Recomendations for all our Peeps out there!
Trip Start
Sep 15, 2008
1
39
122
Trip End
Jan 01, 2009
Santiago,
Chile
Monday, December 1, 2008
Packing
We went with the less is more strategy and we are so glad. Both of our bags are around 40L and it makes life much easier. Especially on buses, taxis, or just a general feeling of safety. We have only seen one other traveler with a similar size bag, with the rest packing around 70L to 100L of gear. We usually recieve looks of amazement and jealousy from these pack mules followed by the question, How are you travelling for a year with such a small bag?
Two reasons why:
#1 - We have only packed what we really need.
#2 - Micro-fibers, sleeping bag, and clothes that are thin or compress easily.
Some recomendations of what you really need.
Rain jacket.
Rain cover.
Jeans (some people disagree but we are so glad we brough jeans for comfort, warmth, and to look semi-normal).
Microfibers for warmth and protection (a Microfleece and a base layer, we went with Helly Hansen and North Face but there are lots of options).
Packing cases for compartmentalizing your clothes.
A sleeping bag (again some people disagree but the sleeping bag has been crucial on cold buses, cold nights, and dirty hostal beds - it is also needed for many tours).
Clothes and shoes depend on what you want to have but remeber laundry is cheap and you can and will buy clothes cheaper in these countries than in the Western World.
Guide book (We have used the Lonely Planet but also sneak peaks at the Footprints Guide, both are great.)
Camera.
Alarm clock or watch with Alarm.
Some items we enjoy having:
Ipod for movies, TV series, free wi-fi, and music.
A few books to start reading and exchanging along the way (Charis is on her 25th book, Arik his 3rd)
Packsafe and money belt for those extra sketchy hostels and neighborhoods.
Large capacity USB for backing up pics.
A knife (Arik feels safer with one and is always ready to defend but Charis uses it for cleaning her fingernails).
Ultra light day bag (we bought a tiny North Face day bag from A&G that packs into a small pouch).
Planning
Planning also comes down to your personality and what type of trip you want to have, not to mention time available. We did a lot of research while dreaming (over 3 years!) but we actually only booked a flight to Colombia, a flight out of Brazil, and a general direction. The rest we leave up to daily whims and desires and it feels great. We have met so many people who scheduled flights or treks (mainly the Inca) and then have to rush past great sites or stress about protests blocking the highways to make their trek or flight - they all regret it! There hasnīt been one town, tour, trek, or hostel where we havenīt been able to book in town the day of or one day before (besides the Inca Trail - we actually could have gotten on the Classic Trail 9 days later, but didnīt want to wait and didnīt want to pay the higher price).
The one thing we wish we planned for better was the language. Spanish isnīt a particularly easy language but taking a year of courses before the trip would have made interaction with the people more enjoyable. We probably would also be better negotiators, therefore saving more cashish, with a deeper vocabulary than simply saying it is to expensive or making a lower offer. In addition the spanish tours are ALWAYS cheaper than the english tours, again saving that oh so importante dinero.
So there ya go, that is our opinions for the trip. We accept donations of gratitude via paypal or direct money transfer :) jk.
Comments
Recommendations!
Excellent advice - although I'm leaning toward your idea of checking into the Ritz as my first choice....so, it would be a very short visit! :):):)
Books
Dad and I were not at all surprised to hear you have already read 25 books!
Looking for some book recommendations....
Mom