The Final Chapter: 27,000km to Mexico City
One of the largest public squares in the world, at the heart of Mexico City (Unsplash)
We were meant to go out in a blaze of glory… but the reality was a rather different story.
Our time in Mexico City saw us recovering quite well from our illness, relapsing, and ending up hooked up to an IV for antibiotics. Not the high we thought we would end on!
We did manage to enjoy our time in the city, just at a much slower pace than expected. We really loved the vibe of where we stayed in Roma Norte neighbourhood. It reminded us of all the the reasons we love Buenos Aires. Tree-lined streets, cool boutiques, vintage shops, record stores (didn’t find what we wanted despite a whole day of crate-digging!) and so many bars and restaurants.
We just wish we had felt a little better so we could have enjoyed it more - particularly the food and nightlife!
There’s probably not much point boring you with how we dragged ourselves around the city’s sites! So instead I’ll let you into my thought process over the last couple of weeks. We’ve spent a lot of time resting and recovering, and during that time my mind had naturally looked back and tried to process and reflect a little on everything we have seen and done in the last eleven months.
For a start, we worked out that we have covered 27,000km overland since we touched down in South America last June. Madness!
No surprises, but it’s by far the best thing we have ever done. It was super scary leaving lives that we loved, but we have gained so much from getting out of our comfort zone and we’ve had experiences that, even now, don’t feel real.
High points… it’s really hard to choose! If I had to pick a few:
The Inca Trail was something we had our sights set on from day one, it’s the very first thing we booked, and it far surpassed our very high expectations. We hiked with an amazing bunch of people, and were blown away by the campsites and food we got whilst on the trail!
In Ecuador, hiking the Quilotoa Loop was an unexpected highlight. It was our first multi day trek and doing it unguided meant we felt like real explorers, navigating dusty trails and, inevitably, getting a little lost. The weather was beautiful and the views were stunning every step of the way. We also met a whole bunch of friendly, independent travellers, some of whom we crossed paths with again and again on our trip through South America!
Huaraz, Peru was also unexpectedly beautiful. The hike to Laguna Charup was one of the best we did, and it was here that we did our first ever mountain climb, breaking the 5000m altitude barrier when we summited Nevado Mateo.
Bolivia was a short time but full of jaw-dropping natural places. Between our pilgrimage to Isla del Sol and three days on the Salt Flats, we saw some of the most serene and isolated landscapes imaginable. I was definitely channeling inner peace and positive energy during my time in the country.
Being back in Patagonia was special beyond words, and our time in Argentina felt like a continuation of our trip in 2019 - it’s where we let loose the most, had the most fun, and jumped between endless nature and bustling city-life. It felt like a holiday within the trip.
This list is very South America dominated so far, but we had some great times in Central as well! The highlight was our time in Antigua, Guatemala, and climbing Acatenango volcano. A truly once in a lifetime experience where we met some amazing people.
After six months away from home, meeting up with our friends Maddy and Jonny mid-way through their own extended trip was the perfect way to start our Central America leg. It’s a New Year’s Eve we will always remember!
And, finally, the two weeks we spent with our friend Jay in Costa Rica and Nicaragua were absolutely packed with activities! A highlight was the four days we spent on Ometepe island, an incredible place.
From this list you’ll gather that we treasured our time in the Andes most of all, and we would go back and repeat this part of the trip over and over again. It’s a magical place that’s definitely in our hearts forever.
Finally… are we sad to be going home? Yes and no. It’s sad that something we have wanted to do for so long, planned for and saved for, dreamt about and got excited about, has all come to an end. But, eleven months later, we have done every single thing we set out to do, and more. So we’re feeling a mixture of sadness but also satisfaction and a little bit of disbelief that we undertook such an epic adventure.
But there are so many things to look forward to when we go home. Spending time with our nieces, seeing our friends and family, and simple things like having more than the clothes in our backpack to wear! The small pleasures of everyday life will be even more appreciated because we’ve been away for so long.
All that’s left to say is, Gracias, Latin America! We loved (almost) every second. You’ve been a wild ride and a dream come true.
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