(written in January 2015)
It feels like time just flew by! Of course we had times when we were bored – 30 hours in a bus ? Yes we ran out of stuff to do!! – but looking back it doesn’t feel like 3 months are gone.
We were prepared for the saudades to kick in, to be home-sick, to feel like this was a dumb idea, to fight like crazy, but so far, nothing!
Maybe because we are slow-travellers it doesn't beat us up too bad. (We are not always running from one city to the next, we allow ourselves to stay in bed one whole day if we want to.)
Looking back, the worst day so far was Christmas, after all this is a family holiday! While we were in our Chilean home preparing a nice meal for Christmas dinner, I looked outside to the hot summer day, 30 degrees! – for a second it just didn't make sense to be preparing a hot meal and deserts only for us two in this weather! It was a bit surreal but it was the price to pay to make us feel a bit back home, while we were connected through Skype with our families.
I am sure a number of days will come which aren't as good as the others. Things aren't always perfect.
The best day however was the day we climbed the Machu Picchu mountain, it was such a hard steep track under the sun that getting to the top and watching Machu Picchu down below in the midst of the fog and the green forest was a damn good feeling!
While in New Zealand, I look back to South America and cherish the moments. So much left to explore, so much we have learned, seen, tasted, drank, heard, met!
The bright colours of the fabrics in Bolivia, the chulitas, the food in Peru, the friendliness of the Argentineans and the tough face of the boliveans, all that is scarred in our minds.
It feels like time just flew by! Of course we had times when we were bored – 30 hours in a bus ? Yes we ran out of stuff to do!! – but looking back it doesn’t feel like 3 months are gone.
We were prepared for the saudades to kick in, to be home-sick, to feel like this was a dumb idea, to fight like crazy, but so far, nothing!
Maybe because we are slow-travellers it doesn't beat us up too bad. (We are not always running from one city to the next, we allow ourselves to stay in bed one whole day if we want to.)
Looking back, the worst day so far was Christmas, after all this is a family holiday! While we were in our Chilean home preparing a nice meal for Christmas dinner, I looked outside to the hot summer day, 30 degrees! – for a second it just didn't make sense to be preparing a hot meal and deserts only for us two in this weather! It was a bit surreal but it was the price to pay to make us feel a bit back home, while we were connected through Skype with our families.
I am sure a number of days will come which aren't as good as the others. Things aren't always perfect.
The best day however was the day we climbed the Machu Picchu mountain, it was such a hard steep track under the sun that getting to the top and watching Machu Picchu down below in the midst of the fog and the green forest was a damn good feeling!
While in New Zealand, I look back to South America and cherish the moments. So much left to explore, so much we have learned, seen, tasted, drank, heard, met!
The bright colours of the fabrics in Bolivia, the chulitas, the food in Peru, the friendliness of the Argentineans and the tough face of the boliveans, all that is scarred in our minds.