|
In December I'm going to be in Iquitos from at least the 15th to the 23rd. I realized that I could potentially spend another couple weeks seeing Peru before I have to be back for classes during the second week of January. The problem is I've already booked my round trip through AA. How hard (and costly?) is it to change my flight itinerary when I'm in Iquitos? At the moment I'm flying out of Iquitos -> Lima -> US, but if I decide to stay longer I'd want to end up in Cuzco to see ancient sites. I'm still making a decision, but I've never backpacked anywhere and have no idea what to expect. I have been abroad to China, Austria and Germany before but I've never traveled alone. Edit* I realized this was more of a general airfare question. I'm also looking for ideas on what to see because I'd like to spend at least a few days to a week in Iquitos after the 23rd and perhaps the same amount of time in Cuzco.
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2013 03:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 02:46 |
|
|
I know american airlines in particular will not book a round trip ticket with a duration of longer than 30 days. See if you can convert your ticket to a one world visit south america package
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2013 03:40
|
|
|
What is the best way to get the best rates for hostels in Puerto Rico? If it's possible, I'd like to book this stuff in advance so I don't have to worry about that while I'm there. I'm looking to go in mid to late January.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2013 04:03
|
|
|
CatchrNdRy posted:I did a month volunteering in Quito a few years ago. I know there are a ton of groups, but just out of curiosity, who are you with and what are you doing? I'm with a small organization called the Tandana Foundation. We work with the Kichwa communities around Otavalo. I'm one of the long term volunteers teaching English, science and typing in a small community and I'm living with a host family. We also do volunteer vacations where we do a week of clinics in rural communities as well as gardening vacations. Randomly it also has a chapter in Mali as the director lived there for a while and really liked the culture. It's definitely been a really cool experience, a cheap way to live abroad, learn spanish and experience a culture completely different from my own.
|
|
#
?
Oct 24, 2013 14:52
|
|
|
I'm almost through the Chihuahuan Desert! Gonna spend the last few days camping on my way to Saltillo. Any recommendations on a good bike route that gets me to Oaxaca? I'm trying to avoid big cities.
|
|
#
?
Oct 24, 2013 18:36
|
|
|
Hadlock posted:I know american airlines in particular will not book a round trip ticket with a duration of longer than 30 days. I've booked round trip tickets on AA with a duration of more than 30 days. The most I've done is 7 weeks.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2013 01:31
|
|
|
I've been in Mexico City for a few weeks now. I know roughly about Día de Muertos... but can anyone explain to me the fireworks going on in the city right *now*? They started yesterday afternoon and have been going non-stop ever since... like all through the night, like serious commercial-grade "I'm going to the fireworks show!" type and into today as well. I'm hearing them go off every 30 seconds. All I can find is that today is Día de San Judas Tadeo but googling around has given me little info and I see a lot of locals equally confused and annoyed on Twitter. How long do the fireworks usually last? I'm being kind of a curmudgeonly old grump about them because I didn't get any sleep last night...I really WANT to understand it and respect it thought because I generally appreciate cultural celebrations.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2013 20:41
|
|
|
So I'm going to be traveling up from Ecuador into Colombia sometime here in late November (my tourist visa here will be expiring then) and I was looking to see what former travelers have the say about what to see and do. I have until December 17th (about 3 weeks total), and while I currently have a return flight from Quito, I might see about changing that to Bogota. Currently I have very little planned out, I plan on getting just to Ipiales the first day and seeing that church built over a gorge. From there I'd like to make it to Popayan the next day. From what I've read the road from Pasto to Popayan can be pretty dangerous at night, and buses are robbed regularly. I'd like to avoid that, so will it be pretty easy to make it from Ipiales to Popayan before night fall? From there I'm thinking of just heading up the Panamericana, have an idea of maybe making it to the Medellin, and from there taking a flight to Cartagena and then after that busing back to down to Bogota. Like I said, my plans at the moment are really open, so any advice people have would be great. I've been living the past 2 months in Ecuador in a village at about 10,000 FT so I wouldn't mind seeing some places a little lower and warmer.
