Halcyon Souls

"Some Eat, Pray, Love shit going on...!"

Hey guys! Andrea here. Today's blog is a bit different from our others. I decided to go back into the past and recap how we got to where we are today. Recently I have received a lot of messages from people asking how we were able to plan and save for such an epic trip so I've decided to condense a lifetime of knowledge into one blog! This blog will be about how we got to today as well as tips and thoughts about being on the road! So sit back, relax, and read away...this may be a bit long so settle in for the long haul!

In August 2014, Jackie and I found ourselves on the side of the Andes Mountains wondering what life had in store for us next. We had recently just met a group of individuals who were traveling long term for a year and for me, this was the first time I have ever heard of such a thing. It was hard for me to comprehend quitting my stable job to leave everything I know behind but it didn't seem completely impossible. It was after hiking for 16 miles in the Andes Mountains it is where I had a lot of time to contemplate life and where I felt the urge and gut feeling this is what I wanted to dedicate the next two years of my life to: saving money to travel long term. Jackie and I talked about this crazy idea on the side of a mountain that fateful day as we drank tea and we both agreed that this was it and we couldn't let this opportunity pass us by. It felt so right.

So the decision had been made. Now it was telling our family, friends, and at the time my then boyfriend about this life altering move. I also decided to change the way I spoke about it. For instance instead of saying, "we are thinking about doing this," I said, "We are leaving in August 2016 for a year long trip." See what I did there?! It made a dream into a goal and we were off to achieve it. When I got home from Peru, I literally told everyone I knew about what I wanted to do, this way I would feel more accountable and for the most part 99.9% of the people I told were super supportive and encouraging. Even strangers! Next it was determining how to change my lifestyle in order to save enough money to quit my job. At the time I was in grad school working part time while going to class full time. I scraped away as much as I could during that year, but let's be honest it wasn't going to be enough. Once I graduated, I was able to then buckle down and save for a little over a year. I talked to my supervisor and they offered me a job to work as a therapist under contingent making bomb money as well as my full time position as a case manager. This was it: I was going to work 6 days a week and put my nose to the grind for the next year. Jackie and I ultimately decided that after calculating costs of flights, food, fun activities, etc that our goal would be to save $20,000 each. But how did we do this?

We sat down and analyzed our budget as is. How much do we make and what bills do we have to pay each month? After looking at this we then saw where cuts could be made. For instance, I was living with my mom when my then boyfriend was deployed and after my then boyfriend and I broke up I decided that it was best for me to continue living at home avoiding rent each month (THANKS MOM!!!). Next, I decided that I could only eat out once a week and also decided how much I was able to spend each month on food, outings, etc. In total I was saving about $1,000+ a month for my travel fund.

I got a second source of income. This second source of income would also go directly into my travel fund. Luckily for me I was able to get a job in my field, not only allowing me to continue to build my resume but also make extra money on the side and Jackie worked over time at the hospital. If I wasn't lucky enough to do this I would have gotten a job ANYWHERE. I figured any extra source of income would be worth it and working as many days as I could would be hard at the time but there would be a big pay off in the end: NO WORK FOR 1 YEAR!

Lastly, it was just staying mentally focused at the task at hand. There were times where we both had to say no to things that we wanted to do in order to save. Each time we had an expense going out of our account we would second guess if it was worth it. Every penny counted and even a trip to Chipotle could ultimately be a taxi ride in some other country or a delicious three course meal abroad.

So the last two years of our lives was dedicated to saving money and researching where we wanted to go. How did we narrow down what countries we wanted to see when our list was so extensive? This was a very difficult task that required us to weigh the pros and cons of each place. Originally our plan was to start in South America, head into Egypt, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, NZ, and Australia, but this quickly changed as we figured out how much it would be a day in each country. Our final itinerary was: South America, Africa, India, Nepal, South Korea, NZ, Australia, Hawaii, and then home.

Now that we had an itinerary it was time to book flights, create a packing list and a to do list, figure out insurance, etc. How did we do all of this?

BOOKING FLIGHTS: When we book flights we have learned some tricks of the trade. First off we use Skyscanner or Google Flights when searching. This database searches all airlines in all countries and has the best prices. We also make sure that we clear our browser and search history after looking. If you don't that is when the ads start popping up and prices rise and fall. We then make sure our VPN is set. A VPN is app that allows you to search flights from the country you want. For instance, when we are booking flights to India, if we set our VPN in Africa, flights may be cheaper in Africa then when we look in the states. Pretty cool huh? We also set flight alerts that would send us e-mails on flights that either increased or decreased.

CREDIT CARDS: If you are looking to travel long term I would definitely suggest investing in a travel credit card. Travel cards have many perks: increases your credit score (if you pay on time), you collect miles for dollars making booking flights cheaper, as well as no foreign transaction fees while out of the country. When I was looking at travel cards I wanted one that would get the most bang for my buck. I narrowed it down to Capital One Venture Card without the yearly fee. This card had a promotion that if you are approved you automatically received a certain amount of miles within the first month if you spent a set amount. The card also gives you one mile for every dollar you spend and you can use it on any airline. It also has no foreign transaction fees when I use it out of the country. Most of the time if I used my debit card from PNC I would be charged a 3% fee each time I used it.

MONEY: When pulling out money out of the country, it is always best to speak to your bank before you leave. For instance, Jackie's bank was able to work her out a deal where she paid $25 a month and could pull out of an ATM as many times as she wanted avoiding her banks fee as well as being reimbursed for the ATM's fee for using it by her bank. My bank agreed to reimburse me $10 each month, which was better than nothing. So always ask your bank before you leave if there is anything they could offer you! Also inform them of your travel plans so they don't shut your card off. Wifi is usually available most places but if not, it would be very hard to contact your bank to ask them to turn it back on. We also never exchange our money at the airport, but find it easier taking it out of a local ATM, it's a better rate. We rarely ever keep cash on us but it is always good to carry some U.S. Dollar in case you want to exchange at a local currency exchange place if there are no ATMs around.

POWER OF ATTORNEY PAPERWORK: Working in the mental health field I often saw client decline to the point where they needed a court appointed guardian, payee, or power of attorney. This got me then thinking, I should have one while I'm gone. So enter my wonderful mom! She agreed to be my power of attorney so that if anything came up with my bank account or student loans while I was gone she could step in legally and handle the matter at hand. I also thought about having a living will and it made me contemplate what interventions I would want if I was ever in a life threatening position, so I signed one and informed my loved ones what I would want to happen if I died. A little morbid? Yes. But I think no matter how old we are or how healthy or sick we are, this is an important conversation to have. We are not all invincible and having this plan created is a good idea!

