Two Backpackers » Reflections

Preparing to Travel To-Do List

Jason — Tue, 17 Aug 2024 15:30:20 +0000

Packing And Selling Stuff

Preparing to travel, regardless of travel style, can be a stressful task. We weren’t able to sleep; awake until 3:00am thinking about all that remained to be done for our backpacking trip.

When you live in the United States, traveling to another country typically means you have a long trip overseas. It means you have to research passport and visa requirements, book flights, and ensure things at home are taken care of.

Don’t expect your planning to be perfect, it’s impossible for long term travel. This is a journey that will be filled with the unknown; new cultures, language barriers and obscure villages. For me, it is was about letting go of control. “I am unable to prevent the inevitable stress we will experience.” Being able to control yourself when in a situation that is out of your control is a skill you will attempt develop.

What is involved in preparing to backpack around the world?

That is the question we asked ourselves repeatedly, never really getting an answer. The fear of not accomplishing everything before we departed kept us awake at night. I would wake Aracely up and say, “I can’t sleep. There is just so much trip planning left to do. Look, our room appears as if we haven’t accomplished a thing. All of our clothes are still in our closets and we haven’t sold any furniture yet. We don’t even have plane tickets!” It seems funny today, now that we have more experience planning for long term travel.

Backpacking Around the World To-Do List

Sell Your Stuff on Ebay
Create a Budget
Purchase Backpacking Gear
Purchase Camping / Hiking Gear if appropriate
Purchase Camera Equipment
Purchase iTouch
Create a Skype Account
Tell Your Families
Notify Employers
Check Passports
Notify Landlord / Sell or Rent House
Create a Twitter Account (cool travelers on there)
Create a Facebook Account (global address book)
Create a Couchsurfing Account
Are Going to Play Fantasy Leagues on the Road?
Create a Rough Itinerary
Check Visa Requirements for Each Country
Choose a Departure Date
Get Required Immunizations
Put Remaining Stuff in Storage (don’t store old photos in hot attic)
Purchase Travelers Insurance
Change Auto Insurance
Open Travel Friendly Checking Account
Open Travel Friendly Credit Card Account
Change Address or Set Up Mail Storage
Cancel Cell Phones or Consider Global Phone Plan
Practice Packing
Break in Boots or Shoes
Set Up First Aid Kit
Purchase Lonely Planet Guides (if needed)

Solitude In The Woods

This is why preparing for our around the world trip became overwhelming. It is a lot of tasks to complete, especially while you are still working your normal job and trying to visit with friends and family on the weekends. Most of the tasks revolve around long term travel. You will notice that when you plan for a short vacation, most of the research surrounds where you will be traveling to, lodging and sight seeing. This list has very few of those items. This is the challenging, uncontrollable part of the journey. It is the unknown. You don’t exactly know where you will be staying week to week. You won’t know many of the places you will be traveling to yet. Plane tickets will be purchased as needed. You will need to trust in the kindness of foreign peoples. All these unknowns are what make long term travel so exciting, and at the same time overwhelming.

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10 Weird Things From Latin America

Jason — Thu, 12 Aug 2024 13:00:18 +0000

One of my favorite things about traveling is being humored by things that seem strange or awkward to me. We’ve traveled extensively through Central and South America and noticed many different customs, products and behaviors that don’t exist in the United States. Each individual country does have distinct cultural norms when compared to their neighbors, however, we were still able to observe some common weird things across them all.

Throw Toilet Paper in Waste Bin

List of 10 Weird Things in Latin America

1. Don’t Throw Toilet Paper in the Toilet

No matter where you are in Central or South America, toilet paper is thrown in the trash can or waste bin. This is a challenge initially for those traveling from the United States. Sometimes, subconsciously you inevitably throw it in the toilet, but be aware it can cause a toilet to blow up. It’s not their practice to dispose of toilet paper this way and their plumbing is not built to handle it. Every hostel you visit will kindly remind you on the stall door.

2. Liquids are Sold in Plastic Bags

The first time I saw someone with a plastic bag full of water hanging from their mouth I did a double take. Bottled water is available, but it’s cheaper to buy your fluids in plastic bags. Street vendors will sell all different types of juices and even full meals of chicken and rice in clear plastic bags. These bags are similar to those your Mom used to put your lunch sandwiches in. Yogurt is also usually a liquid and sold in plastic bags.

Milk (Leche) Sold in a Plastic Bag

3. Streets are Named After Dates

This can be very confusing when following a map and conversing about it to your travel partner. “Where do we turn?” “9th of October.” “I asked where do we turn at?” The dates are usually significant to the region, such as independence day and other holidays.

Calle 9 de Octubre in Quito, Ecuador

4. Unfinished Buildings

Iron rods stick out of the flat roofs of many buildings. To a foreigner it looks like they just never finished the next floor up, however they are planning for the future. We are more concerned with the appearance of buildings. They are more concerned with the cost of the building. It may look ugly, but if they decide to build another story, the cement floor is already complete and the vertical iron rods are ready for cement.

What Appears To Be An Unfinished Building in Quito, Ecuador

5. Money Change is Rare & Precious

When using a cash machine, it usually dispenses large bills, however it is nearly impossible to pay with large bills. This has been a common theme throughout all of Central and South America. You will find yourself making purchases in order to obtain smaller bills and exact change, but be aware, the retailer usually has a secret stash of change.

6. American School Buses Have a Second Life

You have probably seen our Chicken Bus video, if not take a look. Old American school buses, usually tricked out with creative custom add-ons, are the main mode of transportation in many Central American countries. It gets very crowded and you won’t be buying any tickets to get on these buses. Hop on when it passes by and you will most likely have a two hour experience that you will remember for a lifetime. Don’t worry about not having any snacks or drinks with you, street vendors will jump on selling the strangest things.

Chicken Bus from Antigua, Guatemala

7. Paying To Use Bathrooms

Public bathrooms are never free. We usually have to pay a US quarter to use them and sometimes you have to pay extra for toilet paper. The worst part is that they are far from clean or hygienic.

8. Security Guards Carrying Shotguns

Security Guards stand outside banks, museums, clothing stores, gas stations and sometimes even restaurants and they carry big menacing shotguns. This can be a bit intimidating at first, but it’s a safety precaution and quite normal.

Security Guard in Colombia

Axion Dish Soap

9. Dish Soap is a Paste

To some this may not seem so different, but when all you’re life you’ve only seen liquid dish soap from a Palmolive bottle, seeing a tub of paste with a sponge lying in it catches your attention.

10. Tuk-Tuk and Motorbikes

Many taxis in the small towns and villages drive tuk-tuks or motorbikes with carts. It was quite exciting for us to catch our first ride in Guatemala. Tuk-tuks are cheap and quick, moving in and out of traffic. Negotiate you price ahead of time, as would with any taxi.

Tuk-tuk Taxi in Panajachel, Guatemala

And many more! Please add things that appear strange to you from Latin America in the comments below.

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What’s Next For Two Backpackers

Jason — Fri, 06 Aug 2024 20:30:34 +0000

Our Last Day in Hoboken, NJ

It all began as a casual conversation during lunch in a restaurant in NYC in March of 2024. Five months later we set off on a year long round the world backpacking journey. Now, we are back home in New Jersey trying to figure out what’s next for Two Backpackers.

Flexibility

What we learned most from our trip was to be flexible. Flexibility turned our round the world trip into a Latin America trip. It turned 1 year into 11 months so we could surprise family. We discovered Colombia is awesome, El Salvador has some hidden gems such as Alegria and traveling with strangers such as Andy and Paulina from London is lots of fun.

Andy & Paulina & Us Climbing Volcano San Pedro

We want to continue to live with greater flexibility in our lives. If great opportunities arise, we want to be able to capitalize on them.

The Website

TwoBackpackers.com is in it’s infancy stage. We have thousands of pictures to sift through, and over 50 hours of video to edit. We will create episodes detailing all our adventures and site seeing that we did during our travels over the past year. Website traffic has grown faster than we had imagined, encouraging us to continue providing interesting and entertaining content indefinitely.

Jason on Top of the Crater Lake Quilotoa

Traveling Can Be Addictive

When you come home from vacation, you wish you could go back. It’s the same when backpacking through Latin America. We want to get back on the road again, but finances will impact how far and how long we can travel in the future. Our immediate concern is getting a car and making money again. We are currently living in my parent’s basement. I know, I am 35 years old, don’t have a job, live in my parents basement and our car died. There, I said it for you.

Aracely Sleeping on Salt Flats in Northern Argentina

What’s Next?

Aracely and I are going to focus a lot of energy on the TwoBackpackers.com website and the Two Backpackers brand. What is our brand you ask? It’s our ability to be entertaining on video, produce inspiring photos of the day and entertain our Facebook Fans. If we can succeed at doing that, people will support our bigger ideas such as creating an independent backpacking / travel film, being invited to create PR buzz for a tour or hotel and bringing you closer to the lives of digital nomads.