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2013 18:06
|
|
|
ShaggiusPrime posted:So I'm going to be traveling up from Ecuador into Colombia sometime here in late November (my tourist visa here will be expiring then) and I was looking to see what former travelers have the say about what to see and do. I have until December 17th (about 3 weeks total), and while I currently have a return flight from Quito, I might see about changing that to Bogota. Currently I have very little planned out, I plan on getting just to Ipiales the first day and seeing that church built over a gorge. From there I'd like to make it to Popayan the next day. From what I've read the road from Pasto to Popayan can be pretty dangerous at night, and buses are robbed regularly. I'd like to avoid that, so will it be pretty easy to make it from Ipiales to Popayan before night fall? Ipiales to Popayan should be okay. We went from Popayan to Ipiales. Then at the bus station at Ipiales took a shared taxi to Las Lajas (the church) made it back to Ipiales with a shared taxi and then continued to cross to border and head over to Otavalo. We did this all in one day, so it should be okay. And you got to try the local empanadas in Popayan. The first time I got there I ordered 3 (I was used to medium sized ones) these ones are tiny so order a bunch more, they come with a peanut like sauce and this one popular spot on the corner you can seem them being handmade in the back.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2013 08:53
|
|
|
ShaggiusPrime posted:From there I'm thinking of just heading up the Panamericana, have an idea of maybe making it to the Medellin, and from there taking a flight to Cartagena and then after that busing back to down to Bogota. I'll be in Medellin 8-17 December learning Spanish. Let me know if you're up for a SA SA meet.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2013 18:20
|
|
|
This the place to ask about the Caribbean too? Going to be staying in Cuba (Veradero) for a week this month. Never really traveled much, just to Jamaica for a week a couple years ago. Anyone have some suggestions for day trips/things to do while I'm there? Not really interested in cities, I'd prefer more caves (looks like a few near/in Matanzas), old mobster hangouts, snorkeling, kayaking, wildlife/outdoor tours, and probably the two ecological reserves not far from the resort.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2013 03:47
|
|
|
Any suggestions on a great travel pillow or pillow alternative? Preferably easy to clean.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2013 03:55
|
|
|
Anyone ever been to Real de Catorce? Is it worth the mile-high climb?
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2013 06:04
|
|
|
Pvt Dancer posted:I'll be in Medellin 8-17 December learning Spanish. Let me know if you're up for a SA SA meet. If I'm Medellin during that time I'll let you know, as I'd be happy to meet up
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2013 14:36
|
|
|
Pvt Dancer posted:I'll be in Medellin 8-17 December learning Spanish. Let me know if you're up for a SA SA meet. What's your setup for learning Spanish there? Going to a special language school, enrolled in a local university, tutors, or just bumming & talking to locals?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 03:59
|
|
|
I have a private tutor for a few hours a day and not much to do for the rest. Because I'm staying in a hostel I'll need to find some other opportunities to talk to get the most out of it. Already know Portuguese though and not that interested in becoming fluent so probably end up just drinking a lot.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 19:16
|
|
|
I just found this threat, great resource! I am planning on doing 4 days in Rio > 2 days Iguaza > 8 days Buenos Aires. 1) What are some attractions that I should definitely see in each place? 2) Will I be able to get to a soccer game in either Rio or BsA? 3) Where should I stay in BsA? Palermo? Specific Hostel? 4) What should I wear to blend in and not stick out too much? 5) How much should I budget per day? I really appreciate it!
