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Ryan
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Personal Reflections & What's Next
A number of friends have asked me some great questions since I came back from my trip. "Based on your experiences, are you now more optimistic about the world or less? Were the people really that different than here? Did the amount of poverty you saw effect you in any way? Has anything about your trip changed your perspective of yourself or the world around you? And, if so, how will that impact what you do next?"
I thought I’d take a few moments to answer some of their questions and add some personal observations along the way.
As most people know, I quit my job at Yahoo! last year in order to take some time to travel through Latin America. I’ve been calling it a sabbatical since my objective was not to escape reality, but to go through a deeper process of self discovery. I felt that spending time away from my daily routine, and, in particular, putting myself in a completely different environment, would reveal interests, dreams, and even fears that were a little more difficult to recognize in the regular course of my life. It’s that “space” away that I felt would help me see the thought patterns preventing me from trying new things and maybe even experiencing a greater sense of fulfillment.
That said, I purposefully created a set of experiences on my trip that pushed me beyond my comfort zones. You can read about some of them on my travel blog starting with my trip to Guatemala. Some experiences left a deep impression immediately. Others were more of a slow burn. And others would happen in the quiet moments when I least expected. Below are some personal reflections about my trip and a few thoughts on how they’re impacting what I do next.
Confronting my pre-conceptions
I heard that phrase constantly before I left. I knew I had them, but how strong, or even how deeply seeded were they? How would they impact the way I related to people who were completely different than myself? Would I fear being in certain neighborhoods or being around certain people? And was that fear justified (because I really was threatened in some way) or was it created by my own pre-conceptions and really just preventing me from having a good time?
My first experience dealing with these questions occurred in Guatemala, the first stop of my six month trip. I had heard so many things about Guatemala before I left -- there were massive hurricanes during the time of my visit, the crime rate was sky-rocketing, and the Presidential elections (which occurred in the Fall of ’07) were creating significant enough tensions that many people in both parties were being assassinated. What limited news coverage I read about the country had already created a perception in my mind that it would be like “landing in Bosnia under sniper fire."
So, I checked out the online travel forums to get some perspectives from the people who were actually traveling or living there. And, of course, their perspectives were much different than those on the news. No surprise there. Most people on the forums said that, in large part, Guatemala was very peaceful, and they simply recommended areas of the cities to avoid or particular precautions to take. Basically, act and be like any smart traveler. All very encouraging words. Of course, the closer I got to my departure date, the more influenced I was by all of the noise in the news. And my fears were only intensified. Why in the heck did I choose it in the first place? I must be out of my mind! But that little voice in me (not the one that creates the endless cycles of worry. The opposite of that one.) said I’d regret it if I didn’t go. Luckily my calmer self prevailed.
When I arrived in Guatemala I took a taxi to Antigua, a city about an hour away from the capital, and I was dropped off at my host family’s house. I had asked the Spanish language school I was in to place me with a family and knew that the conditions would be very basic relative to my place back home. All this I knew intellectually. But still it was interesting for me to step back and watch my initial reactions when I arrived, and I saw where I would be staying. For me the living conditions didn’t bother me. In fact, I liked those experiences and sometimes would even seek them out when traveling abroad. What I noticed instead were my thoughts about safety. All of those images and stories in the news made me feel that Guatemala at every turn would be unsafe. And I immediately connected the image of a relatively basic looking house in a poor to middle class neighborhood, to be unsafe. I had traveled quite a bit previously but still maintained these fears, even if I wasn’t always conscious of how they manifested themselves. Would I ever get over them?
It took me a week to really settle in and feel more comfortable. And ever so slowly my perspective changed, in large part, due to the people and the families I had met during that first week. The people who would give me a simple nod hello as I’d walk to school, or the store clerk who would be patient enough to have a conversation with me in my limited Spanish, or even just talking to my host family about their lives. In fact, the more deeply I got to know the people there (and really listen deeply), the more I was able to see beyond the physical facades of the neighborhood and recognize the same basic fears and hopes that all people have.
By no means did I perfect this, but as I continued to “stand outside of myself” and observe my own pre-conceptions, the more ridiculous they seemed and the more my fears subsided. Now, all this certainly didn’t mean letting my guard down and walking down questionable streets alone or with a camera around my neck. That’s the last thing I’d want to do when traveling. I was still very much aware of my surroundings. But the pre-judging of an entire neighborhood, or street, or household was slowly lifted. And because of that, I allowed myself to develop much deeper friendships with the people there (and in other countries later) than I would have otherwise. And quite frankly, it just allowed me to have a good time and not concern myself with false worries.
Guatemala made it possible for me to see and experience my surroundings in future countries with a slightly different lens. And it’s my belief that because I was so much more open after my experience in Guatemala, I ended up meeting some extraordinary people along the rest of my trip. And, in the end, it was really the people who made my trip worth it. The check-list of places to see, although still important to me, became secondary. It was the deeper interactions with others that helped me to see more deeply into myself. These are just a few of the many great people I met along my travels. For more you can check out my flickr photos or my overall travel summary.
I certainly had a ton of opportunities along the way to observe different cultures. Another such opportunity occurred in the Amazon Jungle in Peru, my final stop before I would head back to the U.S. My friends Jason, Joanna and I spent four days in a jungle lodge along the Amazon River, and every day we went out with a guide to explore the wildlife in the surrounding rivers and lakes. We’d often come across local villages along the way and observe the relatively modest conditions of the people. Everywhere I went I’d always wonder how people felt about their lives, their living conditions, etc… Even though I’d see things that were so different than my experiences back home -- houses with no walls, school houses that looked pretty flimsy (could the kids study under those conditions?), and a few other stories that are best not shared in case you’re eating right now – how did people feel about this?
On our last day trip along the river, our guide was talking about life in one of the villages. A village very close to where he grew up. He told us a few stories as we were passing by and then there was silence. He stared out at the village with a smile and said, “They don’t have a lot, but believe me, they’re really happy people.” It was such a simple statement that I could have easily dismissed it. I had heard people say that before. But when I looked at his smile and the smiles and laughter of the kids in the village, the significance of the words really hit me. I had observed those same expressions my entire trip from young and old alike. But particularly from the kids. There were so many kids that always had such great expressions, regardless of the conditions they were in. Their smiles would always be my inspiration.
Here are just a few of the smiles I captured along the way.
