The Skinny on South America Travel

Many people have been asking us for details about our South America trip so we dedicate this blog to the nitty-gritty details of how, who, what where and why of our 6-week trek through Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina:

Daily Budget

We had a strict budget of $15 US per person, per day for food and $15 US per person, per day for lodging. That meant that we we could not stay in a hotel room over $30 per night or eat more than $30 of food (and drinks, yes wine included) per day. This was mostly always possible everywhere we went. Sometimes we would splurge on food and drinks one day but we balanced those days out by being frugal on other days and cooking for ourselves in the hostel instead of eating out or eating street food or bread and cheese from the markets instead. 

Lodging

We stayed in a combination of hostels, hotels and couch surfing homes during our trip. Hostels, with shared rooms, were fine for a few nights but when we were staying in one city for longer than 2 nights we usually looked for hotels with private rooms (and decent showers were a priority and sometimes worth spending some extra cash). Our couch surfing experiences were positive everywhere we went. We highly recommend getting on CouchSurfing before you travel to build yourself a profile, get verified and scope out the places you plan on visiting to see if there are many hosts in the area who might be able to host you. CouchSurfing is not just for a free place to stay, it is about meeting people and sharing cultures so keep that in mind. Also, we knew that we might not always find a CS host so we budgeted enough money to pay for lodging every night. When we did have CS hosts and free lodging, we used that money to go on adventures with our hosts or buy them extra groceries or cook them meals.

Our Route, Step by Step
Okay, so I can't remember the exact details of our travel in terms of what buses we took and how much they cost but it was pretty easy to get a fair price for bus tickets at most bus stations. Also, travel books will give you a general idea of how much travel will cost. Base your budgeting off of that. Before we left on the trip, I spent a few hours looking up estimated prices of all legs of my travel so that I could make a general budget. We usually rode in semi-cama seats because they were cheaper than the full cama tickets. The difference was that our seats didn't fully recline whereas if we had paid more we might have been more comfortable. The price might be worth it for you for extra long trips. In any case, here are all the legs of our journey:

