A Quick Recap: 5 countries and 140 hours in buses

For those who don’t want to read everything below, or you just want a stop-by-stop recap, get out your Atlas or map and read on:

January (with Lizz): I started in Niteroi (across the bay from Rio), Brazil, spent a week there and in Rio. From there, a bus north to Salvador for three days, another bus north to Maceio for another three days, followed by a final northbound bus to the twin cities of Recife and Olinda for two more days. Bus back to Salvador for a night before a flight back to Niteroi for a few nights. (In come Andy and Wendy for a week) Short bus south to Ilha Grande in the state of Rio for two nights, followed by a night back in Niteroi before a flight to Iguazu Falls for three more nights. Return to Niteroi for five days before Carnaval.

February (with Lizz, David, Sage and Jeremy): David and Sage arrive for the four days of Carnaval, followed by three more days in Niteroi and Rio. We flew south to Florianopolis, Brazil for two nights before continuing on a bus to Montevideo, Uruguay for two more nights. Bus and boat ride to Buenos Aires (in comes Jeremy) for five days before a bus west to Mendoza for five more days. Bus west to Santiago for a two days, mountaineering trip up Cerro Plomo outside Santiago, bus back to Buenos Aires and from there boat/bus to Montevideo.