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I'm planning on going to Ecuador in October, and was looking at the CDC website for vaccinations. They suggest getting a yellow fever vaccination if you plan on going off the beaten path. So far I don't know where my travels will take me, but is it really necessary to get the yellow fever vaccine for Ecuador?
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Sep 7, 2010 17:46
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A lot of countries are going to ask to see your vaccination records before they let you in to their country if they see any other s.american passport stamps in your passport. So if you don't plan on going to any other countries on that trip, you should be fine. TBH I got my yellow fever vacc. and nobody ever asked to see my records.
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Sep 7, 2010 18:00
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I'd get it since from what I saw on google, only the Amazonian Ecuador has yellow fever and I wouldn't want to have to skip seeing the Amazon because I didn't have a YF vaccine. And when I went to the travel clinic, the nurse there told me that you may have to show your YF card when returning home if they see stamps from YF countries in your passport. It ended up being free due to my insurance too other than a $15 co pay for the appointment which was nice because I didn't realize it would be covered  YMMVAnd, how easy is it to get inspect repellent in South America? Leaving next week for a 3 month trip through Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay. Bugs love me so debating about if I should throw in some extra repellent in my pack so I won't run out at a bad time. That reminds me, I need to buy some sunscreen before I leave too  I'm so nervous, I just hope I won't go into a nervous wreck before I leave because I seem to be having horrible luck so far like discovering that I'm allergic to the anti malarial I was prescribed and having to scramble to get a new prescription 
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Sep 10, 2010 05:08
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A prescription for malaria meds came with my yellow fever vacc ($155 in Texas for the appt + vacc, wtf) which I didn't need, but the meds only cost $12 for a 3 month supply (when they say "take with at least 1 liter of water" they are not loving around - your stomach becomes a 7 minute time bomb if you only drink a half liter of water.)
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Sep 10, 2010 05:36
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Tomato Soup posted:
Uh, easy. Again, South America isn't a desolate jungle without civilization. Every city should have it, even some towns.
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Sep 10, 2010 16:32
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My throat swelled up and it was difficult to breathe, so it was an actual allergy not just drinking enough water. I didn't drink enough water too so I was in agony all day while being in a benadryl-induced haze  And I had to pay $30 then $40 for my anti malarials  Getting my vaccines for free made up for it though.a japanese pop icon posted:Uh, easy. Again, South America isn't a desolate jungle without civilization. Every city should have it, even some towns. Oh I know that, was just wondering that because I heard that sunscreen was pretty expensive and didn't know if that was the same for bug repellent and for some reason I changed that to hard to find
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Sep 10, 2010 16:54
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Tomato Soup posted:And I had to pay $30 then $40 for my anti malarials I took Doxycycline or whatever it's called as my malaria medicine. The cute girl at the pharmacy counter gave me a weird look when I got the prescription for it, and when I got home I found out it's also the same stuff they use to cure syphilis and gonorrhea. I got that instead of the normal stuff since you can start taking it on the plane ride down there (I was on a bit of an accelerated schedule). But yeah $11.75 plus some tax of some sort at Walmart for a 90 day supply in a bottle as big as your fist. Just make sure you drink it with a liter of water
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Sep 10, 2010 17:20
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Why specifically does there seem to be Costa Rica dislike in this thread? Is it just because the place is commercialized and too popular? Anecdotally, I've known far more people who have spent significant time in Costa Rica than Mexico and I live 45 minutes from Mexico. Is the country just packed full of early 20 somethings trying to find themselves and "working" with some non-profit? Anyway, just because its popular does it not make it worthwhile? If I've been to other places South America, does Costa Rica really offer anything new? I was thinking of going for a few weeks, I've never been.
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Sep 10, 2010 18:21
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It's full of every Tom, Dick and Harry that has a US passport. Something about it attracts the worst type of US travelers, unfortunately.