There’s no place like the present
Like many people, I often spend a lot of energy thinking about the past or the future. I heard a statistic the other day that most people, in fact, spend over 90% of their time worrying about the past or the future. I don’t know how they came up with that number, but I can say from personal experience it certainly feels true at times. For me these “mindless exercises” can be exaggerated when traveling given that every day is so new and unpredictable. What if all the good hostels are booked up when I get to the lake in Argentina? What if I get robbed on the bus in Bolivia? What if I don’t maximize every last minute of this trip and it’s a total waste of time? And in the meantime the most beautiful scenery in the world could be passing me by. And, in the end, there’s nothing at that moment I could do about the questions anyways. And those are a just few scenarios. I can probably write a book of internal conversations I had with myself while traveling.
There were a couple experiences, though, that continue to remind me of the importance of being in the present and quieting my mind.
The first was in Costa Rica. After I volunteered in Puerto Viejo, I decided to head down to Panama. Instead of taking a taxi or a bus to the border, I thought it would be more interesting to work my way down along the coast. The first night I decided to stay at a place called, Punta Mona, a 100 acre organic farm and educational retreat that was half way between Puerto Viejo and the border. To get there you had to take a boat in, and to get out you had to hike along the beach. You can read a bit more about my experience at Punta Mona if you click here.
After I spent the night there, I had breakfast and started on my way towards the border. The folks at Punta Mona told me I’d have to hike along a deserted beach and eventually would get to a small town where I could find a taxi to the border. I began my journey and felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. Of course, what usually accompanies being in the middle of nowhere for me are loads of nonsensical questions -- What if there really is no town down the beach where I can grab a taxi to the border? What if it’s there and I just don’t find it because…well…just because? What if there’s a Tsunami while I’m walking? What if the Lockness monster jumps out of the ocean and drags me out to sea. It’s always those last few outrageous questions that pull me out of my downward spiral. Once I recognized the absurdity of my thinking, my fears subsided, and I became aware of what was around me. No people, no houses, no sense of time. Just the sound of the ocean and the wind blowing through the jungle. And me. There was literally no one else around for miles. And it was in that stillness that I really started to notice just how beautiful it was there. How many times in my life back home had I asked for something like this? I just need to get away from everyone and everything for an hour or two – no phone calls, no blackberries, no deadlines. And now that moment had arrived. Literally. How was I going to spend it? In fear or in awe. I had a choice and I took it, if only because I probably wouldn’t have an experience like this again. Within minutes my “hike of terror” turned into one of the most peaceful hikes on my trip. And with that I lost sense of time, and before I knew it I made it to the next town along the beach.
At times like those, being in the present allowed me to appreciate my surroundings. At other times it allowed me to find answers to questions that I could have easily dismissed if I hadn’t been watching the clues around me. I found this to be true in so many places throughout my trip, but one in particular was in the desert region of Argentina.
I was on another 20 hour bus ride (fun), and the only thing I wanted to do was figure out a way to fall asleep. Of course trying to fall asleep never works for me, so I laid there thinking about what I’d do once I arrived. I had heard that renting a car was really the best way to see the desert. However, drum roll….I forgot my driver’s license back in the states. Brilliant, Ryan. So much for that option.
As I was sitting on the bus, a guy walked up and sat down next to me. I could tell right away he wanted to strike up a conversation. We exchanged a few pleasantries, and I worked my way back into a slumber position. That lasted for all but three seconds, only to be jarred awake again by a girl who then sat down to my left. Somehow I found myself in the ambassador position conversing with both of them at different times. Where are you from? To my left. Why are you traveling? To my right. And from there we all fell into the same conversation. Great. That’s the end of my opportunity for sleep. I resisted for a bit but eventually realized how futile it was and, I just surrendered. I’ll get sleep some other time, I decided to fully engage in the conversation.
We talked about one topic after the other until after an hour the guy to my right, Avishay said…”You know…I’ve been thinking of renting a car when I get to the desert but would love to have some folks to travel with. You all interested?” Bingo! And so it was. Once we arrived, we rented a car, and I ended up seeing some of the most beautiful landscapes in Argentina with two really fun and interesting people. If I had fallen asleep on the bus instead of just watching the clues around me, I probably would have had a very different experience. Surrendering and being fully present created the opportunity I was looking for. Here are a few places in the desert I ended up going because of that opportunity to travel with them. You can read more about my travels through the desert of Argentina by clicking here.
The power of giving and gratitude
I had decided a few months prior to leaving on my trip through Latin America, that I’d spend two weeks in Bolivia and Peru with a bunch of friends from San Francisco. Our friend, Naomi, had recently taken a six month sabbatical from work, raised over $111k and was using that to build sixteen houses in Bolivia with the support of Habitat for Humanity (if interested you can check out her project at http://www.buildchangewithnaomi.com/). Those houses would end up supporting 100 new homeowners who were among lower income families.
We spent our first week helping her build one of the houses in a town called Cochabamba. There were a few basic things that we were able to help out with. The first, and most critical for the family, was filling in the foundation of the home. This is often a task that the family has to do on their own without the help from the hired workers who spend the time building and constructing the house. It can take weeks, or even months, of back-breaking work to completely fill in the foundation. Our task was to help them dig up dirt and rocks near the construction site and wheel them into the two bedrooms, the bathroom, and the kitchen in order to eventually lay over the concrete flooring. It took over eight of us (along with the family) about four full days to do this, and then we spent the rest of the time mixing the cement that would be used as mortar to pour in between the bricks.
By the last day, The Director of Habitat for Humanity in Bolivia flew
out from the city of Santa Cruz and performed a blessing for the house and for the family. Naomi also spoke and everyone thanked her for what an incredible job she had done organizing and believing in this project. It was the family’s turn to speak and the mother began to say a few words. She immediately started tearing up, and there was a moment of silence as she built up the courage again to speak. She thanked us for giving our time and our energy to helping them with a dream. She thanked us for using our vacation time to help people we didn’t even know and who lived so far from them. “Because of you,” she said, “We now have a home for my children to live in.” It was the most powerful moment of the day. I looked around at the faces of my friends and of the fellow Habitat members. At that moment who we were, where we were from, what languages we spoke...none of it mattered. It was the power of giving and the power of gratitude that transcended any differences we had. I know for many of us it was the most grateful moment of our trip to have been a part of.
Asking a slightly different question about my future
So, as many of you know already, I had quit my job and moved out of my apartment in San Francisco before I left on my trip. I loved the apartment, but it wasn’t possible to keep paying for it while I was gone. I was also no longer Sr. Director of Marketing at Yahoo!, and it was the first time in a very long time that I didn't have an official work title. That begged the question. How do I describe who I am or what I do? Without getting too existential here, it’s actually an interesting exercise once you start removing the layers of your life and as ask who you really are.
