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white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich

Aliquid posted:

Exactly. And me being able to scream "mi puerta esta cerrado!" from my balcony for someone to go inside and tell the manager was a good use of vocabulary.

Even better, learn how to use male and female pronouns accurately :)

Mi puerta esta cerrada !

:)

white sauce fucked around with this message at 12:55 on Apr 6, 2014

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i say swears online
Mar 4, 2005

Maybe that's what I said! I haven't written any Spanish at all during my time here, but I'm good at gender agreement when I'm talking, mostly because I'll stare blankly at a person for ten seconds before slowly saying what I pieced together in my head.

Also, what the gently caress? I've never been actively shunned or harassed for messing up a word.

billy cuts
Aug 14, 2003

wrists of fury
Buglord

Tight Booty Shorts posted:

If you want everyone to accept you and treat you nicely in South America, learn how to use male and female pronouns accurately :)

Mi puerta esta cerrada !

:)

I don't know where you're hanging out, but in Peru I've never heard anyone criticize the way a gringo speaks Spanish--especially in regard to something like gender agreement. I consider myself more or less fluent in Spanish and still mess up on occasion. I can't imagine what kind of crazy world you live in where people don't accept you or "treat you nicely" for simple issues with gender agreement...

EDIT: Also, I'm in the Peruvian Amazon for the next 18 months. If any goons make their way down here, shoot me a PM and we'll grab a chela or something.

billy cuts fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Apr 6, 2014

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich
Hey, I post a lot from my phone an I didn't realize how weird that sentence seemed until a few days after I had posted it. No ones going to shun you if you mess up your genders whn you speak Spanish.

People still think I am a gringo and try to charge me more money for things or begin "speaking English" at me, until I reply in perfect Spanish. Not only does this help me save a lot of money, but also makes me feel great for pointing out that just by my lighter skin color does not make me a gringo.

E; billy cuts- where are you going to stay? Iquitos?

khysanth
Jun 10, 2009

Still love you, Homar

Any recommendations for Amazon trips whilst in Ecuador? 3-4 days would be ideal.

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich

khysanth posted:

Any recommendations for Amazon trips whilst in Ecuador? 3-4 days would be ideal.

You want to visit Yasuni.

radlum
May 13, 2013
Hi guys, I'm Peruvian and I'll be glad to answer any questions about coming to my country, specifically if you are coming to Cusco, Lima, Arequipa or Tacna (cities I've been to many times or lived in).

khysanth
Jun 10, 2009

Still love you, Homar

Tight Booty Shorts posted:

You want to visit Yasuni.

This looks great, but I'm having a hard time finding out the best way in/where to stay.

We'd be leaving from Quito if that helps.

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich

khysanth posted:

This looks great, but I'm having a hard time finding out the best way in/where to stay.

We'd be leaving from Quito if that helps.

Some friends stayed at this place called the Napo Wildlife Center Lodge. They were very impressed. It has offices in Quito.

Email: sales@napowildlifecenter.com
Skype: sales.napowildlifecenter
Phones: +593 2 600 5893 / +593 2 600 5819
Yánez Pinzón N26 -131 y la Niña. Ed Las Carabelas, Of 101
Quito – Ecuador

Better enjoy it, the place was just cleared by the Ecuadorian government for oil drilling. Hooray!

billy cuts
Aug 14, 2003

wrists of fury
Buglord

Tight Booty Shorts posted:

E; billy cuts- where are you going to stay? Iquitos?

I'll mainly be staying in a small community on a tributary of the Pastaza river. Every couple of months, however, I will be in either Iquitos, San Lorenzo, or Yurimaguas for a few weeks to get supplies.

khysanth
Jun 10, 2009

Still love you, Homar

Tight Booty Shorts posted:

Some friends stayed at this place called the Napo Wildlife Center Lodge. They were very impressed. It has offices in Quito.

