Genesis, Preparations, and FAQ
Trip Start
Aug 10, 2008
1
21
Trip End
Sep 20, 2008
Alexandria,
Virginia,
United States
Friday, July 25, 2008
John decided to leave his current job at the beginning of August, and I had close to 7 weeks vacation saved up, so for the first time in our eleven years together we have both the time and money to do an extended trip. It's still not as long as wed like, but it's a start. After a bit of debate about where to go, we settled on a jaunt around South America (Africa was the other contender). We then spent the next few weeks poring over travel books and websites to figure out exactly what we wanted to see. Fortunately, we generally have the same priorities about sights and traveling.
Preparations
After settling on a destination and rough itinerary, the complicated part was arranging travel. Our last few vacations have either been low-key visits to 1 place or we've rented a car and made our own way around. Our destinations are too far apart to make travel by bus, car, or train possible in most cases (and the Andes and Amazon complicate that further) so we were left with flights. Fortunately, we found the One World South America Pass which ended up being much more cost effective. Unfortunately, this had to be booked through a travel agent which ended up being a bit of an ordeal (we started with 1 agent, were reassigned to a 2nd agent who either quit or got fired halfway through, were assigned to a 3rd agent who was awesome, and then back to the first agent to finalize things).
Once we had our itinerary in hand, we started booking the hotels and tours that we had researched. So far, this process is going relatively smoothly. We've had a few snags with flights/trains/hotels not being available on our first choice dates, but we've been able to work everything out so far. We do have a few more things to book still, but we're making good progress. We've also had all our shots, picked up multiple prescriptions, and bought travel insurance. We're only visiting two countries that require visas--Brazil and Bolivia. We picked up our Brazilian Visas today (it's a 4 day process if you're lucky enough to live in a city where you can just walk into the Consulate) and from all accounts it's possible and much easier to get your Bolivian Visa IN Bolivia as it's not unusual for the Bolivian Consulates to be out of the right forms.
The final step in preparations was dealing with gear and supplies. We're not doing anything that required much specialized equipment--but we both needed hiking boots and a few items of clothes. Cabela's, REI, and LL Bean all got money from us. We also needed some extra memory cards for the cameras, some reading material, travel first aid stuff, high-power insect repellant, sun-screen, etc. And the key travel gear--quick-drying underwear.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are a combination of questions people have had for us and questions we had while we were preparing that I thought might be helpful for anyone who stumbles across this journal. (I can't be the only one who poked around at the various travel sites to find recommendations for hotels, tour companies, and itineraries, or to help sort through all the decisions that need to be made.)
So, what is your itinerary anyway?
You'll see the exact dates unfold as we get started, but the basic gist is:
Fly to Quito, Ecuador and spend about 11 days total in Ecuador including 5 days in the Galapagos and 3 days at an eco-lodge in the Cloud Forest; head down to Chile for 10 days including 3 days at Easter Island, 4 days in the northern Chile desert and the remainder in Santiago; on to Iguassu Falls on the Brazil/Argentina border for 4 days, with a day trip to nearby Jesuit Ruins in Argentina; 5 days in Rio de Janeiro; on to La Paz and an overland trip up to Lake Titicaca, into Peru, winding up in Cusco; a few days at Machu Picchu and then down to Lima for the flight home.
Wow, that's a lot. Aren't you going to be exhausted? Aren't you trying to do too much? Are you crazy?
Every trip we've taken has provoked that reaction from someone and we've always had a fabulous time. We have built in days where we expect to do nothing but lounge around and watch the Olympics. We aren't over-scheduling activities for the non-travel days. We've thought carefully about what we want to see and what's realistic.
But why are you packing in so much? Wouldn't you rather really soak in the culture of just one or two places?
There are so many places in the world we'd like to see and so little time available to see them. Realistically, it's unlikely we'll return to South America--so there were certain things we wanted to be sure we saw, even if it was at the expense of a more relaxed or more "authentic" experience. We do make every effort to maximize our interaction with citizens of the countries we're visiting in--staying in B&Bs and patronizing locally owned tour companies and restaurants.
How much does a trip like this cost?
The short answer--a lot. But of course, this varies a huge amount depending on where you go, what level of accommodation and food you choose, etc. A basic sketch is below:
Vaccinations/Visas: Vaccinations and prescriptions for the two of us totaled about $1000. Visas and entry/departure fees (including the Galapagos Island and Machu Picchu park fees) will run about $1200.
Airfare: By far the largest single expense. We're making a total of 15 flights (some of which have multiple legs). Fuel is really expensive right now. When all is said and done, the airfare will probably be 50% of total costs. This is one place where doing a more streamlined trip could save a lot of money.
Living Expenses: Our starting estimate (based on guidebooks, looking at other travel journals, and online forums) was $50/day/person to cover lodging, food, and basic sightseeing. We're going a step above the hosteling route, but avoiding luxury hotels. So far, our hotel prices (for double occupancy) range from $17 a night to $125 a night, with most hovering in the $40-60 range. All hotels include breakfast.
What kind of vaccinations did you need and where did you get them?
We got shots for: Hepatitis A and B, yellow fever (required to enter most countries in South America), and tetanus. The typhoid fever vaccination was a series of 4 pills. We filled prescriptions for malaria pills, altitude sickness pills, and traveler's diarrhea. Rabies is often recommended--but apparently there's a vaccine shortage this year so we'll just have to avoid suspicious animals. We went with a company called Passport Health and would highly recommend them to others.
How are you going to keep a travel journal--is there really internet access available? And when will you have time to write things up anyway?
We will be traveling with a laptop (a decision made mostly to accommodate photo storage) and many of the hotels we're staying in offer wifi or internet hookups. We have a lot of time to kill on airplanes and in airports, so I'm expecting to use some of that time to write entries which I can upload when we get a chance. It's not likely to be a daily update, but hopefully it will be somewhat regular.
15 flights? Don't you know what that's doing to your carbon footprint?
I try not to think about it too much. But we do buy carbon offsets for our house, car, and travel already, so we'll just be buying a few more this year.
Do you speak Spanish or Portuguese?
No on the Portuguese. I took Spanish in high school, and John took it in college so we figure we'll muddle our way through. If all else fails, the Passport Health people gaves us a universal translator (pictograms) and we'll practice our miming skills.
Where else have you traveled?
Traveling together we've been to various parts of the US, visited Canada and Mexico, and done road trips in the UK and in Eastern Europe. John's also driven cross country and has visited 34 of the US states (plus DC). Andrea has visited much of Europe, 28 states (plus DC) and lived in Australia for a year.
If you have other questions you'd like answered, feel free to leave a comment.
