Alright, we have been back from South America for almost three months now. We should probably recap one of the most incredible experiences in my lifetime. Come explore some of the basics of my South America trip. Details to come in future posts.
Where did you go?
Argentina: Buenos Aires & Bariloche (Patagonia)
Brazil: Sao Paolo & Rio de Janeiro
Peru: Cusco & Lima
Why did you choose these locations?
We needed to be able to work remotely, so we stuck with something close to the Central Time Zone. Plus, we had never been in the Southern Hemisphere. Eugene’s biggest bucket list trip is Patagonia, which we felt should be its own trip… so we gave him a taste of Patagonia by exploring the Argentinian side. From there, we selected locations that were cheap to fly to. Eugene chose Brazil, and I chose Peru.
How long was the trip? And when?
40 days total! That’s the longest we’ve ever been away from home outside of college. Spread over March & April 2022.
Why do you take such long trips?
For context, my husband travels a lot for work. The only time I really get to see him is when we travel together. Sure, I see him on weekends, but that time is usually booked solid and generally entails seeing other people. The best Eugene & Anna time occurs when I get him in a different country, away from all the life demands back at home. I’m starting to think this is becoming my annual spouse kidnapping tradition, ;). Above all, though, my favorite place to be is anywhere but where I’m planted. I’m in love with people I haven’t met & placed I’ve never been.
Which country was your fave to experience?
By a landslide: Peru. Everything about it was magical, and I feel like we only experienced the tiniest sliver of what exists over there.
What surprised you the most?
Honking in Peru. They honk an obnoxious amount. Not all taxis in Peru have taxi signs on them, so they honk when they’re right behind you to signal they’re there. It’s the most annoying thing. I was also surprised by how well I handled the Cusco elevation change. It took about a day getting used to, trust me, but after that, I was golden.
How did you get around?
We chose to fly between cities & Uber once in the cities. We did get a rental car for a few days in Bariloche. This was one of the very few trips where we did not rent a car for most of the time.
Did you buy anything fun?
My Alpaca sweater from Cusco (pictured). It’s a vibrant sweater that I would have never purchased in the states. It felt like something I needed at that very moment.
What was the most memorable meal of the trip?
Don Julio’s in Buenos Aires. They greet you with champagne outside while you wait for your table. Need I say more? It’s ranked one of the world’s best restaurants.
Were you able to pick up some of the local language?
I know just enough Spanish to get by. When we were in Brazil, though, we had the hardest time understanding Portugese. I learned a few basic words but that was about it.
Did you get good weather?
Decent weather. We went right in mid-fall in the southern hemisphere. Rainy days were encountered but nothing a rain jacket couldn’t help.
Which world wonder did you prefer?
Yep, I’m the luckiest girl in the world and visited two world wonders within one week of each other. First, we went to Christ the Redeemer in Rio, and about a week later, we enjoyed Machu Picchu. Hands down, Machu Picchu wins. Christ the Redeemer felt very underwhelming at the actual landmark. It was almost cooler taking it in farther away, say, from Copacabana Beach. If I had to rank the world wonders I’ve been to in general, I’d put them in this order:
- Macchu Picchu
- Taj Mahal
- Chichen Itza
- Christ the Redeemer
Did you have any issues?
Brazil didn’t feel the safest. Within five minutes of arriving on Copacabana beach, we witnessed a fight. Oh, and we brought Eugene to the ER the day we got home… the doctors suspect the elevation changes weren’t the best on his body. Can’t forget that lots of people in Peru were on strike, too. It felt like we were dodging issue after issue. Thankfully I felt fine through it all because we purchased South America travel insurance.
What would you like to know about our trip? Let me know!
Looking for more travel content? Check out Hi, Im Anna Marie’s travel posts.