So. In complete contrast to pretty much every other trip I've ever taken, I'm trying to make sure I'm as prepared as possible for this trip. Well. Not that I'm booking anything past the flights... but still. I've got an appointment for yellow fever and typhoid vaccines, and that's a good thing.
I'm sticking with the 65 litre Osprey backpack I bought last summer for my trip to France with Piper and I'm starting to freak out over what to pack for a land of many climates. Sweaters? Skirts? A coat? Good lord. If anyone wants to come over thanksgiving weekend to help me, I'll be sitting in the apartment in a mound of discarded clothes working my way through a bottle of wine.
... at least I don't have to pack Piper's bag as well... for those of you who've ever seen the phenomenon of her packing skills.....
As I said, I have nothing booked but the flights. I bought a travel guide - Lonely Planet's South America on a Shoestring - and that's it. I almost booked a Machu Picchu tour but Benji dissuaded me with promises of bargains. Having reviewed his stories... I don't think I'll be free-styling the Inca trail, but maybe I'll find something cheaper than 800 bucks leaving from Cuzco.
My general plan is this... and please feel free to tell me if any of this makes no sense, is silly, is a waste of time, or if I'm missing something crazy awesome.
- Fly into Santiago, Chile on October 13. Two of my good friends from school, Chris Tester and Benji Loney, are just outside of the city on exchange. So they'll hopefully be able to meet me. I'll spend about a week with them to get oriented in the south and clearly to dance ourselves silly. B and Chris are renowned for their dance moves.
- East to Mendoza, Argentina (Wine country! Mmmmmmm.)
- North towards the Bolivian border
- Duck back into Chile (Is this possible?! Hmmm.) to San Pedro de Atacama and its wild landscapes.
-Farther north to Iquique, Chile, a paragliding mecca (Mom don't worry about it, I'll be fine and yes I have travel insurance)
-Cross east into Bolivia, hopefully to Uyuni and the salt flats
- La Paz, Bolivia
- Probably cross into Peru, although there's a sweet looking national park farther north in Bolivia. Featuring Amazonian rain-forests. Sweet!
- Lake Titicaca (real name) (Piper stop giggling) into Peru
- Arequipa - the city that Sarah LeClair, my wandering roommate from first year has convinced me I cannot miss
- Cuzco, Peru, which leads into the Inca trail hike and Machu Picchu
- Lima, Peru.
Fly home Nov. 17.
It sounds like a lot but I've got five weeks exactly and really, this is a rough plan. Whatever happens, I'm sure this will be an eye opening trip.