TRAVEL INSURANCE: We researched quite a bit on what travel insurance we wanted to use while we were away. It is always a good idea to have insurance whether you are gone for two weeks or two years. Speaking from personal experience, travel insurance is KEY. When I was in Peru two years ago, after deciding to travel long term, I experienced an allergic reaction and went into anaphylaxis shock and had to go to the hospital. Luckily I had travel insurance that covered ALL OF THE COSTS. For this trip, I heard of World Nomads through other travel bloggers and after Maria's brother looked over the policy we decided it was good for us! We got the adventure one where everything from sky diving to hiking was covered. Each month it costs us about $80 to completely covered and is totally worth it.

TRAVEL BLOGS: Blogs are an amazing thing! Not only did we receive constant inspiration from travel blogs but we also were able to dive into their experience in a country we wanted to visit. Blogs are great because it offers so many different opinions about things as well as tips and tricks. Some of our favorite blogs are: Nomadic Matt, Adventurous Kate, and One Sept 4Ward. Check em' out guys!

PACKING: How did we pack our bags for such a long trip that had so many different climates and weather? Well first we though that we may have to send belongings back home and have our wonderful and supportive parents send us the things we needed, but this quickly added up! Luckily for us, Maria joined our trip and she planned on going home in December. Knowing this, Jackie and I knew that we could send belongings back with her and she then could bring us stuff. HALLELUJAH! Next it was narrowing down what we needed for the first two months. In doing so we researched the countries we were going to, what time of year it was for them, and then made our choices based upon this. South America was going to be relatively cold and we were going to do a lot of hiking. Knowing that we were going to hike the W Circuit we researched if we could rent camping gear since we knew we couldn't lug tents, food, etc. Luckily we found Erratic Rock who rented gear so that solved that problem! Also you can find a lot of things on the road for a lot cheaper. Clothes are always readily available in other countries so if you did happen to forget something, you can most likely find it. So don't stress out too much. We packed a lot of leggings, one set of thermals, hiking boots, shower stuff, warm socks, gloves and hats, winter coat, etc. Jackie and I were also going to continue onto Brazil which would be HOT, so we packed bathing suits, one pair of shorts, tanks, one pair of flip flops, etc. All in all, it wasn't hard to narrow down what we wanted to pack and living out of a back pack so far has been refreshing! For me, it shows that we live very excessively at home and that living very minimally has been great! Our next blog will be on top gear we use.

Through this whole two year journey up until now I've learned a lot. Here are my recent conclusions/inspirations:

1. Don't let anyone, ANYONE, tell you that you can't do something. You KNOW when you feel compelled to go after a goal and no one should ever make you feel bad about doing so. The right people will encourage you to chase after a dream and the wrong people will make you second guess the idea. Those people who make you second guess your life decision should then make you second guess if they should even be in your life.
2. The human body is an amazing thing that we don't give enough credit too. As Americans, I think we tend to put too much emphasis on how we look. We are sometimes very critical of ourselves. Being in Brazil and seeing so many different ages and body types rocking a bikini on the beach without a care in the world was SO inspiring. Also after climbing mountain after mountain, I came to appreciate even more for having a healthy body. So I try not to be so critical of myself. Everyone is beautiful in their own way and we need to stop being so mean to ourselves.
3. You don't have to wait for something drastic to happen in order to change your life. DO IT NOW. You don't need a reason for everyone else as to why you need to do something. You wanting to do it is enough. Don't wait for a death to happen or a life threatening illness to occur to have this revelation. Continue contemplating, questioning, and evaluating what you want to do with your life and go after it. Be 100% passionate about whatever it is and if you're not then quit. We need to start going after what we want more and saying no to things we don't want to do. Life's too short to contemplate whether or not you should eat a piece of cake- eat the damn piece already!
4. Make more time to read. I've read more on this trip then ever in my life. It makes me think that I need to make more time for myself once I am at home to do more of what makes me happy. It's ok to take time for yourself and stay in on a Friday night to read or whatever you want! In fact I think it will rejuvenate you in the end!
5. Speaking a second language is so cool and sometimes necessary. When I get home I would like to learn more Spanish. Being in South America for two months alone, I felt like my Spanish improved so much. Now, I would like to expand on what I already know to become better at it. I found in any country you travel if you at least try to speak some of their language it is MUCH appreciated.
6. Travel mates make the best friends. It's amazing when you meet people who share the same passion as you. Having something in common right off the bat makes it for easy conversations and stories. You also get ideas and inspiration as to where to travel next! And as a bonus if they live somewhere you want to visit- FREE accommodation and tour guides too! :)
7. Burn out while traveling is a real thing. Yes, burn out is real while out exploring the world. Long days on the road can really take energy out of you. It's always important to take time for yourself to rejuvenate.
8. Never make decisions based on temporary emotions. It's easy to say "hey let's not do it." When you're in the moment. But it's important to take time and really think about if you'll carry regret if you don't do it. So take a couple of deep breathes and contemplate the pros and cons.
9. There's no place like home and food! I've come to really appreciate home while being away. I am taking each day as it comes and really appreciating it but at the same time I miss home a lot. I miss the food, sleeping in my own bed, having a routine, having a steady income, and my family and friends. It's always great to have a place to come back to where you can stay grounded and plan for your next big adventure!

As I was in the process of transitioning my clients over to a new clinician many of my clients told their doctors etc that I was quitting my job to travel the world. One time a medical assistant said, "You are the coolest person I have ever met, that is some serious "Eat, Pray, Love" shit going on...!" And you know what? In the end she was right. It's been a journey of discovering what you're capable of doing, figuring out who you want to become, letting go, and growing up. I don't know what the future holds, but for the first time in my life I feel excited about it. I think so often we all get caught up in the every day BS that we forget to do what makes us come alive. If three girls from Ohio can go after their dreams, then why can't you?

In the fall of 2012, Jackie and I ventured out of country together for the first time. We had no idea what the heck we were doing but we literally "faked it until we made it," and it all worked out. We chose to travel to Costa Rica because we heard that it was beautiful. There was a mixture of nature, hiking, animals, and beaches. That's all we needed to hear and we were ready to go! Now the first trip, we definitely did NOT pack light. I think in total we brought two big rolling suitcases, backpacks, and purses. We barely made it within the weight requirements for the airline! If I could go back and tell my younger self some advice about traveling, this is what I would tell past Andrea.

