Seven countries/seven months in South America: A panacea for my quarter-life crisis

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Eleven days after my 25th birthday, I finally embarked on the solo backpacking trip throughout South America that I had been anticipating for many months. My journey began with one month of intensive Spanish classes in Quito, Ecuador. I then flew to Cusco, Peru to hike the Inca Trail on Nov. 6th. Thereafter, I had no plans other than to celebrate Carnival in Salvador and to return home from Rio in early May (originally March). However, I did have a rough itinerary that included Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil. After a relaxed eight-month break back in California, my South American travels ultimately inspired me to move to London, where I got a new job and am experiencing a whole new set of adventures...

• 1

  19 hours and counting...   Santa Cruz, CA on Sep 28, 2006 2 pictures 0 comments
• 2

  Finally out the door--6 more hours until takeoff!   Santa Cruz, CA on Sep 28, 2006 1 picture 2 comments
• 3

  9 hours in Miami Int'l Airport   Miami, FL on Sep 30, 2006 0 pictures 0 comments
• 4

  Mi primer dia en Quito   Quito, Ecuador on Sep 30, 2006 2 pictures 0 comments
• 5

  Quito's historic Old Town   Quito, Ecuador on Oct 1, 2006 14 pictures 0 comments
• 6

  Amazonas Spanish School: Week No. 1, Part 1   Quito, Ecuador on Oct 2, 2006 1 picture 1 comment
• 7

  Amazonas Spanish School: Week No. 1, Part 2   Quito, Ecuador on Oct 5, 2006 7 pictures 0 comments
• 8

  My weekend in Banos (ie on a bus)   Banos, Ecuador on Oct 7, 2006 15 pictures 0 comments
• 9

  Amazonas Spanish School: Week No. 2   Quito, Ecuador on Oct 9, 2006 6 pictures 0 comments
• 10

  Banos: Part 2   Banos, Ecuador on Oct 14, 2006 25 pictures 0 comments
• 11

  Amazonas Spanish School: Week No. 3   Quito, Ecuador on Oct 16, 2006 0 pictures 0 comments
• 12

  Cipro Take 4!   Quito, Ecuador on Oct 23, 2006 10 pictures 0 comments
• 13

  Amazonas School Week No. 4: Jungle time!   Coca, Ecuador on Oct 23, 2006 29 pictures 0 comments
• 14

  Jungle Day 2: Enjoying the fine flavor of "mayon"   Coca, Ecuador on Oct 24, 2006 14 pictures 0 comments
• 15

  Jungle Day 3: Patience makes perfect   Coca, Ecuador on Oct 25, 2006 4 pictures 0 comments
• 16

  Jungle Day 4: Surviving the Rio Napo   Coca, Ecuador on Oct 26, 2006 9 pictures 0 comments
• 17

  Jungle day 5: Adios mosquitos   Coca, Ecuador on Oct 27, 2006 10 pictures 0 comments
• 18

  Butterflies, humming birds, and orchids--oh my!   Mindo, Ecuador on Oct 29, 2006 11 pictures 0 comments
• 19

  My last few days in Quito   Quito, Ecuador on Oct 30, 2006 3 pictures 0 comments
• 20

  Sleep over in Lima Airport   Lima, Peru on Nov 3, 2006 2 pictures 0 comments
• 21

  And the real journey begins..   Cusco, Peru on Nov 3, 2006 30 pictures 0 comments
• 22

  Inca Trail Day 1: Why did I not hire a porter?!   Ollyantaytambo and Inca Trail, Peru on Nov 6, 2006 14 pictures 0 comments
• 23

  Inca Trail Day 2: Operation Touch the Nipple   Inca Trail, Peru on Nov 7, 2006 15 pictures 0 comments
• 24

  Inca Trail Day 3: I am not a happy camper   Inca Trail, Peru on Nov 8, 2006 12 pictures 0 comments
• 25

  Inca Trail Day 4   Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes, Peru on Nov 9, 2006 27 pictures 0 comments
• 26

  4 nights of recovery in Cusco   Cusco, Peru on Nov 10, 2006 1 picture 0 comments
• 27

  It's all about the size of your stereo...   Puno, Peru on Nov 13, 2006 30 pictures 0 comments
• 28

  A much needed escape   Copacabana and Isla del Sol, Bolivia on Nov 16, 2006 25 pictures 1 comment
• 29

