10th Feb, 2012
Ahoy there! My name is Nick Morgan. I’m a 22 year old idiotic, thrill seeking Tasmanian, and today I quit my job...Woohooo!!
Yes, some may categorise me as another useless product of an imprudent generation Y, but with no responsibilities and no regrets (thus far) I can’t see why the rules and regulations of our structured little society shouldn’t be thrown out the window more often than not. So, with that in mind, I’ll soon be gone. Up, up and awayyyy!!! Hooray!! Yep, that day has finally come to pack my bags and run. To leave behind my family and friends in search of that fantastical dream I’ll probably never find…However, it is that great haze of uncertainty which feeds this inclination, and I’ve become possessed by a restlessness only overcome through a combination of spontaneity, adrenaline fuelled activity, new faces or new places. After all, who wants to be that old, fat, depressed guy, contently carrying his bulbous belly around a supermarket, arguing with a deranged second wife over the gravox, forever looking back on this moment as the big ‘what if’ of his life??...not me…Ever the optimist! ‘Here’s to retirement! Here’s to gap living! Here’s to the naivety of youth!’ Life’s sure about to get pretty darn good.
Yes, some may categorise me as another useless product of an imprudent generation Y, but with no responsibilities and no regrets (thus far) I can’t see why the rules and regulations of our structured little society shouldn’t be thrown out the window more often than not. So, with that in mind, I’ll soon be gone. Up, up and awayyyy!!! Hooray!! Yep, that day has finally come to pack my bags and run. To leave behind my family and friends in search of that fantastical dream I’ll probably never find…However, it is that great haze of uncertainty which feeds this inclination, and I’ve become possessed by a restlessness only overcome through a combination of spontaneity, adrenaline fuelled activity, new faces or new places. After all, who wants to be that old, fat, depressed guy, contently carrying his bulbous belly around a supermarket, arguing with a deranged second wife over the gravox, forever looking back on this moment as the big ‘what if’ of his life??...not me…Ever the optimist! ‘Here’s to retirement! Here’s to gap living! Here’s to the naivety of youth!’ Life’s sure about to get pretty darn good.
And here is ‘Grand master plan’ priority number one: - have HEAPS of fun. Priority two: - try not to get shot. More former than latter and we can call it a happy holiday.
From there, things get a little hazy…I went and bought myself a one way ticket to Mexico City, and from the comfort and safety of my boxy little office desk at home, come up with this idea that I can travel overland all the way to the bottom of continental South America by the end of the year. If I make it that far and I’ve still got cash, limbs and a smile on the dial, I guess I’ll scoot back up the other side. I know it’s sure to be a lot more difficult than I’m making it sound, but I’m definitely up for the adventure and can’t wait to see what Latin America’s got to hurl my way.
I decided to create this blog mainly as a way to reassure my folks that I’m still alive, and also so I don’t have to answer the same repetition of questions every time I jump on email or facebook. “Yes, I’m having a great time. Yes, I’m wearing my sunscreen. Yes, I’ll try my best not to smuggle drugs into Panama...” I mean there’s no way you can compress a weeks worth of already indescribable travel stories into a few sentences over the internet. I guess in a way it’ll also serve as my verbal vomit, a place to say what I wanna say to the people who want to hear it. Travelling on your own can be rewarding, but there sure are times when you wish you had someone else there to share the ups and downs.
So, to all who have read this much and seem to actually give a shit, I look forward to sharing my journeys with you. To my kick-ass friends and family, it’s going to suck not having you around…so don’t have too good a time without me! You really are the best and I’ll see you all soon. I shall be back, I just don’t quite know when…
Much everlasting love,
…a gun totting, gringo bandit off practicing his Spanish.Happy livin'!
Trip Route So Far...
