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Just checking in. I finally made it to Brazil. I'm studiyng a few months in Campinas, São Paulo. It's pretty chill but it's also expensive, and really nice and developed. I kind of miss Peru/Bolivia/Northern Argentina-style street vendors and hustlers. Anyway, any Brazil goons wanna recommend me some cheap, short (less than a week, I guess) excursions in whatever direction? I'd really like to climb a mountain but that seems improbable. Already meeting a friend in Rio in a few weeks and I have plans to check out SP proper.
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May 25, 2011 18:43
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barbudo posted:Just checking in. I finally made it to Brazil. I'm studiyng a few months in Campinas, São Paulo. It's pretty chill but it's also expensive, and really nice and developed. I kind of miss Peru/Bolivia/Northern Argentina-style street vendors and hustlers. Anyway, any Brazil goons wanna recommend me some cheap, short (less than a week, I guess) excursions in whatever direction? I'd really like to climb a mountain but that seems improbable. There's not much in the way of mountains in Brazil, although Rio has some of the world's best rock climbing. It's mid-winter, so not the best time to do beach-related activities that far south. I think it's coming to rainy season at Iguazu Falls, which is about a 17-hour bus trip from Sao Paulo. Stay in Puerto Iguazu on the Argentine side, which will be a lot cheaper than Brazil. Paraty is much closer to Sampa, and a gorgeous old colonial town on the ocean. Once it gets warmer I highly recommend Ilha Grande.
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May 25, 2011 18:51
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Hey guys, I'll be landing in Bogota in a couple days. I'll probably spend about a week in the city and move on from there - I think travelling northward to Villa de Leyva and so on. I'm not sure if I'll be able to join some other travellers, but I'll be going it solo. I'll post a cell number here once I get colombian sim. I think I'll spend about a month or a month and a half in Colombia. Quick question, not sure if anyone will know the answer - Does anyone know what the actual US Exchange rate to COP vs the actual Canadian Exchange rate to COP is like in Bogota? I'll be landing with approx $500 cash, and am wondering if I should exchange this to US $ in Canada before flying out or just keep it in Canadian. When I was in Asia a few years back, the actual Canadian dollar exchange seemed significantly lower than it's actual value, so with the cash I landed with, I lost out on probably like $40-50 worth just due to the lovely rate.
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May 31, 2011 18:12
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jonawesome posted:Hey guys, I'll be landing in Bogota in a couple days. I'll probably spend about a week in the city and move on from there - I think travelling northward to Villa de Leyva and so on. I'm not sure if I'll be able to join some other travellers, but I'll be going it solo. I'll post a cell number here once I get colombian sim. I think I'll spend about a month or a month and a half in Colombia. I'm not going to look up the exchange rate for you but you should be aware that exchanging dollars for pesos is going to give you a poor rate. Lots of criminals try exchanging the dollars back to pesos so the demand for American dollars is not high. You are best off taking money from the ATM like almost every other traveler.
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May 31, 2011 18:18
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Hmm, good to know. I'll probably just land with a few hundred Canadian then, and go from there. I am planning on using ATM's exclusively after my cash runs out, but even the best travellers chequeing account in Canada still takes a healthy cut off the top of the exchange rate with all the extra fees they add on. I figured I'd try to save myself a few dollars by taking a bit more cash with me.
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May 31, 2011 20:46
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jonawesome posted:Hmm, good to know. I'll probably just land with a few hundred Canadian then, and go from there. I am planning on using ATM's exclusively after my cash runs out, but even the best travellers chequeing account in Canada still takes a healthy cut off the top of the exchange rate with all the extra fees they add on. I figured I'd try to save myself a few dollars by taking a bit more cash with me. Bad idea for two reasons: cash, and CAD. You'll have a lot of fun trying to get a decent rate for CAD in Colombia. About the only place in Latin America where the USD isn't the second currency (or first, in the case of Panama and El Salvador and Ecuador) is Cuba. There, it's Euro. CAD isn't easy to exchange anywhere outside of maybe Cancun.