1. Invest in a good backpack or suitcase. The debate will continue on about whether you should buy a nice pack or suitcase. For the last 4 years I have used an Osprey 65 L back pack, and I have been very happy with this. I can grab it, put it on my back, and go. We also do a lot of hiking and camping, so I can then transfer some of my belongings into my smaller pack and then use my Osprey pack for the camping trip. I also invested in a back pack cover so when we are going from airport to airport my pack and be protected in it. I've seen other travelers who have a rolling suitcase who love it just as much as I love my pack. So ultimately it's up to you!

2. A towel. I have a camping towel, but decided to buy an actual bath towel and I have not regretted it. There's nothing like having the luxury of drying yourself off with a real towel.

3. Flip flops. This is crucial when using public showers and just being able to slip on shoes and go.

4. Utilize apps. Now a day traveling is so affordable and with the technology at hand it makes it even easier. Here are some of the apps we use quite frequently: Air B N B, Hostel World, Uber, Trip Adviser. I also have used an app called "Trail Wallet," and my mind has been blown! This trip I wanted to track every purchase I made. In South America, I wrote everything down in a journal but then I was told by a travel mate about Trail Wallet and I will never go back to writing stuff down again. It allows you to categorize all of your purchases and it breaks it down day by day as well as formatting it into a pie graph for the entire trip. You can see where all your money goes as well as breaking it down into local currency too. It is phenomenal. GET IT. "Venmo" is another app too. This makes it easier than ever to pay each other back right out of your bank account. A lot of the time we will cover the hostel or a restaurant bill for all of us and we are in debt to each other and Venmo allows us to pay each other back ASAP!

5. Podcasts. On long plane rides or bus rides podcasts have been life for us! When we have access to wifi we download a bunch of podcasts and then listen to them when we have down time. Some of our favorite podcasts are: "Serial", "Stranglers," "The Conspiracy Guys," "Up and Vanished," "Guys We F****d," "Stuff You Missed in History Class," and "TEDTalks."

6. Invest in good packing cubes. Packing cubes allow you to separate your clothes and throw them into your suitcase and go! They keep things a bit more organized and easier to access. They are one of my favorite things. I got mine off of Amazon and it's been the best purchase yet!

7. Buy a decent camera. I'm not saying go out and spend $1,000's of dollars on one but get a good quality one. You may only be in these places once and you want to be able to capture the moments to remember them forever! I've had the same Sony camera since Costa Rica circa 2012. I suggest you do your research and talk to other travelers on what kind of camera they have.

8. Buy extra batteries for your cameras and invest in battery packs for your phone. There will be time where you will be in such a remote place that electricity is not an option. Having extra batteries that you can charge for your camera makes it easy to keep capturing those once in a lifetime moments when your battery runs out. Also investing in a good battery pack to charge your cell phone is a great idea too! I have a mophie that allows me to charge my phone and two other USB devices. It's been great and I highly recommend it!

9. Reliable shoes/hiking boots. When traveling you tend to walk A LOT. Not only is walking a cheaper way to get around a city but it's also good for you too! Having shoes that can accommodate all the miles you will walk is crucial. It can really make or break a walking tour or hiking trip. Right now I have Vasquez hiking boots and I LOVE them. Find shoes and boots that are good for you. Try them out first and break them in! That way while you're still at home, if you don't like them you can return them for something else! Also get good socks! This is make or break for warm feet. Invest in your feet hardcore!

10. Lush bars. Carrying bottles of shampoo can take up extra space in your bag for something else and make it heavy. Lush bars have been a god send. They are little bars of magic that last for 3-4 months! I just recently used my first Lush Bar up and am now on my second bar. Sometimes I only use the bar with no conditioner and my hair is still shiny and soft! They are definitely worth the investment!

11. Extra prescriptions. While you're home and covered by insurance talk to your providers about obtaining a prescription for long term travel. For instance, I needed to make sure I had enough Epi pens for the trip as well as contacts. Also, I've discovered that in most countries a lot of prescriptions are available at a very low cost too!

12. A hat and headphones. Having a hat is crucial! Also head phones, when you're on a long plane ride or something having headphones so you can zone out the world is good to have! When I get home I may invest in some noise canceling head phones. Just a side thought!

13. Baby wipes and dryer sheets have been SO amazing. Baby wipes are good to have in countries where the bathrooms don't have toilet paper and also the days you don't have access to a shower. Baby wipe baths have been very common on this trip and have been life savers. There are days where you are so gross that being able to wipe down after a day in the dirt makes the whole sleep better. Dryer sheets are handy too because you can put them in your dirty laundry as well as clean to keep your bag smelling fresh!

14. Tampons are not readily available in some countries and if they are they are expensive and not as good as quality as to back home. We made sure to pack extras and have others who were meeting us along the way bring more.

15. Laundry bag to put your dirty clothes in. I bought mine on Amazon and it has come in so useful this trip. Yes, you can use plastic bags but when you go days without doing laundry plastic bags fill up quick. Having a laundry bag makes it easy to put your dirty clothes away and just pick it up and turn in for laundry!

16. Flashlight and hand sanitizer. When camping it's always good to have a good flashlight and/or headlamp. Especially in the morning when you are breaking down your tent before the light comes up having a headlamp to light up the dark is crucial. Also not having access to a sink to wash your hands it's also great to carry hand sanitizer with you.

These are just some of the tips I would tell my younger self as well as be fearless in the pursuit of going after you want. I hope this helps all you guys who are thinking about traveling whether it be long term or two weeks! I think everyone could benefit from this list and if you have any other tips please share them in the comments below! Happy packing guys! :)

December 31st -January 12th, 2017

Jambo!

