Hey there Reader,

We are currently still in Quito, Ecuador after recently returning from a nine day vacation to Manta, Ecuador. It turned out to be the right amount of relaxing, drinking, and beach days that we needed. We are working on a Manta blog that will give you some of the best beaches and restaurants to visit on the coast.

In the meantime, we are coming up on our final 180 days allowed in Ecuador and we do not have a full plan yet. We have decided where we will go at least for two weeks. We are looking forward to updating you on where we land and sharing some fun things that we have in the works.

We finally got around to getting the Chile blog up and you can expect Argentina shortly. As always, we appreciate all of the emails and feedback on these newsletters and look forward to bringing you more value.

Chile: A Bumpy Beginning, a Cozy Recovery, and a Vineyard Escape

We touched down in Santiago after a long travel day. Our roundtrip flights from Quito, Ecuador cost about $450 per person, which wasn’t too bad considering the distance. We were excited, ready to explore, and hoping to settle into our Airbnb and finally rest.

But that excitement quickly faded.

Our arrival in Chile was chaotic and exhausting. The Airbnb we booked was nothing like the pictures we were shown. We got in late that evening, and as our Uber started pulling into the neighborhood, we exchanged looks.

The area didn’t feel like a place we would’ve chosen. It was dark, stores were locked behind gates, and trash lined the streets. Still, we hoped the apartment itself would be better.

It wasn’t...

Using Wise to Make Transfers While Living Abroad

Living abroad, you may come across situations where you need to send a transfer in order to complete a purchase. That’s exactly what happened to us when we moved to Guadalajara. We were connected to a very friendly woman who had connections with wholesale furniture dealers. She helped us furnish our entire apartment, including both bedrooms, the living room, and the kitchen. Everything was going smoothly until it was time to pay.

We couldn’t use a credit card or pay in cash. The only option was to send a bank transfer, and it had to be in Mexican pesos. She sent us her local account information, but we needed to figure out how to send the money from our U.S. account. After doing some research, we found an app called Wise. It allowed us to enter her account details and make the transfer using the current exchange rate. The money was sent directly to her bank account in Mexico.

Here’s how we used it:

1. We created a Wise account through their app.
2. Then, we selected the amount we wanted to send and chose the currency (USD to MXN).
3. We entered the recipient’s bank details, including the CLABE number required for Mexican accounts.
4. We chose how to pay (bank transfer or debit card).
5. Before confirming, Wise showed us the exact exchange rate, the fee, and the estimated delivery time.

The funds were delivered in about two to three business days, just like Wise estimated. The process was smooth, and since then, we’ve continued using Wise while abroad. It’s been a reliable way to handle international transfers when card payments or cash aren’t an option.

Why We Share These Stories (and How They Can Help You Travel Better)

1. Travel is not just movement, it is data. Every city we go to teaches us something new. Prices. Safety. Transportation. Comfort level. These are things that your favorite influencers are not always telling you. The truth is that international travel does not always look like matching outfits and rooftop cocktails. It is also missed flights, confusing airport signs, scams, and small details you only learn once you land. When we share our stories, it is to help you see the entire picture, not the Instagram version.
2. Every good or bad experience becomes a tool. After this Chile situation we decided one of our new non-negotiable rules is this. We will not book flights that will have us checking into accommodations after dark, especially if it is a new country. It can be dangerous being out in a place you do not know, trying to figure out directions, neighborhoods, and local transportation while exhausted. To prevent some of the issues we faced in Santiago, we had to make this a real travel standard for ourselves whenever possible.
3. You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Our taste may not be the same as yours. We might like certain types of artwork or breakfast options in accommodations that are different from what you like, but at a minimum we try to only suggest places that are clean and safe. That is the baseline. That is the resource. We do not want you wasting money and energy trying to figure out the basics when we have already done the test run for you.

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Until the next country,

Maurice + Albion