Email: sales@napowildlifecenter.com
Skype: sales.napowildlifecenter
Phones: +593 2 600 5893 / +593 2 600 5819
Yánez Pinzón N26 -131 y la Niña. Ed Las Carabelas, Of 101
Quito – Ecuador

Better enjoy it, the place was just cleared by the Ecuadorian government for oil drilling. Hooray!

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately I don't think we'll be able to afford adding this to our trip.

Are there any cheaper alternatives for visiting the Amazon? Even just day trips or possibly 1-2 nights?

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich

khysanth posted:

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately I don't think we'll be able to afford adding this to our trip.

Are there any cheaper alternatives for visiting the Amazon? Even just day trips or possibly 1-2 nights?

Yes there are, but the "real" amazon is not something that exists anymore except in a few places like Yasuni. You can take the Rio Napo, or go to Banos and then go down to the amazon river basin from the Andes. But these places are all touristy, and you're gonna get real depressed when you see the state of the jungle.

i say swears online
Mar 4, 2005

Tight Booty Shorts posted:

Yes there are, but the "real" amazon is not something that exists anymore except in a few places like Yasuni. You can take the Rio Napo, or go to Banos and then go down to the amazon river basin from the Andes. But these places are all touristy, and you're gonna get real depressed when you see the state of the jungle.

Does this still hold when taking much longer (1000km+) boat routes? Has anyone done this? Always downstream of course (if it exists), toward the coast.

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich

Aliquid posted:

Does this still hold when taking much longer (1000km+) boat routes? Has anyone done this? Always downstream of course (if it exists), toward the coast.

I have. There's no more animals anywhere (except certain species of monkeys, which have adapted to eat and steal human food). I took a boat ride like this more than a decade ago, and the only animals we saw were in captivity. Also, the amount of pollution, oil spills, and deforestation you will see is astounding.

e: Actually last year I went to the Ecuadorian amazon (rio napo) and the people there had gone so long without seeing river otters that when they saw a wounded baby otter they were trying to kill it because they thought it was a "monster".

billy cuts
Aug 14, 2003

wrists of fury
Buglord

Tight Booty Shorts posted:

I have. There's no more animals anywhere (except certain species of monkeys, which have adapted to eat and steal human food). I took a boat ride like this more than a decade ago, and the only animals we saw were in captivity. Also, the amount of pollution, oil spills, and deforestation you will see is astounding.

e: Actually last year I went to the Ecuadorian amazon (rio napo) and the people there had gone so long without seeing river otters that when they saw a wounded baby otter they were trying to kill it because they thought it was a "monster".

Perhaps that is the case in the Ecuadorian Amazon along the main rivers such as the Napo and upper Pastaza near Puyo, but this is certainly not the case in the Peruvian Amazon. As I said before, I work in the Pastaza basin and there are tons of animals--but you have to know where to look for them. If you're on a main river, you're not going to see too much unless you are near a colpa or clay lick. Even then, however, it's super rare. To really see animals you need to trek into the forest or move along small tributaries. Luckily the Peruvian Amazon is one of the most intact stretches of rainforest in South America so there is a great chance to see lots of amazing animals. Where I am at right now is close to one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet (the Abanico de Pastaza), and it's only roughly 60km away. I have also worked with major museums on numerous projects, mainly looking at relations between humans and the environment, and we have seen so many rare animals it's insane. I've never heard of anyone mistaking a river otter for a monster-- for example, in the headwaters of the Paranapura, where otters are super rare, even children readily identify them.

Doctor Malaver
May 23, 2007

Ce qui s'est passé t'a rendu plus fort

billy cuts posted:

Perhaps that is the case in the Ecuadorian Amazon along the main rivers such as the Napo and upper Pastaza near Puyo, but this is certainly not the case in the Peruvian Amazon. As I said before, I work in the Pastaza basin and there are tons of animals--but you have to know where to look for them. If you're on a main river, you're not going to see too much unless you are near a colpa or clay lick. Even then, however, it's super rare. To really see animals you need to trek into the forest or move along small tributaries. Luckily the Peruvian Amazon is one of the most intact stretches of rainforest in South America so there is a great chance to see lots of amazing animals. Where I am at right now is close to one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet (the Abanico de Pastaza), and it's only roughly 60km away. I have also worked with major museums on numerous projects, mainly looking at relations between humans and the environment, and we have seen so many rare animals it's insane. I've never heard of anyone mistaking a river otter for a monster-- for example, in the headwaters of the Paranapura, where otters are super rare, even children readily identify them.

