I Need Travel Advice For Latin America

[DaveyR]

This is a very useful site. I would never have found this site on my own. Thank you very much for the info! :smile:

You are welcome. I've found it invaluable over the years and it is kept bang up to date.

 

[chochocho]

Just in case, see if you can purchase medical evacuation insurance for your trip. It typically doesn't coast that much but you could need it if you need state of the art care. A colleague was thrown from a horse in Argentina and fractured her spine. She was brought back by a medical team or a corporate-sized jet and made a full recovery.
I took a group of twelve to Mexico for three weeks and no one became ill. Still, Simcha's suggestion is a good one. Avoid ice, shellfish, raw, unpeeled fruit, food sold on the street. Get vaccinations early and, if you can, a shot of gamma globulin right before leaving.
Dave

THANKS! The medical evacuation insurance is a great idea. I have all of my travel vaccinations, but I hadn't thought of the gamma globulin. Super advice!

 

[widenine]

Thank you so much for the reply. It is obvious that you are extremely well informed. I really appreciate the time that you spent with this answer. Very helpful!!!

despergar.com should be despegar.com. The despergar.com site is about pharmaceuticals.

 

[dong20]

THANKS! The medical evacuation insurance is a great idea. I have all of my travel vaccinations, but I hadn't thought of the gamma globulin. Super advice!

Isn't Gamma Globulin outdated. For Hep A there are now 10 year vaccines available, Havrix (IIRC) is one - no doubt there are others. One shot, then a booster a short while later and your covered for a decade. Without the booster it only lasts a year I think. Gamma Globulin was barely effective and even then lasted only a very short time a few weeks with any efficacy.

Perhaps immunisation practice in the US is different but I've not been offered Gamma Globulin since the early 90s.

 

[breeze]

I haven't read all the posts so i don't know if its been mentioned. I also don't know if its still around but there are probably other guides like it. I used eric frommer's guide to latin america when i went there. It was invaluable. It gives very specific information as to where you stay , how much it costs , where to eat etc etc. Otherwises it would have been hit and run. I gave frommer's guide to an ex-girlfriend and she said it saved her money the moment she arrived. You can go to barnes and noble and read it for free. I think if you get in a pinch this guide can literally save your life.

 

[2322]

If you do go to central America, just be really, really careful you don't bring home one of these big fellas. They're NOT uncommon.

In any event, you should know the symptoms because most doctors in the US aren't familiar with them and may simply treat it as a site irritation.

 

[breeze]

I just wanted to show some examples of how valuable eric frommer's guide to latin america was to me. When i was in bogota i found a restaurant which served basically , if i remember , something like a five course meal for literally pennies on the dollar. Well i really didn't find it as much as it was listed in frommer's guide. It was wedged inbetween 2 buildings in an alleyway. No tourist is going to find it by themselves. I also remember talking to another tourist who had meet someone who was down to his last 50.00. When something like that happens , say you lose your passport, you need to save money.
I also remember arrivng in panama city and seeing all those armed policemen/soldiers at the airport. Get me out of here. Anyway the taxi/cab took us to the hilton. Welcome to the hilton. That'll be a 177.50 a night or whatever. Anyway i looked in the guide and found a much cheaper place. No hassle whatever. I hate to think of roaming around a hot panama city looking for a cheap place. When i studied the guide further i found a cheap , safe and clean villa. You can't find these places by yourself or you can but its a hassle. When you arrive you're usually weary and tired. The absolute last thing you want is a hassle.

 

[dong20]

I just wanted to show some examples of how valuable eric frommer's guide to latin america was to me. When i was in bogota i found a restaurant which served basically , if i remember , something like a five course meal for literally pennies on the dollar. Well i really didn't find it as much as it was listed in frommer's guide. It was wedged inbetween 2 buildings in an alleyway. No tourist is going to find it by themselves. I also remember talking to another tourist who had meet someone who was down to his last 50.00. When something like that happens , say you lose your passport, you need to save money.
I also remember arrivng in panama city and seeing all those armed policemen/soldiers at the airport. Get me out of here. Anyway the taxi/cab took us to the hilton. Welcome to the hilton. That'll be a 177.50 a night or whatever. Anyway i looked in the guide and found a much cheaper place. No hassle whatever. I hate to think of roaming around a hot panama city looking for a cheap place. When i studied the guide further i found a cheap , safe and clean villa. You can't find these places by yourself or you can but its a hassle. When you arrive you're usually weary and tired. The absolute last thing you want is a hassle.

Guide books are very useful, and they can help a great deal, certainly for inexperienced travellers. I usually have one with me, unless I've been somewhere already. The 'risks' are that they turn good places bad and with over reliance one can end up being on someone else's guided tour by 'proxy'.

For me, the key element of the experience of travel is to think on my feet, and on occasion sometimes on my ass too by dealing with the place head on. Thus, I've ended up in some hell holes over the years but eventually one comes to develop a 'sense' of good and bad places to be, eat and stay. It's not foolproof of course but I find that following the guide book trail can lead to a form of isolation from the local culture in itself because one can easily tend to only interact with fellow travellers. I'm generalising of course but speaking for myself, when I'm travelling the very last people I want to meet are my fellow countrymen following a guide book trail. I like to find my own path. Often they intersect, and that's fine.

