Chris convinced me to brave the heat and the crowds today and go to the beach in Rio. It wasn’t as terrible as I expected. Set your expectations low and sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised! #beach #riodejaneiro #brazil #travel #exploremore

Chris really wanted to see the Escadaria Selarón (Selarón Steps) so despite the heat we made our way there. According to interwebs, these stairs are one of the most iconic public artworks in the world and based on the crowds, I’m guessing it’s true. #rio #Brazil #streetart #travel #exploremore

Christ the Redeemer is a giant statue of Jesus Christ located atop Corcovado Mountain in Rio. We took the tram to the top and, after a brief hold up by a local pig, we arrived as the sun was setting. The views were stunning but I could have done w/o the crowds. #riodejaneiro #brazil #sunset #travel

As promised, the Brazillian side of Iguazu National Park. Both sides were phenomenal, I truly don’t think I could pick a favorite. If you have the chance to visit, I highly recommend seeing both. #iguazu #brazil #waterfalls #travel #exploremore

As promised, the Brazillian side of Iguazu National Park. Both sides were phenomenal, I truly don’t think I could pick a favorite. If you have the chance to visit, I highly recommend seeing both. #iguazu #brazil #waterfalls #travel #exploremore

Landing in Rio! Rio is the second largest city in Brazil and home to almost 14 million people. There are far fewer tall buildings compared to São Paulo but still so, so many smaller buildings/homes, and ships! We look forward to the next 8 days exploring Rio! #riodejaneiro #exploremore #travel

Landing in São Paulo, Brazil. This city is MASSIVE! With almost 23 million residents, it is the largest city in Brazil and one of the most populous in the world. I have never seen so many buildings all crammed in together. This video is set at a 5X speed and parts are cut out & still insane!

Animals of Iguazu! Butterflies, lizards, otters, monkeys, toucans, and baby coatis- what a day! #monkey #toucan #wildlife #animals #nature

The Buenos Aires Eco Park used to be a zoo. When it opened in 1888 it contained over 2,500 animals. In 2016, the city protested the zoo’s cruelty toward the animals and the 140-year-old zoo was closed. It relocated most of the animals to nature reserves or released them into the wild.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires is the mother of all bookstores! Named ”the world’s most beautiful bookstore” by National Geographic, El Ateneo Grand Splendid resides in an old theater. In 2000 it was converted to a bookstore but much of the interior remains the same. Absolutely stunning!

Day 3 in Buenos Aires! We walked to the San Telmo Market for lunch and then through a few parks to the colorful La Boca District where we ended with a pint, or in Chris’s case three half pints, at Temple Brewing. Another beautiful day! #buenosaires #argentina #travel #exploremore #southamerica

Last night we took in a tango performance! The dinner was decent but the highlight by far was the show! Here are some snippets. #tango #buenosaires #argentina #travel #exploremore

It was a very sunny day in Buenos Aires and it got quite hot but we still enjoyed wandering around and taking in some sights. The architecture in this city is pretty incredible! Up next? A tango performance! #architecture #buenosaires #argentina #travel #exploremore

Yesterday we visited the Jardín Botánico and took in the last sunset from the ship. #flowers #botanicalgarden #buenosaires #argentina #travel

Recoleta Cemetery is known as the city of the dead in the heart of Buenos Aires! It contains so many massive marble mausoleums, all lined up. with cobblestone pathways in between. #recoleta #buenosaires #argentina🇦🇷 #travel #exploremore

It’s like a supernatural force just pulls us in! We were strolling the cemetery in Buenos Aires and realized we were hungry and out of water. Pulled up a map and boom, Buller Brewing Company! The beer has a really unique flavor and the atmosphere is just perfect, especially on the rooftop patio!

Yesterday in Montevideo, Uruguay. It was a beautiful city and very easily walkable. #montevideo #uruguay #travel #exploremore #cruise

I spent WAY TOO MUCH time on this video but I was cracking myself up! Yes, I made up dialogue and a whole story for the penguins. I’m weird like that. #penguin #wildlife #travel #exploremore #cruise

Last night was supposed to have meteor showers so the captain turned off some of the ship’s lights. Sadly, that didn’t happen but we still got some amazing views of the night sky.

WE FINALLY SAW PENGUINS IN THE WILD! I have so much more to post about them but for now, here’s one of my favorites! #penguin #travel #exploremore #wildanimals #cruise

Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego Province in Argentina. It claims to be the southernmost city in the world but that depends on how you define city. It is located on the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. It was a gorgeous stop and reminded us a lot of Alaska!