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2013 22:52
|
|
|
For Buenos Aires: -Check out the ridiculous cemetery with the tomb stones of the rich and famous in La Recolecta. -Go to the former working class neighborhood of La Boca. Words won't do it justice so look up pictures. -If you're into opera or the arts, BsA has one of the best opera buildings in the world ranked by some metric that I have forgotten. Normally, you can book a tour there in the day, but it is better to go to whatever is being performed there at night. It's cheaper than a day tour. -Lastly, check out the night life. To stay I recommend either the Estoril Terraza or Milhouse Avenida. The latter is more young traveler oriented. As for Iguazu, there's only the waterfall there which can be seen in a day.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2013 02:17
|
|
|
Milhouse Avenida is okay, but Milhouse Hipólito has better parties, better staff and if you're lucky enough to get a room next to the porn theatre you'll be treated to all night basslines and moaning almost as if it was in the room with you 
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2013 12:10
|
|
|
How is it that flights to Columbia are so darn cheap? ($430!) Is there something crazy going on there? When I was in Thailand during their political nonsense in Bangkok, i saw prices drop to about the same.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 22:15
|
|
|
chockomonkey posted:How is it that flights to Columbia are so darn cheap? ($430!) About this time last year I was able to swing a round trip ticket to Colombia for $380 from Dallas including taxes and luggage via spirit airlines. I spent more on airfare than I did on hostel/food/land travel in a week there, do it!
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 23:45
|
|
|
Pvt Dancer posted:I have a private tutor for a few hours a day and not much to do for the rest. Because I'm staying in a hostel I'll need to find some other opportunities to talk to get the most out of it. Already know Portuguese though and not that interested in becoming fluent so probably end up just drinking a lot. I'd appreciate a trip report on how well it goes with a tutor. I think doing a stay in latin america for a few weeks to vacation & learn the language seems like a cool idea.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 00:29
|
|
|
PlesantDilemma posted:I'd appreciate a trip report on how well it goes with a tutor. I think doing a stay in latin america for a few weeks to vacation & learn the language seems like a cool idea. Ah I just cancelled my trip, or postponed rather. Going somewhere in January or February when I have time because I'm absolutely swamped in work right now. Lost my airmiles as well  Doing vacation and language learning was my intention also, although I know Portuguese fairly well so Spanish is easy. I've been using duolingo to get up my vocabulary and arranged a tutor through some website I found, who knows if it's actually good. On the other hand I just wanted to force myself to speak a few hours a day, even if it's shooting the poo poo that'll help a lot.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 01:14
|
|
|
chockomonkey posted:How is it that flights to Columbia are so darn cheap? ($430!) That's a bit annoying for me, as I've been looking at flights from Quito to Bogota (a less then 2 hour flight) and everything's about $300 usually with a ridiculous layover, so I'll be taking the bus instead. Airfare! I think everything's fine in Colombia at the moment, there was some pretty big protests a couple of months ago, and a lot of the roads were blockaded. I met a couple who had to walk around a blockade to get to one of the only buses that was being allowed on the road. This was after 2 hours being stuck in a town. I'll be heading up there this Thursday, if there's any trouble I can post something. Looking forward to the trip though, from everything I've heard Colombia's supposed to be incredible.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 15:04
|
|
|
So I was planning on a solo trip next January for around 5 months. Flying into Guatemala, traveling overland (and boat for the Darién gap) to Peru. I don’t speak any Spanish so I was planning on around a month in a Spanish school in Guatemala. Does this seem a reasonable distance to cover in that time? I know I'm not going to see everything in the countries I travel through(from this thread sounds like I don’t need long in Costa Rica), but I don’t want to be rushing around too much.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2013 18:33
|
|
|
Should be fine. I'd focus on studying some Spanish before you go, the Michel Thomas CDs are spectacular and I'd definitely give them a go to get a grasp of the grammar. Then you just need to fill in the vocab holes, grab Anki for that.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2013 19:01