I spent couple of days in a lodge outside of Puerto Maldonado (Peruvian Amazon) and saw very few animals although I went on a couple of short treks. We spent an hour on a small island called Monkey Island without seeing a single monkey. On a different trip a group of monkeys crossed our trail high in the tree tops so we mostly heard leaves rustling and saw some motion, but our guide was thrilled that we were so lucky to actually see monkeys. That was during the rain season so I was told there are less animals to see because the food is abundant so they don't have to go around a lot.

I liked the rainforest anyway!

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich

billy cuts posted:

Perhaps that is the case in the Ecuadorian Amazon along the main rivers such as the Napo and upper Pastaza near Puyo, but this is certainly not the case in the Peruvian Amazon. As I said before, I work in the Pastaza basin and there are tons of animals--but you have to know where to look for them. If you're on a main river, you're not going to see too much unless you are near a colpa or clay lick. Even then, however, it's super rare. To really see animals you need to trek into the forest or move along small tributaries. Luckily the Peruvian Amazon is one of the most intact stretches of rainforest in South America so there is a great chance to see lots of amazing animals. Where I am at right now is close to one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet (the Abanico de Pastaza), and it's only roughly 60km away. I have also worked with major museums on numerous projects, mainly looking at relations between humans and the environment, and we have seen so many rare animals it's insane. I've never heard of anyone mistaking a river otter for a monster-- for example, in the headwaters of the Paranapura, where otters are super rare, even children readily identify them.

Yea, I was referring to seeing animals along the rivers. When I was young, huge river porpoises would folow my father's boat for many miles. They're all gone now. By the way, would you mind if I pay you a visit with my wife in Peru? I've been dying to go to the Amazon since last year.

khysanth
Jun 10, 2009

Still love you, Homar

billy cuts posted:

Perhaps that is the case in the Ecuadorian Amazon along the main rivers such as the Napo and upper Pastaza near Puyo, but this is certainly not the case in the Peruvian Amazon. As I said before, I work in the Pastaza basin and there are tons of animals--but you have to know where to look for them. If you're on a main river, you're not going to see too much unless you are near a colpa or clay lick. Even then, however, it's super rare. To really see animals you need to trek into the forest or move along small tributaries. Luckily the Peruvian Amazon is one of the most intact stretches of rainforest in South America so there is a great chance to see lots of amazing animals. Where I am at right now is close to one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet (the Abanico de Pastaza), and it's only roughly 60km away. I have also worked with major museums on numerous projects, mainly looking at relations between humans and the environment, and we have seen so many rare animals it's insane. I've never heard of anyone mistaking a river otter for a monster-- for example, in the headwaters of the Paranapura, where otters are super rare, even children readily identify them.

In light of not being able to afford the lodges in the Ecuadorian Amazon, my wife and I are looking at options in Peru. We'll be in Cuzco for 3 full days after our Machu Picchu trek and would love to take a day or two to visit the Amazon and see some wildlife. Any recommendations? What would the cost be, etc.?

e- Looks like we're spending a couple days in Puerto Maldonado!

khysanth fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Apr 21, 2014

King Metal
Jun 15, 2001

huhu posted:

Also a random other question I have. Anyone have any idea why so much stuff is written in English in Panama? Not sure if this is just Panama or Latin America but to name a few... I see billboards, tv advertisements, fast food menus (on the wall), and even some Panamanian companies that will sometimes write their sign out front in English.