  On my own in La Paz   La Paz, Bolivia on Nov 18, 2006 7 pictures 0 comments
• 30

  Bolivian Wrestling   La Paz, Bolivia on Nov 19, 2006 21 pictures 2 comments
• 31

  Vale de la Luna and San Pedro Prison   La Paz, Bolivia on Nov 20, 2006 6 pictures 0 comments
• 32

  Biking down the World's Most Dangerous Road   La Paz to Coroico, Bolivia on Nov 21, 2006 22 pictures 0 comments
• 33

  No turkey for me...   La Paz, Bolivia on Nov 23, 2006 0 pictures 0 comments
• 34

  I think I have fallen in love...   Sucre, Bolivia on Nov 25, 2006 22 pictures 0 comments
• 35

  Visiting the mines   Potosi, Bolivia on Nov 27, 2006 30 pictures 0 comments
• 36

  Itinerary update   Potosi, Bolivia on Nov 29, 2006 0 pictures 0 comments
• 37

  Stuck in Uyuni (ie the middle of nowhere)   Uyuni, Bolivia on Nov 29, 2006 4 pictures 0 comments
• 38

  Salar de Uyuni Tour: Day 1   Uyuni to Tupiza, Bolivia on Dec 1, 2006 31 pictures 0 comments
• 39

  Salar de Uyuni Tour: Day 2   Uyuni to Tupiza, Bolivia on Dec 2, 2006 41 pictures 0 comments
• 40

  Salar de Uyuni Tour: Day 3   Uyuni to Tupiza, Bolivia on Dec 3, 2006 31 pictures 0 comments
• 41

  Salar de Uyuni Tour: Day 4   Uyuni to Tupiza, Bolivia on Dec 4, 2006 14 pictures 0 comments
• 42

  Do my legs still work?   Tupiza, Bolivia on Dec 4, 2006 0 pictures 0 comments
• 43

  Adios Bolivia   Salta, Argentina on Dec 6, 2006 0 pictures 0 comments
• 44

  My psuedo honeymoon in Salta   Salta, Argentina on Dec 9, 2006 15 pictures 0 comments
• 45

  Back to reality...   Salta to Mendoza, Argentina on Dec 11, 2006 1 picture 0 comments
• 46

  Getting off the beaten path in Mendoza   Mendoza, Argentina on Dec 12, 2006 27 pictures 0 comments
• 47

  Three nights at Gardenhouse Hostal   Buenos Aires, Argentina on Dec 19, 2006 26 pictures 0 comments
• 48

  Four nights at the infamous Milhouse   Buenos Aires, Argentina on Dec 22, 2006 39 pictures 0 comments
• 49

  From one extreme to another   Colonia, Uruguay on Dec 26, 2006 13 pictures 0 comments
• 50

  Checking out the "Hamptons of Buenos Aires"   Punte del Este, Uruguay on Dec 27, 2006 24 pictures 0 comments
• 51

  New Year´s Eve with my parents   Buenos Aires, Argentina on Dec 31, 2006 4 pictures 0 comments
• 52

  Tucan Travel tour: First stop Bariloche!   Bariloche, Argentina on Jan 1, 2007 22 pictures 0 comments
• 53

  Firey skies in the ghost town of Perito Moreno   Perito Moreno, Argentina on Jan 3, 2007 4 pictures 0 comments
• 54

  Glacier Trekking & Apartment Hunting, El Chalten   El Chalten, Argentina on Jan 4, 2007 61 pictures 0 comments
• 55

  Perito Moreno Glacier   El Calafate, Argentina on Jan 6, 2007 32 pictures 0 comments
• 56

  Puerto Natales   Puerto Natales, Chile on Jan 8, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 57

  Hiking the "W"...well, kind of...   Torres del Paine, Chile on Jan 9, 2007 142 pictures 0 comments
• 58

  Last night in Chile   Punta Arenas, Chile on Jan 12, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 59

  Penguins!   Otaway sound, Chile on Jan 13, 2007 23 pictures 0 comments
• 60

  I have finally reached the "end of the world"   Ushuaia, Argentina on Jan 14, 2007 93 pictures 0 comments
• 61

  Itinerary update #2   Ushuaia, Argentina on Jan 17, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 62

  Back in BA and picking up where I left off...   Buenos Aires, Argentina on Jan 18, 2007 19 pictures 0 comments
• 63

  Reunion with Sam--three weeks in Palermo Soho!   Buenos Aires, Argentina on Jan 19, 2007 106 pictures 0 comments
• 64

