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Something Else
Dec 27, 2004

to ride eternal, shiny and chrome

THUNDERDOME LOSER 2022

huhu posted:

I'm in Mexico City until Monday and then I'm in Oaxaca until Saturday when I fly back to Mexico City. Any suggestions for things I must do to enjoy Dia de Los Muertos? I just saw that there's a parade on Sunday in Mexico City. Otherwise I'm not sure if there's anything I should be doing.

Same except I’ll be in Oaxaca for a week starting Tuesday, traveling solo. And I also need suggestions

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theflyingexecutive
Apr 22, 2007

DdlM in Oaxaca:

Every town in the area does their own thing for the holiday, and each does their major celebration on different days, ones I can personally recommend (all after sunset and into the morning):

Oct 31: Panteón Mitlancihuatl in Xoxocotlan (Xoxo): a very very beautiful and large cemetery south of Centro, I had missed the festivities for that day but went later and was still struck by the scale

Nov 1: Etla, the towns north of Centro throw their big bash on the 1st, with roving brass bands (comparsas) going from town to town. San Augustín Etla is a good place to start, with the plaza at the church hosting food and performances, then follow the comparsas around til you get too tired or drunk (Etla’s cell service gets crushed for anything but maybe texts, so make sure to offline your maps and/or translator dictionary)

Nov 2: Panteon San Filipe Del Agua then Panteon Atzompa. San Filipe is in Reforma, a very bougie area, and I found the graves there to be the most intricate and beautiful. They had a small (and very good) band there, but unlike the other places, closed up shop at 10 or 11. Atzompa has their big celebration that night.

A lot of the time, you’ll be in cemeteries and you will run into people in every stage of mourning, celebration, and/or inebriation. Be very respectful and smart, especially if you speak limited Spanish, and you’ll be fine. People in Oaxaca are super duper friendly, don’t be afraid to say hi to people who aren’t actively mourning and always ask before taking pictures, esp in the cemeteries. A lot of people are in costume and a good costume will get you lots of compliments. Sugar skull face paint is p touristy/for kids; I saw very few Oaxacan adults w it. If you want extra “one of those good tourists” points, you can help relight candles at the graves after an intermittent rain shower.

Uber isn’t a thing in Oaxaca, but the cabs are cheap enough (negotiate before, try not to catch one right next to Zocalo, etc, etc) and buses/colectivos during the day are even cheaper. Colectivos for each region will pick up in specific spots, and they’ll often try to cram 6 people in a sedan. Traffic in and out of the mountain town will get messy, but you can always walk down to the bottom of the line for a cab.

During the day or before or after the 31st-2nd:

hit up Monte Alban (closes at 5, will be absolutely swarmed), Hierve del Agua (gorgeous mineral waterfall, will also be busy and is much further away than the other things here)

For artisan crafts, each village has their own specialty: black/green pottery, alebrijes (colorful carved mythical spirit), rugs, etc. you can look up each of those (esp if you have a car or don’t mind taking a bunch of cabs) or the markets at the intersections of Calle de JP Garcia/Gral. Ignacio Zaragoza and Plazuela del Carmen Alto/Calle Macedonio Alcalá and the Mercado Benito Juarez will have a sampling of everything

A lot of the fancier restaurants in Centro were jam packed for the holiday, definitely go to La Popular and I also liked Itanoni. Get mole and chocolate and tlayudas and huitlacoche and chapulines and any street food that tickles your fancy.

huhu
Feb 24, 2006
gently caress yeah. Thanks for the write-up.

Tank44
Jun 13, 2005

We want the ball & We're going to score
Anyone have any info/feedback on the Mexico resorts during covid? Had a plan to be in Cancun for a wedding in December. Wedding is cancelled but I have not cancelled and still thinking of going (from USA).

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

My position on traveling on the pandemic is: don't.

That said, my wife's coworker said that they went to cancun in July and it was amazing, super clean as they have a very big incentive to have tourist dollars flowing in, supporting the local economy etc

Boola
Dec 7, 2005
I just spent 3 weeks in Quintana Roo in August. I felt safer there than at home in Texas or doing the mandatory travel I have to do for work.

There were places in Cancun, Tulum, Playa Del Carmen that were pretending it was never never land and having parties in packed places until 5am; but it seems the resorts and restaurants and grocery stores were following protocol to a T. I just stayed away from the super spreader parties.