I see this in Santiago also, completely random things will only be in English. There isn't a large English only speaking population here to target. I just saw an ad that went up on a building for the new Converse shoes, all in English. In one of the malls there are pianos scattered around that say "I'm yours, play me!", with no Spanish sign. Just a couple of the things I've seen.

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich
Is there anyone that is flying in to Ecuador? I need a huge favor, you'll be $$ rewarded if you bring in a small envelope from the US :)

e: or you can stay at my place for free if you visit the mountains.

white sauce fucked around with this message at 14:02 on Apr 23, 2014

Juanito
Jan 20, 2004

I wasn't paying attention
to what you just said.

Can you repeat yourself
in a more interesting way?
Hell Gem

King Metal posted:

I see this in Santiago also, completely random things will only be in English. There isn't a large English only speaking population here to target. I just saw an ad that went up on a building for the new Converse shoes, all in English. In one of the malls there are pianos scattered around that say "I'm yours, play me!", with no Spanish sign. Just a couple of the things I've seen.
I think Chileans are always interested in things that are from the US/Europe, so an ad in English definitely gets their attention. The target demographic in Chile for pianos would definitely know some English too.

billy cuts
Aug 14, 2003

wrists of fury
Buglord

Tight Booty Shorts posted:

Yea, I was referring to seeing animals along the rivers. When I was young, huge river porpoises would folow my father's boat for many miles. They're all gone now. By the way, would you mind if I pay you a visit with my wife in Peru? I've been dying to go to the Amazon since last year.

Come on down! I'm getting ready to head out to the bush tomorrow, but will be back in Yurimaguas for most of June--at least through San Juan (the 24th). Shoot me a PM and we'll coordinate.

khysanth posted:

In light of not being able to afford the lodges in the Ecuadorian Amazon, my wife and I are looking at options in Peru. We'll be in Cuzco for 3 full days after our Machu Picchu trek and would love to take a day or two to visit the Amazon and see some wildlife. Any recommendations? What would the cost be, etc.?

e- Looks like we're spending a couple days in Puerto Maldonado!

I was going to suggest Puerto Maldonado as well. Hope you have an awesome time there!

Per
Feb 22, 2006
Hair Elf
I plan on going to Peru soonish. I'll mostly be doing the obvious top tourist attractions (Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Titicaca, the Amazon). My Spanish is very rusty (a few years in high school so I know the pronunciation and conjugations and a small amount of vocabulary, but I will be bringing a phrasebook); how far will English get me?

Thesaurus
Oct 3, 2004


At the major tourist destinations in Peru there will be no shortage of people who speak English, and you'll find that a lot of people in service positions will just address you in English.

Regarding the prevalence of English: in the Dominican Republic, it's all over the place in the cities. So many Dominicans live or have relatives in the US ("Nueva Yol") that they are major consumers of everything American. I'm pretty sure that all rich Dominicans fancy themselves Americans, so all of the malls and upscale stores are heavily English.

My favorite was a hotdog stand that proudly claimed to serve "HIGH GLASS HOG DOH". Everything claims to be "high class" here or "New York Style".

Sometimes they keep the English word for trendiness even when they have an easy Spanish equivalent, like "salad." Anytime when I've discussed t-shirt sizes in the country, people always say "esmal" instead of pequeño. Not to mention all of the other Spanglish abominations that you find here...

Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 13:41 on Apr 26, 2014

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Per posted:

I plan on going to Peru soonish. I'll mostly be doing the obvious top tourist attractions (Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Titicaca, the Amazon). My Spanish is very rusty (a few years in high school so I know the pronunciation and conjugations and a small amount of vocabulary, but I will be bringing a phrasebook); how far will English get me?

I haggled with some art students over the price of their water color painting they wanted to sell me for $40 down to $8. Everyone in Cusco under the age of 40 who works in the tourism industry there speaks really good English. If you can understand street signs you'll have no problem getting around.

Per
Feb 22, 2006
Hair Elf
Alright, thanks guys, sound like it won't be a big problem.

