Instruction: Give me some ideas of places to visit on my next backpacking trip to South America.

Response: - Take a cruise to visit the islands of the Galapagos
- Straddle the northern and southern hemispheres at La Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the Earth), close to Quito, Ecuador
- Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu from Cusco in Peru. You need to get a permit at least 6 months in advance.
- Hike the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu from Cusco in Peru. It is a great alternative to the Inca Trail if you do not get a permit.
- Visit villages around Lake Titicaca in Peru
- Take a multi-day tour to the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, on a four-wheel drive from Uyuni in Bolivia
- Go stargazing in the Atacama Desert in Chile