This year 2020, began quite well for me. I was towards the end of my 1-year backpacking trip to Latin America. I spent the first month of the year in parts of Mexico and California, before heading back home in Kolkata. Little did we expect that this year a ‘Novel Coronavirus’ was going to shake up the world.
Just like many others across the world, my plans for 2020 were all messed up. Things started turning bad towards mid-March. The World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 as a pandemic/ Many nations across the world started closing down their borders and lockdowns were being imposed to prevent the spread of this Novel Coronavirus. India was no exception and the whole nation went into lockdown on 25th March(which lasted for few months).
This meant that a person who was on the road for a year, living out of a backpack (actually 2) had to stay at home. The only option of leaving home was to run some essential errands. Even outdoor sports or any other activities were out of bounds.
My Interest in Learning to Ride A Bicycle
When I was travelling across Latin America, I met some Bicycle Travellers who were exploring the vast region in their bicycles. They shared some of their experiences which were quite inspiring. The most inspiring was a mother-son(12-year-old), whom I met in Peru. They were travelling on their bicycles till Tierra del Fuego, Argentina – the southernmost region on earth outside Antarctica. You can check their adventures on their Instagram profile – @hopetrip.mx
Not knowing how the ride a bicycle made me miss out on certain experiences – like exploring the Lake District of Argentina on a bicycle, cycling down the Death Road in Bolivia or enjoy the Ciclovía Sundays in Bogotá, Colombia to name a few.
Scenes from Ciclovía in Colombian capital Bogotá, where on every Sunday around 125kms of roads are closed for motorable vehicles to encourage cycling
I promised myself to learn how to ride a bicycle after returning home. The pandemic worked as a catalyst for me to learn to ride. Using Public Transport was not a good option when we had to maintain physical distance in public places. Cycling turned out to be the perfect alternative. In around June and July, the lockdown measures started to ease and thus it was the perfect time to start.
Getting an Old West German Foldie Repaired
My uncle had an old folding bicycle, which was lying in a corner at home in an unusable condition gathering dust. It was originally from 1970s West Germany. Most of the essential parts were fine, the frame though extremely heavy was built with good quality steel. It needed some repair here and there to get it in running condition. So, with some local parts, I got the bicycle in running condition. The big task was after that, how do I learn to balance and ride it?
After getting the foldie in ride-able condition
Despite facing some difficulty initially with balancing, I was finally able to get some confidence in a couple of days. But, a further challenge was there – riding in traffic. I knew with time and practice I would be able to handle it.
My Journey with the Foldie
The first week of July was when I learnt how to ride the bicycle. Slowly, I started to venture out from our neighbourhood. After a few weeks, along with my cousin cycled from Beleghata to Newtown and back. It was little above 20km and despite taking a lot of time it felt like a great achievement. Within a few weeks, I was able to make more trips to Newtown, banks of river Hooghly, Victoria Memorial and parts of North Kolkata either solo or with cousins/friends.
Riding the foldie in the streets of North Kolkata
Though it was not very easy taking the 20inch wheel foldie beyond a certain distance, due to unreliable parts, small wheel size and weak braking from the coaster brake. I was able to manage a 40km ride on that. After learning and riding the foldie for 2 months, it was time to switch to a new bicycle.
New Bicycle and Covid-19
On September, which also happens to be my birthday month (and my 30th birthday too) I finally got a new entry-level Hybrid Bicycle. Due to scarcity in bicycle stocks I had to buy the only one available, which was little above my expected budget. Within a week I was able to complete multiple 50km rides, which included a 70km trip to nearby erstwhile Danish colony of Serampore. By that time I started riding with a local cycling group – Cycle Network Grow.
In front of St. Olav’s Church, Serampore
This was followed by exploring some hidden gems in Kolkata and the wonderful wetlands situated in the eastern part of the city. But, during this time, around mid-September, the unexpected happened. We had a Covid-19 outbreak at home and everyone got infected. Even I was not spared. But, thankfully I was able to recover within 3-4 days but had to quarantine myself for around 3 weeks. And it meant no physical activities for some time. But, I knew once I am allowed to go out I would cycle more and explore more places near and far.
Riding in the East Kolkata Wetlands
After Recovery Completing Challenges and Milestones
In the month of October, after recovering from Covid-19 I slowly restarted cycling. Increasing my distance little by little and slowly I was not only back to my previous fitness level but better. On 1st November, I went on a group ride to Sher-e-Punjab Dhaba on NH-6 in Kolaghat with my amazing buddies from CNG (Cycle Network Grow). I not only completed my maiden 100km ride, it was around 142km. I had just 75km as my longest ride prior to this. This boosted my confidence further.
From my first 100km + ride to Kolaghat
During a short trip to Darjeeling in November during Diwali, I rented a bicycle a got the flavour of riding in the Himalayas.
Cycling in Darjeeling with a view of the 3rd highest mountain in the world
I had further achievements down the line. I qualified for a Cyclothon Umeed 1000, organized by RBL Bank to contribute to girl child education by riding a bicycle. To complete the Cyclothon challenge one had to ride for 1000km within 15 days. I was able to cross the 1000km mark in 11 days. My position #16 in all India(among 127 participants), #3 in Kolkata after completing 1212km in 15 days. I was able to raise INR 83,450 through my efforts.
During UMEED 1000 Cyclothon
The last big achievement for me was to complete my first 200km ride. I already had several century rides under my belt but completing one 200km ride before the end of the year would make it even more special. Thus, I registered myself for my first BRM (Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux) event. It was a 200km self-supported ride, which I had to complete within a time duration of 13hrs 30 mins. I completed it in 10 hrs 13 mins (Ride time of 9hrs 5 mins).
After completing my first 200km BRM
For those who want to know more about BRM or Randonneuring – In randonneuring, riders attempt courses of 200 km or more, passing through predetermined “controls” (checkpoints) every few tens of kilometres. Riders aim to complete the course within specified time limits and receive equal recognition regardless of their finishing order.
