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pitchblende
Nov 17, 2003

I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

DustingDuvet posted:

El Misti is a good choice, especially if you are traveling alone. But I really would not let the fact that you may be traveling alone or with a friend dictate your travel plans. Brazil does have a reputation for being a bit dangerous...but it is certainly not a war zone and if you have any common sense than you will be fine. It's not like you will accidentally wander into a favela or anything. You may feel a bit uncomfortable traveling alone the first day in Brazil, but after that I swear you will feel just as safe as if you were home.

The Sambodromo tickets El Misti quoted you sounds like a decent price. Just make sure you avoid Sector 9, which is the tourist sector which charges higher prices than the other sectors. If you get a ticket in sector 9, you might feel quite isolated from the Brazilians and the "party". The best locations are around half-way and just a bit towards the end of the Avenue, sectors 5, 7, 9 and 11.

Yea I realize that it's only as unsafe as you make it. I've been to Romania several times before and while they don't have the violence there they do have theft and muggers. I've done a little reading and unfortunately it seems like nothing is safe in the city at night. Is that the case or is what I'm reading just overly paranoid?

Yea I definitely want to hang with the locals if I can. I met so many cool Brazilians on my previous travels its part of the reason that I want to go there. The favela tour is pretty much on the top of my list but I'd much rather prefer to actually spend some time in one and not feel like I'm on a cattle run, albeit it while not being killed. I'm hoping that one of my friends in Recife gets back to me cause I imagine he can be a pretty good guide for the city. I doubt though that he comes from life in a favela though.

I'm thinking I might do Recife before Carnaval and go to Rio for Carnaval. The only problem is that I haven't seen anything for hostels in Recife. Do you know of any?

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R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

pitchblende posted:

Yea I realize that it's only as unsafe as you make it. I've been to Romania several times before and while they don't have the violence there they do have theft and muggers. I've done a little reading and unfortunately it seems like nothing is safe in the city at night. Is that the case or is what I'm reading just overly paranoid?

Yea I definitely want to hang with the locals if I can. I met so many cool Brazilians on my previous travels its part of the reason that I want to go there. The favela tour is pretty much on the top of my list but I'd much rather prefer to actually spend some time in one and not feel like I'm on a cattle run, albeit it while not being killed. I'm hoping that one of my friends in Recife gets back to me cause I imagine he can be a pretty good guide for the city. I doubt though that he comes from life in a favela though.

I'm thinking I might do Recife before Carnaval and go to Rio for Carnaval. The only problem is that I haven't seen anything for hostels in Recife. Do you know of any?

I have noticed that we all view these things differently. I never experienced any violence in Brazil. The only time I ever felt truly fearful was trying to take a bus in Rio at midnight with all of my bags. I realized it was not worth putting myself in that situation so I took a taxi. The point I am trying to make is that you can control your safety to the point where you will feel comfortable. Nobody will force you to walk around Rio at night if you do not feel comfortable doing that. I did feel comfortable walking around places like Copacabana at night and so I did it pretty often. I also did things like organizing and leading a trip for 14 others to a favela party and often wandered the city alone. Keep in mind I did meet a few people that were robbed but it was often them putting themselves in bad situations (taking a bus late at night with all of their belongings, hanging out on Copacabana beach at night in a isolated spot). But if you have any common sense and do a little bit of research before your trip about the do's and dont's than I do not believe you will encounter any trouble. And my opinion is that of a short, skinny, 20 year old.

About the favelas, once you are inside one and have permission to be inside they are probably the safest place in Rio for a tourist. You are able to walk around with a camera around your next and fanny pack and nobody will even attempt to rob you. Gangs run the favelas with an iron fist, clamping down on petty crime to make sure that wealthy outsiders feel safe buying drugs inside. In our guide's words, the same man who will mug you on Copacabana beach will do nothing more than shake your hand in Rocinha. After hearing about the ADA's form of street justice, the notorious micro-ondas, microwave, (which involves putting a live person, soaked in petrol, into a ring of flaming car tires, thereby carbonizing the victim's body), I can see why. So for a favela tour, I would recommend asking around for an independent guide not because of safety issues, but because the favela is like a maze and its necessary to have someone who knows the streets so you do not get lost. I recommend someone independent so you can spend more than 3 hours there as most walking tours do.

As for Recife, I would really recommend you visit Rio first and then Recife for Carnvial. As far as I know, Recife is not really built up for backpackers but the Carnival there is the most fun.

pitchblende
Nov 17, 2003

I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

DustingDuvet posted:

I have noticed that we all view these things differently. I never experienced any violence in Brazil. The only time I ever felt truly fearful was trying to take a bus in Rio at midnight with all of my bags. I realized it was not worth putting myself in that situation so I took a taxi. The point I am trying to make is that you can control your safety to the point where you will feel comfortable. Nobody will force you to walk around Rio at night if you do not feel comfortable doing that. I did feel comfortable walking around places like Copacabana at night and so I did it pretty often. I also did things like organizing and leading a trip for 14 others to a favela party and often wandered the city alone. Keep in mind I did meet a few people that were robbed but it was often them putting themselves in bad situations (taking a bus late at night with all of their belongings, hanging out on Copacabana beach at night in a isolated spot). But if you have any common sense and do a little bit of research before your trip about the do's and dont's than I do not believe you will encounter any trouble. And my opinion is that of a short, skinny, 20 year old.

