One year in South America and Central America
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
August 12, 2012 1:12am CST
Today I read a newspaper article about a Danish family (2 adults and 4 children) who are going to travel around in South America and Central America for one year. They will start in Uruguay and after Uruguay they will visit Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia. After Colombia they will move on to Central America where they will visit Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.
The parents have quit their jobs and borrowed the money for the trip. Two of the children are teenagers, the other two children are 9 and 12. The children will be away from school, but they have lots of homework. In addition to the ordinary homework they are going to learn a lot about geography, history and culture. The parents also hope that the children will learn Spanish and Portuguese (in Brazil).
What do you think about their itinerary? Would you do the same thing? (quit your job, borrow the money for the trip and travel with your family for one year)
1 person likes this
7 responses
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
12 Aug 12
I traveled around the world when I was 20 to 21 years old. That was when I owned a cottage, was made redundant from my job, didn't have any kids and had enough money in my bank account. Now I have a 5 year old disabled son with many medical appointments to take him to there is no way I could travel with him for one year. I also have a 3 year old daughter. In 2011 we did visit the Caribbean coastline of Colombia. This year we visited Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay. We stayed one month and that was hard to do. The long distance buses in South America had no reduction for children so each time I had to pay for 3 tickets and it got pricey. It is very challenging to travel in term time due to my disabled son now being in primary school. I admire what this Danish family are doing. Wow! Good luck to that family. I hope to visit Central America to see Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. I hope I will be able to visit Peru. My trips will have to be one month or less.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
13 Aug 12
I live in England and no airline goes directly to Panama from here. There are flights to Cancun in Mexico and I used that route to explore Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. I am interested in the flight from Europe to Panama via the Dominican Republic. I have been on Spanish airlines to visit South America. I have had to travel via Madrid. I doubt I will ever have enough money for a sailing trip around the Galapagos Islands. I would love to visit Peru would I would worry about taking my disabled son up high altitude due to the shunt in his head. I loved visiting South America. Good luck with your future trips.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Aug 12
Your current situation would make is difficult to travel, I understand that. The Danish family is going to visit the countries that you have visited in South America and a couple of other places like Peru and Ecuador. I hope that I will also get the chance to visit South America in the future. I would like to visit all of the countries in Central America and I thinking about visiting Guatemala and Belize first and combine it with a trip to Mexico. The second time I would visit Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Hoduras and El Salvador. I might combine it a short visit in the Domenican republic, because I found a plane from Europe to Panama via the Domenican republic.
@yugasini (12893)
• Secunderabad, India
12 Aug 12
hi porcospino,
after long time both of us meet in your discussion, i does not agree with the family who travelled all the south american continent and central america with borrowed money, now a days it is difficult to spend normal life,with little earnings, taking tour with 4 children and moving around south american continent for one year ,it may cost thousands of dollars,how they pay their debt money? i does not move a kilo meter with out my money,have a nice day
1 person likes this
@yugasini (12893)
• Secunderabad, India
12 Aug 12
hi porcospino,
thanks for the response, for single trip to next place means some 500 kms distance will cost more than 20 dollars here, for that expenses also once or twice i think and decide go or not to go,then i will decide according to the necessity,but that man gone for one year that is with family to other countries in two continents,wow how dare he is and how his wife allowed him and gone with him,have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
12 Aug 12
I am happy to meet you in my discussion Yes, it definately costs a lot of money to travel around in South America and Central America for one year. It is my impression that the family doesn't worry much about money and they weren't afraid to quit their jobs and borrow a lot for money at the same time. I wonder how they are going to pay the money back when they return. They are very optimistic and they think will it won't be hard to find new jobs and pay their debt when they return from their trip, but I would be afraid to do the same thing.
Yes, it definately costs a lot of money to travel around in South America and Central America for one year. It is my impression that the family doesn't worry much about money and they weren't afraid to quit their jobs and borrow a lot for money at the same time. I wonder how they are going to pay the money back when they return. They are very optimistic and they think will it won't be hard to find new jobs and pay their debt when they return from their trip, but I would be afraid to do the same thing.
