Travel Experiences: Culture & History

Not quite the blaze of glory we wanted to go out on… but a good place to reflect on the last eleven months and our incredible 27,000km journey.

The cruellest fate of them all… in my first 48 hours in the food capital of Mexico, all I could stomach was half a banana and an energy drink.

Chiapas, Mexico’s southernmost state, is a land of mist-covered mountains, steaming jungles and ancient ruins steeped in Mayan history.

From the beaches of El Cuyo to the bustling city of Merida, we loved spending Easter in Mexico.

From world wonders to swimming underground, we loved our time in the charming city of Valladolid.

After crossing 15 borders in the last ten months, we felt pretty relaxed heading from Belize into Mexico and spent our first week exploring Campeche and Quintana Roo.

The sun was still rising above the jungle as we entered Tikal national park. Somewhere in there, hidden amongst the tangle of leaves of vines - almost reclaimed by nature - is the remains of one of the most powerful citadels in the ancient Mayan world. Tikal.

From living our best brunch lives to barely breathing at the top of a volcano, Antigua was a Central America highlight.

Strolling the colourful and history-packed streets of Nicaragua’s rival cities, Granada and Leon.

Our Central American journey begins in Panama. After a few days in the capital, we made our way to the Central Highlands in time for Christmas.

We were determined to make the most of our last week on the continent, and what a place to spend it! Rio de Janeiro, the "Marvelous City," with its vibrant energy, iconic landmarks, and stunning landscapes.

Over 40 pristine beaches, from tiny coves to surfers paradise, party destinations and playgrounds for the rich and famous, Floripa has it all.

Our plans to spend two weeks in Uruguay changed suddenly, and we left after only 5 days…

After five months of travelling, Buenos Aires marked a first for us: it was the first place we were returning to, having visited once before, in 2019.

Santiago is the capital and largest city of Chile, known for its stunning backdrop of the Andes Mountains, rich cultural scene and dark history. After a couple of weeks in the wilderness, we were excited to spend a few days making the most of all amenities a capital city has to offer.

Did you know that Bolivia has two capital cities? Me neither. Although… it depends who you ask.

It’s not hard to see why the Inca people believed the Andean world was born from the depths of Lake Titicaca - we spent a week exploring the lake from the Peruvian and Bolivian sides and were captivated by these sacred waters.

Long before Graeme and I knew each other, we were two nerdy kids pouring over Horrible Histories books, dreaming of one day walking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu… so to do it side by side was a dream come true.

Cusco is a city that holds the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Inca Empire. Between acclimatising, doing the Inca Trail and visiting Rainbow mountain, we spent two weeks in and around the city.

Peruvian history does not begin and end with the Incas. We used Trujillo as a base to explore archaeological sites and learn more about pre-Incan cultures in Northern Peru.

Our last stop in Ecuador and we were out of the wilderness and back to city life in Cuenca.

There are few things that excite the imagination like the Amazon Jungle - it's the pinnacle of exploration.

Exploring the capital of Ecuador and our first taste of high altitude hiking at Cotopaxi volcano.

Leaving San Agustin, we were going the long way round to get to our second country, Ecuador

In the mountains of southern Colombia, where the Magdalena River begins and divides the Andes, archaeologists discovered hundreds of intricately carved stone statues, monoliths and tombs - some more than 5,000 years old.

Our time in Medellin really is a tale of two halves. We enjoyed the most colourful day-trip to nearby Guatape and made the most of the vibrant food and drink culture in the city, but we also learnt about they city’s turbulent past, which resulted in some personal reflection on the kind of travellers we want to be.

The laid-back, Caribbean vibes of Cartagena were just what we needed after 2 full-on weeks of travelling. We needed a break. Enter Cartagena: Colombia's coastal gem.

Tayrona National Park is surely the poster boy for Colombian tourism. We took an overnight bus to get from the mountains to this Caribbean paradise!

Barichara is billed as Colombia’s most beautiful town. We took 3 buses from Bogota to spend a few days in the mountains and find out if this is true!

We have officially started our Career Break of travel in Bogota! Nestled in the Andes, this bustling metropolis seamlessly mixed colonial charm and modern-day dynamism.