17 January 2009

Leaving on a Jet Plane! Goodbye New Zealand (for now)


HOLA!!

Welcome to our brand new blog!

Only 24 sleeps until the biggest adventure of our lives!!!

Rodreigo and I are backpacking through South America, flying out on the 10th February to Santiago, Chile. I can't believe that life as I know it will be completely different in only a matter of days...

And while I love my job, I am quite excited about not working for 5 months - I've had jobs since I was 14, working all of my holidays, so the feeling is pretty unreal, but to be honest it hasn't really sunk in that we're going. To say that Rodreigo is excited is an understatement!

So the rough plan is to head north up the Chilean cost, have a look around Bolivia, hit Peru and do the Inca trail to see Macchu Picchu, go to Ecuador and if the funds allow fly to the Galapogas Islands, then Columbia, and up to the Carribean coast, then across to Brazil following the amazon (by boat and land) to the Brazilian coast, then follow the Brazillian Coast south until we get to Rio De Janerio where we fly out from on 30th June to London where we will be working and playing. We'll initially be staying with my sister Leigh and her husband Paul in Putney, South West of London until we find a job and get some more income rolling in! Everyone that has been there has told me how lovely this suburb is, and it is right next to the Thames River which has plenty of rowing clubs on it, so Rodney can do a season or two of rowing.

This may change, and we can change our flights, we're bascially going to play it by ear - if we like a place, we'll stay a while, otherwise we'll move on and keep exploring. It only dawned on me at Christmas time how huge the continant is when I was showing my family a world map - it's WAY bigger than Australia, and we're doing most of it by land!! My luxury item is definitely going to be a pillow (I'll make it fit!!) cos those overnight bus trips are going to be looooonng!

We'll be uploading some photos along the way onto facebook, and hopefully keeping this blog up to date so you can see what we're up to, but obviously this will depend on internet access, and we don't wanna spend all our time on the net, but wanna keep our friends and family updated at the same time! We won't have a mobile phone, but will be sure to keep checking in!

Asta la vista!
Dahlia and Rodreigo xoxo

Email me on dailestephens@gmail.com