1. We flew from Guyana to Lima, Peru (via Trinidad then Panama. We booked a one-way flight from GEO to POS and another one-way flight from POS-LIM to save money).
2. Lima to Cusco via bus. This trip was supposed to be 18 hours, but ended up being 23 because of landslides.
3. From Cusco we headed off on our 4-day trek up Salkantay to Machu Picchu and then returned back to Cusco.
4. After Machu Picchu and Cusco, we took a night bus to Arequipa. The bus took about 9 hours.
5. From Arequipa we booked a guided tour (at one of many offices in downtown) to the Colca Canyon. We left most of our gear in our hostel while we were on the 2 day trek and came back to pick it up after the trek, before taking another night bus to Puno.
5. Puno was just a stopping point to get into Bolivia. We had to go there since we couldn't find any direct buses to Bolivia. The bus from Arequipa to Puno was not nice. But once we were in the Puno bus station we were able to buy a hot breakfast and easily find tickets to Copacabana in Bolivia.
6. Puno by bus to Copacabana. The bus ride is quick and easy but this border crossing sucks. Be prepared and have with you (not in your luggage under the bus) a copy of your passport, YF vaccinations, a passport photo and US cash in exact change to obtain your Bolivian visa. This will make the trip easier.
7. Copacabana to La Paz. We didn't have to book anything here. Just head to the central square in Copacabana and find a bus that is marked La Paz. Buses leave all day, the last bus is at 6 or so.
8. La Paz to Coroico via a harrowing and awesome bike ride tour down the Death Road. The tour returned to La Paz (if you want to go directly back) but we wanted to stay in the Bolivian high jungle for a few nights so we asked to be dropped off at the local bus stop to take us to the town of Corioco.
9. Coroico to La Paz (no need to book bus tickets in advance, just go to the bus terminal when you want to leave).
10. Once back in La Paz we decided not to book the next step of our journey with a tour agency in La Paz because it was very expensive. Instead we just took another night bus (we bought tickets at a tour agency on the same day we arrived back from Coroico) from La Paz to Uyuni. We arrived in Uyuni very early in the morning and had to wait for the tour companies to open. When they did we were easily able to find a 3 day tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats and the National Park that left that same morning.
11. We didn't stay in Uyuni, instead we took the standard 3-day tour of the natural wonders in the region. After the tour, instead of returning to Uyuni we had arranged for the tour to drop us off at the Chilean border. People do this all the time and the tour operator will make it easy for you and book you a ticket directly to San Perdo de Atacama in Chile.
12. Bolivian border to San Pedro de Atacama was an easy 1.5 hour bus ride.
13. San Pedro de Atacama to Santiago. We booked a bus ticket a day ahead of time with a bus company in San Pedro. This is one of the times when we should have splurged on a cama ticket. The journey was over 26 hours! Bring food.
14. Santiago to Vina del Mar by bus. We traveled with a friend to his family home out there, I don't know if I would recommend going to Vina if you are backpacking. It is expensive to find lodging and quiet if you don't know where to go.
15. Vina del Mar to Valparaiso by bus. Half an hour on public local buses and its cheap.
16. We hitched a ride with our friend's mom from Valpo back to Santiago but I know that the bus tickets are cheap and the ride is only a few hours.
17. We just passed through Santiago this time (our friend dropped us off at the bus station where we bought a ticket) and headed on yet another night bus to Mendoza, Argentina. I would not recommend taking a night bus because there is an immigration checkpoint in the middle of the night where we had to wake up, get out of the bus and stand in the freezing cold for a few hours to cross into Argentina.
18. Mendoza, Argentina back to Santiago (this time on a bus in the daytime).
19. Santiago airport to Los Angeles, LAX. We got a one-way ticket with a connection through Mexico City. Then we were home in the U.S.A.

This trip was certainly a whirlwind tour. There were so many other places along the way that we wanted to visit but we only had six weeks so we crammed in all the important things (to us at least). If you have more time, take it and explore more.

Our Favorites. If you are in South America, you shouldn't miss:
1. A trek to Machu Pict
2. Lake Titikaka (from either the Peruvian or Bolivian side it is nice but we LOVED the Isla del Sol from Copacabana)
3. The bike ride from La Paz to Coroico and a few days in the Bolivian jungle
4. Tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats and surrounding marvels
5. Valparaiso
6. Mendoza and a bike tour of Argentinian wine country

I hope this little summary of our trip helps those who have asked, and anyone for that matter, plan your South America adventure. We certainly had a blast on our trip we hope you do too! Let me know if you have any other, specific questions. I am happy to help in any way. Happy travels!

-Chelsea

Sacramento Bound

Two weeks ago I took a short (but super fun and busy) trip up to Nor Cal to decide on which law school I will be attending this fall. As many of you know I was torn between a school in San Francisco and one in Sacramento and, for many reasons I decided that the Sacramento school was the best fit for me. I easily saw that the school was smaller, more personal and offered many more focused programs in my area of interest. Then once Tim and I weighed out the financial benefits of both the scholarship I was offered and the lower cost of living in the central valley it seemed obvious that Sacramento was the right choice for us. We are excited to have decided upon a location and so eager to find a place to live next month and settle into a home of our own and a routine. The hardest part about making the decision to move to Sacramento was giving up the idea of living in the Bay Area near family and many amazing friends. We would have loved being near our peeps in the Bay but we know that we made a decision that will allow us to be less preoccupied with money worries and distractions while I am in school. Also, SF is only 1.5 hour drive away so you can bet that we will be around visiting often and law school only lasts three years so it is not like we are committing to Sac forever.

