By the time I finished graduate school I was really looking forward to taking a break. After years of studying and doing laboratory research I hoped to leave everything behind. With many options in front of me I ultimately decided to travel to South America. Part of that decision was made based on its relative proximity and easy accessibility from any number of cities in the United States. Another part of my rationale was based on the sheer number of sights and attractions that abound in South America. The more I researched and read about each country there seemed to be more and more to see along with many areas of the map that were barely covered in the guidebooks.
The continent is by no means a stranger to tourism. World famous cities and places like Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Patagonia, and the Amazon Rainforest have been visited for ages. But as I discovered, merely seeing those famous places only scratches the surface. In between them there is a lot of distance to be covered and a wealth of places to explore; and even if they may not appear in any guidebook, these places tend to offer more insight into the social, political, and economic state of the region than anywhere else.
In many ways the region is ideal for tourism. There is a well-developed public transport network of buses and collectivos, or shared cars, to get you almost everywhere you would want to go, along with boats and ferries where applicable. One language, Spanish, is understood virtually throughout the continent, except in Brazil and the tiny nations in the northeast, where you could probably get by with it if forced. And with some exceptions it is readily affordable to traverse the great distances the continent presents.
This combination of favorable characteristics naturally draws many people for short visits to the main sights. Unfortunately, too many people do not stray from the well-established tourist trail that directly links the nearby main attractions. Setting off on this trip I certainly wanted to see the popular sights but I also wanted to experience life in the places in between, the places that were barely mentioned or were absent from the pages of the guidebooks. To me, those places were just as relevant and played just as important a role in defining the region.
In using public transport for the entirety of my journey I gained a more well-rounded perspective of the region and its people. Sharing roadside snacks and rest stop meals I met countless people and saw so much more than I had ever anticipated. It wasn't always easy traveling in cramped vehicles with seats seemingly designed for large children over poorly paved or rugged dirt roads, but it was always an adventure, and that was a main objective of this journey.
At the beginning I did not have a clear itinerary in mind, beyond the first two or three weeks, and that was one of the most exhilarating aspects of the journey. The idea that the adventure was unscripted and that each day I had to consciously decide where my next destination would be was something different, an unbridled freedom rarely experienced in the United States. The thought of having no keys in your pocket, nothing tying you down and limitless choices in front of you can be both invigorating and unsettling.
I made a lot of choices while on the road for eight months in South America, some of them good and some of them seemed good at the time. Looking back though, I am very glad that I chose South America as the destination for my first journey. Not only did it open my eyes to the diversity and warmth of the region but my great experiences throughout the course of the trip inspired my curiosity to continue exploring whenever possible.
The BeginningNovember 15, 2007 |
Panama CityDecember 6, 2007 | ,
PortobeloDecember 8, 2007 |
San Blas IslandsDecember 15, 2007 |
CartagenaDecember 16, 2007 |
To Santa MartaDecember 18, 2007 |
Ciudad PerdidaDecember 23, 2007 |
Sabana de TorresDecember 28, 2007 |
Bogota 1December 31, 2007 |
Bogota 2January 2, 2008 |
San AgustinJanuary 3, 2008 |
To PopayanJanuary 4, 2008 |
PopayanJanuary 7, 2008 |
PastoJanuary 8, 2008 |
IpialesJanuary 9, 2008 |
Otavalo 1January 12, 2008 |
Otavalo 2January 13, 2008 |
QuitoJanuary 15, 2008 |
LatacungaJanuary 17, 2008 |
BanosJanuary 19, 2008 |
RiobambaJanuary 23, 2008 |
CuencaJanuary 26, 2008 |
VilcabambaJanuary 29, 2008 |
San IgnacioFebruary 1, 2008 |
Bagua GrandeFebruary 2, 2008 |
TingoFebruary 4, 2008 |
CelendinFebruary 5, 2008 |
CajamarcaFebruary 6, 2008 |
TayabambaFebruary 9, 2008 |
HuarazFebruary 11, 2008 |
Cerro de PascoFebruary 14, 2008 |
AndahuaylasFebruary 17, 2008 |
CuzcoFebruary 20, 2008 |
Machu PicchuFebruary 22, 2008 |
ChivayFebruary 26, 2008 |
ArequipaFebruary 29, 2008 |
AricaMarch 1, 2008 |
ParinacotaMarch 2, 2008 |
IquiqueMarch 4, 2008 |
San Pedro de AtacamaMarch 9, 2008 |
SaltaMarch 10, 2008 |
ChilecitoMarch 12, 2008 |
MendozaMarch 14, 2008 |
Puente del IncaMarch 18, 2008 |
SantiagoMarch 20, 2008 |
ValparaisoMarch 24, 2008 |
PuconMarch 28, 2008 |
BarilocheMarch 29, 2008 |
QuellonApril 4, 2008 |
Puerto EdenApril 10, 2008 |
Torres del PaineApril 14, 2008 |
Punta ArenasApril 16, 2008 |
Puerto WilliamsApril 24, 2008 |
UshuaiaApril 25, 2008 |
El CalafateApril 27, 2008 |
San Antonio del OesteMay 1, 2008 |
Buenos AiresMay 6, 2008 |
ColoniaMay 8, 2008 |
MontevideoMay 11, 2008 |
Punta del DiabloMay 14, 2008 |
São Miguel das MissoesMay 16, 2008 |
San IgnacioMay 17, 2008 |
Puerto IguazuMay 18, 2008 |
Foz do IguaçuMay 20, 2008 |
Ciudad del EsteMay 21, 2008 |
AsuncionMay 23, 2008 |
VillamontesMay 25, 2008 |
TupizaMay 27, 2008 |
UyuniJune 1, 2008 |
PotosiJune 4, 2008 |
SucreJune 8, 2008 |
La PazJune 14, 2008 |
RurrenabaqueJune 20, 2008 |
Porto VelhoJune 26, 2008 |
ManausJune 29, 2008 |
AnnaiJuly 5, 2008 |
Santa ElenaJuly 13, 2008 |
CanaimaJuly 17, 2008 |
CumanaJuly 21, 2008 |
MeridaJuly 29, 2008 |
CucutaJuly 31, 2008 |
Bogota 3August 5, 2008 |
The EndAugust 8, 2008 |