About the favelas, once you are inside one and have permission to be inside they are probably the safest place in Rio for a tourist. You are able to walk around with a camera around your next and fanny pack and nobody will even attempt to rob you. Gangs run the favelas with an iron fist, clamping down on petty crime to make sure that wealthy outsiders feel safe buying drugs inside. In our guide's words, the same man who will mug you on Copacabana beach will do nothing more than shake your hand in Rocinha. After hearing about the ADA's form of street justice, the notorious micro-ondas, microwave, (which involves putting a live person, soaked in petrol, into a ring of flaming car tires, thereby carbonizing the victim's body), I can see why. So for a favela tour, I would recommend asking around for an independent guide not because of safety issues, but because the favela is like a maze and its necessary to have someone who knows the streets so you do not get lost. I recommend someone independent so you can spend more than 3 hours there as most walking tours do.

As for Recife, I would really recommend you visit Rio first and then Recife for Carnvial. As far as I know, Recife is not really built up for backpackers but the Carnival there is the most fun.

I feel I would probably be the same way. My only reservations are what I have read elsewhere. I've read about the shady taxis of Prague and the pickpockets of Bucharest and I didn't witness anything like that. Although my friend did have $1000 stolen from his wallet on the train (long story). I know all about favelas and how they operate, my only concern is outside of them. I'm sure whatever I'm reading is just over reactions because some people walk around with everything during the night in sketchy neighborhoods.

So far every Brazilian I've met has been truly awesome, so I definitely want to experience the favela. Now you said you were able to go to a favela party. How did that happen? Just meet someone and they invited you? I love social hostels but nothing beats hanging out with the locals.

Anyhow, I really want to go to Salvador or Recife but that depends on if my friend gets back in touch with me. Salvador has a decent backpackers industry but Recife only has one hostel it looks like. Do you have a recommended hostel in Salvador?

Pusscat
Apr 1, 2005

What's new, Pusscat?
Double post!

Pusscat
Apr 1, 2005

What's new, Pusscat?
A friend of the family saved a copy of this article for me, and I thought you lot might have enjoy it too.

The Telegraph posted:

South America: Thrills and spills in the Andes

Many travellers to South America take a bus, but not many journey the full length of the continent on a bus, as Michael Jacobs did. This is what he learnt...

The bus was heading towards Colombia in the middle of a terrifying tropical storm. Swerving into deep mud, its wheels turned desperately for a few moments before the engine finally gave out. A few curses and the persistent rain were the only sounds at first to break the expectant silence. Then the earth groaned, and the bus and its shrieking passengers were pushed, as if by some supernatural hand, into the abyss.

The Hollywood horror film being projected on the small screen in front of me disturbingly mirrored the Venezuelan landscape through which I myself was travelling. I had only just arrived in South America, and had yet to become accustomed to the inappropriate films of terror and violence that the buses screened. I would have plenty of time to do so. I had come here to research a book on the Andes, and was intending to spend six months journeying the whole length of the world’s longest continuous mountain range. The most practical option was to travel by bus.

Taking what would amount to more than 100 public buses, I would drive through seven countries, and cross, in relentless succession, jungles, deserts, green valleys, vertiginous mountain passes, dense forests, glacier-fringed plateaux and every other possible type of extreme and sublime landscape.

But buses served not just as wonderful viewing platforms. They also became for me what inns had been to travellers of Don Quixote’s generation — places for strange and wonderful encounters. There was the regular chance meeting with the same handful of fellow itinerants, and the no less frequent discovery that the person sitting next to you was somehow connected with friends or relatives of yours from other parts of the world. And then there were the constant tales, with passengers often revealing the most absorbing details of their lives, from intricate love affairs to the sort of traumatic travel experiences I had always imagined to be inherent to any South American journey.

My Andean bus odyssey began in Venezuela in the middle of the tropical summer. This is a country where everyone seems to delight in warning you about the potential dangers of travelling there. I managed to escape Caracas unharmed, only to be told that Venezuela had some of the world’s most hazardous bus drivers, and that they drove their rickety contraptions at such speeds that wheels would sometimes leave the ground. But, as it turned out, my attention on driving up into the Venezuelan Andes was almost entirely absorbed by excitement at first reaching the mountains and observing the gradual transformation from their lush lower slopes to the bleak high-altitude moorland or páramo, where the sole vegetation was the triffid-like frailejón.

The only moments of anxiety came as we neared the guerrilla-infested borderland between Venezuela and Colombia. A Venezuelan friend thought I was mad to consider continuing by bus from the notoriously poor and sinister Colombian frontier town of Cúcuta. He said that the presence of a foreigner would almost certainly be noted by some potential kidnapper, who would alert his colleagues farther down the road.

Within minutes of entering my first Colombian bus I became indeed a witness to a terrifyingly vicious attack involving masked men gunning down innocent passengers — but only on the video screen in front of me. Colombia itself, with its old-fashioned hospitality and courtesy, instantly challenged all the disturbing and negative preconceptions that foreigners tend to have of the place. I was reminded of the Spain I had fallen in love with in the 1960s, but with the difference that Colombia proved to have one of the most comfortable and efficient public transport systems I had ever known.

There were buses at almost every time of day, and of every possible speed and size. The full range was apparent on arrival at Bogotá’s extraordinary bus station, which, like Bogotá itself, was nothing like the chaotic, seedy place I had imagined. In contrast it was a model of modernity, laid out with clarity, and with each bus company having its own clearly defined waiting area, where you were obliged to remain until your name was called just before the bus’s departure. There was also a heavy presence of policemen and soldiers.

This last feature (promoted as being por su seguridad, or “for your security”) was initially slightly perturbing. But it is thanks to measures such as these that Colombia is now a far safer place than ever before. Until the advent of the current and highly controversial president, Álvaro Uribe, few people of any means travelled anywhere in the country except by plane. Today, I soon concluded, the worst that was likely to happen to you if you stuck to the main roads and avoided travelling by night was a nervous irritability caused by a surfeit of unfailingly violent films.

