|
Hip Hoptimus Prime posted:
Again, that totally depends on you. I've killed entire weeks in Tulum, scuba diving and partying and wandering around the area on a motorbike. quote:Edited to add: Places with good backpacker scenes are a plus, since I'll be traveling solo. I met so many incredible people in France on this go around, and I'm dying to meet more. The most 'sceney' places on the itinerary I mentioned are the following. I like all of them, and only make fun of their scenes because I like to make fun of myself. -Tulum. Touristy, not a lot of Mexicans, formerly very backpacker oriented, becoming more upmarket. You can still find affordable beach huts in off season (summer), where there's no electricity at night, and you sleep under mosquito nets. The beach is 3km from the town, where there are a few hostels. One (Weary Traveler) is very much a party hostel. -Palenque. There's a glorified clearing in the jungle near the ruins, called El Panchan. It's the kind of place where people wake-and-bake every morning at picnic tables, and get out of their heads on mushrooms. They play tripped-out movies every night, while pounding on bongos and twirling fire and picking lice out of each others' dreadlocks. The town of Palenque is a couple of km down the road from El Panchan. It's dumpy, but has a wider range of accommodations and restaurants. -San Cristobal. Lots of cheap hostels, earth-muffin vegan restaurants selling authentically Maya Thai food, Spanish schools, and artsy-fartsy craft stores. Nightlife can be pretty good here. It's high up in the mountains, and gets cold at night. -Lake Atitlan. Lots of different flavors in the villages for you to pick. Panajachel is the big town, with all kinds of accommodations and restaurants. San Marcos is where people go on silence retreats and play with crystals and feel the energy. San Pedro is for the stoners. Santiago ... I can't really remember Santiago. -Antigua. Impossibly pretty town, completely overrun by tourism. It's popular for very good reason. Full of budget accommodations. Antigua is extremely popular with backpackers who claim to be studying Spanish, but spend most of their time speaking English over beers with other backpackers. It would be just as easy to learn Danish or Hebrew as Spanish in Antigua. Other popular backpacker spots in Central America are Caye Caulker, Belize; Utila, Honduras; Leon and Ometepe, Nicaragua; Tamarindo and Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica; and Bocas del Toro and Panama City.
|
#
?
Jul 5, 2012 17:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 14:58 |
|
|
Random question--is Mexico safe? I'm kinda fearful of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, RE: drug cartels.
|
|
#
?
Jul 6, 2012 05:17
|
|
|
Hip Hoptimus Prime posted:Random question--is Mexico safe? I'm kinda fearful of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, RE: drug cartels. Southern Mexico and Mexico City are fine.
|
|
#
?
Jul 6, 2012 17:02
|
|
|
Macunaima posted:Southern Mexico and Mexico City are fine. It was on my bicycle, but I've just ridden from Tijuana -> La Paz, taken the boat across to Topolobampo and then down through Culiacan to Mazatlan, up to Durango and through Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato to DF... had no problems at all.
|
|
#
?
Jul 6, 2012 21:50
|
|
|
Macunaima posted:Southern Mexico and Mexico City are fine. Sad Panda posted:It was on my bicycle, but I've just ridden from Tijuana -> La Paz, taken the boat across to Topolobampo and then down through Culiacan to Mazatlan, up to Durango and through Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato to DF... had no problems at all. That's what I figured--seems like most of the extreme drug kidnappings and murders occur in towns along the US border.
|
|
#
?
