Planning for the Amazon Later this Year

Art Model Viki-Vegas back in 2011

The rainy season is about to get under way here in Central America. Just had some of our first rains that I've experienced this past night. This will present challenges and opportunities for the next few months. I've never done much photography during rainy season in the mountains and I'd like to see what can be accomplished here. Challenges are that way the hell up in the mountains it can still get really cold at night. Trying to be outdoors doing night time photography can be challenging as I'll have to secure some camping and cold weather gear as well as wet weather gear. I'm not interested in buying all that. I won't need it after Xela and I am doing what I can to REDUCE the weight on my back. (As it stands, I have to redo the back procedure I had done this past October!)

Art Model Viki-Vegas back in 2011

Most days have been slow. Especially the last two days where I've had to stay off my feet a bit. I'm pretty sure the change in the weather is having a big affect on my knee. I've experienced abnormal pain that hasn't been attributed to anything physically taxing. So I can only blame the weather. I've used this time write and look at some of my planning for later this summer. I'm pretty sure that when I leave Xela, I'm heading to Colombia. So I've been looking at opportunities there. Primarily, I'm looking at spend considerable time in Cartagena and Medellin.

Art Model Viki-Vegas back in 2011

And then I'll keep pushing south along the South American west coast. But the PRIMARY research gig that's got me occupied so much is how to travel down the Amazon River. My only options to reach the Amazon are from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and of course Brazil. So what's the best place to do this from? My best research so far says Peru. But I can't miss Bolivia. I got stuff I want to do there! So, yeah...I gotta work those details out. I'll be getting down there during the low river part of the season so its a great time to do it. And I want to do the full length. Practical? Who knows. I'm telling you I want to do it. I was reading a post on it that you can boat it in 5 days. I'm think of doing it much slower to stop off at different places and get some shots. Wanna know what'll be really good to shoot...A MODEL! I'm definitely going to see about making that happen. In fact, I'm pretty certain I can not do that excursion without shooting somebody.

Art Model Viki-Vegas back in 2016...five years after out first shoot

After that part of the Amazon, I guess I'll have to make my way down to Rio de Janiero,  São Paulo, and on to Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. So those are all doable destinations. I just have to figure out how to best go about it and when. Where it gets interesting for me is the next big excursion. So yeah...from Chile, this is what I'd like to do... Find a sailing crew heading out to Easter Island and then onto cruising the South Pacific islands like Tonga, Bora Bora, Tahiti, etc. I think getting dropped off in Tonga would be another ideal place to stay for the full length allowable for a visa, which is 30 days unless you get approved or an extension. Afterwards, I'd just island hop all the way to New Zealand and Australia, then head North.

Art Model Viki-Vegas back in 2016...five years after out first shoot

I don't know anything about sailing. I don't know anything about getting on board a sailing vessel or anybody who's going that way willing to let me ride along for some great pics. All I know is that I have to figure it out or go to Plan B which is to fly to Vietnam and pick things up there. I'd rather do Southeast Asia AFTER I have conquered the South Seas! It all sounds like a beautiful adventure and I want to make it all happen. I'm GOING to make it all happen. Oh! Thanks for those tips, John Kompare!