Category: Latin America

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.

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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.

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Exploring new cuisines which are not common in India, also played an important role in visiting Latin America.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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).

• Penguin Watching in Beagle Channel, Argentina and Isla Magdalena, Chile.

• Torres del Paine National Park, Chile – A hikers paradise in Chilean Patagonia.

• Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina – One of the largest reserve of Fresh Water in the World.

• 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.

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• Climbing Volcano Villarica, Chile – If climbing an active volcano is on your list this is an amazing option.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Paracas, Ica, Peru – Where one of the driest desert in the world meets the largest ocean

• The Cordillera Blanca, Peru – The best region in Peru for hiking. This region has countless colourful lakes, snow-capped mountains, glacier and hiking trails.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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• Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico – This natural rock formation in Oaxaca, Mexico looks like a petrified waterfall.

• 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.

• Big Sur, California, USA – The most scenic coastal drive I have been anywhere.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I guess it would need a separate post to tell all of those amazing experiences.

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.

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.

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!