Jul 6, 2012 22:51
|
|
|
ssooo I am taking a trip to santiago chile to visit my girl friend in september. We will be traveling around south america for about three weeks. The only set plan we have is to bus to Buenos Aires. It is a long bus ride and we plan on stopping in Mendoza for an afternoon of wine drinking and country side exploring etc. In all we plan to spend about a week going to and from Buenos Aires. Does anyone have any suggestions for where we should spend the remaining two weeks? Because I will not be there for too long we figured we would pick a direction to travel, i.e. north or south from chile but will not have time to go both directions. What do you folks think? Where should we travel? Should we stay in Argentina? Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 20:55
|
|
|
mcppants posted:ssooo I am taking a trip to santiago chile to visit my girl friend in september. We will be traveling around south america for about three weeks. The only set plan we have is to bus to Buenos Aires. It is a long bus ride and we plan on stopping in Mendoza for an afternoon of wine drinking and country side exploring etc. In all we plan to spend about a week going to and from Buenos Aires. Does anyone have any suggestions for where we should spend the remaining two weeks? Because I will not be there for too long we figured we would pick a direction to travel, i.e. north or south from chile but will not have time to go both directions. What do you folks think? Where should we travel? Should we stay in Argentina? Thanks. I'm in Brazil right now before going to Argentina and then Chile; it's pretty cool here. SP wasn't for me, but Rio is awesome and I personally loved Brasilia for the architecture. You could look in to Brazil. (If you can I personally would recommend travel by plane. I'm alway exhausted at the end of those long bus rides.)
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 10:44
|
|
|
dtb posted:I'm in Brazil right now before going to Argentina and then Chile; it's pretty cool here. SP wasn't for me, but Rio is awesome and I personally loved Brasilia for the architecture. You could look in to Brazil. (If you can I personally would recommend travel by plane. I'm alway exhausted at the end of those long bus rides.) mcpants' profile says he's from the US. Brazilian visas are $140 for US citizens, and not available on arrival. He could get one in Buenos Aires. I agree that Brazil is well worth a visit ... if you can afford it. It's crazy-expensive these days.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 18:30
|
|
|
It took me close to 5 weeks to get my visa from the Brazilian consulate in Houston. I wish I'd just gotten mine in BA. Of course, this was mere months after Brazil was announced as the 2016 olympic destination. YMMV. I will echo that Brazil is crazy expensive compared to Argentina and Uruguay. Expect to pay in Rio whatever you would at a major tourist trap in the US, like South Beach.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 19:39
|
|
|
Yeah, at this point it looks like Brazil is out of the question. Is uruguay worth a visit? Sentiment from earlier in the thread seem to suggest that traveling south in Chile, while pretty, can get kind of boring. Am I interpreting this correctly?
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 19:49
|
|
|
Uruguay is awesome and definently worth the visit. I was very impressed by the place. It's a bit colder than the nearby countries I found, though. Depending on the time of the year that won't matter. Plus it's small.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 19:55
|
|
|
mcppants posted:Yeah, at this point it looks like Brazil is out of the question. Is uruguay worth a visit? Sentiment from earlier in the thread seem to suggest that traveling south in Chile, while pretty, can get kind of boring. Am I interpreting this correctly? Uruguay is a gem. September will still be winter there, for what it's worth. Uruguay is like Argentina's much less-pretentious sibling. People are friendlier and less full of themselves, and the country is easy to get around. It's also the only place I've ever been where the locals drink even more yerba mate than Argentines. Colonia is definitely worth a visit. If it were December, I'd recommend Cabo Polonio, up on the northern coast. September will probably be too cold though for it to be worthwhile. For some odd reason, I seem to attract Uruguayans in the States. One was a roommate for a year, and I've dated three of them somewhat seriously in the past 15 years.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 21:19
|
|
|
September shouldn't be too cold as it's almost spring, but of course this is different for everybody. I'd recommend checking out Cabo Polonio to anyone coming here for more than a week I guess, obviously the best time would be during summer but it's a really nice place imo.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 22:35
|
|
|
