Where Should I Go Next?

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All right, dearest fellow travelers, are you ready to tell me what to do? It’s time for me to be moving on again, and I’m planning to make South America my next destination. If you’ve been, or you know someone who’s been, or you’ve planned your own trip, or you read a cool article once–I want to hear from you.

Sala de Uyuni (salt flats in Bolivia)

Here are a few places I definitely want to go:

1) Machu Picchu (Peru)
2) Iguazu Falls (Brazil, Argentina)
3) Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia)
4) Buenos Aires (Argentina)
5) Amazon jungle (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador)
6) Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
7) Patagonia (Argentina, Chile)
8) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
9) Beaches (oh, any country)
10) Angel Falls (Venezuela–I know, the political situation, but it’s still a sight I want to see)

Carnival

Here are a few things I definitely want to do:

1) Spend a month in one town, learning Spanish at a language school
2) Volunteer for at least a couple weeks somewhere
3) Party at Carnival (not necessarily in Rio)
4) Attempt to tango in Argentina
5) See wildlife I’ve never seen
6) Hike at least part of the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu
7) Find a quiet place to write for awhile
8) Learn to distinguish among the various cuisines
9) Go to a futbol game
10) Dance all night to a local band

Sometimes called The Death Road, sometimes called The Most Dangerous Road in the World–either way, I’m not cycling down it

Here is a thing people do that I do not want to do at all:

Ride a bike down The Most Dangerous Road in the World

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So! Whaddya think? Know anyone who lives down there, or have a favorite hostel I should check out? What’s your favorite village I won’t find in the guidebooks but should totally check out? Got any online resources you found useful? Are there places you’d recommend I skip?

I will leave sometime in January, and I hope to stretch the money out for six months of travel. I’ll keep blogging here at Stowaway, and I’ll be working to get published elsewhere too. I’m getting excited for Phase 2 of my trip around the world! Join me.

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10 thoughts on “Where Should I Go Next?”

  1. In Travel. Write. Repeat there is this phrase: “Exacerbated by the fact that toilet paper cannot be flushed in Latin America, . . . ” What, exactly, does this mean? What do they do with, um, well, you know? You still want to go where the TP doesn’t (or can’t be) flush(ed)?

    Assuming you still want to travel south (I’m going to hang around my bathroom the rest of the day, just in case reading about violent diahrrea in South America has some effect up here), I’d search out Nan Shorey. She’s sure to have oodles of tips for you.

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    • Oh, toilet paper wasn’t flushed throughout Southeast Asia, too, and I did okay. You put it in a little trash can next to the toilet and you’re grateful you don’t have trash duty.

      And that’s a good call! Nan is a friend to Stowaway, I’ll ask her what she recommends.

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  2. I had a vivid dream in which I was in Curitiba, Brazil, so I want to go there. You might want to as well. But what I would like to see there is their pioneering Bus Rapid Transit system, which is fascinating but perhaps not worth a long trip to get to? I felt called to Curitiba, so I’ll have to go there some day. Lots of Polish people there, surprisingly. I’d like to see Brasilia as well.

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  3. How exciting! But you can’t possibly go so soon — you haven’t yet finished blogging about your last trip. 😉

    I’m afraid I can’t be of much help, as I’ve only been to Brazil, and that was eons ago. But I have recently learned that Argentina is THE place for gelati. Who knew?!

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    • I know, I’m way behind, but I’m working on catching the blog up, I swear!

      I didn’t know that about Argentina! I will have to do extensive testing to determine the accuracy of that statement. But also, tell me of your Brazilian adventures.

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  4. Lots of cruising sailors spend hurricane season in the Rio Dulce, many rave about going to Tikal and spend extended time in Antigua learning Spanish. Cartagena, Columbia is also a great city to visit. These days, Columbia is relatively safe and Venezuela is NOT. Margarita’s sister lives in El Salvador, so we can give you a local contact if you go there (but I don’t know of any tourist must-sees there). Looking forward to reading about more adventures!

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  5. Foz de Iguazu- a MUST, do both sides! Salvador has a CRAZY street carnival, Rio’s was amazing too (and you could actually buy a costume and be IN the parade in the Sambadrome. Brazilian Amazonas was amazing- highly recommend stay at Tariri Lodge if you make it to that part of the world. If a Peace Corps volunteer offers to take you to their site (Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador) GO.

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