South America Drive is excerpts from our travel diary written while driving through South America with our 2 dogs.
We are not your typical travelers and this is not like other blogs.
First, this blog is not like similar blogs, posts and publications (like International Living) where you will only be told how wonderful everything is. International Living was my catalyst for this adventure, but they are in it to make money. They provide a “teaser” article, then offer more information….at a price. For example, I had a question. I was told I could buy the info packet on the country. I did. It did not answer my question and there was no real person to talk to. Their main objective is to “sell” you on a country, sell additional information, and even sell real estate. Their articles are happy, happy: dazzling sites, ideal weather, bargain housing, inexpensive food, cheap gas, friendly natives…..happy everything. It seemed most blogs and posts were written by travelers having a marvelous time on vacation telling you what an enjoyable time the writer is having while visiting an amazing place. Some bloggers are paid for their opinion. While I love reading these posts, they did not prepare me for “living” in a foreign country. The more you know (good or bad) about a place or experience, the less “foreign” or frightening it is. Also, if you go with the wrong expectations, you may be disappointed. Many things are not perfect. Yet overall, we found wonderful things in EVERY place we visited.
Second, we are not your typical travelers. We sent our vehicle by boat to Montevideo, Uruguay. Then Chris, I, and our two dogs flew to Montevideo. The dogs have been challenging, but worth the effort. The car has enabled us to go anywhere, anytime. We originally planned to travel for one year, driving from Uruguay to Colombia. Within a month we decided to “slow down”. Instead of staying a few days in each location, we chose to “live” in a place. We often avoided the touristy areas in hopes of feeling more connected to the people and area. We slowed down enough that our trip has lasted 2 ½ years – and we are still going.
Please, take a vicarious trip with us OR use this to help plan your own escape.
Alright, I have to admit, I selfishly hope that after reading my posts, one of my readers will decide to “just do it”.
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