When I look back at how much I cycled this year, it is quite a lot considering I am a beginner. I covered more than 4300km this year after learning to ride a bicycle in July, which included a 3-week gap in September-October due to Covid-19. Benefits of cycling are tremendous. I use my bicycle for almost all possible commutes now, there is zero carbon emission, it keeps me fit and the fuel is provided by me pedalling. I don’t have to worry about the rise in petrol prices.
My Year in Cycling
Realization on Cycling In and Around Kolkata
Cycling within the city and nearby places helped me explore so many places quickly with great freedom. I was able to know some hidden gems in the city, explore nearby villages and towns, and above all make some wonderful friends.
I have been living outside Kolkata from 2012 till the beginning of 2020, and I can say that I never knew my city and surrounding places so well as I do now after cycling. This reminds me of a poem which was written as an autograph by Rabindranath Tagore for young Satyajit Ray.
Autograph by Rabindranath Tagore for a young Satyajit Ray (in Bengali)
The translation in English is something like this (the translation in collected, not mine):
“I travelled miles, for many a year, Spent riches, in lands afar, I’ve gone to see the mountains, the oceans I’ve been to view. But I haven’t seen with these eyes What two steps from my home lie On a sheaf of paddy grain, a glistening drop of dew.”
Having travelled many places around the world, more than most people from India of my age; cycling in Kolkata and in the surrounding areas of rural Bengal made me realize the importance of these lines written by Tagore. Though there are amazing places in faraway corners of India and across the world, we often overlook some wonderful places right in front of our doorstep.
Foggy Winter Morning in a village near Kolkata
Future Plans with Cycling
Since my inspiration to ride a bicycle came from Bicycle Travellers/Bikepackers my main objective to ride a bicycle is to explore and visit new places, see previously visited places in a different way and to promote an environment-friendly mode of travelling. Maybe, I would start with exploring my home state of Bengal, then other places in India and then someday do some international trip on my bicycle as well. And since I love long-distance endurance rides, maybe I will do a few more brevets soon.
I completed the first month of my journey to South America in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. The 8 days I spent in the city was quite a busy one with a lot of neighbourhood exploration, great food, watching a football match, meeting amazing locals and other fellow travellers, visiting the nearby delta region and partying a lot. It was time for me to leave the hustle and bustle of big cities and visit places closer to nature. My next stop was Ushuaia, the Southernmost city in the world. Ushuaia is located in the Tierra del Fuego (translates to ‘Land of Fire’) region of Argentina, which is an island separated from the South American continental mainland by the Strait of Magellan. It is the closest to Antarctica you can go without actually going there.
The capital city of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia
My flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia left at 4:15 AM in the morning from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Due to this odd timing, I had to stay awake the whole night not to miss the flight and spent the whole 4hrs in-flight sleeping. The hostel where I was staying was not far from the airport and I was able to reach there quickly by sharing a taxi with another traveller.
But on reaching the hostel, I came to know that the check-in time was a bit late and I need to wait for a few more hours. So, my next plan was to find someplace to go for a few hours. I was looking for some short hike and the guy the reception of my hostel suggested me to visit Laguna Esmeralda. It was a short hike of 3kms one-way from the starting point. Immediately they got a shared taxi that was already going that way. I grabbed a sandwich and a couple of bananas from the supermarket next door, took my bright orange jacket and jumped into the taxi. I was joined by other travellers from Brazil and Spain.
On the way to Laguna Esmeralda
After a short drive through the city of Ushuaia and the highway, with the snow-capped jagged mountains to our left and the Beagle channel to our right we reached the starting point of the trail. Laguna Esmeralda(which translates to Emerald Lake/Lagoon) was around 3kms from the point. The trail was mostly flat. But due to bad weather (it was drizzling), it got a little slippery. And I was not even wearing my hiking boots, just my regular walking shoes!
Beginning of the trail to Laguna Esmeralda
So, in order to be a little careful, I walked pretty slowly and lost the others who started the hike with me. After a while, around midway through the hike, I came across something really strange. I thought that to be some lake or pond, but in reality, that was a Beaver Dam on the stream which was beside the trail.
The Beaver Dam
On the trail near the Beaver Dam, I met Kylee from Canada and Bettina from Germany. Kylee who was about to visit her one of her final continents, Antarctica(her dream was to visit all 7 continents before turning 25) in a few days told me about the Beaver Dams. Being from Canada the Beaver Dams were something common to her. The Beavers, not a native animal to the region of Tierra del Fuego were brought in for fur trade in the 1940s. Since then they have exponentially grown in number and are destroying the local ecosystem and contaminating the water. This is due to the fact the unlike North America, Tierra del Fuego do not have natural predators for beavers like coyotes, bears and wolves.
With Bettina and Kylee
As we walked the trail started to get more slushy, and the forest turned in open spaces with trees with red and brown. It was fall time in Tierra del Fuego.
The wonderful trail with the fall colours
It was pretty cold and the drizzling made the trail even more slippery. On following the trail markers, we came to a place where it was full of deep mud and water. The only way to cross was to walk through that. I started crossing the slushy part of the trail slowly, trying not to get my foot stuck. But I could not avoid it. One of my feet got stuck in the mud. I tried pulling my foot out, only to find that shoe was still inside the mud. I had to pull it out and continue walking the remaining portion of the trail with wet and cold shoes and socks! Probably with my water-resistant hiking boot with high ankle support could have avoided this.
Slushy and Tricky portion of the trail
And finally, after crossing this slushy part we reached our destination. Though the weather was not ideal and cloudy, yet the first glimpse of the greenish-blue waters of Laguna Esmeralda was mesmerizing. It was the first of the amazing Lagunas that I visited among others which I was about to visit across South America. Despite, the weather turning worse and I was walking with a pair of wet shoes and socks, the hike was memorable.