I had a place in the hotel zone where I basically had the beach and pool completely to myself the entire time.

I'd fly Southwest (or Delta if they are flying there) down there if you can as they're leaving the planes 66% full at max too so you're not jammed in a completely full plane.

Derpies
Mar 11, 2014

by sebmojo
Since Cancun talk is happening I am trying to organize a post vaccine trip with Mrs Derpies without our small child. I've been looking into the no kid Resorts and am looking for any recommendations of ones that are not targeted at having massive parties or secretly swingers clubs. So far Secrets La Vine is one that is a little high on the budget side but seems to checks the boxes of not having midwestern naked boomers propositioning us and being a relaxing plus but glad to hear any opinions. Might take a day trip to Isla Mujeres and to see the ruins but otherwise trying to do a pretty basic gringo trip of just relaxing at the beach and not having to worry about poo poo.

Waroduce
Aug 5, 2008
Some friends are putting together a post vaccine Tulum trip and I was wondering if someone could type some words about reccomendations and do's and don'ts? I'm heavily traveled so I'm already assuming like don't drink local water, negotiate taxis before hand, try not to get shaken down by the police are good ideas. We're a group of like 25-30 year olds with me being the oldest at 31. Half of them are a bunch of freshly graduated grad students so they're a bit budget conscious but can splurge.

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.
There's really 2 sides of Tulum. One's the "rich"/instagram Tulum with cabanas, eco-hotels and private villas right on the beach, the other is Tulum pueblo.

It really depends on your group on what they're mostly into. If it's mostly checking out Mexican food, sightseeing, cenotes, beach trips then Tulum town IMO is a way better place to be your home base.

I enjoy staying in the town way more since everything is so much more convenient and within walking distance (except the beach, which can be walked but way better to bike to or take a taxi) Other beaches and cenotes can be also reached via taxis and collectivos. It's also way cheaper, but obviously a lot less scenic.

If you guys are looking for a more of a beach resort / beach club type of deal then the Tulum beach scene might be preferred. Just keep in mind that you'll mostly be surrounded by acai bowl places and wannabe instagram influencers lol.

My actual recommendation is to check out as much of Tulum and surrounding sights as much as possible, then head down to Bacalar to lay back and chill out.

America Inc.
Nov 22, 2013

I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even 500 would be pretty nice.
What would you guys say is the best airline for traveling in Mexico, or maybe more generally Latinoamerica? I'm planning on traveling to CDMX in September and I see Avianca and AeroMexico have some meh ratings from tripadvisor and whatnot. I've also heard from watching travel channels like Luisito Comunica that you gotta be careful with your luggage because employees stealing poo poo at the CDMX airport is common.

I actually imagine most of you will probably say that the airline doesn't matter that much, but rather taking the right precautions.

Another question: I've got acquaintances who traveled around Mexico who recommend living in a hostal to meet fellow travelers. These people were doing more of a backpacking thing going wherever le da la gana in the country, while I'm more focused on just exploring CDMX in particular. While meeting new people might be fun, I feel a bit concerned about people stealing stuff or I don't know, sleeping next to weirdos. I heard you can stay in your own room if you want, you don't have to sleep with like 10 other people in one room. Do you guys recommend staying in hostals? Note that this is my first time traveling out of the US ever or even doing travel somewhere totally by myself. I'll check out the resources in the pinned thread too.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

I've flown Aeromexico, Volaris, haven't flown Avianca. AM and Vol were fine :shrug: like flying on southwest airlines or whatever. Nobody was holding a chicken and then wings didn't look like they were gonna fall off.

no hay camino posted:

you will probably say that the airline doesn't matter that much

Correct

Some travelers chill out in a hostel for a whole month and use it as a home base, others only spend one night. For my first hostel experience, I got a private room at Casa Platypus in Bogota, just to get my bearings, and then stayed in dorm lodgings for the rest of the time (3 months). This was pre-covid obviously. But yeah the overwhelming majority of people who use hostels have a great experience with little to no problems. Just don't be the guy who turns on the lights in the dorm to pack all your gear drunkenly at 4am, and if you are, do it in less than 5 minutes.

I'm not an "every day carry" kind of person, but my "EDC" was my 9" netbook, my cell phone, a spanish/english dictionary, a spanish/english resturaunt phrase book, my passport, camera, a book, and the day's map(s) + $20 usd in local currency, in a day-bag, that went with me EVERYWHERE, in my money belt I had ~$200 usd, $20-150 usd worth of local currency, my passport, and some emergency numbers. That represented 99% of the valuable stuff I traveled with, and it fit in an 18 liter "REI flash 18" bag.

