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Hadlock posted:I had no problems sending/recieving SMS/Voice using my US T-Mobile account in Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The people I met along the way were a lot better at knowing how to send/make international calls however. Problem is is he'll likely be raped on roaming charges using a US sim in another country. It depends how long you'll be there and how many calls you anticipate making during the trip. Txt messages to back home won't be an issue, but trying to call up hotels to check for vacancies etc could get pretty pricey without a local sim.
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Apr 16, 2011 04:05
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Is there a way to use GPS on that blackberry curve also?
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Apr 16, 2011 14:15
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Ribsauce posted:Is there a way to use GPS on that blackberry curve also? No, sadly. Every curve but that one got gps. Perhaps a later model got it though. The Curve has gone through quite a few revisions since 2008
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Apr 16, 2011 15:31
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I'll throw another question out there: can anyone recommend a Peruvian itinerary that includes the north of the country? I'd like to hit up Cjamarca, Chachapoyas/Kuelap, Chiclayo, Trujillo, and possibly other areas. The catch: will be starting the Peruvian journey from La Paz, Bolivia, so I imagine that we'll first hit up lake Titicaca and then Cusco/Machu Picchu. I'm having trouble figuring out how to combine a tour of the southern areas like Arequipa with the northern sights. I'm thinking bus or flight from Cusco to Arequipa, and then bus to Nazca, Paracas, and Pisco. Then I'd like to go to Ayacucho, but I'm not sure where to move from there. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to spend many hours busing up the coast from Lima to Chiclayo only to repeat the same long route to get back to Lima for our return flight. I see that there are internal flights from Lima to Chiclayo and Piura, but they're fairly expensive, and I'm trying to minimize such expenditures, as this is a long trip. Am I being crazy, or is there any way to do this without a bunch of backtracking? Is there an alternate route we could take on our return trip with any sights?
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Apr 16, 2011 20:22
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I'm planning to take a 35 day vacation to South America, most likely Brazil, potentially Colombia. I know next to nothing about either place. Would anyone be willing to let me send them my litany of questions via PM (or e-mail, if necessary)? I am only passingly interested in sight seeing; I am primarily interested in partying, so knowledge in that area would be greatly appreciated. Rrail fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Apr 21, 2011 |
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Apr 21, 2011 16:01
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Rrail posted:I'm planning to take a 35 day vacation to South America, most likely Brazil, potentially Colombia. I know next to nothing about either place. Would anyone be willing to let me send them my litany of questions via PM (or e-mail, if necessary)? I can definitely help you with this. A few questions first, so I can help you most effectively take years off your life expectancy. Do you speak any Spanish or Portuguese? What does "partying" mean to you? What's your budget? Are you male or female, straight or gay or omni?
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Apr 21, 2011 16:57
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Macunaima posted:I can definitely help you with this. A few questions first, so I can help you most effectively take years off your life expectancy. Sent you a PM, but I'll answer those questions here. I don't speak any Spanish or Portugese. I won't be taking this trip until late August/early September so I will have plenty of time to brush up on the local language once a destination is chosen (so probably Portuguese). Partying means drinking and hooking up with girls, the same exact thing I'd be doing in the U.S. or in Europe. I love clubs but don't dance. I'll budget up to 10k for this trip (though I'd like to stay more in the 6k range), maybe a little more if necessary. I'm male and straight, 25 years old, in good physical shape. Rrail fucked around with this message at 17:08 on Apr 21, 2011 |
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Apr 21, 2011 17:06
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Rrail posted:I'm planning to take a 35 day vacation to South America Rrail posted:I'll budget up to 10k for this trip  I think you should be able to do this very nicely for a lot less, but hey, to each his own.
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Apr 21, 2011 18:38
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BnT posted:
Not if you like really nice hotels.
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Apr 21, 2011 20:41
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I spend most of my year in a war zone so I'd like to live like a minor prince when I'm not.
