North to South? or South to North??

[BackpackingBadAss]

I am considering a SA trip starting Mid April and ending at the end of August. I have family in Chile and Friends in Guadalahara in Mexico.

I am trying to wrap my head around which direction would be the best considering weather, and perhaps festivals. I keep reading about rain seasons and dry seasons, but I'm having a hard time imagining what that will really mean for me.

Im thinking that if i start in Chile and work my way up, that i'd be following the heat up? and willl miss out on cold weather??... but is that the best plan, to end up in mexico in August??...

Any advice would be great!!

[Mark]

Is the choice here either traveling from Mexico to Chile or from Chile to Mexico? Do you want to bus this? Give me some more practical information and I'll do my best to help you.

[BackpackingBadAss]

Hi Mark!

Thanks for getting back to me, here are some clarifications:

Yes, I am considering flying to Guadalahara, Mexico, and working my way down through Central and South Amarica, and end up in Santiago, Chile. where I would fly back home. But I am wondering if it would be best to fly into Santiago, and begin my travels there in the spring (our spring), and work my way up to Guadalahara and fly home from there In August.

I have been reading many of these threads and have noticed that you are constantly reminding people of the travel distances. So for this reason I will be flying between some locations and perhaps busing between other locations. Depends where the adventure is I supose.

Working from Chile up to Mexico, the countries that I'd like to see are:

Chile (Argentina maybe), Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mexico.

I am curious to see other places too, but that will just come if there is time.

I think We'd be flying from Chile to Bolivia, and Peru to Columbia, Costa Rica to Mexico.

These are of course loose plans. I've been told that there is fairly cheap flights within SA, and we will be roughin' it alot of times, so I believe flying is something we will be able to aford.

Like I said before, what does Rainy season really mean? Will this be a miserable time to be traveling in? Will there still be hot & sunny oportunitys for the beach? Especialy surfing in Costa Rica!!! Which according to this plan we'd be in Costa Rica by July.

Anyways, i hope this is enough information for you to work with.


Thanks again!