- 1. Recap of a Year of Travel Around the World
- 2. When Nothing Goes as Planned
- 3. Not a Round-the-World Trip!
- 4. Peru
- 5. Chile
- 6. Argentina
- 7. El Salvador
- 8. Guatemala
- 9. Honduras
- 10. Belize
- 11. Mexico
- 12. Belgium
- 13. France
- 14. Croatia
- 15. Spain
- 16. Belgium (again)
- 17. Sri Lanka
- 18. Thailand
- 19. Spain
- 20. Portugal
- 21. Myths and Demystifications
- 22. Fun Facts and Random Memories
- 23. These Modes of Transport
- 24. These Powerful Moments
- 25. These Peoples Who Touched Me
- 26. These Firsts
- 27. These Bucket List Dreams Fulfilled
- 28. It's Over...
Recap of a Year of Travel Around the World
That's it, the end of our year of travel. Nothing went as planned... But that was to be expected!
A little recap of a year of traveling around the world.
When Nothing Goes as Planned
We imagined that in the heart of this sabbatical year, we would traverse America, starting with South America, then Central and North America (hence the name of our project >). And in the end, that's exactly what we did... But not as we had imagined. We know that we are not good at sticking to plans. That's why we try to make as few plans as possible!
After 5 months in the U.S., we flew to Europe to attend the Travel Blogger Conference. Secretly, we had decided to shorten our sabbatical year so as not to spend all our funds in order to better prepare for our next project... But in the end, different opportunities presented themselves to us (sailing in Croatia, flying to a distant island)... And we couldn't refuse them!
Not a Round-the-World Trip!
Our trip around the world is not really a round-the-world trip. Already we think we might not be able to make it around our great planet (or at least not in such a short time, we are much too slow for that!) and our itinerary is anything but a neatly arranged tour.
Back and forth, unexpected events, and changes of course: that's what our year of travel was made of!
Here is the somewhat chaotic itinerary of our trip around the world (click on the name of the country to discover the cities and regions we visited):
Peru
LimaBarranco and CaralHuaraz and WilcahuainLima (again)ParacasArequipa
Chile
IquiqueSantiagoEaster IslandValparaisoPuerto MonttPuerto VarasChalten and FutaleufuThe island of Chiloe : Castro and CucaoCoyhaiquePuerto Rio Tranquilo and Chile Chico
Argentina
Caleta OliviaPuerto DeseadoPuerto MadrynBuenos Aires
El Salvador
San Salvadorand discoveries of other cities/regions like Playa Tunco, Santa Ana...
Guatemala
AntiguaAcatenangoChichicastenangoAtitlanLivingstonFlores
Honduras
Copán
Belize
Caye CaulkerSan Pedro
Mexico
TulumPlaya del CarmenCozumelCancúnIsla MujeresHolboxMérida
Belgium
Brussels for a few days (enough to surprise our loved ones)
France
Corsica: AjaccioRoad trip in southern Corsica
Croatia
Cruise on a sailboat from Biograd to Trogir
Spain
La Manga del Mar Menor (family vacation)
Belgium (again)
Brussels : a short break (split between Corsica and Croatia, Spain and Asia: enough to make a new Podcast video and recharge before the departure for Asia
Thailand
BangkokHua Hin and Sam Roi YodKoh TaoKoh Samui and AngthongChiang RaiChiang MaiBangkok
Spain
Barcelona
Portugal
Road trip in the Centro region of Portugal, from Porto to Lisbon
South America, Central America, North America, Europe and Asia are the continents that welcomed us during this year of travel without an itinerary.
Myths and Demystifications
A journey is an opportunity to confront one's preconceived notions, to verify certain legends, and demystify others.
- The whale sharkJust like the unicorn, the whale shark does not exist. It's evident now. Everywhere we went, we heard about this great fish. We were told it had been spotted some time ago or, on the contrary, that it was just not the right season and that we were just missing it. We heard beautiful stories, we were shown breathtaking images. I who dreamed of swimming with a whale shark... But there you go, it's decided: the whale shark does not exist... until proven otherwise!
- An insect-free roomAn insect-free room also does not exist. The most common roommates will be ants who, indifferent to our fleeting passage, continue their tireless commutes in search of a crumb to take back to their city. Well, the ants, as long as they don't come to share my bed, I manage. But next to them, mosquitoes are much less accommodating (especially when traveling with someone allergic to insect bites) and spiders do not like being disturbed (especially when assisted by someone who runs faster than their shadow!). As for cucarachas (cockroaches), even though their Spanish name sounds nice, sorry, no: I really don't like having them near me!
- Tuk-tukIn Asia, one of the main issues for travelers, compared to Latin America, is the language. Difficult to learn for a novice, and especially hard to learn them all. Because while Spanish is enough to travel across almost 3 continents, each Asian country requires starting from scratch. But, there is a but, we discovered a word that is found in (almost) all these countries. A very important word, identical for all these countries:
Yes, really think about it: how many times do we not get approached by a friendly >? To which it is appropriate to reply politely: >.
Fun Facts and Random Memories
These Modes of Transport
A year-long journey around the world is a chance to borrow many forms of transport. In mixed, disorganized, and anachronistic order, it looks like this:
These Powerful Moments
Intense emotions and unforgettable moments, here are my 10 most profound memories from this year of travel around the world:
- paragliding along the cliffs (Peru)
- discussing by the fire, welcomed by a Peruvian family
- discovering Peruvian cuisine in its refined aspect and Japanese influences (yum!)
- walking on a glacier in Chilean Patagonia
- participating in the life of an NGO in Patagonia (Argentina)
- meeting a Mayan spiritual guide (Guatemala)
- standing before the imposing pyramid of Chichén Itzá (Mexico)
- rappelling down into a cenote and diving into a cenote (Mexico)
- being invited by a Chinese community to share their festive meal (Thailand)
- being surrounded by gluttonous elephants (Thailand)
These Peoples Who Touched Me
Throughout this year, I was touched by...
- the familial welcome of Afro-Peruvians
- the easy-going nature of the people of Easter Island
- the endearing emotional restraint of Patagonians
- the generosity and warmth of Central and North American Latinos
- the kindness of women in Sri Lanka
- the laughter and kindness of Thais
These Firsts
- First seaplane flight
- First night on a ferry
- First birthdays abroad
- First television appearance
- First travel presentation in front of a group of children
- First presentation in front of a gathering of tourism professionals
- First cake competition and first tai chi class on a sailboat
- First immersion on a personal underwater scooter
- First (and last) ingestion of bee larva
- First time on a Segway
- First roasted marshmallows on a volcano
These Bucket List Dreams Fulfilled
In one year, we accomplished 7 points from our long Bucket List:
- go to Mexico
- go to Thailand
- go to Easter Island
- see Mayan temples
- dive in a cave
- walk on a glacier
- go on a safari
And we repeated some, like > or >, and almost missed others (like >!).
It's Over...
That's it. This is the end. The end of an adventure. The end of a chapter. The end of a life within a life...
But life goes on. Blank pages lie ahead, ready to welcome new expeditions on our little planet!
So many new adventures await on the horizon...
To learn more about our sabbatical year: What this year-long journey has brought meTo revisit the project >: the announcement of the project and the change of plansTo prepare for this journey: A year of travel? In the bags of A Backpack on Your BackAnd to dive back into this year on the roads: many articles have already been published... and many more will follow in the upcoming months. So much more to tell you!