Making Changes On the Go
Pivoting During Full Time Travel
Things do not always go as planned. Sometimes that can be a good thing!
In early January, I started to see some posts in the Ecuador travel group about criminal activity. I had planned to go to Quito (and most likely a visit to the Galapagos) for a month starting in less than two weeks. I had to make a decision.
This seemed like an issue to avoid and if I waited to see how it all turned out, any other options would be limited and expensive.
So, I spent several hours figuring out another plan. First, I had to get out of my non-refundable Airbnb. This proved to be more challenging than I thought considering the situation there. But the host allowed me to change to a later date. Unfortunately, I could no longer spend a month due to my existing plans and his availability. But I did receive a refund for the difference. It was not a large refund because I will be staying ten days rather than a full month so I lost the monthly stay discount.
Next, I needed to find another place to go. I chose Bogotá, Colombia for a few reasons:
- I could get there for low miles
- I could get from there to Buenos Aires for low miles
- I hoped to get there one day anyway
So, I moved all of the flights around and booked a place in Bogotá for five weeks followed by about seven weeks in Buenos Aires.
As it turned out, much of the problems in Ecuador did settle down but I am still glad that I came here. They say things happen for a reason (or reasons) so I like to look at it that way. Who knows what I missed by changing my itinerary but I have gained plenty. I am enjoying getting to know Bogotá and the Colombian people, I'm planning a side visit to Cartegená (tomorrow! Stay tuned) and a day trip to Zipaquirá with a new friend I met on my first day in Bogotá. None of this was on my itinerary before the news about Ecuador.
I definitely look forward to my visit to Quito and will hopefully take at least a day trip or overnight trip while I am there to see a bit more of Ecuador. But for now, I am happy to be in Colombia.
I will share more about Bogotá soon. For now, I'll just include a few photos.