To my surprise (or not so much) the conversation about my profession didn’t come up a whole lot when I met other travelers. Or if it did we didn’t talk too much about each other’s professional lives. I must admit, it was a little jarring at first but a welcomed changed. So, that part of the narrative of my life, “I’m a marketer at so and so company” was no longer part of the conversation. And with that came a sense of freedom to think about what my real dreams and interests were. Would they be different or the same?
Along the way, I met a woman named Lesley who owned a hostel in Cusco, Peru. I had heard about her hostel from the guidebook and also found myself peeking in one day. We got to talking and I eventually found out about her story. Almost 20 years prior she came to Peru, from South Africa, to visit Cusco and Machu Picchu. The people had such a profound impact on her, that she came back a number of times over the next few years until finally she realized it was meant for her to just live there. She picked up her life and brought her two sons out there to start a new life. They now own a hostel, a travel agency and a very popular music venue and bar in town. That's a picture of her beautiful place up in the hills of Cusco. How did she come to do all this? She told me that she eventually realized and accepted that it was her path. And she said it to me in such a way that it chose her vs. the other way around. I was deeply impacted by what she said. She had completely changed her whole way of life to move out to Peru and follow something that was a bit unknown and unproven.
At the time I was also reading a great book called the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It was my third time reading it, and this time I was working my way through it in Spanish with my friend, Mr. Dictionary. In the book there’s a phrase that would always stick with me. “When you follow your personal legend, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it.” That phrase really got me thinking. Is what my ego telling me to do matching up with what something much deeper is calling me to do? And how do I distinguish between them in the first place? I spent a good deal of time reflecting on that and imagining the things that just made me happy, fulfilled and gave me a feeling of peace. I accompanied that with a question, “If there was no way I could be unsuccessful with what I pursued, what would I do?”
It didn’t come to me immediately but I sat with that for a couple months afterwards. I’d write in my journal from time to time and reflect on how I felt about each passing thought. I remember talking to one of my friends one day about an issue he was having at work and in his personal life. And then it clicked. I had always known this to be true but had pushed it aside so many times. I loved connecting with people but not just to hear their story, but to really help them in some way. While at my past companies, I always enjoyed helping the people on my team find and develop their unique talents, helping them become better leaders, and simply helping them find ways to reduce the pain, or stress, of their daily lives. In fact, I enjoyed that as much as I did the marketing. For whatever reason, I wanted to see people follow their paths and be more successful and more fulfilled.
After a few more weeks thinking about what types of professions would fit well with that insight about myself, I landed on a profession that I had thought about before but had always dismissed. This time, without all the constraints of what I thought I should or shouldn't do, it became so clear. It was executive coaching – helping folks become better managers and leaders within an organization and also just helping them to be happier and more fulfilled in their daily lives. I decided I had to explore the coaching profession more when I got back to the States.
So, where does that leave me? Since I've been back I've decided to do two things.
First, continue with my marketing profession, simply because I love it, I know I can still add value there, and I always have fun doing it. Second, I’ve decided to apply for an executive coaching program and do it part time over the next year. Whether I become a full time executive coach, I do it on the side, or it just helps me to become a better manager, time will tell. For now, the little voice is speaking again. The good one that is.
So, what am I doing in the immediate term? I’ve decided to do freelance marketing (specifically brand strategy and product marketing) on a project basis unless the right full-time opportunity comes along that gives me the flexibility to go back to school part time. I’m excited and have already been talking to a number of companies about the possibilities. If you want to know more about what I’m thinking, or have interesting projects that you think would be a good match, just let me know.
And with that I’d like to thank you for reading about my personal reflections of the trip. I appreciate your interest and the time you took to read it. I hope you enjoyed it. These are, of course, just a few of my thoughts on the trip and on where I’m headed. I have many more that I will save for 1 on 1 conversations and maybe future blog posts.
Take care and peace to everyone,
Ryan
I thought I’d take a few moments to answer some of their questions and add some personal observations along the way.
As most people know, I quit my job at Yahoo! last year in order to take some time to travel through Latin America. I’ve been calling it a sabbatical since my objective was not to escape reality, but to go through a deeper process of self discovery. I felt that spending time away from my daily routine, and, in particular, putting myself in a completely different environment, would reveal interests, dreams, and even fears that were a little more difficult to recognize in the regular course of my life. It’s that “space” away that I felt would help me see the thought patterns preventing me from trying new things and maybe even experiencing a greater sense of fulfillment.
That said, I purposefully created a set of experiences on my trip that pushed me beyond my comfort zones. You can read about some of them on my travel blog starting with my trip to Guatemala. Some experiences left a deep impression immediately. Others were more of a slow burn. And others would happen in the quiet moments when I least expected. Below are some personal reflections about my trip and a few thoughts on how they’re impacting what I do next.
Confronting my pre-conceptions
I heard that phrase constantly before I left. I knew I had them, but how strong, or even how deeply seeded were they? How would they impact the way I related to people who were completely different than myself? Would I fear being in certain neighborhoods or being around certain people? And was that fear justified (because I really was threatened in some way) or was it created by my own pre-conceptions and really just preventing me from having a good time?
My first experience dealing with these questions occurred in Guatemala, the first stop of my six month trip. I had heard so many things about Guatemala before I left -- there were massive hurricanes during the time of my visit, the crime rate was sky-rocketing, and the Presidential elections (which occurred in the Fall of ’07) were creating significant enough tensions that many people in both parties were being assassinated. What limited news coverage I read about the country had already created a perception in my mind that it would be like “landing in Bosnia under sniper fire."
So, I checked out the online travel forums to get some perspectives from the people who were actually traveling or living there. And, of course, their perspectives were much different than those on the news. No surprise there. Most people on the forums said that, in large part, Guatemala was very peaceful, and they simply recommended areas of the cities to avoid or particular precautions to take. Basically, act and be like any smart traveler. All very encouraging words. Of course, the closer I got to my departure date, the more influenced I was by all of the noise in the news. And my fears were only intensified. Why in the heck did I choose it in the first place? I must be out of my mind! But that little voice in me (not the one that creates the endless cycles of worry. The opposite of that one.) said I’d regret it if I didn’t go. Luckily my calmer self prevailed.