Everything else, i.e. my clean clothes, dirty clothes, and a backup novel, travel blanket, neck pillow etc went in my main bag. If all you have in your bag is some clothes, people will probably not steal anything.

Lenovo now sells a "Chromebook Duet" with a 10.1" screen which is probably the smallest new laptop you can buy for under $300 with that small of a screen. Between your camera, laptop, cell phone and phrase book/s you're probably under 5 lbs

Also, black clothes are your friend, they match everything, and hide stains. Doing laundry while traveling is a chore and takes up an enormous amount of time. And don't overpack. CDMX will have everything your regular walmart will.

More recently my wife and I did 3 months in SE asia and I followed my "EDC" recipe and that worked out great. Good luck. Keep an eye on covid rates in your area as you travel.

edit: if you didn't take spanish in high school, chicken is pronounced "pOY-oh" not "poh-loh/polo", and pointing at a map and saying "a key" (aqui/here) is hugely, hugely helpful, being able to point at a map and say "here" in the local language is as important as being able to say "good morning/afternoon/evening" and "thank you"

Hadlock fucked around with this message at 08:46 on Jun 23, 2021

Saladman
Jan 12, 2010

no hay camino posted:

What would you guys say is the best airline for traveling in Mexico, or maybe more generally Latinoamerica? I'm planning on traveling to CDMX in September and I see Avianca and AeroMexico have some meh ratings from tripadvisor and whatnot. I've also heard from watching travel channels like Luisito Comunica that you gotta be careful with your luggage because employees stealing poo poo at the CDMX airport is common.

I actually imagine most of you will probably say that the airline doesn't matter that much, but rather taking the right precautions.

Another question: I've got acquaintances who traveled around Mexico who recommend living in a hostal to meet fellow travelers. These people were doing more of a backpacking thing going wherever le da la gana in the country, while I'm more focused on just exploring CDMX in particular. While meeting new people might be fun, I feel a bit concerned about people stealing stuff or I don't know, sleeping next to weirdos. I heard you can stay in your own room if you want, you don't have to sleep with like 10 other people in one room. Do you guys recommend staying in hostals? Note that this is my first time traveling out of the US ever or even doing travel somewhere totally by myself. I'll check out the resources in the pinned thread too.

Most hostels have private rooms. I did the backpacking around LatAm thing a few years ago and I never stayed in a dorm room, as the difference between like $12 for a private vs like $6 in 6 person dorm room is not worth the 20% chance of someone coming back late and waking me up (I don't mean "drunken rager" I mean "gets into the top bunk and it shakes the bed"). Solo travelling might make the cost of the dorm look more appealing, but depends on your budget. You can meet people in the common areas just as easily IMO, but all of that anyway depends on how outgoing you are and whether you speak Spanish.

Getting your luggage stolen shouldn't matter because you shouldn't check a bag anyway. Make everything you have fit in a 33 L backpack, then you're fine. You really don't need more than what fits in a 33L pack unless you're like a pro photographer and going partly for work.

E: Sorry I mean getting it stolen at the airport. In hostels you will get a place to lock your stuff, normally. Thefts in hostels definitely happen. Haven't had it happen to me but have heard it happen to a large number of people I've talked to (including someone I was travelling with but who stayed in the dorm room), so make sure to secure your poo poo. No one is going to smash open your locked luggage box (well, probably not) but don't just trust people if you are in a common dorm, some people have sticky fingers.

Saladman fucked around with this message at 09:03 on Jun 23, 2021

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Saladman posted:

Make everything you have fit in a 33 L backpack, then you're fine. You really don't need more than what fits in a 33L pack unless you're like a pro photographer and going partly for work.

This, a thousand times

I have a 45L travel backpack (different from a hiking backpack, tell the guy/gal at REI you're doing the whole backpacking/hostel thing and they'll point you at a very different line of bags). I got mine from REI in 2008, and, poo poo, it's actually right behind me, since I just got back from Texas, it's been to 40+ countries and everything on it works and looks brand new (soda can for scale):



It's 45L and I use it for... I think literally all my travel since 2008? And it looks like a backpack, so even though it's technically too long to fit in the overhead bin, nobody has ever bothered me about trying to check it. I fly with it more than half empty 99% of the time. 45L is too much, but 33L is probably about right. Being black/gray and not some neon color is nice too, as you're not as much of a target to get mugged.

