My Greatest Adventure

When I saw that this month’s TravelLinkUp topic was My Greatest Adventure, I knew exactly what to write about.

I had dreamt about South America from the age of 14.  I knew nothing about the continent, until one Geography lesson when we began learning about Brazil, about the cities and about the favelas.  And, from then on, I was hooked.  From that day forward I knew I would go to South America.

Fast forward 7 years later to February 2010 and I finally got there.  I was 21, had finished uni and had saved up to go by working for a few months.  I booked a ticket from London to Rio, with the return for five months later, with not very much planned in between.  And off I set, solo {I then had plans to meet my mum for two weeks, 12 weeks later and a friend after that}

The five months were full to the brim of adventures, and so I have picked 10 (and a bonus one) that really stand out for me.

Travelling solo 

I didn’t choose a small trip to have my first solo travel experience.  It’s true what they say, when you travel solo, you are never really alone.  I met so many people along the way.Rio, Brazil :: Couchsurfing at Carnival

I met the kindest people Couchsurfing through my trip and that wasn’t more true than in Rio for carnival.  CS meant that I got to go to all the local parties and street carnivals, I feel like I saw the real carnival. Buenos Aires, Argentina :: Volunteering with children in Buenos Aires

This was my ‘I want to be a teacher’ moment.El Calafate, Argentina :: Seeing a 19m long glacier

My mum came to Argentina half way through my trip for two weeks, we went to the glacier and it was the most beautiful. El Chalten, Argentina :: Hiking in Paragonia

I hadn’t really done much hiking before South America, but when the mountains look like this, who can refuse.  I spent two days trekking all through the day and fell for these mountains.Pucon, Chile :: Hiking up a live volcano

This was a really tough climb, I felt like I was going upright and you get to see lava at the top – the heat is unreal.  Then, we slid all the way down on our bums (yes, that really is the way to get down)San Pedro de Atacama, Chile to Uyuni, Bolivia :: Travelling through the world’s driest desert

Landscape that is indescribably beautiful, in a totally different way from mountains.  The colour and the vastness of the colours is stunning.    Cusco, Peru :: Hiking to Machu Picchu

Physically exhausting, rewarding and exhilirating all at the same time.Manaus, Brazil :: Spending three days in The Amazon

It was only myself and two friends with our guide, we didn’t see anyone else for the whole time we were in The Amazon. Gran Sabana, Venezuela :: Seeing the world’s longest waterfall

We travelled for days to get there, through isolated lands.  And it really was incredible when I look at that stream of water and thought, And perhaps my biggest adventure of all… wow, I’m looking at the longest waterfall in the world!

Bonus… Santiago, Chile :: Meeting Carlos

…meeting Carlos (my now husband).  Of course I didn’t realise at the time that almost six years later I’d be sitting next to him on our terrace in Santiago writing this blog post.  Travel really does take you on the most grand adventures!

What’s your biggest adventure?

Marcella xx

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Linking up with… Emma, Angie, Jessi & Andrea for #TravelLinkup

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