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May 31, 2011 21:01
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Fack. Alright, well I guess Ill just bring enough money to exchange at the airport, and go from there, haha. I'm glad I found all this out before I landed and had a number of useless large denomination bills.
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May 31, 2011 21:17
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jonawesome posted:Fack. Alright, well I guess Ill just bring enough money to exchange at the airport, and go from there, haha. I'm glad I found all this out before I landed and had a number of useless large denomination bills. Exchange for USD, I hope. On long trips, I always take a few money precautions. I always carry $500 in USD AmEx traveler's cheques. I've had them for a few years now - they are strictly a last resort. I always carry a few hundred in clean, untorn US 20 and 100 notes stashed away in various parts of my back (books, hidden pockets, etc.). All of my daily needs come from a debit card tied to Visa. Be sure to let your bank know where you'll be traveling before you leave. Keep a couple of credit cards for backup too, but try not to use debit cards or credit cards for routine transactions in a place like Colombia. Cash is king. For almost anywhere in the world these days, you won't need to use anything other than a debit card.
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May 31, 2011 21:46
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Does anyone know about the El Cocuy national park in Colombia? I'm on my way there at the moment (just got to Bucaramanga today) and am hoping to find a group to do the 7 day trek with when I get there. I realise that's unlikely and I'll probably just end up doing day hikes from on of the cabañas. I've found what seems to be the only useful online info for it here: https://www.pnncocuy.com Has anyone been there and got any other tips or things I should know before getting there?
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Jun 3, 2011 16:13
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I just got to Bogota late yesterday. I've only seen a small bit of the city, pretty much what was only seen from buses and cars, but so far it doesn't look as charming as I thought it would be. Lots of graffiti, and construction of roads and buildings Everywhere! Not that I'm knocking the city yet, because I obviously havent seen poo poo. Anyways, I'm planning on meeting up with a few people here, a couple dudes from Couch surfing and one of my coworkers brothers, so I'll probably spend a week or so in the city. From there I think I'll travel northward. If anyone wants to meet up or hang out, give me a ring! 300-660-8590 I'll be in Colombia for a monthish. My name's Jon, and I don't speak spanish really. Also if anyone is interested: Exchange rate for CAD at the airport 1 CAD = 1700 COP, Exchange rate of USD at New York Exchange in Santafe mall - 1 USD = 1785 COP
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Jun 3, 2011 19:57
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jonawesome posted:I just got to Bogota late yesterday. I've only seen a small bit of the city, pretty much what was only seen from buses and cars, but so far it doesn't look as charming as I thought it would be. Lots of graffiti, and construction of roads and buildings Everywhere! Not that I'm knocking the city yet, because I obviously havent seen poo poo. The graffiti was one of my favorite parts of Bogota.
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Jun 3, 2011 21:56
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Trabisnikof posted:The graffiti was one of my favorite parts of Bogota. Seconded. Brazil had some really cool, giant pieces, but Bogota has some really neat stencil art, especially along the edges of the financial district.
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Jun 3, 2011 22:04
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Can anyone suggest some cool things to check out in Argentina and Uruguay? Mainly interested in art, music and food. Anything else off the beaten path as well.
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Jun 6, 2011 00:48
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Does anyone have any experience going to University in Ecuador, specifically to learn Spanish. Are there cities that are known as cheap and viable options for this? I took three years in high school, and I would like to take a year to two to go to formal (and cheap) classes in Ecuador. I am not concerned with gaining credits, and I was wondering if it would be possible to audit the classes.