Macunaima posted:mcpants' profile says he's from the US. Brazilian visas are $140 for US citizens, and not available on arrival. He could get one in Buenos Aires. I got my Brazilian visa in about 5 days as well in Tokyo. It's pretty straightforward: pay the 140 bucks, print out the online application, bring your bank statement. Brazil is pretty awesome I have to say. If you can somehow swing it, at least hit up Rio. Personally SP wasn't for me. Coming from Tokyo, Brazil is cheap, so I'm looking forward to Argentina and then Chile!! dtb fucked around with this message at 14:28 on Jul 12, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2012 14:19
|
|
|
OK, quick opinions needed-- I was originally planning on flying in and out of Orlando for a Mexican/Central American trip. I planned this around my friend's Orlando wedding which I am in, figuring I could park my car at her place, drop off wedding attire, go backpack, get back for the wedding. Well, now they decided to have the wedding in upstate New York since she's from there. So, now, if I drove my car to Orlando, I wouldn't have anywhere to park it for free. Now I'm stuck flying from my local regional airport to/from, which eliminates Spirit Airways. My only options will be Delta or US Airways.  So, hypothetically, if I was departing from Guatemala City, how much time should I allow myself to get to NY? I might actually have to leave Guatemala, come home, repack a bag for wedding stuff, and fly out again. I'm so, so pissed. This ruins my entire trip budget as well as the simplicity factor. On the upside, at least I didn't book plane tickets or anything just yet. The wedding is July 13, I'll be cut loose from work for 2 months on June 15 (in 2013). I was going to do 25 days, but now I might have to cut it back to 23 to give myself adequate time to get home, pick up wedding stuff, and get to NY. Or maybe even less depending on how insanely expensive (I'm sure) my plane tickets will be. I don't want to do the trip post wedding, because I'm planning on getting a new job and moving to another state this time next year. Damned friends and weddings. Can anybody think of any other options I might not see here? I live in NC within an hour of RDU, 20 mins from Fayetteville Regional Airport, 2 hours from Charlotte International Airport. But if I go from the other airports, a cab would be equally as expensive as parking my car for 3 weeks there. Not keen on planning flights around everyone else's work schedules to find a ride. 
Hip Hoptimus Prime fucked around with this message at 06:34 on Jul 22, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2012 06:28
|
|
|
Hip Hoptimus Prime posted:The wedding is July 13, I'll be cut loose from work for 2 months on June 15 (in 2013). I was going to do 25 days, but now I might have to cut it back to 23 Can I be honest? If your problem is that you might have to cut your 5 week long vacation by 2 days to attend what is hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime event for your friend, then you have it pretty good.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2012 15:54
|
|
|
You could always try parking in a privately owned lot rather than the airport's lot. This lot looks like it charges about $6 for covered parking, which would run you something like $130 or so and seems pretty reasonable. If you want to spend less time repacking, you could always pack two bags, one for Central America and one for the wedding and leave the wedding bag in your car's trunk. Then you could just go back to your car, swap bags, and head back to the airport to fly to NY. You might incur some extra costs from parking/slightly more expensive tickets flying out locally, but it also seems like you forgot the cost of driving down from North Carolina to Orlando and back (i.e. gas, food, tolls, value of your time). As for the cost of the roundtrip ticket from Raleigh to Guatemala city, using Matrix airfare search it looks like you can get a roundtrip ticket for $550, plus tickets from Raleigh to NY are about $160. (I just checked for prices in September, so they might be cheaper if you book them further in advance.) You probably won't end up spending significantly more, maybe an extra hundred-two hundred bucks or so. Of course your other option is to just not go to the wedding if it's going to be too big of a deal for you to cut your trip short by two days.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2012 16:19
|
|
|
Maybe you should ask your friends to postpone their wedding, considering what an inconvenience it is presenting you. It's pretty inconsiderate of them to think only of themselves, when there are people like impoverished Guatemalans and you who have real problems.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2012 16:44
|
|
|
23 Flavors posted:You could always try parking in a privately owned lot rather than the airport's lot. This lot looks like it charges about $6 for covered parking, which would run you something like $130 or so and seems pretty reasonable. If you want to spend less time repacking, you could always pack two bags, one for Central America and one for the wedding and leave the wedding bag in your car's trunk. Then you could just go back to your car, swap bags, and head back to the airport to fly to NY. All good ideas, thanks. Everyone else, yeah, I was a little irritated at the sudden change, but I've calmed down. I'll just wind up being in airports a little bit more than I was planning.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2012 03:14
|
|
|
Anyone been to San Pedro Sula or El Progreso?
