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hoiyes posted:Spend the whole time snorkeling in the Galapagos (seriously). Actually this is a really good idea.
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Aug 26, 2014 20:18
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Time Trial posted:We haven't looked into equador, it doesn't seem to offer the same interesting array of cultural resources or particularly interesting environments that the other countries do You think this because you haven't looked into it.
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Aug 26, 2014 21:34
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Yea my wife and I spent two weeks in Peru and Ecuador recently and they are both very different, very diverse places. Definitely wish we had more vacation time each year because we could have stayed for weeks more.
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Aug 26, 2014 21:38
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Time Trial posted:We looked at Bolovia and Peru but it seems like the major attractions (Salt Flats, Machi Pichu) are going to be rough and maybe impossible to get to in the rainy season. I was in Bolivia and Peru in (early) December and there were no problems with getting anywhere.
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Aug 29, 2014 20:13
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Slowly going through this thread, and it's full of great information. Thanks to everyone who's contributed. Planning a short-ish backpacking trip to Central America (or South America) Dec 19 - Jan 4. I'm not poorly travelled, but have never visited this part of the world. I'm thinking one week in Guatemala, one in Honduras? My temptation when travelling this far is always to visit more than one country– is this a bad plan here? The girlfriend is pushing Peru instead– any thought on how two weeks there would serve us in comparison? Would like to keep expenses on the low side, and I know some conversational Spanish (though I'll have to spend some time brushing up).
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Sep 4, 2014 21:16
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Going to Mexico for a month from December to January and I want to do some reading on all things Mexican especially things to see. Any recommendations?
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Sep 8, 2014 08:25
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Zochness posted:So my buddy and I are looking into traveling to Colombia next spring. I would want to do Bogota and another city like Medellin or Barranquilla. Goons who have been to Colombia before, what would you recommend? How does the exchange rate work because 100 USD is like 200,000 Colombian pesos or something? Would we be carrying around ridiculous amounts of money and would that be a safety risk? Any info would be awesome. I'm in Colombia right now, and I've been here for about 4 weeks. I haven't been too worried about my safety the whole time and I have gotten off the beaten path. So on currency: paper bills come in 1k, 2k, 5k, 10k, 20k, and 50k. When you go to an ATM you'll get 50k and maybe 10k and 20k. People hate giving change, especially for 50k bills. 1 USD is ~1860 pesos. I usually grab 280,000 (about 150 USD) from the ATM at a time (most limit at 300,000) and that sets me for a good 3 to 5 days. Bogota is cool poo poo. I flew in there from the states and I had to come back after my passport got stolen. I wasn't even mad. I think Bogota is as safe as any american city. I'm pretty white, and I had two minor altercations: one with a hobo on drugs, another while in the red light district. Nothing lost and no harm done. I didn't get altitude sick the first time I came in but the second time I was in bed for a whole day. You could rush through Bogota in 3 days if you like, but I would advise you to keep a loose itinerary while in Colombia. If you go in the spring Barranquilla has the second largest Carnival (behind Rio de Janero). But outside of that Barranquilla is universally despised. A lot of backpackers I've met love Medellin the most. I hear the weather is perfect, the people are fun, and the city is modern. I'm probably going to skip it. I'm not much in to the partying scene and I'm sure America has pretty modern cities. I like the outdoors and stuff. If you have specific questions about Colombia I could answer them or ask around while I'm here. If you want recommendations then just tell me the kinds of things you like.
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Sep 8, 2014 22:13
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Currently discussing the Inca trail over Christmas with a new lady (oooooooooooooooh). Looking to book earlier than later to secure a spot during our trip with a group. Any recommendations or referrals for the 4-5 day hike welcome. I would prefer my regular hiking boots that are more than broken in, but they're not waterproof. I see that rain is pretty common during that time. Has anybody done the trail that late in the Summer? Do I need to buy waterproof boots right now and start breaking them in?
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Sep 9, 2014 01:04
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Blinkman987 posted:Currently discussing the Inca trail over Christmas with a new lady (oooooooooooooooh). Looking to book earlier than later to secure a spot during our trip with a group. Any recommendations or referrals for the 4-5 day hike welcome. I would just bring a pair of Chacos, it's a rough trail to go over with boots.