Now

Right now we are trying to plan our wedding in October in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This is going to keep us busy for the next two months, but stay tuned… literally, there is a lot of great footage from our travels that we are going to be sharing with you.

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Budget Travel: The Good, Bad, And The Ugly

Aracely — Tue, 06 Jul 2024 12:00:11 +0000

Cocktails At Playa Blanca Colombia

It seems all of us in the travel blogging community agree that travel is good. The majority of posts that are produced within the industry are intended to either sell the reader on the idea that travel is one of the most amazing activities one can partake-in and that they too should travel, or momentarily take them into a world of travel fantasy (as Gary Arndt from Everything-Everywhere.com likes to put it, travel porn.) In both cases, the story of travel is almost always good. However, there is indeed a bad and ugly side to travel, more specifically, to budget travel.

There are different styles of travel and each gives the traveler a completely different experience. Usually, the type of style can be defined by how much money is being spent on that experience. For example, a luxurious trip to a five star hotel in Rome will be completely different than backpacking through Southeast Asia. That said, the following issues apply to a budget traveler and only to most places of the world, mainly to the less developed world.

The Good

Travel IS good. Although I admit, during the past 11 months, I have spent most of the time on the fence about whether or not I truly believe that. Be forewarned, you too might find yourself questioning your sentiments on travel during your journey. Here are my top 3 reasons why travel is good.

1. Discovery

Travel allows you to not only discover a new physical and visual world unbeknown to you before, but it also helps you discover a new YOU within. New talents and capabilities will begin to reveal themselves to you when put in situations you have never been before. Understanding different cultural norms and the idioms of a language help you discover a whole new way of living. It is a continuous journey of self discovery when you are on the road.

Sunset At Isla Del Sol In Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

2. Maturity

After travel you will likely feel more mature around your peers during challenging situations or in depth social and political discussions. Travel develops patience, tolerance and a greater understanding or often greater confusion of how people survive in our world.

3. Excitement

Everyday can be different and often things are not what they seem. Nature, people, and animals will continue to surprise you. Mountains, markets and birds will interest you. You can go anywhere, do anything, at anytime you please. How much more exciting can that get?

Aracely Sky Diving

The Bad

Yes, although travel is good, there is a bad side to it and no, I do not think that is a contradiction. First, not everyone experiences the good above. Some people are just not reflexive enough to learn or grow from their travel experiences. In my humble opinion, that is the worst bad for travel. There is other bad involved in travel. Here are my 3 top reasons why travel is bad.

1. Discomfort

If you’re from any of the developed nations and you think you know what being uncomfortable means, “Ha, ha, I say to you!” During your travels you will experience, and on a much larger scale, see how much discomfort can exist. Staying in low cost hostels means you will usually not have the amenities of home. Beds and buses are uncomfortable, communication is limited and hot water becomes your highest priority.

Riding The Bus In Panama City

2. Confusion

Be prepared to be confused about 50% of the time. This is especially true if you don’t understand the language and are in a country that doesn’t use much English. Cabs lack meters, streets lack street signs and hundreds of mini buses with yelling assistants are sometimes the only means of cheap transportation.

3. Lack of Order

It is a mad house out there! Abroad, people are less likely to respect lines, many processes are slow and inefficient and your typically not on there, “I want to please you,” list. It makes the US Motor Vehicle Commission look like Google headquarters. Purchasing a plane ticket required us to pull a number from the ticket machine, sit in a lobby for 1.5 hours and then we watched the clerk shift the plastic credit card hand held machine over the carbon copy and our credit card. This was for a major airline in Argentina.

People In Line For The Bank In Bolivia

The Ugly

And yes, even though travel IS good, there still can be an ugly side. This is the part that most blogs do not often discuss. We bloggers mean well and as I mentioned earlier our goal is to convey to others how great travel is and to motivate the same to get out there and join us. The harsh realities below could potentially be ugly enough to make someone want stay home and there is merit to that too. Here are my top 3 reasons why travel is ugly.

1. Income Distribution Gaps

While living in the state of New Jersey and working in New York City for many year, never did I ever see a homeless child or a begging child. There are homeless, yes of course, and they are of different ages, but I do not recollect ever seeing a child (I do know they exist however). In other parts of the world they are everywhere and in your face all the time. For me, it was a difficult thing to “get used to” if one can ever do that. Most of the world is poor and when we go to bed in our warm homes, we often forget that. When you travel, you will be reminded every day.

Shoe Shinning Boy In Antigua, Guatemala

2. Stray Dogs

There are few animal control organizations to contact when you’re traveling abroad. You will see animals that look as though they have not eaten in months, obviously carrying disease and no positive future for them. It’s a big problem to us, but often ignored in poor countries.

3. Environmental Disaster

I still don’t know if this is a culture issue, a lack of resource issue, a corruption issue or all of them combined, but the bottom line is many cities do not have proper garbage collection services and just about every local litters. We have waited at bus terminals only to watch dozens of adults, children and babies throw their trash out of the windows waiting for the bus to leave. We have collected dozens of plastic bottles while hiking. Local picnic spots can be identified by all the styrofoam and plastic trash that litters the grounds. Amazing lakes such as Lake Atitlan in Guatemala are a toxic mess. Crude oil contaminates the drinking water of Amazonian tribes. Waters flood villages every time it rains from the logging of thousands of mountains. Mining chemicals like cyanide flow into fishing rivers. That’s all very serious, but on a simpler scale, try walking on the sidewalk alongside buses with no catalytic converters on their exhausts. You will find yourself covering your face on many occasions.

Stray Dogs Sniffing Through Garbage Outside Uyuni, Bolivia

That said, budget travel is really not for everyone. Yes, most of what we read makes it sound like travel is the ultimate experience, which it can be. However, it is important to manage expectations and be mentally prepared for the unknown and unfamiliar during your journey. I believe it takes a certain kind of person to step way outside of their comfort zone, leave it all behind and head out in search for the adventure of a lifetime. And if you are not yet that certain kind of person when you begin your journey…you will either be forced to become it or return home.

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F´d Up Economics of Tourism in Uyuni Bolivia

Aracely — Tue, 22 Jun 2024 12:00:44 +0000

Uyuni Salt Flats Sunrise

I think it was during the first days of our trip. We were in Guatemala having a conversation with Andy and Paulina, another traveling couple from England, when we first heard that the Uyuni Salt Flat Tour was amazing. Bolivia was definitely in our plans but we try not to have an itinerary more than a few days ahead so at the time, there was no to-do list for our visit to Bolivia.

While traveling for a few months and meeting more travelers making their way up from the south of South America to the north, opposite of our route, we continued to hear great things about the Uyuni Salt Flats. The destination quickly made its way up to my top three most anticipated events of this trip. Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and the famous archeological site of Machu Picchu were the others on that list.

I was not disappointed. Everything we heard about the Salt Flats was true; it lived up to the expectation, which does not always happen with every place. Not only was the experience one of a kind, but our guide was very informative, we met new friendly people, saw unique and unforgettable scenery and took over 750 pictures within a four days.

I’m not going to describe the amazing scenery of this tour or what it felt like to watch the sun rise in such a unique landscape. Instead, I need to vent about something that disturbs me very much. I am referring to the conditions of the town of Uyuni, which is the departure point for over 60% of the salt flat tours. Uyuni is a poorly developed and dirty town and I struggle to understand why.

Garbage Landscape As Seen Out of Our Bus Window

There is trash everywhere. As you enter Uyuni from the Salt Flats you drive by a field of garbage, and as you depart en route to Potosi, the landscape is littered with plastic bags.

Plastic bags Litter the Landscape Around Uyuni

The bags blow in the wind until punctured by the branches of the dry brush that holds onto them for eternity. The plaza is not very inviting either and the streets and buildings look like they are on the verge of collapse.

Unuyi Town Plaza

Why does a town that yields a tremendous amount of money from tours not have trash bins on street corners or a trash collection process? In truth, I am not shocked that a town can and does look this way. We have been traveling through Central and South America for the last nine months and have seen many poorly developed and dirty towns, but their economic situation and lack of resources were reasonable explanations for their conditions. No other place has confused me like Uyuni.

I am aware there are other tourist towns that have inequality and poverty gap issues. In those cases I was able to explain or at least rationalize the disproportionate income levels of its population or their poor urban planning. Uyuni is a different animal; an unexplainable one for me.

Piles of Trash Along the Train Tracks Leading to Uyuni

I began to obsess and started to calculate the numbers to find a reason and explanation. I asked our guide how many vehicles visit the Salt Flats daily. He gave me some statistics, the integrity of which I question, but for the purposes of feeding my obsession I used them to create the following conclusion.

Uyuni tour agencies generate approximately $776K US dollars of profit per year.

See details of the calculation at the end of the article.

A trash can costs about $4 US dollars.

Does this mean that not a single tourist agency in the past 20 years has taken the initiative to clean up their town? Not even for the sake of the tourists and revenue opportunity? Where is the money going? There were seven tourists in our Uyuni tour and Jason and I were the only ones who stayed longer than just a few hours in Uyuni. Most people who visit the Salt Flats do not spend anytime in Uyuni. Under the conditions of the town, I don’t blame them.

