Travel with Emily

As I’ve started exploring South America it becomes clear that there’s a common thread linking all people and no, it’s not Spanish!

It’s less tangible, more of a feeling and I think it’s a shared aspect of humanity that appears again and again. I experienced it in Argentina, in Brazil and I’m sure I’ll find it in Peru too.

I saw in with the two Argentinian women who confirmed I was on the right bus to the airport, and then, when we realised we were on the same flight, took me under their wing while we checked in, went through security, boarded the flight, collected our bags, ate dinner and then shared a taxi into the town. That chance encounter turned into an offer to explore Iguazu falls with them the next day, where we walked and marvelled at their size and power whilst swapping stories of our lives and culture.

I saw it on my 5-day hike in Chapada Diamentia where 8 of us started the trek as strangers and finished as friends, drawn together by curiosity and a love of the outdoors. As the youngest person and the only non-Portuguese speaker, I was once again adopted by the group and they made sure to translate and include me in the conversations.

I saw it in a men’s friend group who had just celebrated their 25th annual trip together. Normally road tripping and fishing in the United States, this trip had made it international to Buenos Aires. As we all waited for a table they started telling us about how on each trip they try and share with people they meet. About 15 minutes later at our table after we’ve just ordered, the waiter appears with a bewildered look on his face “I’m not sure how it happened, but another table would like to gift you a bottle of our finest wine!” And so between the red wine (which before this I’d never even drunk) and the amazing Argentinian steak, we dined like kings!

Deep down below the glitz and glamour of amazing sunsets, beautiful mountains, ancient ruins and cities, these moments of honest human connection are what keep me travelling, and they stick with me long after my memories of the landscape have faded away.