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Sep 9, 2014 01:48
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Tight Booty Shorts posted:I would just bring a pair of Chacos, it's a rough trail to go over with boots. I've never done sandals in the rain, but I was in need of some decent sandals anyway and Steep & Cheap had them on sale for $47 this morning so I picked up a pair. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Sep 9, 2014 18:57
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Blinkman987 posted:I've never done sandals in the rain, but I was in need of some decent sandals anyway and Steep & Cheap had them on sale for $47 this morning so I picked up a pair. Thanks for the recommendation. They're pretty good in the rain, and they dry out super fast. I've gone hiking Cajas National Park in Ecuador an it's a like a cold, mountainous bog; super rainy and wet. If I would have brought boots I would have gotten trench-foot.
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Sep 9, 2014 19:10
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Engin3 posted:I'm in Colombia right now, and I've been here for about 4 weeks. I haven't been too worried about my safety the whole time and I have gotten off the beaten path. I spent time in Bogota last year I really liked the city. Good for walking and nice, hospitable folks. Nice looking women also. Does anyone have any current info on Argentina? How are the prices for accommodation and travel within Argentina with the current economic problems. I am planning a trip there, but it will depend on price.
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Sep 10, 2014 19:21
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Inflation is obviously there but with the dolar bue at around 14 things are cheap and it's far cheaper than Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay (the other 3 countries I've been in recently)
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Sep 10, 2014 23:32
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Sad Panda posted:Inflation is obviously there but with the dolar bue at around 14 things are cheap and it's far cheaper than Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay (the other 3 countries I've been in recently) Thanks, Sad Panda. Yeah, I heard last year on the South American trail that Brazil was the most expensive, and just plain expensive. (Not sure why that is.) I am planning on seein Rio, and some other cities (Sao Paolo) briefly, and then flying to Buenos Aires to start an Argentina and Urugay trip. Hope to travel slow, learn, and upgrage my Spanish by focused usage.
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Sep 10, 2014 23:38
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For me, Uruguay was more expensive than Brazil but then my style of travel is different. I'm doing this on a bicycle and so I'm really only able to compare food prices well.
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Sep 11, 2014 01:33
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Red_Fred posted:Going to Mexico for a month from December to January and I want to do some reading on all things Mexican especially things to see. Any recommendations? Go to the North. Nobody does, and you'll meet locals a lot easier than if you visited more touristy areas. Check out Real de Catorce and other sights in the Basin. That said, Oaxaca is the best place in Mexico by far and there's a reason all the tourists go there.
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Sep 11, 2014 03:31
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Sad Panda posted:For me, Uruguay was more expensive than Brazil but then my style of travel is different. I'm doing this on a bicycle and so I'm really only able to compare food prices well. Could you post a one or two paragraph of your experiences bicycling the Uruguay coast? I bounced up and down it for three days (that country is really small after Brazil) but only saw it by bus. My roommate graduates in a couple weeks and is looking at doing a bicycle tour of western europe or south america in the next six months.
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Sep 11, 2014 04:25
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Aliquid posted:Go to the North. Nobody does, and you'll meet locals a lot easier than if you visited more touristy areas. Check out Real de Catorce and other sights in the Basin. Oaxaca is on the list for sure as I want to surf Puerto Escondido. The north sounds interesting but the drug cartels make me a little nervous. Chiapas also sounds good. Any places that just aren't worth it? Any books you can recommend?
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Sep 11, 2014 04:34
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I'm thinking about spending some serious time in South America at the beginning of next year. I'll have about 10k I can lay down. I'm most interested in Argentina, and especially Buenos Aires. I'm an American, and I'd like to log a two months at least on the continent, with Buenos Aires as my home base most likely. What's the economic situation there like for tourists right now? Is it possible to stay there that long? Can I rent an apartment for 2-3 months as a tourist?
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Sep 14, 2014 03:42
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Red_Fred posted:Oaxaca is on the list for sure as I want to surf Puerto Escondido. The north sounds interesting but the drug cartels make me a little nervous. Chiapas also sounds good. Any places that just aren't worth it? When I'm done with mine, you can read it! I didn't get a chance to hit PE as it was in the wrong direction, but I went to Zipolite, Mazunte, Pochutla and Puerto Angel closeby. Excellent waves, lots of collective beaches within a day's hike that see a dozen people a year or less. Food was expensive, and way too many Germans. Up north, the cartels never reared their head at me, though they're talked about a lot. I didn't do touristy things and I wasn't actively involved in the transport or selling of large quantities of cocaine, nor was I Mexican law enforcement, so the likelihood of me encountering them was low. However, I did run into Zetas at a karaoke place in rural El Salvador and they do not gently caress around; I think the story is upthread. Pretty Boy Floyd posted:I'm thinking about spending some serious time in South America at the beginning of next year. I'll have about 10k I can lay down. I'm most interested in Argentina, and especially Buenos Aires. I'm an American, and I'd like to log a two months at least on the continent, with Buenos Aires as my home base most likely. What's the economic situation there like for tourists right now? Is it possible to stay there that long? Can I rent an apartment for 2-3 months as a tourist? You could survive there for two months on ten thousand Yuan. If that's your budget in USD, you can do anything you want that a normal middle-class vacationer would do.