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2012 02:30
|
|
|
GreenCard78 posted:Anyone been to San Pedro Sula or El Progreso? San Pedro Sula is awful, one of the most horrible places in Central America. Hot as hell, totally overrun with maras, featureless, violent. El Progreso is where SAP (San Pedro Sula's airport) is. It's busy with international flights. SPS is the financial center of Honduras, but even more charmless than the capital Tegucigalpa. Get out as fast as you can.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2012 02:36
|
|
|
Pretty much what I was expecting. What brought you there? I've been several times and always enjoyed it except the colonia that I was in was pretty rural.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2012 03:37
|
|
|
Funny story: Pre my trip to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, I was warned that Brazil will be the most dangerous. Actually, I managed to go trouble free to Brazil and Argentina, and after two days in Chile we've been robbed twice. So, Chile is super nice and all, very OECD member-ish, but watch your stuff like you're in SP or Rio.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2012 00:43
|
|
|
The only places I've ever had things stolen in over three years of travel is in Santiago and Lisboa (Portugal). Be paranoid, never trust anyone. Which then blocks you out of a lot of amazing experiences... you can't win. On the Brasilian visa thing. If you're in Encarnacion, Paraguay (which USA, Aussie etc people need a visa for anyway) on the other side of the border from Posadas, Argentina you can get your Brasilian visa done in about 3 hours at the consulate there. I walked in with all my documentation, and was asked 'where's your application?' which i didn't have because there was no 'Visa for Australians in Paraguay' form. I started to freak out because I needed it within three days and was expecting a world of pain going by what other people have said. The guy just shrugged and pointed me to a computer. I filled the form right there, and he took my photo and a random bit of paper from me just for the look of it. By the time I got back from the ATM (they want crisp high value local cash) it was done. No worries. Just be as nice and pathetic as possible. I'm living in Bogota, Colombia at the moment, are there any must sees down here that you guys can reccomend?
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2012 18:10
|
|
|
mcppants posted:ssooo I am taking a trip to santiago chile to visit my girl friend in september. We will be traveling around south america for about three weeks. The only set plan we have is to bus to Buenos Aires. It is a long bus ride and we plan on stopping in Mendoza for an afternoon of wine drinking and country side exploring etc. In all we plan to spend about a week going to and from Buenos Aires. Does anyone have any suggestions for where we should spend the remaining two weeks? Because I will not be there for too long we figured we would pick a direction to travel, i.e. north or south from chile but will not have time to go both directions. What do you folks think? Where should we travel? Should we stay in Argentina? Thanks. Im an Argentinian, and if there's a place you should visit (because the whole country is drat beautiful) it is Villa La Angostura, in Neuquén. It's one of the most beautiful places on earth  There's a small town, sorrounded by about 7 lakes, background covered by mountains painted in green, white and black. You can go hiking, exploring, rent a bike and wander arroud, and the chocolate is great   
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 05:34
|
|
|
Hey hip hop, when I went to Central I flew RDU -> FLL via Southwest then ran to the spirit terminal and took that to Guatemala. It was honestly half the price flying direct on Delta or whatever out of RDU. Make sure you do a Carry on sized backpack (which you should do anyway, see the travel gear thread) or you might get stuck. Can you take a bus somehow to the airport? May as well get used to riding busses haha. The way you have to break it up is actually not bad. I'd do fly into Cancun -> Belize to dive -> Tikal in Guatemala -> whatever else you want to do there (Antigua, Lake Atilian, whatever) then fly out of Guatemala City. That is probably a good three weeks. Oh, by the way, you are interested in beaches, absolutely do NOT go to the Caribbean beach in Guatemala, Livingston it is called, it was the absolute most disgusting place I have ever seen in my life. Every inch was covered in garbage. All we did was get hammered in our hostel (it was an awesome hostel) for 3 days until we could get the gently caress out! With 2 more weeks I'd probably fly back into Nicaragua, go to Lago Nicaragua, Leon, San Juan Del Sur if you want to try surfing and/or party, then maybe do a couple things in Costa Rica and fly out from there. A year ago today I was booking my bus ticket out of San Pedro De Lago with all of Central America in front of me. Now I'm a sucker with a 9-5...wtf happened to me?