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Sep 10, 2010 21:44
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First off, Costa Rica is not in South America. Tourism in other parts of Central America isn't very well developed, and many people like that fact. Touring in Tikal or Granada feels like an adventure. Trekking outside of La Ceiba or Masaya will make you feel like Indiana Jones. Heh, walking through San Salvador or San Pedro Sula might get you killed  Costa Rica, on the other hand, has very well-developed tourism. It's a bit too well-developed in my opinion. Tamarindo looks just like a small costal city in Orange County, California. Jacó is only good for pot and surfing. San Jose is a sex tourism capital on par with Bangkok and Manila. People looking for high adventure just won't find it in Costa Rica, and that makes a lot of people think Costa Rica isn't the "real" Central America. That said, I think Costa Rica's a great place to visit and a lot of fun. It's less strenuous and more relaxing that a vacation in nearby countries. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective.
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Sep 10, 2010 21:45
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Costa Rica is gorgeous but I didn't stay in any big tourist places so take that for what it's worth.
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Sep 11, 2010 21:29
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Would anyone be able to recommend any interesting train rides in Ecuador? Seeing as the one in Riobamba is gone, what else is there that's considered relatively exciting? Destinations can be anywhere, really. I've only seen Guayaquil and now I'm currently in Cuenca. I've asked around and people don't seen to know anything. I haven't taken a train ride on this trip yet and I'm getting the itch!
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Sep 16, 2010 21:41
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My wife and I are about to head to Chile for about 22 days. The last 6 or so will be in the Vina del Mar and Valparaisio area. We will land in Santiago, and thinking that we will head up to Atacama for a couple days, then down to the Lakes District with a trip to Bariloche in Argentina. Does anyone have any tips, things we will miss, or must sees? We won't be able to make it down to Torres del Paine because of time and expense. Also, we will be there in October, which might make it too cold. Would love to hear some thoughts.
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Sep 21, 2010 03:14
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capability posted:My wife and I are about to head to Chile for about 22 days. The last 6 or so will be in the Vina del Mar and Valparaisio area. We will land in Santiago, and thinking that we will head up to Atacama for a couple days, then down to the Lakes District with a trip to Bariloche in Argentina. Does anyone have any tips, things we will miss, or must sees? "Atacama" is fairly vague and huge. Do you mean the desert, in which case there's at least three cities, a few dozen towns, and several sights to see? Or just the region, in which case it's still a city, not the hardcore desert, and still a lot of sights? Also I don't see any time dedicated to Santiago, which I guess is okay if you're used to big cities being "boring" but Santiago has a lot to see for a tourist. It's huge and full of interesting sites. It's much more interesting than Vina at any rate. Valparaiso you could see in probably 2-3 days, honestly, unless you just LOVE! beaches I would recommend dedicating less than 6 days to those two. Vina is basically a tourist trap. Chile is basically one of those countries with a million things to do, which I think most tourists don't understand. It's hard to give you "must sees" with no other qualifications, since it's pretty varied and it's deceptively long travel times if you're not flying. So how are you planning to travel? If you're going to be driving you'll spend like half your time here doing that, honestly, since Chile is very very long. As for tips: you won't understand the spanish unless you're a native level speaker, guaranteed, unless people make an effort to speak clearly for you. If you're one of those people proud of their basic spanish, prepare to be humbled! Chilean food isn't very interesting, but there are a few nice things to try that are typical, like humitas (like tamales), mote con huesillo (a weird drink with peaches and some sort of grain), empanadas (not like the mexican ones), ceviche, and lots of varied seafood. Bariloche is actually kind of "meh", honestly. The chocolate is tasty and it's okay in general, but it's kind of run down in lots of places. If you're going to "pop over" to Argentina I'd recommend Mendoza over Bariloche. Basically: your plans seem very vague and possibly underestimating the size of Chile and the amount of things to see. You'll need to give some more details if you want better help.