We left Rio on December 31st, New Year's Eve! We had no idea Rio was THEE place to be on NYE until we arrived and people told us that we were crazy for leaving! Fortunately for us the cheapest tickets to Africa was on NYE so we were able to save half the price we would have originally paid. We said good bye to our new Brazilian family with a nice farewell lunch with everyone we met. We spent our last day in Rio with Carla exploring the city and seeing the city center, including all the new additions from the Olympic games. We also visited the quaint little neighborhood of Santa Teresa. We then retired to our hotel room to pack our bags to head to the airport. It was nice to be in one place for a couple of weeks where we could unpack our bags and stay a while! We decided after packing that we would stay up until our flight since we had to leave for the airport so early. I accidentally fell asleep and got two hours sleep which was worse than not getting any because I was so tired when I woke up. We headed to the airport via Uber and checked in. The flight to Morocco was uneventful. We landed safely and was able to retrieve our bags without any glitches. Landing in Morocco felt different the moment we stepped off the plane. The vibes felt more foreign than ever. I said to Jackie that "even if I tried there is no way I can figure out the language!" After grabbing our bags we headed out to find a taxi. A gentleman approached us and offered us a ride into the city. We obliged and set the price before going with him. Driving at night we were unable to see the country side as we rode to our hotel. Our taxi driver was friendly and told us the must do's to see in Morocco. We arrived at our hotel, "Ibis hotel," and we ordered room service and waited for the clock to turn midnight and we wished each other and our family "Happy New Years!" And then went to bed. The next day we had big plans to go sight seeing but instead we chilled at the hotel and caught up with our family. We ventured out of the lobby to find food and stumbled upon a great little Mediterranean restaurant and it was just what the doctor ordered! We ate at "Loubane Express," and it was delicious and cheap! We then got another taxi and headed to the airport. The taxi driver and us set a price and we were off. The guy then stopped at a gas station to get gas and to fill up our tires then when he dropped us off and then tried to charge us extra because it was night time now and we left during the day. Jackie and I put our foot down and he agreed for us to pay what we originally agreed upon. GIRL POWER! We then caught our flight to Africa!

We had an 8 hour flight into Nairobi, Kenya. Jackie and I filled our time with lots of movies and we didn't sleep a wink! We were so excited to land in Africa, it felt like Christmas morning! Africa has been on both of our bucket lists for as long as I can remember. It was a dream that we didn't think could be a reality until much later in life until I stumbled upon a blog who mentioned a tour company called "Absolute Africa." Jackie was a gem and price compared Absolute Africa to other tour companies and this one was legit. We liked this one because unlike other tours where all the activities are already built into the price this one we could opt in or out if we wanted to. Also, we could find other tour companies and book with them if it was cheaper. It's nice to have flexibility like that when you are traveling so you don't feel obligated to do everything. We also really liked that the price was right! For about $1500 we were able to secure our spot.

Before our tour started we had 10 days to chill in Nairobi. We decided to stay at a place called "Wildebeest Eco Camp," which was referred by Absolute. We researched getting an Air B N B and other hostels but this one had really nice reviews and the price was good ($18 a night). We booked and were not disappointed. The place had everything you ever needed: a pool, a restaurant, grounds to walk around on, and WIFI. It was nice because everything you ordered at the restaurant you could put on your tab and pay with card later when you checked out. We met a lot of amazing people while staying there. Most of the people passing through stayed for about one or two nights before either starting their own safari tour or their own agenda. Jackie and I filled our time with catching up on social media (obviously not the blog hahaha), laying by the pool, and going to the mall. I even decided to try out the box braid look for our big tour! I heard that getting boxed braids would help a lot with the heat and no shower situation we may be encountering on the tour so I decided to give it a shot. First, I researched a lot on the hair style. The one thing I didn't want to do is offend anyone with my new look. Secondly, I didn't want to damage my hair. I asked around to a lot of locals who said it would be fine for me to get my hair done. Actually, they encouraged me to do it and were quite puzzled when I asked if it was ok for me to do it! Next, I did what anyone would do, I googled the crap out of how to take care of my hair while it was braided and other people's experiences. Now, I wanted to find other races besides African Americans because I needed to compare their hair with my own. There weren't a lot of people out there who did the look who wasn't African American so it was a bit dodgy but I decided to go for it any ways! I made an appointment at a local salon and for about $40 with the hair extension, time, and service it was worth it! The woman who did my hair was amazing. I've never seen anyone braid hair so fast! At times there were about four women braiding my hair and in total it took 4 hours! I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I didn't know how I would look after it was done or how others would look at me! The final product was cool! I would definitely tell anyone to try it but I myself wouldn't do it again. I didn't like how I couldn't wash my hair after I sweated and how heavy they felt (not heavy as in it hurt, but just uncomfortable). Ultimately I kept them in for a few days then took them out! 10 days flew by quick! Before we knew it our 73 day tour was about to start! We will try to update as much as possible but as you know from previous blogs, it's not our forte (lol) plus wifi may be a bit dodgy, but we will try our hardest! Remember you can always follow us on Instagram or Snapchat for more up to date updates! :)

Brazil December 16th-31st

Olá guys!! This is another long overdue blog post. We apologize for the long delay but we figure better late than never, and great things take time 😀

Rio De Janeiro!

We arrived into Brazil by plane and are settling into our new apartment in Rio! Fortunately, I utilized Air B N B and found a quaint little apartment in Copacabana a couple of blocks from the beach! We rented the apartment for 11 nights and we could not be more excited to be able to unpack for the time being and have our own bathroom and wifi to ourselves! We even have our own kitchen to cook. The apartment was only $575 for the 11 days, a bit more expensive than a dorm hostel but with way more benefits. We even had a door man to the building!! We took a local bus from the airport and were quite proud to have figured out which bus it was to the apartment. The city of Rio increased the number of busses and routes throughout the city prior to the Olympics, which we happily took advantage of. Once we arrived our host met us. Her name was Carolina and she was so nice and helpful. She gave us her to do list to be the ultimate "Carioca," which is a person who was born and raised in Rio! Brazil so far has been amazing, we found the nearest grocery store and made a grocery list for our dinner's for the week.

The outside of our apartment

Indoor of the apartment

How do I sum up 15 days in Brazil? Three words: welcoming, loving, and amazing.

Our main objectives were to try Brazilian food, lay out on the beach, see the Christ of the Redeemer/Sugar Loaf Mountain, and experience the culture. I think we did a pretty good job at all of the above thanks to our new Brazilian family. The first few days we spent exploring our new neighborhood and laying out on Copacabana. The beaches itself I was expecting a bit more. What do I mean by "more?' In my head and from what I heard from others and what I've seen on TV, I had a picture of what Brazilian beaches would be and feel like. To me, the vibe wasn't what I saw on T.V. Don't get me wrong, it was still sweet to lay out on the beach and soak in the sun! And it was a bonus to have vendors come to us when we needed a water or food! We would be laying on the beaches and want a water and someone would be by yelling "AGUA!" And we would wave our hand and buy one from them. Now that was awesome! You could haggle the price too! They sell everything on the beach!! We may or may not have bought one too many sarongs, but we figure they are very versatile and we will definitely use them in the future! Jackie loved the Acai ice cream. Everyone tried to sell her stuff. They were very persistent even when she told them no. Eventually we learned you just have to ignore the people so they would leave. We enjoyed watching people play soccer on the beach and seeing the impressive sand works of art.