We heard that many of the tour agency owners live in the capital city of La Paz, which means the profits aren’t being spent locally. What about the taxes?

What about the local people living in Uyuni? Why have they not demanded that some of the money which is being generated from the tours be reinvested in their town? Is this an education issue, or does the situation reek of political corruption? Does anyone out there have an answer for me?

Uyuni Street Market

___________________________________________________________________

Details of Calculation

Revenue:

According to our guide Milton, approximately 60 vehicles come to the Salt Flats every day during the low season and 80 during the high season, which is only 3 months (June, July and August) of the year. Each vehicle carries 4-6 tourist. I used the number 4 to be conservative. Each person pays an average of 300 Bolivianos per day for the tours. At 80 vehicles for 90 days and 60 vehicles for 270 days (I only used 360 days for the year to allow for holidays or weather issues) paying 1,200 Bolivianos per vehicle (4 tourists x 300 each) that means that $28,080,000 Bolivianos in revenue are generated from the Salt Flats per year. This is equivalent to $4,011,429 US dollars.

Expenses:

Obviously there are costs associated with running such an operation and I used some additional assumptions to come up with a reasonable estimate. I know these are not completely accurate but my finance background makes me comfortable with the educated guesses.

First, I came up with the following expenses: vehicle purchase and maintenance, fuel, guide, cook, food, accommodations, and overhead (running the tourist office.) I then applied dollar amounts to each cost. For example, I assumed that each guide is paid $100 Bolivianos per day and each cook $50 Bolivianos per day and so on.

Based on the expenses above, I estimated that the total cost to generate the previously mentioned US dollar revenue is $2,717,237 US dollars.

Profit:

This means that the aforementioned revenue and expense yields $1,294,191 USD or 32.3% of profit per year. This is a total for all tours visiting the Salt Flats including San Pedro de Atacama, La Paz, Tupiza and Uyuni.

Previously I mentioned that 60% of the tours leave out of Uyuni. If we then also assume that 60% of the profits are generated from Uyuni tour agencies then $776,515 US dollars are generated our of Uyuni.

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9 Month Travel Summary

Aracely — Thu, 03 Jun 2024 12:00:35 +0000

Jason Jumping Over a Land Cruiser

It is hard to believe it has been 270 days (9 whole months) that we have been on the road. Nine months of moving around, nine months of living out of our backpacks, nine months of not seeing family and friends, of hostels, of street food, of meeting strangers, of making friends, nine whole months of travel. The worst for me has been the nine months of worrying about where I last left my passport.

We have definitely traveled further, taken more pictures, and had many more adventures and mishaps since our 6 Month Summary. This time around we would like to share a few pictures that you would normally not get to see, and with them some important lessons learned while on the road.

1. Never pass up a once in lifetime opportunity

When you are presented with a once in a life time opportunity, take it, even if you do get motion sickness. On my Nazca Lines flight I only got to see 4 out of 12 figures because I got sick on the plane, as I knew I would. It was a miserable 30min flight that I would do all over again if it were my only opportunity to see the famous Nazca Lines.

Aracely Feeling Ill During Nazca Lines Flight

2. Always carry your own toilette paper

Some hostels don’t provide toilet paper and neither do some public restrooms. And when you are doing your business in nature, remember to take your toilette paper back with you. You would not want to see other people’s TP flying around during your trek.

It's So Easy For Guys. Volcano Pichincha near Quito, Ecuador

3. Art is in the eye of the beholder

You will find some strange and usually sexual things on some vendor market stands. We didn’t buy this, it was too big for the backpacks and Jason felt intimidated.

This Picture Was Taken In Mancora, Peru. Um, Yeah.

4. Be flexible and patient

Expect the unexpected, because things will go wrong. In Costa Rica our bus broke down, in Chile our rental vehicle almost got stuck in 2 feet of mud (that was really scary) and in Bolivia our jeep got a flat tire and the fuel pump broke. We also lost out on $135USD worth of bus tickets when, after 9 months of reading military time, we understood 20:00 hours as 10pm.

Flat Tire During Uyuni Salt Flats Tour

5. Documenting your journey is important, but don’t risk your life

Capturing the great photo or video footage is part of the excitement during your travels, but be sure to take calculated risks when doing so. Jason has fallen endless times while filming during a trek, almost breaking the camera and his face. In Bolivia, it’s often considered rude to take photos of people and you might get rocks thrown at you.

Jason Standing Barefoot In Poop To Get A Closer Shot Of Flamingos. Chile Northern Altiplano

6. Backpacking isn’t always excersise

We initially thought that this trip would really get us into shape. In reality, it is hard to get exercise while you are on the road. Our treks are often weeks apart, creating new breaking in pains each time. And in Latin America it takes great effort to eat healthy on the cheap.

Jason After 6 Hours Of Hiking. Torres del Paine, Chile

7. Always have fun

Be sure to leave room for fun and silliness and don’t take yourself too seriously. We meet travelers that have forbidden technology, are the authority of good music, know the solutions for developing countries, feel as though they are always getting scammed, negotiate everything and truly hate all Americans. Please, everyone, relax, have fun and enjoy life.

Jason Hanging Through a Hole in a Suspension Bridge. The People in the Back Probably Thought He Was Crazy. Quilotoa Loop Hike, Ecuador

8. Never under estimate the power of nature

The wind in Patagonia can blow you over. Your backpack goes first and you follow. You can’t climb on ice with regular boots. Rain can create flash floods in minutes. And glacier water is naturally delicious.

Aracely Being Blow Away In The Patagonia Wind

9. Your body is different abroad

I got an allergic reaction to ceviche while in Peru. I’ve eaten ceviche all my life and I have never reacted to it. Perhaps I ate to much of it in a short period of time or maybe there was a high concentration of pollution in it. I won’t ever know. Just be careful with what you eat and drink when you travel.

Reaction To Ceviche In Peru

10. When traveling with a partner, make sure you are patient with one another

There will be good days and bad days. You are with them 24/7, all the time, night and day and the next morning. Okay, you get the picture. Just be sure to have fun together and share the experiences you both want to have.

Aracely Carrying Jason. Maragua, Bolivia

And now for some more fun pictures just because we are celebrating our 9th month of travel! Read about our 6th month travel summary here.

Jason In His Sleeping Bag. Torres del Paine, Chile

Aracely Sleeping In Mosquito Net. Mancora, Peru

Jason Spining Aracely (He obviously forgot what happened in Nazca.) Northern, Argentina

Jason Running Down Huge Hill With Camera. Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Aracely In Volcano Surfing Suit. Leon, Nicaragua

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Ethics Of Tourism: Mines Of Potosi Bolivia

Aracely — Tue, 01 Jun 2024 14:20:59 +0000

Cerro Rico, Potosi, Bolivia

When I first heard that in Potosi there are organized tours allowing visitors to see how miners work, my first reaction was “Why? What do tourists do there, take pictures?”

At first thought, to be very honest, I was sickened that people do this. Imagine a group of gringos who are dressed in protective clothing, rubber boots, helmets and headlamps, which by the way are all likely better than the equipment the real miners are wearing, coming into the mines to take pictures and then getting back on the bus to continue their travels. It sounds so wrong. And then I heard that people bring gifts for the miners, such as dynamite, cigarettes, and coca leaves. “Is this to make the tourist feel better?” I wondered.

Candelaria Mine Entrance

Jason felt differently than I. He really wanted to experience the mines and argued that it helps the miners when people visit. It gives them supplies that they desperately need, which is true. Further, it is an educational experience to be there and to truly know how atrocious the working conditions of the miners are. I reluctantly agreed to go because in all honesty, I still thought it was wrong. Right up to the moment when I entered the dark side of the archway that led into the mine, I did not want to be there.

Then, something changed.

As we walked deeper and deeper into the dark tunnel, I began to breathe heavily. I felt the dust in the air and could not catch my breath. The bandanna covering my nose and mouth was no match for the millions of dust particles fighting their way into my windpipes every time I inhaled. We were only a few meters in when suddenly, I wanted to be there–I wanted to see more, despite my labored breathing.

"El Tio" - Devil Worshiped By Miners

We continued into the mine crouching and dodging our way around wooden boards and low hanging rocks. Our guide Ronald allowed the group a few rests as he educated us on the history of The Candelaria Mine and gave details of a miner’s work and life. He told us that miners usually die of silicosis after ten to twenty years of working in the mines. They know the dangers that exist, but there are no other job alternatives in Potosi; the mines are the economy of the city. They do it to feed their family, explained Ronald. He also told us about El Tio. When they enter the mines, miners believe they need to worship the devil. They give El Tio offerings to keep them safe from accidents and they ask him to give them quality minerals. Every mine has a statue that represents the devil, he continued. My skin crawled.

As he talked to our group of five tourists (three Americans and two Australians), a miner walked by and Ronald engaged him in conversation to further educate the group.