After I made the tough decision about which school was right for me, I got to pass the buck of responsibility on to Tim. The minute we knew where we were headed he started applying for high school teaching jobs. He has two credentials so he can teach English and History and also has prior experience teaching Government, Economics and Drama so he has lots of options. There are many jobs listed in Sacramento county and I am confident that he will find something soon. I may be biased, but I think he is quite a catch. However, the job application process is stressful for us both and I am praying for the day that he will get that happy phone call with a job offer.

In the meantime, we are still in Oxnard at the Tibbs house, where we had decided to stay for a month to help my father in-law clean out the garage and do some spring/summer cleaning and organizing and reconnect with the Tibbs clan. Now that month is winding to a close and we are looking ahead to the next move. Our plan is to head up to Oregon to see my Dad next week then travel with my cousins and auntie to our family reunion in Ashland at the end of the month. After the family gathering, Tim and my time of reconnecting and casually socializing will be officially over! We will have to immediately find a place to live in Sacramento and buy a car before heading back down to Oxnard for a wedding and to get our stuff out of storage and then hustle back up north to get settled into our new place before school starts for me on August 7th! Yikes!

Like everything else we have been up to these last few months, July will be a crazy whirlwind of change and adjustments. Even as I type this, I have to remind myself to take deep breaths because everything will work out fine. The light at the end of this mad tunnel is that very soon we can start putting down roots again and the feeling of constant exhaustion and stress of being displaced, disoriented, homeless and routineless with dissipate. I look forward to that day very, very much!

In SF during my trip up north

Mom and Oma in downtown SF where I toured school then we went to the Asian Art Museum and had lunch

Back in Santa Cruz, Mom and I made art plates out of plain old glass plates from the thrift store

More spray painted glass art plates we made. Yay!

A Note On Adjustments

It’s June. Time is flying by way quicker than the landscapes beside me. I am taking a Train down to San Diego for a quick visit to our old stomping grounds. I am hoping for a little fencing (after 2.5 years) and making some good brews with my amazing friends at the Beat Attack Brew Shack ™.

It is a little bit of a trip to be on a train and online, but it’s a wonderful way to travel; I don’t know why more people don’t do it.  Anyway, some good news Chelsea decided on a school to attend this fall. I would love to tell you but I’ll leave that for her.

Right now I am feeling the pressure of readjustment. I have spent the last two days looking for teaching jobs in the area we’re going to be living and I am a little anxious. It’s been so long since I’ve applied to a job so it’s been a bit of a challenge to get my mindset back into the classroom rather than administration. I’ve been thinking of cover letters, classroom management strategies, updating resumes, contacting references and so on. I’m missing the “Just Now” attitude of Guyana and struggling to get my head around the industrial military complex mentality of the United States; the societal pressure to do things now, rather than just now. It’s good and it is expected. But I am missing Guyana time, my hammock, and the leisure to just sit back a read a book. This too shall pass, I know. But until then I have to get back to work.

PS. I love public transportation! For reals!

Oxnard

Oxnard

Running in the hazy morning light, smelling the sweet scents of strawberries and a sea breeze tinged with tangy salt, I knew I was home. I have been away from Oxnard for about twelve years, first in San Diego and then in Guyana. I have visited now and again, but I haven’t set down for a long length of time. However, no matter where I’ve lived the small smells of Jack in the Box to jasmine flowers remind me of my childhood.

Neighborhoods

Oxnard is neither the richest nor the hippest city in our county, but it does have soul. It has been around for over a hundred years. The Oxnard brothers owned a sugar beet factory near the old part of the city and a community sprung up around it. Moreover, Oxnard has some of the best top-soil in the world for agriculture (no matter how much the developers try to build upon it! Though I think it has gone down in recent years) and still produces vast amounts of strawberries and other crops.  And then there are the miles and miles of beautiful sandy beaches that could easily be the best between LA and Santa Barbara. It has such a mix of social classes and ethnicities; industries and leisure. It’s a pretty remarkable place. Thus, sitting outside of Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut (one of the best places to eat breakfast in Oxnard), watching the Pacific waves break against the shore I can feel the pulsing soul of Oxnard reverberate with every crash. Maybe I am being melodramatic but how does one put the feeling of “home” into words? Perhaps the “soul” I feel that Oxnard has is simply the feeling of home? Maybe those who feel a strong attachment to any one place or another always feel their home has a soul? Though I know this won’t be my permanent place of residence, it will always be home.  

