South America trip

It was my dream to do a 3-month trip to South America. Somehow over the years I covered most of what I wanted to in 3 different trips :) So not sure if that dream is fulfilled or it was about 3-month long trip! Here is what I ended up doing -

Peru: April 2006

This was very early, we had just started hiking / backpacking, no concept of trip yet!
7-days
Flew to Lima, and then to Cusco.

• Stayed there 2 days, saw local site, should have stayed a bit longer to acclimatize.
• Did the Inca trail - 4 day trek
• Spend a day in Lima - had trouble finding vegetarian food.

Ecuador: July - August 2010

With some more travel experience under our belt. This trip happened due to a conference.
12 days

• Started in Quito, spend one day walking around.
• Took local bus to a place called Chucchilan to do a somewhat famous circuit. Loved our little hostel.
• Did some day hikes there, hiked to Lake Quilotoa at 14000ft. Loved the place.
• Public transport back to Latacunga and then off to climb Cotopaxi. It was a bad time to climb and we were hit by worst snow storm of the season.
• Then off to a small town called Mindo at start of cloud forest. Stayed at Hotel Ruby or something, little old house with MANY dogs, but loved it!
• Spent some chilled days there - Rappelling down a waterfall, Ziplining, seeing butterfly century and just walking around. Very relaxing.

Chile - Bolivia: December 2013

This was a consolation 1 month trip instead of 3

• Started in Santiago, spent a day and then flew to Punta Arenas, then over to Puerto Natales by bus
• Stayed at Erratic Rock, awesome hostel before start of W circuit in Torres del Paine
• 5 day 5 night backpacking there, cut short 1 day due to weather.
• Came back to Puerto Natales and stayed extra day at Erratic Rock as it was just so cool!
• Over to Punto Arenas. Stayed at some hostel.
• Took a 1-day trip to Isla Magallenes to see Penguins. Awesome, turned out to be great day. Also saw dolphins on the way.
• Then off to Santiago, stayed couple of days there, walking tour, cooking in hostel, chilling, making further plans. Skipped rest of Chile to go to Bolivia which sounded more lovely.
• Flew to La Paz.
• Spent couple of days there.
• Did a day hike to Condorini mountain for acclimatization with a local guide we found walking around in La Paz. Guide was great.
• Change of plans here, to avoid any Christmas complications, went to Uyni first instead of Copacabana with local bus to do salt flats tour. Going to lake would have been better for acclimatization.
• Booked the tour at Uyni, turned out to be quite good, did not need to book ahead.
• Stayed at rufugio near Licancabur at end of tour to climb the mountain.
• Climbed the mountain (with a terrible guide)
• Driven back to Uyni.
• Took bus back to La Paz.
• Spend few other chilled days here - loved La Paz
• Bus to Copacabana / Lake Titicaca.
• Loved the lake, spend couple of days here just chilling, doing nothing, eating good food.
• Back to La Paz, flight to Santiago, and then return.