One of the realities of finishing a massive trip like this is that you start looking back at the points that really stand out. So much has happened in the past nine months, we’ve recently found ourselves enjoying reflecting on most amazing bits and even the bits that at the time were terrible. This is amplified by the questions from friends and family, some of whom are interested in their own travels, others who just want to know the highlights. The problem, of course, is that it’s so hard to fairly judge things.
How do you compare sailing Croatian Islands, to attending a friends wedding in Brazil, to biking Death Road to seeing the London Olympics?? How do you compare the feeling of being in Mexico, lost and without a word of Spanish, to having a full blown conversation with a local person in their native tongue?? You make a list of course. So here it is, the best and worst bits. Most of these we’ve come up with together, all of them require more detail than I’ve given you, because otherwise we’d be here all day.
Top 5 countries – 1. Bolivia, 2. Guatemala, 3. Ecuador, 4. Croatia, 5. Nicaragua
Best City – 1. Amsterdam, Holland. 2. Split, Croatia. 3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 4. Cartagena, Colombia
Best Pacha Mamma (Mother Earth) Moments – Iguazu Falls. Sticking my head inside an active volcano and seeing lava on Mount Telica, Nicaragua. Watching a monkey come down and steal some eggs from a birds nest in the Amazon, Bolivia. The view from the top of Mount Pedro, Guatemala. Swimming with whalesharks, Bay Islands, Honduras
`
Best activities – Biking Death Road, La Paz Bolivia. Helicopter ride over Rio de Janeiro at sunset, Brazil. Sail Croatia, Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru. London Olympics, Hyde Park.
Best days – Semuc Champey, Guatemala – charging through a cave using a candle for light climbing waterfalls. Followed up with a trip to the most amazing natural river pools and a night out with the crew. Banos, Ecuador – Canyoning down waterfalls in the morning, before taking in the annual box car derby and independence day celebrations. Sail Croatia – after discovering a giant blow up slide off one of the islands, we parked up for the night for some beers and a bonfire on the beach. The Croatian police were less impressed than we were. Biking Death rd, Bolivia – incredible scenery, adrenalin filled downhill mountain biking and we lived to tell the tale. Mean. Paris, France – After riding the Eurostar we spent no less than 14 hours on the streets taking in a walking tour of the city, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe, before rounding off our second anniversary with a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Magic.
Best cultural experiences – Cock fighting, Leon Nicaragua. Getting drunk with the local Indians on the San Blas Islands, Panama. Corinthians football game, Sao Paulo Brazil. Ayawasca ceremony, Salento, Colombia.
Best Food – Mexico, followed closely by Guetmala
Worst food – Colombia, by such a distance it’s hard to believe
Worst KFC – Santiago, Chile
Best Branding – God. Coca Cola may have conquered the world, but there is really no competing with the church. Wherever there is people there’s a church
Who’s carving up – Haviana, the jandel of choice throughout the world. North Face, there are 2 types of trekkers here, those who trek and those who wear North Face. Lionel Messi, the Argentinian soccer god is absolutely everywhere. Chips, shampoo, clothes the kid moves products. Incidentally his team Barcelona FC have more fans than anyone else here. Real Madrid a distant 2nd. Everyone else a much more distant 3rd
Who’s getting ripped off – Ray Bands. If you’re looking for a stylie pair of knockoff sunnies for $3, ray bands are the only choice
Quote of the trip – “I’m a catholic. I don’t believe that god created the world in 7 days, or that Jesus could turn water into wine, of course this is ridiculous. I do believe that the church provides a great template to live my life by and I believe the morals it teaches are a great way to raise my family. That’s why I’m a catholic.” – Congratulations to our Mexican tour guide. The first time religion has been explained to me in a fashion that makes complete sense
Quote of the trip 2 – “It’s better to be looking at it than looking for it.” – Joe Ford, a champion amongst men explains how much booze is too much booze for a weekend away
I won’t miss – Stubbed toes on the uneven Latin American streets, buying water, drinking horrific coffee, wearing jandels in the shower and putting my toilet paper in a basket
I will miss – Speaking Spanish, buskers at traffic lights, lack of safety standards, popcorn vendors, spending everyday with my best friend, the look of amazement on locals faces when you tell them you’re from Nueva Zelanda
Best book – Long walk to freedom. Took some time but a great story about a guy who never accepted his realities
Sketchiest moment – Catching the Metro to the bus station in Mexico city. Large weapons in a train carriage that’s wall to wall packed just makes me jumpy.
Friendliest locals – Colombians take the cake by a country mile
Worst border crossing – in general we found the stories about dodgy border crossings (like most other safety stories) to be overhyped. We had no serious issues anywhere although the time it takes some of these people to simply stamp a passport beggars belief
Worst travelling day – 1. San Juan to San Jose crossing the Nicaragua/Costa Rican border. A killer hangover, got ripped off, bus running well behind schedule topped off with a dodgy taxi to a non existent hostal on arrival. 2. Capragana to Cartagena Colombia. A 3 hour near death speed boat ride, followed by 13 hours on a range of awful buses and dirt roads, culminating in getting drenched in a downpour that came through the roof of the bus. It was not much fun.
Most haunting moment – Aushwitz Berkinau Concentration Camp, walking into the room where 2 tonnes of human hair is displayed in a huge glass cabinet. I doubt the feeling will ever leave me.
Worst illness – Cushla on the Salt flats – Hung over followed by altitude sickness followed by a bad cause of diarrhea including being in a jeep for all 3 days. Both of us simultaneously vomiting from sea sickness on our ill fated voyage to Colombia
Worst hangover – Me in Cusco after tacking a double header happy hour at the Wild Rover.
TV show – We’ve seen bugger all TV the whole trip but every now and then we’ll strike a hostel with TV. If you’re looking for shows in English, it’s Friends, Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, around the clock, in every country. If you speak Spanish a little family called The Simpsons are on all day.
The biggest change – has been in my sleeping. Before coming here I needed darkness, quite and a comfy bed to stand any chance of some shut eye. These days I can grab a 30 minute nap on a busy public bus
Best travel advice I can give – Don’t listen to anyone’s travel advice; especially mine. Some of it’s great, but plenty of it’s crap. No matter where you’re going if you turn up with a cracking attitude and some great people you’ll have a blast no matter what.
Well, it has certainly been one hell of an adventure. The concept of this whole trip started a few years ago, from a simple conversion over coffee in Melbourne about our shared dream to see South America. Three weeks later we started saving $100 a week and the seed was firmly planted. It’s taken a lot of hard work and planning along the way (mostly Cushla’s), but it has truly been a once in a lifetime experience. Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to follow us along on our little journey, we’ve had so much feedback throughout it’s been great hearing from people. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading about it a fraction of the amount we’ve enjoyed sharing it.