Friends and Surf's Brews!

These last few days have been a mix of emotions. Sometimes I feel so excited and happy, but then in another moment I’m overwhelmed and I just want to hide away. There has been some really good times hanging out with my brother and reconnecting with old friends, and there have been frustrating times as we readjust to the “American way.” It’s a rollercoaster just as Guyana was and as we proceed through it and adjust we hope it will become easier. Tomorrow is our first Memorial Day since we left for the Peace Corps and we’re looking forward for some good grilling and good company.

Reconnecting, even in Venice!

Venice Beach, but Oxnard can match it no problem!

Home, Home on the Range

So, we are home in California. Mixed emotions ensue: 

1. So, so, so happy to have been picked up at the airport by our amazing friends Heather and Jeff.

2. Excited to eat In-n-Out burgers (picnicking in the “park”) as our first meal in the U.S.A with a bunch of our close friends

3. Embarrassed to have made socially awkward comments in In-n-Out because we forgot that everyone could speak the language we were speaking and also that it isn’t okay to comment on race and physical appearance like it is in Guyana

4. Grateful for the party, beers, meals, Spirithoods, tours around L.A. and general sense of camaraderie that our generous, talented, smart friends made happen for us

5. Stoked to be back in Oxnard, kicking it with the Tibbses

6. Overwhelmed by the choices of food in grocery stores and on menus, the many cars on the road and the return to the notion that laws are actually enforced and people should be fearful of the enforcers

7. Full (and slightly bloated) from indulging in all the good, aforementioned food

8. Missing Guyana, our friends there, our work, house and lives there

9. Happy and excited and overwhelmed and stoked for what the future holds in this next adventure (law school in either San Francisco or Sacramento, getting fancy phones that are smarter than we are that we have to learn how to use, finding an awesome teaching job for Tim, family reunions, weddings, buying a car, connecting with long distant friends and relatives, not getting sucked in by the consumerism and easy, unhealthy options available here, exercising at any time of the day, not just the morning, since it isn’t oppressingly humid in California, finding and getting settled into our own place, eventually).

All in all, more positives than negatives. It is what it is and we will continue to support each other through it.

Days 42-45: Spas, Malls, Musicals, and More

This is our last ‘official’ day on vacation. We’re back in Santiago with our friend Sebastian.  We fly out of Santiago airport tomorrow night and arrive around noon on Sunday in LA (WOW!!!!).  We have another day of explorations tomorrow, but tonight is our final night in South America. 

Today has been a relaxed day. We arrived in Santiago last night and hung out with Sebastian watching old American musical numbers (don’t judge us nerds!), while drinking wine and Piscolas (Pisco and Coke). Chelsea and Sebastian sang and danced along, while I contributed by own paltry selections that I remembered from Oxnard High School Drama. I then was given a list of musicals and movies that I need to see: Pink Floyds The Wall, Oliver Twist, The Jungle Book, and Nightmare Before Christmas. I promise to watch those when we get back to the States.  Anyway, today Sebastian had a law exam, so he left Chels and me to our devices while he went to do last minute studying and take the test. We haven’t done much today, just some laundry, and reading, and wandering the city blocks of Santiago. We plan on having sushi tonight when Sebastian gets back, and then see where Friday takes us.