Wondering how much longer I could bear the sight of a blood-spattered Bruce Willis, I finally headed towards the Ecuadorian border after nearly a month in Colombia. The road south of the seductively beautiful colonial town of Popayán had, until the late 1990s, been famous for being subject to more terrorist hold-ups than any other thoroughfare in South America. The area remains what is still called in Colombia a zona caliente (a hot zone); but, as my bus made its leisurely way through mountain pastures and woods of a Swiss-like greenness, I found it difficult to believe that heavy fighting between guerrilla and government forces was taking place only 25 miles away. The passenger next to me guaranteed that I would be absolutely safe until reaching the Ecuadorian frontier town of Ipiales, whereupon I would be instantly besieged by Ecuadorians trying to get my money and belongings.

This seemed to me to be another example of the derogatory view most South Americans have of their neighbouring countries; but the man’s warning proved to have some substance. Whereas in almost every other respect moving from Colombia to Ecuador was like suddenly entering a convent, arriving at the bus station at Ipiales brought back to me early memories of Morocco, with representatives of rival bus companies manically trying to sell me a ticket and grab hold of my luggage. When eventually I got on a bus I discovered a marketplace atmosphere, with people of all ages streaming up and down the aisle offering everything from food to pirate DVDs.

The diet of Bruce Willis continued unabated throughout Ecuador, but there was something else to distract me from the country’s magnificent succession of snow-capped volcanoes. Near the beginning of almost every journey, after most of the vendors had gone, some generally well dressed person would stand up to address the passengers. Their leisurely introductions, filled invariably with reflections about the human spirit, made you believe at first that you were being harangued by some proselytising sect, while in fact you were being confronted by another and more sophisticated type of salesman, selling usually anti-ageing cream, homeopathic medicine or volumes of an encyclopedia. Some incorporated quizzes into their act, and even stand-up comedy routines. Nearly all displayed powers of oratory that held you under their spell.

It was not until I reached Peru that my mind as a passenger became increasingly fixed on the state of the roads I was on. Bus travel in Ecuador had been far too easy, with well graded, well surfaced roads, and services so frequent and obliging that you could hail a bus anywhere along the main thoroughfares without having to wait for more than 15 minutes. In Peru I could have had an easier time had I stuck to the coastal routes, which were served by ultra-luxury buses featuring fully reclining leather chairs and airline-style treatment. However, I was determined to keep as much as possible to the Andes, which meant following a meandering network of back roads in the middle of the Andean rainy season.

I began my Peruvian adventures on an over-filled bus seemingly held together by tape. From the hot and dusty lowland centre of Piura, with its confusion of taxis, motorised rickshaws and rundown, privately owned bus stations, I travelled to the distant mountain town of Chachapoyas, a place so remote that a nearby waterfall was identified only in 2006 as being the third tallest in the world. The main overland route took ages, but entailed largely asphalted roads. My true hardships began only on the return journey. Not wishing to go back the same way I had come, I was delighted to hear of a twice-weekly bus that would set me on my way to Cajamarca, where Pizarro’s conquest of Peru had begun. The bus was due to set off at five in the morning, and — if I was lucky — would cover a distance of just 100 miles by around 10 that night.

The road, a continuous dirt track barely wider than the small and inevitably battered bus, had to climb two passes of about 14,000 feet, and descend in between all the way down to the tropical Marañón river. I lost my nerve soon after beginning the first descent. The clouds had parted to reveal the road ahead as an exposed ledge clinging to a sheer drop. Mud and landslides frequently had us tilt at a precarious angle, and occasionally obliged the male passengers to get out and remove stones or push. Then one of the tyres exploded. To the sounds of brakes and screams the bus came abruptly to a halt inches before the precipice.

Predictably there was no spare, though this did not appear to bother the driver. Calmly he removed the inner tube, located the puncture, and cut out an old piece of rubber to cover it. He then pumped up the tyre, which exploded again. The process was repeated a couple of times until the tyre appeared to hold, though — as one of the passengers fatalistically commented — the likelihood of its giving way yet again was extremely high. The rest of the journey was like a recreation of the film Wages of Fear, with a climax of terror reached as we zigzagged up the second pass in dense fog and pouring rain, with the night rapidly falling, and the driver using one of his hands constantly to wipe the windscreen.

From that time onwards in Peru I was tempted to do what bus drivers invariably did at the start of any trip: make the sign of the cross. Fortunately, by the time I reached Bolivia, the dry season had begun, and a long-awaited replacement to what guidebooks always refer to as “the world’s most dangerous road” (from the high Andes down to the jungles of Las Yungas) had just opened. It was none the less with a cheery sense of having emerged alive that I left Bolivia for Argentina, and entered a world of secure roads, safety regulations and well maintained buses that provided unlimited cups of free coffee, curtained-off sleeping facilities, and even films in which Bruce Willis did not appear.

The main challenges facing me as I headed towards South America’s southernmost tip were caused by the onset of what threatened to be an extremely severe winter. Bus services, ever more infrequent, were often suspended by poor weather, and did not exist at all after April along Argentina’s celebrated Route 40, which skirts the Andes all the way from the Bolivian border down to the very end of Patagonia’s largely uninhabited wastes. Thanks to an extraordinarily complex series of often split-second timings involving interminably protracted border stops and even the odd ferry, I crisscrossed my way down the mountainous Argentinean-Chilean frontier, and was even able to enjoy, in sub-zero but brilliantly blue conditions, a long stretch of Chile’s Carretera Austral, a final continuation of the Pan-American Highway that peters out amid fjords, forests and glaciers.

But however much I wanted never to lose sight of the Andes, the limitations of winter transport forced me endlessly to return to the interminably straight roads of Patagonia’s unchanging flat and empty pampas. The buses themselves became ever less frequented, so that finally even the showing of films was suspended for lack of anyone to watch them. Seated on my own on the top of double-deckers, at times for up to 30 hours at a stretch, I found myself engrossed by the powerful effects created by the hyper-real clarity of the light. And I thought how metaphorically fitting it was that my long journey, begun in the heat and vibrancy of the tropics, should now be nearing its end like this — in the middle of winter, and alone.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/2982738/Bus-travel-in-South-America-Thrills-and-spills-in-the-Andes.html

Seriously, what is with horror films being shown on buses? Mexico is the worst for this.

