In closing... And, some travel tips...

We did it!  9 countries, over 14,000 miles traveled, with our big backpacks, and 2 guitars, and most of the time, a huge (and sometimes spilling) bag of food.  Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.  Hundreds of buses, a few boats, some hitch-hiking and a lot of walking...We did it, and more importantly, we made it home in one piece, without being robbed or having fallen ill.  We drank the water in most places, right from the tap, unless someone stated it was not safe.  We also did most of our hiking in our very versatile Converse hi-tops, which have now seen better days.  I think one of the best memories of wearing those things, was our 4:30 AM hike up to Machu Picchu, where we passed maybe 30 people in the rain, who all had hiking poles and fancy footwear, and I'm sure they were all saying "fu*%$#ng Americans!"

Looking back at our trip now, there's so much to reflect on, obviously.  A few things I'd like to point out to any and all future travelers from wherever: Don't listen to anyone who hasn't traveled, regarding your plans...They don't, and will not understand!  Also, use your head...Most things we experienced were common sense.  Have a small first aid kit, of course, but don't go into a trip feeling afraid that in some "third world" country, you're going to get really sick...because you probably will.

Some frustrating things regarding trip planning for us were the travel doctor's advice, and of course, the bill!  It really depends on where you're planning to go on a trip, but in most cases, you can get any shots that you need there...And do your research regarding what kind of shots you need to travel, because in most cases you don't need anything!  Here are a few examples of how much BS I've gotten from the medical field regarding travel.

In 2007, I was about to visit Costa Rica for the first time...My grandmother was worried about me getting my proper shots updated, and took me to a travel doctor in my town.  I needed a tetanus shot, which was normal, as it had been several years since my last.  I was also given a hep-b booster shot, which was also pretty normal.  Then, the doctor told me that since I was heading into the Tropics, that I needed to watch a video on Malaria, and also to purchase and start taking Chloroquine, which is a quinine based medication that treats and prevents Malaria (in some parts of the world).  I began taking it a week before leaving on my trip, and spent the first three weeks with some really bad headaches from that stuff.  Finally, my friend Terry who I was staying with, asked me what the bottle was that was sitting on his counter, and I explained it was for Malaria...He laughed, and told me there hasn't been any Malaria in Costa Rica for about 30 years.  Then, I found out that Chloroquine is not effective against Malaria in the Americas.  It only works for some strain that's found in Africa!  I had been tricked, and more importantly, that particular travel doctor was an idiot, and didn't know his facts.

Fast forwarding several years later to this particular trip, and our preparation for it, I did need to get some booster shots.  The tetanus and the two hep boosters were something I felt I should receive prior to traveling all over Latin America...I went to another travel doctor in my town, who not only tried to talk me into getting anti Malaria pills, but also tried to give me Chloroquine, which I assured her, DOESN'T even work there!  Then, she gave me a Yellow Fever vaccination, which I had heard about, and was told it was needed to get into Bolivia, where apparently it is rampant.  That little pin prick was a whopping $150!  Anyways, we both got our shots, including Yellow Fever, which the travel doctor gave us each an updated vaccine card to travel with.  Now, here is the funny part...When we got to the border of Bolivia, we had to pay a reciprocity fee that we were well aware of for US citizens...We paid it in cash, and while getting stamped into the country, I had my vaccination card in my hand waiting for them to ask for it...They never did.  And, not only did they not ask for proof of Yellow Fever vaccination, during our entire month in Bolivia, we never saw ONE mosquito, because we were never below 3,500 meters in altitude!  I was pissed.  That one hundred fifty dollars was a huge scam, and a waste, if you ask me...We also found out that you can get the Yellow Fever vaccine for about $15 in Peru, or Bolivia.  To summarize, Bolivia does not need you to have proof of a Yellow Fever Vaccine, and it's completely up to you to get it if you want to.

