Episode 8 - A chat with Bart

And so, as all good things must, the trip comes to an end. We get back into Buenos Aires in time to enjoy a big night out and a gig. We then take a flight to spend a couple of days at Iguazu Falls, before heading back down to Buenos Aires for the last few days before heading home. What a truly amazing and unforgettable trip it had been, and I hope you've enjoyed it as I've relived it over the past few months. It's been a pleasure having you with me. 

In this episode I have a good catch up with my travel buddy and dear friend Bart. We re-live the trip from start to finish, share some of our favourite moments, and some stories that don't appear in any other episode.

In this episode we spend time in Potosi and have a few drinks, not advisable at such high altitude. The highlight of the episode is a visit to the Salar De Uyuni, a place that's as memorable and spectacular as Macchu Picchu and the Rainforest. We then start to wend our way back to Buenos Aires...

We begin this episode in Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and spend a little more time there than we planned...Once we manage to get out, we head to Bolivia's capital La Paz, where Bart risks his life and I, predictably, don't. 

In this episode we visit 3 icons of the South American continent - Machu Picchu, The Amazon Rainforest and Lake Titicaca. All probably deserving of their own episode each, and a lot to fit into less than half an hour. But as I say in the intro, I never kept this diary to be a full and in depth story, I kept it so that these experiences might stay with me through the years. It's always done that, and is particularly the case now through making this podcast. 

And we're back for a proper full episode! This sees us continue the journey through Chile, taking in the Atacama desert and the coastal town of Arica. We then cross into Peru where, despite one or two problems, this really feel like an adventure. We also go on a couple of very long bike rides in this episode, which may or may not have been too much for me...

I take a break from the travels themselves to reflect on episodes 1 and 2, and to answer some questions that have come up over the first couple of weeks. 

We start this episode in Valdivia, then take in Pucon and Santiago. As the title suggests, regrettably I spent some of the time during this part of the trip unwell. As a result, there's a couple of days where not very much happens, and we also seem to watch quite a few films...

Episode 1 and the trip begins! Starting with a few days in Buenos Aires, we then fly South to Ushuaia in Tierra Del Fuego. Departing Ushuaia, we take in some of Argentina's Patagonian landscapes including the Perito Moreno glaciar, and then pass through the Welsh region of Argentina for tea and cake. This before spending a week or so relaxing in the idyllic surroundings of Bariloche, set in Argentina's Lake District. We then take our first steps onto Chilean soil...  Credits: MrMaulara: "Ultima Bienvenida a Martin Palermo en la Bombonera 12-06-2011" https://youtu.be/JiRY7d4AnTA - used under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY). All other SFX and music from Epidemic Sound. 

Recollections of a South American adventure - The Trailer!  Back in 2003/4 I took a year out between school and university. I spent 2 months of that time travelling in South America, and kept a diary of the trip. That diary has been sitting on my bookcase this whole time - I've re-read it a couple of times since and each time it's brought back great memories. I'm not so intrepid anymore, but back then I was probably more adventurous - oh and younger, a lot younger.  Given the new expanse of spare time those of us that are child-free and not working during the coronavirus pandemic have, I thought this might make a fun podcast. This has given me a creative and challenging project to work on throughout this time. Even if no one else ever listens to this, the process itself has been rewarding in and of itself. It's kept me busy and challenged me to learn new skills and research all sorts of different things.  If you do listen, I really appreciate you giving me your time, and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I'm enjoying making it.