The main form of transportation we used while in Rio was Uber. We could connect to wifi and order an Uber anywhere in Rio. They were less than half the price of a taxi and were reliable and fast. We also took the local bus transport to a few of the major tourist attractions. We also walked a great deal through the various neighborhoods we wanted to explore like Copacabana, Leme, Ipanema, Botafogo, Urca, Lapa, Santa Teresa and the city center.

View from Corcovado

Andrea taking in Rio

Christ the Redeemer

I think what made Brazil special for us was the people we met while being "Cariocas". My cousin married a woman from Brazil, she then introduced us to her cousin's Carla and Duda. How do I describe Carla? I would say everything wonderful and more. She made us feel so loved and welcomed. She showed us what it was like to live in Brazil and we got to experience a different side of Brazil. She took us to Urca and introduced us to delicious local foods such as feijoada!! And drinks, like caipirinhas. We met her friends and watched the sunset as we sat by a huge bay of water on a wall drinking beer and trying pastels. We were able to stay at her mother's house in Barra (pronounced "Baja") da Tijuca, where we were able to see more beaches and a distant area of Rio. We sipped drinks and ate tapas while having an ocean front view by the beaches there. She took us to a Samba Club and we saw a live Samba band play while locals danced. We attempted to dance as well, the music was catchy and the drinks cold. It was there where we helped her celebrate her birthday!! To top it all off we were able to experience a Brazilian Christmas with her family. It was just an incredible experience!

Copacabana beach

December 14th- 16th, 2016

The day finally came to say goodbye to Maria. In many ways Andrea and I were sad at the fact we would not be on our way home to see family and friends to celebrate the holidays. We were happy for Maria to travel home and experience all the Christmas fun, food, and family. We said goodbye to Maria at a restaurant on the Argentine city of Iguazu Falls. She hopped in a cab and away she went to the airport.

First glimpse of Cataratas

It was a strange feeling to travel just the two of us again. Our plan was to head into Brazil today. We were so excited to see another country and really spend some time at the beach relaxing in Rio De Janeiro. Our first stop though was to the Brazilian side of Iguazu falls. The town is called Foz do Iguaçu and is located less then twenty minutes away from the falls. In Portuguese the falls are named Cataratas. We were blown away with the Argentina side and were really looking forward to seeing it from Brazil. We went to the bus station and waited for the bus. The buses are so frequent, and a very popular route for locals and tourist that you simply pay your fare on the bus once it arrives. We were not sure what we expected since it was yet another border crossing into a new country. Fortunately for us, crossing into Brazil from Argentina was only minutes away from the bus station. The bus was only $1.50 USD to cross into Brazil. The bus drivers were very used to helping people and making sure everyone was able to cross the border. We were expecting quite a smooth and easy process since we had already went through the trouble of preordering our visas, which sat nicely tucked into our passports. I was very happy I had done all the leg work at home to obtain the visa for Brazil. Though the visa process required a lot of paperwork and money to obtain it was nice to have it completed before hand. The good news is though that the visa is good for ten years so at least you get a lot of time to potentially travel back.

The bus dropped us off at the border crossing on the Argentina side. We had to wait in a long line in order to receive our exit stamp. Unfortunately we were at the end of the line. I exited before Andrea just in time to see the bus pull away. Luckily, I was able to wave a guy down who was sitting in the back of the bus and he told the driver to stop. Thank god for the stranger that stopped the bus for us! That could have been a potential headache to maneuver out of. Andrea and I jumped back on the bus and we headed to the immigration office on the Brazil side. A few other tourist jumped off as well and we easily gained access to the country thanks to our visa. The actually border crossing was a sitch but then we had to wait for the bus to return in order to get dropped off into the town we were staying at. The next hour and a half was spent waiting at a bus stop outside the immigration office waiting for the next bus to come to take us to the city of Foz do Iguaçu. It eventually arrived and we were off!

Foz was a great introduction to Brazil. We had booked a lovely hostel called "Hotstel Che Lagarto," on one of the main roads. We later found out their were two of the same hostels in Rio also. The hostel cost $20 a night. We could walk everywhere and really enjoyed being so close to a fruit market and the biggest grocery store we had encountered in South America! Our hostel room felt more like a luxury hotel and we enjoyed the clean, cool and comfortable room. The wifi was great and we enjoyed the rooftop pool and bar. I ordered a watermelon caipirinha and we watched the sunset.
The only trouble was the quick change from Spanish to Portuguese, which definitely threw Andrea and I for a loop.

Sunset Caipirinha

The following day we decided to explore the city of Foz and visit the Brazilian side of the falls. The falls from the Brazilian side are called Cataratas. They are truly capitivating from both sides however you get to see them facing forward, head on and truly understand the shear magnitude, force and beauty these waterfalls are from the Brazilian side. Although the catwalks and animal life are not as abundant as the Argentina side it was truly stunning to see. The catwalks on the Argentina side of the falls allows you to walk out right on top of the water and makes you feel like you are standing on top of the waterfalls. These catwalks take you right out and over the Devil's Throat which is the largest and most impressive part of the Iguazu Falls. It was spectacular to see. It was incredible to witness the power of water and its impressive place in nature. From the Brazil side you can meander down a path and see all the falls you saw from the Argentina side, but now you see them from a completely different angle. You see the vastness of the falls really are and how they are so interestingly spread out through out the river. If you continue walking to get to a catwalk that leads you out in the falls. You are guaranteed to get wet and people were buying ponchos and water proof pouches for their cameras and phones. We luckily invested in Lifeproof cases so our phones are waterproof. We walked right out on the catwalk and soon were drenched from the spray from many glorious waterfalls. Since it was quite hot we loved this part. If you continue walking soon you are almost surrounded by nothing but waterfalls. The spray from the falls and the hot, blazing sun causes rainbows everywhere you look. You walk so far out on these cat walks that when you turn your head to the left you are staring straight up into the Devil's Throat. If you visit Iguazu falls from both side of the park you have the wonderful opportunity to see the Devil's Throat from the top and the bottom. I would try to see it from both sides because its a true natural miracle to see in person. I can not stress enough how out of the way Iguazu Falls is comparison to other major cities and sites in South American but it worth a long bus ride, a flight and all the money it takes to go to and from them. The cities around the falls are used to people showing up to see the falls. They are very well organized and have lots of hostels to choose from but they are basically tourist trap towns. The major draw are the Falls and the nature parks they are situated in. A bird sanctuary and the proximity to Paraguay may draw a few people also. It would have been a quick walk over the bridge into Paraguay from Foz do Iguaçu and a quick immigration check point, unfortunately we ran out of time. We had been watching flight prices to Rio and were pleasantly surprised with how affordable they were. However, when we went to book the prices sky rocketed. We were so disappointed and started to mentally prepare for another 20+ hour bus ride. As luck would have it right before we were going to walk to the bus station to buy our tickets to Rio we checked once more on Google Flights and they had fallen again. This time even lower than before. We were ecstatic and booked immediately to fly out the next day!! Next destination RIO DE JANEIRO !!

