| Jan 3, 2006 - An update on me
| Well, its the new year, and I figured it was time to give another update on how I'm doing and how the trip is going. Some people are mentioning that this site can get boring and they want to know more of my perspective than my doings. So this is to take a break from all the fact-based news stuff and try to give a better idea of what its like to be on this trip, and what impressions I have so far.
So far it really feels as though there have been distinct phases to my trip, with clear beginnings and ends, almost as if I am taking many mini-trips that are not all connected. And if you asked me how I was doing I would have different answers for each part of the trip I was on. For the most part, travelling is just a lot of fun. Of course, it can be tough at times and not always just a joyride, but that's part of the excitement and enjoyment of being in foreign cultures. The things that piss you off the most in the moment are sometimes the ones you remember best and are most thankful for later. Or at least, they become good stories. My first month was really just studying in Ecuador, and didn't feel much like travel at all. But then for the first stretch through Peru I was pretty much alone most of the time. Every now and then I would meet people at my hostel or in the town I was in, but moving from one town to the other I usually did solo, as well as exploring the areas. This of course does not apply to the Santa Cruz trek I did with Matt and Andrew, or my time in Cusco before the Inca Trail with Maddy, Brian, and Sarah. So for this chunk of time, everything was still exciting and great, for about 80-90% of the time. During some of the down times the solo travel got to me a bit, and it was hard to get pumped for another stroll through another city when there wasn't other people to do it with. However, it was also during this time that I probably had my most interactions with the locals, such as the guys in Trujillo or people on my buses. So its a mixed bag, and probably good that this was the first part of my trip so I had even more intensive Spanish practice.
After Cusco, the whole feel changed. I entered a much more popular and touristy stretch of the Gringo Trail, and was never moving alone again. Through Lake Titicaca and Bolivia I was always with other backpackers, and the style of my trip really did change. It became more of a group effort to do things, which also meant more compromising and losing the ease of only needing to decide for myself what I wanted to do. But this was a welcome change from the past month, so I did not mind. This also started the "Harris-centered" phase of my trip. I had to be in Mendoza, Argentina to meet my friend Harris who was visiting me for his Christmas vacation, and everything I was doing had to keep that in mind. I was on a tight schedule to get there, and I was making arrangements along the way for the things we would need to do. Bolivia was certainly the toughest of travels though, since it is the poorest country in South America, has the weakest infrastructure, and in my opinion so far the least friendly people. With good reason, they are not too fond of the gringos there and look at us as dollar signs and not much more. However, the landscapes and natural beauty of Bolivia are stunning, and enough of a draw to make me really want to return later in my trip.
Then I entered Argentina, and the experience went from travelling to vacation. Yes, there is a difference. Argentina is still a relatively cheap country, but coming from Bolivia it is an absolute paradise of modern culture and Westernized ways. The weather is beautiful, as are the people, everything is clean, and the steak and wine is simply out of this world. So it was a very welcome break from the backpacker life when I first got to Argentina and stayed in Salta for 5 days, hanging out with a great bunch of people I had met. So I guess this was part 2 of the Harris phase. And part 3 finally came when Harris actually arrived in Mendoza. For the next 12 days that he was here, I felt more like I was on vacation with Harris than still in the middle of my 8 month long adventure. We burned through activities and money like there was no tomorrow, I guess because for him there wasn't. But it was amazing to have a friend from home down here, and I kinda liked playing tour guide and translator for a bit.
So that has been the overall feelings of my trip so far. Now I am at the new post-New Year's phase, which involves the most rugged and nature-oriented parts of the Patagonia area of southen Chile and Argentina. This will culminate in the southermost town of the world at Ushuaia, I will have a short Buenos Aires and Carnaval phase leading into the "parents-visiting-me" phase. And then, finally, I plan my route back to Ecuador to fly home. See? It is a lot of time, but really it can all go by so fast and there are 1,000 things to do, and 10,000 to miss if you don't plan some things out. I have 5 months left but I could probably tell you more or less where I will be on a weekly basis for the rest of my time, which is both reassuring and yet also scary and depressing. That's been an interesting difference in the response I get when telling people I am here for 8 months. It is only a bit more than the average backpacker, I think. But some people are surprised I am spending all that time in just "one" place, meaning South America. While others look at me as crazy for trying to fit so much in. I think that also may be the difference between the newer and more experienced travellers.
As for some overall reactions to travel and life as a backpacker. I'm obsessed with it right now, and I really love speaking and learning Spanish. Though exactly equal to the thrill of seeing all these new places and cultures is the joy of meeting all the other backpackers along the way. I would say it has been just as important and enjoyable an aspect of my experience. I now have tons of friends in both England and Australia, which is where most of the travellers are from, and yet also others in Belgium, Isreal, France, Germany, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Scotland, and more! In the beginning I was meeting lots of great people, but only for short time and limited experiences. Now I am beginning to find friends to do longer stretches of my travels with which I would be very grateful for. Because no matter how spectacular something is, at least for me, it is always nicer to have someone to share it with. Some of the younger travellers I meet remind me of myself in years past, while others provide interesting alternative models and life choices to ponder. It really helps put everything in perspective and get more of a world point of view to do a trip like this. Its so easy to get caught up in the everyday life of wherever you are, and you can see things in a new light or realize things you never saw before if you are able to break out of that whole zone and look at it anew from the outside, with people who have different opinions on it and never experienced first hand like you did. Does this make sense?
Here in South America, there is always something to get excited for in the next place you are going. It is full of places with cultural, recreational, historical, or natural beauty and significance. I am getting used to the vagabond lifestyle and find myself thinking about more travels and planning more trips in my head. But yes, the "real world" and the issue of money always pulls me back down to earth as well. Though that is what a lot of my free time thoughts are centered around: the rest of this trip, more travels and plans for the future, and how in the world I could possibly pull it all off while going broke on this trip right now.
I think I could ramble on forever here, but I'll cut it off. I know I write a lot on this site, but I really like taking the time to do it. Not only is it an expressive outlet, and a way to keep you all informed, but it allows me to reflect on my trip while it is happening, and yes of course, document it all as I go. In the end, sometimes travel is travel, and sometimes it is vacation. Sometimes you can be lonely, and at other times crave the peace and quiet of being alone. The scenes, the culture, and the history of these countries are fascinating, but for me it is just as much about the people, local and foreigner, as it is about the sites and the actual locale. I am back on a really good high point, and I think I have the weather, the difference that Argentina and Chile bring, and the people I have been with lately to thank for that. I'd say that 80-90% from earlier is way up above 95 right now. I hope this entry helped to clarify some things for you all, and you can always feel free to actually email me and ask some specific questions if you want a personalized response.
Happy new year, stay warm back there, and send me some news of your own when you get the chance. |
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