So plans in 2013 are afoot! Even plans OTHER than travel! So this leaves me thinking. I was hoping to do both these continents in 2013…this may be a possibility but I still have one option definitely. This leaves me scratching my shaven head.

Europe or South America?

In 2012, I’ve already been to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific and stopped over very briefly in USA, but plans for USA and Canada are being left for a later year. I did go to Africa in 2007 in Uganda so going back to any of these continents wouldn’t be fair on the others including Antarctica. I imagine them tutting and tapping their feet whilst shooting me icy stares of ‘why didn’t I pick them originally.’ Sorry. But I promise I’ll make it up to you. Brushing Antarctica aside into its howling cold depths, this leaves me either Europe or South America. I can see you narrowing your eyes and saying, ‘well, aren’t you in Britain anyway thus Europe? And you did go to some countries in Europe.’ Actually I did, France and Belgium were visited on school trips but I didn’t appreciate travel then. I went to Amsterdam in 2007 and last year I went to Munich of Germany and Salzburg of Austria. So really, South America, totally unexplored, should be the first and foremost continent who’s slowly mocking Europe and celebrating as it would Mardi Gras style.

BUT I still want to do Europe. An abundance of cultures and colonial powers, particularly in the case of Spain and Portugal who annexed South America as part of their empires in the past, they have a lot of history. And that’s a huge tick in my box. During my 2012 travels, i sometimes privately bemoaned to myself that I couldn’t find anything historical significantly particularly in the case of Australia who seemed to be fixated on 1770 when Captain James Cook discovered this forgotten continent.

Also, it’s mostly western Europe that I’ve been in not the rest. So I am thinking of visiting Central and Eastern Europe, taking an InterRail pass to go through Eastern Germany, Poland, the old Yugoslavian countries, the Balkans, and then explore the Mediterranean.

However, the most likely time I can go travelling is in late Winter, this means the European Countries will be COLD. This brings Europe back to the drawing board. Already, 2012 for me had no summer as I spent England’s summer being in Australia and New Zealand’s winter. I  possibly regretted it when I was absolutely frozen in Surfer’s Paradise!

So my thoughts would turn to South America who would in the joy of summer…so why can’t I make it up to myself and have 2 summers in 2013 instead? After all, if I go in late February, I’ll just be in time for Rio’s Mardi Gras Festival! Dancing with buxomest beauties in the streets full of colours and laugher, I would be in my element! Also, what appears South America to me is that it’s totally unknown to me and would be last fear of travel. Everytime I think of South America, I think of the Amazon River (NOT because it was named after the online shop according to one extremely stupid person) full of waiting piranhas looking for a taste of Rex Blood. No, when I was in Australia and particularly New Zealand, meeting fellow travellers who have been to this Mayan and Inca full continent, they dispelled the myths and urban legends that I would be thinking of. So where in South America would I like to go? Brazil is a must, so is Ecuador and Peru. I have friends is Venezuela and I would love to rub the Argentinan’s noses in the fact that Britain has the Falklands…

So both have extremely good vibes for me to get travelling there, so I put it to you…

Europe? Or South America?