Clarification: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil
This is it. A bit of a road map of what I’ll be doing over the next 4 months… ideally. The truth is who really knows. When I went to Thailand, there was no expectations between me and boys to go to Cambodia or Laos but sometimes the fuckery or journey, whatever you want to call it, takes you there. For all I know, some pub in the jungle of Peru that no one has ever heard of will be a random travel point that completely sends us in the wrong direction from what we already anticipated. That pub probably doesn’t exist but one can hope.
However, there are a few destinations that look like must-sees. I’m not just talking about going to Cuzco to see Machu Picchu or Rio De Janeiro (don’t get me wrong, they are probably must visits) but other cool gems I could see myself going, such as:
Bocas del toro, Panama
- This Caribbean archipelago shows off biodiversity at its finest, from vibrant coral reefs to lush rainforest hills. By day, treat the world like your fucking oyster—hike, surf, bike, or just chill on 10/10 beaches. After sunset, explore the cultural scene, where indigenous traditions, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and global backpackers converge beneath a, what I’ve heard to be, a great night out.
Medellin, Colombia
- Once known as Pablo Escobar’s city, Medellin has built itself back up and is a city of sights, such as the infamous Comuna 13, once known as the most dangerous neighborhood in the world. It is also a great place to set up shop in order to explore other columbian destinations, such as Guatape just 2 hours away. Personally, I just can’t wait to try the columbian coffee.
- Known as a gateway to the Amazon rainforest, this Puerto Maldonado serves as a launch point to countless remote villages deep beneath the jungle canopy. As someone who watched Animal Planet religiously as a kid, there’s no better way to experience Peru than by floating down a river in the largest rainforest in the world, where the rich flora and fauna can only be truly appreciated in person.
- I don’t think there’s a country I’m more excited for than Bolivia, but particularly La Paz. Sitting at a towering 3,000+ meters, it’s the highest capital city in the world with bustling markets, where people like me will haggle over every dollar just to see what we can drive it down to. There’s many sites and activities to be done of all kinds, none more famous than the bike ride down Death Road, the narrowest road in the world.
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
- Located in the driest desert in the world, this ‘Oasis’ town feels like something straight out of a movie with its Adobe-like infrastructure. The natural wonders here are truly something, as the town overlooks the Licancabur Volcano and has amazing Puritama Hot Springs after a long day of walking around at 2,500 meters. Plus I can’t wait to see some flamingos flying over me.
El Calafate, Argentina
- I could have put a lot of places here since Patagonia as a whole seems pretty phenomenal but the fact that El Calafate is a town that sits on the edge of an ice field, seemed like a good option. A very small town, it’s a great entrance to witness the Perito Moreno Glacier and some world class hiking.
Well, the truth is I don’t know, well I do but like the itinerary plan I can’t say for certain. What I can say is that I’ll mainly be going over my experience. I bet you’re sitting there saying shockingly all sarcastically. One day I’ll be covering my experience trying the coffee in Columbia (if you can’t tell, I’m hyped for this) to a 4 day hike we did on our way to Machu Picchu. Next, what it was like to go to Lollapalooza, one of the biggest music festivals in Argentina or me standing in front of the Statue of Christ the Redeemer. Of course, I might not actually end up doing all these things (except the coffee—I’m definitely doing that), but you get the point. Other days, I might be ranting about wild transportation options, run-ins with exotic animals, or how a simple pub visit spiraled into a 3 a.m. epic.
I guess you could call it a series, but one idea that was actually inspired to me by my mate Xavier, for now is calledTREK TALKS.This will be where in every country we go to, I’ll ask someone of any walk of life –whether that be a fellow backpacker, the owner of a market, a farmer, a tour guide, whatever– a series of 5 questions. This could get a little tricky with potential language barriers but getting perspectives of different types of people is one of the best parts about traveling. Here are my 5 questions at the moment, which can and will be subject to change:
I’ll also have an Instagram and Twitter page to go along with. These should be a little more consistent, the Instagram page being my main display of pictures I take from my camera. The twitter will be for random thoughts I have on the trek, because who the fuck knows what some of those could be. There will be days where the internet is slim to none, so some days it might seem like I’m lacking but trust me, I will be trying my best to keep these consistent.
All in all I hope this helped get better of a gist for what you’ll be seeing out of this page. I could have been more useful but even I don’t necessarily know what can possibly go down on this trip. Though I hope you enjoy the ride, no matter how bumpy it is.