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Jun 8, 2011 14:42
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edit: nevermind, sorry found the answer to my question
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Jun 9, 2011 04:27
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Is Central America like SE Asia where you can buy a huge variety of awesome clothes for practically nothing or should I bring most things with me? Basically, the clothing situation in Asia was so cheap and full of options compared to America that if I were to go again to backpack I'd literally bring a backpack, my .mp3 player and kindle, toiletries, the clothes I was wearing, and literally nothing else. Also, is it unacceptable to wear shorts most of the time? In America I wear shorts and sandals (when not working) as soon as it gets over 50, so almost year round in the south. I sort of get the feeling in South America this is not really cool, but I am going to central america and southern mexico. My trip is centered around learning spanish in Guatemala and Honduras first (~5 weeks I am guessing) then seeing the highlights but focusing on surfing the rest if that matters. I am putting together a list of items I am considering bringing right now. I plan to have one of the carry on sized bags like in the travel thread, either a Osprey Porter 46 or the ebags weekend convertible etech (which is only 50 bucks but I think the design is much better than the osprey, reviews seem to suggest good quality, and the price is awesome). Also I sweat a lot, I mean a TON, so a premium is placed on anything which helps keep you cool, so if I need to buy that stuff in America I will.
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Jun 12, 2011 22:20
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Shorts are more acceptable in central america than the south, but it's still roughly the equivalent of wearing pajamas in the US. You'll just stand out as conspicuously casual. (So it doesn't matter much in beach towns, and you'll sometimes see locals wearing them at dive bars or going to the supermarket. But in general they're only appropriate if you have some practical reason to not be dressing up nicer.)
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Jun 13, 2011 12:02
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I'd be cautious about traveling with only clothes bought in Central America because of concerns about quality. I bought boxer briefs in Guatemala that were slightly transparent on the day I bought them because of the thinness and cheapness of the fabric, though they haven't fallen apart yet. Backpacks or permanent bags of any kind are a bad idea to purchase there, they will fall apart. Yeah, board shorts are appropriate 24/7 in beach towns, but outside of that, wear pants to be perceived as a mature adult. Also, it's consistently cool (especially if you're used to the temperatures of the American south) in the highlands of Guatemala, so bring a hoodie or sweater for night time.
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Jun 13, 2011 18:13
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duralict posted:But in general they're only appropriate if you have some practical reason to not be dressing up nicer.) Can the reason be "backpacking around and therefore doing a lot of trekking"? I actually have a question for the thread and sorry if it's been answered lots. My wife and I are looking to travel into the Amazon in Peru (around Cuzco) for the start/middle of August and are looking for a good place to start. We're trying to avoid guided tours with groups of people because we want to travel at our own pace and not be touring with an older crowd (we're 24 and 23). Is there any place to look into for this or should we look for something more like Iquitos? (our plan is to end in Cuzco, though)
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Jun 19, 2011 18:02
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flippygrip meatbio posted:Can the reason be "backpacking around and therefore doing a lot of trekking"? Cuzco is nowhere near Amazonas. Iquitos is, and a good place to start. You'll need to fly there.
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Jun 19, 2011 18:08
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Macunaima posted:Cuzco is nowhere near Amazonas. Iquitos is, and a good place to start. You'll need to fly there. Cuzco is nowhere near the Amazon river but it is just west of Madre de Dios. You can easily fly to Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios, from Cuzco on a number of airlines in around half an hour. Likewise you can take a bus though it's a somewhat lengthy trip (14 hours). From Puerto Maldonado you can go to Tambopata or Manu, which are both massive nature reserves. I actually think that Manu is closer to Cuzco than Puerto Maldonado but I could be wrong.
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Jun 19, 2011 19:56
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billy cuts posted:Cuzco is nowhere near the Amazon river but it is just west of Madre de Dios. You can easily fly to Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios, from Cuzco on a number of airlines in around half an hour. Likewise you can take a bus though it's a somewhat lengthy trip (14 hours). From Puerto Maldonado you can go to Tambopata or Manu, which are both massive nature reserves. I actually think that Manu is closer to Cuzco than Puerto Maldonado but I could be wrong. Yep, Manu is pretty much what we were thinking of doing. It's just hard to sift through all the tour guide sites and was wondering if anyone had any experience with a good one? I know it's not near the river but the rain forest part is what we're looking for. We didn't get that yellow fever vaccine for nothing, after all.