Talking to a miner

Shop at Potosi Miners' Market

Guide: What’s your name?
Miner: Fausto.
Guide: How old are you?
Miner: Twenty-nine.
Guide: How long have you been working in the mines?
Miner: Eight years.
Guide: How late will you be working today?
Miner: Until about 6pm, a total of 10 hours.

We gave Fausto some coca leaves and a pair of leather gloves. Even though our guide instructed that we only needed to buy some dynamite kits, refreshments, and coca leaves, Jason and I decided to buy some protective gear for the miners as well. We bought five pairs of leather gloves along with a sophisticated mask to give to one lucky miner. This was my way of making me feel less guilty for visiting the mines.

A scary moment

Once everyone had a bit of a rest, we were told we would move on to the second, third and finally the fourth level below us. We all followed Ronald. Tourist groups spend a large part of the tour crawling on hands and knees over hard rocks that jam into your skin while maneuvering through the dark cramped tunnels. Often, we had to climb down or up poorly rigged ladders which made it very dangerous for everyone. Our headlamps lit the way. One occasion, I lost my footing and slid ten feet down a black passageway. I bounced into the rock walls from left to right like a pinball making its way down an arcade machine. There were only a few scrapes and bruises, but it was one of the scariest ten seconds of my life. El Tio must know I did not want to come, I thought.

My initial thinking was that mining should not be treated as a tourist attraction. After being a part of a tour I realized that although people did take pictures, most of the tour was educational and serious. We spoke to six different miners, asking them the same questions and gave them all the dynamite kits, soda, and coca leaves that we purchased at the miners market earlier in our tour. Overall, it was an overwhelming, emotional and once in a lifetime experience to say the least. I am glad I went. There is a world of difference between hearing about how the miners work and actually going into the mines to feel yourself inhaling rock and mineral dust.

However, I still have an unresolved ethical conflict with mine tours even after I experienced them first hand.

First, tourists feel the need to take pictures and I am not completely convinced miners want their pictures taken. Our guide repeatedly encouraged us to take pictures of the miners working and sweating in the dark dusty tunnels. He was reassuring us that it was okay with the miners that their pictures were being taken. From what I could gather, the workers did not seem very thrilled about this. The cooperative miners are not paid on an hourly basis, they are paid on the quality and quantity of the minerals they extract and we are likely a distraction. I did not ask any miners specifically if the pictures bothered them. This is just my interpretation of their body language, although when they were asked by the guide how they felt about the tourists being there, they all smiled in approval. Perhaps banning pictures in the tours would make me feel better, I’m really not sure.

View of Cerro Rico From The City Of Potosi

Second, only a few miners benefit from the tour visits. To maximize safety, the tours only visit a small part of one particular mine. I completely understand and agree with this practice. However, there are currently about twelve thousands miners working in over a hundred active mines at Cerro Rico, the mountain which dominates Potisi’s skyline. In our van there were a total of seventeen tourists broken up into three groups. All three groups visited more or less the same miners and gave them all gifts. It would be great if more miners could benefit from the tours being conducted. I do not have the solution as to how this would happen, but I am trying to think of one.

Third, at the end of the tour there was a dynamite demonstration for the tourists. I will admit it was shocking and somewhat exciting to hear and feel the force of the dynamite exploding but the delivery of the demonstration was sensationalized and felt like a spectacle too soon after a very somber experience. Our guide even egged us on to take pictures with the live bomb. I refused but others did partake in the fun activity.

Lastly, I understand that the mines are the sole livelihood of the men in Potosi. I understand that charity is not an answer and maybe the only thing that can change the miners’ destiny is creating a different economy in the city or something equally drastic. Can visitors do more? Is being aware of the miner’s horrific working conditions or creating awareness all we can do to make a difference?

Again, I am glad I decided to go, however I realize that nothing has changed for the miners. They did show their appreciation for the gifts we brought, but the tour bus still rode off away from the mines with our protective clothing and bright headlamps. The miners were still left behind in the dark with toxic dust breaking down their lungs. These tours change nothing for them and we tourists should not make pretend it does, even if we did bring them supplies and refreshments.

Visiting the Mines

The Devil's Miner Movie Cover

If you decide to take a mine tour during your visit to Potosi, Bolivia, I suggest that you buy a little more than refreshments and dynamite kits. One protective mask costs about 50 Bolivianos ($7 USD) or perhaps some leather gloves, which are 10 Bolivianos ($1.5 USD) a pair. These will not change the destiny of the miners, but at least they protect them a little bit more from the toxic dust while performing their life’s work.

A friend (and mentor) continues to remind me, “Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” I do not believe the tours are changing the conditions of the miners, but for those tourists who choose to visit the mines in Potosi, I guarantee something in you will change after this experience and the miners will appreciate any gift you bring them. The tours are not perfect but perhaps they are still good, I will leave it to the tourists to decide.

If visiting Bolivia is not in your current plans but you are interested in learning about the Potosi mines, I recommend the touching film “The Devil’s Miner,” where a fourteen year-old boy tells the story of his life as a Potosi miner.

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Is Guatemala Safe?

Jason — Fri, 21 May 2024 04:36:30 +0000

Walking the Streets of Panajachel

I was asked if Guatemala is safe by another traveler while hanging out in a hostel in Argentina. And let’s be honest, Guatemala is much less developed than Argentina, so it’s a legitimate question. It’s not the first time we have been asked about traveling in Guatemala, although the questions did usually come up when we were in South America. You don’t get asked such a question in Central America, mostly because all those countries are relatively the same in terms of safety and infrastructure less Costa Rica.

This is a very difficult question to answer, not because I think Guatemala is unsafe, but rather because the answer is an opinion. When speaking about travel safety, you want to hear facts or concrete evidence to squabble your fears. The only evidence I have is that Aracely and I traveled most of Guatemala for over a month and were never knowingly in danger. I am not asking you to make a judgement on the safety of traveling in Guatemala based on our experience alone, however all I can share is our experience.

Walking the Streets of Antigua

Guatemala was the first country we visited on this backpacking journey and the most underdeveloped country I had ever been to. I should clarify by saying, I have never really traveled much beyond western nations. I was nervous. We were carrying a few thousand dollars worth of equipment and I not only had to worry about myself, but I felt responsible for Aracely’s safety too.

Domingo's Restaurant in Flores

We had heard prior to visiting Guatemala that Guatemala City was very dangerous. Specifically, bus robberies and bus jackings were common by gangs. We made no plans to visit the city. When we arrived there by plane, we hopped on a shuttle bus to Antigua, “Gringo Town.”

Antigua is the backpacking mecca of Guatemala. All the amenities you are used to exist here including WiFi, bars, dance clubs, laundry facilities, cafes, fast food chains, restaurants and major banks. If you can’t find something ask another Gringo or the Tourist Police. I think Antigua is the perfect place to get your feet wet as a backpacker.

Chicken Buses of Antigua

Antigua is usually the base camp for visiting other nearby attractions such as Lake Atitlan, Xela, Monterrico Beach, Semuc Champey or even Tikal. Tourists usually take shuttle buses around the country, but Chicken Buses (old American school buses) are available for the more daring. More daring in the sense that you really need to speak Spanish, be willing to travel slower and hope that you can figure out how to get from one destination to the other. The shuttle buses will take you directly to your destination.

While staying in Antigua, we did meet travelers that visited Guatemala City during the day for some sightseeing. They described it as any other major city, and had no bad experiences. We also were there when our hostel maid received a phone call that her sister was just hit and mugged while picking up her paycheck in the city. It’s all about experiences and what you may have heard. We decided to go bowling in the city one night. A bunch of us rented a private shuttle bus and all went well.

Backpacks Stored in the Back of the Bus

There are many volcanoes to climb in Guatemala and some have had a history of bandit attacks. Bandits are looking to rob you and possibly harm you. It’s very easy to avoid such treks. Just listen to the advice from tour agencies and hike volcanoes that are national parks. The tour agencies are always trying to request the government turn more volcanoes into national parks, but it’s a slow process. Once a national park, rangers patrol the area for your safety.

It may take some time getting used to seeing armed guards patrol everything from gas stations to jewelry stores. These aren’t your everyday mall cops, these guys all carry shotguns. It’s a bit intimidating, however that is what they are going for.

The people of Guatemala are kind, the country is explored by few and the adventures are endless. You won’t find roped walkways and concrete steps on your hike to Semuc Champey. You will find yourself saying, “This wouldn’t be legal in my country.” But, this is what makes it so exciting.

Streets of Panajachel

This article isn’t intended to persuade you to avoid Guatemala City, chicken buses or volcanoes that aren’t national parks. We are just suggesting alternatives if you want to play it safe. However, the best way to be safe is to be smart. Don’t carry things in pockets that can be easily pick pocketed. Try to make friends and travel in groups. Always be aware of your surroundings. These are things that Aracely and I do in every country we visit.

I think Guatemala is special. I know this because every time Aracely and I are asked about it, we light up and explain how much fun we had while traveling there.

View PHOTOS of Guatemala.