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Apr 22, 2011 00:12
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How's the rainy season in Nicaragua? My sister is working there, and I'd like to visit this summer. Is it just going to be so rainy we won't be able to do anything, like hike in the jungle, go to the beach, etc.
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Apr 22, 2011 01:31
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Rrail posted:I love clubs but don't dance. This doesn't really work in South America. Actually, how do you "party" without dancing? Either way, literally every festivity, event, party, or whatever involves dancing in South America. There's no such thing as a "hang out with drink in hand" house party, really. Or they're really rare, anyway. Might as well start getting used to dancing.
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Apr 22, 2011 07:38
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a japanese pop icon posted:This doesn't really work in South America. Actually, how do you "party" without dancing?  It will be some Elaine Benes poo poo.
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Apr 23, 2011 00:27
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Rrail posted:
You don't really have to dance super well, just a basic clue. Ask a friend or something!
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Apr 23, 2011 03:13
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I'm awkward and self-conscious as gently caress but I still had a great time dancing in Rio. I credit that city with breaking me out of my (dancing) shell.
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Apr 23, 2011 10:47
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I had the time of my life volunteering and teaching English the Antigua, Guatemala area for two months. The trip ended yesterday. I know I'll be going back at some point in my life, but next time, I'd like to stay for a year or more. (I only came home because of a wedding.) I'd like to go back for the remainder of this year, but besides personal and financial considerations, I'm afraid of being there for the elections during September. My concern is that although the violence isn't likely to be as bad in Antigua as in, say, Guate, if it DID get bad, I'd have to go to the city in order to fly home. An expat I spoke with about this mentioned a nighttime border run with trusted locals, but that seems less like a solution and more, y'know, terrible. Does anyone have any insight into Guatemala's situation specifically or the idea generally of living in some place with a high level of political violence when it really goes crazy?
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Apr 23, 2011 22:36
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Rrail posted:Sent you a PM, but I'll answer those questions here. Brazilian goon here too. I also may be able to unswer some of your questions too. As for dancing, I don't dance either, and a lot of my friends also don't. I mean, dancing is indeed a great way to get girls, but you still can do ok without it, especialy being a foreigner in brazil. About Rio, I don't know much aside from the fact that my mother was born there and that their accent annoy me a bit.  But, if you are coming to São Paulo, I can give you some tips. São Paulo is a great place if you like clubs, nightlife and good food, an overall more urban trip, just don't expect exuberant nature or that kind of crap here and you'll have a good time.Pigbottom fucked around with this message at 14:13 on Apr 26, 2011 |
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Apr 26, 2011 14:09
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Mortley posted:I had the time of my life volunteering and teaching English the Antigua, Guatemala area for two months. The trip ended yesterday. I know I'll be going back at some point in my life, but next time, I'd like to stay for a year or more. (I only came home because of a wedding.) I'd like to go back for the remainder of this year, but besides personal and financial considerations, I'm afraid of being there for the elections during September. Hey would you mind posting more about your experiences in Antigua? I'm thinking of going there in June/July to do some immersion Spanish learning. I didn't realize the violence was getting bad in Guatemala, I thought it was all in Mexico these days. While I don't have any first-hand knowledge of whats going on down there, I spoke with a Guatemalan customer at my job yesterday while helping him and he said the violence is getting bad but he didn't have any specific information. Maybe I should go to Panama instead.
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Apr 28, 2011 19:17
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PlesantDilemma posted:Hey would you mind posting more about your experiences in Antigua? I'm thinking of going there in June/July to do some immersion Spanish learning. I didn't realize the violence was getting bad in Guatemala, I thought it was all in Mexico these days. While I don't have any first-hand knowledge of whats going on down there, I spoke with a Guatemalan customer at my job yesterday while helping him and he said the violence is getting bad but he didn't have any specific information. Maybe I should go to Panama instead. Let me say first that Antigua is a gorgeous place. At the same time, you'll have at least as good a chance of learning Dutch or Hebrew in Antigua as you will Spanish. The town is chock-full of twentysomethings studying Spanish for a couple of hours in the morning, and hanging out (in English) with other backpackers "studying Spanish" at Mono Loco or Frida's. Most Guatemalans can't afford to live in Antigua, which lives and breathes tourism. Almost all of your daily interactions with Guatemalans in Antigua will be transactional in nature, and default to English if your Spanish is beginner-level. San Pedro, on Lake Atitlan, is the same scene but with more drugs. If you're serious about immersing yourself in Spanish, Xela is the place to go. As for violence, it's bad in Guatemala City. Antigua and Tikal are the tourist jewels to the entire country, and relatively safe.