Like I said, do your research before traveling, because you can save yourself some money, and hassle, if you know what you'll need.  As for public safety in places that are dangerous, whether fact or fiction, keep a look out.  Always keep your valuable items hidden, such as passports and wallets.  Always check your pockets, and don't keep anything in there that could be easily snatched.  This goes for any city in the world!  It's not just Latin America where you can get mugged, it's anywhere.  We were extremely lucky on our trip, and the only thing that was stolen, so to speak, was Danica's camera, after way too many shots of Aguardiente in Ecuador.  She left it sitting on the bar, which was obviously our own fault.  I was some what paranoid in especially the bigger cities, and always looked around, and always felt my pockets.  Use your brain, but don't get discouraged from traveling because you think it's dangerous.  Everything is dangerous...Using your cell phone, or crossing the street!  I had so many people tell me things like, "you're going to Colombia?"  Or, "you're crazy!"  Maybe we are crazy, but this trip needed to happen, and I never would have known the true beauty and kindness of these places without seeing them for myself.

Wow, how time flies! (Heading home...)

The last month of the trip was kind of bittersweet, both in knowing it was coming to an end, and having to stay in place, when there were so many other places we wanted to visit...

We woke up in our small adobe room we had been staying in, at Adam's Tierra Langla, on the 4th of March.  It was such a strange feeling to realize that it had already been one full year that we had been away.  I was both excited to return, but also not wanting to be finished yet.

We had a semi easy journey to complete, in order to get to the airport in Lima, and semi easy meaning up to this point, we've already traveled some 14,000 miles, so another 2 hour bus ride is literally nothing!

We said our goodbyes to all of the people at Tierra Langla, and with our bags packed, trudged up the dirt driveway to the street above.

Within minutes, a passing collectivo van stopped, and we threw our backpacks on top of the van, and brought our guitars inside.  A rather short journey back to Imperial, and then Canete, where we boarded "Peru Bus" headed for Lima.  We were graced with a sleazy Steven Segal movie all the way there, which of course was dubbed horribly in Spanish.

When we got to Lima, we jumped into a cab, and within about a half hour, we were at the airport.  Now it really felt like we were heading home...We had a few hours to kill, and started by stuffing our semi-malnourished bodies with a healthy serving of McDonalds Quarter Pounders, that perhaps never tasted so good, especially since we had been eating mostly vegan for the past month.

Our flight was supposed to leave at 1 AM, and was almost an hour late, so we were a little worried about our connecting flight in Atlanta.  When we arrived there, it was bright and early, and nobody was in the airport, so our connection was smooth, and quick.  It was pretty funny, going through US immigration, as the officer looked at my well worn passport, with what seemed like hundreds of stamps, especially from Chile and Argentina...He asked how long I was gone, and when I told him a year, he asked "why?"  Then he asked how Peru was, and how I was able to make it back in one piece...I told him he should get out more.

We boarded our second plane, and we were slightly disappointed that nobody greeted us in Spanish...Now was the final stretch...We would be in Los Angeles in a few hours, and my mom would be there to pick us up from the airport, one year later.

Lunahuaná - Volunteering, and finishing off an amazing trip...

We arrived in Lunahuaná about 3 hours after leaving Ica.  It was pretty straight forward, a bus to Canete, then a small bus to Imperial, then a smaller bus to Lunahuaná.  We passed several apple and peach orchards on the way in to the valley, and passed a fairly large winding river on the way in as well...

We were dropped off in the center of town, which was pretty small, and every other building was a tour guide to take you river rafting.  I guess that's the main source of income here, besides the grapes, which line the river up and down, and they too, have a major Pisco production going on, but in small, handcrafted, artisan style.

I ran into an internet cafe, and used the net briefly to check for Adam's phone number.  After a few minutes of figuring out the payphone out front, we were connected.  He told us how to get to his property, and we were almost there...

Exactly a month spent at this beautiful property would teach us a lot...It was community living, which neither of us were very used to, and the diet was a little (a lot) different than our previous couple months spent in Argentina...