Pack two garbage bags, so you can double-bag your dirty landry

Chikimiki
May 14, 2009
That reminds me Hadlock, I've seen your advice in quite a few travel threads and as someone who tries to size down his luggage, do you have a specific packing list? I've taken a look at the onebag reddit and the packhacker website, but a lot of what they recommend is either very goofy looking (barefoot shoes, zip-off cargo pants...) or expensive or both :v:
TIA!

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Day bag:
  • 9" netbook
  • my cell phone
  • a spanish/english dictionary
  • a spanish/english resturaunt phrase book
  • my passport, camera
  • a book, and the day's map(s)
  • $20 usd in local currency
  • a pen flashlight - yes cell phones have flashlights built in, but feeling around in the dark you'll find your flashlight faster as it's a unique shape

Wear on plane:
  • a full zip or 1/4 zip fleece of some sort, my company bought these for us winter 2019 and they're amazing: $100 mens patagonia better sweater 1/4 zip but for the longest time I had an REI bargain bin blue polar fleece full zip thing that maybe cost me $30, I dunno whatever is polar fleece (stays warm when wet) and you can cram up into a ball as a pillow, you probably have two if you look through your stuff. It's not a fashion show. Basically you want something that's halfway between a sweater and a jacket so you don't freeze to death on the plane or waiting at 3am for a bus in the rain, and then bulk up two or more tshirts if it's actually cold
  • Jeans + belt
  • flip flops (hey i'm on vacation, and there's no trip hazards in airports), plus that's one fewer pair of dirty socks to haul around for the entire trip
  • $30 cheap, sony, wired, on-ear headphones. plan on either losing or breaking these, or both https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Premium-Extra-Bass-Stereo/dp/B00LDJADPY/
  • USB battery bank (i swear by this one, but they're out of stock due to covid: [url="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072155XVX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1"]Anker PowerCore 13000 C[/url] ... all my poo poo is USB-C now... some countries (mainland china) have a limit of 20,000mAh so keep that in mind

Regular bag:

  • 3-5 pair underwear, 5 pair socks, a pair of jeans, 3-5 tshirts (at least one black), one button up shirt you can wear into a church or on a date, maybe a pair of shorts, or two, and/or a pair of swim trunks
  • Lately I've started wearing more "baseball shirts" as it's a 3/4 sleeve, better sun protection, but still launders like a tshirt
  • USB A to C charger + cable (anker is a good brand) 65w (they're getting tiny... 65w will charge any laptop while it's on, dell will charge with 60w, but not while it's on). Preferably with 2+ charge ports
  • multi plug (I have this one, but it's discontinued or something like this, mine predates their USB model, still works great, has a 230v led that lights up to let you know it's not 110v
  • a pair of sneakers, in a garbage bag
  • two pair garbage bag, to double-bag your dirty laundry
  • pillow case, and then put all your electronics charging BS in there. You can shove your 1/4 zip sweater in there to make a pretty good pillow
  • baseball cap
  • sunglasses
  • 3mm or 4mm bungie cord, or just regular cord ($2), and some kind of draw-tie ($0.30) for it, to lash your 1/4 zip sweater to the outside of... whatever. My day bag has loops for this kind of setup
  • patagonia long sleeve capline light shirt: https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-long-sleeved-capilene-cool-lightweight-shirt/45690.html my dad bought one for me in... 7th grade? to do an igloo building camping trip with boyscouts on mt rainer in washington.... I still have it, it's in great shape, my wife recently found it and started wearing it around the house. capline shirt is close to 20 years old? great to throw under that 1/4 zip jacket or polar fleece with a tshirt for cold days, plus you can wash it in a sink and will dry before morning, even in the most humid tropical climate (iguazu). also capline doesn't pick up The Smells very quickly, you can wear it 2-3 times before needs a wash

Toiletry kit:
  • 3 x The cheapest BIC razor blades you can find/afford to lose, and maybe a mach 3 for special occasions, dry shave
  • a zip loc bag with 5-10 each of ibuprofin + tylenol, and a scrap of paper to remind you which is which, and a couple of loratadine (claratin, but just the 10mg active ingredient, $0.10/pill) don't take tylenol while drinking
  • cheapest toothbrush known to man, one of those travel toothpaste tubes
  • good deodorant
  • eye contact stuff