When I arrived in Guatemala I took a taxi to Antigua, a city about an hour away from the capital, and I was dropped off at my host family’s house. I had asked the Spanish language school I was in to place me with a family and knew that the conditions would be very basic relative to my place back home. All this I knew intellectually. But still it was interesting for me to step back and watch my initial reactions when I arrived, and I saw where I would be staying. For me the living conditions didn’t bother me. In fact, I liked those experiences and sometimes would even seek them out when traveling abroad. What I noticed instead were my thoughts about safety. All of those images and stories in the news made me feel that Guatemala at every turn would be unsafe. And I immediately connected the image of a relatively basic looking house in a poor to middle class neighborhood, to be unsafe. I had traveled quite a bit previously but still maintained these fears, even if I wasn’t always conscious of how they manifested themselves. Would I ever get over them?It took me a week to really settle in and feel more comfortable. And ever so slowly my perspective changed, in large part, due to the people and the families I had met during that first week. The people who would give me a simple nod hello as I’d walk to school, or the store clerk who would be patient enough to have a conversation with me in my limited Spanish, or even just talking to my host family about their lives. In fact, the more deeply I got to know the people there (and really listen deeply), the more I was able to see beyond the physical facades of the neighborhood and recognize the same basic fears and hopes that all people have.
By no means did I perfect this, but as I continued to “stand outside of myself” and observe my own pre-conceptions, the more ridiculous they seemed and the more my fears subsided. Now, all this certainly didn’t mean letting my guard down and walking down questionable streets alone or with a camera around my neck. That’s the last thing I’d want to do when traveling. I was still very much aware of my surroundings. But the pre-judging of an entire neighborhood, or street, or household was slowly lifted. And because of that, I allowed myself to develop much deeper friendships with the people there (and in other countries later) than I would have otherwise. And quite frankly, it just allowed me to have a good time and not concern myself with false worries.
Guatemala made it possible for me to see and experience my surroundings in future countries with a slightly different lens. And it’s my belief that because I was so much more open after my experience in Guatemala, I ended up meeting some extraordinary people along the rest of my trip. And, in the end, it was really the people who made my trip worth it. The check-list of places to see, although still important to me, became secondary. It was the deeper interactions with others that helped me to see more deeply into myself. These are just a few of the many great people I met along my travels. For more you can check out my flickr photos or my overall travel summary.
I certainly had a ton of opportunities along the way to observe different cultures. Another such opportunity occurred in the Amazon Jungle in Peru, my final stop before I would head back to the U.S. My friends Jason, Joanna and I spent four days in a jungle lodge along the Amazon River, and every day we went out with a guide to explore the wildlife in the surrounding rivers and lakes. We’d often come across local villages along the way and observe the relatively modest conditions of the people. Everywhere I went I’d always wonder how people felt about their lives, their living conditions, etc… Even though I’d see things that were so different than my experiences back home -- houses with no walls, school houses that looked pretty flimsy (could the kids study under those conditions?), and a few other stories that are best not shared in case you’re eating right now – how did people feel about this?
On our last day trip along the river, our guide was talking about life in one of the villages. A village very close to where he grew up. He told us a few stories as we were passing by and then there was silence. He stared out at the village with a smile and said, “They don’t have a lot, but believe me, they’re really happy people.” It was such a simple statement that I could have easily dismissed it. I had heard people say that before. But when I looked at his smile and the smiles and laughter of the kids in the village, the significance of the words really hit me. I had observed those same expressions my entire trip from young and old alike. But particularly from the kids. There were so many kids that always had such great expressions, regardless of the conditions they were in. Their smiles would always be my inspiration.
Here are just a few of the smiles I captured along the way.
There’s no place like the present
Like many people, I often spend a lot of energy thinking about the past or the future. I heard a statistic the other day that most people, in fact, spend over 90% of their time worrying about the past or the future. I don’t know how they came up with that number, but I can say from personal experience it certainly feels true at times. For me these “mindless exercises” can be exaggerated when traveling given that every day is so new and unpredictable. What if all the good hostels are booked up when I get to the lake in Argentina? What if I get robbed on the bus in Bolivia? What if I don’t maximize every last minute of this trip and it’s a total waste of time? And in the meantime the most beautiful scenery in the world could be passing me by. And, in the end, there’s nothing at that moment I could do about the questions anyways. And those are a just few scenarios. I can probably write a book of internal conversations I had with myself while traveling.
There were a couple experiences, though, that continue to remind me of the importance of being in the present and quieting my mind.
The first was in Costa Rica. After I volunteered in Puerto Viejo, I decided to head down to Panama. Instead of taking a taxi or a bus to the border, I thought it would be more interesting to work my way down along the coast. The first night I decided to stay at a place called, Punta Mona, a 100 acre organic farm and educational retreat that was half way between Puerto Viejo and the border. To get there you had to take a boat in, and to get out you had to hike along the beach. You can read a bit more about my experience at Punta Mona if you click here.
After I spent the night there, I had breakfast and started on my way towards the border. The folks at Punta Mona told me I’d have to hike along a deserted beach and eventually would get to a small town where I could find a taxi to the border. I began my journey and felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. Of course, what usually accompanies being in the middle of nowhere for me are loads of nonsensical questions -- What if there really is no town down the beach where I can grab a taxi to the border? What if it’s there and I just don’t find it because…well…just because? What if there’s a Tsunami while I’m walking? What if the Lockness monster jumps out of the ocean and drags me out to sea. It’s always those last few outrageous questions that pull me out of my downward spiral. Once I recognized the absurdity of my thinking, my fears subsided, and I became aware of what was around me. No people, no houses, no sense of time. Just the sound of the ocean and the wind blowing through the jungle. And me. There was literally no one else around for miles. And it was in that stillness that I really started to notice just how beautiful it was there. How many times in my life back home had I asked for something like this? I just need to get away from everyone and everything for an hour or two – no phone calls, no blackberries, no deadlines. And now that moment had arrived. Literally. How was I going to spend it? In fear or in awe. I had a choice and I took it, if only because I probably wouldn’t have an experience like this again. Within minutes my “hike of terror” turned into one of the most peaceful hikes on my trip. And with that I lost sense of time, and before I knew it I made it to the next town along the beach.At times like those, being in the present allowed me to appreciate my surroundings. At other times it allowed me to find answers to questions that I could have easily dismissed if I hadn’t been watching the clues around me. I found this to be true in so many places throughout my trip, but one in particular was in the desert region of Argentina.
I was on another 20 hour bus ride (fun), and the only thing I wanted to do was figure out a way to fall asleep. Of course trying to fall asleep never works for me, so I laid there thinking about what I’d do once I arrived. I had heard that renting a car was really the best way to see the desert. However, drum roll….I forgot my driver’s license back in the states. Brilliant, Ryan. So much for that option.
