The Map (and some context)

While living in San Francisco in 2013, Shanta and I came up with the great idea of quitting our jobs and traveling the world for a year. We used to talk about it jokingly, but over several months we became more and more serious about it. I was 25 at the time and Shanta was 24. We had great jobs but knew that if we ever wanted to do this trip, there would never be a better time to go. We set a date six months out, got serious about saving cash, and began planning the trip. We wanted to start in Europe, spend the bulk of our time in South America, and finish a year later at her cousin's wedding in Hawaii. In April 2014, we both said adios to our jobs and flew to Madrid to commence the European leg. We spent time sipping wine in Spain, beer in Germany, a mix of both in Croatia, and managed to visit most of the countries in between. So why doesn't this blog include the Europe trip? Because everyone and their mothers have been to Europe, and because we moved through at lightning speed.

On July 9th, we flew to Cartagena, Colombia, and began the slow and daunting trek to the southern tip of Chile (about 6,000 miles away). We had no idea where we were going to stay, what our next stop was going to be, or how to hold anything but the most simple conversation in Spanish. We bussed down the continent north to south (except our last stop in Guatemala) so you can click on each red dot from top of the map to bottom to see how it went. You can also choose each post from the drop-down archive on the right. Enjoy!

Guatemala

Shanta left South America shortly after Uruguay and took off to Neera's bachelorette party in Mexico.  I stuck around Buenos Aires for another week with Juli and her sister Orne. We hopped on a bus to Rosario, about five hours away from the capital. Rosario is a somewhat rough city, but we had fun and it was a great end to my portion of South America.

Shanta making an appearance in Rosario 

The culmination of Neera's bachelorette party in Mexico 

Seven months after arriving in Colombia, I left South America and flew to Guatemala. A half-day flight to Guatemala brought sunny skies and much less humidity than BsAs. I meandered around the capital for a few hours, and quickly became 'homesick' from what I was used to in Argentina. My first reaction was that the city had little to see, was dirty, and seemed dangerous. After this initial reaction, I quickly realized what was beneath this layer: nice and hospitable people, great food, cheap prices, and clean Spanish. Shanta arrived later that day, and we checked into a hostel and planned out the rest of the trip.

Plaza Mayor 

Catedral 

Another view 

The sky was turning quickly 

Shanta trying on a native dress

We had two weeks to spend in this exciting country, and we weren't going to waste a minute. We spent one day in Guatemala City, then took a 30-minute ride to the small city of Antigua. After three days in Antigua, we took a quick drive to the small town of San Pedro on Laguna Atitlán. Both places were amazing. Antigua has a touristic feel but amazing architecture and you can tell the government tries hard to keep its authentic feel. San Pedro was a lazy little town on the shores of Lake Atitán. We rented kayaks, jumped in the water, and hung out at the restaurants overlooking the water. We spent an afternoon at one particular bar a story above the lake. There was a sunny deck with an opening in the railing where people could jump into the water. We had a beer, jumped in the water, ate some food, and repeated the cycle again and again.

On the school bus to Antigua

Church in Antigua

Volcan Atitlan

Super cheap, extremely tasty Guatemalan breakfast

Señorita bonita

Entryway to Antigua, built by the Spanish

Rooftop restaurant 

Reminds us of Cartagena 

Awesome market for cheap, touristy trinkets 

On an old converted school bus to Lake Atitlan

Kayaking around with our new friend who jumped onboard 

Hanging out at our restaurant with a view

It also has a spot to jump off of!

View from the dock

After relaxing for a few days on the lake, we took an overnight bus up north to Tikal. Tikal is famous for being the capital of the Mayan empire, however it was not discovered until the 19th century. It was a massive complex with impressive temples and a maze of walkways. It was hard to imagine an entire capital city filled with people and life as we walked through with only a handful of tourists. We left Tikal after a day of exploring and headed to the serene land of Semuc Champey. The bus ride was long but well worth it. The highlight is a set of waterfalls connecting crystal clear pools a few miles outside of the town. We spent hours swimming in the cool water and finally using our underwater camera for its intended purpose.

The start of the temples

Steeper than you'd think

Unbelievable how large the temples actually are

Lunch 

Hidden temple

Made it to the top!

Nice girls we met on our way to Semuc Champey 

Semuc Champey 

The falls

Above water

Below water

Perfect falls

Happy Shanta!

We made it back to Antigua for one last night before taking off back to the states. It would be the first time we touched US soil in more than seven months and it didn't feel like it was over. Looking back, this part of the journey flew by. We spent the bulk of our time slowly etching our way down the west coast of the South American continent. Over 5,000 miles of bus travel alone saw us from the Caribbean coast of Colombia to the green hillsides of the Chilean Lake District. After a five-day trek in one of the most southern points on the continent, living in Buenos Aires, and a short trip in Guatemala, it was time to head back. 

One last picture before home

Punta del Este, Uruguay

This is what we had been waiting for. A week before Shanta flew out to her cousin's bachelorette party, we wanted a few days to sit on a beach, have some beers, eat good food and relax. As if this trip wasn't relaxing enough. Punta del Este is the resort city where Argentine and Uruguayans flock to in the summer months to escape the city heat. The beaches are packed, the clubs are in full swing and the prices rise steadily with the temperature. To get there from Iguazu, we took a bus to the border town of Salto. From there, it takes only five hours to cross the entire country to the capital of Montevideo and another two up the coast to Punta del Este. We found a great hotel right on the water and immediately got to work on some drinks and beach time.

The beach outside our hotel

A look down the beach

An impromptu mass 

90% of our day was this

Main avenida

Los dedos

Best sushi we've ever had (salmon skin)

The punta looks like a southern California suburb

Adding some light to the point 

South American sea lion, a very nasty looking guy 

Amazing calamari

Hanging out on the other side of the point

Isla Gorriti, about 30 minutes offshore from Punta

New day, same schedule 

Walking back to the boats on Isla Gorriti

A classic

Casapueblo is an art museum and hotel a few minutes from Punta

Perfect view of the ocean 

Looking down towards their pool deck 

Squeezing the last of the sun

We took off after almost a week and headed back towards Buenos Aires for Shanta's flight. We made a final stop in Uruguay in a small town called Colonia. It's an hour ferry ride from Buenos Aires and is a popular destination for Argentines to pull out USD at ATMs. The town is very quiet with tree-lined cobblestone streets and cafes on every corner. We only had one night here but we wish we could have spent more.

And by quiet I mean...

The last supper in Uruguay

The one man band rocking out

Eating dinner with our new Portuguese friends

Shanta leaving South America after arriving on 7/9/14