Kindness of Strangers

Check out our updated itinerary, under the Itinerary tab (always, of course, subject to change).  We’ve made some last-minute changes, primarily to the South American portion, cutting some things and adding others:

• We’ve hammered out our route in Turkey, thanks to a friend from Turkey who has been a tremendous help.  We will stay with his parents for a week in Istanbul, which should be a culturally enriching experience. 
• Rather than hiking Machu Picchu, we’ve decided to take the train from Cusco.  We’ll be there during rainy season, and the trail will likely be closed or impassable.  We’re meeting Maikael’s mom in Cusco and not doing the backpacker thing (a welcome break by that point, I’m sure). 
• With the time saved in Peru, we’ve decided to add Bolivia to the itinerary.  I was lucky enough to meet the Peace Corps recruiter from UNM, who did her term of service there, and was completely won over by her stories. 
• We’ve cut Brazil from the itinerary.  We really wanted to go, but just ran out of time.  It will have to be another trip altogether. 
• We’ve added some additional days onto Easter Island.  We both agreed that, given the amount of time and effort required to get there from just about anywhere in the world, we should really take our time with the experience. 
• We’ve shaved time from Buenos Aires and Santiago and added it onto Mendoza, Argentina, where we’ll spend Christmas with a friend of Maikael’s from high school (can’t wait!). 
• We’ve chosen our general route through Patagonia.
• We’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and do The Galapagos, even though we can’t really afford it (unless, of course, we’re severly in debt, the weather is terrible, and/or we can’t get reservations on a boat).  Because who knows when we’re going to be in Ecuador again?!