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Apr 28, 2011 20:18
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^^ What he said. I didn't study Spanish there, nor would I if I return. No one whom I knew had a significant improvement in their Spanish unless they used it outside of the really mediocre Spanish classes. I would definitely study Spanish in Xela, but only if I could focus on conversation, as the Guatemalan standard educational approach is flawed. The Spanish teachers didn't seem to have rudimentary language awareness like I'd want, and the way presentation of concepts is structured is quite illogical. The backpacker scene is a really fun one, though it's shallow. It was really nice to be able to walk home safely at 1am after a few $8 beers at Mono Loco. People complain a lot about the Disneylandizing of Guatemala into Antigua, but the thing is, 15 minutes out of town in any direction and you're back to Guatemala albeit with gringo influence. I spent all day out of the city, but it was nice to have somewhere safe to hang out and sleep soundly at night. I've not been able to find very many resources talking about the expected level of political violence in Guatemala but I did find the statistic that 50 politically connected people died in the last election. 50 people in a country where 6,000 are murdered every year. Maybe it's not a significant uptick.
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Apr 29, 2011 02:26
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I need advice, or at least some comforting words, for someone who is decently experienced in backpacking tame north american forests and is about to go backpacking in the national park of Chapada Diamantina, Brazil with one other person. More specifically, we're really hoping to avoid a guided trek/tour thing, but rather just set out on trails on our own and camp wherever (we'll look into if you need to find designated camping spots) for probably not more than 2-3 days. I haven't done a whole lot of reading about camping there because, well, it's hard to find anything other than info about packaged treks. I've tried! Mostly I've found some info about what trails exist, and then they say "and if you want to do that people run tours there." Some travel books have mentioned some long (8 hours out) trails that you can hike on your own, but not gone into any details. I usually take a "whatever, it'll be fine" approach to camping and it works out fine. The only thing that worries me here is that this is a totally different environment/ecosystem than I am used to. Am I a retard who is going to die? Or does it sound like a reasonable venture for someone who's not an outdoors idiot to set out with food, water purifiers, shelter, map/compass, etc., stick to the trails, and come back in a day or two? Also, am I lucky enough that anyone here has been to this particular park? Before anyone asks, I'll be there in mid-may (dry-ish season I think), and I have a yellow fever vaccine (This is sort of a repost from another thread because I'm leaving soon.)
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May 6, 2011 20:59
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out of the different Central America guidebooks can anyone tell which is better than the other for budget traveling? If it includes Mexico that would be super awesome, although it looks like the footprint one is the only one which does, although Lonely Planet includes southern Mexico
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May 6, 2011 21:55
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Ribsauce posted:out of the different Central America guidebooks can anyone tell which is better than the other for budget traveling? If it includes Mexico that would be super awesome, although it looks like the footprint one is the only one which does, although Lonely Planet includes southern Mexico Moon is easily the best, coming from a former LP contributing writer.
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May 6, 2011 22:03
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Do they have an all in one guidebook? I do not see one.
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May 6, 2011 23:37
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Ribsauce posted:Do they have an all in one guidebook? I do not see one. Ah, that's what you meant. I don't think Moon does a general Central America guide. I still have an LP Central America, which has always been adequate. Error-laden, but adequate.
