The idea to travel around the wolrd has been growing in our heads for a few years. The inspiration came from a radio audition in which a young couple explained about their honeymoon trip around the globe. This was the time when we started to seariously consider doing it on our own. It was 2008.
We've been trying to set the best timing to start this adventure ever since. A good moment to pick a date came last year when the company I work for introduced a sabbatical. So, we made the decision and began with the preparations. Our key idea was to travel with the summer throughout the whole year and as we planned to set off in November or December, we searched for airline promotions either to Asia or to South America. The best offer we've found was to Rio de Janeiro so we bought our first ever one-way airline tickets and that's the place where it will all begin on December 1st. We'll go West!
One year for travel is a lot and a little at the same time. It seems enough to reach the most distant places - the, so-called, other side of the Earth, yet it's not enough to literally travel the whole world. You need to choose where you will go and were you won't! That is not an easy thing to do as, of course, the temptation is to see everything! Therefore, we've searched for inspirations. First, we thought of the countries or even particular places we'd always wanted to visit and put them on the list. We've met with people who traveled a lot or those who have done a round-the-world trip themselves (Marta & Bartek - great thanks for your help!) and we added their suggestions to the list. We've read blogs, travel books and guidebooks. We've even searched the websites of well-known travel agencies to see where they send their clients - and we added even more places to the list. You can imagine that the list has become quite long (too long for a year only) so we've verified it again and again and we ended up with a plan.
Rio de Janeiro will be our first destination. In Brazil, apart from Rio, we plan to visit friends in Curitiba and see the waterfalls in Foz do Iguacu. Then we will head for Argentina: the Andes, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. After reaching Cape Horn we would like to go back up north through Chile to Bolivia. The latter will be the last country we visit in South America. By the way - does anyone know how to best reeach the Easter Island from South America? I ask because this is our next destination after Bolivia. Further, we intend to fly to New Zealand, where we plan to travel the islands on motorcycles. Later we want to reach Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar/Birma, and go through India to Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and China. If at this stage it turns out that we still have time we'll fly to the United States (Alaska is one of our must-see) and from there through the New York City back home to Warsaw.
Is it a lot? Yes. Is it too much for one year? Probably. We are aware that we'll adjust the plan many times as we travel and we're absolutely fine with that. Spontaneity will only add a flavour to the whole trip! We have our tent and sleeping bags with us, we are very eager to use CouchSurfing as much as possible and, of course, hostels if needed.
Well, off we go! Keep your fingers crossed!