Also, his descriptions of the Peruvian bus journey from hell reminds me of the worst 6 hours of my life, stuck on a bus about 2cm from certain death in the Mexican copper canyons. Never again! :cry:

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

I am returning to Latin America again soon. This will be my fifth time in the past seven years. I'm flying to Colombia around New Years and will spend the next few months in Colombia. Will couchsurf in Barranquilla (Shakira's birthplace) for their famous Carnival ("Barranquilla's Carnival is reputed for being second in size to Rio's, but is far less commercialized."). I will also spend some time visiting mi novia of three weeks from last summer in in Medellin!

Then on February 27th I will fly from Bogotá to Buenos Aires where I will study at one of the University's until July 24, when I fly back to Bogota. School back home starts late August so I have many months to decide whether I will stay in Colombia for a while more, go home immediately, return to Ecuador to visit friends, or possibly try Central America for a bit! I found a roundtrip flight from Bogot-Buenos Aires for $650 and flights from Miami to Bogota only cost about $90 each way with Spirit Air. Such great deals when pretty much every other combination of flights was costing about $1200.

:)

Pusscat
Apr 1, 2005

What's new, Pusscat?
:argh: So jealous! That sounds spectacular.

I'm currently waiting to hear about a job that would have me living in Cusco, Peru for a year starting January. Fingers and toes crossed!

Ishamael
Feb 18, 2004

You don't have to love me, but you will respect me.

ElroySmin posted:

So, I read the last SA thread planning my trip, so I might as well contribute what I can to this one. I just got back from almost 4 months travelling from Buenos Aires to Bogota (skipping some bits in between for time :(, of course), and have only now gotten around to putting up a photo album!
Anyway, this is mostly for friends and family, so alas (for you guys.. anyway, sweet for people who love my face) you'll be stuck looking at my dopey mug every 1/3rd shot or so, but it'll give you a good idea of what to expect on the gringo trail!
be warned: there are 500. i like pictures, sue me.
I halfassed location tagged them too, but it was to about the nearest province, so don't get bent out of shape if i tagged the wrong mountain range.
I'm going to work on making captions, check back soon!
Most of them were taken with a d40, a few with my olympus P&S, some of them i lost the cd/accidentally deleted them so you have to deal with facebook sized.

Onto the photos, bishes.

Great great great photos!

If you don't mind me asking, how much did the trip cost you total? I am trying to save up for something similar.

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Pusscat posted:

:argh: So jealous! That sounds spectacular.

I'm currently waiting to hear about a job that would have me living in Cusco, Peru for a year starting January. Fingers and toes crossed!

Did hear back about the job in Cusco? What would you be doing there? Good luck!

Pusscat
Apr 1, 2005

What's new, Pusscat?
Unfortunately I didn't get it. Which is fair does, because they were advertising for someone with 1years travel industry experience, which I don't have. Still, they recommended I go for the tour leader job, which I might at some point.

And because I didn't get it, am now thinking about pushing my spring 2010 Central America trip forwards to February 2009, looking at guides and flight prices as we speak!

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Pusscat posted:

Unfortunately I didn't get it. Which is fair does, because they were advertising for someone with 1years travel industry experience, which I don't have. Still, they recommended I go for the tour leader job, which I might at some point.

And because I didn't get it, am now thinking about pushing my spring 2010 Central America trip forwards to February 2009, looking at guides and flight prices as we speak!

That sucks, i am sorry to hear you did not get it. What company was it with? Over the past few years I have bookmarked a bunch of internship opportunities fro Gringos in Latin America. A lot of these companies/organizations are also hiring people for full-time jobs. Let me know what type of job you are looking for and I will see if I find anything that may interest you.

Either way, a trip through Central America should be great. Keep us updated on your plans!

Whitefish
May 31, 2005

After the old god has been assassinated, I am ready to rule the waves.
Can't really help with the Brazil stuff, but I did a similar Peru trip this summer.

ja raul posted:

Im in the very early stages of planning a rough itenerary of 2 month trip of Peru & Brasil starting June 2009. Im looking for recommendations of small towns to visit either in Peru or Brazil. My rough itenerary sort of takes me around the 2 countries in an n/upside down J shape: Arrive in Lima - Ica - Ayacucho - Cusco - back to Lima - then up to Iquitos (this will take appx 3 weeks, looking for more smaller towns to visit in between). From Iquitos I plan to take a boat to Manaus as this would be the path of least resistance.

Ica was pretty boring. Very little there. Huacachina (15 minutes away) is fun for a couple of days of relaxing (dune buggy rides are awesome), but unless you're really looking to chill out and do nothing, don't plan to spend a long time there. It would be better at the end of a trip than the start.

Any chance you can get down to Arequipa or is that too far out of your way? I arrived in Lima and flew to Arequipa, then Puno, Cusco, Nazca, Ica and then back to Lima. Arequipa is beautiful and loads of fun, and a decent length (3 or 4 days minimum) trip to Colca canyon from there is definitely worth it.

Puno doesn't have a huge amount to do other than Titicaca exploration, but that's pretty fun. I wouldn't say it's absolutely essential though. Cusco is obviously amazing. If you're booking so far in advance you could try and get on the Inca trail (or one of the alternative Inca trails).

I guess none of this is too helpful. It was my first time in South America so we were just doing the big tourist things this time out.

Pusscat
Apr 1, 2005

What's new, Pusscat?