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Sep 24, 2010 13:44
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é.
murex fucked around with this message at 21:35 on Sep 30, 2017 |
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Sep 29, 2010 03:47
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masterfly posted:Would anyone be able to recommend any interesting train rides in Ecuador? Seeing as the one in Riobamba is gone, what else is there that's considered relatively exciting? Destinations can be anywhere, really. I've only seen Guayaquil and now I'm currently in Cuenca. I expect that this is probably a bit late for you, but just in case... There are lots of train options in Ecuador besides the Devil's Nose (supposed to be up and running again by October, but looking increasingly unlikely). Around Guayaquil there is the recently restored Duran - Yaguachi steam train. Weekends only if I remember rightly. There's also the Quito - Latacunga train which runs through Cotopaxi. Another, more touristy train is up in the northern regions. It's called the Chaski Antawa Messenger train and it toddles along from Ibarra to Salinas. If you're looking for somewhere nice but not too expensive to stay in the region try Hosteria Pantavi. This is the offical trains website to check stuff on: http://www.ferrocarrilesdelecuador.gob.ec/ Hope that's useful!
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Sep 29, 2010 23:14
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Anybody know about altitude sickness or had experience with it? I'm laid up in my hostel bed in Cusco atm due to it now Today is my fourth day so I'll be seeing how I feel soon. Even spent a couple of days in Arequipa to help me acclimatize. Already went to a clinic two days and received medicine and oxygen to help with it. Going to go to Machu Picchu via train soon which should help out a bit but I'm worried about the rest of my trip which has me going to Lake Titicaca, La Paz, and Uyuni The doctor at the clinic said I probably could do it after I finish my meds but I would need to use portable oxygen which I'm not too keen on. I was thinking of possibly heading back to Lima after Machu Picchu if I'm not feeling better and trying to pick up a Brazil visa (any Americans have experience in getting a Brazil visa while in SA?) and heading to Iquitos and going to Brazil from there and heading to Buenos Aires where I fly out in December. I just feel so poo poo about missing out on stuff I wanted to do Already contacted my doctor back home about it so I just want to hear other people's experiences.
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Sep 30, 2010 15:33
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Tomato Soup posted:Anybody know about altitude sickness or had experience with it? I'm laid up in my hostel bed in Cusco atm due to it now When I had it I ended up taking no medication. I was in the Rockies in the US though. I just rested, stayed at a slightly lower altitude and drank lots and lots and lots of water. Sorry to hear about how bad you have it. Seriously, water and rest at altitude will help a lot.
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Sep 30, 2010 20:56
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Tomato Soup posted:Anybody know about altitude sickness or had experience with it? I'm laid up in my hostel bed in Cusco atm due to it now From what I know, chocolate and coca leaves (lol) are good ways to fight it, though I don't personally get it so this is just hearsay. If you've never been to these kind of heights before it's pretty likely/common, so don't feel bad! Even people who grew up 3000 feet over sea level sometimes get woozy in Peru/Bolivia.
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Sep 30, 2010 21:57
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Tomato Soup posted:Anybody know about altitude sickness or had experience with it? From what I have read the scientists and doctors don't understand why altitude affects some more than others. They also say it can happen one time and not happen the next. Or not happen the first time but happen the next time. They say it has nothing to do with physical fitness (at least the headache part). But they do advise drinking water and the locals like to claim coca helps. In my experience the first time I visited La Paz I had constant migraine headaches for days. Over time it eventually went away and only experienced it a few short times during the rest of the trip. On another trip to Cusco four years later I could definitely feel the minor affects but had no headaches. And then another year later I went back to La Paz and had no headaches. I think you should just drink a ton of water, take the occasional Tylenol, and stick it out for a bit longer to see if your body adjusts.
