So...that's about it. We're nearly done with our trip. We still need to write about some of the sites we saw in Peru/Bolivia but we're back in Buenos Aires winding down and getting ready to head back to the motherland. We learned some things on this trip - just a few - and some of them might be useful to others who are thinking about heading out on a trip like this.

So...our top 10 tips for extended travelers and digital nomads:

Book your hotel for 1 night and Then Explore.

Travel guides seem to get the hotels wrong more than they get it right. TripAdvisor.com was only slightly better. We had good luck finding tips by doing blogsearches for "hotel + city name". But really, the best results we got were looking around ourselves. So, we would use these sources to make a reservation for one night and then explore the city on the first day to find a better hotel. This tip only works if you are spending 4 or more days in a city. If you are spending 1-3 days in a city...you don't have time to waste on this...

(nearly) Always Upgrade - Hotel, Airplane, Train, Bus

We first learned this when a $5 upgrade on an overnight bus ride meant that we got a glass of sherry, an empanada, and a "180 degree" bed instead of no snacks and a "120 degree" bed. We learned it again when paying a little more on the Peruvian train to Machu Picchu meant comfortable seats and that the fellow passengers had showered at least once in the last week (as opposed to the other trains - stinky backpackers). Etc. Upgrade. Nobody else does and it will make the trip far more enjoyable.

This is especially true in the hotel industry where the $5 upgrade will get you out of the nasty hotel and into nirvana:

New Hotel == Good Hotel

The best hotels were almost always those that had been built or renovated recently. Unfortunately there is no list of renovated hotels but you can easily find "new hotel in {your city}". Go for it.

Guide Books Suck for Hotels/Food - Just Ask

In addition to the other tips about hotels and guide books - food is another place that guide books often get wrong. Fortunately, local folks tend to love giving advice on food. So, just ask everyone you can for their tip. Tell them what you're looking for, or just ask for their favorite. Either way, it is almost guaranteed to be better than what worked for a book writer 6 years ago.

Temper Your Expectations

As Ezra puts it:

Happiness = reality divided by expectations

Lots of people love Buenos Aires. So they tell people it's awesome. So people come here and expect awesome and are...disappointed. Our favorite trip was the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia but part of that was because we had no expectations about it. Don't let those expectations run away form you.

TEFL Won't Work - AKA Save Beforehand or Expect Debt

As Nikki and her fellow students found, teaching English abroad just doesn't cut it for paying the bills. Sure, it can be rewarding in other ways, but the only people making money on TEFL are those giving out the certifications. The far better solution is to save money beforehand or plan to go into debt and pay it off later. There are more opportunities at better rates in the USA. (Also, I am proud to be an American, FYI)

Don't be Cheap - Tip your servers and guides!

Now that you've got a monetary strategy, don't be a cheapskate. The tourist filled "Gringo Trail" is the dirty, cruel underbelly of humanity. Vendors take every opportunity they can to trick and rob you and tourists will do anything to save a dollar and extend their trip by a day. Don't become part of the vicious cycle! Think of a price you are happy to pay prior to negotiating with someone. If they offer you a price at or below that - just pay it! Sure, you could probably haggle for a little more savings, but it's not worth the bad-will that you'll create in the community.

Even if it's not culturally appropriate to tip waiters or taxi-drivers or...a little tip goes a long way to making the world a better place.

That's it - the distilled travel wisdom from our trip.