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Sep 15, 2014 06:43
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So I'm going to hopefully be going on an exchange soon to Latin America (for ~6 months) and I wanted some feedback. My first choice is to live in Santiago, as I'm really interested in Chilean history and culture, but I also know that Santiago is a gigantic ugly city for the most part. I'm also getting more interested in Mexico City, also a gigantic ugly city but one that sounds like it has a lot more charm and stuff going on, and I'm also looking at Querétaro in Mexico which just sounds like a nice place to live. Anyone who's lived in any of these want to help me out?
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Sep 17, 2014 21:45
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Red_Fred posted:Oaxaca is on the list for sure as I want to surf Puerto Escondido. The north sounds interesting but the drug cartels make me a little nervous. Chiapas also sounds good. Any places that just aren't worth it? Puerto Escondido is great. June through August is big-rear end season at Zicatela (Mexican Pipeline), but it's always decent there. Off-shore wind is consistent (like 340 days a year) from dawn till exactly 10:30 in the morning, when it shifts on-shore. There are a couple of nice points at Carrizalillo too, as well as La Punta (to the left of Zicatela). Be careful at Zicatela - it's a screamingly fast, big wave that breaks really shallow. It's put a lot of surfers in wheelchairs. There's an amazing break at Salina Cruz too, about an hour from Puerto Escondido. It's usually completely empty, whereas Zicatela can be a bit crowded. There are some clips on YouTube to check out.
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Sep 18, 2014 11:51
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TheImmigrant posted:There's an amazing break at Salina Cruz too, about an hour from Puerto Escondido. It's usually completely empty, whereas Zicatela can be a bit crowded. There are some clips on YouTube to check out. Confirmed on this. Salina Cruz is a tourist city only for locals, I didn't see any foreigners in 3 days there, and it's a decent-sized town. Queretaro is a cool state; it's pretty heavily populated which gives a good mix of towns, and it's kind of got that stereotypical "real Mexico" feel. Excellent weather and geography.
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Sep 18, 2014 17:44
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Hadlock posted:Could you post a one or two paragraph of your experiences bicycling the Uruguay coast? I bounced up and down it for three days (that country is really small after Brazil) but only saw it by bus. My roommate graduates in a couple weeks and is looking at doing a bicycle tour of western europe or south america in the next six months. Sorry! Currently riding through the Bolivian Andes and internet is choppy at the best. I went along the Uruguayan coast in July and while it was OK I definitely missed a lot as if I'd wanted to go to overcast and cold beaches I could have done it back in the UK. Uruguayans are by far the best drivers in the Americas (been everywhere but Chile, Ecuador and Peru) although that's helped by the fact that there is generally a big shoulder and minimal traffic. Even in Montevideo however they were really nice. Lots of people think that Uruguay is a good place for a short one month tour as a new cycle-tourist as it's pretty flat and nice people - as long as you speak Spanish to actually communicate with them. If you've got any specific questions let me know and I'll answer next time I find some internet here!
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Sep 21, 2014 20:23
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Cometa Rossa posted:So I'm going to hopefully be going on an exchange soon to Latin America (for ~6 months) and I wanted some feedback. My first choice is to live in Santiago, as I'm really interested in Chilean history and culture, but I also know that Santiago is a gigantic ugly city for the most part. I'm also getting more interested in Mexico City, also a gigantic ugly city but one that sounds like it has a lot more charm and stuff going on, and I'm also looking at Querétaro in Mexico which just sounds like a nice place to live. Anyone who's lived in any of these want to help me out? I live in Santiago, so you can hit me up if you have any questions. Santiago is a large city but its not a megacity like Mexico City. Also, I would not call Santiago ugly (depends on what you consider ugly though)
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Sep 22, 2014 19:42
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King Metal posted:I live in Santiago, so you can hit me up if you have any questions. Santiago is a large city but its not a megacity like Mexico City. Also, I would not call Santiago ugly (depends on what you consider ugly though) Of course now I've blanked on anything specific to ask. Is it a good place to live for six months? Will my experience be 'Chilean' enough? I know I'm close to Valparaiso and Mendoza for more touristy stuff but mainly I just want to know if Santiago is going to be an enjoyable place to base myself. Also I've been to Tehran so anything prettier than that is fine by me.