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 15:15
|
|
|
I know this is the South and Central American megathread and not Caribbean, but has anyone ever traveled to Cuba from the U.S.? What is the cheapest way to get there, just fly to Cancun or Nassau and then get a flight from there to Havana? Any specific airlines which are recommended? Edit: Ignore this post, just saw a thread about this sorry.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 18:08
|
|
|
I'm trying to plan a week long trip with my bf to Mexico (or somewhere!). I'm really into waking up really early and going bird-watching and hiking in the jungle, seeing ruins,etc. then relaxing at a bar or whatever. My boyfriend is more a 'resort' kind of person and probably would like to do a lot more sitting on the beach and relaxing than I would. I want to accommodate both of our interests (wildlife, beaches) on this trip, maybe travel to one or two places. What are some good places to look into? Tulum sounds cool. Maybe I should consider Panama as well? I keep hearing very good things about it in this thread. I have already been to Costa Rica and spent 10 days in the Jungle there for an ecology class. I would go back, but I'd like to try something different. As a general guide, we'll likely be looking into hostels/budget hotels.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 19:06
|
|
|
Anybody have any experience with the Peru-Ecuador border? I've heard it's dodgy and complicated and I'm wondering if I should just fly over.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 01:39
|
|
|
Cometa Rossa posted:Anybody have any experience with the Peru-Ecuador border? I've heard it's dodgy and complicated and I'm wondering if I should just fly over. I was in the north of Peru and heard that it depends a lot on where you cross... I wish I could give you more specifics! Where would you be coming from and going to? Some cool stuff is to be seen in Northern Peru, if you have the time. Edit: I looked around to remind myself of what I've heard. There are three possible crossings. Tumbes-Huaquilles is said to be the dodgiest of the three. Mancora-Piura-Loja is said to be pretty normal and hassle free, and I think the big bus lines go this way. Vilcabamba-San Ignacio is more out of the way, sleepier, and an off the beaten track option for those looking to hit up the Chachapoyas area of Peru. It sounds like you'd have a few bus transfers and the roads aren't superb, but it's a good option if you intend to go to that area. Reputable international bus lines like CIFA and Ormeño will wait for you and see to it that you make it through on the main routes. This is probably your best bet if you're just trying to get through the region. Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 20:43 on Aug 13, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 20:26
|
|
|
windwaker posted:This is a pretty generic SA question but do you guys have any recommendations for Machu Picchu tour companies? I've heard good things about Peru Treks. I just finished the Inca Trail and used Peru Treks. They were great and we ended up hiking with a really fun and diverse group of people. Our guides were fun and very knowledgable and the porters were always friendly. I heard other people complaining about their cooks but Peru Treks provided us with an amazing cooking team. I have a gluten intolerance so was a bit apprehensive going into it but our chef was very accommodating and made great meals.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2012 18:32
|
|
|
edit: change of plans; nevermind.
Tortilla Maker fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Aug 20, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2012 19:32
|
|
|
Thesaurus posted:
Yeah, I did Guayaquil, Ecuador - Lima, Peru with Ormeno and they waited for us. There were 3 stops, one stop for getting out of Ecuador. One stop for getting into Peru and then I guess a custom stop where they checked our luggage.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2012 08:35
|
|
|
It'd probably be Lima to either Guayaquil or Quito. It sounds like I'll be fine if I pick a good bus company, though I guess that's true across the continent. Thanks for the advice!