  And finally, off to Brazil!   Salvador, Brazil on Feb 6, 2007 41 pictures 0 comments
• 65

  CARNAVAL!!!   Salvador, Brazil on Feb 15, 2007 27 pictures 0 comments
• 66

  Two nights in Praia do Forte to see the turtles   Praia do Forte, Brazil on Feb 22, 2007 14 pictures 0 comments
• 67

  Bus back to Salvador   Salvador, Brazil on Feb 25, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 68

  Night bus to Chapada Diamantina National Park   Lencois, Brazil on Feb 25, 2007 52 pictures 0 comments
• 69

  Stuck in Salvador, again!   Salvador, Brazil on Mar 2, 2007 2 pictures 0 comments
• 70

  La Isla Bonita   Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil on Mar 3, 2007 24 pictures 0 comments
• 71

  D-Day...   Morro de Sao Paulo to Salvador, Brazil on Mar 6, 2007 21 pictures 0 comments
• 72

  Flight to Maceio   Maceio, Brazil on Mar 6, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 73

  The next chapter of my journey - Brazil solo!   Maceio, Brazil on Mar 7, 2007 7 pictures 0 comments
• 74

  I have found paradise!   Maragogi, Brazil on Mar 10, 2007 21 pictures 0 comments
• 75

  A rushed afternoon in Olinda   Olinda, Brazil on Mar 11, 2007 13 pictures 0 comments
• 76

  Queen of the castle   Natal, Brazil on Mar 12, 2007 20 pictures 0 comments
• 77

  Backtracking down to Praia da Pipa   Praia da Pipa, Brazil on Mar 15, 2007 10 pictures 0 comments
• 78

  A perfect day in Canoa Quebrada   Canoa Quebrada, Brazil on Mar 18, 2007 30 pictures 0 comments
• 79

  Finally, I have reached Fortaleza just in time!   Fortaleza, Brazil on Mar 20, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 80

  Hell travel day number 1   Bonito, via Campo Grande, Brazil on Mar 21, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 81

  The crystal clear waters of Bonito   Bonito, Brazil on Mar 22, 2007 43 pictures 0 comments
• 82

  Hell travel day number 2   Bonito to Iguassu Falls, Argentina on Mar 25, 2007 22 pictures 0 comments
• 83

  I hate Aerolineas Argentinas!   Mendoza, Argentina on Mar 26, 2007 18 pictures 0 comments
• 84

  Another sad goodbye...Iguassu beckons   Iguassu, Argentina on Apr 3, 2007 83 pictures 0 comments
• 85

  They let me back into Brazil!   Florianopolis, Brazil on Apr 5, 2007 20 pictures 0 comments
• 86

  Curitiba: "City of the People"   Curitiba, Brazil on Apr 9, 2007 21 pictures 0 comments
• 87

  All aboard the Serra Verde Express!   Curitiba to Ilha do Mel, Brazil on Apr 11, 2007 22 pictures 0 comments
• 88

  Is this where they film Lost?   Ilha do Mel, Brazil on Apr 11, 2007 71 pictures 0 comments
• 89

  Never travel on Friday the 13th!   Ilha do Mel to Parati via a billion other cities, Brazil on Apr 13, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 90

  Escape from crazytown!   Parati, Brazil on Apr 14, 2007 35 pictures 0 comments
• 91

  Some much needed chill time on Ilha Grande   Abraao, Brazil on Apr 16, 2007 42 pictures 0 comments
• 92

  Long night of travel back to the mountains!   Ouro Preto via Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Apr 20, 2007 17 pictures 0 comments
• 93

  "Oh my God, are you from California?"   Sao Joao del Rei and Tiradentes, Brazil on Apr 23, 2007 33 pictures 0 comments
• 94

  Last but not least, Rio!   Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Apr 25, 2007 120 pictures 0 comments
• 95

  One more night...   Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 2, 2007 40 pictures 0 comments
• 96

  Time's up!   Rio de Janeiro to Miami, FL on May 3, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 97

  Back in California, back to reality...kind of...   Santa Cruz, CA on May 4, 2007 30 pictures 0 comments
• 98

  A Much Overdue Epilogue: Part One   London, United Kingdom on Jul 31, 2008 167 pictures 0 comments
• 99

  A Much Overdue Epilogue: Part Two   London, United Kingdom on Jul 31, 2008 153 pictures 0 comments