Laguna Esmeralda
After having my lunch/breakfast near the lake it was time to return. The way back was easier and we were aware of the slushy portion of the trail and were able to avoid it. I got back to the parking space where the shared taxi was parked just on time and found others waiting for me in a cabin beside. There I warmed my hands beside the fireplace. Just, before leaving for Ushuaia came across this directional signpost which showed that I was 15,170 kilometers away from New Delhi. Probably, the furthest I have been away from India till that time!
Directional Signpost to different parts of the world
2019 happened to be the most eventful year of my life. I quit my job and set out on a solo backpacking trip across Latin America for a year. It was something like a dream turning into reality.
Though my initial plan was to restrict myself only in the South American continent, later on, I changed some of my plans while I was on the road. I visited Mexico (which became the country where I spent the longest time) and completed my journey in California, USA (which happened to be a former part of Latin America).
Why Latin/South America?
Many people often ask me why I chose to travel to Latin/South America extensively. There are many reasons: –
First of all, this region has some of the most diverse landscapes on earth. Ranging from the largest tropical rainforest (Amazon), the longest mountain chain (Los Andes), the driest desert(Atacama), a large cold desert(Patagonia), countless volcanoes, glaciers and many more.
Diverse Landscapes of Latin America
This region was home to several civilisations before the Spanish and Portuguese colonised this part of the world. Some of the most important ones were the Incas, the Mayas, the Aztecs, the Muiscas. Three of the Modern Seven Wonders of The World are in Latin America.
Some of the Modern Seven Wonders of the World
Exploring new cuisines which are not common in India, also played an important role in visiting Latin America.
Some Delicious Latin American Food
Being a football fan, Latin America is a dream destination for me. Experiencing the craziness about football was something I wanted to witness first hand.
Watching Boca Juniors play an electrifying match at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires
Some parts of South America are the farthest one can travel from India and very less number of travelers from India go there. Also, it is closest you can get to Antarctica without actually visiting Antarctica.
Ushuaia, Argentina – the southernmost city in the world
My Route
In my journey I covered more than 25,000 km overland, 4 flights – 3 domestic (Argentina, Colombia and Mexico) and 1 international (Colombia-Mexico). Most of the journey was done by taking public buses, shared taxis and occasional hitchhiking in 347 days, a little short of the 365 days mark. The countries that I covered were Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and the United States of America.
My journey started in South America began in mid-February from São Paulo, Brazil with a long layover in New York City. São Paulo Airport(GRU) happens to be the cheapest airport to fly from India.
My trip can be roughly divided in four parts:
São Paulo, Brazil to Buenos Aires, Argentina (1 month) – Covered several places along the way, including Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro and witnessing the mighty Iguaçu Falls.
Ushuaia, Argentina to Caribbean Coast of Colombia (and to Bogota, Colombia) (Approx. 7 months) – This part was the most important part of the journey in Latin America. I travelled from the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, Argentina situated in the Tierra del Fuego region to the Caribbean Coast of Colombia overland along the Andes and sometimes the Pacific Coast by taking public buses and occasional hitchhiking. Then flew to the Colombian capital Bogota to end my travel in South America.
Cancun, Mexico to Tijuana, Mexico (Approx 3.5 months) – I stayed the entire duration in Mexico travelling mostly in the Southern and Central part of Mexico, before flying to Tijuana in the Mexico-US border.
San Ysidro/San Diego to Bay Area, California, USA (0.5 months) – Crossed the Mexico-US border at Tijuana-San Ysidro/San Diego. I spent most of the time in the San Francisco Bay Area, before flying back home.
The places that I visited in 1 year
Visas (an Indian perspective)
Well, travelling with an Indian passport has its share of challenges and that exists even while travelling to different countries of Latin America. But, since the last few years, things have got easier if you are having a valid US visa or a Schengen visa. Most of the countries require a pre-approved visa unless you have one of these more powerful visas.
At the Three Country Border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay
The visas that I had on my passport(both sticker and eVisas):
US B1/B2 Visa (Business/Travel) – By far this was the most helpful visa that I had on my passport. Apart from entering the United States of America, I was able to get a visa waiver for Peru, Ecuador(probably, it was visa-free before August 2019), Colombia and Mexico. (Obtained from India)
Brazil Tourist Visa (Obtained from India)
Chilean Multi-Entry Tourist Visa (Obtained from India) – When I was already in Chile, a visa waiver program was started for people having US B1/B2 visa. I would not need another sticker visa next time though.
Bolivia Tourist Visa (Obtained from Santiago de Chile) – Free of cost, easy to obtain and you get it stamped the same day or the next day.
Argentina ETA (eVisa) – From early 2019, Indians are eligible to apply for an Argentina eVisa if they have a valid US B2(Tourist) or Schengen Visa.
Language(s)
Among the countries that I visited most of the countries have Spanish/Castellano as their main or official languages. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. Few countries like Peru and Bolivia few indigenous languages like Quechua and Aymara have official status. In California, Spanish is widely spoken and the second most spoken language after English. Though, you might not need to speak in Spanish in California but after travelling extensively in Latin America it was fun speaking in Spanish with the Latinos there. Speaking with locals in their language makes your travel more enjoyable.
Before my journey I had a Basic level of Spanish like greetings, buying things, asking for directions, numbers and reading basic signs and instructions. But, while travelling I picked up conversational Spanish on my way in a forced environment by speaking with locals. Volunteering with an NGO in Cusco, Peru helped me a lot with my Spanish.
In Chile, the Spanish spoken was probably the most difficult for me to understand since it is too fast and uses a lot of Chileno slangs. In Argentina(especially around Buenos Aires and Patagonia) the pronunciations are very different from standard Spanish spoken in other places. I found the Mexican Spanish to be the easiest to understand and funniest, but beware of the slangs! Most parts of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador have Spanish that is easily understandable.