All in all, this place was amazing, and we learned a ton, from Adam, as well as all of the other folks staying and volunteering there.  Building with Barro (adobe), was one of the main themes employed here while we volunteered.  If done properly, it can really be a beautiful, strong, and inexpensive way to build.

During our stay, we went river rafting, which was very fun, utilizing the backyard river that has some pretty intense rapids.  We visited a Pisco distillery one day, that was very interesting, and had quite a bit of local history, not to mention delicious, well made Pisco...

We also all took turns cooking (for the most part), or at least some of us more than others...Lucy, one of the girls volunteering with us, probably did more cooking than anyone.  Looking back at the meals we ate, there really were a lot of delicious, and interesting concoctions.  One thing I think that's safe for both of us to say, is that we ate enough oatmeal to last a frigging lifetime...

Huacachina, a beautiful, but not so peaceful desert oasis...

Our one night stopover in Nazca was perfect...Now, the question was, if we were going to make it all the way to our volunteering spot, just south of Lima, or spend one night in between.

We left Nazca at about 10am, and jumped on the 'Flores' bus just down the road, for 7 Soles a piece, to Ica, which was about 3 1/2 hours north.  We we're referencing our now-aging Lonely Planet book, and thought about hitting up Paracas, the coastal town for a night...

After waiting for a bus to Paracas, that never showed, we stumbled upon a small section on Huacachina, just 5km outside of Ica, where we already were.  We flagged down a cab, and for 5 Soles, we were in Huacachina, within minutes...

Surrounded by massive sand dunes, and nothing more, this little village of about 300 people is fueled by tourism from foreigners and Peruvians alike, who come for the escape of the much bigger Ica, and to ride down these dunes of sand like snowboarders high in the neighboring Andes.

We jumped out of the cab, and of course the man had no change to break a 50 Sole bill...I ran around for 15 minutes, and finally had to buy a water bottle at the nearby liquor store to break change.

We found a small hostel just down the road, where we decided to call home for the night.  The entrance lead you into a fairly large and well equipped bar, then past it, an outdoor back patio with a nice sized pool.

We had a small room right near the pool, and we bargained for the right price.  It was a Saturday, and after checking in/giving our passport info, the guy working there noticed our guitars we're traveling with and asked about what kind of music we play...After chatting for a few minutes, he asked us if we wanted to play that night, out back by the pool, and told us we could hook up to their sound system, which was pretty legit.  We were pretty excited, first of all, it's been a while since we played a gig in front of a crowd, the last time being at a party in Patagonia, Argentina.  He said we'd get some free drinks, and I was planning on putting out a tip jar, of course...

We settled into our room, and I walked around a bit to catch the coming sunset, out over the dunes.  It was unbelievable.

This is what surrounds all of Huacachina...

 

After taking in the incredible sunset and surrounding landscape, I broke out the guitar, gave 'er a good tune and cleaning, and started getting excited to play some music that night.

A couple hours passed, and I figured we'd probably start playing soon, and I walked out to the bar area to ask the guy...A DJ walked in, carrying a big mixer board and computer.  10 minutes later, the walls were vibrating with god-awful reggaeton, which we both despise...

I still had a little hope that maybe this guy would only play this crap for a little while, but no...The crowds of Peruvians, with their weekend off, rolled in like tumbleweeds dressed in way-too-tight clothing, awful cologne, and gigantic high heels.  There was no way we were going to play.

That wasn't the worst part...The horrible music that rumbled the entire hostel, played until 5am, and as you can imagine, we got no sleep.

The next morning, at about 9am, we arose from our nook, still angry from the night before, and starving...We walked to the lagoon in the center of the pueblo, which had some restaurants surrounding it, to grab a bite to eat, and possible connect to a wifi network.

Found a nice little spot right on the water, and ordered the local breakfast, which sounded great...Steak and eggs Peruvian style, with coffee and orange juice.  We had our Mate equipment on hand, and were dying for a Mate, just needed some hot water, as the waiter said he was bringing some...

After one hour...LITERALLY one hour, neither the water, nor the food came, and we walked out.  Luckily, there was a more hopeful looking spot right next door, where we dined on greasy burgers for breakfast, with oil drenched fries, and a soggy salad!

