The real reward, however, is the South American spirit. It seems like the entire continent approaches life with the enthusiasm of an old-fashioned road trip: the windows down and the stereo blaring. It's a subtle approach to uncertainty that will surely infect you. And as for the music - it's one thing that never leaves your side. With every adventure there is a soundtrack. Samba spices up the sandy streets of Brazilian beach towns, panpipes liven Andean markets, Argentine folklórica (folk music) trickles out of truck radios in the pampas, and the jolting rhythm of cumbia makes those Andean bus rides even more absurd.
In the end, don't think of South America as a place. Rather, it's something you turn yourself onto, that engulfs you and changes you - your state of mind, your outlook on life. As soon as you step foot on South American soil, the transformation begins."
- From the holy book of Don Madonarra, Miguel and El Fredovito