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Trip Start
Feb 03, 2006
1
59
Trip End
May 09, 2006
Portland, Oregon
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
A long flight back to Portland, via Miami and San Francisco.
The adventure is over, at least this one. It was great. In 14 weeks I visited 7 countries in South America, plus the continent of Antarctica. I traveled 34,000 miles (that's more than going around the world). I have been in the southernmost city in the world (Ushaia) and the southernmost national park (Tierra del Fuego), traveled round the southernmost point of the continent (Cape Horn), been pickpocketed at the highest capital in the world (La Paz), paddled a canoe on the highest lake in the world (Lake Titicaca), carried dynamite and fell down a mine shaft (not still carrying the dynamite) in a silver mine in the highest city in the world (Potosi), and stood with feet in both hemisphere near Quito. I had a tango lesson in Buenos Aires and attempted to samba at a club at 3 am in Rio at Carnival. I have mountain biked in the Andes, and down the highest volcano in the world. I have snorkeled with dolphins and seal lions in the Galapagos. I have traveled by plane, ship, canoe, reed boat, bike, rickshaw, taxi, bus, ferry, raft, train, hiked and swam. I have seen condors and ostriches in Patagonia, hundreds of penguins in Antarctica, llamas and alpaca and guanacos in the highlands of Peru, albatrosses in the Falklands, monkeys in the Amazon basin, flamingos in remote Bolivia, and iguanas and giant tortoises and birds with blue feet in the Galapagos. And I have met some wonderful people, the many children I encountered on the hike to Macchu Picchu, and the amazing porters who ran while carrying 50 lbs on their back up peaks at 14,000 feet, shopkeepers and waiters who were so patient with me while I tried to order in Spanish, guides who put up with my wandering off or running ahead while they were trying to keep some order in the group, and new traveling friends from all the world.
Thanks to Jo and Cheryl for always smiling no matter what on that cruise ship, to Martin and Kate for loaning me money (and calming me down while in panic mode) when I was a few dollars from being completely broke in La Paz and Lima, to Leon for taking care of me while I was sick as a dog in the Amazon rainforest, to (darn, cannot remember his name, but he was a rugby player from England) for climbing another 200 feet straight up rocks after hiking all day in high altitudes just so I could say I had made it 15,000 feet, to Jim for keeping me sane when I was about to jump ship off the coast of Chile, to Josephine who kept finding things I had forgotten to pick up (like cameras and wallets and journals and such...) and for watching my back so I could take photos safely in Bolivia and for continually worrying about me (for good reason), to Michael who challenged me to some long swims in the Galapagos and taught me a bunch of new words so I can speak a little british (like mingers and wengy and dodgy), to Sophie for showing me where to buy the best chocolate cake in Quito, and to a whole bunch of others who made traveling alone not nearly so lonely, including many of you who have emailed me along the road. And to my sister Judy who kept track of everything at home for me while I played in another hemisphere. Thank you all.
Until my next adventure,
Adios,
Scott
P.S. Final Mileages
Flights 19712 miles
Ship 9783
Bus 1765
Boats/Rafts 97
Taxis/Vans 1249
Bike 56
Walk 203
Train/Subway 310
Pedicab 2
Total miles - 33,176