A view of the awesome platforms you can walk on to get closer to the falls

The Brazil side had rainbows too!

View of the Devil's Throat from the lowest platforms.

They had the same warnings on the Brazil side also! In Portuguese they are named Quatis.

Back to being a temporary duo

Away from Buenos Aires to north of Argentina we went. We would be traveling quite a distance to visit the well talked about Iguazu Falls. The water from the Iguazu River forms these waterfalls and breaks the river into the upper and lower Iguazu River. The Iguazu Falls are located between Argentina and Brazil and are famous because they are the largest waterfall system in the world. Some are as high as 80 meters tall and are over 2.7 km wide. It is such an impressive view!!

The top of the falls is named the Devil's Throat

Throughout Argentina the transportation has been very reliable and we booked our bus tickets through "Via Bariloche" due to their wide variety of arrivals and departures. From Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls it was $110 per person for a cama seat, which meant that the seats reclined further making it more comfortable to sleep. The overnight bus ride included three meals, blanket and pillow, and movies in English. We arrived the morning of December 12th to Puerto Iguazu which is a town in Argentina that is about 30 minutes from the Iguazu Falls. Upon getting off the bus, we were greeted by a muggy heat and a temperature in the 80's at 9am. We arrived to Residencial Noelia Hostel by foot and were able to take a load off while we waited for our room to be ready to check in. After arriving to our room and realizing that it was hotter inside the room than outside, we made the immediate decision to relax by the pool which was quite refreshing! Later in the afternoon we headed to the main drag to explore the area and then to the bus station to obtain tickets for Iguazu Falls. At the bus station there was an array of companies available to take you to the falls, some of which offered departures every 15 minutes. We chose "Rio Uruguay" and bought our round trip ticket for $8.27. Upon waking the next morning, we headed out to catch the bus to Iguazu Falls. The fee to enter the park was $21 and there was a large map displayed of the walking trails and the train. We boarded the train to the devil's throat to see the first glimpse of the falls. To say the falls were amazing would be an understatement... they were incredible! The mist that came off the falls was very refreshing, however, it was hard to tell the difference between the water from the falls and our own sweat. We then walked the upper and lower falls loops, but unfortunately, the boats to the island were not running due to high water. We saw a lot of wildlife including monkeys, coaties, a toucan, colorful birds, lizards, beautiful blue butterflies, and some large fish. It was a very rewarding day!

Rainbows were EVERYWHERE

A Toucan !!

Warnings to not feed the Coaties were also everywhere!!

Ironically, we met other travelers who previously lived in Northwest Ohio who were doing their own around the world trip... it's such a small world! After making it back to Puerto Iguazu, we tried a restaurant that is buffet style where you pay by the kilo. This is a great concept because you only pay for what you eat instead of what you might eat. It was a fun day and I soaked up as much sun as possible because the following day I head to New York City with frigid temperatures to meet up with my husband Matt while Andrea and Jackie head into Brazil.

November 24th until December 13th

Holy Moly!! Jackie is actually the one writing this entry. It is a total miracle!

*** Full disclosure: this entry is a long one. We are weeks behind and we've done so many cool things. Get comfortable. Grab a blanket, a cup of tea, find a couch and settle in :) ***

A shocking amount of time has passed since our last blog up date, our deepest apologies but we have been busy. While looking back it is easy to see how great the weeks have been.

Thanksgiving day was spent in a cute Patagonia town of El Chalten. We had our dream hostel room at Pioneros del Valle Hostel which included three single beds (no bunk beds), with outlets close and a reading lamp by each bed. The room was large, with plenty of storage space and a private bathroom. We made ourselves at home considering we'd be spending three nights here. We had arrived on a morning bus from El Calafate and wasted no time setting off to explore the city and enjoy a hike. Unfortunately, Andrea was covered with large and very itchy bug bites she received from an unknown source. She popped a couple of Benadryl tabs and took a nap.

Maria and I set out for a hike in the hopes we would be able to catch a glimpse of the amazing Fitz Roy mountain that El Chalten is famous for. We hiked up five miles to a mirador that was supposed to deliver the view. Although the view was nothing short of spectacular, we could not yet see Fitz Roy. We were able to see all the other mountains that surrounded Fitz as well as the glaciers. It was an incredible view and so peaceful. We walked to Lago Capri as a consolation prize for not seeing Mount Fitz Roy. It was a beautiful mountain lake with the crystal clear water. We sat alone in the peace and quite until an REI trekking group came along. The group was friendly and told us about a hike we should try in the next couple of days. One guy was particularly interested in our trip and said, "a sentence that starts with 'I quit my job' is a great start to any story". He was super encouraging and told us that we would never regret it and we were brave for doing so. We trekked back down the five miles so happy for our decision to take this trip, but still wishing for thanksgiving meals and family time.

After our hike we all went to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. We were sad not to find any turkey dinners with all the trimmings but we treated ourselves to a dinner above our usual price range and really enjoyed it. We went back to the hostel and all fought terrible wifi in order to call our families at home and wish them a happy thanksgiving.

