About Us

To all who wander here, we’re Aiden and Julia, nice to meet you!

Welcome to the Adventurer’s Almanac. We’re just your average thirty-something couple who have dreamt about our first backpacking adventure together for many years. What began as a modest 6 week European trip slowly morphed into an epic year long South American adventure.

Though we try to travel on a budget, we are not averse to splashing out on a once in a life time experience; such as a cruise around the Galapagos Islands, or a delicious luxury food tour in Lima. Our plans are usually flexible with no fixed itinerary, as we enjoy going where the adventure takes us.

Having first met in college, it wasn’t until years later, once we’d both been shaped by our own solo backpacking adventures (Aiden to North America and Julia to Southeast Asia) that we decided to pursue our life together. Understandably, travel and adventure has always been one of our biggest shared interests. Yet, as dreamy and idealistic as a year abroad initially seemed, the realities of travelling as a couple with vastly differing travel styles, has at times been quite challenging.

Our Travelling Styles

Julia is a typical ‘Carpe Diem’ traveller, always seeking to step outside her comfort zone. No food too gross, no mountain too high, no path to be left untrodden. With an unwavering belief that even a bad experience is guaranteed to be interesting, it’s better to forge ahead, mistakes and mishaps be damned. For her, these simply add to the authenticity of backpacking. Safety is still paramount, but sometimes you have to accept you’ve planned enough and it’s time to go out and ‘do’. What will be will be, and you cannot travel in constant trepidation.

In contrast, Aiden finds it challenging to see past how terrifying travelling can be. Erring on the side of caution and staying firmly inside his comfort zone, a good day begins with a proper cup of tea, and ends with a hearty meal. For him, travelling is all about the getting away from the humdrum of normal life, dipping your toes in other cultures and eating incredible food while you do it. Suffering from an overly cautious and sceptical disposition, he hopes to push the boundaries and stray a little further into the unknown.

Being such different travellers, we feel provides us with some unique perspectives to offer. And our adventures, advice, trials and tribulations, we hope, will inspire other potential wanderlusters be they brave or cautious, on their travels.

Why call our blog The Adventurer’s Almanac

An Almanac, is a guide or handbook… and we intend to create a South American travel blog as useful and detailed as any guidebook.

As much as we would have loved to simply throw some clothes into backpacks and buy one way tickets to Sao Paulo, the reality is a trip of this length takes a lot of planning. Especially if, like us, you aim to cram in as much as possible in just 12 months.

It can be hard to know where to begin when facing the daunting task of planning your dream trip. There’s so much available information, hundreds of blogs, often with contradicting information. Worse are the frustrating situations which can arise when relying on information provided by an out of date, or just incorrect blog. Over the course of our year long adventure, we met many travellers often just as lost and as desperate for reliable information and advice as us.

As such, through this blog we aim consolidate all our research and information learnt along the way. By sharing our planning and travel experiences right down to the smallest details – both the good and inevitably, the bad, we hope to provide answers and solutions to the everyday problems we face as Backpackers, as well as a plethora of travel ideas.

Our Mission

The main goal of The Adventurer’s Almanac is to help fellow travellers, by removing some of the uncertainty and stress of travel planning. We aim to create inspirational, honestly written itineraries, filled with useful and practical information, enabling others to learn from our mistakes.

Our personal travel goals, beyond exploring what the world has to offer, are rather more philosophical:

Aiden

• It’s all about perspective – Widening my own, challenging preconceived notions, stepping away from my current life in order to refresh.
• Eat all of the food. (It’s philosophical to me at least)
• Making it home again in one piece.

Julia

• Somewhat cliché, but self transformation. I hope to better understand myself, so once home again, I’ll be inspired and empowered to change and challenge my life.
• Creativity – improve my writing and hopefully develop some photography skills.
• Convince Aiden to fully embrace the nomadic lifestyle. Does this really have to be just 12 months?

What we are most excited about in South America

At time of writing, 5 days from the beginning of our adventure, it’s fair to say we’re both pretty excited about everything, albeit a little daunted. Besides trying new foods, learning about new cultures, going on tours, hikes, scuba diving etc, we have attempted to narrow down what most excites us about each of the 7 countries we’ll be visiting:

Brazil

Nature and Exploration – Besides the obvious Amazon Rainforest tour, visiting both Chapada Diamantina National Park and the hidden eco-paradise that is Jalapão State Park. Feeling the spray of the world’s wildest waterfalls, the Iguazu Falls and exploring the island paradise Ilha Grande.

Adrenaline – Dune buggy in Natal. Hang gliding and scuba diving in Rio.

Food and drink – So much choice! Coxinha, deep-fried chicken and cheese stuffed dough Churrascaria, Brazilian BBQ. Feijoada, Brazil’s national dish, typically a thick beefy black bean stew. Pastels, the Brazilian version of empanadas. All the seafood! (you’ll soon learn Julia is a seafood fanatic) And of course, A Casa do Porco, currently the 6th best restaurant in the world.

For those with a sweet tooth like Julia, Brigadeiro, an iconic truffle look alike chocolate dessert. And of course Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar, and lime!

Argentina

Nature and Exploration – Hiking Patagonia, El Chalten and El Calafate. Seeing penguins and swimming with sea lions in Puerto Madryn. Visiting the Salinas Grandes, the Argentinian salt flats, and the rainbow mountains Quebrada de Humahuaca.