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May 7, 2011 02:35
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How easy is it to get around Argentina? I want to go for the 2011 Copa America and I'm trying to plan how much time I need for travel to stadiums. Right now it looks like this: July 3 La Plata July 8 Mendoza July 10 Santa Fe July 12 La Plata I'm just wondering if I can make it from Mendoza to Santa Fe in that time. Also I have already budgeted for the plane ticket, football tickets, and hostels, but have no clue about bus travel or other expenses. I'll be there from June 30-July 13 so what would be a decent amount of money for someone not looking to party hard just have fun?
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May 20, 2011 16:51
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You can travel easily by bus from Mendoza to Santa Fe in one night. If the game you are going to watch is the 8, you'll have to travel the 9.
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May 20, 2011 17:06
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The cost of buses in Argentina are pretty much a function of the distance travelled. I had a quick look on http://www.andesmar.com which is the website for one of the major bus companies, and they have buses leaving at 7.30pm and 8pm, arriving around 10am the next morning. Prices range from $67 to the cheapest seats (semi cama, which are still pretty decent compared to the greyhound) to $80 for lie-flat seats. Definitely spring for the nice seats - it's totally worth it. There's no point shopping around for bus prices in Argentina as they're all regulated, so will be almost exactly the same at each company. Just pick one you think looks nice!
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May 20, 2011 17:15
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Another good bus company is https://www.flechabus.com.ar but I think they don't have non stop buses between Mendoza and Santa Fe. You'll need to change bus in Cordoba.
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May 20, 2011 22:22
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I took this bus from Rosario to Iguazu in Argentina, of the 40 or so bus rides I've taken in central and south america it was by far and away the most comfortable I've ever ridden on Three seats across. There are two seats on the left side of the aisle, and one on the right. Easily as wide as a first class seat on a 747. Even featured three meals a day served by a "flight attendant". Sadly I haven't found that level of service elsewhere (or didn't know how to ask for it).
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May 21, 2011 00:58
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Yeah, Flechabus has leather seats with individual tv screens and video on demand, like a first class flight on wheels.
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May 21, 2011 04:21
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I have a friend who wants to travel, by bus, from Mexico to Costa Rica (I'm here with family). The bus company is Ticabus. Besides stops for meals, he would be staying in El Salvador until something weird like 3AM. Also, he doesn't know much more than very basic Spanish. My sister regularly takes this bus company to get from the border near Panama to San Jose, and the buses seem like they would be decent enough for such long travel, but... has anyone done something like this? I only have experience with Costa Rica, and I can count on one hand the times I've felt in any kind of danger (solely around touristy places, as well). Googling gives MASSIVELY different views of how safe the rest of central america is. Will he die? edit: clarity wprltndmcofjne fucked around with this message at 01:26 on May 23, 2011 |
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May 23, 2011 01:24
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wprltndmcofjne posted:Will he die? Most certainly. All tickets are final, because they know you aren't coming back. Central America is where western travelers go to die. Their remains are used to fertilize banana crops. It is well known that all bus deaths happen in banana farming regions.
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May 23, 2011 02:44
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Hadlock posted:Most certainly. All tickets are final, because they know you aren't coming back. Central America is where western travelers go to die. Their remains are used to fertilize banana crops. It is well known that all bus deaths happen in banana farming regions. I'm just concerned for my friend's wellbeing! Do you have a more serious opinion? http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1109.html#crime He's not an American, or stupid about traveling, but this is the info that's scaring me the most. It makes these horrifying assaults seem totally random. I know that common concepts of a place can be different from reality too, and that this represents the worst of the worst, but I'm also just scared. I'd like some opinions/anecdotes from people if they have them, to get just a little peace of mind. He won't be carrying much cash since he'll be staying at my house, and he dresses not very well, so he doesn't look like what I imagine the typical target would be, but these strange mass buss assaults worry me. edit: I wouldn't believe this if somebody had told me, but it's on the US Dept of State site, so it's hard to pull the facts from the mostly-exaggerated-facts. wprltndmcofjne fucked around with this message at 03:24 on May 23, 2011 |
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May 23, 2011 03:21
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wprltndmcofjne posted:I have a friend who wants to travel, by bus, from Mexico to Costa Rica (I'm here with family). The bus company is Ticabus. Besides stops for meals, he would be staying in El Salvador until something weird like 3AM. Also, he doesn't know much more than very basic Spanish. He'll be fine. If he's starting in Tapachula, that's a two-overnighter. Ticabus doesn't run at night, so he'll be sleeping in San Salvador and probably Managua. Both are shitholes; San Salvador worse than Managua. Tell him to find a place to sleep in both - Zona Rosa in San Salvador, somewhere in Barrio Martha Quezada in Managua. The bus ride itself is no problem. Ticabus takes the Pan-Am highway, and is comfortable.
