Our Stories: Latine America
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Our Stories · Latine America
Explorez nos guides d’Amérique du Sud par destination et villes : Afin d’explorer les lieux incontournables, les expériences locales, avec nos conseils budget et astuces pour voyager en Amérique du Sud et ailleurs dans le monde.
All Our Stories:
A look at modern Ecuador: the journey from independence to dollarization
From independence in 1830 to dollarization in 2000, Ecuador's journey has been shaped by cocoa and banana booms, Eloy Alfaro's historic railway, oil in the Amazon, and a major banking crisis. You can explore the country's modern history firsthand at the Museo de la Ciudad in Quito.
Ecuador
20 Aug 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
Colonial Quito: baroque art, golden churches, and the spirit of independence
From the Spanish conquest in 1534 to the Battle of Pichincha in 1822, discover Quito's colonial history at the City Museum. You'll explore stunning Baroque churches, the unique Escuela Quiteña art movement, the historic textile workshops known as obrajes, and the city's historic first cry for independence.
Ecuador
7 Aug 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
Shrunken heads and Amazonian tribes: Pumapungo Museum in Cuenca
Discover the fascinating history of tsantsas (shrunken heads), Amazonian tribes, and Inca ruins at the Pumapungo Museum in Cuenca, Ecuador. With 10,794 ethnographic artifacts, it offers an incredible window into the Shuar worldview and ancestral rituals. | Our travel guide, specially crafted by De Sacs et d’Eau
Ecuador
29 Jun 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
Animal volunteering in Peru: our experience at a sanctuary
Volunteering at a dog shelter and looking after 98 dogs for 2 weeks is quite an adventure—you really build an amazing bond with the animals!
Peru
21 May 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
Inca engineering: the questions everyone asks
Imagine 60,000 km of roads built without wheels, 200-ton stone blocks seamlessly fitted without mortar, and suspension bridges swinging over deep canyons. On our Salkantay Trek adventure, we set out to answer the big questions about the marvels of Inca engineering.
Peru
13 May 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
Apus, Pachamama and Syncretism: Understanding Andean Spirituality
Deified mountains, high-altitude sacrifices, and Christian festivals packed with Inca roots: here is your guide to Andean cosmology, all shared with us by our local guide on the Salkantay trek.
Peru
13 May 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
The story of Peru’s tropical glaciers
Peru is home to 75% of the world's tropical glaciers. While hiking the Salkantay Trek, our guide explained what they mean to the locals, as well as the natural disasters they can cause. | Our travel guide, specially crafted by De Sacs et d’Eau
Peru
13 May 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
5,000 years of Andean civilizations: from Caral to the Incas
Long before the Incas, Peru was home to Caral, the Chavin, the Chimu, and dozens of other forgotten civilizations. We retrace 5,000 years of Andean history through the stories shared by our guide on the Salkantay trek.
Peru
13 May 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
Peru, a country of true superlatives
From the Atacama Desert and tropical glaciers to the richest coastline in the world: here is what makes Peru truly exceptional, well beyond Machu Picchu. Discovered while hiking the Salkantay trek. | Our travel guide, specially crafted by De Sacs et d’Eau
Peru
13 May 2026
Kisses from us!Mathilde et Tristan
About Our Travel Blog
Mathilde and I chose to travel slowly, favouring overland transport and real exchanges with locals. That slower-than-average pace let us experience things a classic itinerary never would: staying with a family in a village with no tourists, sharing an impromptu meal on the side of a Bolivian road, or stumbling on an archaeological site no guidebook mentions. That's what we share here.
Our stories are also a concrete source of inspiration for planning your own trip. We describe the atmosphere, the real costs, the travel times and the surprises, good and bad, of every leg of the journey. If you're still on the fence about leaving, these accounts will give you a precise idea of what's waiting for you on the ground, no filter, no embellishment.
Browse through our travel journals and let yourself be swept up in the adventure. And if a story makes you want to know more about a destination, our detailed travel guides are there to help turn that inspiration into an itinerary.
Learn more about us and our “De Sacs et d'Eau” project
We're Tristan and Mathilde. A French duo who set off for a year of backpacking across South America, with one conviction: the best memories are made along the way. De Sacs et d'Eau is our travel blog, with complete guides, itineraries tested on the ground, and interactive maps to help you plan your trip with everything you need, right in your pocket. To do that, we favour overland travel over flying, buy local, and choose accommodation and businesses run by local people. Travelling far, yes, but with our impact in mind.
About Us