The last few days in Mendoza were both perfect and preposterous; filled with relaxation and intense stimuli. Tuesday (day 42) we met with our new CouchSurfing friend Walter. It was his day off work and he wanted to go to the nearby hot springs (about an hour outside of town) so he invited us to come along. Not having any other plans we agreed to join him.  As the bus drove outside of Mendoza the scenery went from city to the Lujan Valley (another huge wine making area) to arid desert and then to orange mountains.  I was surprised to see what the actual countryside looks like outside the tree-lined streets of Mendoza. It was so dry and barren (but beautiful) and sun blazed down from a blue sky. Walter explained that all of Mendoza is lined with trees only through the industry of man. The trees were all intentionally planted along the sidewalks and only due to the water that flows through the Mendoza trenches that line the streets (at the base of the trees) do the trees survive; without the water all of them would wilt then die within weeks.

As the bus approached the hot springs we stared awe-struck at the mountains.  The hot springs were both inside and outside the thermo-spa complex and they were the best springs we’ve visited within these six weeks of travel. The baths had all different temperatures. There were cold ones, warm ones, and Jacuzzi hot ones; all arrayed within the most beautiful valley. Towering walls of rock rose on each side of the springs and no matter where we sat, in whatever temperature, we had great vistas of the mountainous country. We spent all day lounging, eating, relaxing, turning prune-like and red, and meeting new friends and acquaintances, fellow travelers (even ones from UCSD!) and retirees from all over place. We talked, we laughed. The day was near perfect. When we finally returned to our hostel, we made a wonderful pasta dinner then socialized at our hostel’s bar with travelers from all over the world.

The hot springs looked pretty goofy from the outside!

But they were beautiful inside!

Whereas Tuesday was perfect, Wednesday was pandemonium. We didn’t have any set plans, but we had a feeling it would be our last day in Mendoza. We thought to maybe take a bike ride, maybe eat a fancy lunch, but since we were waterlogged and tired from the previous day’s activities, what we settled on was going to the Mendoza MALL.  Now, it has been a solid two years since either of us has been exposed to such a materialistic, capitalistic place like a shopping mall. Guyana sure didn’t have any and we really didn’t go to one when we were in the States during our two vacations.  It was a mission. The minute we walked in STIMULI assaulted us from all angles: food courts, bars, clothing stores, electronic stores, department stores, sales, beauty supplies--it went on and on. All we needed was to get a couple pairs of pants that weren’t ripped up or stretched out, and maybe a jacket or something else to help us look presentable as we stepped of the runway in LAX. We needed focus. We spent a good four hours in the mall, and as we stepped outside, looking like overwhelmed zombies, we breathed a collective sigh. That night we met with Walter for the last time for a good meal and some drinks and then said our goodbyes.

Thursday we caught an early bus to Santiago because we wanted to see the landscape between Mendoza and Santiago. We had read that it is pretty stunning and we weren’t disappointed: mountains, glacial lakes, and vineyards (both Argentinian and Chilean) flashed by our window. When we arrived back in Chile, Sebastian welcomed us and the rest you know. Good times. It is almost sad that our time is almost up, but the experiences we’ve had are priceless.  

Now on to the next adventure: readjusting and reconnecting in America!

Chelsea and Walter chillin' in a cool pool in the hot springs

No matter which pool we were in the vista was amazing!

From the tree-lined streets of Mendoza to the dry desert

Walter and me on a suspension bridge near the hot springs

Days 37-41: Mendoza, Argentina

The days are slowly ebbing away. We are filled with all sorts of emotions. We are excited to finally be coming home; we are nervous to start a new chapter; and we are already missing some of the travelers and individuals we’ve met along the way. I guess it doesn’t help (or maybe it does, depending on how you look at it) that we have had a lot more time to reflect and think over these last few days. We are no longer hectically backpacking from one place to another, staying so busy and stimulated that we don’t have time to think about much else but travel details. But maybe it is a good thing that we decided to make a long stop in just one beautiful town in Argentina because we are slowing transitioning back into a more modern culture, mindset and pace of life. 