It’s kind of our thing so when we saw @patagonia_brewing_co while in Patagonia it was a must! #patagonia #brewery #craftbeer #travel #exploremore

More from beautiful Patagonia! #patagonia #chile #travel #exploremore #cruise

Another incredible day in South America! Today was our first stop in the Patagonia Region and we visited Puerto Chacabuco and Puerto Aysen in Chile. We did a self-guided tour that we made up ourselves and it was perfect. Even our Uber rides between towns were enjoyable! #chile #patagonia #travel

Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas, and Angelmo! Chile is a beautiful country! #chile #travel #exploremore

White water rafting in Chile!

I’ve never been south of the equator before this trip. Waiting for the sun to set when it’s 9pm in December is a new, incredible feeling. #sunset #chile #ocean #cruise #travel

Lima (Miraflores), day 2, part 1. We started the day in Parque Kennedy which is a haven for stray cats. So. Many. Cats. They are actually well cared for here with homes and food. I don’t know about vet care. #peru #lima #futbol #cats #travel

It’s been a week since Lima but it’s hard to fully recharge when there’s always something new to do so this took a while to put together! And I’m only halfway through Lima pics now so there’s more to come. #lima #peru #travel #exploremore #cruise

Saw a pelican catch and eat a little snack today in Algarrobo, Chile! **disclaimer- video speed was reduced to highlight the point when he swallowed** #chile #pelicans #travel #exploremore #animals

In the afternoon we walked around La Serena, checked out some street art and a church, saw a street performance and the Plaza de Armas, then headed to the Museo di Archeologia. #coquimbo #laserena #chile #travel #exploremore

Our morning was spent in the town of Coquimbo, Chile and then we ubered to the Japanese Gardens in La Serena. Overall, Chile seems a little cleaner than other parts of South America that we’ve seen and we felt completely safe and comfortable every where we went today. Stay tuned for our afternoon!

Here is more from Thursday night in Lima! Eventually, I’ll get out all of our time in Peru. On Thanksgiving we had dinner at Casa Aliaga, an historic colonial-style mansion in Lima built in 1535. It has been home to the same family for 18 generations and is still currently occupied by them.

Wow. Just wow. Dune buggies through the desert near Paracas, Peru. So much fun! #peru #desert #travel #exploremore

#dunebuggy #peru #paracas #travel #exploremore

Traveling when you have a chronic illness is hard and exhausting but I’m not complaining because all the pain and fatigue are worth it to be able to experience the world. #exhausted #travel #exploremore #peru #cruising

Today we’re exploring Miraflores and Barranco- starting with El Parque del Amor! #miraflores #peru #travel #exploremore #cruising

We walked all around Lima’s city center today and ended at the Circuito Magico del Agua (Magic Water Circuit). I’m far too tired to post about it all now but here’s a snippet from the fountains! #lima #peru #fountain #travel #exploremore

Tastes like chicken. #cuy #guineapig #peru #lima #travel #exploremore

I don’t have time to put together a full video about last night in Lima, that will have to wait for a sea day, but here’s a sneak peak! It was an AMAZING night! #lima #peru #travel #exploremore #cruising

The video quality isn’t great because I’m shaky most of the time but I tried! Dolphins playing in the waters next to our ship! #dolphins #cruising #travel #exploremore #pacificocean

Chris and I are both atheists (maybe 1% agnostic? You can never be 100% sure in this subject) but we can still appreciate a beautiful church. The intricacies in the design and art are awe inspiring. #church #cathedral #trujillo #peru #travel

Yesterday’s port was Salaverry/Trujillo, Peru. This area does have a higher crime rate than previous ports so we were pretty limited in where we were supposed to wander. #trujillo #peru #travel #exploremore #cruising

Getting off the ship in Salaverry, Peru!

These laundry prices are highway robbery! Luckily I planned ahead and brought this travel clothes line!

Manta, Ecuador

This was on the beach in Manta, Ecuador! Apparently, after they clean their fish, the remains just go in the water near shore because after this one we saw at least 5 more fish/shark heads! I’ll pass on swimming at this beach! #ecuador #manta #shark #ocean #pacific

#equator #travel #exploremore #cruising #pacificocean

Embera crafts

The Embera people welcome us to their village because we are their primary source of income. The land they live on was turned into a national park and they are no longer allowed to hunt or farm enough to survive so they had to find another way to get their food. Tourism is how they do that. #panama