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Oct 1, 2010 03:42
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I´m not sure how much the news has spread of what´s going on in Ecuador right now, specifically Quito with the police. Recently the president of Ecuador changed the way promotions are handled and the time that they are given to all police forces in the country. Police receive a bonus and an upgrade to their benefits every 5 years but after a recent change to 7 years and removal of some benefits there was suddenly enough of a reason to lash out against the government by going on strike. This shut down the banks, borders and airport for a day. The strange thing is it wasn´t just a few areas or select cities that went on strike, it was the entire country. The short of the story is that the police revolted and immediately kidnapped President Correa by tear gassing his guards and everyone else while he was standing in the plaza. He was held hostage in the hospital by the police and the defense minister called the military shortly after. On CNN you could see shots being fired and innocent civilians dropping to the ground while the military ambushed the hospital. After several hours they rescued the president and brought him back safely to the palace. This just happened yesterday and the tension here is a little alarming. The article can be read here http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/30/ecuador.unrest/ Today the police still loyal to Correa went back to work and the group that pulled this stunt are slowly being caught. I walked by an office today that was being raided by military with rebels being dragged outside. Wish I had my camera for that. Here´s a few shots I took on my camera today (day after kidnapping) and the military stands in the plaza blocking off everyone from entry.        I wouldn´t let this stop anyone from coming to visit Ecuador if they had plans. A lot of the police are still working and people are still walking around doing their daily lives pretending to ignore the issue. Restaurants were packed this evening and the clubs are full of salsa dancing as usual. Business is still business whether there are police or not. It´s just a matter of how this situation gets resolved in the end because lets face it, this is the police we´re talking about here. Sorry if these are breaking tables masterfly fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Oct 2, 2010 |
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Oct 2, 2010 06:18
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I just got back from Machu Picchu and the descent made me feel great, it was kind of nice to be able to walk at my normal pace when I got back to Cusco a hour ago. Mate de coca is awesome I'm going to go to Lake Titicaca on Sunday and see how it works out. Should be ok for the rest of the trip, I think. Thanks for the advice, guys! Was worried that this meant that I couldn't go to Nepal and the like in the future along with the trip being screwed up
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Oct 2, 2010 06:19
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Tomato Soup posted:I just got back from Machu Picchu and the descent made me feel great, it was kind of nice to be able to walk at my normal pace when I got back to Cusco a hour ago. Mate de coca is awesome The more time you spend in high altitude the less likely it is you'll get altitude sickness, so just keep going to high up places.
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Oct 2, 2010 13:34
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masterfly posted:Ecuador Wow. I read a quick article on this yesterday but your photos really make it more alive and real. Thanks for that and please post if the situation changes. Are the police in Ecuador setup as one group for the whole country?
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Oct 2, 2010 19:04
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masterfly posted:I wouldn´t let this stop anyone from coming to visit Ecuador if they had plans. A lot of the police are still working and people are still walking around doing their daily lives pretending to ignore the issue. Restaurants were packed this evening and the clubs are full of salsa dancing as usual. Business is still business whether there are police or not. It´s just a matter of how this situation gets resolved in the end because lets face it, this is the police we´re talking about here. I'm glad to hear you say that. My flight leaves LAX Thursday night/Friday morning and my family is freaking out right now. I was hoping if things were still crazy, I could get the flight changed to Costa Rica or Peru or something. But as of yesterday, neither the airlines or Orbitz wanted to get me a straight answer on what they would be willing to do. I'm hoping things remain calm for a while, otherwise I'm going to have to figure something out.
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Oct 2, 2010 23:58
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Pusscat posted:Trains! Thank you so much. Nobody knows anything about the trains in Ecuador and I think taking a train ride would be much more interesting and exciting to travel than bus bus bus. I guess the question of "Are there any trains in Ecuador?" sounds ridiculous but seriously, nobody knows anything that I ask. I´ll keep the link for future reference. Falco posted:I'm glad to hear you say that. My flight leaves LAX Thursday night/Friday morning and my family is freaking out right now. I was hoping if things were still crazy, I could get the flight changed to Costa Rica or Peru or something. But as of yesterday, neither the airlines or Orbitz wanted to get me a straight answer on what they would be willing to do. I´m still in Quito and honestly I wouldn´t worry about it. The whole situation itself is pretty bad but the streets are still packed of locals. I walked around for hours yesterday and we felt as safe as any other day. Seeing the military presence only adds to the excitement. Not that I want a death wish. I know you´re hoping for things to remain calm and this is where I can´t give you an answer, it could go either way. I´m staying in new Quito in a great little place called The Blue House. So peaceful over here. If you´re too worried maybe just come here, you´ll probably enjoy it. PlesantDilemma posted:Are the police in Ecuador setup as one group for the whole country? On CNN here each city was being reported one after another that the police were on strike, especially in Guayaquil. I don´t know if they are setup as a single group for the whole country but the whole thing almost seemed TOO planned. I think this was something they had been talking about for weeks or even months before actually doing it. How often does a president get kidnapped? Such a weird situation.
