I'm Now Married To A Podcast Junky

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. 

Photo compliments of Tony Pricor

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 Scenery

Of 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.

On our way to Bariloche in Patagonia (Argentina)

On our way to Bariloche in Patagonia (Argentina)

Bus ride from Bolivia to Peru

Passing by a volcano in Ecuador

Movies...aka. Spanish Practice

Then 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 Fool

After 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 Buses

We 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!

---

• Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: This is our absolute favorite podcast and the "first love" that originally got us hooked on the new medium. It's like storytime on steroids with actual historical research. Dan Carlin produces individual shows, but we think his best work comes in the form of his podcast series. Check out his 5-part series on the Khan's to blow your mind. It's sure to make a history buff out of you.
• The Thundering Herd: Tom gets his sports fix with Colin Cowherd here.
• News In Slow Spanish: Kill two birds with one stone...spanish practice and the news!
• Seacoast Community Church (Dale Burke...aka dad!): We can't go to a church consistently while traveling, so this is the next best thing. For an added bonus we signed up to receive their sermon-based daily readings/reflection questions via email. It keeps us connected to a church community back home.
• Redeemer Presbyterian Church (Tim Keller): Other great and practical sermons on a variety of topics.
• Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn: Advice and inspiration for entrepreneurial ventures.
• NPR's Planet Money: Who knew you could make economics fun.  They address quirky topics from an economic perspective. And if you are an NPR fan, like me, you can find a podcast version of most of NPR's other radio shows.
• TED Radio Hour: Compilations of TED talks on various topics. Usually they combine 3 or 4 different TED talks on a particular topic to create one podcast.
• Pimsleur Language Program: It's not technically a podcast, but it is all audio-based so I'll include it here. This program consists of daily 30-minute language learning sessions. Everything is audio-based. We found this to be the most effective way to learn Spanish while traveling.

Okay...now it's your turn...tell us your favorite podcasts!