DustingDuvet posted:

That sucks, i am sorry to hear you did not get it. What company was it with? Over the past few years I have bookmarked a bunch of internship opportunities fro Gringos in Latin America. A lot of these companies/organizations are also hiring people for full-time jobs. Let me know what type of job you are looking for and I will see if I find anything that may interest you.

Either way, a trip through Central America should be great. Keep us updated on your plans!

It was with Tucan Travel, they've got a lot of Latin America based tours, so I may well end up working for them in the future. I guess I'll see whether I like Central America enough to guide there for a year or two!

I would like to hear about ALL of the opportunities you've noted down. Frankly, as long as it involves using my Spanish, earning enough to live on and me living abroad, I'm interested. I've been haunting gumtree for about 2 years now, but it's rarely Latin American related jobs.

September
Sep 27, 2007

roflcopter thief posted:

Any questions about Brazil? I am currently living in Fortaleza, Ceara. I have been to Manaus/Amazonas, Florianopolis, Curitiba, and Rio as well.

I am searching for a work assignment in South America (esp Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay). I am a mechanical engineer working in Texas. International travel, studying abroad and my recent trips to Brazil and Peru combined for a desire to return and live there for at least a couple years.

I have a background in Spanish and French. If I find a position in Brazil I will prep Portuguese with Pimsleurs/Rosetta Stone.

I am interested in making connections to learn more about the cities and job market.

Here are a couple questions:

1. What are the popular job websites? (the montster.com and careerbuilder.com sites in South America)

2. Are there popular ex-pat forums in each country? I google'd without much luck.

Anyone feel free to email me and I can provide more information about my background and qualifications.

Thanks!

email: the . taaka at gmail dot com (remove spaces)

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Pusscat posted:

It was with Tucan Travel, they've got a lot of Latin America based tours, so I may well end up working for them in the future. I guess I'll see whether I like Central America enough to guide there for a year or two!

I would like to hear about ALL of the opportunities you've noted down. Frankly, as long as it involves using my Spanish, earning enough to live on and me living abroad, I'm interested. I've been haunting gumtree for about 2 years now, but it's rarely Latin American related jobs.

I have heard of that company before. Let me know what your email is and I will send you my bookmarks file.

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

September posted:

Here are a couple questions:

1. What are the popular job websites? (the montster.com and careerbuilder.com sites in South America)

2. Are there popular ex-pat forums in each country? I google'd without much luck.

Anyone feel free to email me and I can provide more information about my background and qualifications.

Thanks!

email: the . taaka at gmail dot com (remove spaces)

1. Its going to be difficult and its most likely that you will not find a job. Your best option is to find a job with an American company that has posts/offices overseas. You will be paid American wages and will not have much hassle getting a visa.

The other option is to travel to your country of choice on a tourist visa and network there until you find something. Or get a work visa by getting an English teaching job, then quit.If you find a local job, expect to be paid a much, much lower wage, and it will be a pain in the rear end to get a work visa.

For instance, working as an entry level engineer in Chile, you would be making as low as $112000/month, which translates into $167.00 USD per month. As an experienced engineer, you could make about $500 USD per month.

Here a few websites to get your started:

http://www.bumeran.com/
http://www.computrabajo.cl/
http://www.manpower.com/
http://www.adeccoempleo.com/
http://www.idealist.org/

2. Yes, there are some big expat forums. Here are a few.

Colombia: Poorbuthappy.com
Argentina: http://baexpats.org/
Chile: http://www.allchile.net/chileforum/?sid=8c7c7f9298d20d00cd913ae609f8f530
Brazil: http://www.brazzilforum.com/

R2ICustomerSupport fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Dec 8, 2008

Pusscat
Apr 1, 2005

What's new, Pusscat?

DustingDuvet posted:

I have heard of that company before. Let me know what your email is and I will send you my bookmarks file.

Cool cool, it's sapusscat@googlemail.com. Thanks!

Soul Power
Sep 12, 2003

lol marmaduke is listening to snoop dogg
I'm planning on going to South America next month sometime, but I still need help with the planning parts. My girlfriend and I are going and we don't need to return to the Seattle until late June. We're not in any hurry to see as many places as we can, and our itinerary is very open. We're most interested in just getting to meet local people, having some new experiences, and just wandering around. We were thinking of flying into Colombia and then heading south from there; possibly going through Ecuador and then to Peru and Bolivia, and if we have time Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. We'll bus a lot of it and stay in hostels and couchsurf. I was just thinking of getting a round trip ticket from Colombia, with the return trip being in late June, so then wherever we are in South America we can just buy one way plane tickets to Colombia. Is this feasible? We saw a travel agent today and she suggested getting an open-jaw ticket where we fly into Colombia and fly out of Buenos Aires, and that this would probably cost about $1300 a person. Is this cheaper than doing my earlier plan? What do most of you guys use for buying plane tickets?

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Soul Power posted:

I'm planning on going to South America next month sometime, but I still need help with the planning parts. My girlfriend and I are going and we don't need to return to the Seattle until late June. We're not in any hurry to see as many places as we can, and our itinerary is very open. We're most interested in just getting to meet local people, having some new experiences, and just wandering around. We were thinking of flying into Colombia and then heading south from there; possibly going through Ecuador and then to Peru and Bolivia, and if we have time Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. We'll bus a lot of it and stay in hostels and couchsurf. I was just thinking of getting a round trip ticket from Colombia, with the return trip being in late June, so then wherever we are in South America we can just buy one way plane tickets to Colombia. Is this feasible? We saw a travel agent today and she suggested getting an open-jaw ticket where we fly into Colombia and fly out of Buenos Aires, and that this would probably cost about $1300 a person. Is this cheaper than doing my earlier plan? What do most of you guys use for buying plane tickets?

