Travelling through South America has been my childhood dream. I grew up watching Argentinian TV series that made me want to explore the country, and after my brother came back from his own SA trip, I had to add the entire continent to my bucket list.
At 25, I got to make that dream come true, and with two more friends, I was finally headed to Argentina. As a person who has only been to Europe, I was excited like a kid in a candy store to finally visit places like Ushuaia (the southernmost place in the world) and the Tierra del Fuego National Park, the impressive Perito Moreno glacier, and the mind-blowing Iguazu Falls.
Another incredible experience was attending the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. I actually didn’t care so much about it for some reason, but one of my friends was eager to go. After we took a ‘behind the scenes’ samba tour, where we got to take part in a samba rehearsal and visit the warehouse where they made the costumes and displays, I was hooked. I’m so glad we attended the Carnaval because it was one of the best experiences of my life.
We also got to spend a little bit of time in Chile and Peru, but Argentina and Rio were definitely the highlights for me.
Now, I’m by no means a typical backpacker, but I wanted to be able to have quite a long trip, so I had to compromise about a few things. It was easier to move around with a backpack rather than a suitcase, I had to figure out how to pack for a 2-month+ trip (which wasn’t the easiest thing to do), and occasionally, we had to stay in hostels to save money. On the other hand, we took flights between remote destinations to avoid spending long hours on buses, we stayed at apartments or triple rooms whenever we could, and we weren’t necessarily looking for cheap eats because we love good food. It’s all about balance, and it just goes to show that if you want to go on an adventure, you can make it happen in your own way (while also stepping outside of your comfort zone).
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Loved reading about backpacking in South America? This article was submitted by Or of @My Path In The World. If you would like to share where you Venture | Explore | Conquer, contact us on submissions@dillydallymag.co
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