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All Mothers Are Not Created Equal

Aracely — Sun, 09 May 2024 17:29:37 +0000

Street Food Vendor And Child in Antigua Guatemala

This Mother’s Day is the first I’ve spent away from my mother during twenty-eight years my of life. I miss her very much. On a day like today, every mother should be praised for carrying a child in their womb, providing unrelenting nurturing and for the unconditional love most mothers provide.

During my travels I have seen many mothers struggling to feed and provide for their children. However, one particular story, which I am about to share, reminded me that being a mother is so much more than giving birth to a life.

We were enjoying yet another delicious Argentinean steak and wine meal at an outside café in central Mendoza. Suddenly, a young boy approached our table, whom I guessed to be 5 or 6 years old. With a soft but confident voice he asked for some of my french fries. I immediately handed him a handful of the fries from my plate. He grabbed the fries, put them directly into his mouth and walked away.

A Mother and Her Son Rushing Through Town Plaza in Quito Ecuador

A few moments later we spotted him dashing past our table with half a sandwich in his hand and a gleaming smile. Jason exclaimed, “This kid is scoring big-time.” Following the child with our curious eyes, he walked behind a bush that acted as a boundary for the cafe’s outdoor seating area. Behind the bush was a crowded park bench which seemed to include his mother and other siblings based on their interactions. I couldn’t see the mother’s face since she was facing the opposite direction and was being shadowed by the shrubbery. However, the young boy was facing in my direction when he smiled happily and handed her the sandwich. I wasn’t sure whether someone had given it to him or if he grabbed if from an empty table. They exchanged some words and then the boy ran back towards the outdoor tables.

As we stared towards the park bench, we noticed 2 other children, younger than the first boy, also fetching food from other outdoor restaurant tables. Sometimes they brought food from empty tables and other times they had food that was given to them.

A Mother and Child Watching Festival Parade in Juayua El Salvador

We watched the children continue their game for 20 minutes. Every time the boy scored some food he became excited as though he was winning at a game very familiar to him and his brothers and sisters. On a few occasions I noticed the boy also asked for money, which he then passed to his mother.

After traveling through Central and South America, I have seen a lot of begging from both children and adults. But this felt different. This was different. In this situation in Mendoza, the mother hid behind a bush and sent her 3 children to beg for her. I have only witnessed the opposite scenario, where mothers beg while holding their children, or beg to feed their children. I have never experienced this type of exchange before in my life. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, I just haven’t seen it. One might argue that there isn’t much difference between a child doing the begging for his parents versus the parent begging with their child, but I would have to disagree. These children we watched learned that it’s a game, a fun game, one which pleases their mother.

A Mother Cooking Empanadas For Her College Children

I began to feel ill and annoyed with the actions of the woman. I felt sad for the children and what might become of their future. I made futile attempts to ignore it and carry on with my meal.

More time had passed and I noticed the mother standing outside a tienda (store) window making a purchase. My heart rate increased as I sensed the worst. I whispered to Jason, “She better not be buying cigarettes.” I couldn’t take my glaring eyes off her. She slowly turned around and lit up a cigarette. “Oh my God,” escaped my lips.

A Kuna Family in a Dugout Canoe in San Blas

It was one of those moments where everything around you is wrong and you can’t do anything about it. I felt like I needed to do something, but what? Yell at her? Call her a bad mother? I was a tourist trying to figure out how to advise a local mother. I felt and was helpless. How could a mother do this to her child? This behavior is sure to negatively impact this child’s future.

I tell you this story today because we are celebrating Mother’s Day for all mothers. However, let’s not just celebrate the fact they are our mothers but the fact that they are good mothers.

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The Impact Of Travel And Blogging

Aracely — Sat, 08 May 2024 12:02:41 +0000

Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph) in Paris, France

Ever since I can remember I have absolutely loved the idea of travel. When I was in college I pursued a study abroad program in France and I was hooked on travel for life. I knew then that I would do much more of it in the near future and beyond. Nothing feels more rewarding and educational to me than experiencing a new place, language, people, food and everything that comes along with it. My passion for travel made me want to evoke wanderlust onto others.

Travel Blogger Meet Up

The last few weeks we’ve been spending time with a few other traveler bloggers just like us. These are people who are also traveling and sharing their experiences on-line for the world to see. By writing, taking photos and sharing videos, we are all naturally encouraging others to travel to the places we have been or places they have always dreamed of. The point is, the message we all have for others is to get out there and travel.

During our time together we’ve been sharing travel stories, favorite and worst places visited, itineraries and opinions. After a few days full of conversation, I began to notice a few patterns surrounding what we were all discussing.
These were the majority of opinions:

1. Travel is a good thing

If more people travel, the world would be a more empathetic and tolerant place.

2. Remote or less traveled places are much more enjoyable

We prefer the road less traveled, where the local culture has not been impacted by an influx of tourism.

3. Touristy destinations can be frustrating to visit

Tourism typically leads to overcrowding, a lack of culture or native peoples, aggressive sales tactics and a high risk of scams.

4. We can’t stand when situation #3 happens

I think we spent the most time complaining about places that are destroyed due to tourism.

What is the mission of TwoBackpackers.com?

Dressing Up in Uros Tribe Clothing in Lake Titicaca

The more I listened to us speak the more confused I became towards my feelings of travel and its impact. Further, I began to question our mission for TwoBackpackers.com, which currently is blogging about our travels and encouraging others to follow suit.

Here we all were talking about how great travel is and how more people should do it, particularly in the United States, since we aren’t known for being world travelers. And here we all were complaining about places that are “too touristy,” where we get bombarded by opportunistic locals wanting a piece of our gringo tourist money.

A Look At Ourselves

But aren’t we, the travelers, creating this environment? How can we blame these locals for being opportunistic and trying to better themselves and their families? And wouldn’t we, the travelers, ruin the local remote places we enjoy by sharing our stories with the rest of the world through our travel blogs?

Impact on the Galapagos Islands

Blue Footed Boobies on Isla de La Plata in Ecuador

It really hit home for me when we spoke specifically about the Galapagos Islands. I was born in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands have always been a dream destination for me. A travel blogger commented on their experience when visiting Galapagos and it shocked me to say the least. The tour guide they had during their visit, whom was considered reputable, explained that the Galapagos Islands will likely not be here in 20 years due to the exploitation of the tourism industry and the impact it has on the natural wildlife. Jason did some further research and found that the Galapagos Islands were indeed added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage Endangered List on June 27, 2024.

School of Fish at Isla de La Plata in Ecuador

This concept was crippling for me to hear. I began to question my role as a traveler, an Ecuadorian and a world citizen who has never even visited The Galapagos Islands. I regard the islands as a natural wonder and treasure on this planet. Loosing them would be devastating to me, our human history and the future of the world as a whole.

How could I possibly visit the Galapagos knowing that me being there will essentially contribute to their destruction? Further, how could I possibly promote others to visit them? Is travel really a good thing? Do I still want to devote so much energy into making others enthusiastic about seeking travel experiences? I’ve been asking myself these questions a lot lately.

Picking Up Plastic Bottles on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca

Impact on Me

Honestly, I’ve yet resolve my internal conflict about whether or not I am still willing to visit the Galapagos Islands. However, I have concluded that my message about travel to others needs to be much more focused. I have learned that the simple message, “Travel is good for the world,” is not entirely accurate. Too much is ignored when making such a general statement.

Travel must be environmentally responsible, socially beneficial for the host country and it should build a healthy relationship between the visitor and the host. Personally, I believe this starts with the traveler. In this particular case, it begins with me.

A Traveler and Blogger Reflecting

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6 Month Travel Summary

Aracely — Sat, 27 Feb 2024 23:14:37 +0000

Ecuador to Peru Border Crossing

On August 27, 2024 we boarded a plane to Guatemala City, Guatemala, the beginning of our year long round the world journey. As of today we have been on the road for 180 days, half our planned trip. Below is a summary of interesting statistics and experiences from our travels through Central and South America.

Aracely Posing With An Alpaca

Floating Steps of the Moray Inka Ruins in Peru

Grand Plaza at the Tikal Mayan Ruins

Inca Ruins at Sacsayhuaman

Celebrating Christmas With Aracely's Family & Peter & Scotty

Traveling on Long Bus Rides

Distance Traveled

We’ve traveled an estimated total of 8,734 miles through 10 different countries. We maintain a Google map which tracks the roads we’ve traveled and although it’s not 100% accurate, it’s a good indicator of the total distance we have covered. As you can imagine it at times feels like a life time on the road. The cheap flights we got to a few places made the distance seem less. It is however, the time on the road that helps you get a feel for the place and gives you time to reflect on your travels so far.

Lodging

In the past six months we’ve stayed at 53 different hostels and learned they are not all the same. There is a wide range of hostels offering different levels of comfort and service and not always at the same price or a fair price. We feel we’ve become good judges on what makes a good hostel versus a bad one and often consider being hostel consultants. That’s only half a joke.

Transportation

We have traveled on 79 different individual buses. In Central America buses are dirt cheap, but uncomfortable; typically old American school buses. In South America transportation is definitely more comfortable, with the option of bus cama (bed seats), but it comes at a price, especially in Chile.