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Oct 3, 2010 02:52
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I've lived and taught in SE Asia for almost two years, and I feel it's time to make a move. I'm leaning toward Bolivia. Since this thread is huge and will take me some time to get through, let me ask here; is there anyone currently living in Bolivia? Anyone with long-term stay experience, specifically as a teacher (non-volunteer)? Any info is of use.
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Oct 3, 2010 17:59
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Astian posted:I've lived and taught in SE Asia for almost two years, and I feel it's time to make a move. I'm leaning toward Bolivia. Since this thread is huge and will take me some time to get through, let me ask here; is there anyone currently living in Bolivia? Anyone with long-term stay experience, specifically as a teacher (non-volunteer)? I have never met or heard of anyone teaching in Bolivia. My first guess is that most opportunities would exist in Bolivia's other capital, Santa Cruz which from what i understand is the economic hub of the country. But it's also much less indigenous and I think all the stereotypical images thought of Bolivia would not be so present there. I think your best bet is to search online for jobs just to have an idea of the pay and conditions. From a few minutes of research it looks like you won't earn more than $800/month or something like $4-$7 per hour. Bolivia is a place to visit but living there will probably take most people way out of their comfort zone. SE Asia cannot even compare.
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Oct 3, 2010 18:21
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DustingDuvet posted:I have never met or heard of anyone teaching in Bolivia. My first guess is that most opportunities would exist in Bolivia's other capital, Santa Cruz which from what i understand is the economic hub of the country. But it's also much less indigenous and I think all the stereotypical images thought of Bolivia would not be so present there.
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Oct 3, 2010 21:33
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I'm actually unsure if Cambodia or Bolivia would be harder to live in.
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Oct 4, 2010 01:33
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Well from what I've been reading, Cambodia is significantly poorer (GDP per cap) and definitely more politically and historically hosed. Outside of sub-Saharan Africa, stats don't really get much worse than Cambodia. But anyway, I didn't come into this thread to compare SE Asia to S America. If you've been in Bolivia and found it difficult, tell me why so that I can better prepare myself.
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Oct 4, 2010 13:27
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Astian posted:If you've been in Bolivia and found it difficult, tell me why so that I can better prepare myself. Bolivia is my least favorite country I have been so while I really believe all of this I am obviously bias. Don't get me wrong its a really interesting country with so much to see and I would recommend Bolivia to anyone for its nature and indigenous culture. I absolutely loved seeing the Salar de Uyuni, the jungle in Rurrenabaque, and trekking through the remote mountains. I also enjoyed the interesting culture visiting the San Pedro Prison, mines, wrestling matches, mountain biking, and of course just walking around cities like La Paz. It's a fantastic place to go as a tourist. It would be one of the last places I would choose to live, especially La Paz. Living in such a high altitude makes walking a chore, especially since La Paz is really hilly. The altitude also means its really cold in the morning and evening. Heating is not prevalent at all. It's also annoying to spend time outdoors when the sun is so strong during the day. This doesn't seem like a big deal but its a lot more bothersome than it would seem. The locals in La Paz and most of Bolivia are unattractive. Really unattractive. If you're a normal guy this should be a pretty big deal. I saw less than a handful of cute girls my entire time there. The majority of people in Bolivia are really uneducated. This becomes a problem when trying to make a group of friends you would actually want to spend some time with. During the swine flu scare people went nuts wearing masks 24/7. I got kicked out of a cafe for coughing. People have asked me what I think about the world ending in 2012. It's really difficult to have normal conversations with people. People are incompetent at even the most basic jobs. Ask me about getting my visa into the country or eventually trying to leave the country. Bolivians are really reserved people and some really resent foreigners. My experience ranges from people absolutely ignoring me when asking for directions to vendors unwilling to sell something to me. Unlike many places nobody ever went out of their way to help. The service in Bolivia is horrendous. This includes big business and small businesses. As one of 5 patrons in a more expensive cafe I sat down and waited 20 minutes