I think your plan is very realistic. With 6 months, If you plan on taking your time I would guess it would look like:

-6 weeks in Colombia
-3 weeks in Ecuador
-5 weeks in Peru
-4 weeks in Bolivia
-6 weeks in Argentina

Remember that you will need a visa in advance for Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil as an American.

I would recommend you contact a travel agency that specialized in Latin America. Try https://www.exitotravel.com

But here are some other ideas that may work out cheaper.
-Spirit Air has really cheap flight to Colombia (as low as $150 round trip from Ft. Lauderdale) and http://www.aerolineas.com.ar/home.asp has some cheap flight from Argentina.

In terms of airfare, it may be cheapest if you buy a one way flight to Colombia (I bought a one way flight from Miami to Bogotá for $112 last week). Then book a one way flight from the last country you end up in, when you get there (this won't work if you are in a few countries such as Bolivia because flight to the US are extremely expensive).

Even if you do what the travel agent suggests, it would cost less than that. For instance, last week I paid $112 one way from Miami to Bogota, and $650 roundtrip from Bogota to Buenos Aires and back to Bogota. I plan on buying another one way ticket from Bogota to Miami months from now when I am certain of when I am coming back. At the most, all of this will cost me $762+ another $100 and some bucks. Granted, I am flying out of Miami.

hello i am phone
Nov 24, 2005
¿donde estoy?
Avoid Aerolineas Argentinas if possible. It's cheap sure , but very unreliable and the company is on bankruptcy now. But if you want to experience suffering their service like we do , fly with them.

Soul Power
Sep 12, 2003

lol marmaduke is listening to snoop dogg

DustingDuvet posted:

In terms of airfare, it may be cheapest if you buy a one way flight to Colombia (I bought a one way flight from Miami to Bogotá for $112 last week). Then book a one way flight from the last country you end up in, when you get there (this won't work if you are in a few countries such as Bolivia because flight to the US are extremely expensive).

Even if you do what the travel agent suggests, it would cost less than that. For instance, last week I paid $112 one way from Miami to Bogota, and $650 roundtrip from Bogota to Buenos Aires and back to Bogota. I plan on buying another one way ticket from Bogota to Miami months from now when I am certain of when I am coming back. At the most, all of this will cost me $762+ another $100 and some bucks. Granted, I am flying out of Miami.

Thanks for the ideas. I would love to just buy a one way ticket to Colombia, and then a one way ticket whenever I'm ready to leave at whatever location. However, my one concern was how easy it would be to cross borders without proof of onward travel. How much of a hassle would this be?

Also, do people recommend getting pay as you go phones while you travel? How easy and expensive is it?

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Soul Power posted:

Thanks for the ideas. I would love to just buy a one way ticket to Colombia, and then a one way ticket whenever I'm ready to leave at whatever location. However, my one concern was how easy it would be to cross borders without proof of onward travel. How much of a hassle would this be?

Also, do people recommend getting pay as you go phones while you travel? How easy and expensive is it?

Doing that is no hassle at all so long as you print out a fake itinerary. This is a link to one that pretty much explains how to do it. But its really only ever a problem when flying because the airlines usually check since they would be responsible for transporting you back to your home country if you cannot support yourself. Crossing the border by land is rarely a problem as the officials rarely check.
http://travelvice.com/archive/2006/03/faux-onward-tickets.php

If you want a cell phone while traveling you have three options. Use your cell phone from home on your current plan and pay out the rear end for calls local and international calls

Or bring your cell phone and purchase a sim card in each country. Then buy minutes as you go.

Or, buy a new cell phone in the country and buy minutes as you go. I did this. I bought a new phone for $20 in Colombia from Comcel and bought minutes as needed.

For international calls, sign up for Skype and make your calls home from internet cafes.

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

hecko posted:

Avoid Aerolineas Argentinas if possible. It's cheap sure , but very unreliable and the company is on bankruptcy now. But if you want to experience suffering their service like we do , fly with them.

I sure hope its around come July.

Does Argentina have a website that lits/sells tickets to concerts, like ticketmaster.com in the U.S. or tuboleta.com in Colombia?

hello i am phone
Nov 24, 2005
¿donde estoy?

DustingDuvet posted:

I sure hope its around come July.

Does Argentina have a website that lits/sells tickets to concerts, like ticketmaster.com in the U.S. or tuboleta.com in Colombia?

Ticketmaster is in Argentina too but they don't have a local site. Other option is : http://www.ticketek.com.ar/

Soul Power
Sep 12, 2003

lol marmaduke is listening to snoop dogg

DustingDuvet posted:

Doing that is no hassle at all so long as you print out a fake itinerary. This is a link to one that pretty much explains how to do it. But its really only ever a problem when flying because the airlines usually check since they would be responsible for transporting you back to your home country if you cannot support yourself. Crossing the border by land is rarely a problem as the officials rarely check.
http://travelvice.com/archive/2006/03/faux-onward-tickets.php

If you want a cell phone while traveling you have three options. Use your cell phone from home on your current plan and pay out the rear end for calls local and international calls

Or bring your cell phone and purchase a sim card in each country. Then buy minutes as you go.

Or, buy a new cell phone in the country and buy minutes as you go. I did this. I bought a new phone for $20 in Colombia from Comcel and bought minutes as needed.

For international calls, sign up for Skype and make your calls home from internet cafes.

Thanks for the help, but I ended up just buying a ticket out of Santiago to Miami one way for $500 each, so we'll have proof of onward travel now. I'm excited. We're flying into Colombia in mid-January through Spirit Airlines like you suggested, and then flying out of Chile at the end of June. We're thinking about doing the Machu Picchu trek maybe in April. Has anyone here done it before and have any recommendations for guides?