In Brazil, if you speak in Spanish rather than in English there is more chance of the other person understanding you. I experienced this in many places like Ticket Counters and Local Markets.
At a traditional Sunday market in Oaxaca, Mexico
Top Places that I visited
Well, it would be unfair to select just a few places as my favourite destinations in Latin America since the entire journey was itself was amazing. But if you have less time be sure to check out these places.
Rio de Janeiro and the Guanabara Bay, Brazil – One of the most beautiful cities in the world and surrounded by magnificent beaches, monolithic hills and beautiful bay.
Rio de Janeiro
Iguazu Falls, Brazil and Argentina – The largest waterfall system in the world. Do check out both the Brazilian(better view) and the Argentine side(better experience of the waterfalls).
Iguaçu Falls from Brazil
Penguin Watching in Beagle Channel, Argentina and Isla Magdalena, Chile.
A penguin colony at Isla Martillo in the Beagle Channel, Argentina
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile – A hikers paradise in Chilean Patagonia.
Paine Grande Massif from Lake Pehoe
Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina – One of the largest reserve of Fresh Water in the World.
Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
Hikes around El Chalten, Argentina – If you miss out on Torres del Paine or have tighter budget visiting El Chalten in Southern Patagonia and hiking along the nearby trails is probably a cheaper and maybe a better option.
Hiking around El Chalten, Argentina
Climbing Volcano Villarica, Chile – If climbing an active volcano is on your list this is an amazing option.
On the top of Volcano Villarica, Chile
Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina – This 150km long narrow mountain valley in Northwestern Argentina is full of colourful mineral-rich mountains, rustic villages and Inca ruins.
Cerro de 7 colores, Purmamarca, Argentina
Atacama Desert, Chile – The driest desert on earth is filled with out-of-the-world landscapes. Volcanoes, lakes and geyser fields are dotted all over the region. Due to clear skies, this region is perfect for people interested in stargazing and astrophotography.
Stargazing from my hostel at San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia – World’s largest and highest salt flat in the world is the most breathtaking place I have ever been to. After the rainy season turns the endless white salt flat into the largest mirror on earth. I was lucky to witness both dry and wet parts.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Lake Titicaca, Bolivia and Peru – The highest navigable in the world and the largest lake in South America straddles the border between Bolivia and Peru. The Inca Empire which controlled most of South America originated from Titicaca. I liked the Bolivian side a little more.
Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Cusco and Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru – A trip to Peru and South America remains incomplete without visiting Cusco, the capital of the Inca empire and the lost city of Machu Picchu. I went to Machu Picchu hiking solo for 5 days following the Salkantay Trek. There are alternate trails as well and an option to travel by train. There are countless other places to visit in Cusco as well.
Arequipa and Colca Canyon, Peru – Arequipa became my favourite city in South America. Three volcanoes surrounding Peru’s second-largest city built with white volcanic rock is definitely worth the visit. The nearby Colca Canyon, which is claimed to be the second deepest canyon in the world(way deeper than the Grand Canyon of Arizona) is a perfect place to watch Andean condors glide by.
Andean Condors gliding at Colca Canyon, Peru
Paracas, Ica, Peru – Where one of the driest desert in the world meets the largest ocean
Where Desert meets the Ocean, Paracas
The Cordillera Blanca, Peru – The best region in Peru for hiking. This region has countless colourful lakes, snow-capped mountains, glacier and hiking trails.
Laguna Paron, the largest lake in Cordillera Blanca
Quilotoa Loop, Ecuador – This lake on top of a collapsed volcano crater was my favourite place in Ecuador. Many people go there for a day trip, but a multi-day hike in the Quilotoa Circuit is more recommended.
Laguna del Quilotoa
Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador – This National Park in central highlands of Ecuador is a place with magnificent landscapes around one of the highest active volcanoes in the world – Cotopaxi. It is also one of the highest mountain peaks from the centre of the earth. There is an easy hike till the last refugio on the way to the summit, that can be done without spending any extra money.
Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
Santuario de Las Lajas, Colombia – If you cross the Ecuador-Colombia border by road, you shouldn’t miss out on this church. The architecture and the location of the church make it look like from a fairytale.
Santuario de las Lajas, Colombia
Cocora Valley and Coffee Region, Colombia – The lush green coffee region in Colombia is must-visit for nature lovers and coffee enthusiasts. The gigantic wax palm trees in the Cocora Valley offers wonderful views for hikers.
Cocora Valley, Colombia
Tayrona National Park, Colombia – This wonderful national park along the Caribbean Coast of Colombia is a perfect combination of hiking through forests, beach trails, swimming and finally sleeping in a hammock or tent.
Tayrona National Park, Colombia
Cenotes of Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico – There are countless cenotes or sinkholes in the Yucatan Penisula of Mexico especially in the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo. I visited a few of them around the town of Valladolid.
A cenote in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico – This natural rock formation in Oaxaca, Mexico looks like a petrified waterfall.
Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca
El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve,Michoacan, Mexico – Every year thousands of monarch butterflies migrate from the USA and Canada to the forests of Michoacan, Mexico to spend the winter. A wonder of nature.
Monarch Butterflies in the forests of Michoacan
Big Sur, California, USA – The most scenic coastal drive I have been anywhere.
Bixby Creek Bridge, Big Sur
Places that I regret missing out
Boat Trip in the Amazon River – Though I visited the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador, I regret not having done a multi-day boat ride along the Amazon river. The boat trips usually happen between Peru, Colombia and Brazil. I changed my plan to do the boat ride after hearing many stories of river pirates. My initial plan was to take the ferry from Leticia, Colombia to Manaus, Brazil or till Belem.
Sajama National Park and Torotoro National Park, Bolivia – My stay in Bolivia was a little short and I regret that. I had some knee injuries, so avoided hiking as much as possible that time. These two national parks were what I regret missing out.