for a menu until I gave up as usual and walked to the register to ask for one. I ordered my food. I sat in a lawn chair and waited for a nearly half an hour until I could not be patient any more. I walked back to the register and inquired about my order. “Oh sorry we are out of eggs. Do you want to order something else?” I just ordered a drink instead. It never came so I walked out and the waiter asked me where I was going. I told them what happened and said I was going to get food somewhere else. This has happened many, many times ordering food in nicer restaurants and even set menu restaurants. Or how about a stadium concert ticket I bought. They canceled the rest of the tour in the country in advance because of swine flu but kept the 1 date I had a ticket for. When everyone got to entrance they decided to also cancel it last minute. Refunds were not possible. Or in the jungle their is a small airport which has been unpaved for over a decade now. Flights are often canceled when it rains for good reason but refunds are granted when flights are canceled. The entire process to get on a flight was so incompetent that I had to visit the airline's office every 4 hours each day to reserve my spot that after 3 days I never got. Getting a refund meant visiting 2 different offices in the city. Or I visited a prison which has become a tourist attraction, so much that foreigners are no longer allowed. I tried anyways because I figured the people working would be incompetent and sure enough they let me in. English, even the most basic English is rarely spoken. This is not a problem for me but maybe for you? Its unhygienic in Bolivia. This is common in developing countries but I think it has less to do with being poor and more about being uneducated. You will get sick from many restaurants. People smell. Violent crime is supposed to be very prevalent. I never had any problems myself except for a man on the bus trying to touch me inappropriately. The quality of food is pretty poor. Bad quality meat (besides llamas/alpacas) because of the altitude and very little seafood because of no oceans. Seriously I would be happy living in any other country in South America but just not Bolivia. Peru is similar enough but better in just about every other way. Not to mention ESL jobs don't really seem to exist in Bolivia. The $800 seems to be on the high end of salaries, and not average.
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Oct 4, 2010 23:50
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Yeah, I wasn't really impressed by La Paz either to be honest, though it sounds like I had a better time than you did DustingDuvet. We lucked out & managed to stay with a family friend - I didn't realize until afterwards that they were seriously loving loaded, by local standards. Apparently Santa Cruz is quite nice though, I was disappointed not to have had the chance to check it out. Interesting things that happened there: -Our 'guide' when mountain biking was a coke addict who'd quit rehab the week before & it was his first day on the job. His 'experience' didn't really count for much when my friend fell over & broke his collar bone, but hotboxing the van driving back up the death road with the French dudes who were with us was pretty sweet. - Getting chased out of a shop by a butcher holding a meatcleaver after refusing to pay 300 bolivianos (~$40 USD) for about 250 grams of ham. - Our bus going back to Peru from La Paz got stopped at the border, and ripped apart by customs, revealing literally thousands of pairs of fake shoes in the frame of the bus that somebody was trying to smuggle to Cuzco/wherever.
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Oct 5, 2010 03:10
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Bolivia is the poorest of the Andean nations, has MASSIVE economic inequality so raw numbers of gdp per capita are going to be skewed at best, is basically the location of a war between the president and private enterprise (I exaggerate a bit, but private industry controls half the country and the president has been *trying* to trim that down), is a country at the absolute whim of its neighbors which doesn't let it develop much, etc. As was said, it's probably the least educated country in south america due to the majority of the country being mega poor and almost all indigenous people being oppressed by industry. Also the height thing IS a big deal, consider that even argentinians/peruvians/chileans have problems with La Paz's altitude, and these are people that grew up by the Andes, often ON the Andes. If you really want to live in South America, I'd pick another country, really! a japanese pop icon fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 05:02
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Well this information is a bit discouraging. A lot of people said the same sort of things about Cambodia though, and I ended up loving it. Still, I'll keep other countries open as options. The school I'm looking at right now pays $5 per hour. From the cost of living quotes of seen, I think I would be okay on that; what do you guys think? I've also been reading more about altitude sickness and it's a little scary--I'm leaning more toward Santa Cruz now.
