Hobo tourism/Latin American expedition of Viktor Pinchuk



The solo expedition to Latin America is a project of Viktor Pinchuk, one of the longest routes of the Russian traveler — by time and length.

General information

 * Duration: 6,5 months.
 * Period: 24.11. 2014 — 10. 06. 2015
 * Idea: Viktor Pinchuk.
 * Number of participants: 1 (one).
 * Transit through: Istanbul.
 * Starting point: São Paulo (Brazil).
 * Number of countries visited: 12 (twelve), including 5 Islands.
 * Way to get: plane.
 * Ways to move: air transport, land transport, water transport, pedestrian routes.
 * Nature of the journey: creative trip.
 * Purpose: to collect material about the countries of Latin America and traditions of the local population.
 * Format: lengthy hobo tour, bum tour.

Places visited

 * Brazil. Localities: São Paulo, Foz do Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, Teresópolis, Apiaí.
 * Paraguay. Localities: Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná (ruins), San Rafael del Paraná, Villarrica, Ibiqui, La Colmena, Paraguari, Asunción.
 * Argentina. Localities: Puerto Iguazú, Buenos Aires, Puerto Madryn, Puerto Pirámides (Valdes Peninsula), Río Gallegos, El Calafate, El Chaltén, Perito Moreno, Caleta Olivia, San Carlos de Bariloche, San Juan, Salta, Cafayate, Cachi, La Quiaca (Bolivian border).
 * Bolivia. Localities: Villazón, Tupiza, Serrillos, Barancas, Uyuni, Sucre, La Paz, Copacabana.
 * Peru. Localities: Puno, Arequipa (transit), Cabanaconde, Pinchollo, Chivay, Yanque, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Urubamba, Santa Teresa (transit), Aguascalientes, Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Tumbes.
 * Ecuador. Localities: Cuenca, Riobamba, Baños, Puyo, Tena, Colonia Los Rios, Gareno, Pompeya, Nucles & Cunku (tiny villages), El Coca, Ambato, Latacunga, Machachi (transit), Quito, Otavalo, Mindo.
 * Mexico. Localities: Mexico City, Amecameca, Tepoztlán, Chihuahua, San Rafael, Estación Creel (transit), Monterrey, El Sercado, Oaxaca, Tustla Gutiérrez, Palenque, Ocosingo, Frontera Corozal, Mérida (transit), Valladolid, Ekʼ Balam.
 * Guatemala. Localities: Tecnica, Flores, Santa Elena, Sayaxché, Cobán, Guatemala City (capital), Antigua Guatemala, Panajachel, Santiago Atitlán, Chichicastenango.
 * El Salvador. Localities Santa Ana, El Congo, San Salvador, Santa Tecla, Mercedes-Umaña, El Triunfo, San Miguel, El Cuco.
 * Nicaragua. (& Ometepe Island). Localities Managua, Granada, León, San Jorge, Moyogalpa.
 * Panama (and islands: Colón, Bastimentos). Localities: Panama City (capital), Colón, Portobelo, El Valle de Antón, David, Boquete, Almirante, Bocas del Toro (capital of Colón Island).
 * Cuba. Localities: Havana, Pinar del Río, Viñales, Santiago de Cuba, Ciboney, Guantánamo, Bayamo, Barraba, Las Minas, Trinidad, Cabaiguán (transit), Santa Clara, Varadero, Matanzas.

Мap of the route

The methods applied
In the process of moving along the route the following accommodation options were used:
 * In the houses of local people — in the village of San Rafael del Paraná (Paraguay), in the village of Barraba (Cuba).
 * At the hostels — in Brazil and Argentina (many times), Peru (Machu Picchu).
 * In the halls and lobbies — in Encarnación (Paraguay), Havana and Guantánamo (Cuba).
 * Under the open sky — in Paraguay and Cuba (many times), Argentina, Bastimentos Island (Panama).
 * In a building that is not yet complete — in Ciudad del Este and Asuncion (Paraguay), in the border town of La Quiaca (Argentina), on the island of Colón (Panama).
 * In low-cost accommodation — in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama.
 * In abandoned, dilapidated houses — in Perito Moreno (Argentina), Cibonei near Santiago de Cuba (Cuba).
 * At train stations — in Havana (waiting room), Pinar del Rio (on the street near the entrance), Santa Clara (on the platform).
 * In international airport terminals: in São Paulo (Brazil), Managua (Nicaragua).
 * On the historical object "Batería de Santiago" — Portobelo (Panama).
 * On the landing of the exterior staircase leading to the second-floor door — in El Valle de Antón, Panama.

Outcomes and results

 * In 2016, the book "Two hundred days in Latin America" was published, which details the route and adventures of the author.
 * Three TV stories from the cycle "Around the world with empty pockets" (author’s project with the assistance of Crimea TV and Radio company) were dedicated to Latin American Expedition of Viktor Pinchuk.
 * Information on little known natural objects in Latin America has been added to the Russian Wikipedia (over 20 articles) and illustrated with author's photos uploaded to Wikimedia Commons.

Problems, difficult moments

 * On arrival in Havana with $1 in cash, it turned out that bank cards of international standard are not functioning here.

Quote from the book
''On the street, some unknown guy asked: "I'm from Honduras, give me money." — "And I'm Russian, you give me... it will be better ." — was my answer.''

Literature

 * Pinchuk, Viktor (in ru) "Two hundred days in Latin Americar". — Simferopol: Brovko, 2017. — 210 p. — ISBN 978-5-9909912-0-0