Death Road, Bolivia – Well, when I visited Bolivia this was not even something that would have attracted me since I didn’t know cycling confidently that time. But after learning to ride a bicycle this year I regret missing out on cycling down the Death Road in Bolivia.
Tatacoa Desert, Colombia – Would have loved to visit this dried-out forest for a few days while I was in Bogota.
Bacalar Lagoon, Mexico – I got extreme reviews from other travellers, either fantastic or meh! Some photos look really amazing, but for people visiting during bad weather, it looked average.
Guatemala, Nicaragua and Cuba – These were the few countries in Central America and the Caribbean that I wanted to visit. But more expensive flights to both Nicaragua, Guatemala and Costa Rica too and complicated visa procedures for Cuba made me drop those.
Festivals
During my trip I came across several festivals. Some of notable ones were:
Carnaval in Brazil – I planned the starting of my trip in such a way that I was able to witness a few days of the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. Rio Carnaval was one of the craziest festivals I have ever seen. The Carnaval is held every year in February or March around a month and a half before Easter. There are other cities in Brazil that are great during Carnaval – São Paulo has a huge celebration, but my local friends recommended Salvador.
Carnaval at Rio de Janeiro
Inti Raymi in Cusco, Peru – This is a traditional religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in the honour of the sun god, Inti – the most important god for the Incas. It is celebrated on 24th of June in Cusco, Peru for the Winter Solstice as well the Inca New year.
Inti Raymi at Cusco
Día de Los Muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico – If you have watched the animated movie Coco, you would be familiar with Día de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. In traditional Mexican culture, death is considered to a part of the human cycle and on this day friends and family gather and pray for their loved ones who have died. And it is not a day of sadness or mourning rather a day to celebrate since it is considered their loved one awaken and celebrate with them. If you are willing to visit Mexico during the Day of the Dead (31st October – 2nd November), do plan well in advance. Oaxaca and Michoacan are the best places in Mexico to witness it.
Panteon de Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca on Día de los Muertos
Copa America – Football is just like a religion in Latin America and though the Copa America was being held in Brazil, the craziness of the tournament was all over South America. I was in Peru during the Copa America, and Peru being an underdog team went till the finals and eventually losing to hosts Brazil. The celebration I saw after they defeated Chile, their arch-rivals gave me a feeling of India winning a cricket match against Pakistan. Even after Peru’s defeat in the final against Brazil, the people were celebrating.
Celebrations in Arequipa, Peru even after losing the finals
Christmas in Guadalajara, Mexico – I was invited by a local friend in Guadalajara, Mexico to celebrate Christmas with his huge family.
Food
Food is something very important to me for understanding a culture. And Latin America has a diversity of food to offer. Peruvian cuisine was my favourite followed by Mexican cuisine.
Peru and Mexico grow more than 50 varieties of corn of different shapes, size and colour. Peru alone grows more than 4000 varieties of potatoes and potatoes originated from the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. Several delicious and exotic fruits are found in Latin America. The cuisines of Argentina and the Southern part of Brazil is heavily meat driven. Mexican food is the spiciest of all. In Ecuador and Colombia, bananas are commonly consumed along with meals.
Unusual meats like guinea pig, alpaca, llama, capybara are consumed in many places in South America. Though meat, fish and seafood are a common part of the diet everywhere, it is not difficult if you are a vegetarian(I am not, it is just for a reference) while travelling in Latin America. I ate most of my meals from local markets and cheap restaurants, sometimes cooking at my hostel kitchen as well.
Some delicious dishes from various parts of Latin America
A not so short list of the dishes you must try:
Ceviche de Pescado in Lima, Peru (in other parts of Peru too)
Tacos al Pastor in Mexico City
Mole Negro in Oaxaca, Mexico
Aji de gallina in Peru
Papa a la Huancaína, Peru
Sopa de maní in Bolivia
Mole Poblano in Puebla, Mexico
Cochinita Pibil in Yucatan, Mexico
Ajiaco in Bogota, Colombia
Bandeja Paisa in Medellín, Colombia
Seafood Empanada in Valparaiso, Chile
Parilla in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Grilled Lamb in Patagonia, Chile and Argentina
Choripan in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Coxinha in Brazil
Fish Moqueca in Brazil (preferably in Salvador de Bahía, I haven’t been there)
Feijoada in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Cuy al horno in Cusco, Peru
Hornado de Chancho in Cuenca, Ecuador
Tamales in Peru, Colombia and Mexico
Arepas Venezuelanas (better than the Colombian ones, available across many countries in South America)
Empanadas in Salta, Argentina
Sudado de Pescado in Peru
Panuchos and Salbutes in Yucatan, Mexico
Causa in Peru
Pachamanca in Cusco, Peru
Seco de Cabrito in Trujillo, Peru
Birria in Guadalajara, Mexico
Fish and Seafood Tacos in Mexico (mainly popular in the West Coast)
Queso Helado in Arequipa, Peru
Pozole in Mexico
I have probably missed out some!!!
Accommodation
During my travels, I mostly stayed in backpackers hostels, not always the cheapest ones. I tried to stay in the hostels having decent reviews and moderate cost, especially in big cities due to safety. Sometimes I stayed in the best hostel available in certain places.
Bunk Bed in dormitories became a normal
For my hikings, I either stayed in refugios/trekkers hut, at villagers home by paying a little or renting tent, sleeping bag and camping. Apart from this, I was hosted by my generous friends and Couchsurfing hosts in various places in Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico. I stayed at my cousin’s place while in the USA.
Inside a Refugio/Trekker’s Hut in Argentina
Working as a volunteer at different places like in backpackers hostels, NGOs helped me cut out on accommodation costs and slow down my travels when needed. It helped me immerse myself in a particular place like a local.