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Oct 5, 2010 13:42
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All right, my research is branching out into Colombia now, partially because I think I have exhausted the web's meager supply of expat info on Bolivia. Lived in Colombia or have strong opinions on the country? Let me know. From reading this thread it seems quite a few of you really like the place. Some things I've read about the the big Colombian cities make it sound almost too clean and orderly, though. Bogota looks amazing, but I am seeking something a bit gritty (hence my initial gravitation toward Bolivia). I should note that things like sanitation, hosed up political situations, mild danger (within limits--I don't have a death wish) and general incompetency of the population don't deter me. Friendliness of the people, semi-decent nightlife, general bizarreness, street life/color and chaos--this is what I am looking for. Oh, and the ability to live very cheaply.
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Oct 5, 2010 17:46
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You could live in Bolivia on $15 day and probably less depending on how frugal you are. I have never been to Santa Cruz but from what I understand it's hardly like the rest of the country. If you go to Santa Cruz it seems like you would end up in a lovely capital similar to those in Central America. Colombia is personally my favorite country and Bogota is an excellent choice. Friendly people, decent nightlife, and lots of character. I have been there a ton of times and I know other Goons have also so let me know know if you have any questions. I'm actually going back in a few weeks to live there for the next 4 months
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Oct 5, 2010 18:11
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Astian posted:All right, my research is branching out into Colombia now, partially because I think I have exhausted the web's meager supply of expat info on Bolivia. Lived in Colombia or have strong opinions on the country? Let me know. From reading this thread it seems quite a few of you really like the place. Pretty much every city in south america has an air of "gritty" to it. Colombia is actually pretty safe in the big cities, just don't go out into the country. For nightlife, I think it's something like Brazil > Argentina > Colombia > Venezuela > Chile, but don't quote me on that. Brazil is definitely the most nightlife, and it's "gritty" as hell, so maybe consider that unless you really want Spanish. Brazil is hands down the most beautiful country in South America, too. It does have slightly higher cost of living, though. It's also definitely the most bizarre, has friendly people, and tons of "color" and definitely chaos. To be honest most of your criteria are nebulous at best, but I would definitely recommend Brazil. a japanese pop icon fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 21:19
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a japanese pop icon posted:Pretty much every city in south america has an air of "gritty" to it. Colombia is actually pretty safe in the big cities, just don't go out into the country. And yes, my criteria's quite nebulous, but I'm not looking for anything specific, and so it's essentially accurate. edit: the "cheap" criterion mentioned must be taken into account in relation to the average salary of a moderately-qualified English teacher. From what I'm reading this is generally balanced throughout S. America, with La Paz having utterly poo poo salaries but being dirt cheap, while Bogota is relatively pricey but pays quite handsomely. Colombia in particular seems like a place where one could actually save money as a mid-level teacher if one so desired, since according to the random sages of numerous internet forums there is a lack of native English speakers in the education sector. Perhaps the whole narco/guerilla thing scares them away. Astian fucked around with this message at 22:38 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 22:21
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Astian posted:Brazil would actually be my top choice, since it's the only S. American country where I actually know people and I've heard amazing things about it, but the primary "productive" goal of this expedition is to achieve fluency in Spanish, so unless that goal changes for some reason, I'm looking elsewhere. If it weren't for the language factor, I'd be on a plane to Sao Paulo as soon as I tied up loose ends in Phnom Penh. Almost all of south america is gonna have similar purchasing power for an English teacher as far as I know, so you might as well go to the nicer countries where the "cheap" things are nicer! Ie: Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile. Maybe Ecuador? It has great food! I honestly do not recommend Bolivia or Peru, I've never met anyone who actually wanted to live there. Lima is a grey shithole and Bolivia in general is a shithole. What are your qualifications, by the way? If you've got a post-grad degree you could probably try for international schools, which pay super well and will create connections for working abroad. a japanese pop icon fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 23:04
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