Documenting Our Travels

We currently have 2,500 pictures saved on our laptop and estimate that we have taken over 7,000 pictures in total since we delete the not so great ones. Of these, only 819 have made it to our on-line galleries.

Jason has filmed over 39 hours of video. Creating and uploading our HD Videos has proven to be a very time consuming and difficult task. It is challenging to find a non-intermittent internet connections for uploading 2GB files. Therefore, we still launching videos from our first country, Guatemala.

We’ve published 69 blogs and 10 travel videos.

Experiences

One of the most rewarding parts of our trip so far is that we have built great relationships along the way and now have friends (and free places to stay) in England, Wales, Holland, Norway, Guatemala, and Colombia.

Traveling in this way brings us many new experiences. We’ve had the opportunity to learn about different cultures, peoples, see amazing sights, do fun and exciting activities and get a new perspective of the world. It all hasn’t been wonderful, however.

Interacting with children who don’t go to school because they have to work all day, witnessing the pollution problem due to lack of resources (or maybe poor investment in infrastructure) in this area of the world, and seeing the drastic gap in the distribution of wealth has all been very eye opening.

These experiences make us reflect about the things that are important in our lives. We now have different expectations and standards than before. During our journey we have lived in very basic accommodations including hostels and guest houses, yet we remember how picky we once were during our apartment search in Hoboken, NJ. We’ve taken local transportation throughout the 8,700+ miles we’ve traveled. While living in the U.S. we couldn’t imagine not having a car even in a state that boasts great public transportation. It’s interesting to see how we’ve grown both individually and as a couple.

We are really looking forward to the next six months of our journey as experienced backpackers.

9 Month Travel Summary

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Peeing On A Sailboat

Aracely — Fri, 15 Jan 2024 23:29:05 +0000

Aracely on Sailboat

The flushing mechanism of our sailboat bathroom was much too complicated for our crew to manage. First, to flush the toilet two valves need to be opened by switching them from a 90 degree angle to a 45. Then, a third valve needed to be changed from an upright position to a downward position depending on whether you wanted to fill the toilet bowl or drain it. Once these three handles were correctly put in place, there was a lever that needed to be pumped at a consistent pace to flush the waste out to sea. After the bowl was empty, all the three levers needed to be returned to their original position. If they were not, the dirty water flowed back in and filled the toilet.

El Tango Sailboat

Thus far traveling has been great, but unfortunately I have been cursed with a pea sized bladder. This makes long trips very inconvenient and many times uncomfortable for me. That said, this was our first night on the boat and our crew celebrated with after dinner drinks, which for me meant at least one midnight pee. Good thing we were anchored near one of the islands in San Blas and not yet sailing open seas. When I woke up from my sleep at around 2am and made my way to the bathroom the toilet was nearly full to the rim. Someone had left the valves open. I tried draining it but couldn’t figure it out. I woke up Jason and he gave it a go without any luck. “I really have to go,” I told him, but it was impossible for me to pee in an almost full toilet bowl. What was I to do?

Inside Our Sailboat

My desperate light bulb went on. I decided to pee off the back of the boat. That is easier said than done, especially for a girl. Here’s what I did. First, I removed my underwear. Then, I climbed down the ladder located at the back of the boat that led to the ocean water below. I made my way down the latter far enough to not touch the water with my feet. Then I lunged back while holding tightly the side bar of the latter and squatted. The moon lit sky provided just enough light for me to manage this task. I felt a great relief.

This wasn’t the end of my sailboat bathroom troubles. If you’ve never been on a sailboat perhaps you don’t know this, but when the sails are up the boat sails at an angle of almost 45 degrees. Aside from the angle, the boat rocks both side to side and jumps up and down as it makes its way over

Island of Chichime

sea swells. Now, imagine trying to maneuver all those levers, get yourself situated to do your business, while the floor beneath you is moving like a wild amusement park ride. Men have it so easy!

The toilet experience made my already eventful sail journey that much more interesting.

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10 Things We Miss While Traveling

Jason — Tue, 08 Dec 2024 21:48:28 +0000

Volcano El Hoyo Trek Campsite in Nicaragua

It’s been just 3 three months since we began our round the world journey and we now find ourselves ecstatic over the idea of a hot shower. That leads me to write a follow-up to the original post of “What Will I Miss” written by Aracely before we began our trip. This list excludes family and friends, which we always miss.

1. Hot Showers

This is the top dog of things we miss. Maybe we miss it so much because we are teased with 1 hot shower about once every 6 weeks. Yes, it is very hot in Central America and most of South America, but if you spent most of your life with hot showers, you never forget them. We are usually spoiled with hot showers when we travel to high elevations where the weather is much cooler.

Atop Volcano Santa Ana in El Salvador

2. My Own Bed

Isn’t it always the greatest feeling to come home after traveling and lay down in your own comfortable bed. Now, imagine forgetting what your own bed feels like. That is where we are now. Also, staying in hostels usually does not afford you a comfortable substitute.

3. More Clothes

Everyone has their favorite clothes they wear often; this holds true even when you only have 4 outfits. Clothes take up room, so you travel with very little. Ever notice how we have the same shirts on throughout most of our pictures? Take a look around.

4. Quality High-Speed Internet

We do require good internet in order to run our travel blog, network with our followers, and upload lots of videos and photos. It’s typically not difficult finding internet, but it’s a challenge to find high bandwidth, non-intermittent access. We were spoiled at home.

Volcano San Pedro at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala

5. Favorite TV Shows

We love comedy, therefor we miss “The Office” and “Family Guy,” our two favorite shows. Hulu.com does not work outside of the United States, but TVShack.net does. It still takes up to 4 hours to load before we can watch it. We have given up on “Family Guy,” but we do our best to stay abreast with “The Office.”

6. Familiar Restaurants, Delis and Bars

It was so easy to walk down the street in Hoboken to La Isla Restaurant for Cuban food, Filippo’s On First for pizza, Luca Brasis’s Deli for an Italian Hoagie or Maru for sushi. You can get a beer anywhere in Latin America, which is aa big plus, but I miss Philadelphia sports being played in Mulligan’s Bar with familiar faces.

Jason Entering Panama at the Border Crossing

7. Fully Stocked Kitchen

In order to save some cash we often buy some groceries and cook in the hostel. We have seen some sketchy kitchens. When we find a fully stocked kitchen where we can prepare a nice meal, we look a little too excited. A flat plan that sits level on a stove stop is success.

8. Favorite Foods

We love to experiment with the local street foods in Latin America, although most are not very healthy. Latin America = fried food. People always exclaim how lucky we are to try all these great foods. We agree, we are lucky, but we must be honest and explain that we do miss our favorites. Aracely misses soy chips, cottage cheese and spring mix salads. I miss hoagies, cheesesteaks, and good beef. We both miss sushi.

A Day at the Office for Aracely

9. Availability of all Consumer Items

Never thought we would be saying this, but where’s a Best Buy, B&H Camera or REI when you need one? It’s tough traveling in less developed countries and wanting to upgrade your camera, computer software or camping/traveling gear. We have been to the most developed and consumer driven areas in Central America with no success finding a decent selection of camera lenses or a backpack rain cover. Don’t lose your travel towel, you might not find another one.

10. Driving

We didn’t drive often while living in Hoboken since we relied on public transportation. However, whenever we visited family in South Jersey, went big grocery shopping or on a trip, we could easily hop in our car and drive ourselves. We haven’t driven in over 3 months and we now actually miss it. It’s not just the feeling of driving, but also the ability to easily get somewhere if you needed to.

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Central America Chicken Buses – Short Clip 1

Aracely — Sat, 05 Dec 2024 13:27:10 +0000

Experience the wonderful colors and customizations of old American school buses in Central America through a Travel Video from Jason and Aracely of TwoBackpackers.com. In Short Clip 1, we show you pictures and videos of various buses from Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama. Enjoy the show!

Photo Contributors: @travelvice & @ImPedrovski

As a kid growing up in the USA, I, like the majority of the student population, rode a big yellow bus to school every morning. Back then, never did I imagine that later in life I would be making my way down Central America in that same type of transportation. Only this time, the colors and creative modifications of the bus are kaleidoscopical.

Old American school buses, affectionately referred to as “Chicken Buses,” are the primary mode of transportation throughout all of Central America. Depending on what kind of traveler you are, you either avoid them or take advantage of them whenever possible. In our case, Jason and I have a love hate relationship with the chicken buses. We love them because they are cheap, just as uncomfortable as a tourist shuttle, safe and we get to experience the culture of a country up close and personal.

First, let’s talk numbers. As a concrete example, we spent $33.70 between the two of us on transportation from the entrance of the Salvadorian boarder to the entrance of the Honduran border, which is approximately 228 miles. In comparison, while in Guatemala, we often traveled in tourist shuttles, with the exception of getting from Monterrico Beach to the boarder of El Salvador. Only focusing on our trip from Antigua to Panajachel to Semuc Champey, which is about 164 miles, we spent $69.22 in total. That’s a $35.52 savings and an additional 64 miles distance for riding the local buses. That’s the value of two nights in a hostel and a meal. This is what budget travel is about, finding the cheapest alternative.

