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Help for planning a 2-month SA trip

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Hello all :). I'll be going on a 10 day trip with my parents to Lima and Cusco this May. And while that trip's pretty much planned out already, I've decided to extend my trip an extra 2 months after and go solo (I just got dumped - I figured instead of moping, I'll turn that experience to something positive - travel!).

I'm a 23 year old female, and I'll be backpacking this leg of the trip. I'm looking to stay mostly in hostel dorms, and giving myself a $40 budget a day (this would include bus travel in between, but not my international flight as that's already been purchased - just need $90 to change the return). I've read through several backpacking blogs that touched on SA recently, and that seems to be the general budget. However, if you guys think that's not doable, feel free to let me know.

Off the map, I'm thinking of going south once we fly back to Lima from Cusco, and going to Ica-Nazca-Arequipa-Puno, then on to La Paz in Bolivia. But after that, I'm really kind of at a loss. I'd like to go explore Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina primarily, and maybe Paraguay in transit as well.

I'd love to see more of the Andes, maybe Patagonia, and Iguazu Falls. While I love looking at nature, I'm not much of a hiker. I do love being immersed in culture, though, and I love art and museums.

I've backpacked through Europe solo before, but I know SA will be a LOT different (not just culturally, but logistically), and I'd have to travel much slower. I'd appreciate any input on what cities/towns to stop by, and help on building a doable itinerary that'll fit within the 2 month frame I have.

Any tips or help you could give me would be much appreciated. Thanks, all!

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