As I was sitting on the bus, a guy walked up and sat down next to me. I could tell right away he wanted to strike up a conversation. We exchanged a few pleasantries, and I worked my way back into a slumber position. That lasted for all but three seconds, only to be jarred awake again by a girl who then sat down to my left. Somehow I found myself in the ambassador position conversing with both of them at different times. Where are you from? To my left. Why are you traveling? To my right. And from there we all fell into the same conversation. Great. That’s the end of my opportunity for sleep. I resisted for a bit but eventually realized how futile it was and, I just surrendered. I’ll get sleep some other time, I decided to fully engage in the conversation.
We talked about one topic after the other until after an hour the guy to my right, Avishay said…”You know…I’ve been thinking of renting a car when I get to the desert but would love to have some folks to travel with. You all interested?” Bingo! And so it was. Once we arrived, we rented a car, and I ended up seeing some of the most beautiful landscapes in Argentina with two really fun and interesting people. If I had fallen asleep on the bus instead of just watching the clues around me, I probably would have had a very different experience. Surrendering and being fully present created the opportunity I was looking for. Here are a few places in the desert I ended up going because of that opportunity to travel with them. You can read more about my travels through the desert of Argentina by clicking here. The power of giving and gratitude
I had decided a few months prior to leaving on my trip through Latin America, that I’d spend two weeks in Bolivia and Peru with a bunch of friends from San Francisco. Our friend, Naomi, had recently taken a six month sabbatical from work, raised over $111k and was using that to build sixteen houses in Bolivia with the support of Habitat for Humanity (if interested you can check out her project at http://www.buildchangewithnaomi.com/). Those houses would end up supporting 100 new homeowners who were among lower income families.
We spent our first week helping her build one of the houses in a town called Cochabamba. There were a few basic things that we were able to help out with. The first, and most critical for the family, was filling in the foundation of the home. This is often a task that the family has to do on their own without the help from the hired workers who spend the time building and constructing the house. It can take weeks, or even months, of back-breaking work to completely fill in the foundation. Our task was to help them dig up dirt and rocks near the construction site and wheel them into the two bedrooms, the bathroom, and the kitchen in order to eventually lay over the concrete flooring. It took over eight of us (along with the family) about four full days to do this, and then we spent the rest of the time mixing the cement that would be used as mortar to pour in between the bricks.By the last day, The Director of Habitat for Humanity in Bolivia flew
out from the city of Santa Cruz and performed a blessing for the house and for the family. Naomi also spoke and everyone thanked her for what an incredible job she had done organizing and believing in this project. It was the family’s turn to speak and the mother began to say a few words. She immediately started tearing up, and there was a moment of silence as she built up the courage again to speak. She thanked us for giving our time and our energy to helping them with a dream. She thanked us for using our vacation time to help people we didn’t even know and who lived so far from them. “Because of you,” she said, “We now have a home for my children to live in.” It was the most powerful moment of the day. I looked around at the faces of my friends and of the fellow Habitat members. At that moment who we were, where we were from, what languages we spoke...none of it mattered. It was the power of giving and the power of gratitude that transcended any differences we had. I know for many of us it was the most grateful moment of our trip to have been a part of.Asking a slightly different question about my future
So, as many of you know already, I had quit my job and moved out of my apartment in San Francisco before I left on my trip. I loved the apartment, but it wasn’t possible to keep paying for it while I was gone. I was also no longer Sr. Director of Marketing at Yahoo!, and it was the first time in a very long time that I didn't have an official work title. That begged the question. How do I describe who I am or what I do? Without getting too existential here, it’s actually an interesting exercise once you start removing the layers of your life and as ask who you really are.
To my surprise (or not so much) the conversation about my profession didn’t come up a whole lot when I met other travelers. Or if it did we didn’t talk too much about each other’s professional lives. I must admit, it was a little jarring at first but a welcomed changed. So, that part of the narrative of my life, “I’m a marketer at so and so company” was no longer part of the conversation. And with that came a sense of freedom to think about what my real dreams and interests were. Would they be different or the same?
Along the way, I met a woman named Lesley who owned a hostel in Cusco, Peru. I had heard about her hostel from the guidebook and also found myself peeking in one day. We got to talking and I eventually found out about her story. Almost 20 years prior she came to Peru, from South Africa, to visit Cusco and Machu Picchu. The people had such a profound impact on her, that she came back a number of times over the next few years until finally she realized it was meant for her to just live there. She picked up her life and brought her two sons out there to start a new life. They now own a hostel, a travel agency and a very popular music venue and bar in town. That's a picture of her beautiful place up in the hills of Cusco. How did she come to do all this? She told me that she eventually realized and accepted that it was her path. And she said it to me in such a way that it chose her vs. the other way around. I was deeply impacted by what she said. She had completely changed her whole way of life to move out to Peru and follow something that was a bit unknown and unproven.At the time I was also reading a great book called the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It was my third time reading it, and this time I was working my way through it in Spanish with my friend, Mr. Dictionary. In the book there’s a phrase that would always stick with me. “When you follow your personal legend, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it.” That phrase really got me thinking. Is what my ego telling me to do matching up with what something much deeper is calling me to do? And how do I distinguish between them in the first place? I spent a good deal of time reflecting on that and imagining the things that just made me happy, fulfilled and gave me a feeling of peace. I accompanied that with a question, “If there was no way I could be unsuccessful with what I pursued, what would I do?”It didn’t come to me immediately but I sat with that for a couple months afterwards. I’d write in my journal from time to time and reflect on how I felt about each passing thought. I remember talking to one of my friends one day about an issue he was having at work and in his personal life. And then it clicked. I had always known this to be true but had pushed it aside so many times. I loved connecting with people but not just to hear their story, but to really help them in some way. While at my past companies, I always enjoyed helping the people on my team find and develop their unique talents, helping them become better leaders, and simply helping them find ways to reduce the pain, or stress, of their daily lives. In fact, I enjoyed that as much as I did the marketing. For whatever reason, I wanted to see people follow their paths and be more successful and more fulfilled.
After a few more weeks thinking about what types of professions would fit well with that insight about myself, I landed on a profession that I had thought about before but had always dismissed. This time, without all the constraints of what I thought I should or shouldn't do, it became so clear. It was executive coaching – helping folks become better managers and leaders within an organization and also just helping them to be happier and more fulfilled in their daily lives. I decided I had to explore the coaching profession more when I got back to the States.
So, where does that leave me? Since I've been back I've decided to do two things.
First, continue with my marketing profession, simply because I love it, I know I can still add value there, and I always have fun doing it. Second, I’ve decided to apply for an executive coaching program and do it part time over the next year. Whether I become a full time executive coach, I do it on the side, or it just helps me to become a better manager, time will tell. For now, the little voice is speaking again. The good one that is.
