Sunday, January 25, 2009

Why am I going to South America?
What will I be doing for 3 months?

After volunteering in Ayacucho, Peru this summer I knew I would go back to South America. I was able to do some local traveling on the weekends but there were many more places I wanted to see. I decided that since I will be finished with school in December this would be the perfect opportunity to go back. After a lot of research I narrowed down my destinations to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. There were many things that influenced my decision, I wanted to volunteer again and be able to experience the different cultures of each place I visited; which is why I chose to spend a few weeks in some places. This will also be a great opportunity to practice my Spanish!

I will be flying from Boston to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The remainder of my travel will be by land, with the exception of one domestic flight. This takes more time but it is much cheaper! After a few days in Buenos Aires I will be heading to Santiago, Chile. This will take two bus rides, and I will stop in Mendoza, Argentina for one night. Luckily, I have a friend living in Santiago and I will be staying with her for 2 weeks. On February 17th I will fly to Arica in northern Chile. From there I will make my way by bus to La Paz, the capitol of Bolivia. After arriving in La Paz I will go to Cochabamba, and then Villa Tunari. Here I will spend 5-6 weeks volunteering at the animal refuge Inti Wara Yassi.

When I leave Bolivia, I will travel back through La Paz to Puno, Peru. This is where Lake Titicaca is located. From Puno I will travel though the Andes to Cusco. This was once the capital of the Inca Empire. There are many archaeological sites in the surrounding area and I am planning on doing an 8 day trek to see Machu Picchu and Choquequiaro. I do not have any concrete plans for the remainder of my trip. After leaving Cusco, I will have between one and three weeks to travel in Peru. Currently, I plan on travelling through the northern coastal cities of Trujillo and Chiclayo and then to continue on to Chachapoyas. I will arrive in Lima a few days before my flight home on April 22nd.

I have a lot to look forward to and I am really excited about this trip! I will be updating this blog regularly except for when I am in rural areas where there are no internet cafes. Keep in touch : )

1 comment:

  1. I love you and can't wait to hear all about your adventures!

    ReplyDelete

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