The interview series #myRTW coincides with our hash-tag of the same name which is featured on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Our aim with the series is simple: to show off the world's amazing destinations that long-term travelers have enjoyed on the road!
In each entry of this series, participating RTW travelers highlight one experience or destination they consider a favorite from their trip and share what they loved about it.
Today's #myRTW interview features Landon and Alyssa from Uneven Sidewalks. Their long-term trip began in August 2013 and is still going strong. Since beginning their trip, Landon and Alyssa have visited several countries in Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia. For them, their favorite experience so far was trekking in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.
In their own words, Landon and Alyssa describe the experience...
We Hadn't Even Heard of It
"When I hear the word "trekking" I immediately think of a really hard hike with ice picks and shaggy guys with huge beards. But as we arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, we found tons of young backpackers getting ready for a "trek" out at the Torres Del Paine National Park. Seemingly normal people going on a normal hike. Well we sure missed the memo... We hadn't even heard of the Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile before we arrived! We sure didn't want to miss out so we went for it! What sounded crazy and super spontaneous at the time, ended up to be the highlight of our trip!
Coming from the California dry desert, this cold Patagonia landscape was just glaring at me. I could almost hear it mocking me, "Go ahead and try this. You'll freeze to death." I was a little worried considering the clouds were we very gray and ominous and we didn't have any of our trekking gear with us. We pushed our doubts aside, rented some gear, and headed out. Each step along this 50-mile hike was jaw-dropping beauty. It was one of the places you just needed to sit down every 30 minutes and stare at it. It was definitely Mother Nature at her absolute finest!
The Most Ear-Splitting Noise Ever
We spent hours gazing at the snow-covered mountains as we were hiking along. The silence of nature was so relaxing, suddenly CRACK! The most ear-splitting noise ever! I start yelling for Alyssa to come back to the open clearing to get a view of what was happening. We were experiencing our first avalanche! The power and beauty behind it will stay with me forever. The snow was plummeting down the hill creating huge billowing clouds of snow powder. It created more smaller avie's and seemed to continue on forever. We were glad we were out of danger's way and could enjoy the show. It was then I truly realized we were in the heart of Patagonia and didn't want this trip to end!
5 days of stunning picturesque moments later, we were awed, thrilled, and exhausted, at some of the things we had seen and witnessed. Maybe our last few years living in the tropics heightened this experience but I don't think so. There is a reason why people come all over the world to hike this trail. It's a hands-down winner! We can't wait to go back!"
Check out more great photos and stories from Uneven Sidewalks on social media at the following links:
Join in! Are you a traveler who has been on a RTW adventure, has an amazing experience or destination to share, and would like to participate in this series? Email us at [email protected] to receive the prompt for the post!
For even more #myRTW goodness, submit your photos to the hash-tag on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and our group board on Pinterest to share your RTW journey with the world!