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Soul Power posted:

Thanks for the help, but I ended up just buying a ticket out of Santiago to Miami one way for $500 each, so we'll have proof of onward travel now. I'm excited. We're flying into Colombia in mid-January through Spirit Airlines like you suggested, and then flying out of Chile at the end of June. We're thinking about doing the Machu Picchu trek maybe in April. Has anyone here done it before and have any recommendations for guides?

I respond way to fast!

I have some bad news for you. The flight from Chile-home is not proof of onward travel. Proof of onward travel would be if you had a ticket out of Colombia (i.e. Colombia-Chile). Don't worry though. At the worst, you can buy a refundable (expensive) ticket if they ask for proof of onward travel and just get the refund after you show it to the customs agent. Or you can just print a fake itinerary.

I visited the Machu Picchu by train. But if you want to do the official Inca trail you must book it many months (3+) in advance and its really expensive. If you do not mind doing an alternative trek to the Macchu Picchu, you can just show up to Cusco and book one leaving the next day for pretty cheap (i.e. $150 or so for a 4 day trek w/ everything included).

You are going to have an amazing time. I'll be in Colombia from January 1 until late February. Can't wait!

ephraim
Nov 15, 2004
anal
I spent the month of November in Costa Rica and Medellin, Colombia. Colombia rules! I was half expecting to see guerillas all over the place, and all of my friends were telling me how I was going to get kidnapped, but it was awesome, I've never felt safer in a big city in my life, and I live in NYC. I'm planning a 6 week trip to South America again for June. I'd like to go to Peru for around 10 days, then a month in Colombia, renting a place in Medellin but heading south to Cali for a few days as well.

DustingDuvet: I have a question about Machu Picchu, I'd like to go there, but I'd be flying to Lima, and right now the airfare from NYC -> Lima -> Medellin -> NYC is $467, and a flight from Lima to Cuzco for a few days is $437. It doesn't seem like a one hour domestic flight should be so high, do the prices drop closer to the departure date? How much should I expect to pay to get from Lima to Cuzco? This would be the first week of June by the way.

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

ephraim posted:

I spent the month of November in Costa Rica and Medellin, Colombia. Colombia rules! I was half expecting to see guerillas all over the place, and all of my friends were telling me how I was going to get kidnapped, but it was awesome, I've never felt safer in a big city in my life, and I live in NYC. I'm planning a 6 week trip to South America again for June. I'd like to go to Peru for around 10 days, then a month in Colombia, renting a place in Medellin but heading south to Cali for a few days as well.

DustingDuvet: I have a question about Machu Picchu, I'd like to go there, but I'd be flying to Lima, and right now the airfare from NYC -> Lima -> Medellin -> NYC is $467, and a flight from Lima to Cuzco for a few days is $437. It doesn't seem like a one hour domestic flight should be so high, do the prices drop closer to the departure date? How much should I expect to pay to get from Lima to Cuzco? This would be the first week of June by the way.

Taca Peru has flights at $133 round trip including taxes right now for flights in June.

Also, Star Peru http://www.starperu.com/ usually has the least expensive tickets from Lima to Cuzco. I remember seeing them at about $60 each way a week or so before I wanted to book the flight. But it went to about $100 each way after I booked it the day before I flew from Lima to Cuzco. Their website is not working right now so you should call the airline to ask about the price.

LAN Peru is the only other airline that flies from Lima to Cuzco.

I am glad you enjoyed Medellin so much. Why did you decide to visit Colombia? I would advise against visiting Cali. Unless your sole intention is to go there and enjoy the Salsa music, it is not worth visiting. They say the women in Cali are beautiful but Medellin girls are way better.

Instead, you ought to visit Bogotá if you are set on seeing a big city. Or if you like nature, look up Armenia if the Zona Cafeteria. Armenia is closer to Medellin than Cali and Bogota is worth the extra distance.

ephraim
Nov 15, 2004
anal
gently caress Bogota! I want to visit Cali because its close to the Coffee growing area (Armenia, Pereira), and I heard that that area is a must-see.

I travel mostly with a friend of mine who is a professional photographer and he was going to Caucasia which is the murder capital of Colombia, but his home base was going to be Medellin so I decided to tag along and just stay in Medellin while he ventured into the jungle. Thanks for the heads up on Taca Peru, kayak.com wasn't giving me that option.

Soul Power
Sep 12, 2003

lol marmaduke is listening to snoop dogg
I've got another question for everyone who has traveled Colombia. We're going to arrive in Bogota on the 17th of January, and we've decided we want to go to Barranquilla for Carnaval, which isn't until February 20-24. From there, we'd like to head south to Ecuador, but we would like some advice on how to do so. We could take a plane from Cartagena to Quito, but after airline taxes it ends up being about $320 a person with Copa airlines. I've looked around a little, and it doesn't seem to be any cheaper to fly from Bogota to Quito. How easy, safe, quick, and cheap is it to bus from the top of Colombia down to Ecuador? Looking at maps, this would be like going from Seattle to San Francisco in terms of distance, which I'm not sure would be that great to do in a short period of time, nor do I have any knowledge of what the roads are like. Thanks and any other advice is appreciated.

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Soul Power posted:

I've got another question for everyone who has traveled Colombia. We're going to arrive in Bogota on the 17th of January, and we've decided we want to go to Barranquilla for Carnaval, which isn't until February 20-24. From there, we'd like to head south to Ecuador, but we would like some advice on how to do so. We could take a plane from Cartagena to Quito, but after airline taxes it ends up being about $320 a person with Copa airlines. I've looked around a little, and it doesn't seem to be any cheaper to fly from Bogota to Quito. How easy, safe, quick, and cheap is it to bus from the top of Colombia down to Ecuador? Looking at maps, this would be like going from Seattle to San Francisco in terms of distance, which I'm not sure would be that great to do in a short period of time, nor do I have any knowledge of what the roads are like. Thanks and any other advice is appreciated.