Side note, one of these 3 way adapters will make your life a lot easier. In hostels, crappy/overpacked airports there's a very limited supply of outlets, being able to turn 1 outlet into 3 means the cute swedish girl in Cusco can update her blog, and you can charge your phone + laptop, all on the same outlet while you try and chat her up in a hopefuly non-creepy way :hampants:


Anker makes 6 and 9, sometimes even 15' long USB cables, I think 9 or 12' is the ideal length, as a lot of times the outlet is too far from your bed and your phone has to charge overnight + be your alarm clock

Thinking about this more, I think I would only recommend the patagonia better sweater for very cold climates, for south america mostly I just carry the polar fleece full zip like this (not sure what "micro D" means in this context) https://www.rei.com/product/165298/patagonia-micro-d-fleece-jacket-mens in blue

Also, for travel, I can't recommend an X series Thinkpad enough, my X230 cost me $900 in 2012 and other than needing a new battery every 4 years ($50) it's been an extremely reliable workhorse laptop, with a tiny tiny 12" screen. A modern macbook air is also a good option, especially since it charges via USB-C. I finally replaced my X230 with an X390 as they don't make the 12" model anymore, just the 13"

TL;DR

3-5 pair underwear, 5 pair socks, a pair of jeans, 3-5 tshirts (at least one black), one button up shirt you can wear into a church or on a date, maybe a pair of shorts, or two, and/or a pair of swim trunks
some garbage bags
ibuprofin
wear flip flops on the plane
usb-c charger + cables
patagonia light fleece jacket
patagonia light long sleeve shirt
hat

I've done probably what... 18 months? 24? of cumulative traveling with the above, it seems to work out fine. going to all USB-C decreased my charging equipment by half, as laptop charging bricks are huge and heavy. Travel being either caribean islands, south america, se asia, europe in spring/summer/winter, parts of northern africa, or sailing offshore. The patagonia fleece jacket + long sleeve shirt cover 90% of all situations, and if jeans aren't warm enough pants... you picked the wrong holiday destination :colbert:

roll your clothes, don't fold them. google it.

never take advice from someone who owns zip-off pants or self-tinting glasses

wear sunscreen

Hadlock fucked around with this message at 12:14 on Jun 23, 2021

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

As an addendum, the conspicuous lack of waterproof shell is on purpose. 99.99% of the time it's either not raining hard enough or long enough to warrant carrying one

The only time I ever ended up buying an umbrella ($10) was in Prague, in, I want to say late February, where I was only there for three days, and my full day to explore the city they were having a rain storm so I bought the umbrella and kept it with me for the rest of the trip. Pretty sure I still have it in storage somewhere

The rest of the time, you can usually buy a liter of beer and wait it out, or you're not actually going to be outside for more than a minute or two between buildings, or you can reschedule the trip for later in the day and grab a second cup of coffee and update your trip notes, or whatever

Newspaper held over your head works suprisingly well in a downpour, plus you don't have to haul around a wet jacket all day on the bus, or whatever

We got stranded overnight in the Iceland airport (en route to balmy Malta) and it was pouring rain, we just stayed in the warm dry airport until the bus arrived to take us to the city, rather than stand outside. No need for a rain shell

In Hoi An Vietnam it started raining, so we each got a liter of the local craft beer and ordered extra spicy banh mi sandwiches and waited out the rain for 90 minutes. By that time all the tourists had left and we had the whole downtown area to ourselves

Hadlock fucked around with this message at 13:22 on Jun 23, 2021

Chikimiki
May 14, 2009
Thanks a lot for the huge writeup! I have a tendency to overpack/overbuy so it's good to see something lighter. I noticed you didn't pack any hiking stuff (shoes or pants), wasn't it uncomfortable to walk or hike in jeans and sneakers? I like to walk and hike a lot everywhere I go. Also, no puffy down jacket for colder climates like the Andes or Northern Europe? And no pair of sweatpants to chill around?

I agree on the waterproof shell though, unless you plan on doing long treks in an extreme environment, there's no need for an expensive goretex jacket. Also, any excuse for beer and banh mi is a good one :colbert:

Cheers!

America Inc.
Nov 22, 2013

I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even 500 would be pretty nice.
This advice is fantastically thorough, thank you very much.

E: it's never even occurred to me that I could avoid taking my shoes off at security by wearing flip-flops wow. Is the ibuprofen for in case I get sick?

