. It has to be said that it is very difficult to get access to the corresponding places in Sumatra. There is a lack of infrastructure and contacts. The fauna is large and varied, but very difficult to access, sometimes impossible. The infrastructure is available from Medan in the north of Sumatra to Padang in the southern central part of...