We hiked the entire second day in El Chalten as well. We trekked 18 km to the Cerro Torre Mountain range. It was a lovely and relatively easy hike, extremely simple compared to what we had in store. We eventually found ourselves sitting down by a beautiful lake looking up at Cerro Torre. The weather was cloudy and overcast but it made the place feel mythical and dream like. There were ice chucks floating in the water from a glacier that was next the mountains. Being from a very flat area of Northwest Ohio made all these mountain views and hikes so much more amazing. As well as extremely challenging, haha.

The last day in El Chalten proved to be by far the most challenging and the most rewarding yet. We woke up early to embark on our 24 km round trip trek to elusive Mt. Fitz Roy. The trail was called Laguna de Los Tres. We were crossing our fingers the entire morning for clear skies in order to catch a glimpse of the reason why we traveled here. The trek started out challenging with a great deal of up hill walking. It eventually leveled out to a somewhat flat path. We followed the river for many miles and walked through a petrified forrest, valleys, and meadows. The waters in the river and streams were so clear. We were able to fill up our water bottles right from them. The water was so cold and refreshing, it tasted so pure and worked wonders to quench our thirst. The hike was truly beautiful.

From the last vantage point on flat terrain that we saw of Fitz Roy it was still covered by clouds. We decided to embark on the last bit and by far the most challenging part of the hike. We hiked 1.2 km straight up, and I do mean straight up. At some points I was almost crawling as we ventured up in a elevation gain of 800 meters in 1 km. My legs were burning and it was so hot!! There was no shelter from the sun and it beat down on us. I spent the entire hike up craving the cold water of the streams below. We climbed and climbed. There were so many points that I wanted to give up and turn around. I was so jealous of anyone going down hill and I wanted to join them. Somehow and someway I made it to the top and thank God I did. The closer to the top we climbed the more and more the clouds were clearing. By the time we were at the top the entire cloud free Mount Fitz Roy was waiting for us! The view was majestic, breathtaking, awe inspiring, incredible and such a reward for all the hard work of the climb. Fitz Roy was a towering giant looking down on us. You could see it all, the entire mountain, the pristine blue lake and the huge glaciers that surrounded the area. I swear the views you work for are the most rewarding. We sat up at the top feeling accomplished about the hike and beyond grateful for the opportunity to see such amazing things. I could have stayed for hours, just sitting and relaxing in the sun with the 360 degree views of sensational nature. Another amazing, and really fun part of being at the top, was the look on peoples faces when they also reached the top and laid eyes on one of the most majestic views of all time. It was really quite amazing to experience. The hike down was very long, steep, but uneventful. It was amazing to see how high we had climbed. We rewarded ourselves with cheeseburgers back in town after the long day of hiking.

The following day was very relaxing, all we had to do was catch a bus back to El Calafate. The walk to the bus station allowed us to see Mt. Fitz Roy towering above the town. We had no idea it was there looming the entire time under cloud cover. It was very beautiful and a great goodbye present from El Chalten. The bus ride was so quick, only three hours. The views the entire drive were spectacular and before we knew it we were pulling back in the tourist town we got to know so well before. We checked into our very budget and backpacker friendly hostel named El Ovejero. It was cheap and that's why we picked it, but on that note, you get what you pay for. We were handed sheets at check in and were told to make our own bed. The bathrooms were located in a freestanding building and our four person dorm room was located in a trailer type of building quite a distance away. It was interesting to say the least. I was glad to be only spending one night there.

We were enjoying the wifi on the patio when we met two guys who had been traveling through Patagonia as well. We had ironically saw them the day before hiking to the top of Fitz Roy. They told me the clouds were clearing which motivated me to continue on and were very nice and interesting to talk to. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and sharing stories of travels past and plans for travel in the future. Conversations flow easily and friendships form quickly when there is a mutual love and appreciation for traveling. We eventually meandered into town, grabbed dinner, walked around, and then retreated to the hostel for wifi and more talking.

After one night in El Calafate we were back off to the bus station to catch a ride to Puerto Natales in Chile. We met a few interesting characters on the bus including an Aussie lady named Annie. She kept pounding on the door that separated the bus driver from the passengers, in order to tell him to turn up the air conditioning. Since he was busy driving the bus (we are flying down the road at 90km/hr) he clearly couldn't open the door. Yet she kept knocking and yelling "Turn the bloody Air Con on!" Gladly the problem was eventually solved and she retreated back to her seat. It was otherwise an uneventful bus ride and border crossing. It was our third time crossing the border between Chile and Argentina. We were becoming pros at this point :)

Beautiful town of El Chalten

Start of a hike

Mystical view of Cerro Torre

Hiking the Laguna De los Tres trail

Almost to the top!

All the hard work was worth it! Look at beautiful Mount Fitz Roy

After climbing down, looking backward

Finally we could see Fitz Roy from town

Our hostel, Nikko's II Adventure, had a car waiting to pick up us. This was an awesome perk because it was freezing and would have been a three mile walk. The hostel was super clean and comfortable. It had a great set up and the staff was super nice, young and informative. We had three nice relaxing days there prior to our hike in Torres Del Paine National Park. We slept in a lot, watched movies, and in the afternoons explored the little town. We were enjoying Patagonian beers and Chilean wine in the evenings and ate at nice restaurants. We rented camping gear at our hostel and through another hostel in town called Erratic Rock. The gear that came from Erratic Rock was super nice and they were extremely helpful making sure to answer all of our questions about the trek and to explain the ins and outs of the W circuit. We also attended a free information session about hiking in the national park put on by Erratic Rock. Shout out to them, they were awesome and I would highly recommended them to anyone!! The night before the trek we bought a ton of food and practiced setting up the gear. We rented two tents, sleeping pads and a cook stove. We already had our warm weather clothes and our sleeping bags. However, it became very evident that not everything would fit into our packs and we had to scale back. We obliviously and absolutely needed certain things, but we "cut back" by leaving extra food, clothes and any items that seemed like a luxury. We knew to prepare for the unpredictable Patagonia weather so we wrapped up all our gear in individual trash bags and stuffed everything in the bags. Even with the cut backs our bags were still huge and heavy, but we were happy they closed.

Up early the next morning we set out. We traveled to the park first on a 2.5 hour long bus ride to the entrance. There we paid the entry fee of 21,000 Chilean pesos (or $32 USDs), and watched a video that told us to stay on trails and not light fires. Fires anywhere inside the park are totally illegal and you can only cook with cook stoves in designated areas. They are so serious about these rules and for good reason, a few years prior a huge section of the park was on fire because some tourists decided to burn their toilet paper and they stopped watching their fire. The fire spread quickly and caused mass devastation inside the park. All of their information was super helpful and they also gave us a very detailed map of the park.