America Inc. fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Jun 25, 2021

Chikimiki
May 14, 2009
Yeah I dunno if I would wear flip flops in an airport, seems kinda grungy to me :shrug: By the way, I thought about replacing the flipflops by some thin sandals, so as to be able to better walk around in them, or even use them as water shoes; does anybody do this?

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Chikimiki posted:

Thanks a lot for the huge writeup!

I noticed you didn't pack any hiking stuff (shoes or pants), wasn't it uncomfortable to walk or hike in jeans and sneakers? I like to walk and hike a lot everywhere I go. Also, no puffy down jacket for colder climates like the Andes or Northern Europe? And no pair of sweatpants to chill around?

I generally (until I met my wife, who threw them out for reasons) wore Merrell Moab hiking shoes. And yeah I generally walk or take public transit

I've hiked all over in jeans with no issue. I don't wear skinny jeans though. I'm on paternity leave right now and live in a big city, I take my daughter in a stroller one way 2.5 miles to the fancy park, so five miles round trip, a couple times a week in jeans, no issues? Maybe I wear dad jeans now

You're gonna have to do your own cold weather research, mine only applies to mild weather. I did head up to Stockholm and Gothenburg with my kit, but it was in late spring

no hay camino posted:

Is the ibuprofen for in case I get sick?

And hangovers! I picked up the flu in Argentina and recognized the value of having basic meds is virtually free and takes up zero space. Also, the further you get past 30, the more that ibuprofen the next morning takes the edge of a long hike in a foreign country after 6 months sitting behind a desk with little exercise

Chikimiki posted:

Yeah I dunno if I would wear flip flops in an airport, seems kinda grungy to me :shrug:

I grew up in a hot climate wearing sandals, even now I'm a flip flop guy. I also don't have super strong opinions about feet, or I didn't until just now. I guess I'll get a little bit defensive and point out that I generally don't touch my feet immediately before eating food. But sandals vs. closed toe shoes is a personal decision, and one I'm thinking of influenced by the climate you grew up in. A couple of my close friends grew up on Washington State, Wisconsin, etc and now that I think about it I've never seen their feet. Flip flops and similar style sandals were popular in my Texas high school growing up.

This has been interesting feedback, interesting to see how different people view my travel gear choices. I'm interested in seeing what other people travel with.

Hadlock fucked around with this message at 10:42 on Jun 26, 2021

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Also, Tylenol has it's own special name outside of the us. You might recognize the name acetaminophen, which is what it says on the box in CVS, but in South America (and Europe, I think? I started traveling with my own Tylenol at that point) it's called paracetamol, so that's a nice fact to have at your disposal if you're getting discharged from the ER in downtown Buenos Aires on Christmas at 4am

Thesaurus
Oct 3, 2004


great advice all around. You've given me a serious hankering to travel in south America again....

Re: medicine. Definitely have a small stash of essentials on hand, including stuff for diarrhea symptoms. pepto bismol tablets are much handier than the liquid version. Some swear by Imodium, but imo it's a last resort because it totally stops you up instead of letting your body clear out it's poo poo. It's good if you're going to be on a bus for a long time or somewhere you won't have access to a toilet.

However, keep the stash small, because I've also come to appreciate that there is usually a pharmacy somewhere nearby if you need something more specialized or to restock. Even really rural areas will have some basic medical supplies if you can ask around.

I do regret ever owning or wearing "travel" pants and i would just do jeans going forward. I'm never going to blend in like a local, but there is value in not looking super goofy.

YoursTruly
Jul 29, 2012

Put me in the trash
Recycle Bin
where
I belong.
Maybe not entirely relevant to this thread, but I'm a big fan of activated charcoal pills. I got food poisoning in Thailand, and I think the charcoal is to thank for me only missing out on one day instead of the whole rest of the trip.

Regarding South America, I wore my Red Wing Iron Rangers (not quite a decade old at that point) on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I've had enough close encounters that I don't trust open toe shoes/flip flops anymore. I'm sure the coca leaves helped though.

Hashtag Banterzone
Dec 8, 2005


Lifetime Winner of the willkill4food Honorary Bad Posting Award in PWM
Couple things I will add to the packing guide from the perspective of a man who does shorter 1-2 week trips and wants to look slightly more fashionable/blend in vs look like a backpacker/american.