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 04:09
|
|
|
Went to Matagalpa, Nicaragua for some medical volunteer work recently. Incredibly friendly city with arguably the best pizza that I have ever had. No joke.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 18:06
|
|
|
I have scoured this thread from start to end so I’ve answered about 90% of my questions However, a review of my itinerary and answering of the rest of my questions is appreciated. My situation: -I will be arriving in Santiago from Sydney, Australia March 2013. -I will likely tour South America for 6-8 months but I don’t really have a limit. I will get a round the world ticket because I want to go to Asia after so realistically I think I can spend 11 months in SA before I’d need to get out (stop off in London to see family and then onto Asia where I will spend months). -I have a very comfortable budget ($30k+) -I am not creating a detailed itinerary. I have a list of countries I’d like to see but this may change when on the ground (want to go to Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and I may jump up to the Caribbean to some of the Islands there). -I have a rough idea of the path I will take (detailed below) but this could change on day 1! -I will be alone and will stay in hostels. More than happy to socialise and find others to travel with. -I’ll be flying anything more than a 24 hour bus ride (by bus I mean with the big recliner seats!) -I’ve been to Rio before, during carnival and will likely go back to Rio to see friends. -I can use Australian Dollars or British pounds depending on which is strongest A friend just got back from South America so he gave me some advice around the first few weeks (and of course the whole trip) but I may forget the below after some thought! This may have worked for him but be crazy to you! The premise is to keep south while the eather is good and generally follow it North. Let me think….this is all from memory -Land in Santiago and get a flight down to Ushuaia -Get a boat all the way back to Casto (4 days supposed to be beautiful trip) or Torres Del Paine, Glacier, Puerto Varas etc -Bus back up to Santiago and then Mendoza, spend some time in the wine area -Bus to Buenos Aires (or flight straight from Santiago) -Bus to iguazu stopping for some time at Posadas -Bus over to Salta, around here guy with telescopes, etc. -Head to Southern Bolivia via Atacama, nice and easy on the altitude. Potosi > Sucre > La Paz > Macho Pichu Yeah yeah I know I said I didn’t have an itinerary (oh, so tell us why you have just written one) but I can’t NOT plan. I’m an IT guy not a hippie. NEED STRUCTURE. Questions: -I know everyone has stories about which countries are safe but at the moment it appears Venezuela has the ‘unsafe’ tag. Agree? -I’ll be doing a lot of internal flights, perhaps 10+. Has anyone looked into a priority pass for airport lounge access? Most of the major and minor SA airports have them - http://www.prioritypass.com/ Basically for about $250 I get 10 lounge accesses. Sure, it’s not really a backpacker thing to do but there’s the comfort factor and the free food and booze! -Photo goons. I want to bring my DSLR. Yes, I won’t flash it around and will use it on tourist trips only. Would you recommend a weatherproof DSLR? Did you find the need? -Paranoid goons. Anyone considered stitching a pocket on the inside of shorts to keep the majority of cash in? Maybe paranoid but had a bad experience in Rio a couple of year ago. Also, looking to ensure my cards are split up so any theft doesn’t wipe me out!
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 23:01
|
|
|
Vanilla posted:-Bus to Buenos Aires (or flight straight from Santiago) If I could re-do two things from my month in SA, it would be to fly from BA to Iguazu, and fly from Iguazu to Rio. I told some guys at the hostel in Rosario (halfway between BA and Posadas) I was planning on busing up to Iguazu. They stared at me like I was crazy and suggested I pick up some Valium (it's over the counter at pharmacies in Argentina) to shorten the trip by putting me to sleep. I laughed, and they looked very seriously at me (having come the opposite route) and told me it was a 24 hr non-stop bore fest. It really is. Really really is. Imagine desolate scrub brush and dry brown plants along pool table flat rocky terrain that looks more at home underneath the Curiosity rover. For 24 hours. They ended up leaving some valium from their own stash under my pillow with a note. There are acts of kindness, but this one was an act of mercy. Fly from BA to Posadas. Its much further than you think, and time spent not socializing on the bus with weary travelers is time that could be spent out exploring. There's also at least two or three sick people on the bus and while there are those on the plane, you're only around the people on the plane for a maximum of two hours. I say this because I picked up the flu en route to Rio from some guy with no teeth who was sneezing without covering his mouth on to the back of my head for 18+ hours. Bus was full so I was sort of trapped there unless I wanted to ride in the luggage compartment. South America (northern Argentina in particular) is an enormous place, and I don't think people really grasp that until they're there. -Venezuela has the ‘unsafe’ tag People are generally good. It's pretty obvious when someone is trying to scam you, so stay away from those people. While traveling what I found was that most people wanted to help you, and would walk or drive