Friday, January 30, 2009

I´m Here!

Buenos Aires is one of my favorite cities, second only to Florence, Italy. It´s beautiful here, they have a lot of parks and the city has a European feel to it. Im staying at the V&S hostel, and I guess I was lucky to pick this one because everyone else staying here says it is the best place they´ve stayed in awhile, which makes me wonder what I´m in for later... I´ve been taking it easy the past few days because I didn´t sleep very well on the plane down here. Siesta is my favorite time of day :) I went to Palermo yesterday and walked around the neighborhoods there. I visited the Jardin Japones (Japonese Garden) and walked through the Rosedal, where they have thousands of different types of roses, some of which have won international awards. Tomorrow I will go to Uruguay by boat. I´m going to the city of Colonia, which is a few hours away and then I´ll come back to Buenos Aires. Sunday is my last day here and then I will be going to Mendoza on an overnight bus. Pictures are coming soon! Miss you all!

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 : )

Where are you in the world?