The reason I am up so late is because I am frantically trying to find accommodation for Carnival in Barranquilla...which is really hard. Most people book accommodations many months in advance because most rooms sell out months before the Carnival, as its the 2nd biggest carnival in South America behind Rio! Even so, hotels will be really expensive as they jack up the prices to hundreds of dollars per night. There are no hostals in Barranquilla at all. If you do find something, please let me know! By the way, below is the schedule.



When busing around Colombia you need to keep in mind that you are driving on roads that curve around the Andes mountains. There is usually just one lane on each side of the road with tons of slow trucks, the occasional landslide, etc. As far as safety goes, drivers are notorious for passing trucks on 1 lane highways. With that said, this is a pretty close estimate of the time:

Cartagena--Bogota= about 20-24 hours
Bogota--Ipiales=about 24 hours
Ipiales-Tulcan= these are the Colombia/Ecuador border towns so it won't take long
Tulcan--Quito=about 6 hours

=a total of around 54 hours!

edit: Also, you can fly from Bogota to Quito roundtrip for $234 with taxes on Copa Airlines
http://www.copaair.com/planifiqueViaje/ofertasWeb/default.aspx?ID=3239&lang=en

But honestly, there is so much to see if Colombia I would just recommend you do a loop to get down to Quito. Something like this:

Bogotá
Salento via Armenia
Medellin
Cartagena
Barranquilla
Santa Marta/Taganga/Parque Tayrona/Cuidad Perdida (all very close)
Bucaramanga
San Gil
Villa De Leyva (via Tunja)
Bogota
Cali
Popayan
Pasto
Ipiales
Tulcan
Quito

R2ICustomerSupport fucked around with this message at 08:46 on Dec 27, 2008

ephraim
Nov 15, 2004
anal
For some reason I have 0 interest in seeing Bogota. I haven't really heard many positive things about it. My top 3 in Colombia are Medellin, Cartagena & Cali, and thats based on what both locals and other tourists were telling me on my recent trip to Medellin. Armenia & Pereira too, but those are both short-stay destinations imo.

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

ephraim posted:

For some reason I have 0 interest in seeing Bogota. I haven't really heard many positive things about it. My top 3 in Colombia are Medellin, Cartagena & Cali, and thats based on what both locals and other tourists were telling me on my recent trip to Medellin. Armenia & Pereira too, but those are both short-stay destinations imo.

I know what you mean when you just have no desire to visit certain places and a lot of desire to visit others. For me, its basically based on the mood it puts me in when I think about a certain place.

Medellin is the type of place you would want to pause your trip for and just live there. There is not much there at all for tourists though. Cali is an ugly, unkept city with little going for it other than its Salsa music. And Cartagena is a stunning, romantic city full of obnoxious tourists and the type of locals who like to take advantage of them. 3 days max and you will be dying to leave.

Bogotá is simply amazing. Would you like me to convince you why you should go there?

R2ICustomerSupport
Dec 12, 2004

Soul Power posted:

blah

It must be a small internet. Did you just post in the Couchsurfing Barranquilla group? If so, I actually posted the thread you responded in :)

Soul Power
Sep 12, 2003

lol marmaduke is listening to snoop dogg

DustingDuvet posted:

It must be a small internet. Did you just post in the Couchsurfing Barranquilla group? If so, I actually posted the thread you responded in :)

Yes, and it's smaller than you think. I looked through the pictures of the guy that replied to you and hosted about a dozen people last year and I'm actually acquainted with one of his guests from then. We used to live on the same dorm floor our freshmen year of college and we breakdanced together.

It would be cool to be in Barranquilla for at least one of the days, but if not it won't be the end of the world. I talked to a girl yesterday from Medellin and it sounds like the rest of Colombia has pretty good celebrations as well.

Adnar
Jul 11, 2002

Thanks for the information so far everyone, really good stuff and has really turned my opinion on a place like Columbia.

Does anyone know of any places in SA in general where casual work for foreigner would be available? What I mean is basic stuff that would be more about paying for accommodation / socialising rather than a career (i.e in a Bar).

Powerful Wizard IRL
Aug 8, 2007

-_- CS Depression? -_-
Ask your admin if BanMe® is right for you!
^o^

Adnar posted:

Thanks for the information so far everyone, really good stuff and has really turned my opinion on a place like Columbia.

Does anyone know of any places in SA in general where casual work for foreigner would be available? What I mean is basic stuff that would be more about paying for accommodation / socialising rather than a career (i.e in a Bar).

This also interests me.

Adnar
Jul 11, 2002

More or less on a whim I today booked a ticket to Brazil for a month.

Feb 3rd Sydney -> Rio De Janiero 27 hours!

Feb 19th -> 26th I managed to get some (crazy expensive) Hostel accommodation during Carnival.


March 2nd Sao Paulo -> Buenos Aires
March 9th BA -> Sydney



So I'm looking at filling in time between the 4th and the 19th and making my own way to Sao Paulo by the 2nd. Any thoughts? I would be wanting to travel mainly in the southern area basing myself in RDJ. I know this isn't much but I plan on going back later in the year for a proper amount of time.

September
Sep 27, 2007

DustingDuvet posted:

Over the past few years I have bookmarked a bunch of internship opportunities fro Gringos in Latin America. A lot of these companies/organizations are also hiring people for full-time jobs. Let me know what type of job you are looking for and I will see if I find anything that may interest you.

I am interested in being one of those gringos! What types of jobs/companies do you come across? I'm a mechanical engineer - interested in full time work.

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Crash BandiCute
Nov 8, 2004

Dona Nobis Pacem
I'm currently researching a honeymoon trip to the Galapagos Islands, and it will be my first time to South America (although I guess the islands are not indicative of the mainland!). We'll be passing through Quito probably, and I wondered if it was worthwhile spending a couple of days there, or not, and how safe it is.

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