I emailed Adam on HelpX, and let him know we were on our way to Lunahuana, where we decided we'd spend the last of our trip, or at least most of it, doing some volunteer work.

A cab back to Ica, and an almost immediate bus towards Lunahuana...

Huacachina was a disaster for us, but it was gorgeous...At least there was something pleasing for the eye in this case, but I wouldn't recommend going there on weekends...

Extremely hard to believe that we've only got about a month to go...Wow!

In transit...Iquique, Arica, and back to Peru!

We made the border crossing at about 7am, once again, high up in the Andes.  This was to be our last Chilean entrance, and that was pretty exciting on its own...

Once on the other side of the border, we jumped back on the bus, and headed into a very familiar stretch of highway...It just so happened to be the same stretch of highway we were on, after leaving the Uyuni tour in Southern Bolivia, and entering into Chile, headed for San Pedro de Atacama.

We, infact, pulled into the bus terminal in Atacama for a few minutes, then continued on, north, to Iquique.

As we approached Iquique, we started seeing massive sand dunes, and finally started to feel as if we were near the coast again.  We came to the summit of a large hill/dune, and at the top, you could see all of Iquique, just as the sun was setting.  The view was spectacular, and the diminishing light over the Pacific was gorgeous.

We spent the night at a shitty hostel near the beach, which was 10,000 pesos for a dorm bed...We were so ready to be back in Peru...

Next morning, we flagged down a cab to the bus terminal, and jumped on the next bus to Arica, which took us about 5 hours to get there.  Endless desert sand 360 degrees, with massive dunes and drop-offs...

The desert-scape of Iquique

Still in Chile, on the way to the border...

Non-stop desert

Once in Arica, we exited the terminal, crossed the street, and found the collectivo station for heading to Peru.  After figuring out which bus to get on, we were off.  One Chilean exit stamp, and one Peruvian entrance was all we needed...

Easy border crossing, and we were in!  Once again, and now it's really closing in on the end of the trip...Amazing.

We pulled into Tacna, Peru, at about 7pm, and found the office window for "Civa Bus" that travels all over the country...At this point, we had no plan, other than a possible volunteer gig a few hours south of Lima, where we wanted to head, but had to choose another stop in between...

We figured we'd head back to Nazca for a night, and therefor, skip traveling into the Andes again.  We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the bus terminal, in the form of more empanadas, and then jumped on our 7:30 bus to Nazca.

We awoke to the sound of "Nazca, Nazca" being yelled by the bus driver, and we hopped out, onto the heated sands of the Nazca desert once again, only this time, coming from the opposite direction.  We found a fairly cheap hostel for the night, at "Nasca Inn," only about 5 blocks from the center of town, where we cooked some dinner, and hung out with two other travelers for the evening, a guy from Japan, and a Swede.

With wifi access, I emailed the HelpX posting once again, and told the owner we were on our way, which he had said was fine, whenever we wanted...Our trip was almost over, but not before doing a little more volunteer work, thankfully, because we're getting pretty broke!

Iguazu to Salta...

It's hard to describe how massive Argentina really is, without having had taken buses all across this country...I guess we're semi used to it, but it's really starting to catch up to me, especially in the legs and back.  Sleeping on an overnight bus, sure, it saves you money on accommodation, and that's very important on a trip like this, but it sometimes is really not fun.

We left Iguazu at 9pm on Thursday, the 23rd of January, heading to Resistencia, about 10 hours away.  This was the only way available at that particular moment.  Once in Resistencia, we'd wait at their bus terminal all day, just about, before boarding another bus from there to Salta, about 12 more hours, that night.

From Iguazu  to Resistencia, we took 'Andesmar's' shittiest bus to date, which was cheap, but very tiny, uncomfortable seats.  We were graced with "The Last Stand," Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest action flick to keep us entertained.

