The Quest.

I was watching an excellent documentary about Bruce Chatwin the other day on BBC 4, when the great travel writer said something that stuck with me. He said it is necessary to have an objective when one travels; a goal to work towards, however trivial it may seem. These words got me thinking. My objective was simply to meander around the continent of South America, essentially hopping from one tourist destination to another, and perhaps do some volunteer work. None of these plans were set in stone, and I certainly didn't consider any of them as an "objective."

So, I have drawn up a list of quests which we must complete during my time in South America. They are relatively understated and definitely achievable, (I have written previously about how much I despise ludicrous challenge setting!) but there will be no penalty if I "fail." It's just a bit of fun.

So, here's the list of my quests:

- Hold a monkey.
- Visit the ancient fortress of Kuelap in Northern Peru.
- With the exception of seeing the Nazca lines, air travel is forbidden.
- Learn at least one Latin dance to a credible level of proficiency.
- Bird watch on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, in the Andes and the Amazon.
- Complete a trek in Patagonia, and in the Cordillera Blanca.
- Visit the town of Mompos in Colombia, a place where time has stood still.
- Volunteer with WWOOF in Argentina, and Inti Wari Yassi in Bolivia.
- Reach Tierra Del Fuego, the end of the world.
- Travel down the Amazon river in a boat.

If anyone has any suggestions for more quests, (within reason - I'm not going to wrestle a crocodile or try and find El Dorado!) let me know and I'll endeavour to accomplish it!