Discovering South America

Written by '74Escape

Traveler: Duygu Yegül – Advertiser, Designer, Co-Founder of Custom Rebels

What is your most unforgettable escape? Whenever I can be with myself, without going too far away. But of course it’s much easier to achieve traveling abroad. I think there are two places where I was really attracted to, one of them is Pokut Plateu and the other is Bolivia…

What was the purpose of your travel? To see new places.. Even though we forget during the daily hassle, we are living in a huge planet.

With how many people did you travel? There were 4 of us on our South America trip.

Where did you stay? We were in South America for 17 days. 3 days in Chili, 4 days in Bolivia, we took a mountain safari, and 6 days in Peru.

What did you most like about the trip? It was the most interesting place I’ve ever been to. Both its nature and its culture are amazing.

Could you share an unforgettable memory about the trip? Every scene of the mountain safari in Bolivia was unforgettable. That’s where I realized that we live on a planet. Even though we went through some rough times it was beautiful. We climbed up to 5000 mt high and we suffered from altitude illness since the oxygen levels were very low. We all experienced different consequences but it was unforgettable and amazing.

Your most surprising find during the trip? Actually there are many things, but the one thing that I really was surprised with was, how women took over the city in Lapaz. In the shops, in the bazaar, street food carts that were open until late, they all have women owners. It’s as if they are carrying the whole city on their shoulders. Also their outfits were so beautiful. They were wearing black or brown bowler hats, and pleated skirts called La Pollera. It’s so colorful and vibrant.

Favorite restaurant(s) or food you have tried during your trip? Peruvian cuisine is quiet popular nowadays but I never could’ve guessed that it was so good. I guess I’ll never forget the restaurant called Cosme in Lima. So delicious. In Lapaz, Bolivia, in front of a church, on the street, a woman was selling Huminta al Horno in a basket. She cooked the food herself. We tried it, it was unbelievably delicious.

What are the must tries of the city? Mountain safari in Bolivia and Macchu Picchu.

Any hidden gems you could whisper to us? Before heading for the mountain safari, you could make reservations from Cordillera Traveller for a smooth tour, because it’s a difficult route.

Would you go back? This trip made me realize I wanted to go and see new places, more often.

Could you list a few of your favorite finds you came back with? I can do the same tour for a month this time, not 17 days.. It would be a relaxed trip and I’d have the chance to experience more of the places I visited.

Any tips that might be useful to know before going there? The most important thing for this trip is, I think, to be cautious about the altitude. If you’ll take the route we did, it would be best to stay in Pedro de Atamacafor 2-3 days before the mountain safari. You’d adapt better. Definitely get medication with you, because it’s really difficult to find a pharmacy in some parts of Bolivia. Do not pack too many clothes, you do get the chance to wash them. And definitely learn a few words of Spanish.