|
|
|
ANYTHING YOU SOW posted:So I was planning on a solo trip next January for around 5 months. Flying into Guatemala, traveling overland (and boat for the Darién gap) to Peru. I don’t speak any Spanish so I was planning on around a month in a Spanish school in Guatemala. Does this seem a reasonable distance to cover in that time? I know I'm not going to see everything in the countries I travel through(from this thread sounds like I don’t need long in Costa Rica), but I don’t want to be rushing around too much. No problem, you can probably see and do a ton in four months even. Consider a bicycle.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2013 19:35
|
|
|
Sad Panda posted:Should be fine. I'd focus on studying some Spanish before you go, the Michel Thomas CDs are spectacular and I'd definitely give them a go to get a grasp of the grammar. Then you just need to fill in the vocab holes, grab Anki for that. Yeah I’m going to try and get a bit of Spanish down before hand, I’ll look into the Michel Thomas CDs. I’ve done a bit of Duolingo which seems good so far. Aliquid posted:No problem, you can probably see and do a ton in four months even. Consider a bicycle. I do like the sound of cycling, but wasn't sure how dangerous the roads round there are for cyclists, and it does mean you’ve got to look after a bicycle, which could be a hassle /reduce your flexibility.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2013 22:13
|
|
|
ANYTHING YOU SOW posted:Yeah I’m going to try and get a bit of Spanish down before hand, I’ll look into the Michel Thomas CDs. I’ve done a bit of Duolingo which seems good so far. A bicycle from Guatemala might get you to Colombia in 4 months if you're fairly fit and seeing a bit of stuff, you wouldn't get the whole way without rushing and basically spending all day sat on a bike which is less fun than it sounds, especially if you hit rainy season or a headwind that lasts for the last 2,500km like this one I've been having fun with has.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2013 03:19
|
|
|
Can anyone chime in on their experience at the Comalapa International airport? I have a one hour layover that is international to international. Will they have me go through security again there or will one hour be enough time? Looks like the airport itself isn't too big or daunting...
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2013 20:55
|
|
|
If it's like any other airport in the world, yeah you will have to fully exit and re-enter with all your luggage + pay some sort of stupid tourist fee regardless of your 45 minute duration I hate the Lima airport 
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2013 23:01
|
|
|
Hadlock posted:If it's like any other airport in the world, yeah you will have to fully exit and re-enter with all your luggage + pay some sort of stupid tourist fee regardless of your 45 minute duration But you can buy Alpaca sweaters!
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2013 01:35
|
|
|
Sad Panda posted:A bicycle from Guatemala might get you to Colombia in 4 months if you're fairly fit and seeing a bit of stuff, you wouldn't get the whole way without rushing and basically spending all day sat on a bike which is less fun than it sounds, especially if you hit rainy season or a headwind that lasts for the last 2,500km like this one I've been having fun with has. I've been keeping the slowest pace imaginable (plenty of injuries, sicknesses and lazy time) and I've gotten 2200km south of Ausitn, TX in about six weeks. I'm planning to do Guatemala City to Cartagena in about two months maximum, since there isn't a lot to see. Gonna take my time in Colombia and Venezuela, though. vv Thanks for this! I've been traveling with a couple hardcore Polish cyclists I ran into in Saltillo, and they were planning to skip down the coast toward Cartagena on motorboats, too. Sounds better than hanging with drunk Aussies on the $500 yacht trip. i say swears online fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Dec 7, 2013 |
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2013 21:58
|
|
|
Aliquid posted:I've been keeping the slowest pace imaginable (plenty of injuries, sicknesses and lazy time) and I've gotten 2200km south of Ausitn, TX in about six weeks. I'm planning to do Guatemala City to Cartagena in about two months maximum, since there isn't a lot to see. Gonna take my time in Colombia and Venezuela, though. I guess. If you've never been to Guatemala before then places like Xela, Antigua, Tikal, Huehue and Atitlan can easily take 2-3 weeks to enjoy and ride to and from. In Salvador I was in Santa Ana for a few days, San Salvador for a few more. Honduras has a beautiful mountain road that goes from Santa Rosa via Gracias. Nicaragua has Leon and Granada as well as Ometepe and some nice beaches, and a lot of off the beaten path options. If you've got the money Costa Rica can take a few weeks. The Caribbean side of Panama is more interesting than the Pacific, and Bocas del Toro is a cool place to hang out. Then I went from Panama to Colombia via the San Blas and motorboats to Turbo so it was another 7-10 days to get up to Cartagena. Anyone cycling in that area should join the Panam-riders google group. It's a great resource.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2013 12:14