Second, each time we hopped in a tourist shuttle we were just as cramped, if not more than on a chicken bus. These transportation companies are definitely not concerned with the comfort level of their passengers. They will squeeze 5 of us into a 3 seat row bench and most either don’t have or don’t use air conditioner during the 8 hour journey. Furthermore, if the road conditions are bad, unless you’re in a Mercedes-Benz S-class, your ride will be bumpy on both a chicken bus and a shuttle.

Then there is safety. I have read many chicken bus theft stories on multiple web forums and I am grateful that Jason and I have yet to experience anything like that. But, I must say that thus far, we have felt extremely safe on the road. We even prefer the buses over taxis; I guess we just feel more safe in numbers. Our bags are usually right next to us, near us or in plain view of us. We do practice precaution and try to be aware of our belongings and surroundings and we carry a money belt for cash, passports and credit cards. I know that we can’t control every situation and the possibility exists of getting our things stolen, but if we allowed negative possibilities to dictate our life we wouldn’t be traveling in these foreign countries in the first place.

Finally, riding on a chicken bus is a unique way to experience the true culture. As I mentioned, this is the primary and daily mode of transportation for locals. These buses stop everywhere, and frequently, which adds additional time to your journey. The system acts like veins in a body, connecting the tiniest isolated town to the rest of the country. To get from one location to the next, depending on how far you want to go, you may have to make several transfers, but it could potentially be the same story with the tourist shuttles. Everyone rides them including school children, farm workers, teachers, market and street vendors, all making their way to the populous cities. From what I’ve seen, people transport just about everything on the buses, and I’m convinced they are essential to the economy of these countries. Without these old American school buses, I am guessing 90% of the population wouldn’t go anywhere, since owning a vehicle is a luxury only the wealthy enjoy.

There is also an entertainment value to the whole experience to be quite frank. In each bus there is usually a driver and a conductor. The conductor collects the fares, helps passengers with their carry on baggage, and hangs off the side of the bus yelling the bus route to everyone passing by. He also skillfully gets on and off at each stop while the bus is still in motion to help anyone that may need it. The baggage brought on the buses is anything from a sack of coffee, fruits and vegetables, chickens and anything else that can be sold at a market. Chicken buses are also habitually visited by street vendors who will ride the bus to the next stop or town while they push their merchandise onto a captive audience. They are selling everything from beauty product to snacks and cold drinks, and even entire meals consisting of rice, chicken and tortillas, all of which are served in a small plastic bags. The vendors are of all ages from very young children to elder men and women; all are very persistent and persuasive. When the bus is crammed with people standing in the aisle, the vendors will artfully weave their way down the aisle to offer their products to every person on board.

As you might have guessed, I’m an advocate for the chicken buses, but I did mention that Jason and I have a love hate relationship with them. Hate, because it can be hard work lugging our heavy bags on and off at each connection point. It’s tiring, hot, uncomfortable and you will definitely feel a sense of culture shock. That said, be forewarned, it’s definitely not for everyone. If you can spare the cash, you may opt for the tourist shuttles, but don’t expect space or comfort. If you can spare a little more time, all you need is a little patience and an open mind and you will be guaranteed an adventure on every chicken bus ride.

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Hard Working Children of Guatemala

Aracely — Sun, 20 Sep 2024 01:19:45 +0000

I have only traveled to a few Latin American countries prior to arriving in Guatemala twenty-one days ago. In 2024 I spent ten days in Costa Rica, in 2024 seventeen days in Ecuador (my country of origin), in 2024 eight days in Dominican Republic and in March of this year Jason and I spent six days on the Argentina/Brazil border for a visit to Iguazu Falls.

Shoe Shining Boy

Although those trips were relatively short and touristy, I feel as though I did get a glimpse, as small as it was, of the culture, people, and economic situation of those countries. One notable and emotionally memorable observation for me was seeing children begging in the streets. After spending twenty years living in the United States this is not something we are accustomed to seeing, or at least we can agree that it’s an extremely rare occurrence.

After visiting six towns in twenty-one days, I have yet to see one child begging in the streets of Guatemala. I have only seen them working and they are all working very hard. To clarify, when I say children I mean children of all ages from 4 and 5 year olds to pre-teens and up, all working. They are selling everything from hand made bracelets, to hair products, to food; they are offering services from shoe shining to hair braiding. With or without the help of an adult, these children are able to create honorable work out of the few resources they have. I find that extremely impressive.

Girl Selling Candy

At such a tender age they have mastered the art of negotiating, up selling, customer service and can even calculate complex equations in their head. One little girl offered me coconut macaroons at 5 Quetzales (about .61 cents) each but I only had a 10 Q bill. She quickly told me to take two. Another little boy was selling lychee at 12 for 10Q. I asked how much he would give me for 5Q. He put 6 in a bag and one in my hand. “For the road,” he said. He didn’t miss count; he was providing me good customer service.

Just out of curiosity, I did a little bit of research on per capital GDP (a debatable indicator but we won’t get into that right now) of the countries I mentioned to see how they ranked. The results are illustrated in the table below.

2007 Per Capital GDP	Country
$6,636	Argentina
$5,801	Costa Rica
$4,202	Dominican Republic
$3,328	Ecuador
$2,503	Guatemala

Source: http://data.un.org/

Guatemala actually has the lowest GDP of them all and it’s the country where I have not seen a single child begging. I am not implying any economic trends of any sort, nor am I claiming to know all of the poverty issues of Guatemala or any country, because I don’t. Most importantly, I don’t mean to offend any child, man or woman that does or has begged. All I want to do is give credit to the hardworking children of Guatemala. You might have seen children begging in the streets, but I haven’t; I have only seen them working very hard.

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Decision To Travel

Jason — Tue, 25 Aug 2024 09:00:18 +0000

Hoboken St. Patrick

Aracely and I have always preferred living in urban areas or cities. The city offers easily accessible grocery stores, restaurants, bars, parks, museums, the arts and public transportation all within walking distance. These are the things we enjoy and where we have spent our money over the last 3 years. We have sacrificed the size of our home, the quality of furniture and the excitement of a cool car. My 2024 4-door Sebring has 145,000 miles and is a little banged up; however it’s paid off and I no longer have to worry about bumper damage while parallel parking in Hoboken. The furniture we owned, prior to the moving sale, was cheap and served its purpose well. Our bed consisted of a mattress on the floor in a Hoboken, New Jersey 1-bedroom apartment. These are sacrifices Aracely and I have accepted and are very content living with.

The ability to have an exciting social life has always been our primary focus. If I am going to spend money, I prefer it to be out socializing with friends over drinks at a local Hoboken bar or restaurant. This is why I moved to Hoboken 3.5 years ago. Include a few adventures like skydiving, river rafting and 3-day vacations and my life is good. Aracely cares most about vacationing in a different country each year and action adventures as well. These are the types of memories we will cherish most at 80 years old. These are the stories we are eager to share with friends and family. Would you rather brag about your 10-second 1/4 mile racecar, or the new floor just installed in your kitchen? We are all different when it comes to our own personal excitement, but it’s important to ask yourself a question like this to be certain you are doing the things you crave. If you share your life with someone else, it’s even more important to communicate those desires often to make sure you both get what you need out of life.

Taking a yearlong trip costs a considerable amount of money. It’s normally not an easy decision to make, but it wasn’t a real difficult one for Aracely and I either. In February of 2024, Aracely and I were seriously looking to purchase a house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I spent several years working in the banking business, which has always made me fiscally conservative. There would be no chance Aracely and I would ever overextend ourselves on a home that was too expensive for us. Now, when we look back at the sequence of events, we are quite happy that the round-the-world trip idea surfaced before we purchased a home. If we owned the home, I still think we would have found a way to take the trip. Knowing what is important to both of us, the home not being high on the list, we were going to leave ourselves a financial cushion to satisfy our thirst for adventure and an active social life.

Understand what it is you value in life and revisit those values when you are making important decisions, whether they are financial or personal.

Our desire for adventure and travel combined with our debt free lifestyle, made our decision to travel long-term easy. This is our short answer for those that ask, “What made you decide to do this?” Your decision may not seem practical to others, but as long as it makes sense to you, who cares what anyone else thinks?

It’s a perfect time for you to recall what it is that you enjoy most in life!

Watch our HD Video: Leaving Hoboken – Episode 1

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My Typical Vacation

Jason — Fri, 21 Aug 2024 01:29:10 +0000

Vacation with My Family

We have been enjoying ourselves while vacationing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with my family for the past 4 days. It’s early Thursday morning and we are now boarding a flight to Miami, Florida to visit with Aracely’s family. I still feel full and slightly ill from overeating and we are both confident we gained few pounds. Our decision to leave for Guatemala on August 27^th, 2024 was based primarily around vacations we already had planned with family. We had originally struggled deciding on a departure date. The three scenarios we created were as follows:

• Leave immediately (May), before we consider changing our minds

• Leave late August, after the booked vacations with family

•Leave towards the end of the year (2009) in an effort to accumulate more savings

After a month of debating we agreed on the second choice. It made the most sense to us and for our families. Our vacation was originally scheduled for a half week in Myrtle Beach with my family and a half week in Miami with Aracely’s family. Instead of flying back to the New York area from Miami, we now have booked a flight on American Airlines to Guatemala City.