Transportation
Most of my journey was by taking public buses and local shared taxis(colectivos). I do not like travelling by aeroplane unless absolutely necessary or saving me a lot of money. Occasionally, I hitchhiked as well in a few countries. I took 3 domestic flights and 1 international flight apart from the flights to and from India. In some countries, the buses were amazing and to some extent luxurious. I found that most in Argentina, Chile and Peru. I usually avoided the cheapest companies while travelling overnight, but tried to get the best deals possible. Night buses saved my accommodation cost as well.
Inside a long distance bus in Argentina
Bus travel has its downsides as well. In Bolivia, I had a bad experience by taking a night bus from Sucre to La Paz, where I was stuck in a roadblock on the highway for 10 hours. In Ecuador, theft from night buses is quite common. But night buses are avoidable since the country is small.
Inside the cities, I usually used public buses, metro, cable car and if needed Uber at night.
La Paz, Bolvia has a Cable Car network instead of a Metro
The hospitality of the local people
I was hosted by one of my Brazilian friends, Jorge at his apartment in São Paulo at the very beginning of my journey. I met him a couple of years back in Budapest while backpacking in Europe, and when he came to know that I am coming to Brazil he was more than happy to host me at his place. Jorge, Gabriela(another Brazilian friend I met in Budapest) and Rafael showed me around the city whenever they got time. I even joined a Brazilian barbeque(churrasco) party at one of Jorge’s cousin’s home.
At the barbeque party with a Brazilian family
This was not the end, I found many other examples of kindness and friendliness from the local people in different countries. Ismael, a super funny Mexican guy whom I met in Ushuaia, Argentina not only let me stay at his home in Mexico City on two occasions but even paid for all my meals and took me to two day-trips over the weekend while he was in the city. There were many other great experiences of hospitality I received from several other local friends, Couchsurfing hosts and strangers, which included a policeman in Bolivia.
With my amazing Mexican friend at Teotihuacan
I guess it would need a separate post to tell all of those amazing experiences.
Having dinner at my Couchsurfing host’s place with another guest
Weather and Best Time to Visit
Since my trip was across both hemispheres, across multiple altitudes, tropic and temperate regions I experienced all possible types of climate. But most of the time I was in winter or fall. The capital of Ecuador, Quito happens to fall on the Equator line. I spent February-August in Southern Hemisphere and August-January in Northern Hemisphere. Most of the places I stayed were in the high altitude region, like in the Andes or in the Mexican highlands. I avoided hot regions as much as possible.
This was what I was carrying for a year to survive all types of weather
So if you are travelling in Latin America, be prepared for all types of weather and necessary clothing. Remote places like Patagonia are extremely cold and windy throughout the year.
As per my experience, it is better to visit certain places at the proper time of the year. Most places in Patagonia can be only visited during a short period of time between October and mid-April. If you are interested in watching the fall colours April or late March is the ideal time.
For visiting, counties like Peru and Bolivia between May and October is the best time, which is the dry winter season and the peak winter months of June to August are the best few months. Avoid visiting this region in summer, especially during December-January since heavy rainfall can jeopardise trekking options including treks to Machu Picchu. Ecuador is one of the few countries that can be visited year-round, due to its close proximity to the Equator line. The Caribbean Region(I visited in Colombia and Mexico) can be pretty hot and humid as late as October, so something like December-January might be a better option. Between November and January, the weather in most places in Central Mexico is dry and pleasant/cool.
Safety
Speaking about safety, Latin America is not a very safe place to travel and you need to be cautious while travelling in Latin America. Usually, the crimes faced by travellers are petty crimes like theft, snatching, pickpocketing but things like muggings in big cities and bus robberies can happen. The only region that I can say you can travel to without any caution is Patagonia. Extremely touristy cities like Cusco in Peru are usually safe but crimes like pickpocketing can happen.
Avoid the big cities, especially the capitals if you do not want to worry too much about safety. Do not flash your valuables while being in big cities, it can catch attention. When you are taking night buses, only go with a reputed company and check the route they are taking. Also, while in big cities avoid wandering in empty parts of cities, dark corners at any time of the day.
Empty Staircases in Big Cities can be dangerous at any point of time.
Despite, all the safety concerns I rarely faced bad incidents. Only twice did I face or see something bad. Once, it was seeing a car robbery in Valparaíso, Chile and another time I escaped a mugging attempt in Quito, Ecuador. The countries in which I felt the most unsafe were Brazil and Colombia, but without facing any issues. I was told Mexico being a very dangerous country, but on the contrary, I felt Mexico to be pretty safe.
Budget
The total amount of money that I spent on this trip of 347 days was around 8,50,000 INR including flights to and from India. I won’t say this was super budget. I could have saved a few lakhs if I cooked more meals and spent less on food, did more Couchsurfing and hitchhiking on my way.
Do you want to know anything more about travelling? Is there anything else that inspires you? Do drop in a comment!
Earlier this year I quit my job and embarked on a journey to South America, a continent that attracted me since I was a teenager. My journey across Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador and Colombia in around the last 8 months was the greatest experience I had in my life. I have seen amazing landscapes and wildlife, met people of different cultures from this far off land, had some adventurous moment, tasted some delicious local food, did some touristy as well as non-touristy things. But, in all these eventful months I came across were some small incidents that were mostly unexpected, which became the most memorable moments of my journey. Sometimes the most memorable moments in your trip might not be the things you expect to see or do, but the things that come on your way while travelling. In the following days, I am going to share some of these short incidents with you all, some of them are nice, some adventurous and while some aren’t pleasant.
