People who know me, also know that I can get easily distracted, a little naive and drifting sometimes. Which is quite ok if you walk around in your own neighborhood but can be even up to dangerous when you’re in a foreign environment. So the last days in New York where quite a good practice to put together a list to myself what to do when travelling since South America will be a bit more challenging. You might laugh at the advices or think they are trivial but they have been proven to be useful. At least for me. I am going to learn them by heart now. If you have any more suggestions, please put them in the comments!

1. Most important, but always done wrong: Don’t take more with you than absolutely necessary. You have to carry all the shit around and a shirt more or less can make a difference.

2. Put your stuff always in the same pockets so you know where to find it. And that something is wrong when it’s not there.

3. Never put all the valuable stuff in one place so if you get stolen or robbed, it’s not gone altogether. Always keep a dollar in your pocket, for tips and robbers.

4. Remember key features of your environment like shops or houses.

5. When riding a bus or the train, make sure you’re going in the right direction and you get off at the right station. Sounds easy. It’s not.

6. When entering a store or coffee shop, make sure which direction you came from so you know where to continue.

7. Turn around once in a while to see what the way looks like you came from, so you’ll recognize it coming from the other direction.

8. Information in emails is fine but useless when you cannot access it. Write the important stuff like telephone numbers, flight dates or addresses on paper.

9. When in need for some advice for the right way, ask women who could be your mum. In terms of age I mean. They will help you.

10. With all the caution it’s also ok to trust. Trust yourself, trust trustworthy people, trust your luck and fate.

And number 11 I gladly take from the comments:

11. Make a picture of your luggage in case you have to check it in. Very helpful at the lost baggage counter.

Within two weeks I will be off and travelling South America for two months, and I am dead excited! Preparations are almost made, I have a perfect bagpack, not too big, not too small, I have the right jacket, shoes, one of these lights you can put on your head, a sleeping bag, a kindle device for reading books, lots of audio books on the ipod, I have a towel which is light and tiny but has the superdrying powers and I hope the vaccination from the Thailand trip should also work in South America.

I got tons of tips from friends what to visit and to see, I have adresses to tango bars in Buenos Aires and to surfer beaches in Ecuador, hostels in La paz and trails in the Andes. But even more important, I have people to meet, friend’s cousins in Argentina, a friend in Lima, friends of friends in Quito and so on.

Größere Kartenansicht

And here is the route I’ll be travelling: To NYC on the 8th of feb, stay for three days, fly to Buenos Aires, stay for a week, than a long trip to Salta, Atacama desert, Potosí, La Paz, Puno, Titicaca, Cuzco, Inka Trail, Lima, stay for some days and travel slowly north at the coast line to Ecuador and finally to Quito from where I fly back via NYC again after two months. Back in Berlin in april when the weather should start getting better slowly.

So, the excitment grows every day! I don’t know how much internet I am going to allow myself, but I will sure post some updates about the trip from time to time. Also, I want to thank all of the people who help me with advice and lend me stuff, my flatmates who are going to take care of our place while I am away and last but not least, the PANORAMA3000 team who make it possible for me to leave the office for quite a long time. It’s going to be great!