Uncle Jason Aracely and the Boys in Myrtle Beach, SC

I am trying to imagine the radical contrasts that will exist between these last 4 days and our backpacking journey. We ate like kings, we slept like kings and we were chauffeured around like kings. It might not seem that way today, but after a month in Guatemala, it will probably be an accurate description. Who wouldn’t enjoy a vacation like that? These are the vacations I am accustomed to. We rented cars, went out for dinner and lay on the beach most of the day.

My expectations for the year long trip are based on reading and following other backpackers on-line. That is the extent of my backpacking knowledge. Yes, I have backpacked the Grand Canyon, but it was a tourist location where the culture was familiar to me. Backpacking in foreign lands from city to city with no reservations doesn’t even compare.

I have enjoyed this vacation with my family very much, but its time to try something different. It’s time to challenge myself culturally, experiencing how others around the world live. Thanks Mom and Dad for the wonderful vacation. I am plenty fed and plenty relaxed for the long journey ahead.

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My Last Week of Work

Jason — Tue, 28 Jul 2024 16:20:58 +0000

One week left for maintaining employment in the United States. It is shocking and uneasy to say at the same time. I feel like my entire adult life has been heavily focused on improving my career, making more money and being able to invest in my future and myself. The thought of not having a job for the first time since I graduated college is frightening. Here comes my story’s hook. It is not frightening for me; it is frightening for those that surround me.

I am perfectly content leaving my job after 12 years of commitment. Fortunately, I was able to attend college through supportive parents and establish, in my opinion, a successful career. My dedication to my career will fund my trip and provide a sense of financial security. I must admit the gear and gadgets I will be purchasing are more expensive than those I would have purchased had I done this as a gap year out of college. There is no denying that. There is no reason to feel guilt or irresponsible for taking an extended vacation, career break or to just search for what it is that you feel you should be doing. Life provides us options, but only for those courageous enough to seek them out. This is easier for me, considering I have spent the last 12 years working and saving, I don’t own a house and I am debt free. But, it is important for you to know that there are many others that have the same desires and much less than any of us can imagine, but still seek out their dreams.

A common statement made by those that hear our story is, “I wish I could do that, but…” The, “but” often proceeds the, “wish.” I often keep mum and listen to their reasons they can’t do what they wish. It is funny how people always insist on telling you the reasons. I never ask for them, unless of course they are my close friends. So why do people feel the need to explain? My guess is that it is intended to provide comfort. It is a reason one tells themselves in order to feel they have a legitimate excuse. They thought about it rationally and made an intelligent decision. In no way am I trying to minimize one’s reasons for not traveling. I am speaking to those that have the means and the ability. The problem lies with the common misconception by Americans that we have a legitimate excuse. My intent is to have you think about your dreams and desires in an irrational way. Dreams are not meant to be over analyzed.

Colleagues at Mercedes-Benz USA

I do not fear letting go of my job, but others close to me find it wildly unconventional, risky and even immature. It’s a shame these views exist in our culture. I assure you, this perception is most evident in the United States. We focus most of our energy on our jobs or careers, leaving us very little time to enjoy life in ways we once dreamed of. Consumerism in America has played a large role in shaping our lives, but corporate America has contributed its share too. If we continue to work, we can continue to buy things that we have been convinced make us happy. And the more often we work, the more the corporation benefits, especially if you are salary based. This is the formula that has ruined work-life balance in America. This is the formula that makes you feel guilty for taking a two-week vacation, asking for a sabbatical or not being able to buy your children a pool. It’s the formula that spawned recent college graduates purchasing a BMW or Mercedes, families requiring obnoxiously large SUVs, gigantic diamond rings and commercials informing you of your current state of depression. This is the America we have come to know today.

I will be the bug in the system, the anomaly that has gone array.

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Lack of a Travel Itinerary

Jason — Wed, 22 Jul 2024 01:00:13 +0000

After we tell people that we are going to travel the world usually the first question they ask is, “Where are you going?” I struggled with this question in the beginning. After stumbling for not having a definitive answer I would say, “Latin America and Southeast Asia.” Well, that leads to additional questions for specifics from those that are truly interested. We don’t have those specific answers, and initially I used the excuse that we were just beginning to plan the itinerary. But, with only 4 weeks until we leave our apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey for good, I still have very little to add to my previous answer.

It’s suggested that you first list all the countries you may consider visiting. You will need that list to research the following:

Country specific entrance and length of stay requirements

Costs associated with each country (lodging and food, entrance and departure fees)

Recommended immunizations/vaccinations and prescriptions

Transportation options (flight, train or bus)

Weather and environment (what to pack)

Depending on the type of person you are, you may choose to do a more detailed search relating to each country.

Aracely and I did not purchase a round-the-world flight ticket, we do not have any reservations or tours booked, and we have not decided on the exact countries we plan to visit. This is how we choose to travel. Honestly, it’s a challenge for me, but not so much for Aracely. Part of this journey is learning to let go; live in a way that is completely different from the way we currently live our lives. Today, we spend a significant time planning and organizing because we only have a weeks’ worth of vacation from our jobs. And often those vacations are meant for rest and recuperation from your job. When traveling long-term, you aren’t escaping the stress any longer. Now, there is no need to crunch everything possible into a week, plan extensively or recuperate. You can do what you want, when you want, on your own terms for as long as you want. It’s exhilarating just to say those words.

Central and South America and Southeast Asia were chosen because they are cheap and offer adventure. If we visit Western Europe we will blow our budget and the length of our journey will be shortened. Instead we have decided to travel on a budget for an extended period of time while passing on Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

Letting Go

We have written down places we want to visit and things we want to see, but not much more. We have created a spreadsheet with each country we may or may not visit and what in that country we would want to see. The lack of commitment allows us to be flexible enough to spontaneously join other travelers for a trek or road trip. The experience is more than just seeing new environments; it’s about meeting people from varying cultures and countries, it’s about full immersion, but most importantly, its about being free.

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I am a Corporate America Dropout

Aracely — Wed, 01 Jul 2024 03:58:38 +0000

Aracely at work with city view

It’s official. Yesterday, I told my boss of my plans to drop out of the rat race and go travel the world. Okay, so those were not my exact words, the point is, my decision is final, there’s no going back. I’m on my way to a completely different lifestyle.

I began my first corporate job right out of college back in 2024 at Mercedes-Benz USA[1], where I was groomed into a young professional. After four and a half years of establishing a respectable reputation and becoming a subject matter expert, I decided it was time to move on and do it all over again elsewhere. That elsewhere, according to me, needed to be in New York City. I romanticized about the idea of working in a skyscraper somewhere in Manhattan and dreamt of a corner office with a view. I made my move and began working for a Fortune 500 Company in June of 2024. A short year and half later, I was exactly where I imagined I would be. My office is located at 3 World Financial Center on the north corner of the 23rd floor, view included.

I learned many lessons during my time in the corporate environment, some I’ve internalized and keep with me, and others–I will admit– I’ve intentionally ignored. In all honesty, I believe that a few of those lessons have not only helped shape my personality but even my identity. More importantly, I have been extremely lucky because I’ve worked with great caliber leaders that were always supportive and belived in me. Through them, I’ve learned the value of building self-confidence, the need to raise your personal bar and the importance of not just producing results, but measuring them. I’ve also learned the art of CYA[2], getting buy-in and giving EOD[3] deadlines. All that is behind me, the decks[4], the conference calls, the terms like BAU[5] and bandwidth[6], which were all part of my life in corporate America, and yesterday I dropped out.

When I decided to make the move from Mercedes-Benz to my currently employer someone asked me, “Are you running from or going to?” My answer was, “Both.” Back then, I knew there was something missing in my career and I was running to find it. I thought more money and a greater challenge would fulfill the void I was feeling. I was wrong. Although, it often helps, more money can’t calm an internal calling; at least not for me and not this calling. However, I do not regret any of my career decisions. I’ver worked for two great companies and with amazing people.

Today, my decision to drop out of corporate American is no different. I am both running from and going to. I’m running away from a career where I am successful but running to chase a dream and follow my passions. My dream is to travel to distant lands and my passion is for cultural education, volunteerism and adventure. It’s what I think about as I look out the view of my office window. I don’t know where this will take me, what it will bring me, how it will change me, or even if I am as passionate about it as I think I am. But I decide not to let the unknown stop me, I am determined to go find out.

1 Corporate headquarters located in Montvale, NJ
2 Cover you’re a$$
3 End of Day
4 Refers to PowerPoint presentations
5 Business as usual
6 Metaphor used to refer to capacity, resources or time available to do additional work

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