Our longest bus ride on this trip clocked in at a whopping 24 hours straight. We had another one that was 40 hours total, but we were able to stop half way through and sleep in a real bed. Therefore, it really goes down in the books as two 20-hour bus rides. Needless to say, we spend a lot of time on buses while traveling through South America. Down here there is not an extensive train system like Europe, and airplanes are much more expensive, so buses are our primary means of transportation. So how do we pass all this windshield time? Reading vs. Viewing The SceneryOf course there is reading, but when you are going breakneck speeds on windy roads, reading can make us a bit sick. Besides when we read, we have to look down, which means we miss the beautiful countrysides through which we are passing. And seeing the scenery is the real advantage of ground verses air transportation. Movies...aka. Spanish PracticeThen there are movies. Some of the buses play movies and since they are all in Spanish, they make for good practice. But to be honest, it's hard work to watch a movie in Spanish with no subtitles, listening intently and still only understanding every third word. After about 2 hours, or the length of one movie, we're too mentally exhausted to continue watching the second or third movie. Sleeping, Drooling, And Looking Like A FoolAfter our spanish lesson in the form of a movie, its often easy to fall asleep and pass a few more hours (mouth wide open and all). But when our necks have kinks in them and sleeping is no longer an option, what else is there to do? Pulling out the computer to answer emails or write a blog post, just makes us a target for theft. Apple products are hot commodities down here in South America. So what else? Podcasts! Podcasts: The Perfect Pastime For BusesWe found podcasts to be the absolute perfect solution for long bus rides (thnk you, Tony Pricor, for getting us hooked...especially Tom). We can learn about so many topics, be entertained, and catch up on the news, all while looking out the window at the passing scenery. Below is a list of some of our favorite podcasts. Please share your own favorites in the comment section. We are always hungry for a new podcast recommendation!
Okay...now it's your turn...tell us your favorite podcasts!
2 Comments
I too am a podcast (and audiobook) junkie. Some favorites that you might enjoy are The Dinner Party Download (a sort of variety show featuring celebrity interviews and quirky news stories), This American Life, The Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast, Freakonomics Radio, This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt (focuses in business and building a platform), and the New York Times Book Review. I'll have to check out the Hardcore History podcast, that sounds really interesting!
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Bristol
8/19/2014 03:58:28 am
SO happy you guys are still having a blast, and I LOVE reading your posts :)
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AuthorI'm Jaime. My husband is Tom. Suburbanites, backpackers, and expats...we've been them all! Categories
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