So I had decided to go backpacking, and I had chosen South
America as my destination. Then what? When would I go? For how long would I go?
What would it cost? What countries did I want to visit? These were my first
questions, and with a bit of research and my trusty sidekick, Lonely Planet, I
began to find my answers.
When would I go? There
were a few different factors that lead me to make this decision. Even though it
was May, I couldn’t leave until at least the end of July due to a few special
occasions (seriously, why so many wedding anniversaries that year?). I had also
done my research. If I went in the fall, it would be spring in South America, a
shoulder season. Meaning, the weather would be neither too hot nor too cold
(believe it or not, winter does exist in South America), and the costs would be
much lower since it was not a peak season. So it was decided, I would go early
September, and come back early December.
How long would I go,
and for how much would it cost? Lonely Planet may have its flaws, but it
was an amazing tool for a newbie like me. It definitely helped give me an idea
of the costs of a trip like that, and how far my money would take me. I had
quite a bit of cash saved up from working during school, so with some quick
math, using LP’s daily costs per country, I figured I had enough to travel for
three months, and comfortably.
What countries did I
want to visit? This was the easiest, and the hardest. I wanted to see it all,
so how would I narrow it down? I picked the big attractions first: Machu Picchu,
Buenos Aires, and the Galapagos were the three places I wanted to go, no matter
what. So that was Peru, Argentina and Ecuador. There are a few other countries
between them, so why not add Chile and Bolivia to the mix? But why not the
rest? Well, my logic in skipping Brazil
was based solely on its size. I didn’t want to just go to Rio; if I were to go I
would want to explore the whole country. Time constraints would not allow that.
Colombia? Not even on my radar at the time, and one of my biggest regrets in
the end. Those five countries made the most sense geographically and
economically, given the time I had.
Now that all that had been determined, it was time for me to
come up with some sort of route. Since it was my first trip, I was going by
myself, and I can be a bit OCD when it comes to plans, winging was not even
considered an option. I was either going to start in Ecuador and the Galapagos,
and work my way down to Argentina, or vice versa. After some research, it
seemed like the best time for the Galapagos was actually in December, right in the
transition from low to high season, it made sense to start in the south. Then a
friend of mine decided she wanted to come with me to Chile. Rather than having her meet
up with me, I decided it would be nice to start the trip with a friend. And so that’s
how I decided to start in Santiago, Chile.
From then on, I researched and planned, researched and
planned. In retrospect, I over did it. Half the things I had wanted to do, I
didn’t, and half the things I did do, and loved, were not part of my grand
plan. Obviously some things need to be considered, i.e. booking the Inca Trail
trek, which did create some time restraints, as I had to be in Cusco by a
certain date. But once I realized I didn’t need to know what I was doing beyond
the next destination, I was able to live in the moment without worrying about
tomorrow.
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| My sidekick through it all |
Also see: Planning South America: The Why
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