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Jun 19, 2011 23:50
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Not all tour groups are for old people, Contiki now does tours in S.America, but they do have a bit of a booze cruise reputation. I did Peru with Gap Adventures, the age range went from the youngest at 20 to a couple in their 50's, I was 26. Group size was a pretty reasonable 15 as well.
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Jun 20, 2011 02:39
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I'll be doing six weeks in Bolivia, Peru, and Nicaragua this summer. I'll leave questions about activities for another post, but for now I'm trying to coordinate my arrival. The plane arrives at Santa Cruz's (Bolivia) international airport, Viru Viru, at 12:41am. Not ideal, but it saved me money. Does anyone know if I can expect to get a visa and get past customs at that hour, or will I have to wait until morning? If you've never been to Viru Viru, but have been to other South American airport, I'm still interested in what they do because it's probably a similar situation.
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Jun 20, 2011 03:27
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I live in the Darien in Panama as a Peace Corps volunteer. It's the end of the Interamerican Highway, and the province bordering Columbia. It's one of the least developed, which is not good for your run of the mill gringo tourist, but it is incredible for more adventure types. Any questions, let me know.
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Jun 21, 2011 06:11
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Can someone tell me about Buenos Aires? I'm planning on visiting at the beginning of September with my girlfriend for about 10-14 days, and am curious about where to stay (are short term condo rentals worth it or a good idea?). We'd like something more private than a hostel, even one with a private room. Both my girlfriend and I are designers, so any areas that are design/art centric are interesting, as well as a happening night life, nice parks that we can drink wine and walk in. Thanks!
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Jun 21, 2011 07:52
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Mr.Showtime posted:
check this site for design related events http://cmd.gob.ar
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Jun 21, 2011 19:30
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mateo_j posted:I live in the Darien in Panama as a Peace Corps volunteer. It's the end of the Interamerican Highway, and the province bordering Columbia. It's one of the least developed, which is not good for your run of the mill gringo tourist, but it is incredible for more adventure types. Yaviza? I was in Puerto Obaldia last year. What a shithole that place is.
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Jun 21, 2011 19:45
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I have a question from my parents. For years they have wanted to go to Costa Rica, but they are not sure the best way for them to do it. My parents are in their early 60s and in very good shape. They want to see a lot of cool stuff, they are really into artwork, active stuff like hikes (especially waterfalls), and would enjoy anything historical. They are unsure the best way for them to visit. They do not really want to rent a car (they are afraid of the traffic, unsure if this should be a concern or not) but they also do not want to be part of a group tour with a bunch of fat rear end in a top hat loud tourist (which is not how they behave). On the flipside, I doubt they would enjoy getting in a van with 15 kids backpacking (like I will be haha) to go to whatever site there is to visit. Any ideas of what to tell them? I guess cost isn't really an issue for them either. I will be in Costa Rica before they go and they asked me to see if I could find out the best way for them to visit. This place is probably as good as any.