Adrenaline – Trekking Perito Moreno glacier. Sea kayaking in Ushuaia. Paragliding, mountain biking, rafting, rappelling etc in Salta.

Food and drink – The famous Argentinian beef, lamb al Asado (BBQ), empanadas and choripan, the Argentinian answer to hotdogs. For dessert, according to the National Geographic, Heladeria Cadore is one of the top 5 places in the world to eat ice cream. But we’re also excited to try the Patagonian chocolate, El Calafate berries and some Alfajores, Argentina’s favourite biscuit, described as dulce de leche, shortbread macarons.

And to wash all that down, a warm cup of Yerba Mate, black herbal tea, and wine tasting in Salta.

Chile

Nature and Exploration – Even more Penguins and Patagonian hikes, in particular hiking in Torres del Paine National Park. Visit one of the harshest environments in the world, the Atacama Desert.

Adrenaline – Whitewater rafting in Futaleufu. Climbing Villarrica volcano, and enjoying all Pucon has to offer, as the adventure capital of Chile.

Food and drink – More empanadas! (we will be trying each country’s variation of this classic). We’re looking forward to trying a Churrasco, a Chilean steak sandwich, and their take on a beef and corn stew, a Pastel de Choclo. Machas a la Parmesana, cheesy clams and Chupe, a hearty seafood stew.

To follow, we cannot wait to try the delicious sounding after dinner snack, Sopaipillas, consisting of light pastries topped with warm honey. As well as some Calzones Rotos, almond and brandy filled, fried pastry. And lastly, a Chilean Pisco Sour

Bolivia

Nature and Exploration – More hiking, El Choro, Amboro National Park, Austria Peak, Huayna Potosi, to name a few. Visiting the unworldly landscape of the Valley of the Moon and of course the world’s largest salt flats, Solar de Uyuni. Oh and one more Amazon Jungle tour.

Adrenaline – Besides fitting in as many activities as we can in the adventurous mountain town of Coroico, Skydiving in Santa Cruz, Paragliding in La Paz, and most exciting of all, mountain biking Death Road.

Food and drink – Saltena, the Bolivian equivalent of empanadas. Sopa de Mani, peanut soup, and Zonzo, a grilled cheese yucca pancake, often served wrapped around a stick. For afters, Buñuelos, Bolivian donuts, Leche Asada, roasted milk, which admittedly doesn’t sound too pleasant, but is a Bolivian favourite. And Api con pastel, a fruity corn drink with accompanying cake or pastry.

Peru

Nature and Exploration – Peru is rich with things to see and do, including: Machu Picchu, via the 5-day Salkantay Trek. The iconic Rainbow Mountain, Islas Ballestas (a budget alternative to Galápagos), flying over the Nazca Lines, hiking Colca Canyon and the Huayhuash Circuit. And of course, another excursion into the Amazon Rainforest.

Adrenaline – Spending a night in a Skylodge Adventure Suite if our budget permits. Hiking the Pastoruri Glacier, swimming with sea lions, going on a dune buggy and sand boarding, and generally just a lot of hiking, cycling and mountain biking.

Food and drink – Ceviche, Peru’s national dish. Any (or all) of the 3 restaurants in Lima currently in the world’s top 50: Central, Maido and Mayta. And two mains we’re rather apprehensions about, but are both apparently delicious must tries, Anticuchos de Corazón, grilled heart, and Guy, aka Guinea Pig. For dessert, who could say no to a Suspiro Limeño. A classic postre consisting of a caramel base, topped with port and cinnamon perfumed Italian meringue.

Ecuador

Nature and Exploration – Besides the Galápagos Islands, the Isla de La Plata (another budget friendly, alternative Galápagos), and yet another Amazon tour. Hiking Cotopaxi, the Quilotoa Loop, and some of the many volcanoes. Visiting Cajas National Park, described as a “scene straight out of Middle Earth”.

Adrenaline – Everything Banos has to offer: rock climbing, ziplining, canyoning, white water rafting, paragliding etc. Cycling the ‘road of waterfalls’ 17km to the ‘Devil’s cauldron’. And feeling nothing but air under our feet on the ‘swing at the end of the world’, La Casa de Arbol.

Food and drink – From our preliminary research, it appears Ecuadorians are very fond of cheese. As such, there are many traditional dishes we hope to try. Including: Humita, similar to tamales, Llapingachos, cheese stuffed fried potato cakes, typically served with a peanut sauce, and Bolon de Verde (big green ball), cheese stuffed green plantain dumplings. For something sweet, a traditional steamed corn cake wrapped in achira leaves, Quimbolitos. And Naranjilla a popular fruit, which translates to ‘little orange’.

Colombia

Nature and Exploration – Exploring Tayrona and El Cocuy National Parks. San Andrés in the Carribean Sea, the mountain town of Minca, and the utterly unique Valle de Cocora. For our last trek, a 4-6day jungle hike to Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City.

Adrenaline – Bungee jumping, white water rafting, paragliding etc in Bogota and Guatape. Scuba diving off Santa Marta and the Rosario Islands. Hiking La Chorrera and Chiflon, Colombia’s highest waterfall.

Food and drink – Julia is very excited for the Colombian coffee and chocolate, being one of the birthplaces of cacao. We also hope to try some Pandebono, sweet cheesy bread bites, and a bowl of Cazuela de Mariscos, a traditional seafood and coconut milk stew.

Thanks for reading!