4 Month Recap

It took three and a half months but Mike and I finally made it to Santiago, Chile. In a previous post I wrote about how the original plan was to go straight to Santiago after hiking Machu Picchu, but that plan obviously went out the window. A lot has happened in such a short time and I will be writing longer posts about how we got sidetracked in Iquique, a beach town in the north of Chile,  and how we were forced to cross into Argentina to renew our tourist cards.

¨A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.¨

– John Steinbeck

In less than four months I´ve visited one of the seven wonders of the world, experienced a groundshaking 6.5 magnitude earthquake, hiked the driest desert on earth, toured majestic vistas with ominous names like Death Valley and Valley of the Moon, floated in a salt lake, ate guinea pig, surfed at some of the best breaks in the world, had dinner at 1 am, conversed for hours in a foreign language, learned the true spirit of Christmas and spent it sunbathing next to a pool, been kicked out of a party for being white, gone crabbing with my bare hands, watched the best sunset of my life, hiked mountain passes at 4,600 meters, touched a live monkey, hiked through jungle, picked up hitchhikers, ate the best steak of my life, been ripped off by police, toured wineries, drank malt beer with raw eggs for breakfast, learned how to whistle, been whistled at, been in a riot and swam with sea lions.

We´ve met a lot of people – many good,  some assholes and a few truly great ones. Thus is life.

My thoughts after three months in South America:

-South America is much safer than I had imagined.  I haven´t been mugged or had anything stolen and all of my organs are still intact.

-My trip isn´t unique. While staying at different hostels you meet many people who are doing the same trip as you – literally, the same route, destinations and attractions. Some are taking time off school, some are on vacation from work, some quit their jobs.

-Germans travel the most. Then people from Holland,  Australia, England, Canada and Israel.

-Chileans are some of the proudest people I´ve ever met. Their police are known for being the only law enforcement in South America who cannot be bribed.

-Peruvians are the worst drivers. Period. (read more about them here)

-South America is a lot more expensive than I had imagined. At times, big cities in particular, it rivals the US for food, alcohol and clothes.

-The rules are much more relaxed – I rented a motorcycle without being asked for a license, insurance or deposit. I´ve drank booze in a cab, in a mall, in a supermarket, in a bus terminal, on a bus, on the beach, at a skatepark, you get the point.

-Life is different – South Americans don´t have the same competitive attitude ingrained in them like people do in the US. In Argentina people go to work at 10am, have lunch at 12, then siesta from 1pm until 5pm, then go back to work for a few hours. Suffice to say, their lives do not revolve around their careers. There are also subtle touches here and there that you wouldn´t find in the States. In Salta, Argentina I ordered only a coffee and with it came fresh squeezed orange juice, seltzer water and a plate of cookies. One dinner on an overnight bus included lamb and rice, pizza, a glass of wine, then coffee cognac. In the morning they woke us up with coffee, tea and breakfast. On the airplane down to South America I was charged $2 for a pair of headphones to watch the ¨free¨movie.

-It is possible to get by in South America for four months without knowing Spanish.

The trip has been amazing but it hasn´t always been easy. One night Mike and I were stranded outside a disco in the pouring rain for 3 hours, miles from town, sober and extremely annoyed, unable to get a cab. Then there was the day we went to the bus station, fighting nasty hangovers to learn that the next bus didn´t leave for 10 hours. When we tried to lay down in the bus terminal we were continuously inconvenienced by security guards. We then sat on hard wooden benches, upright, for the remainder of the day. I have had more food cravings than a pregnant woman only to be met with the same three food options day in and day out.

I should also probably add that Mike has had more physical ailments in South America than I´ve had in 24 years. He´s had bug bites, colds, headaches, bruises, scrapes, infections, fevers, stomach problems, and now has a toe that turns away as if it doesn´t want to be associated with others.

The best is yet to come. I have been looking forward to seeing Patagonia for months and now it is only a few weeks away. The game plan after New Years: From Santiago go to the Chilean beaches of Valparaiso/ Vina del Mar, then go down to Chilean Patagonia for photography, trekking, and general outdoorsy activities. Cross into Argentina Patagonia, head north to Buenos Aires, cut through Uruguay to Brazil, travel up the coast of Brazil then fly to Columbia. Sail to Panama and travel Central America or return to New Jersey.

The trip so far: Lima, Cuzco, Arequipa, Arica, Iquique, San Pedro, Salta, Cafayate, Tucuman, Catamarca, Cordoba, Mendoza, Santiago.

For everything, airfare from NJ to Peru, a flight from Lima to Cuzco, 11 bus tickes, tours, food, hostels, discos and drinks, I´ve spent close to $3,000. Not bad considering I would have spent more than that on rent, gas, food, alcohol, and junk I don´t need if I had been living in New Jersey for that time.

Longer, more detailed stories about the Iquique Vortex, Gypsy Halloween, Chilean Christmas and more are coming!