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Sep 24, 2014 18:01
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Cometa Rossa posted:Of course now I've blanked on anything specific to ask. Is it a good place to live for six months? Will my experience be 'Chilean' enough? I know I'm close to Valparaiso and Mendoza for more touristy stuff but mainly I just want to know if Santiago is going to be an enjoyable place to base myself. By 'Chilean' enough, you mean the "real chilean" culture? In Santiago, not so much. I think it's very US metropolitan (in the richer areas), but still quite Chilean. I think it's a good place to live, you can find any service you need and it's fairly quiet as far as big cities go. Santiago has quite a few nice bohemian areas, a never ending amount of restaurants, cafes and things to discover if you're into that. You can drive 30 minutes to the east and go skiing, hiking, white water rafting etc. Drive, or take a bus a bit to the west and you're at the beach. Valaparaiso is it's own beast, a rough and uhh well worn town but I think it's great to visit, a lot of great art and night life. I've never been to Mendoza, or Argentina at all yet. I would definitely suggest visiting the south too, like Pucon, Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt, Valdivia. They're much more Chilean to me. Chiloé also, if you can, which due to being disconnected from the main land kind of has it's own culture. What kind of things are you looking to do or experience?
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Sep 24, 2014 20:23
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Valparaiso nightlife can be dangerous for anybody, and as a gringo you're an even bigger target, so I'd be careful there. I recommend the places in southern Chile that King Metal mentioned.
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Sep 24, 2014 21:24
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King Metal posted:By 'Chilean' enough, you mean the "real chilean" culture? In Santiago, not so much. I think it's very US metropolitan (in the richer areas), but still quite Chilean. I think it's a good place to live, you can find any service you need and it's fairly quiet as far as big cities go. Santiago has quite a few nice bohemian areas, a never ending amount of restaurants, cafes and things to discover if you're into that. You can drive 30 minutes to the east and go skiing, hiking, white water rafting etc. Drive, or take a bus a bit to the west and you're at the beach. Sounds great, thanks for all the advice! Yeah, 'real' Chilean culture is what I meant - I have a thing for Chile but I wasn't sure whether or not living in a big city was going to put a wall between me and finding it. I'm very open to doing most things, everything you mentioned sounds great to me and I've done tons of South America travel research. I'm just looking to get the most out of ny time there and to experience as much as I can of living in Chile and doing cool poo poo.
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Sep 24, 2014 22:48
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I have this idea that I wouldn't enjoy Argentina or Chile because I've already gotten to know European culture well and those countries aren't that different from Europe. I am interested in Peru largely because of the indigenous people and history. Am I totally wrong about those wealthier Latin American countries? Were any other tourists to Argentina/Chile pleasantly surprised after arriving with prejudices like mine?
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Sep 26, 2014 18:24
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My wife and I are planning on moving to Costa Rica in the next 2 years. We're looking to purchase some property and open an inn/b&b in a small costal village on the Pacific. Does anyone here have any experience purchasing real estate down there? Also, my wife is an esl teacher. She has her degree in Spanish education and esl. Does any one have any experience teaching english in CR?
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Sep 27, 2014 04:52
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I was in the mountain town of Orosí in 2011 for a few weeks and was told "it is possible to teach ESL here; it is impossible to making a living doing it." Not sure if it just applied to that city or the country at large. Also, I knew a bunch of young gringas (I don't think there were any dudes among them) who got shipped off to nowhere mountain towns to teach English. Mostly the girls learned Spanish. They felt super isolated and culture shocked. YMMV.
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Sep 27, 2014 06:00
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Mortley posted:I have this idea that I wouldn't enjoy Argentina or Chile because I've already gotten to know European culture well and those countries aren't that different from Europe. I am interested in Peru largely because of the indigenous people and history. Am I totally wrong about those wealthier Latin American countries? Were any other tourists to Argentina/Chile pleasantly surprised after arriving with prejudices like mine? Perú is an amazing country and I recommend anyone to visit it. My cousin studies in Argentina and he says that it gets old pretty fast. I mean, there's lots of wine and tango. If you like to spend your vacation time lounging around a nice hotel or whatever in a nice city, then go to the wealthier countries. If you like adventure, ruggedness, and seeing a naturally beautiful part of the world, go to Peru.
