I remember Buenos Aires to Porto Alegre (via Foz do Iguaçu) by bus. I guess that's about 1/4 or 1/3 as far, with somewhat less dramatic landscapes. Extremely comfortable except for the violent action movies shown on an overhead TV with sound, even for part of the night.

Edit: but ultimately probably a very different experience because it's so much less mountainous!

i remember seeing sun beating down on a truck in front of us with 80 or so residential sized gas tanks just banging on each other for the entire way from arequipa to lima, fun times. we did cuzco to puno then loop back to lima. there was news of coach fallen off the road on the bit from puno to arequipa, but then I was young and eager to explore so just jumped on anyway with a friend, good times for sure.

Really drives home the blessing of air travel. LATAM offers the same route for about the same price, 5 hours instead of 118.

I assume the author just had nothing better to do which is fine, but great to have the other option.

Reminds me of "The Wrong Way Home" about a guy who did a similar land-only trip, except from London to Sydney.

I spent a huge part of my teens and early twenties dreaming of doing the same. These days the mere thought gives me a back ache.

I’d always fancied myself a decent driver. Riding in buses across parts of Peru recalibrated my standards. I couldn’t believed what they could do with those clapped out tour buses, some *truly* skilled folks at the wheel.

Wow, what an epic looking trip! My brain began planning this out with my wife and I getting off the bus at a cool looking city and staying a few days for site seeing.

DW made a 5 part mini-series about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ODFlqURxY

Did something similar but not nearly as long across a good part of Mexico a few years ago. It was wonderful though one cannot be in a hurry. I will have to consider your route for a future pilgrimage. Thank you for sharing it!

Fantastico!

This trip goes through remarkable places, I was lucky to experience quite a few without ever doing such trip in that location.

Uyuni salt plain - magical experience, better than any photos. Climbing on old rusty train cut into chunks, jumping between wagons. Or sleeping in salt-cubes-built iglu. Or hiking to 5200m high volcano Tunupa just next to salt plains.

Sucre - nice colonial feel.

Potosi - evils of colonialism in plain sight. Hard place to swallow. Also possible to go to one of hundreds mines in the famous hill where all the silver mines are. There can be some nasty sillica in the air, beware. But mines look like you would expect in 3rd world - basic, dangerous, and a stick of dynamite is never too far. If you want to see effects of high altitude on fertility, local church is a (traumatic) place to visit.

La Paz - proper high altitude capital, don't be surprised to feel dizzy when stepping out of plane at 4100m altitude.

Copacabana - I presume the one on Titicaca - recommending visiting Isola del Sol, talking to locals. Never had a frozen beer in pre-frozen mug, when outside was -10C and even inside barely 0C, even the foam froze so had to be chewed.

One thing seemingly skipped since this was more just a regular travel path - you can ride down on a rented bike Camino de la Muerte near La Paz - or Yungas death road. In 1 day, you bike from 4700m high frozen planes down to tropical jungle, on shabby muddy roads cut to properly vertical slopes, with waterfall falling down your neck. Don't skip this, even if you are not a seasoned biker. One of those memories for rest of the days.

If you'd like to try something like that from the safety of your home beforehand: https://store.steampowered.com/app/381780/80_Days/