Backpacking Boisterously

After the sauna-like weather in Buenos Aires over the last few days I was really happy about the rain that swept through last night.  Three or four straight days of of scalding and humid days can take it out of you.  Unfortunately, I’ve got no light rain jacket like I thought I had brought.

When you’re packing up for your trip, I think a check list is now going to be one of my essentials.  I didn’t keep a strict list of everything that was going into my bags, and that’s how I missed my raincoat.  So when you’re packing up for your next journey, make sure you’re making that list and checking it twice!

Stumbled across a really great charity today, TOMS Shoes.  These guys will donate one pair of shoes for every pair someone purchases.  Their shoes are based off of the Argentine style shoe called an Alpargate, and they’re super comfy from what I hear.  He’s already done one drop of 10,000 shoes here in Argentina, and recently did another in Ethiopia of 30,000.  Rock on!

Twitter is such a cool service for keeping in touch, I love it for sending micro-updates to friends and family.  From my cell phone it lets me send quick “tweets” to anyone that is following me, letting me keep in touch even quicker than a blog post.

Heck, not long ago a student actually got himself out of jail with the help of twitter.  Maybe if I make it up to Columbia and I get myself into the Darien Gap I can utilize Twitter to really the troops.  I love my gadgets!

With currencies depreciating all over South America, there is no better time to travel than now!  Brazil, Peru, and Chile have currencies that have all fell almost 30% against the USD, and Argentina has fallen 10% itself.  This is a great time to be a backpacker!

With less people flying than in the past, there are some deals that can be found on airfare if you don’t mind waiting until close to your trip time to book.  Come down here and enjoy an environment just begging to be traveled in!

While running this week I noticed something problematic: I’m wearing a hole into the heel of my right shoe.  This is no good, because I can’t afford a gym membership down here so I’m almost always running or playing soccer.  I don’t have much experience with buying athletic shoes in another country, since I’m pretty particular about what I want and usually buy online.

Anyone have any tips on outfitting myself in Buenos Aires?  Cheap is good!

After toasting all the fingers on my right hand in a boneheaded move last night, I was reminded of the necessity of a first aid kit.  Blisters all over your fingers after the pharmacies have all closed is no fun.  Having to make do with a bowl of ice cubes pales in comparison to some burn ointment and some gauze.

Consider this a public service announcement: ALWAYS CARRY A BASIC FIRST AID KIT IN YOUR PACK!

Tomorrow night Buenos Aires is playing host to a pillow fight or “lucha de almohadas” of massive proportions, the Facebook event has over 7,000 attendees so far.  How could I possibly miss out on a fight of that magnitude?  The real question is whether or not to use a body pillow for maximum destruction, or just go with a soft and fluffy one for ease of use.  Decisions decisions.  Putting my policies into practice on this one, I love free stuff!

I was scoping out some Brazilian itineraries that went pretty far into the interior of the country, and I came across a decent amount of information about the Pantanal, and now I am intrigued.  I’d love to see as much of the Amazon as I can while in Brazil, and trekking in the Pantanal would offer the best chances of seeing native critters.

The best places to stay in the region are “fazendas,” nature lodges that offer a glimpe into country life while also offering all sorts of natural activites.  The ones I’ve checked out offer horseback riding, birdwatching tours, nightspotting tours, canoeing, kayaking, the list goes on.  I may have to plan another trip for Brazil…

Being that I’m dirt poor working in Buenos Aires, I try to take advantage of every free activity the city offers.  Any posters or flyers that I see around town for free openings or discount nights are duly noted to check out later.  There was a great one just this Saturday, “La Noche de los Museos.”

All the biggest galleries and museums in the city stayed open until 2am, free of charge.  Any museum that was normally too expensive suddenly became attainable.  The night ended with a big party in Puerto Madero, featuring live music and lots of dancing.  And it didn’t cost me a dime.

When I visit the beach, I’m not one to sit and bake in the sun.  I’m about as pale as they come, and I know that sitting out in the sun won’t do much besides make me beet red.  If I’m going to be on the beach I want something to do to keep me busy.

Back home I was a pretty talented bocce ball player, although I’m not sure if the game is popular down here.  I always carry my trusty frisbee with me, so I’m sure I can convince some locals to join in on a toss or two.  And futbol has to be everywhere.  I’m sure I’ll be able to figure out something to keep me active.