Our connecting bus the next night in Resistencia was "La Veloz del Norte," where we had a 'cama' seat downstairs, right next to the air conditioning motor, that sounded like a 747 jet, all night, not to mention it was pouring rain outside, and the bus was leaking everywhere...

Not to sound like a whiner, we made it, and arrived in Salta at 6am, to a bus terminal full of sleeping backpackers, scattered all about the floor.  We did the same.  We were exhausted, especially after not sleeping much, we rolled out the sleeping mats and went back to bed.  Woke up at about 9:30, and walked 7 blocks in the pouring rain, to our hostel for the next couple days, "Ferien Haus."

Our first experience of Salta was quite a mix of other places put together.  Really a beautiful layout of the city, filled with churches and architecture resembling something similar to Cusco and Sucre, Boliva mixed together.  Met some other cool backpackers, and after 3 nights, decided to book it across the north section of Argentina, back into Chile.  We weren't at all looking forward to Chile, again, but we've got just about 5 weeks left of our trip, and ultimately need to be in Lima.

With a couple hundred Argentine pesos left, we needed to stock up on a few things...Mate.  2 and a half kilos to be exact, and I needed to buy a gourd for myself, as I had gotten Danica one for Christmas, in El Bolson.  I made a quick run to the grocery store, stocked up on the mate and some cheap snacks for the road, and then walked to the main square and picked up a little Mate gourd and straw.  We have gotten pretty addicted to this stuff to say the least.  Haven't had a cup of coffee in who knows how long...

Our bus out, was to be Andesmar, overnight, leaving Salta at 1am, and arriving in Iquique the next day at 6pm.  We stayed at the hostel til' the last possible minute, and at midnight, still pouring rain, the phone lines were down, so I went out into the soaking wet, to try and flag down a cab.  Finally located a passing cab, and he took me back to the hostel and waited outside while we gathered our stuff and brought it out.

It was bittersweet...I, especially, was not ready to leave Argentina.  I've really taken a liking to this country, and especially missed Patagonia!  There's always next time!

La Garganta del Diablo - Iguazú Falls

For those of you who've seen it, you know how amazing this place is...I've been to Niagara falls a few times, and those are amazing, but this place...Wow.

Iguazú Falls, has two viewing points, one in Argentina, and one directly across the river, in Brazil.  We, obviously, went to the Argentinian side, and it was unbelievable.

We jumped on a collectivo from the bus terminal in Puerto Iguazú, which is the town, just about 12km away from the falls.  It's 35 Pesos each way, and you have to pre-buy your return ticket.  Tourists pay 170 Pesos to enter the park, despite me trying to fake my Argentinian accent, they make you show some id...

You can walk to the viewing point, or take the train, which is included in the entrance price.  "La Garganta del Diablo," or "Devil's Throat," is the Argentine viewing point of the falls.  It's literally directly above them, and you peer over the massive amount of water pummeling down.  There's a metal bridge-like walkway that winds over the river and takes you there.

It's really hard to describe the actual feeling of being there and witnessing it all...

The walk back, through the park, was also amazing.  This place is a lot more tropical than we thought...We stopped on a walkway to see a family of Spider Monkeys playing in the trees.

We then walked the "Macuco Trail," which leads to a smaller waterfall and a swimming hole you can cool off at.

We crossed paths with what looked like a pretty poisonous snake...

...and one of these guys...

also these guys, the biggest ants we've ever seen...

Iguazú is an unbelievable place, and we can't recommend it enough.  Now we're trying to figure out the last 6 weeks of the trip, and what to do next...We just passed our 10,000 mile marker, back down the road a little, and have been to 66 cities in 9 different countries...wow, it's really hard to imagine we did all that!

Back in the pueblo, we spent a couple more days, relaxing at the hostel, by the pool.  One evening, we took the local city bus (4 pesos AR)/per person, to "3 Fronteras," a spot on the other side of town, looking over the massive Parana river, with a view of Paraguay just across, and Brazil to the right...We caught the sunset, a gorgeous orange glow over the landscape, just in time before sheer darkness...