miles out of their way to get you where you need to go. I've had police escort me around a busy bus terminal in Mexico City and soldiers in Columbia give me directions, professors that barely speak english help me across a city and normal people get you to the museum you're trying to find. Stay on main thouroughfares, well lit areas at night, and stay with the crowds and you'll be just as safe as in any other major city. If you go wandering in to dark alleys late at night by yourself in any city you're a likely target to get mugged. If you can't read people though, you might just stay home on the couch watching the travel channel where it's safe -DSLR I've never ever ever seen a DSLR come out at a tourist trap in SA, except at Machu Picchu, and he was a Japanese guy who worked for a camera company. DSLRs are enormous, fragile, and did I mention enormous? Buy the best point and shoot you can (Canon s95/100/105 is amazing) and be happy with the pictures it takes. You'll be happier you got to the out of the way places you were able to get to, rather than stuck on the main path because you didn't want to leave the bulky DSLR behind. You might be better off just renting a DSLR in the 2-3 places you'll want to take it? A DSLR just seems like a giant boat anchor in a sea of fun. I have thousands of pictures from my camera, and only one or two do I wish I had a DSLR for.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2012 03:24
|
|
|
Vanilla posted:Questions: I flew into BA, across to Santiago via Mendoza, down the coast to Ushuaia via Torres del Paine (highlight), short flight and busses back to BA via a lot of places, Iguazu and back to BA, Uruguay and back to BA, Salta, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colomibia, flew out of Panama City. I had more time than money so I didn't mind longer busses. The only really painful one was 30ish hours from El Calafate to El Chalten. Iguazu was fine for me because I got overnight ones and slept the whole way. If you can't fall alseep easily it'd be horrible though and I'd fly if I was time pressured or didn't mind the spend. I didn't have much of a plan beyond my first two weeks there and they changed as soon as I hit the ground. Book yourself into a nice hostel (sort in hostelworld/hostelbookers by rating and check the dates on any comments) for a week so when you arrive you have somewhere to adjust and if you bail early it's not that big of a deal. Venezuela was "unsafe" while I was there and I didn't go. I met people who did who said it was fine and other that said it was so much hassle it wasn't worth it. Generally SA was safe, don't be stupid and you'll be fine. Also be at peace with the idea that unless the only things that aren't trivial to replace are photos, credit cards and passports. Photo stuff: I don't know how long ago Hadlock was there but I saw plenty of DLSRs. I bought one to take myself as well as an older P&S for parties/clubs etc. I ended up choosing one a smaller one that took AAs so I was carrying a bunch of lithiums with me and picked up some cheap rechargeables in Chile. Weather proof would've been nice there's only a couple of spot it would've really mattered. They are pretty sturdy but they do a quite a weight to your pack. Going again I'd probably take the same one (or the latest edition if buying new) but make sure I had one of those professional hiking drypacks for it. The Dorkroom would be a better place to discuss brand/choices/tradeoffs. Related tech: I took a 500GB WD passport drive that started clicking within a month, and from then I was FedExing DVDs back to Aus (~$100 per send no matter how many). DVDs weren't easy to come by and internet cafes with burners weren't either. There was never an internet connection good enough to mass upload. I really didn't have a good solution to this. I had no laptop and aside from DVD burning I didn't need one. I had an iPod touch that let me browse, bank, skype and facebook whenever I had wifi. South America is better for free wifi than Australia. Pimping a charity: You've got plenty of time in SA and if you decide you want to do something amazing and life changing consider spending a month or more volunteering with animals in Bolivia. I did a small write up earlier in the thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2838711&pagenumber=23&perpage=40#post389434848 It was the greatest thing I've done, and I really want to go back.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2012 05:11
|
|
|
Destroyenator posted:
I will be taking a little Netbook, a spare disk drive and loads of 32GB cards. I'll periodically send home the 32GB cards so I don't lose my photos! I read your story about volunteering and i have to say if I was going to do any volunteering it would be that. Sounds amazing, thought I did get the hint that it was hard work.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2012 08:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 14:58 |
|
|
Hadlock posted:If I could re-do two things from my month in SA, it would be to fly from BA to Iguazu, and fly from Iguazu to Rio. Fair point, i've got the cash so i'll fly where possible. I like the sound of over the counter Valium. I'm planning on bringing the usual tourist drugs for all types of situations. It looks like the more specialist ones needed are: - Valium - Cipro (anti-shits antibiotic, apparently easy to get in SA?) - Altitude sickness drugs - Malaria drugs depending on where I go
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2012 08:38
|
|