So, what am I doing in the immediate term? I’ve decided to do freelance marketing (specifically brand strategy and product marketing) on a project basis unless the right full-time opportunity comes along that gives me the flexibility to go back to school part time. I’m excited and have already been talking to a number of companies about the possibilities. If you want to know more about what I’m thinking, or have interesting projects that you think would be a good match, just let me know.
And with that I’d like to thank you for reading about my personal reflections of the trip. I appreciate your interest and the time you took to read it. I hope you enjoyed it. These are, of course, just a few of my thoughts on the trip and on where I’m headed. I have many more that I will save for 1 on 1 conversations and maybe future blog posts.
Take care and peace to everyone,
Ryan
Monday, April 21, 2008
Complete Photo Gallery
Hi,
I've stored all of my photos on a site called Flickr. If you'd like to see them in "Slideshow" mode just click on that link in the upper right once you get to each page. Enjoy!
If you want a condensed version go here --> The Quick Story
OR
To see all photos by country click below:
1. Guatemala (Antigua, Tikal, Volcanoes, and Lake Atitlan)
2. Costa Rica (The Caribbean coast)
3. Panama (Islands of Bocas del Tora)
4. Bolivia (La Paz, Cochabamba)
5. Peru (Cusco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, Lima)
6. Patagonia
a. Argentinian side
b. Chilean side
7. Argentina
a. Buenos Aires (Capital city of Argentina)
b. Bariloche (The Lake District)
c. Mt. Aconcagua (Highest mountain in the Western hemisphere)
d. Salta (And the surrounding desert regions in the north)
e. Iguazu Falls (Massive Waterfalls in Argentina and Brazil)
8. Iquitos, Peru (Amazon Rainforest)
I've stored all of my photos on a site called Flickr. If you'd like to see them in "Slideshow" mode just click on that link in the upper right once you get to each page. Enjoy!
If you want a condensed version go here --> The Quick Story
OR
To see all photos by country click below:
1. Guatemala (Antigua, Tikal, Volcanoes, and Lake Atitlan)
2. Costa Rica (The Caribbean coast)
3. Panama (Islands of Bocas del Tora)
4. Bolivia (La Paz, Cochabamba)
5. Peru (Cusco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, Lima)
6. Patagonia
a. Argentinian side
b. Chilean side
7. Argentina
a. Buenos Aires (Capital city of Argentina)
b. Bariloche (The Lake District)
c. Mt. Aconcagua (Highest mountain in the Western hemisphere)
d. Salta (And the surrounding desert regions in the north)
e. Iguazu Falls (Massive Waterfalls in Argentina and Brazil)
8. Iquitos, Peru (Amazon Rainforest)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
8. Peru (Trip 2) - (3/10/08 - 3/24/08)
Cusco
See all photos of Iquitos, Peru --> Iquitos Photos
I decided that I wanted Peru to be my last stop before heading back to the U.S., so I changed my return ticket. I decided to visit Cusco again for a little over a week and met up with some friends that I had made from the last visit there. The people were incredibly welcoming, and we spent a lot of time talking about our travels. I also played in the band again while I was there. My fans were awaiting anxiously, of course, for my return. All three of them. :)
See all photos of Iquitos, Peru --> Iquitos Photos
I decided that I wanted Peru to be my last stop before heading back to the U.S., so I changed my return ticket. I decided to visit Cusco again for a little over a week and met up with some friends that I had made from the last visit there. The people were incredibly welcoming, and we spent a lot of time talking about our travels. I also played in the band again while I was there. My fans were awaiting anxiously, of course, for my return. All three of them. :)
This time, instead of the bongos, I played the Cajón, which is a kind of box drum played 
by slapping the front face with your hands. I had no idea what I was doing, but I pretended I did so that seemed to carry me through. That drum ended up being a ton of fun to play.
The cajón is a really common percussion instrument in Peru which has its origins from the slaves that came to the Americas from West and Central Africa. There's a couple theories as to it's existence. One says that Peruvian slaves in port cities used Spanish shipping crates at their disposal. Another theory posits that the slaves used them since they were easily disguised as seats or stools. Whatever the truth, if played right, it sounds pretty cool and can make many of the sounds of a full drum set.
Iquitos
After Cusco I flew to Iquitos which is in the northeastern part of Peru and located on the Amazon River. Iquitos is the world's largest city that can only be reached by boat or plane. Travelers usually come here as a jumping off point to do an excursion into the jungle or a trip down the Amazon River. I met up with my friends Jason and Joanna in Lima, and we opted for the plane option and decided we'd stay in an amazon lodge on the river.
We got into Iquitos, checked into a hostel and hung out in the town that night. As lonely planet puts it, "Iquitos has a unique personality: friendly, noisy, sassy and slightly manic," which is pretty much right on in its description. Part of that has to do with the thousands of Tuk Tuk taxis racing around the streets trying to get your businesss.
The next day we took a speed boat to a jungle lodge called Muyuna (http://www.muyuna.com/), which was located on the amazon river, 140 km’s (80 miles) upstream of the river from the city of Iquitos. Along the way I was actually surprised at how many local people lived along the river banks.
Once we got to the lodge, which was located in a beautiful and ve
ry peaceful part of the river, we had lunch and then took an afternoon hike through the jungle to say hello to the local flora and fauna. Mostly what said hello to me were the millions of mosquitos that were eating their way through my two layers of shirts. Don’t try this at home – enter large amazon jungle right after afternoon rains with large mosquitos the size of a small hummingbird.
Our guide grew up in the amazon and literally knew the names of all the species in our area. He was a huge wealth of knowledge. He's the guy below with the massive machete.
The following three days we took numerous boat trips out along the lakes and rivers to search for birds, snakes, taranchalas, monkeys, dolphins (believe it or not), and a list of about 2000 other species in the area. It was a truly amazing ecosystem of plants and animals.
This was one of the boats we'd take out every day to tour around the Amazon. We'd often find ourselves moving through huge areas of floating plants which would often get stuck in the engine. This was us getting stuck for a while. Jason decided that a nap in the jungle was the best remedy.
The last day we visited a local tribe and met some of the elders in the village. Our lodge was owned by a local who has a partnership with the local village. Many of the villagers were actually employed by the lodge. Additionally, the lodge supported the local community by paying for medical services for the villagers. The little cubicle in the photo on the bottom left is their jail. They said they can fit about 3 people in there at a time. I looked inside. It's not a place you want to hang out for too long. The building on their right is the local school.
Lima
The final stop for me in Peru was Lima. I spent a couple days here just relaxing and touring around the city.