|
|
|
Post a picture of your pan american cycle please. Any issues getting parts for your 26"/700c bike? Tires/tubes etc
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2013 00:43
|
|
|
Hadlock posted:Post a picture of your pan american cycle please. http://domluther.smugmug.com/OneBikeOneWorld/South-America/6-French-Guiana/i-RjSF2pR/0/XL/CIMG1158-XL.jpg is from last week when I decided to push my bike along a hiking trail here in French Guiana. 26" is a much better option than 700c purely due to being able to get replacements. No matter how crap it is, it's better to have the option to buy something than not. That awful tyre might only last 500km, but that might be what you needed to get somewhere that has a better option. 700c just isn't available in most places. Schwalbe Marathon Mondials last for a good while, so a pair of those and a spare is good enough for 15,000km+.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2013 04:10
|
|
|
So I'm working out a 2 month plan for May and June. I'm thinking a month in Bolivia, a week or so in northern Chile (San Pedro and around) and the rest in northern-ish Argentina, Buenos Aires and Mendoza, maybe Rosario or Salta and Iguazú. Sound feasible? This will be autumn in Argentina so am I better off starting there to get the best of the weather?
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2013 22:44
|
|
|
From what I understand, Boliva is pretty sparse, I would cut that down to 3, maybe 2 weeks I really liked BA, I was there for two weeks and never ran out of things to do; Rosario was a lot of fun, I only spent two nights there (or maybe one really long night, I forget, Rosario has great night life). Cozy city by the river with a lot going on. You will want to do both sides of Iguazu if you can. Brazilian Visas can take a few weeks to get lined up, you have to send out your passport for them to manually apply the visa sticker if you're a US citizen.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2013 02:09
|
|
|
Hadlock posted:Post a picture of your pan american cycle please. Sad Panda posted:http://domluther.smugmug.com/OneBikeOneWorld/South-America/6-French-Guiana/i-RjSF2pR/0/XL/CIMG1158-XL.jpg is from last week when I decided to push my bike along a hiking trail here in French Guiana. Yeah, this I have experience with. I've been riding 700c 32mm Schwalbe Marathons, had a flat a few times because I've been run off the road by big-rigs in Northern Mexico, on roads with no shoulder that slope down to baby mesquite trees. Ugh. I anticipated this, and brought along FOUR spare tubes and a spare tire (a Continental Gatorskin, it's a slick and I was disappointed by that from the Amazon pic). Haven't used the spare tire, patches have been enough to get me through. I didn't expect to see 700c wheels south of the Rio Grande, but I saw them in EVERY major city over 200,000 people. Monclova, Monterrey, Saltillo, Matehuala, Veracruz. I don't know what the gently caress these cyclist blogs are talking about when they opine about the lack of 700c wheel accessories. I have zero experience outside of Mexico, but what I've seen logically should mean that any Central American city over a million people will have parts I can find in little Matehuala, Mexico.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2013 05:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 02:46 |
|
|
Hadlock posted:From what I understand, Boliva is pretty sparse, I would cut that down to 3, maybe 2 weeks The Uyuni salt flats tour. Potosi silver mine. Amazon tours out in the east. Lake Titicaca and the islands are worth a couple of days. You can climb 6000m mountains out of La Paz (even as an enthusiastic amateur). La Paz is an interesting place to hang out too, and has some fun activities (Death Road etc.) There are some ruins around the south east but I'm not sure how impressive they are. I hesitate to recommend Sucre because there's nothing stand out there to do but it is a nice city if you end up going that way. Travelling there is slow though because the roads and busses suck. If you can afford to fly, do it. If you want to see whales/sea lions/penguins/seals Puerto Madryn in Argentina isn't too far south.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2013 12:24
|
|
