Apart from Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, La Paz & maybe Asuncion, my advice is not to bother staying in the BIG cities. Miraflores inside Lima is nice, but far too posh.

The South American Handbook is the bible.

The beaches along 95% of the west coast are crap. 95% of the beaches on the East coast are phenominal. The northern countries have so-so beaches, but generally not great.

South America is the best damn continent in the world! You’ll have a blast. I was there in 1990, 1992, 1995, 2000 and 2005.

It’s all about the people, not the tourist draws. South American’s are all friendly - every last one of ‘em.

1. If you get bored in bars easily like I do, learn to dance on your trip, ESPECIALLY in Buenos Aires or Rio/Salvador de Bahia. I can’t recommend BA enough, although you do have to be extra alert for crimes committed against tourists. For instance, a scam that I heard about (and narrowly escaped) involves cab drivers deliberately running out of gas in an isolated area. When his cabbie “friend” pulls up behind to “help,” the two of them tag team the passengers.

2. Unless you know people who live there, don’t stay in Lima for more than a few days; the same goes for Cusco and Quito.

3. Visit the vineyards outside Santiago de Chile and in Cordoba. The tastings only cost around $10 and if you actually swallow your wine, you won’t be able to do too many of them anyway.

4. For beaches, I recommend Ilha Grande in Brazil. A lot of people like Punta del Este in Uruguay, but I never went because it sounded like a South American version of Miami beach.

5. Although I loved the people that I stayed with in Bolivia (American priests and nuns), I can’t say that I would want to go back to Bolivia. Maybe that is because I didn’t visit La Paz or the salt flats. It could also be because the food was incredibly heavy and starchy. I have to admit, many of my preferences are based on the local food and wine!

Just curious, are strained US-Venezuela relations going to have any impact on your trip planning? Also, the Brazilian real will most likely continue to appreciate against the USD, so you may want to spend your time there sooner rather than later.

And though I have a certain amount of admiration for people who can wake up each day and just see what it brings, that is not me. And I would be miserable trying to be that way. It is absolutely counter to my personality, and rather than fight to be someone I’m not, I’m going to work with what I have. For me, it’s easier to say, “Well I planned to do this, but I think I’d rather just sit here and hang around,” then to say, “Well I made no plans and nothing’s come up, so now I have to figure out what the hell to do.”

I think we agree that we want one of the highlights of our trip to be meeting people from all over the world. But I’ll go ahead and be honest and say that I hope they’re the type of people who want to at least wander around town, not just sit in a bar and chat and drink. For one, my butt gets tired of sitting after about one hour on a barstool. (No, you don’t want to be the person seated next to me on long flights/bus rides, as I move about every 4 minutes.) And for two, I don’t like beer.

Chris. G, no blog? Sounds like you have some good stories, though I guess blogs weren’t the thing in 1990! But life in a Toronto suburb…that could be interesting too.

If you do not already know, you’re asking the “what happens in 22 weeks” question to the queen of logistics.

Actually your first two questions seem rhetorical. The third one seems to ask for an answer. Personally, I think you make some great points. I like the “‘Been There, Done That’ form of traveling” term you created.

Signed (and Cheers),

Theresa’s brother

The less of an itinerary you have, the more enjoyable the trip. Adventures don’t come to people with itineraries. Itineraries also stop you from spending a few extra days in a spot you really like, or some extra time with people you really like, or to go back to a restaurant you really enjoyed. If you’re on a schedule, you’re more likely to wear a watch, more likely to worry about what day it is, more likely to stress over how much time you’ve got left. Throw caution to the wind - play it by ear.

When I look back on my time in South America, it’s the time I spent in Cafe’s with a collection of Ozzies, Kiwi’s, Israeli’s, German’s and Brits that I remember the best. I remember the time we had to hitchhike from Boa Vista to Manaus - this is in 1990 when there wasn’t really a road there, and pretty much NOTHING in between. I remember hanging out with my girlfriend (now wife) and we would try and go out and meet anyone that looked like they spoke any English. I remember hanging out in Arica, Chile (gorgeous spot) reading a huge pile of novels one week. These are the little things that created who I am today … somewhere along the way I got plunked into a Toronto suburb, but that’s a whole different story.

When you get back, everyone will want to know if you hiked the Inca Trail, go see the Perito Moreno glacier, check out the whales in Puerto Madryn, hang out on the Copacabana beach, etc. etc. etc. The “Been There, Done That” form of travelling. I guess you have to visit these things as you pass them, but don’t book minute by minute your trip around them! My only regret on my trips to South America were that I didn’t spend more time hanging out in one spot.

What happens in 22 weeks? The coach turns back into a pumpkin?  Why such a drop-dead end date?