February 2012
15th - Hobart - Mexico City
16th - 18th - Mexico City
19th - Mexico City - Oaxaca
20th - 21st - Oaxaca
22nd - 24th - San Cristobal
25th - San Cristobal - El Panchan
26th - Palenque
27th - Palenque - Campeche
28th - Campeche - Merida
29th - Merida
March 2012
1st - Merida - Piste
2nd - Chichen Itza
3rd - Piste - Merida
4th - Merida - Havana
5th - 10th - Havana
11th - Havana - Merida
12th - Merida - Tulum
13th - 14th - Tulum
15th - Tulum - Caye Caulker
16th - 20th - Caye Caulker
21st - Caye Caulker - San Ignacio
22nd - San Ignacio - Flores
23rd - Tikal
24th - Flores
25th - Flores - Lanquin
26th - Semuc Champey
27th - 28th - Lanquin
29th - Lanquin - Antigua
30th - 2nd - Antigua
April 2012
3rd - Antigua - Quetzaltenango
4th - 6th - Xela/Lake Atitlan Hike
7th - 8th - San Pedro la Laguna
9th - San Pedro - Antigua
10th - Antigua - Managua
11th - Managua
12th - Managua - Corn Islands
13th - 21st - Corn Islands
22nd - Corn Islands - Rama
23rd - Rama - Leon
24th - Leon
25th - Leon - Granada
26th - Granada - San Juan del Sur
27th - 28th - San Juan del Sur
29th - San Juan - Isla de Ometepe
30th - Isla de Ometepe - San Carlos
May 2012
1st - San Carlos - Fortuna
2nd - 3rd - Fortuna
4th - Fortuna - Santa Elena/Monteverde
5th - 6th - Santa Elena/Monteverde
7th - Santa Elena - San Jose
8th - San Jose - Puerto Viejo
9th - Puerto Viejo
10th - Puerto Viejo - Bocas del Toro
11th - 13th - Bocas del Toro
14th - Bocas del Toro - Boquete
15th - 16th - Boquete
17th - Boquete - Santa Catalina
18th - 19th - Santa Catalina
20th - Santa Catalina - Panama City
21st - 24th - Panama City
25th - Panama City - Portobello
26th - Portobello - San Blas Islands
27th - 29th - San Blas Islands
30th - San Blas Islands - Cartagena
31st - 2nd - Cartagena
June 2012
3rd - Cartagena - Taganga
4th - 5th - Taganga
6th - Taganga - Santa Marta
7th - Bucaramanga - Capitanejo
8th - Capitanejo - El Cocuy
9th - 11th - El Cocuy N.P
12th - 14th - El Cocuy
15th - Tunja - San Gil
16th - 20th - San Gil
21st - San Gil - Villa de Leyva
22nd - 23rd - Villa de Leyva
24th - Villa de Leyva - Zipaquira
25th - Zipaquira
26th - Zipaquira - Manizales
27th - Manizales . Salento
28th - 29th - Salento
30th - Salento - Popayán
July 2012
1st - Popayán
2nd - Popayán - Otavalo
3rd - 4th - Otavalo
5th - Otavalo - Latacunga
6th - Latacunga - Cotopaxi N.P
7th - Cotopaxi N.P
8th - Cotopaxi N.P - Latacunga
9th - Latacunga - Chugchilan
10th - Chugchilan - Latacunga
11th - Latacunga
12th - Latacunga - Baños
13th - Baños
14th - Baños - Tena
15th - Baños - Lago Agrio
16th - 18th - Cuyabeno Reserve
19th - Cuyabeno - Lago Agrio
20th - Lago Agrio - Tena
21st - Tena - Baños
22nd - Baños - Cuenca
23rd - 24th - Cuenca
25th - Cuenca - Mancora
26th - 31st - Mancora
August 2012
1st - Chimbote - Huaraz
2nd - Huaraz
3rd - 5th - Santa Cruz Trek
6th - Santa Cruz - Huaraz
7th - 8th - Huaraz
9th - 15th - Huayhuash Circuit
16th - Huayhuash - Huaraz
17th - 18th - Huaraz (night bus)
19th - Lima - Huacachina
20th - 21st - Huacachina
22nd - Ica - Nazca (night bus)
23rd - 6th - Cusco
September 2012
7th - 10th - Salkantay Trek
11th - Machu Picchu
12th - 17th - Cusco
18th - Arequipa
19th - 20th - Colca Canyon
21st - Arequipa (night bus)
22nd - 3rd - Cusco
October 2012
4th - Puno - Copacabana
5th - Copacabana
6th - Copacabana - La Paz
7th - 9th - La Paz
10th - La Paz (bus to the jungle, 30 hours)
11th - (30 hour bus) - Rurrenabaque
12th - 14th - Pampas Tour
15th - Rurrenabaque (overnight bus)
16th - 18th - La Paz
19th - 21st - Huayna Potosi
22nd - La Paz - Sorata
23rd - 24th - Sorata Trekking
25th - Sorata - La Paz
26th - La Paz (overnight bus)
27th - 28th - Sucre