Speaking of souvenirs, I've read that you might run into fake alpaca wool items. Is there an easy way to tell genuine alpaca wool apart?

white sauce
Apr 29, 2012

by R. Guyovich

Per posted:

Alright, thanks guys, sound like it won't be a big problem.

Speaking of souvenirs, I've read that you might run into fake alpaca wool items. Is there an easy way to tell genuine alpaca wool apart?

sheep wool IME is rough as gently caress compared to alpaca wool. I have a few blankets and sweaters made of alpaca and they are baby-soft.

HolaMundo
Apr 22, 2004
uragay

sponge would own me in soccer :(

Per posted:

Alright, thanks guys, sound like it won't be a big problem.

Speaking of souvenirs, I've read that you might run into fake alpaca wool items. Is there an easy way to tell genuine alpaca wool apart?

I was in Peru last week and some artistan gave us some tips on how to tell real alpaca wool from fakes. Real alpaca is heavier, its texture is apprently softer (dunno how to explain this, plus I couldn't tell the difference, heh) and real alpca wool is expensive. If you have some guy lowering the price over and over then it's fake. Of course before being told all of this I bought an alpaca sweater for 40 soles... bleh, don't care, it's a really nice (fake alpaca) sweater and it was really cheap!

Casual Yogurt
Jul 1, 2005

Cool tricks kid, I like your style.
What are the best options for crossing the Darien Gap without flying? I'm trying to plan a trip from San Jose to Bogota in August. I want to sail but it looks like Colon to Columbia is 4+ days and I'm not sure I will have enough time because realistically I will only have 10-14 days to complete my trip. Is that even possible?

i say swears online
Mar 4, 2005

Casual Yogurt posted:

What are the best options for crossing the Darien Gap without flying? I'm trying to plan a trip from San Jose to Bogota in August. I want to sail but it looks like Colon to Columbia is 4+ days and I'm not sure I will have enough time because realistically I will only have 10-14 days to complete my trip. Is that even possible?

Nope! You should definitely fly. Other than the chartered yachts full of drunk Australians that hit the San Blas islands for a couple days, it's only the hippies hopping speedboats. That takes a week at least, I've heard.

Sad Panda
Sep 22, 2004

I'm a Sad Panda.

Aliquid posted:

Nope! You should definitely fly. Other than the chartered yachts full of drunk Australians that hit the San Blas islands for a couple days, it's only the hippies hopping speedboats. That takes a week at least, I've heard.

I did the speedboat option, because it's a drat sight cheaper than the yacht and flying (bike fees). You have to arrive at Cartí and hope that a motorboat is going up to Puerto Obaldia, I sat round for 2 days waiting, that's about $100 and 10-12 very bumpy hours. Then you stamp out in Obaldia, take a 30-45 minute boat around the corner to Carpugana, stay overnight, stamp in the next morning and then a $40? 2 hour, semi-comfortable bounce to Turbo. Carpugana has pretty beaches, and hanging out with the Kuna is interesting, but I'd not spend 1/3 of my time between San Jose and Bogota doing it

i say swears online
Mar 4, 2005

Your bike take on any rust from that?

Sad Panda
Sep 22, 2004

I'm a Sad Panda.

Aliquid posted:

Your bike take on any rust from that?

Nope, but as soon as I landed in Carpugana I went to the police station and used their hose to wash the bike down. Then on arrival in Turbo I went to a local bike shop and paid for the bike to get a tune-up and thorough clean and greasing which took over an hour and cost me 8000 pesos ($4).

Lady Gaza
Nov 20, 2008

Was in Mexico for the past couple of weeks and I left my wallet in a taxi in Merida. I found the taxi driver and he said he saw a woman pick it up when he dropped her at a hospital; we went back to look for her but no luck.

Just returned to the UK and checked my work emails, and someone found it! A nurse from Belize went to Merida on a trip, found it, and saw my business card, so passed it to a colleague who then emailed me. It's now in a clinic in Belize.

It's nice to know there are decent people out there!