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Sep 27, 2014 16:05
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Just wanted to note that Google street view is now up for Argentina, so if you want to take a look around where you may be staying if you are going there, you can now do so. Unfortunately all the pictures seem to be from the middle of winter so everyone looks cold and miserable. e: Mortley posted:I have this idea that I wouldn't enjoy Argentina or Chile because I've already gotten to know European culture well and those countries aren't that different from Europe. I am interested in Peru largely because of the indigenous people and history. Am I totally wrong about those wealthier Latin American countries? Were any other tourists to Argentina/Chile pleasantly surprised after arriving with prejudices like mine? There's a saying that Argentina is a country of Italians who speak Spanish who think they're English. Its none of those, and the people who seriously claim to being so European arises out of being snobby and comparing down. Just as an example, while you would find a lot of people who would say that Buenos Aires or Montevideo (and perhaps even Santiago de Chile) are European, these are the people who are just as likely to then complain about the "blacks and indians" who inhabit the "interior". Are there more (and visible) European influences in Buenos Aires than in some random place in Bolivia? Certainly. Are the people and culture more "European" in Montevideo than in Cuzco? Yes. However, believing that they are not worth going to because they are European is as if one would go to Spain and wouldn't bother to go to Germany because they're both "European". And you'll find more difference between Buenos Aires and Milan than you will between London and Paris, and all those places are worth going to. If you are going to Peru because you are interested in the indigenous people and history, then you can still go to Chile or Argentina. Just do a long weekend in the capital and then go to a place like Jujuy. Ghost of Mussolini fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Sep 27, 2014 |
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Sep 27, 2014 18:19
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Mortley posted:I have this idea that I wouldn't enjoy Argentina or Chile because I've already gotten to know European culture well and those countries aren't that different from Europe. I am interested in Peru largely because of the indigenous people and history. Am I totally wrong about those wealthier Latin American countries? Were any other tourists to Argentina/Chile pleasantly surprised after arriving with prejudices like mine? I'm European and this is exactly the reason I preferred Argentina to Peru. Argentina was for me at the same time exotic and familiar, just the right mix. I could adapt, I could imagine myself living in Buenos Aires. In Peru I felt totally out of place, you could spot me (or any other tourist) among the locals from an airplane. The country is definitely beautiful but I felt I could never connect with local people, that I would always be just a wealthy caucasian tourist.
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Sep 27, 2014 19:11
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Mortley posted:I was in the mountain town of Orosí in 2011 for a few weeks and was told "it is possible to teach ESL here; it is impossible to making a living doing it." Not sure if it just applied to that city or the country at large. Also, I knew a bunch of young gringas (I don't think there were any dudes among them) who got shipped off to nowhere mountain towns to teach English. Mostly the girls learned Spanish. They felt super isolated and culture shocked. Yea I figured that was case. As long as it provides some source of steady, albeit small income I won't be too worried. I think we could make up for it by generating revenue in other ways. I think the main hassle will be purchasing real estate.
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Sep 28, 2014 15:31
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Real estate in Costa Rica, particularly near the Pacific coast, isn't particularly cheap. There are also issues with squatters, if you plan on spending long periods away from your property.
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Sep 28, 2014 15:36
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davey4283 posted:I think the main hassle will be purchasing real estate. I think the assumption among Ticos is that it's safe to steal from any gringo who's dumb enough to send money in advance on a real estate deal, as well.
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Sep 29, 2014 04:32
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Mortley posted:I think the assumption among Ticos is that it's safe to steal from any gringo who's dumb enough to send money in advance on a real estate deal, as well. Yeah, for every expat I've encountered who is happy with a little piece of paradise in a place like Dominical, I've met the same number who've been completely jacked on real estate deals with Ticos. You need to find a local lawyer, preferably one recommended by local expats, to act as a fixer for any real estate transactions in Costa Rica. Then, you need to find a trustworthy local caretaker if you don't plan on living there full-time.
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Sep 29, 2014 05:25
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Ok, am going to have ~10 days in Peru at the end of December– what's a rough breakdown of how my time would be best spent? Is the Inca Trail worth 4 days, or something experienced travelers scoff at?
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Sep 29, 2014 16:14
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