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May 23, 2011 03:43
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Macunaima posted:He'll be fine. If he's starting in Tapachula, that's a two-overnighter. Ticabus doesn't run at night, so he'll be sleeping in San Salvador and probably Managua. Both are shitholes; San Salvador worse than Managua. Tell him to find a place to sleep in both - Zona Rosa in San Salvador, somewhere in Barrio Martha Quezada in Managua. Thank you thank you thank you.
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May 23, 2011 04:08
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The girlfriend and I are in the early stages of planning a trip to South America over Christmas break this year. We're thinking of flying down from Oregon mid-December and the one main thing we wanted to try to accomplish was doing the 4 day hike to Machu Pichu. Can anyone comment on what to expect weather-wise and how busy the trail would be that time of year. Also if someone can suggest a sample itinerary for what would be good to see in ~10-12 days time in the area I'd really appreciate it. I'd love to do Patagonia at some point in the future but I think it's pretty unrealistic to attempt to do it in such a small window of time. The other country we'd really love to try to shoe-horn in would be Argentina but I don't know realistically how much travel time we'd have to plan to make that happen and/or if it'd be worth it at all to do in the same trip. Thanks in advance.
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May 23, 2011 18:20
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MMD3 posted:Christmas break Machu Pichu weather-wise and how busy the trail would be I was in Cusco/Machu Pichu Dec 15-23rd. It is very wet. Peak rainy season is in February, which is actually when/why they shut down Machu Pichu for the entire month. You've probably already run across the news articles about the railway washing out due to the seasonal rains. That was Jan 29th 2010. I went up the mountain via train/bus due to my schedule and arrived at dawn when the park opened. It was so wet/foggy that it didn't clear until 2pm to get the classic Machu Pichu photo. Luckily the actual site is designed to drain water (you'll understand when you get there) so whether or not it's raining you won't have trouble getting around the site. I would recommend going when there's less chance of fog/rain if possible. It's a truly awe-inspiring sight (I don't use that phrase loosely) and the fog can be quite thick making it hard to see more than 100 ft at times. As for finding room on a hike, for singles it's not a problem. Lots of people signed up the night before and hopped on a 4 day hike. This was a week before christmas in 2009 during the height of the economy collapse so things may have changed since then.
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May 23, 2011 19:16
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MMD3 posted:The girlfriend and I are in the early stages of planning a trip to South America over Christmas break this year. We're thinking of flying down from Oregon mid-December and the one main thing we wanted to try to accomplish was doing the 4 day hike to Machu Pichu. Send me a PM if you happen to be in Cuzco on Christmas Day. My wife and I are in Peru for Christmas as part of our 4.5 month around the world trip and are looking for things to do/people to spend Christmas Day with. Also, whats the easiest way to get from Sao Paulo to Rio? Flight seems to be the best option, just wondering if anyone else has different views.
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May 24, 2011 03:10
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NoArmedMan posted:Send me a PM if you happen to be in Cuzco on Christmas Day. My wife and I are in Peru for Christmas as part of our 4.5 month around the world trip and are looking for things to do/people to spend Christmas Day with. Six hours by bus.
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May 24, 2011 15:34
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