1. Espadrilles/Boat Shoes/Penny Loafers make great travel dress up shoes. Pick whichever fits your required level of dress.
2. I like Tevas/chacos better than flipflops (yes I know these are the opposite of fashionable) for Latin America. There are so many beaches/cenotes/rivers/etc where you will need to scramble over rocks or through mud.
3. If you want to go out at night, consider wearing jeans or pants. Most men in Latin America wear pants out at night most places I've been.
4. Same with shirts, I like to bring a couple short sleeve button ups.
5. If it's the rainy season or I'm going somewhere windy I like to bring a windbreaker. I have a really lightweight and soft one from Columbia that isn't 100% water proof but stops the wind, layers easily, works well enough in the rain and fits better and feels better than a super waterproof plastic feeling rain jackets

America Inc.
Nov 22, 2013

I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even 500 would be pretty nice.
I told my mom I'm going to Mexico City and she's been flipping out. She's been calling me up with random people she knows from Mexico warning me that I'll get kidnapped by a cartel. But I've been speaking with people that live there online and people who traveled there and they say it's great and enthusiastically list off places to visit :shrug:.

MagicCube
May 25, 2004

no hay camino posted:

I told my mom I'm going to Mexico City and she's been flipping out. She's been calling me up with random people she knows from Mexico warning me that I'll get kidnapped by a cartel. But I've been speaking with people that live there online and people who traveled there and they say it's great and enthusiastically list off places to visit :shrug:.

Mexico City is amazing and is one of the best cities I've been to. My mom felt the same way before I left, but didn't go as far as yours! Never felt unsafe at any point, even though I had worried a bit beforehand. There is also a very visible police and military presence if that puts you at ease. Looking at a list of the most dangerous neighbourhoods, I see several that I was in and felt completely fine. Doctores, for instance, has Arena Mexico which is a must-see for lucha libre, and the event let out late at night and again, I felt completely fine walking and taking the metro back to my hotel.

I will say that it was quite disconcerting when my bus to Teotihuacan was boarded by police with cameras recording every passenger, but other than that there were no issues.

MagicCube fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Jul 4, 2021

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

CDMX is great, just ask your host of there's any streets you shouldn't go down. I've been there 5 or 6 times in the last decade, never had a problem, but I also don't go looking for trouble down dark alleys at 2am on a Saturday night. We go there nearly every year for my wife's birthday, and we've entertained the idea of buying a condo there

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.

no hay camino posted:

I told my mom I'm going to Mexico City and she's been flipping out. She's been calling me up with random people she knows from Mexico warning me that I'll get kidnapped by a cartel. But I've been speaking with people that live there online and people who traveled there and they say it's great and enthusiastically list off places to visit :shrug:.

This is like everyone I've talked to whenever I speak fondly of my previous or upcoming trips to Mexico. Everyone seems to think that anywhere outside of resorts a van would roll up to bag and kidnap you immediately.

Just be smart about things and don't do something you wouldn't do late at night in your hometown city.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

To be fair, Mexico is one of the top van and used rug importers :shrug:

Otis Reddit
Nov 14, 2006
Is this an appropriate place to post about DR? I have a trip booked for late Sept and Early Oct but the curfew thing is freaking me out -- can anybody give some clarity on what that actually is?

Thomamelas
Mar 11, 2009

Otis Reddit posted:

Is this an appropriate place to post about DR? I have a trip booked for late Sept and Early Oct but the curfew thing is freaking me out -- can anybody give some clarity on what that actually is?

Businesses are open till the curfew begins. Then you have up to two hours to get to your hotel. The limits on serving alcohol don't seem to apply to the tourist hotels.

mobby_6kl
Aug 9, 2009

Hey guys, how's Trinidad and Tobago? I can get tickets from Berlin during (our) winter and though it would be great to get out of the coming misery, but I've never been to T&T or the Caribbean. It seems like it's one of the richest countries in the Americas so that's not great considering I already have Iceland coming up lol.

America Inc.
Nov 22, 2013

I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even 500 would be pretty nice.
I'm in Mexico and I feel like I'm learning some stuff to do and not to do.

- I only informed my bank about my trip the day I arrived. I was looking online for the bank's particular # for that and my dumbass called a scam number that was at the top of the search results. I immediately froze my credit card # and now I'm paying in pesos and my debit card (which I put on the plan). Thankfully a few pesos can go pretty far around here in Mexico City.