29th - Sucre - Potosi
30th - Potosi
31st - Potosi - Uyuni
November 2012
1st - 3rd - Uyuni Salt Flats Tour
4th - 5th - San Pedro de Atacama
6th - San Pedro de Atacama - Salta
7th - Salta
8th - Salta - Cachi
9th - Cachi - Cafayate
10th - Cafayate
11th - Cafayate - Tafi del Valle
12th - Tafi del Valle - Tucuman
13th - Tucuman (overnight bus)
14th - Mendoza
15th - Mendoza (overnight bus)
16th - 17th - Santiago
18th - Santiago - Valparaiso
19th - 20th - Valparaiso (overnight bus)
21st - Victoria - Curacautin
22nd - 24th - Conguillio N.P
25th - Pucon
26th - Pucon - San Martin de los Andes
27th - San Martin de los Andes
28th - San Martin - Bariloche
29th - 2nd - Bariloche
December 2012
3rd - 5th - Nahuel Huapi Trekking
6th - Bariloche - El Bolson
7th - El Bolson
8th - 10th - Hielo Azul Circuit
11th - El Bolson (overnight bus)
12th - 13th - El Chalten
14th - 17th - Mt FitzRoy Trekking
18th - El Chalten - El Calafate
19th - El Calafate
20th - El Calafate - Puerto Natales
21st - 27th - Torres del Paine N.P
28th - Puerto Natales - Ushuaia
29th - 1st - Ushuaia
January 2013
2nd - Ushuaia - Rio Grande
3rd - Rio Grande - Punta Arenas
4th - Punta Arenas - Rio Gallegos
5th - Rio Gallegos (overnight bus)
6th - 9th - Puerto Madryn (overnight bus)
10th - 21st - Buenos Aires (overnight bus)
22nd - 23rd - Puerto Iguazu
24th - Puerto Iguazu - Foz do Iguacu
25th - Foz do Iguacu (overnight bus)
26th - 30th - Rio de Janeiro
31st - Rio de Janeiro - Buzios
February 2013
1st - 4th - Buzios
5th - Buzios - Rio de Janeiro
6th - 8th - Rio de Janeiro
9th - Rio de Janeiro - Ilha Grande
10th - 12th - Ilha Grande
13th - Ilha Grande - Paraty
14th - 15th - Paraty
16th - Paraty - Sao Paulo
17th - Sao Paulo (overnight bus)
18th - Foz do Iguacu (overnight bus)
19th - Buenos Aires
20th - Buenos Aires - Santiago (flight + overnight flight)
21st - Madrid - Barcelona
22nd - 23rd - Barcelona
24th - Barcelona - Valencia
25th - 26th - Valencia
27th - Valencia - Cartagena
28th - Cartagena - Granada
March 2013
1st - 2nd - Granada
3rd - Granada - Malaga
4th - 5th - Malaga
6th - Malaga - Tarifa
7th - Tarifa
8th - Tarifa - Tangier
9th - Tangier - Chefchaouen
10th - 11th - Chefchaouen
12th - Chefchaouen - Fez
13th - Fez
14th - Fez - Taza
15th - Taza
16th - Taza - Meknes
17th - Meknes
18th - Meknes - Azrou
19th - Azrou - Rissani
20th - Rissani - Erg Chebbi
21st - 23rd - Erg Chebbi
24th - Hassi Labied - Todra Gorge
25th - Todra Gorge
26th - Todra Gorge - Dades Gorge
27th - Dades Gorge
28th - Dades Gorge - Ouarzazate
29th - Ouarzazate
30th - Ouarzazate - Marrakesh
31st - 2nd - Marrakesh
April 2013
3rd - Marrakesh - Rabat
4th - Rabat
5th - Rabat - Tangier
6th - Tangier - Tarifa
7th - Tarifa
8th - Tarifa - Cadiz
9th - 10th - Cadiz
11th - Cadiz - Sevilla
12th - 13th - Sevilla
14th - Sevilla - Lagos
15th - 17th - Lagos
18th - Lagos - Lisbon
19th - 21st - Lisbon (overnight bus)
22nd - Madrid
23rd - Madrid - Paris (flight)
24th - Abu Dhabi - Bangkok (flight)
25th - 27th - Bangkok (overnight train)
28th - 1st - Koh Tao
May 2013
2nd - Koh Tao - Koh Samui
3rd - Koh Samui - Ang Thong NP
4th - Ang Thong NP
5th - Ang Thong NP - Koh Samui
6th - Koh Samui
7th - Koh Samui - Koh Pha Ngan
8th - 11th - Koh Pha Ngan
12th - Koh Pha Ngan - Koh Tao
13th - 15th - Koh Tao
16th - Koh Tao - Krabi
17th - Krabi - Railay
18th - 20th - Railay
21st - Railay - Krabi
22nd - Krabi - Georgetown
23rd - Georgetown
24th - Georgetown - Perhentian Islands
25th - 27th - Palau Perhentian (overnight bus)
28th - 29th - Kuala Lumpar
30th - Kuala Lumpar - Melaka
31st - 1st - Melaka
June 2013
2nd - Melaka - Singapore
3rd - Singapore - Brisbane
4th - Brisbane
