The John and Sarah Show

So like we said, there is no road between Colombia and Panama. Also the flights are outrageously expensive. We decided to make our way across the Caribbean to Panama at a more leisurely pace--about 5 MPH to be exact. We originally planned on carefully selecting our captain and vessle for the trip but it didn´t quite work out that way. The reality is that the sailboats leave very irregularly and you must work around their schedules and demand for spots on the boats. For the dates we needed to leave Cartagena, we had one choice: Remi. Glorious Captain Remi. Remi´s reputation proceded him. We had heard many things about this crusty French captain, but one thing was consistent: his taste for cheap rum. He was impossible to communicate with, speaking in a strange mix of unconjugated ... read more

We officially nominate Ecuador as the most underrated country in South America. We are actually doing it a huge unjustice by only writing one blog for the entire time we spent there, but we are now finally caught up (so you are reading this in real time). You have to know we really liked it, because despite an armed robbery, a brush with tetanus and some of the worst altitude-enduced hangovers imaginable (we spent the better part of our 3 weeks here in the highlands, at an elevation of 9000 ft.), it still managed to be one of our favorite countries. Usually John and I alternate writing each blog entry, but this week we're sharing. Just so you know. We crossed into Ecuador at the Rio Verde border, allegedly the "sketchiest border crossing in South America," ... read more

We had been worried that after so many months of build-up, of seeing other people´s photos and hearing over and over again how incredible Machu Picchu is, that the reality could be a little bit of a letdown, that we would feel like we should be more excited than we actually would feel upon seeing the world´s most famous pile of stones for ourselves. We had nothing to worry about. The reality of Machu Picchu was so much more incredible than we could ever have imagined. The geographical setting is absolutely mindblowing, with the "Lost City of the Incas" nestled in between two huge green mountains, with a awe-inspiring view down two valleys...what a location they picked for themselves. And the city itself is unbelievably impressive and still very much intact for a structure built over ... read more

La "Ciudad Maravillosa," the Marvelous City. That´s what Rio de Janeiro is known as, and we have to agree...it is pretty spectacular. It´s hard to argue for a more impressive geographical setting for a city. Long stretches of soft sand beaches framed by huge green mountains jutting out of the sea line the city on one side, while the rest of the city wraps itself around Parque Nacional da Tijuca, the largest urban park in the world. Seen as a whole--which we had the opportunity to do from two of Rio's most famous landmarks, Sugarloaf (1325 ft high) and Corcovado Mountain (2800 ft)--Rio really is breathtaking. Every day we would wake up from the top of our three-story bunkbeds and immediately go outside to see if we could find Jesus. But every day, the enormous Christ ... read more

Elaborate costumes. Sensual dancing. Colorful floats. Exuberent music. Body glitter. Plastic breasts covered with bejewelled pasties. Carnaval. The biggest, craziest celebration in South America. We had arrived. Everyone knows about Brazil's famous Carnaval celebrations, but most people probably don't know that pretty much every country in Latin America has their own unique way of celebrating. Since these are all officially Catholic countries, they use this opportunity to go wild before Lent and its fasting begins. While Brazil's celebrations may be the most elaborate, it is also extremely expensive to attend and isn't necessarily the safest environment. We decided to experience Carnaval Argentina-style. We had flown back to BsAs from Patagonia to take care of some business (obtaining our Brazilian visas, changing our plane tickets, etc.) and bid farewell to our friend... read more