- I didn't check the weather beforehand and I didn't realize I came to CDMX during the rainy season so I rushed back to my hotel and only bought an umbrella when my mask started to literally stick against my face. I'm not sure if I need to get rain boots after soaking my tennis shoes. Hopefully I didn't catch something.

I expect there will be more f*ck-ups para escarmentar. At least I can speak decent enough Spanish to get around.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

no hay camino posted:

after soaking my tennis shoes. Hopefully I didn't catch something.

Contrary to popular belief, being cold/wet does not make you sick, unless you were neck deep in water that contains sewage

America Inc.
Nov 22, 2013

I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even 500 would be pretty nice.
I stopped by the real Café Tacuba today and it has pretty good food, a little expensive but that's not surprising.

E: Also I guess the French really do like to visit Mexico, I could hear it on the streets and my hotel offers their menu and other stuff in French as well as English.

America Inc. fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Sep 7, 2021

America Inc.
Nov 22, 2013

I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even 500 would be pretty nice.
Outside El Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes. There's also some guy preaching/predicando nearby

America Inc.
Nov 22, 2013

I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I'd settle for a couple thousand years. Even 500 would be pretty nice.
drat the tamales oaxaqueños guys are everywhere in CDMX:
https://youtu.be/ZtDx64KQxJY

Ramrod Hotshot
May 30, 2003

Anybody been to Los Cabos? I'm considering a trip there early next year. I know it's a tourist circus, but it might be fun to rent a car and drive up to La Paz, which I've heard is nice.

Interested in others' experiences in Baja.

Gatts
Jan 2, 2001

Goodnight Moon

Nap Ghost
I plan to visit South America, specifically the Peruvian Amazon in May. Below is the tour I'm aiming for, they seem like a reputable company too and I've inquired and the region doesn't have yellow fever causing mosquitos unlike the southern part of the Peruvian Amazon.

I plan to go for 1 week. I recognize the timing is tail end of the wet season.

https://perujungle.com/amazonia-sample-itinerary/amazonia-classic-adventure/

Has anyone visited this particular area or tour guide? These lodges and such? Any suggestions on what to prepare for in the Amazon?

Thus far I have...

1 Body Suit/Longjohn type thing
7 Long Sleeve Shirts
4 Pants
2 Shorts
1 Swim Trunks
1 Poncho
1 Fleece Jacket
7 Long Socks
7 Underwear
1 Hiking Shoes Ankle Length
1 Merrell Walking Shoe
Hat
Sunglasses
Water Bottle
Multi Tool
First Aid Kit - Medications
Flashlight
Money Pouch
Anti Mosquito Spray
Bug Spray for Clothing
iPhone 11 + Battery Case
Go Pro
Camera + Lenses + Batteries + Microphone
Binoculars
Water Bag
Shampoo + Conditioner + Soap
Purell
Deodorant
Toiletries
Universal Adapter
Waterproof Watch
Protein and Oat Bars

Gatts fucked around with this message at 02:10 on Dec 28, 2021

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yaffle
Sep 15, 2002

Flapdoodle

Gatts posted:

I plan to visit South America, specifically the Peruvian Amazon in May. Below is the tour I'm aiming for, they seem like a reputable company too and I've inquired and the region doesn't have yellow fever causing mosquitos unlike the southern part of the Peruvian Amazon.

I plan to go for 1 week. I recognize the timing is tail end of the wet season.

https://perujungle.com/amazonia-sample-itinerary/amazonia-classic-adventure/

Has anyone visited this particular area or tour guide? These lodges and such? Any suggestions on what to prepare for in the Amazon?

Thus far I have...

1 Body Suit/Longjohn type thing
7 Long Sleeve Shirts
4 Pants
2 Shorts
1 Swim Trunks
1 Poncho
1 Fleece lined leather Jacket
7 Long Socks
7 Underwear
Jungle boots
2 Merrell Walking Shoes
Panama Hat
Aviators
Water Bottle
Machete
First Aid Kit - Medications + opium to trade with natives
Flask for liquor
Fleshlight
Gonzo size condoms for your monster dong
Money Pouch
Anti Mosquito Spray
Bug Spray for Clothing
iPhone 11 + Battery Case
Revolver (in drop leg holster)
Whip
Camera + Lenses + Batteries + Microphone
Binoculars
Water Bag
Shampoo + Conditioner + Soap
Purell
Deodorant
Toiletries
Universal Adapter
Rolex
Western food so I never have to eat foreign muck

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