AJ Adventures - South America 2002

	South America 2002
HOME - AJ Adventures Home, Walpole, Australia About us Travel Philosophy The way we travel 2000 China & Vietnam 2001 Russia Mongolia China '01 Central Asia Laos 2002 Chile Ecuador Peru '02 Bolivia Brazil 2003 Spain & Morocco Peru '03 2004 Colombia & Bolivia Peru '04 India Myanmar (Burma) Peru 2005 2006 China Myanmar (Burma) Laos Useful Travel Links Adventure Travel Specialists (South America) Safari Salama (Africa) Rasta Hammocks	We loved China. The question was – did we love China because it was our first travel experience that had a huge impact on us? Or did we really love China, and Asia in general? Arie, particularly, had always had an inkling to go to South America – and Judy thought, “why not?” Easter Island is one of those truly special places that charms and fascinates in a way that few places can. From there we headed up to Ecuador… where after several days were saying, “well we can always use our round – the – world ticket and go back to China.” Naïvely, we thought that one week of Spanish lessons would give us enough of the lingo to get around. My teacher impatiently asked on my second day : “How many languages do you speak?” To which I responded, “Just one.” She sighed a breath of relief, understanding my inability to comprehend the conjugation of a verb, and we continued much slower. Little did I know that 5 short months later I would be teaching the conjugation of a verb in English and still didn’t really get it! As always, Arie had our whole trip planned out, a general way south– and then famously Judy put us on whole new path. At Riobamba in Ecuador we turned around and headed out to the jungle. We discovered that we loved, and we were in love with the Amazon. By the same token, soon we were in the Andes and discovered that while the mountains are beautiful they don’t inspire for us the same passion. Onto Cusco and the Inca Trail – and meeting Felix. I could say that the rest was history but it wasn’t quite like that. We escaped from the mountains to the jungle where we crossed into Northern Bolivia, where we didn’t see another gringo for weeks. Back to the altiplano and Peru, where we met up with Felix again. 10 days with him and our time was running out. At breakneck speed we headed across Bolivia, into Paraguay and then Brazil. I had a UK Work Visa and was planning to set up there while mum when home. Instead, I followed my heart back to Cusco. My life changed forever, as I lived in third world conditions alongside Felix for several months.	Sandro Ramos & Judy at the Peruvian frontier village of Pantoja. Judy climbing Cotopaxi, in Ecuador. (Its a cone shaped volcano - below) Immigration que to leave Bolivia on the Paraguay, Chaco Road frontier.
	These are the stories from South America 2002 Click on the link Captivated by the mysteries of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Encounters in the Equadorian Amazon The Chatta Serial Part One – Stranded in the Peruvian Amazon Part Two – Oil Barge Downriver The floating zoo In search of the Puya de Winchus (Huaraz region) The Gringo Trail McDonalds in Cusco The Most Beautiful town in the world Bolivia On the trail to Small Cusco In the footsteps of the Conquistadores New Years in Peru
	Copyright 2005, Ariana Svenson