Hip Hoptimus Prime
Jul 7, 2009

Ask me how I gained back all the weight I lost by eating your pets.
Hi all, I'm really hoping for some help here!

I am going on a backpacking trip, leaving June 7. I'm flying into Cancun, meeting a friend, and we're hopping on an ADO bus to Playa Del Carmen. We're going to stay in Playa Del Carmen for a week, then bus to Chetumal, ferry to San Pedro (Belize), go through customs, then hop one more ferry to Caye Caulker. I think we'll be on Caye Caulker for ~1 week. My friend is flexible, as she's trying to go all the way to Peru by land and will be on the road for several months, but I want my trip to only be about 3 weeks total.

We were going to go to Flores, Guatemala but I'm concerned it will be a pain/expensive to either get to Guatemala City to fly home or get back to Belize City to fly home. Flights out of Belize City are already at $800 and up for some reason (in comparison, I only paid $240 for a nonstop flight to Cancun from Raleigh-Durham).

So--I was thinking rather than go to Guatemala, maybe I would split off from my friend and ferry from Caye Caulker back to Chetumal, then hop another ADO bus to Tulum. Spend maybe another week in a hostel in Tulum, then bus it back up to Cancun to fly home (return fares to RDU are more like $300 or $400?). I've always wanted to go to Tulum, so this sounds like a good idea in theory. Even with another week of hostel accomodation/food I'll still beat the $800 Belize City flight price. I am trying to only make major travel movements on weekends, because I'm going to be working the whole time I'm there and need to be available on weekdays for my clients.

Will I be safe as a solo female in Mexico, though? I've only taken one semester of college Spanish and I'm not really that confident. I can read Spanish pretty well because I know French, but speaking it is another story. During our week in Playa Del Carmen we're staying in a room at a language school, so that should help me a bit, but I don't know how much.

side note: while in Belize I'll be talking to a lot of expats. Me and my husband are probably going to move there, so stay tuned. :)

Lady Gaza
Nov 20, 2008

You'll be absolutely fine. I was in Mexico recently and met plenty of female solo travellers. One went from Chetumal to some really remote ruins in the jungle for several days and had no problems. It'll be no problem for you going to touristy places like Playa and Tulum.

Hashtag Banterzone
Dec 8, 2005


Lifetime Winner of the willkill4food Honorary Bad Posting Award in PWM

Hip Hoptimus Prime posted:

We were going to go to Flores, Guatemala but I'm concerned it will be a pain/expensive to either get to Guatemala City to fly home or get back to Belize City to fly home. Flights out of Belize City are already at $800 and up for some reason (in comparison, I only paid $240 for a nonstop flight to Cancun from Raleigh-Durham).

So--I was thinking rather than go to Guatemala, maybe I would split off from my friend and ferry from Caye Caulker back to Chetumal, then hop another ADO bus to Tulum. Spend maybe another week in a hostel in Tulum, then bus it back up to Cancun to fly home (return fares to RDU are more like $300 or $400?). I've always wanted to go to Tulum, so this sounds like a good idea in theory. Even with another week of hostel accomodation/food I'll still beat the $800 Belize City flight price. I am trying to only make major travel movements on weekends, because I'm going to be working the whole time I'm there and need to be available on weekdays for my clients.

Will I be safe as a solo female in Mexico, though? I've only taken one semester of college Spanish and I'm not really that confident. I can read Spanish pretty well because I know French, but speaking it is another story. During our week in Playa Del Carmen we're staying in a room at a language school, so that should help me a bit, but I don't know how much.

side note: while in Belize I'll be talking to a lot of expats. Me and my husband are probably going to move there, so stay tuned. :)

I would recommend doing Guatemala. If you are in Playa for a week you will have plenty of time to visit Tulum. I wasn't as impressed with Tulum as most, but I think most would agree a week there is overkill.