See all photos of Iquitos, Peru --> Iquitos Photos
Read about my reflections of the trip --> Personal Reflections
See complete photo gallery --> Latin America Photo Gallery
Add your comments
7. Argentina (12/28/07 - 3/10/08)
Next Country --> 8. Peru (Trip #2)
Buenos Aires
See all photos of Buenos Aires --> Buenos Aires Photos
It wasn’t until Buenos Aires that I was able to take a bit of a break and enjoy living in a city for a while. I even rented an apartment (through a great agent, Andrea) and stayed in a part of town called Palermo Hollywood. Hard to believe but that’s actually the real name. I spent almost five weeks in Buenos Aires, immersing myself in the culture and trying to speak as much Spanish as possible. I took Spanish lessons every day, read the local newspaper, and met up with people at cafes and restaurants. Aside from trying to communicate with the locals, this was certainly the part of the trip where I was able to avoid the normal difficulties of traveling.
It wasn’t until Buenos Aires that I was able to take a bit of a break and enjoy living in a city for a while. I even rented an apartment (through a great agent, Andrea) and stayed in a part of town called Palermo Hollywood. Hard to believe but that’s actually the real name. I spent almost five weeks in Buenos Aires, immersing myself in the culture and trying to speak as much Spanish as possible. I took Spanish lessons every day, read the local newspaper, and met up with people at cafes and restaurants. Aside from trying to communicate with the locals, this was certainly the part of the trip where I was able to avoid the normal difficulties of traveling. 
Buenos Aires was massive and there was a ton to do – visit museums, theaters, tango shows (the Tango dancer to the right pulled me onto the stage with her), historic centers, cemeteries with famous dead people. I visited the old immigrant neighborhoods of La Boca and San Telmo that have weekend antique markets and where street artists perform. I also spent a ton of time in parks spread throughout the city. If there’s any city that has an overabundance of parks it’s Buenos Aires. Also not to be missed was the heart of the city called, Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada (Government Palace), where politicians preached to the masses, including Eva Peron. Madonna also filmed here when she stared in the movie, Evita.One last note about Buenos Aires. If you like steak with a good wine, this is the place to get it.
Bariloche
See all photos of Bariloche --> Bariloche Photos
By end of January I found myself getting a little antsy and decided to travel by bus through Argentina and wing the rest of my trip. With that I took off to a Lake district called Bariloche, which I had heard was the most beautiful network of lakes in Argentina. After seeing it I’d say it may be one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in the world. 
I arrived on January 28th with no real plan, found a hostel downtown and began meeting fellow travelers. I soon learned that almost every outdoor activity known to mankind existed in Bariloche – rafting (that's my friend Devin and I on the right), kayaking, hiking, laying on the beach (ok not a sport), mountain biking, climbing, the list goes on. I ended up staying in this utopian city for ten days. 
Most of the people I spent time with in Bariloche were from Spanish speaking countries – Argentina, Chile, Colombia -- and a good portion from Buenos Aires. In fact, I probably met more people from Buenos Aires traveling around Argentina (and in particular Bariloche) than I did while I was staying in Buenos Aires. Of course, most of the conversations were in S
panish, so it was a great opportunity to practice every day. Fortunately, everyone was incredibly patient with me. I usually spent my time listening, nodding, and pretending to know what everyone was talking about. I figured there were only so many times I could say…”can you say that one more time?” That said it was a great experience and one of the most relaxing times I had on my whole trip. Many of us still keep up with each other over email. In the top picture from left to right, meet Nicolas, Lula, and Devin, and in the picture to the right meet Pia, Claudia and Nicolas. And also the addition of our Colombian friend, Mauricio, in the bottom, right picture.
After the land of Utopia, I took an eighteen hour bus ride (you get used to them after a while) to the city of Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina and also home to the largest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua. Although I checked out some wineries there, my main purpose was to get a glimpse of the mountain. There was no way in the world I was ready to climb the whole thing but a few days of hiking around it was a must.
Once I got to Mendoza, I immediately signed up for a three day hike that would work its way up to about 14.2k ft. Aconcagua stands at 6,962 meters (22,841 ft), so there was a whole lot more to go to get to the top. After my trip to Kilimanjaro a year before, I had pretty much vowed never to go past 19.5k ft again.
The week before, Aconcagua apparently experienced the worst weather of the summer -- huge snow storms covered the entire mountain. Fortunately, when we arrived, there were clear skies, and I was able to get some great photos of the mountain up close. Well…from 9k ft below the peak but…who’s counting.
The three day hike around the mountain was just what I needed, and with that I was ready to head to the next city.
Salta
Once I got to Mendoza, I immediately signed up for a three day hike that would work its way up to about 14.2k ft. Aconcagua stands at 6,962 meters (22,841 ft), so there was a whole lot more to go to get to the top. After my trip to Kilimanjaro a year before, I had pretty much vowed never to go past 19.5k ft again.The week before, Aconcagua apparently experienced the worst weather of the summer -- huge snow storms covered the entire mountain. Fortunately, when we arrived, there were clear skies, and I was able to get some great photos of the mountain up close. Well…from 9k ft below the peak but…who’s counting.
The three day hike around the mountain was just what I needed, and with that I was ready to head to the next city.
Salta
See all Photos of Salta --> Salta Photos
My next stop was Salta, home to the Argentinian desert and many of the remaining indigenous populations. Salta was a relatively new city in Argentina and was founded in 1852 with the intention of being an outpost between Lima and Buenos Aires. It’s also now a huge tourist destination and a jumping off point to check out the surrounding desert regions. Getting to Salta was my next twenty hour bus ride.
Fortunately, when you’re on a twenty hour bus ride, there are often people to talk to. On the bus from Mendoza to Salta, I ended up meeting a guy from Israel, Avishay, who was touring around South America for a few months and a girl from the U.S., Ricki, who was working as a mountain guide in Chile. After endless hours of talking, we decided that we’d rent a car once we were in Salta and take a four day trip to the surrounding desert regions.
The next day we did just that and took off on the road to Cafayate which is to the south of Salta. The landscapes were incredibly diverse – lush forests, mountains that were thousands of meters high, deserts with huge cacti (and huge cactuses), incredibly unique rock formations along the way, and lots of dust. I was almost glad we were driving on a dirt road so we could just take our time and observe the landscape. Of course, after hours and hours....and then a few more hours of driving this is what generally happens:We eventually arrived in Cafayate, pitched our tent and worked our way to the local fiesta in town. The people in town were really nice. At first, as they smiled towards m
y general direction, I thought they were potentially looking at a friends of theirs in the distance. But as it turns out they were saying hello to us and were just extremely welcoming. We paid a bit to get into their festival and danced the night away. Or really danced an hour or two away and then went to bed.