21st February, São Paulo, Brazil
A colourful mosaiced bench in São Paulo, Brazil
I started my journey in South America in one of the largest cities in the world(largest in Brazil and the Southern Hemisphere) – São Paulo. I was lucky to have local friends there whom I met a couple of years back in Hungary to host me, show me around the city and share some great time with me. It was just my second day there and one of my friends took me around to visit some places around. After visiting the Museu do Futebol (Museum of Football), we visited the vibrant neighbourhood of Vila Madalena to see beautiful street arts and then had lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, our plan was to take a taxi(Uber) to the centre of São Paulo. While waiting for the Uber, I came across this colourful mosaiced bench. While scanning through the artwork my eyes fell on an ID Card, which was valid. Well, now imagine you are in a city which has around 20 million people living in the urban area, on a busy weekday, barely having useful information; how likely is it to hand the ID card over to the person just within few hours the same day? In the age of Social Media, it is possible if you try. Though it was a little difficult to contact the girl who lost her ID card since there were many people with the same name. But my friend eventually found the correct person and she was able to contact her. After visiting the centre of São Paulo, we met the girl in a busy Metro station to return the ID card. The girl thanked us as it was important for her. After this incident, I felt returning lost objects anywhere is not an issue if you have the will to do it or someone else does.
21st April – Valparaíso, Chile
Mercado in Valparaíso, Chile
Valparaíso, Chile though being one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in South America it is one with a lot of problems – crime(petty and violent), pollution and street dogs(too many) are a few of the biggest problems the city has. The city of Valparaíso, once a British Colony is often nicknamed as ‘San Francisco of South America’, due to its importance being a major port in the Southern Pacific Ocean before the construction of the Panama Canal. The city situated beside the Pacific Ocean is spread across several hills, most of them can be sketchy and dangerous at any time of the day(apart from few touristy hills). Throughout my stay, I was warned several times by locals to be extremely cautious and avoid the staircases going up the hills when they are empty or dark.
This incident was not a pleasant one and it did not happen in any of the hills which are usually more dangerous, rather a flat and busy area. It was a Sunday, rather the Easter Sunday. Most of the shops were closed, a lesser number of people were in the streets. I headed off to the nearby market around midday(something between 12-1 PM) to grab something to eat. I was near Mercado Cardonal figuring out what to buy, then I came across some fish vendors selling Ceviche and decided to have my lunch there. Meanwhile, I heard a lot of noise around from a nearby corner and realized something was going on. There was a car that got robbed in broad daylight in a busy market area. I left the area as quickly as possible feeling a little scared. While I was on the way to my hostel I saw a lot of police vehicles going towards the market. Within a few minutes, I was hearing gunshots. I returned to my hostel as soon as possible to share this incident with others, only to hear from 2 Germans who heard multiple gunshots up in one of the hills and were forced to come back. Most likely, both the incidents were independent but it kind of freaked me out for some time hearing those gunshots.
15 & 16 May – La Paz, El Alto and Chua Cocani, Bolivia
Lake Titicaca at the village of Chua Cocani, Bolivia
Bolivia was the country where I stayed the shortest amount of time while travelling in South America. Some things did not go right for me despite visiting some of the most magnificent places on my trip. I had to get my phone repaired and it was difficult finding someone who can repair it. Getting stuck in a roadblock on a highway for 10 hours without food and water was another frustrating incident during my short stay in the country. Despite being a beautiful and raw country, some of these incidents forced me to leave the country sooner than expected. I had enough of adventurous stuff going on in Bolivia till I reached La Paz. Why not something more?
I met one girl from the Czech Republic in La Paz who had been travelling from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina till the north of Argentina hitchhiking, but in Bolivia, she was little sceptical in hitchhiking alone. So, I joined her to hitchhike to Copacabana on the banks of Lake Titicaca from La Paz. La Paz and El Alto are two huge cities and we needed to get out of the city area to hitchhike. After taking the Teleferico(the cable car network, which acts as the Metro system for La Paz and El Alto) till the last station in El Alto we had to walk for some time to finally try hitchhiking. That’s when we realized how difficult it was to hitchhike in Bolivia. Finally, one person gave us the ride till the end of the city in his van. Just to get out of La Paz and El Alto it took a few hours. The second part of the hitchhike was pretty fast – within 5 mins a young guy stopped to give a ride. When he opened the boot space for us to keep the backpacks that’s when we came to know he was a policeman by seeing his police vests. Yes, a Bolivian Police!
The guy was returning back to his village(where he was the police) on the banks of Lake Titicaca(the highest navigable lake in the world) after some official work in La Paz. He was probably the friendliest Bolivian I met while travelling. The journey to his village called Chua Cocani was around 1 hour with a stop in between for the first glimpse of Lake Titicaca. When we reached Chua Cocani, it was already late and with the season being winter it was already quite late. So a possibility to reach Copacabana was ruled out since the ferry service to cross Lake Titicaca at Tiquina would have been stopped for the day. So, there were 2 options either stay in Chua Cocani or try to reach Tiquina somehow and stay the night there(Tiquina had Guesthouses to sleep) or stay in Chua Cocani. We chose not to head to Tiquina for the night and stay in Chua Cocani. We told the nice policeman that we will camp beside the lake and go to Copacabana the next day. While the sun was setting down we saw some children playing on banks of the lake, some women returning after work in the fields beside the lake. The golden rays falling on the mountains made the place even magical.
I forgot to tell, that I was not carrying a sleeping bag so I had to wear all possible warm clothes I had to beat the cold at an altitude of 3812m. The policeman came back in the night to check if we needed something and went back home after knowing that we were alright. But, as the night progressed it started getting colder and colder. The night was pretty cold and the temperature dipped around 0-degree Celcius. I just wanted the cold night to get over quickly and sleeping inside a tent is never a pleasant experience. I woke up way before sunrise, walked around the deserted village, watched the sky full of stars before the sun was up. After grabbing something to eat in the village and finding it difficult to hitchhike more than 10 km, it was time to catch colectivos and the ferry(to cross Titicaca) and finally reach Copacabana.
