The Bolivian Visa Process Our next destination would undoubtedly prove to be the most difficult and expensive entry in South America. Oh dear Bolivia. We have yet to figure out what the US did to you to make our entry oh-so-challenging when most (developed) countries waltz in easy-breezy and for free. Apologies on their behalf! Anyhow, the good news is,…

Continue ReadingA Sampling of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

From Santa Cruz, we would jump on a three-hour shared mini bus amusingly called a Trufi here to our next destination of Samaipata, which would offer us the more rural and slower pace of life we’ve been craving after one too many recent cities. Although most tourists stick to the Salar de Uyuni and La Paz regions of Bolivia, there are…

Continue ReadingRuins, Rain and Indigenous Drinks in Samaipata, Bolivia

Getting There & Our Accommodation From Samaipata, there was really only one way to our next destination…an 8 or 12 hour overnight bus, depending on who you ask. ($19/each) An overnight bus is practically the norm for us these days, which really isn’t an issue, particularly because they’re super comfortable in Latin America, and they save on a night of…

Continue ReadingRetracing Ancient Footsteps in Sucre, Bolivia

Well, by late August 2023, we had polished off our last frosty açai bowl in idyllically warm Brazil and traded it in for hand-warming matés in Uruguay. To find ourselves back in Spanish Land (yay!!), we woke up at a spritely time of 2:30 to arrive to the Belo Horizonte Airport by 4, which was followed by a flight with,…

Continue ReadingOff-Season in Slumbering Punta del Este, Uruguay

We read in a BBC article that Buenos Aires and Montevideo are constantly trying to “out-Europe” the other so it was no surprise when arriving to socially progressive Montevideo felt a lot like…arriving in Europe. Vanished are most Latin American vibes and in its place are layers of Art Deco and neoclassical buildings, LGBTQ couples holding hands, polished and clean city…

Continue ReadingMaté Musings and European Ambiance in Montevideo, Uruguay

Getting There After two weeks, we were a bit knackered of being Clammy in the Ammy ™️ So, we were off to seek more pleasant skies in the form of winter in Southern Brazil for the seven weeks. Our 4.5 hour total flight to get there took us through the capital city of Brasília for a night. Rather than sleep…

Continue ReadingOne Month in Rio de Janiero, Brasil

From Letitica, there are two ways out of the Amazon. The easy way we came in (by plane) or the hella more interesting way (by river.) Within those water options, there are two boats: One is the expensive “speed” boat, which still takes 36 hours to get to Manaus (the nearest city in Brazil with an airport) and costs about $160…

Continue ReadingFloating on a Budget Down the Amazon, Brasil

From Pasto, we continued north for another seven (should have been five) hours to the capital of the Cauca Department (state) called Popoyán. Now, we must admit, this had us on edge un poquito because Cauca itself is still not the safest, but we also heard and read that if we stuck to the Pan American Highway corridor, and Popoyán…

Continue ReadingPopoyan: The Ravishing Gem of Southwest, Colombia