Tikal has some of the most impressive ruins I've been to, and Flores is a very pretty little island town. Flights to Guatemala City from Tikal are ~$130 it sounds like, and from Guatemala City you can go to Antigua and Lake Atitlan, both of which I would highly recommend. Flights from GUA to RDU look like they are around $500-$600, so it's a bit more than flying from Cancun, but I think what you would see in Guatemala would be worth it.

Hip Hoptimus Prime
Jul 7, 2009

Ask me how I gained back all the weight I lost by eating your pets.

Hashtag Banterzone posted:

I would recommend doing Guatemala. If you are in Playa for a week you will have plenty of time to visit Tulum. I wasn't as impressed with Tulum as most, but I think most would agree a week there is overkill.

Tikal has some of the most impressive ruins I've been to, and Flores is a very pretty little island town. Flights to Guatemala City from Tikal are ~$130 it sounds like, and from Guatemala City you can go to Antigua and Lake Atitlan, both of which I would highly recommend. Flights from GUA to RDU look like they are around $500-$600, so it's a bit more than flying from Cancun, but I think what you would see in Guatemala would be worth it.

Thanks! My friend said that she wants to do a day trip to Tulum while we are in Playa, so I could always make my mind up on the fly.

My husband really wanted to go to Tikal with me, so he'll be really mad at me if I go ahead of him. I don't mind going again, of course, with him in tow in the future. He can't come on this trip because the Army isn't letting people take leave out of the country right now, and they're especially leery of Central America as a destination anyway (it was ridiculous last year when we went to Belize all the hoops we jumped through because it was out of the US).

I know that I'll be headed back, either on my own or with my husband once he's out of the Army, so whatever I don't get to this time I will do in the near future. Like I said, we're strongly considering expatriating, so we'll have a lot of time to explore especially once we live there.

TheImmigrant
Jan 18, 2011

Casual Yogurt posted:

What are the best options for crossing the Darien Gap without flying? I'm trying to plan a trip from San Jose to Bogota in August. I want to sail but it looks like Colon to Columbia is 4+ days and I'm not sure I will have enough time because realistically I will only have 10-14 days to complete my trip. Is that even possible?

I went from Medellin to Panama City a few years ago via surface travel. It's a much easier trip in the opposite direction. From Panama, you need to get to Puerto Obaldia, a complete shithole of a town on the Caribbean border with Colombia. There are intermittent flights there from PC's domestic airport (NOT Tocumen), or occasional boats from Miramar or Carti or Portobello. Luna's Castle in PC is a great place for info on the trip and boats. From Puerto Obaldia, there are daily boats to Capurgana, a lovely town on the Colombia side. You can also walk from Puerto Obaldia over the hill with the border, to Sapzurro and Capurgana, the latter of which has a Colombian immigration office. There's a daily speedboat from Capurgana across the Gulf of Uraba to Turbo, the first town connected to civilization by highway. From Turbo, you can head to Cartagena via Monteria, or south to Medellin. You'll need functional Spanish for this trip, which hits some really remote areas with sketchy transport.

Timewise, you'll lose a lot arranging a boat to Puerto Obaldia. It's a good ten hours in an open boat to get there. Kuna Yala is gorgeous, but it's a rough ride. You'll have to stay overnight in Puerto Obaldia probably, and definitely in Capurgana. Turbo has regular bus connections to the rest of Colombia, but Bogota is nearly a full day of travel from there. This is not a trip to do on a tight schedule. It took me eight days from Medellin to Panama City, although I did laze around Capurgana and Sapzurro for two days before moving on.

TheImmigrant fucked around with this message at 17:08 on May 20, 2014

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JosefStalinator
Oct 9, 2007

Come Tbilisi if you want to live.




Grimey Drawer
I was thinking about doing a trip in which I arrive in Argentina from the US, and fly back to the US via Peru. What's the best method to get to Lima from Buenos Aires? I see airfair is pretty pricey and long, and even the buses seem to run a decent price (though I get to see stuff on the way). I don't necessarily need to see any of Bolivia/Chile to be satisfied, as there's enough I want to do in Peru and Argentina. Any recommendations?

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