Not-so-hidden costs

We've been shopping! I have spent a lot more money than I expected to in the last couple of weeks and we haven't even left the country yet. Oops. There have been a lot of unexpected costs that keep popping up and it makes me wonder if everyone who goes travelling has the same surprises we are having...

Not exactly hidden costs but easy to forget ones;

• Redirecting post for a year.
• Fixing clothes. For some reason I have a lot of clothes with holes in them.
• Very expensive Vaccines.
• Walking boots. 
• Good quality sandals.
• Ruck sacks.
• 9 months supply of daily contact lenses.
• Travel insurance (and photography equipment insurance if you're taking any good kit).
• Worldwide adaptors.
• Medicine, first aid kit and wash kit.
• Netbook computer. not essential but we've gone for it.
• A Kindle. again, not essential but I'm really glad I've got one.
• Batteries for everything that takes batteries.
• Gadgets that Jim can't do without... head torch, travel sink plug, rucksack liner, padlocks, washing line, sporks, and more gismos I can't remember.
• Nice new stationery because it's just too hard to resist.
• Bits and bobs that say 'travel' on them so I suddenly think I need it!

It all seems so obvious but I hadn't really planned for most of it and I had really underestimated the prices on the things I had planned for. The way things are going we really will be doing the next year on a shoestring!

Feeling a little impatient... want to start the journey.

drew this a while ago. wise words from my brother. still relevant

less than a month to go.

I have been so busy tying up loose ends that I have only just started thinking about what we are about to do. I have always wanted to do it; wander as a nomad, be immersed in exciting cultures, learn a language till I dream in it and volunteer wherever I can along the way. Now I am doing it and all I am thinking about is lists of jobs to get done, lists of clothes to take and lists of gadgets I mustn't forget. For that reason I have decided to stop being so sensible and think about all the amazing things that could await us...

yep. can't wait!

Mad Dogs and English Men.

Vaccines. It is not exactly the most interesting part about going travelling but it's got to be thought about. I'd researched how much each different vaccine cost, I'd looked into whether or not all the vaccines were actually necessary and I'd made up my mind. We went to see the travel health nurse and it all went out the window. I got scared. We ended up getting everything advised and spending a lot of money!

The Rabies vaccine was one we very nearly opted out of. It's very expensive and I'm not planning on going near, let alone be bitten by, a scary rabid dog. If I did get bitten then I would be much more worried about getting to a hospital and not bleeding to death! Okay, so I may be being a little dramatic but it's true... or so I thought. Apparently you can be bitten by a small bat in the middle of the night, not even realise you have been bitten and that would be enough to get infected with rabies. Anyway, I was convinced.

Malaria tablets were the next dilemma I had. There are lots of expensive Malaria prevention tablets like 'Malarone' with horrible side effects and they do not always cover all strains of Malaria. We have opted for 'Doxycycline' which is basically just an anti biotic but it works to help protect you from all Malaria. It is really cheap (if you get it from the right place) and should not have any serious side effects.  The dilemma I had was whether to take any of these or just go with natural remedies and vitamins. Again, I've been slightly scared into going with the mainstream route. We've got 6 months worth of tablets and can use them in any high risk areas.

useful maps from www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
with clear malaria risk areas

One traveller's vaccines for South America...

Rabies 

= £150 (3x £50 vaccines before you go, spread out over a month)
Yellow fever
= £50 (and you get a certificate for your pains)
Malaria
= £3.50 a day or 44p a week (...hmm, not exactly a choice!)
Hep B, Hep C, Typhoid, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio
= free (just a bit of an achy arm!)

...times that by two and it really adds up. never mind, at least we will not be worrying about scary rabid vampire bats!



(if you are having the same dilemmas as me http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx is full of really useful information...)

The reinvention of daily life means marching off the edge of our maps.

-bob black

I've been looking at maps, following other peoples routes along their maps and drawing my own quite badly proportioned map...

Every time I think I might have come up with a potential route for our adventure through South America I change my mind. There are so many amazing places to see and experiences not to be missed that of course there are too many. It's a little overwhelming.

We are arriving in Buenos Aires. That's the only decision we have made, it's a start... but where to next?

Second decision is whether to go south or not. Patagonia. Looks fantastic. Expensive. Long long journey from B.A. I managed to convince Jim that maybe we can go back for a holiday one day when we have more money.

So, I believe we have three options for our Argentinean travels and beyond;

1. west, straight across to Mendoza, over the Andes and into Chile and then north up the coast.
2. north/east to Puerto Iguazu and then back north/west of Argentina and continue into Bolivia.
3. straight to the north of Argentina via Cordoba, up to Salta, over a border to either Chile or Bolivia.

At one point we were contemplating having help with one of these options and following a typical backpackers route by using a company to guide us along our way (the 'Libertador Ways' with Bamba bus http://www.bambaexperience.com/bus-travel-buenosaires-lima.php looked particularly interesting). It seems like a simple way to travel; safe, secure and probably really fun, but there just doesn't seem to be enough flexibility. So, we will be making our own way.

I would love to go to Chile but (along with Argentina) it seems to be relatively expensive compared to the rest of South America. We can't afford it so unfortunately option '1' is out. Option '2', although beautiful, looks like it will be really touristy so we are also going to miss out Puerto Iguazu. That leaves option '3'...

hopefully will have one of my own photos soon :)

...our plan is to make our way up to northern Argentina, explore some gorgeous looking places, a little bit off the beaten track, short journeys, short stays and cross over to Bolivia.

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
-Lao Tzu


hmm, I like plans... hopefully the more we travel the less I'll plan.

/ˈnəʊmads/

'roaming in search of pasture'


So, Jim and I are going to be roaming South America soon in search of something... we have no fixed plans, we don't have very much money but we have 2 one way plane tickets to Buenos Aires and we've looked at a lot of maps. I thought I would start this blog now, maybe write a little before we go and then see what happens when we get there!