I'm going to South America!

So as you know, I just got back from my trip to South East Asia and had an amazing time learning about the culture, food, and local people. While pictures don’t do the trip justice, you should check out my blog. It’s currently more of a photo journal as I've put up a set of pictures for each day that I've traveled; however, I haven't had an opportunity to elaborate on some of the more interesting stories of the trip. I’ll be posting those shortly as time allows so please check back periodically. If you’re short on time, I would recommend perusing the pictures for Japan, Cambodia, and Vietnam specifically Sapa and Halong Bay.

Prior to my trip to south east Asia, my plan upon my return from my 3 month learning experience was to go to Shanghai for 6 months and teach English, practice mandarin, and travel to Tibet, Nepal, S. Korea, and Taiwan. However, I met a number of travelers who have backpacked through South America and raved about the continent. After weighing the pros and cons with my family and friends, I have decided to postpone my trip to Shanghai and instead to take a five month trip through South America.

One of the things that I learned while traveling through Asia is that travel is much cheaper when booked locally and flexibility is key. So I’ve given myself a tentative itinerary but it will undoubtedly change once I learn more information upon arrival.

I'll be starting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and moving south through the Iguazu Falls, Montevideo, Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Patagonia, Argentina; and Antarctica. North into Chile, over to the Easter Islands, back to the mainland through Bolivia and Peru, trekking along the Inca trail and up to Machu Picchu, north to Lima and Ecuador and then over to the Galapagos Islands and finally back to Rio. By that point I think my time may be up, but if resources permit, I would go on to the northern section of SA – like Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas.

I’ll be making an effort to update this blog periodically with news and photos from my trek through South America. So check in and follow along.