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Jun 21, 2011 19:57
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Ribsauce posted:I will be in Costa Rica before they go and they asked me to see if I could find out the best way for them to visit. This place is probably as good as any. Hiring a private tour guide would be the way to go. In some other countries like Ecuador and Argentina there are some non-profit expat type clubs that could give you recommendations. I am sure the same is true in Costa Rica. Ideally your parents could develop their own itinerary and have the guide fill in the blanks using his local knowledge and contacts. If you arrange it with an independent guide it should not cost much. You should be able to find someone local when you're in Costa Rica yourself.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:06
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Ribsauce posted:I have a question from my parents. For years they have wanted to go to Costa Rica, but they are not sure the best way for them to do it. My parents are in their early 60s and in very good shape. They want to see a lot of cool stuff, they are really into artwork, active stuff like hikes (especially waterfalls), and would enjoy anything historical. They are unsure the best way for them to visit. They do not really want to rent a car (they are afraid of the traffic, unsure if this should be a concern or not) but they also do not want to be part of a group tour with a bunch of fat rear end in a top hat loud tourist (which is not how they behave). On the flipside, I doubt they would enjoy getting in a van with 15 kids backpacking (like I will be haha) to go to whatever site there is to visit. They'd probably like Mexico more than Costa Rica. CR really is the most overhyped destination I can think of. Culturally, there's nothing going on there, while Mexico is fabulously rich in art. There are great waterfalls in Chiapas state at Misol-Ha and Agua Azul, an easy daytrip from the Palenque ruins. Also, the food in CR sucks. Mexican food is among the best in the world.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:07
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Macunaima posted:
Wrong. Every restaurant you went to must've run out of Lizano sauce.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:11
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bam thwok posted:Wrong. Every restaurant you went to must've run out of Lizano sauce. Vinegary hot sauce will not make gallo pinto three times a day interesting.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:17
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bam thwok posted:Wrong. Every restaurant you went to must've run out of Lizano sauce. Have you ever seen a "Costa Rican" restaurant outside of Costa Rica? Of course not. I know that you realize part of travel is being able to taste the local cuisine. The best food Costa Rica would have is international food and tropical fruit. That is why Macunaima is probably arguing for Mexico as the better option.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:20
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Costa Rica is nothing more than a successful marketing confection. Its culture is in no way distinct from, say, Panama's. It's overpriced and overtouristed. There are no ruins or colonial towns. It does have great nature, but so does all of Central America. In the area, Panama is vastly superior as a destination, Mexico doubly so. I'm not saying Costa Rica is unpleasant. On the contrary. It's just not all that.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:31
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Mr.Showtime posted:Can someone tell me about Buenos Aires? Both my girlfriend and I are designers, design/art centric are interesting, as well as a happening night life, nice parks that we can drink wine and walk in. Like Hecko said, the Palmero neighborhood is by far and away your best choice. From what you described this neighborhood will fit you two to a T. It's about 4 stops north of the Obelisk on the green line subway, with a huge (HUGE) public park just south of the subway, and tons of nightlife, fashion shows, design stuff etc.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:39
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Macunaima posted:Vinegary hot sauce will not make gallo pinto three times a day interesting. That was mostly in jest, but still. Every meal I had was fresh fruit and fruit juice, fresh fish, great steak, awesomely prepared plantains and yucca, weird Tico cheese, and yes, rice and beans and beans and rice. Breakfast was the highlight of my day. I ate well the whole time, and when I got sick of the local flavor there were plenty of foreign cuisines to choose from like DustingDuvet mentioned. The great thing about that is that Costa Rica's foreign restaurants aren't lovely imitations; the Italian places were particularly on point. Just because traditional Costa Rican food isn't exciting doesn't mean that the food in Costa Rica sucks. You could say the same thing about Canada, but that shouldn't deter you from visiting.
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Jun 21, 2011 20:46
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No, the fact that Panama is next door should deter you from visiting Costa Rica.
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Jun 21, 2011 21:00
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Macunaima posted:They'd probably like Mexico more than Costa Rica. CR really is the most overhyped destination I can think of. Culturally, there's nothing going on there, while Mexico is fabulously rich in art. There are great waterfalls in Chiapas state at Misol-Ha and Agua Azul, an easy daytrip from the Palenque ruins. thanks for all the answers
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Jun 21, 2011 21:12
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Macunaima posted:No, the fact that Panama is next door should deter you from visiting Costa Rica. Not everyone minds touristy destinations. That's why Disneyworld continues to exist. But Ribsauce, if your parents are really set on seeing historical sites, they probably should consider somewhere else. Costa Rica's value is in its natural parks, well-developed tourism industry that caters to outdoor activities, and beaches, not in its local lore. I went a few months ago and it was one of my favorite vacations of all time. We set everything up through a travel agent and, visiting three cities by private van, covered everything from hiking through a volcanic national park, rappelling through waterfalls, chilling out in hot springs, zip-lining by day (and by night), spotting wildlife, to chilling out at the beach for days. Your parents will have a great time, despite the beers in Panama costing a few dollars less.
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Jun 21, 2011 21:31
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