With almost seven months in South America, we made a pretty good effort at making our way around a lot of this vast continent. Our journey times increased hugely from Central America and the sights got a lot bigger: we had entered the mighty Andes region. Here are some of our thoughts and observations from the countries we visited.

Colombia:
One of our favourite countries (probably my - Katy's - top one), with lots of lovely, friendly and helpful people. Many people had sung the praises of Colombia but we were worried it wasn't going to deliver like Nicaragua but we needn't have worried. We spent time travelling with our new buddies from the San Blas trip which was really fun. Colombia has so much to offer: Caribbean beaches, mountains, fertile coffee regions, desert and ancient ruins. The country still faces many problems but we felt it was a country moving forward. We predict in years to come it will be a holiday destination on many people's lists.

Ecuador:
Over the border from Colombia and we were struck by how an arbitrary border line can make a place so different. The first town we visited, Otavalo, had a huge indigenous population where traditional dress was a very common sight, even worn by many young people. Ecuador has such a lot to offer for a small country although we mainly stuck to the mountains. The people were friendly but so much more reserved than Colombia. Two of our stand-out experiences were the Galápagos and our two week stay on the farm. I was really looking forward to the Galápagos but I wasn't prepared for how amazing it was: the amount of animals, the proximity we could get to them and the variety of weird landscapes were incredible. We blew our budget for this part of the trip but there are no regrets. The farm was a great experience but also a challenging one. We were staying in such a rural and poor area where the manual work is tough but we gained an insight into the lives of people in the area: the simplicity in which they live and the challenges they face. We also got to learn more about Ecuador as a whole which we wouldn't have done just being tourists.

Peru:
This country surprised us in two distinct ways: there was so much desert and a lot more poverty than we were expecting considering that it is a big tourist destination. In reality, most tourists only visit a couple of places so the money is not distributed fairly. It is similar to Ecuador with some large indigenous populations and reserved people (but definitely not unfriendly). It was here that we first felt the effects of the altitude and where the really long bus rides started, including some awful night bus experiences! We took our Spanish to another level - where it stayed for the rest of the trip - with a week of intensive lessons, we did some great trekking and enjoyed the cities but the highlight was Machu Picchu. Despite the crowds of people who visit and the cost, it was still awesome and beautiful and we had another trip highlight: a selfie with a llama! The food in Peru moved up a level from rice, beans and chicken, with better flavours and varieties which was very welcome.

Bolivia:
Possibly the country with the worst standards of food hygiene that we visited, with always one of us with a dodgy stomach. Again, we'd heard amazing things about Bolivia and although we really enjoyed it and it has some incredible landscapes, it failed to be one of our top countries. Again the altitude took its toll and was starting to wear us down a bit. A very poor country, it has had more than its fair share of bad luck over the years with president after president doing little to improve the country. Currently they have a very popular president whose name is written on walls the country over, and as an indigenous man, knows what the biggest struggles are. However, now in his third term, we heard that more and more corruption is creeping in again. Two of the best parts of the trip were in Bolivia: the Amazon jungle and the South-western part that we went to in the salt flat tour. I absolutely loved the jungle, even though we didn't get to see a tapir - there was something magical about it. On the salt flat tour the colours, vastness and diversity of landscape cannot be adequately described in words. Despite the uncomfortable long jeep rides and basic accommodation, it's vying for second place after the Galápagos.

Chile:
We were definitely ready for a more developed country by the time we reached Chile so were excited when we reached the first town of San Pedro de Atacama. And despite reliable gas-powered hot showers, with development comes more rules and bureaucracy so sending a parcel home (it's still in Chile) and crossing the border into the country were no mean feats. Chile was all about the amazing landscapes: desert, volcanoes, mountains, the Lakes area and Patagonia. We really enjoyed our week with the car, leaving buses behind and went to some more remote places where we experienced warm hospitality. It was in Chile that we completed two big physical challenges: trekking to the top of the active (now very active and exploding) Villarica volcano and completing a five day trek in the Torres del Paine national park. Chile is definitely one of my favourite countries, despite it being the most expensive. It is so beautiful and the majority of people we met were really friendly.

Argentina:
Maybe less so about the landscape and more about the high quality steak and wine! We were glad we listened to recommendations and changed our plans to be able to squeeze in some of the north of the country. Here we enjoyed our winery visits and got to experience a traditional asado, or barbecue. The highlights of Argentinian Patagonia were El Chaltén, where we walked miles, straight from town, transfixed by the mountains and glaciers along the way, and the ridiculously huge Perito Moreno glacier. In addition, Argentina boasts one side of the mighty Iguazú falls and together with the wonderful city of Buenos Aires, this was a magnificent end to the continent. We came to Argentina with our expectations of how a country in a difficult economic situation might look but instead found a country that appeared to be booming. However we learnt that due to the rampant inflation, people have to try and spend their money as soon as they earn it. For a large proportion of the population though, life is a struggle.

We had high expectations of the trip which were fulfilled and more. It's going to take a while to assimilate everything we have experienced and no small task to organise the photos! Travelling was tiring at times and I think my preferred pace of travel is a bit slower but I don't know what I would have left out to be able to do this. We are pleased that the journey was pretty trouble-free, having gone out there fully expecting to be robbed at least once, however the majority of people were friendly and helpful. I'd love to return one day to revisit the great places and discover new ones but after meeting so many other travellers, our list of countries to visit has got even longer. In summary, we would definitely recommend this corner of the world to everyone else.

Katy