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"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."--Amelia Earhart "I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others."--Amelia Earhart |
By D.A. Watson
Harriet and Frank Adams finally got their chance to travel to Latin America in 1904. Frank obtained work with the Inca Mining and Rubber Company inspecting mines in Central and South America, and the company would pay their passage!
Prior to leaving Stockton, Harriet began to research their destination – reading every book she could find that discussed the region. Then, she and Frank worked out a plan for their trip. They decided their goal would be to follow the trail of the early conquistadors, studying the peoples and civilizations they encountered along the way.
Wanting to document their experiences in pictures as well as in words, Harriet learned photography from Frank, and learned both color and black/white photography, as well as how to take motion pictures. They packed enough photographic supplies and film to supply them for their entire three-year journey!
They left San Francisco by ship on January 9, 1904. After so many years of exploring on horseback, traveling by ship was a new experience for Harriet, and she discovered that she had a tendency towards seasickness. Soon, however, she was able to come out on deck and enjoy the beautiful scenery of their sea voyage.
On January 26, after short stops in Acapulco and Guatemala, they disembarked in El Salvador for a two-week stay. They then sailed for Panama, where they could obtain passage in a small ship sailing to South America. Finally, on March 2, 1904, they reached Callao, Peru, where the overland portion of their adventure would begin. They planned to travel from Callao to Lima during the month of March.
While they traveled, Harriet kept journals and wrote letters home. Later, she would use these as aids for the articles she would write. She carefully recorded every detail of their journeys for this purpose. The couple visited museums every chance they got, and took every opportunity to become acquainted with the citizens of the country.
In late March, they left Lima for Callao. Upon reaching Mollendo, Peru, they headed to Arequipa to begin getting used to high altitudes, which was a necessary measure if they wished to journey into and through the Andes Mountains. They then ventured to La Paz, Bolivia. At that time, very few “outsiders” had every visited Bolivia, so Harriet and Frank were among the first to see and experience the Bolivian culture in its truest form. To get to La Paz, they had to travel via the second highest railroad in the world, ending at Lake Titicaca – the highest lake in the world. It took several days for Harriet to adjust to the high altitude, which made it more difficult to breathe and exert oneself. When the couple arrived at La Paz, the beauty of the town and the locale overcame Harriet. She loved watching the local people from her hotel balcony, and especially loved the llamas! She hated to leave, but the couple finally had to make their way back across Lake Titicaca to begin their inland journey and fulfill Frank’s mining company contract.
In Tirapata, they obtained all the supplies necessary for their inland trip, as well as a guide. Wanting to learn as much about the peoples and cultures as they could, they took only what they could carry in their saddlebags. They slept out in the open, or on the floors of huts. They ate whatever they could find in the area. Finally, they reached the Pass of Aricoma, at 17,000 feet. They were ready to descend.
Next: More Latin American Adventures
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| Women Who Dared II |
 A beautiful and inspirational poster with pictures and short vignettes of "women who dared." |
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| American Experience: Around the World in 72 Days (1997) |
 PBS Home Video. Many called her "the best reporter in America," and Nellie Bly truly achieved amazing successes. She got herself committed to an institution to expose abuses of the mentally ill and actually did travel around the world in 72 days. Discover the woman behind these and many other astonishing feats -- a serious yet spunky celebrity who mastered life through her cunning and wit. |
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| The Hawaiian Archipelago |
 By Isabella Bird. Six Months Among the Palm Groves, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes of the Sandwich Islands. |
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| Women of Discovery |
 A Celebration of Intrepid Women Who Explored the World by Milbry Polk, Mary Tiegreen. Across the centuries and from many lands, women have set forth on journeys of exploration. Visionaries, adventurers, artists, and scientists, these women challenged the limitations, both physical and social, of their times and, in the face of formidable challenges, expanded the world's body of knowledge. Yet despite their extraordinary achievements, they have remained unknown and unsung for too long. |
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| Amelia Earhart : A Biography |
 By Doris L. Rich. "Rich's portrait reveals a determined, independent woman, brave enough "to go where no one had gone and to do what no one had done" . . . [and] illuminates the public and private life of a legendary flier, bringing her back to earth as a courageous woman who dreamed and dared all." (Christian Science Monitor) |