My Travel Year in Review: South America, 2012

In 2012, I saw some of our planet's most epic landscapes. I achieved my primary travel goals of 1) seeing more of South America and 2) touring Europe in between two travel conferences.

But, the fast pace of travel left me burnt out by year's end. Giving myself two and a half weeks to decompress in Florida, followed by the upcoming four months in Medellin, is precisely what I needed.

I have yet to write about much of what I've seen in 2012, so please consider this a brief look back and a preview of what's to come in early 2013.

Lima, Peru

I quietly celebrated New Year's Eve in Lima with a Peruvian friend and continued to enjoy the Summer atmosphere there. The weather is better, and you can see a bit more blue sky in Miraflores, the neighborhood where I lived. Plus, I visited several beaches south of the city.

By early February, I realized I was a man without a dream, having already achieved my trip around the world and location independence. I resolved to take life one day at a time and not lose sight of the fact that I was still doing the work I wanted to do and where I wanted to do it.

Patagonia

In early March, I flew from Lima to Buenos Aires ahead of my trip to Patagonia with G Adventures.

Within a few days, we were hiking around Fitz Roy mountain and fulfilled a childhood dream of going ice climbing! They even surprised us with a walk under Viedma Glacier, which was a first for me.

From El Chalten, we took a short drive to El Calafate to see the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier.

Every night, Christian, our guide, would take us to terrific restaurants where we'd feast on the best food in Patagonia, including fresh fish, lamb, and King crab chowder (my favorite).

In Torres del Paine, which recently suffered damage from wildfires, we hiked to the Three Towers and up the French Valley.

Later, we visited wild penguins from Ushuaia, the southernmost city in South America (and the world), and I flew a plane for the first time!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

In Buenos Aires, I settled into a new studio apartment in the charming Palermo Soho neighborhood.

I began taking tango lessons, reviewed a popular tango dinner show, attended a Boca Juniors soccer match, went on a graffiti tour, and sampled the famous Argentinian steaks in several popular parillas.

Despite being one of Latin America's most popular cities, I didn't feel a connection. I was happy to visit, but it's not someplace I'd choose to live.

Uruguay

I hopped a ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, capital of Uruguay. I didn't think much of it and quickly left for Punta del Este, which is considered the French Riviera of Latin America.

While the reputation may be well deserved, it's only true during the Summer (December to February). When I got there in May, the city was eerily empty.

I knew Cabo Polonio, a small hippy village by the beach, would be empty, but I decided to check it out anyway. I left the next day for Punta del Diablo, which was empty, too.

This fishing village wasn't a big city like Punta del Este, nor too small to support tourism in the off-season like Cabo Polonio. It was just right, and I enjoyed having the beach town to myself for a few days.

My last stop in Uruguay was the historic city of Colonia, a popular destination for daytrippers from Buenos Aires. I'd heard Uruguay is expensive, but I was surprised to learn that travel costs are higher than in Argentina, even in the off-season.

More of Argentina

From Uruguay, I crossed back into Argentina and headed west to Rosario, which didn't do much for me. Cordoba was better, and I took a fun day trip to Che Guevara's childhood home in nearby Alta Gracia. His old house is now a museum.

After Patagonia, Mendoza was my second favorite place in Argentina. I took a regular wine tour and later reviewed a bicycle wine tour. Fall was a particularly picturesque time to be there, and if I were to live in Argentina, Mendoza would be the frontrunner.

Chile & The Atacama Desert

The bus from Mendoza to Santiago offered excellent mountain scenery, and I'd recommend it over flying. I spent five days in Santiago, but the pollution was on par with what I'd seen in Hong Kong and China.

People complain about air pollution in Medellin, but it's not nearly as bad. Unfortunately, I left without experiencing the true natural beauty of the surrounding mountains.

The highlight of my stay was a visit to the Concha y Toro winery, about an hour outside the city. I then spent a rainy weekend in Valparaiso before flying north to San Pedro de Atacama.

The scenery of the Atacama Desert was stunning, and it is undoubtedly one of my favorite new destinations of 2012. This is the desert where NASA tests its robotic rovers for missions to Mars.

Snow-capped mountains jutting up from the desert landscapes and multi-colored lagoons were just a few of the scenes I saw. Plus, many activities are available, from nightly astronomy tours to sandboarding.

Bolivia

Most backpackers arrange their trips to the Bolivian Salt Flats from Uyuni, Bolivia, but it's also possible to do so from San Pedro, Chile.

My 3-day journey from San Pedro to Uyuni was incredible. Sleeping at an altitude of 4,300 meters the first night left me with painful fingertips for the next week and a half, as my body couldn't adapt to the 2,000-meter altitude difference overnight. Surprisingly, I didn't suffer from much else, such as headaches or nausea.

As I was in a rush to return to Peru, I'd only spend two weeks in Bolivia when South America's cheapest destination really deserves a solid four to six weeks.

I made an ill-fated attempt at a mining tour in Potosi, the world's highest city, and attempted to bribe my way into San Pedro Prison in La Paz. I also missed biking the world's most dangerous road and hunting for anacondas in the Amazon. I'd love to see more of Bolivia someday, but I'm not rushing to return.

Peru

I returned to Peru via the longest bus ride of my life, from La Paz to Lima. Within a few days, I was suffering severe back pain, resulting in a few visits to an orthopedist.

Despite my bad back, I had a wonderful time spotting jaguars and other wildlife on a week-long trip into the Amazon.

Back in Lima, I could not sit for long periods due to pain in my lower back, so I didn't get much done.

The cool winter weather and the small micro-studio apartment I rented weren't conducive to writing. I spent time with friends and belted out my first karaoke song in Spanish (Colgando en Tus Manos).

Colombia

My last stop on the continent was a brief two-week visit to Medellin. Upon arrival, I immediately remembered why I loved the expat life there; only now did I have a better idea of how it compared to other major cities in South America.

I spent my time catching up with friends, trying new restaurants like Carmen and Naan, the city's first Indian spot, and visiting the city's castle and zoo.

When I recall all these experiences, it's hard to believe they all happened within the first eight months of 2012. See how I spent the year's final four months in Part 2.

Click here to read my 2011 year in review.

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Dave's 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide is available for Kindle and PDF.

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.