The next day we drove further south to the town of Quilmes. The Quilmes tribe, as we learned, survived contact with the Incas from AD 1480 onwards but didn't last the siege of the Spaniards who, in 1667, deported the last 2000 inhabitants to Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, it was another tragic story about the fate of the native populations and one that was important for us to keep learning about.
Ironically, the name of the national beer in Argentina is called Quilmes.
We spent the day checking out the ruins of Quilmes and learning a little more history of the area, and then we worked our way back to Salta to drop off Ricki and say our goodbyes. At the hostel we picked up two new travelers, Jose and Maria, and the four of us continued on our jou
rney to the north of Salta to see some unforgettable landscapes.
y general direction, I thought they were potentially looking at a friends of theirs in the distance. But as it turns out they were saying hello to us and were just extremely welcoming. We paid a bit to get into their festival and danced the night away. Or really danced an hour or two away and then went to bed.The next day we drove further south to the town of Quilmes. The Quilmes tribe, as we learned, survived contact with the Incas from AD 1480 onwards but didn't last the siege of the Spaniards who, in 1667, deported the last 2000 inhabitants to Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, it was another tragic story about the fate of the native populations and one that was important for us to keep learning about.
Ironically, the name of the national beer in Argentina is called Quilmes.
We spent the day checking out the ruins of Quilmes and learning a little more history of the area, and then we worked our way back to Salta to drop off Ricki and say our goodbyes. At the hostel we picked up two new travelers, Jose and Maria, and the four of us continued on our jou
rney to the north of Salta to see some unforgettable landscapes.The first stop was at the town of Purmamarca, home of the Cerro de los Siete Colores, or Hill of Seven Colors. And there were literally seven distinct colors in that mountain, which, fortunately, I have proof of in the picture to the right. We spent a good two hours there just touring around and taking pictures of the mountains. I didn’t know mountains could be that colorful.
Afterwards we continued driving and worked our way to Salinas Grandes, the salt flats of Argentina. The cool thing about salt flats, other than the geography, is that you can create some pretty interesting effects with your camera. Along with the photo of myself to the left, I also have a bunch more in my photo gallery of Argentina.
Afterwards we continued driving and worked our way to Salinas Grandes, the salt flats of Argentina. The cool thing about salt flats, other than the geography, is that you can create some pretty interesting effects with your camera. Along with the photo of myself to the left, I also have a bunch more in my photo gallery of Argentina. After being completely enamored by the area, we decided it was time to find a place to stay. The sun was setting, and we needed to find some shelter from the impending storm that was coming our way. We were originally going to camp right out in the middle of the salt flats but the lightening storm in the distance was too dangerous, so we decided to head towards the nearest town.
Fortunately, for us we found a hostel right smack in the middle
of the salt flats and decided to stay there for the night instead of driving 30 to 40 more miles into the storm. The rooms were $3/night. "Ok...twist my arm. We'll take it."We unpacked, got settled into our rooms and worked our way back outside to check out the storm. After a few minutes I saw the most incredible sunset of my life. One part of the sky looked like the horizon had just
exploded and there was a massive yellow and orange glow in between the clouds above and the salt flats below. The other side of the sky was pitch black, due to the oncoming storm, and we could see bolts of lightning about every ten seconds. If there was ever an apocalypse, I think this is what it would look like. It was unreal.We sat there for an hour in silence watching the sky change colors and the lightening show grow by the minute. Fortunately, it never got close enough that we had to get inside, but it certainly came close.
The next day we visited a few more sites along the way back to Salta and spent the night in Salta eating (the usual) and endulging ourselves in a massive Argentinian BBQ.
The deserts around Salta ended up being some of the most incredible landscapes of my trip.
Iguazu Falls
See all Photos of Iguazu --> Iguazu Falls Photos
I headed back to Buenos Aires and took an hour flight directly to Iguazu Falls. It was quite literally the most impressive waterfalls I had ever seen in my life. And it’s not just one waterfall but a huge network of them spread out over the national park.Probably the most impressive of all of them was the one called Garganta del Diablo, or Devil’s Throat. It’s a U-shaped 150-meter-wide and 700-meter-long (490ft by 2300 feet) cliff of water which marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. The sheer power of it will blow you away. Here's a quick video:
I spent the rest of the day hiking around and watching the remaining network of waterfalls that were spread throughout the park. It was just incredible. I also took a boat that took us right under one of the waterfalls.
I spent a day and a half in Iquazu, which was plenty of time to take it all in, and then took a quick flight back to Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires (Visit #3)
Upon returning from Iguazu, I ended up staying in a couple of different hostels in Buenos Aires over about two and a half weeks. Again I visited friends I had made in Buenos Aires in January as well as ones I had met during my travels throughout Argentina. They were such a great group of people – my great friend, Pia, who's smiling at everyone in the picture to the left, Lula, Devin, Nicolas, Lorena and my friend Ignacio. They really made Buenos Aires a fun and very special time during my travels. My third time in Buenos Aires, I didn't have a huge agenda other than to speak as much Spanish as possible, visit friends and see a few last remaining sites in the area, and survive the
incredible summer heat. For a few days the weather actually changed dramatically, and there were huge terrential rains. One day, in fact, it rained so much that there was actually a massive flood in Buenos Aires, with cars starting to float down the street. It was the first time in Buenos Aires had that much rain in such a short amount of time, and the drainage system was unable to handle the onslought. Here's a picture of what it looked like as the waters started to rise and overtake the cars on the street. We actually weren't able to leave our hostel for a few hours. Eventually, everything turned back to normal. Just a little final drama to round out my trip.
incredible summer heat. For a few days the weather actually changed dramatically, and there were huge terrential rains. One day, in fact, it rained so much that there was actually a massive flood in Buenos Aires, with cars starting to float down the street. It was the first time in Buenos Aires had that much rain in such a short amount of time, and the drainage system was unable to handle the onslought. Here's a picture of what it looked like as the waters started to rise and overtake the cars on the street. We actually weren't able to leave our hostel for a few hours. Eventually, everything turned back to normal. Just a little final drama to round out my trip.----------------------
When it was all said and done, I had spent about two and a half months in Argentina. It was the most geographically diverse country I had visited along the way with stunning scenery everywhere I went. If you like the outdoors, there's not many other countries in the world that can provide the diversity of landscape like in Argentina. If you're interested, go for it!
Click here to see next country-> 8. Peru (Trip #2)
OR
Click here to see all photos of regions in Argentina
--> Bariloche Photos
--> Salta Photos
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