6 July – Cusco, Perú
Pucara Bulls from Puno
The historic capital of the Incas, Cusco in Perú was the city where I stayed the longest in my journey in South America and it is also the city that became my home for around 50 days. I made many local friends, explored a lot of Inca ruins and surrounding landscapes, volunteered for a month, enjoyed some local festivals and celebrated Perú’s dream run to the finals of Copa America.
Surprisingly, this beautiful city which happens to be one of the safest tourist destinations in South America was the only place where I got something stolen from me throughout my long stay in South America in the unlikeliest of places. I stayed in different places in Cusco(hostels and even room in a shared apartment) and before leaving the city I stayed in a guest house/hostel near the historic centre of Cusco run by a wonderful family with two little daughters. It was one of my favourite places where I stayed in the last 8 months. My bus to my next destination, Arequipa was in the night so I decided to take a stroll around Cusco for the one last time. I kept my backpacks in the storage and my power bank on charge in the common area(a thing which I usually would not do).
After I returned late in the afternoon, to organize my backpack and then head off to the bus station, I found that my power bank with the charger was missing. Losing the power bank would have been okay, but the charger was important to charge my phone. So I had to borrow a charger from a relative of the owners for the time being. I initially thought that it was kept somewhere else in the house and even checked the room where lost items from travellers were kept. After, trying to find my charger throughout the building I was unable to find it. The family was busy that day and they went out since it was one of their daughter’s birthday. And the incident happened the same day. Most likely the cleaning person took it or some other guest who checked out after me. They were really upset about the theft and wanted to give me the money to buy a new power bank, which I refused(though it was important for me that day since I was travelling by an overnight bus).
They gave me a small gift before I left for good luck, protection, happiness, prosperity and wished me all the best for my journey in South America. Those were two Pucara Bulls. If you have been to Puno, Cusco or other places in the south of Perú you might find similar bulls installed on the top of the houses. They are supposed to bring prosperity, good luck, happiness, and give protection. The Pucara Bulls are originally from Pucara near Puno in South Perú, not something originally from Cusco but something I have seen all over Perú. I have kept these bulls with me throughout my travels since leaving Cusco. I have left South America since then and I am in México now.
27 August – Quito, Ecuador
A staircase leading up the hill in Quito, Ecuador
In around 8 months of travelling in South America, I rarely came across bad situations even while travelling in a lot of big cities and capitals(which have dangerous and sketchy neighbourhoods even at day time). The first one was in Valparaíso, Chile where I saw an armed robbery in the middle of the day and the second one was in the Highest Capital City in the World and in my last destination in the Southern Hemisphere – Quito, Ecuador. I saw a lot of bad neighbourhoods, sketchy areas in Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Valparaíso, El Alto, Lima, Medellín, and Cartagena. Quito was one of the cities, where probably almost the whole city was unsafe at any time of the day(including the most touristy areas in the centre of the city). I have never been to any city where everyone gives you some warning to go to almost any area of the city. But, if you follow the popular Colombian saying ‘No dar papaya’ (not putting yourself in a position to get robbed) mostly you’re going to be safe. But sometimes, you can fall into some bad situations despite being cautious. And being over-cautious can make you vulnerable as well.
I covered most of the places in Quito in the first few days like the Historic Center, the Cathedral, Virgen de Panecillo(went in a taxi with few more people, since it was recommended not to go there walking up the hill) and Mitad del Mundo(equator line). I was staying at the place of my Couchsurfing host in the northern part of the city(in a comparatively safer neighbourhood) and thought of going back to the central part of the city and visit Parque Itchimbia, which is just beside the Historic Center of Quito. I took the Metrobus towards the centre and missed one bus station and got down at Terminal Playón de la Marin. The place was super dodgy, sketchy, a lot of people doing drugs openly around. Though there was a way to go up from that place up to Itchimbia, I felt too unsafe to go up. I backtracked to a place I knew and from where the way up was pretty short from the main street by taking the stairs. Hardly, it would take someone a couple of minutes despite being at an altitude of 2850m. The staircase was pretty empty though it was around 3 PM and close to a busy street. Just halfway through this staircase, I came across the worst 10 seconds of my travels, though it made me stronger and aware it actually traumatized me and made me sceptical walking in any big city for almost a month till I reached Bogotá.
Two guys came to rob my mobile phone(which I keep inside my bag most of the time) and one of them took out a knife. My initial reaction was screaming out which triggered two dogs in the adjacent houses to bark. This gave me some advantage as the supposed robbers(both of them around 4-5 inches shorter than me) got really nervous. I elbowed one of them and ran down the staircase to the street(there were quite a lot of people there walking), which took me a few seconds. The robbers ran up the staircase, with the failed attempt. I walked to the nearest hostel within 50m panicking and traumatized. The people there gave me some water to drink and called the police immediately. I had to wait for 1 hour before the police came. I had to give the descriptions of the robbers and some information to the police. The police told me to be careful and stay safe. It was a big blow for me travelling solo since in a day or two I was supposed to cross the border into Colombia. I was super lucky that afternoon and was able to escape such a situation without any problem. I am more thankful to dogs now than ever before.
Luckily I got a few people to accompany me to cross the border and leave Ecuador as soon as possible. The people I met in my first few days in Colombia, especially in Popayan and Cali, especially super friendly, helpful Colombians and some other travellers from different countries. I actually stopped travelling alone and went everywhere with someone else for sometime after that. I followed all possible precautions and my entire experience in Colombia was absolutely safe.
Would I suggest anyone fight back when attacked? Absolutely no. But, if you get an opportunity to escape such situations and you feel you can it is possible. I have met many people who have escaped robberies and heard stories of people getting robbed in the weirdest ways.
Other Interesting Incidents
I have encountered many other interesting incidents, met some nice and helpful people that shaped this trip for me, made me stronger. Sometimes I took challenges like ziplining on my own, hiking alone through magnificent landscapes in the Andes mountains, hitchhiking, sleeping in unconventional places, eating at strange places that made this trip extremely special for me. It changed me a lot as a traveller.