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
12 Aug 12
Hi Porco, i don't dare to take this type of risk, by asking my hubby to quit his job and go traveling for a year. We need to work, in order to survive our daily life. There are lot of bills need to pay monthly, so a day without work is impossible. I am pity to hear that their children are away from their school life without a proper studies as well. Why their parents are making this type of decision as going traveling for a year? Until now, i am really puzzled at this matter.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Aug 12
Many people don't understand their decision. Based on the article in the newspaper I get the impression that is a very optimistic family who doesn't worry much about problems. They think that you have to take some chances sometimes and that is the reason why they have decided to leave their home and their jobs and travel for one year. I hope that they will have a great trip and that they will be able to find another job when they return, but I wouldn't have done the same thing as they did.
The children will be away from school for one year. Their daughter is a high school student and she is taking a break for one year, so she will finish high school one year later than her classmates. The youngest children are still in elementary school and their teachers have given them lots of homework for the trip. Their parents and the older siblings will be their teachers.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Aug 12
I wouldn't do it either. I am sure that trip will be interesting and that they are going to see and do a lot of interesting things, but I would be too worried about the financial side of the trip. They didn't have enough money to travel for one year so they have borrowed the money, but they have no jobs where they return and I don't know how they are going to back the money that they have borrowed. It is a large amount of money, but they are optimistic and they think that it will be easy to find new jobs when they return. I love to travel, but I wouldn't travel if I had to borrow the money.
@allknowing (136531)
• India
12 Aug 12
They would need huge funds. Hats off to whoever lent that money to them!
. Good credit rating there. Perhaps they have the capacity to repay. I would not do it as I have not borrowed money for any of my needs so far.
. Good credit rating there. Perhaps they have the capacity to repay. I would not do it as I have not borrowed money for any of my needs so far. 1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
12 Aug 12
Their budget for the trip is about $100000, but they think that they might spend more than that. I wonder how they are going to repay the money. They don't even have a job when they return because they quit their jobs before they left. In the interview they said that many people had asked them why they weren't afraid to do something like that. They aren't worried about that. They say that you have to take some chances and that they will probably find another job when they return. I think that I would be afraid to do the same thing, and I would worry about the money and how it repay it. I don't like to borrow money for a trip. I prefer to save up the money for the trip before I travel.
@allknowing (136531)
• India
12 Aug 12
Whoever lends money would surely want some security. I would be more interested in this aspect of lending and borrowing. Which fool would lend to someone who does not even have a job to fall back on!
I therefore feel there is more to it than meets the eye.
I therefore feel there is more to it than meets the eye.1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
12 Aug 12
I don't like to borrow money for a trip either. I don't really think that I would be able to enjoy the trip if I knew that I would be struggling with the bills when I return. This family borrowed about $100000 for the trip, and it is a lot of money. I prefer to save up the money for the trip before I leave like I am doing at the moment. When I do that I am to relax and enjoy the trip, because I know that I have already paid for it. One year is a long time to skip school, but the parents aren't worried about that because they think that the children are going to learn a lot of other things like foreign languages which aren't a part of the normal timetable.
@liweiwei0909 (403)
• China
12 Aug 12
Wonderful thing!
Many people would be disagree with their actions, they would say the children's study would be hold up if they leave school.
School is not the only way to get knowladge, Travel the world will also widen their knowlage, and this will enhance their interest!
For me, I envy, but have no courage to do this! There are so many fetters in life!
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Aug 12
Yes, a lot of people disagree with their decision, they think that is too risky and they find it wrong that the children will be away from school from one year. If I was a child and my parents had done the same thing I would have loved it, because I already liked travelling in my childhood. As an adult I would be afraid to do what they are doing, and the trip will be very expensive since they are going to travel for one year. I agree with the thing that you wrote about schools. It is true that schools aren't the only way to get knowledge. You can learn a lot about geography, history, other cultures and languages when you travel. This family is going to travel in area where people speak Spanish and Portuguese and the parents hope that their children will learn both languages while they travel.
