My messy South America festival adventure start
Okay first thing, I totally panicked about tickets and timing. South America’s HUGE and festivals pop up everywhere like street empanadas. Missed one entire jazz fest in Buenos Aires cause I booked flights wrong – facepalm moment! Learned fast: gotta pick 2-3 max per trip unless you wanna live on buses.
For me? Chile’s Viña del Mar Festival nailed beach + music vibes, Peru’s Lima International Theater Fest felt raw and real, and Colombia’s Medellin Feria de las Flores blew my mind with parades. Researched crazy late nights, reading traveler forums from 5 years ago praying dates didn’t change.
The “holy crap it worked” festival days
Landed in Viña del Mar clutching my printouts like treasure. See, official sites? Sometimes glitchy. Street food saved me when lines for food stalls at venue wrapped around blocks. That first night though… stars out, sea breeze, some Chilean folk-rock band shredding? Perfection.
- Siesta Strategy: Shows run SO late here. Slept mornings. Stumbled out at 4pm for empanadas.
- Cash Talks: Card machine died? Half the vendors shrugged. Always carried small bills.
- Seat Grab Chaos: “Free seating” at a street parade meant elbows out politely. My Medellin flower parade spot? Got it by arriving stupid early while locals laughed at me sipping tinto at 5am.
Medellin… man. Mountains, flowers everywhere, that Cumbia beat pounding your chest. Thought I got lost finding a smaller concert in Comuna 13. Google Maps got confused. Asked a street artist instead – he walked me there!
What actually stuck after the glitter faded
Honestly? The rigid plan I made? Trashed it. Saw an epic street puppet show in Lima not on any list. Joined a drum circle by accident cause I followed the sound down some back alley. Happiest surprises weren’t on the brochure.
Real Talk: It’s chaotic. Not Disneyland. Schedules change, rain messes open-air events, and yeah you might get stuck behind the tallest guy ever at the main stage. Still worth every sweaty, confusing, magical second.