The next phase of the journey was to take a shuttle to the trail head and then once there just start walking. Now is a good time to mention the rain. Alas, there was a ton of it. A constant, unrelenting, freezing rain. I was super glad the gear was wrapped and I invested in a water proof jacket. It made for a muddy, slippery and challenging climb up the trail. The first day was mostly uphill and the most challenging day. Although the weather was cold and rainy, once we started hiking it became super hot in all of our rain gear and with a full pack. The inside of my coat became as wet as the outside eventually. The views the whole time were magnificent even with rainy skies. The rivers and water falls were strong and blasting with all the rain. The water roared as we walked over bridges. We walked on the side of a mountain that was right next to another huge mountain. There was a hazy fog that hung really low between them. The higher we climbed the colder it became. At certain points the rain turned to ice, and the strong wind would blast it right into our faces. The winds roared and were so strong sometimes I felt I could be knocked over from them. We now fully understood what people meant in regards to the Patagonian wind and rain. We truly battled the elements that entire day. Eventually, and still on time, we made it to our first camp, Campamento Torres.

We pitched the tents as fast as possible between a small break in the rain. Our hands were so frozen cold it made any fine motor skills difficult. The wind was still roaring so we hammered our steaks as far into the ground as possible. We moved big rocks on top them as well in order to ensure the tents would not blow away. There was a stream with fresh, clean water we could drink from and fetch water for our cooking. It seemed like the entire camp was nestled into the cooking shelter trying to prepare their dinner over their cook stoves. We soon joined them so we could prepare our dinner. That entire night we froze in our tents. We were wearing every single dry layer we could. We were packed into our sleeping bags and settled in for the night listening to the wind howl outside and shake our tents.

The next morning we hiked an hour straight up to the Mirador Las Torres. It was a beautiful hike and much less steep then what we experienced at Fitz Roy. After an hour we were at the top soaking in another amazing and magnificent view of the three towers and their beautiful lake. Mirador Las Torres lived up to the hype and we were grateful for the chance to witness it. We hiked back down and continued on the trek. The hike down was lovely and the weather was better, we were able to see far off into the distance and take in the grandeur of Torres del Paine National Park. Mentally it was a rough game at certain points because of how heavy the pack was. It made the steep climbs and descents much more challenging. I fell once because the bag went one way, I went the other and inevitably the bag won. Our shoulders, back and legs felt the burden of the pack, but once you looked around at the scenery all of that went by the way side. That was the theme of the next few days of our hike. Even with all the rainy weather and finding out that there was a very important bridge out of commission that split the W trek into two sides, it was a great experience. Everyone, including us, had to scramble to change plans and back track a considerable distance due to the broken bridge. I learned a lot about mental and physically capabilities, and that frequent breaks are totally necessary when lugging a full pack with you, but breaks definitely affect your planned arrival time :-) I also learned that mental strength is more important than physical strength, and sometimes you just have to play it safe and learn your limits. Each of us would go back and do it again in a heartbeat. We decided though that we would stay in the nice refugios (AKA hotels) through out the park so we could enjoy their delicious warm meals and comfortable beds and not have to camp and carry all that gear ourselves. I know hiking with a daypack is much more my style anyway :-) Back in Puerto Natales the hot shower, cheeseburger, warm hostel and comfortable bed were much appreciated after the hike. However, even then I missed the sound of the wind and nature that had surrounded us the prior days, but we sure slept great.

After a few days in Puerto Natales it became time to officially say goodbye to Patagonia. The gorgeous blue lakes and sky and vibrant mountains followed us even to the airport in El Calafate. Patagonia was an extreme highlight in this journey. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend so much time in this stunning and amazing part of the world. It has a magic where you feel nothing but nature, and allows for a total disconnect from the hectic, often scary world we live in. I could have stared up at Fitz Roy, Cerro Torres and the three Torres for days. They are tokens of the majesty of this earth and exemplify how nature is truly perfect.

View on the W circuit

Walking through a forest on the W

One of the many bridges we crossed during our hike

Blue lakes and tons of mountains

Hanging out with a fox on the trail

Catching a quick break

Crossing one of the many rivers

Camp first night

The view from the Mirador Las Torres

Hike besides beautiful

A flight to Buenos Aires is where our journey lead us next. The city is sprawling, loud and packed with people. The country of Argentina is so geographically diverse, it is the 8th largest country on earth and allows for a wide variety of ecosystems. Somewhere between the jungles of Iguazu, wine country of Mendoza and the lush mountains of Patagonia lies Buenos Aires. This city is vibrant and feels so alive! We loved roaming the streets and exploring neighborhood by neighborhood. We enjoyed a free walking tour and learned about the city's history, growth and development and role as the country's capital. We heard about the architecture and infrastructure that shaped this country and saw for ourself why it earned the nickname the "Paris of South America". It boasts the world's widest boulevard, enormous parks full of art, and restaurant/cafes on every corner. While exploring the city we saw Tango danced in the streets and visited the cemetery of Recoleta. Both exude the passion for life and the respect for death the Argentines have. We spoiled ourselves with a few meals that are typically over our backpackers budget. The first meal we dined at Don Julio's. We consumed the most delicious steak I can remember to date and mashed potatoes. The sommelier helped us select a perfect wine from one of the many hundreds of Argentinian wines there were to choose from. We had arranged to meet a friend from the salt flats and enjoyed catching up with him and were grateful this was the place he chose. Argentine's love their meat and they take it very seriously. We were happy to partake in their traditional Parrillas the next night as well and decided to eat at a fun little joint named Siga La Vaca. It was more delicious meats, fresh salads, and some other authentic foods we were introduced too. A highlight was when Andrea was served intestines and asked the waiter what it was. He laughed because he knew we were not down to eat intestines but told us we should and that they are delicious.

All in all every experience we had in Chile and Argentina was amazing. In the short time we were bouncing back and forth between these countries, I feel that we "got a good feel" for the both of them. We made the most of the time we were given. We left Buenos Aires on December 11th by bus to travel to Puerto Iguazu. We are masters of overnight bus travel by now and were very happy with the Via Bariloche bus company. They made the long 17 hour bus ride breeze by. We have one last highlight of Argentina to discover tomorrow when we visit the Iguazu Falls!! Stay tuned!!