Finally Home. Back safely in the NBK, having survived South America, the bus rides, the flights, the muggers and disease. But I have two more stops to tell about. First is Pucon, Chile. WARNING: Don't go to Pucon unless you enjoy outdoor sports! On this trip, I discovered that I really don't enjoy outdoor sports and probably won't be going back to Pucon anytime soon. It is a pretty boring small town for those lovers of urban life. On Day one, I made my first and last attempt at climbing a Volcano. The volcano outside Pucon is called Volcano Villarica and [View Full Entry]

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Sorry for the gap between entries. I´ll add a few today to get you caught up. And will post pictures next week when I get home. TUESDAY. Buenos Aires was the highlight of the trip so far. A real city where I felt comfortable, enjoyed the neighborhoods, sights, food, etc. It has wide boulevards like Paris (They claim that Avenida 9 de Julio is the largest boulevard in the world, running through the heart of the city with 10 lanes in each direction. Crossing it is a process.) They drive better than in Rio though most inner city intersections don´t have [View Full Entry]

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After a 24 hour night bus ride (yes, a full day on the bus), we arrived in Bariloche, a touristy mountain town in central Argentina. South Americans love their busses. Trains are non-existent and planes are expensive so busses are everywhere. I haven-t ever taken a greyhound at home, but i haven´t heard great things. But this was a nice bus. We got on at 6:30 at night. They served us a hot dinner of ravioli and there were 3 seats across, so it was kind of like first class on a plane. The seats didn´t fold flat but were quite [View Full Entry]

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From Bariloche, we crossed the Andes and the border into the final country of my trip, CHILE. The Andes are beautiful and snow capped and apparently Chile is the Volcano capital of the world. Volcanos are everywhere, including two near Puerto Varas, our next stop on the journey. Puerto Varas is about six hours by bus from Bariloche. On rgw map, it looks like a straight line, but the roads obviously don´t go straight between the two. We did get to experience the PanAmerican Highway in Chile, the first real highway of the trip. I can see that Chile is the [View Full Entry]

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I´ll lead off by apologizing for the lack of pictures. I´m having technical difficulties (like the computer instructions are in Spanish) and I can´t figure it out. I PROMISE that you will see plenty of pictures later, especially after I get home when I can actually talk to you about the experiences. I´m currently in Buenos Aires, which is amazing. The first REAL city on the trip. I could be in New York or Barcelona and see a similar lifestyle. They are fashionable (except for the mullets), have really good inexpensive food and live at a similar pace and quality of [View Full Entry]

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Hey from Iguassu Falls on the Argentine-Brazilian border These are some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, even though they´re at a six year low water level and many of the falls are dry (Thank climate change and a recent lack of rain). They´re quite different than Niagara because they´re in the middle of a giant National Park and you can actually walk on catwalks and look down on the falls. A really interesting perspective and I will get photos up of the falls soon. For now, enjoy some pictures of other parts of Brazil and some random things [View Full Entry]

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Just taking a quick second to check in and upload some pictures. We left Rio on Tuesday for Ilha Grande, a small, amazing island that is an hour drive and an hour boat ride from Rio. There are no cars or ATMs on the island, and it has only dirt & cobblestone streets, small shops, restaurants and pousadas (small hotels). It´s a must if you´re in the area. On the island is a great surfing beach called Lopes Mendes which is protected from boats and only accessible by hiking. After a strenuous three hour hike, we arrived to see it´s beauty. [View Full Entry]

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Rio is a city of contrasts. From the amazing beaches to the uninhabitable black rock mountain peaks that quickly rise out of the ocean to form a striking addition to the skyline. From the wealth of Ipanema and Leblon to the abject poverty of the favelas (shanty towns) numbering some 500 neighborhoods ranging from tent and cardboard cities to cinder block and tin roof buildings, riddled with crime and hopelessness. In these areas, families are given free water, electricity and rent along with 300 Reais (about $150) a month to live. Luckily, I didn´t venture into any of the favelas, stayin [View Full Entry]

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As my 25th birthday approaches next month, it's time for a quick life update. As you probably know, I left beautiful New Hampshire at the end of the year and have been back in the Chicago suburbs for the past few months: working, reading, relaxing and visiting law schools. I have decided to attend the University of Wisconsin Law School and I am really excited about moving to Madison in August. But before I begin three more years of school, I am embarking on one last great adventure. As the title of the email suggests, South America awaits. Next Wednesday, I [View Full Entry]

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