To give you an idea of what I am talking about, or as Tim would say, “show you, not tell you”, let me describe our daily lives as temporary Mendocinos: 

On Friday morning we arrived in Mendoza (the third largest town in Argentina), checked into our hostel and went out to find some lunch. The first thing we learned is that siesta is a common practice here! As we walked down the beautiful, streets lined with autumn-colored trees, we noticed the shopkeepers of fancy boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops closing the grates and heading out. If Peace Corps taught us anything, it is to do as the locals do, so we hiked back to the hotel for a nap in the afternoon sun.

On Saturday we had siesta figured out, and spent the morning meandering the streets window shopping. There really isn’t much to DO in Mendoza if you don’t have a job, aren’t a student or aren’t participating in an organized tour of the surrounding mountains and/or wineries. It is just another big city, with no outstanding museums or cultural sites. So instead we, again, did as the locals do and spent a few hours in a coffee shop, reading, chatting, pondering our futures and people watching.

On both Friday night and Saturday night we decided to treat ourselves to fancy cuisine, since food is so cheap comparatively. On Friday we had empanadas, steaks (a must in Argentina) and a dessert of lemon mousse and raspberry jam. And a bottle of wine, of course. On Saturday we went to the best Italian food restaurant in the city (according to locals and tour guides alike) and spoiled ourselves with cocktails, an appetizer of stuffed olives, pastas and (of course) wine!

On Sunday, after siesta, we met up with our new friend Walter, someone we had met via Couchsurfing, and he showed us his favorite parks and plazas, where we spent a few hours lounging in the afternoon sunlight on the grass, chatting and getting to know one another. Then we went to his favorite bar for snacks and cocktails.

If it sounds to you like all we have been doing is walking, sitting, eating and drinking, then you would be completely correct. We are on vacation and we deserve to spoil ourselves a little and it is a nice change from trekking miles and miles a day, sleeping in tents, and eating bread and cheese to save money. And as I said,  it also leaves us with plenty of time to think.

Today however, we decided to mix up our routine and we headed out to the smaller, outlying town of Maipu. Maipu is one of the major wine producing regions of Argentina and we wanted to really get to know Argentinian wine, so we rented bikes and peddled around to a few of the many, many bodegas (wineries) for tours and tastings. We hit up a museum and 3 bodegas and enjoyed wine tastings with a variety of flavors, good company of fellow bike/wine enthusiasts, and the beautiful scenery of the vineyards in fall. Here are some of the many facts we have learned about wine so far:

• The “legs” or “tears” in Spanish, which we had thought indicate quality of wine, in fact only indicate alcohol quantity. The slower or fewer the “legs” when you swirl the glass the more alcoholic the wine is. 
• In general the color of the wine indicates age, among other things, not quality. The darker the wine, the older it is. 
• Many vineyards play rosebushes and lavender every 5 rows to help prevent pests and determine the needs of the vines. One can see the pests first attacking the flowers and then take preventative measures to save the grapes. Also roses won’t bloom without enough water so you can tell if the vines need water if the roses aren’t healthy. This was an Italian idea. Smart Italians.
• A vineyard’s worst enemy is hail. 
• There are two types of oak barrels, French and American, in which red wine is aged. French barrels bring out more suave flavors like vanilla and American barrels bring out more powerful flavors like smoke and leather.
•  It is said that Malbec was named thus by the French in Argentina who thought that it had a bad taste in the mouth (something about “mal” and “boca” became Malbec). 
•   Wine is great! We are enjoying drinking it and, if you are lucky, we will bring you some home….  

Finished with the wine tasting, about to ride off into the sunset

Tim, happy to be biking the wine circuit

Wine cups about to be filled (no, we didn't drink ALL those....)

Huge, old barrels

Enjoying a beer and a mid-day snack at a local artisan brewery while waiting for a wine tour

I found a stubborn bunch of grapes on the fall vines

At the Trepeche super-marco-corporate bodega, looking at 800 barrels of the fancy vino

The Trepeche owner built his own railway t get his wine out to the public at the turn of the century

Drunken monkeys!

Beauty all around!

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