| Latin America | |
| January 14 to April 28, 2007 |
Cuba, a land of trade embargoes and old-timers, a land famous for its failed politics and questionable human rights record, and the longest-standing socialist state in the Western hemisphere. A land that leaves open a lot of questions when you return. Panama, a rich country in Central America, famous for its Panama Canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. South America, a subcontinent between three seas, magical triangle between fascinating forces of nature, origin of exciting cultures that defeated deserts, rainforests and awesome mountains. In motion over centuries... the countries as well as its people and its music.
Latin America has been a dream-destination for me for quite a while. So much to do, such much to see, so much to experience! Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist" inspired me a lot to take this step, to ask for a sabbatical from work, to follow my personal path of life. I left full of excitement and curiosity, I finally had again the chance to live up to my dreams... and Latin America didn't disappoint me!
All in all, I spent 3.5 months in Latin America and travelled to 9 different countries. The first destination on our trip was...
- Cuba; where we experienced first-hand Fidel's Cuba; where we felt like stuck in the past; and where we smoked a cigar. Only 2 hours away by plane, we set our foot on...
- Panama; where we felt like light years away from Cuba; and where we marveled at the fascinating Panama Canal. After this short stop-over, we finally flew to...
- Ecuador; our first country on the South American continent; where we had one foot on the Northern and the other one on the Southern hemisphere. From Guayaquil we flew on to...
- Peru; where we followed the Inca's footprints; where we speechlessly admired stunning Machu Picchu; and where we sailed Lake Titicaca. By bus we drove on to...
- Bolivia; where we entered a completely different world; where we experienced amazing landscapes; where we didn't get altitude sick; and where we saw great poverty. In the beginning of March I travelled on to...
- Chile; where I got to know a bunch of lovely people; where I deepened my knowledge of Spanish; where I trekked with my brother around various national parks; and where I defeated my weaker self. In Patagonia we crossed the border to...
- Argentina; where I felt the touch of the Antarctica in Patagonia; where I didn't like the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires; and where we visited the world-largest waterfalls. During a 2-days-trip we visited...
- Uruguay; where I enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere; and where we got to know Montevideo. Later we travelled on to...
- Brazil; where we again visited the world-largest waterfalls; where we looked down to Rio like Christ does; where we relaxed on sexy Copacabana; and where we ended our amazing journey.
During the journey I kept an Online Diary: on the one hand, it helped me to reflect on things I had experienced and on the other hand, to keep you - family, friends, other fellow travellers, general visitors of my homepage and all the others - informed what we were up to, what we were doing, what we were experiencing, etc. and to give you the possibility of accompanying us on our trip, at least virtually.
Check out my Latin America Diary!
