We have just completed the first quarter of our journey and Capri has finished singing 20 anthems in 20 countries in just 2 months! People always ask us if we are constantly tired from all that travelling and if we are still having fun and managing to sightsee despite our fast pace. Here are my responses along with some of our highlights from the trip so far.
First of all, for the most part, we have not been tired or jet lagged due to the fact that we are travelling in manageable size legs. Our first flight went from Vancouver to Ottawa (a 3 hour time difference) and that was the worst time change that we have had yet. Our travels in the Caribbean were in essentially the same time zones and then our jump down to Central and then South America just meant moving further north, rather than east or west. We have found that the key to feeling our best is to avoid having flights that are either too early in the morning (because then you just feel tired all day) or too late at night (because then you feel tired for the entire next day).
We have tried to make our “travel days” into a mix between work and relaxation. For instance, most airports have free wifi and so we use that to work on our blogs/videos/website and school projects for the kids. Then, after our work is done, we allow ourselves some free time to read or watch a tv show or movie.
With an average of 3-4 days per country, our pace has undoubtedly been swift. Since our priority on this journey is to raise money for SOS Children’s Villages, sightseeing is not our main objective and we have really enjoyed seeing the “authentic” nature of each country, rather than solely the “tourist traps” as we call them. We have really enjoyed meeting local people and children to get a feel for what “real life” in the country is like; often in neighbourhoods that are middle to lower class.
During our limited “free time”, we have really tried to go out to find the absolute highlights of each city. Here are some of the “best of the best” so far:
- Panama City – the Panama Canal is definitely something I would recommend seeing. As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Miraflores Locks are an incredible site – especially if you can visit when a ship is passing through.
- Lima, Peru – renting bikes along the Boardwalk beside the cliffs of Miraflores is such a fantastic activity. The view is stunning and is not to be missed.
- Quito, Ecuador – a visit to the “Mitad deal Mundo” or the “Midde of the Earth” is worth your while. Go to the museum that is not directly attached to the main exhibit though as the guides are fantastic as they walk you through various “equator experiments”
Some things to avoid/ be aware of:
- Traffic in many of these cities is horrendous, so try to avoid driving during rush hour. Especially Lima and Quito where the infrastructure is poor and the roads are way too congested for the number of people trying to get places quickly!
- Do not drink the tap water in many countries in Central/South America. Be careful of drinks with ice or even juices that may contain water. You do not want to ruin three days by being sick! A site we find useful is: http://isthewatersafetodrink.com as you just input the name of the city and out comes a recommendation on the quality of the water.
- There are often lots of amazing free things to do if you are on a budget. For instance, many of the cities we visited, such as Bogotà, Colombia and Santiago, Chile have incredible parks in the middle of them with beautiful scenery and pretty fountains. You don’t need to spend a lot of money if you don’t want to!
Next we head to New Zealand and Australia, so stay tuned for more updates and blogs from the other side of the world!
To follow the Everitt’s family journey visit their website: www.aroundtheworldin80anthems.com and for more information about our round the world specials, connect with us online, visit us in-store or call us at 1-877-967-5302