I know that can mean 'missing' things but I'm usually more interested in the people and what drives them than the sights. It's swings and roundabouts and that's what second or third ... visits are for - catchup!!

I loved Panama City, I don't recall the armed guards especially but after close to a year travelling in South America before arriving there I'd tended to 'tune' them into the background - unless they actively threatened me which was very rare. BTW, if you'd walked about 1km from the airport terminal to the main road, you could have caught a local bus into town for a few pennies, and bus drivers can provide a wealth of useful information. I wonder if that nugget was in Frommers?

Also, (sad thought it is), there's a Starbucks in the CBD that serves (or did) one of the best fruit salads I ever ate. I had one for brunch several days. There was an election on when I was there, the place was jumping, I stayed in a massive run down place in the old town, I wish I could remember the name - it will be in my journal I expect.

Each evening at sunset the smell of chorizo would waft up from a vendor below my room and the election wagons would start their tours - throwing free gifts into the crowds to buy support. I'd go down and grab a bite, as the sun went down and then as it cooled down a bit sometimes I'd stroll through the growing crowds, maybe chat with the cabbies or the hawkers etc, or sometimes I'd simply sit and read. Once in a while I'd head into town for a different experience, but overall I preferred the 'rougher' edges of the city.

Seems like so long ago, and truth be told I suppose it was.

 

[Deno]

exactly where is latin america? If you go to south america I'd certainly go to Buenos Aries. Or Brazil. Maybe Mexico or panama.

 

[breeze]

Guide books are very useful, and they can help a great deal, certainly for inexperienced travellers. I usually have one with me, unless I've been somewhere already. The 'risks' are that they turn good places bad and with over reliance one can end up being on someone else's guided tour by 'proxy'.

For me, the key element of the experience of travel is to think on my feet, and on occasion sometimes on my ass too by dealing with the place head on. Thus, I've ended up in some hell holes over the years but eventually one comes to develop a 'sense' of good and bad places to be, eat and stay. It's not foolproof of course but I find that following the guide book trail can lead to a form of isolation from the local culture in itself because one can easily tend to only interact with fellow travellers. I'm generalising of course but speaking for myself, when I'm travelling the very last people I want to meet are my fellow countrymen following a guide book trail. I like to find my own path. Often they intersect, and that's fine.

I know that can mean 'missing' things but I'm usually more interested in the people and what drives them than the sights. It's swings and roundabouts and that's what second or third ... visits are for - catchup!!

I loved Panama City, I don't recall the armed guards especially but after close to a year travelling in South America before arriving there I'd tended to 'tune' them into the background - unless they actively threatened me which was very rare. BTW, if you'd walked about 1km from the airport terminal to the main road, you could have caught a local bus into town for a few pennies, and bus drivers can provide a wealth of useful information. I wonder if that nugget was in Frommers?

Also, (sad thought it is), there's a Starbucks in the CBD that serves (or did) one of the best fruit salads I ever ate. I had one for brunch several days. There was an election on when I was there, the place was jumping, I stayed in a massive run down place in the old town, I wish I could remember the name - it will be in my journal I expect.

Each evening at sunset the smell of chorizo would waft up from a vendor below my room and the election wagons would start their tours - throwing free gifts into the crowds to buy support. I'd go down and grab a bite, as the sun went down and then as it cooled down a bit sometimes I'd stroll through the growing crowds, maybe chat with the cabbies or the hawkers etc, or sometimes I'd simply sit and read. Once in a while I'd head into town for a different experience, but overall I preferred the 'rougher' edges of the city.

Seems like so long ago, and truth be told I suppose it was.

They are right below us. Mexico is part of north american. { you can cross over from texas to california } Then below mexico is central america { panama etc } and below central america is latin america { brazil etc. }. They use to be and might still be very cheap.
You are absolutely right when you say you should freelance and experience the local culture. I'm basically recommending frommer's to save a buck or 2 and places to stay and eat and to keep you somewhat safe. You don't know how lucky you are nothing happen in those hellholes. I remember doing a temp. job in downtown san francisco. There was somebody there who had moved from back east to interview or accept a job in silicon valley. But he was broke and accepted public assistance. He was put up in a hotel. He was there the first day {at the job} and disappeared until the final day. It seemed when he was at the hotel someone hit him over the head and knocked him out. He could have been killed. This is a dangerous world and you can't be too careful.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Don't assume that a lingering glance or a close hug from a guy means you're having a gay moment. The concept of space is different in each of those countries. They may just be intrigued because you are foreign.

Well... if you find yourself getting brushed up against, or hugged... you might just be getting your pocket picked.

To foil pickpockets...Keep your wallet in your FRONT pants pocket and wear fairly fitting pants ( it is nearly impossible to pick a front pants pocket in a fitted pair of jeans) , or in a shirt front pocket that BUTTONS DOWN.


Food hints... like widenine says... but also.. don't EVER take ice in any drink, don't eat salads or take lettuce or tomato on your food not eat any other foods that may have only been rinsed... rather than cooked.

Don't drink water from any source... stick to fermented, filtered and canned drinks. Remember... alcohol was mankind's first effective water treatment system...

To avoid being stamped as a Gringo... DO NOT WEAR knit shirts and shorts everydamn place you go... do not walk into cathedrals in shorts or flip flops.
Wear collared shirts that fit well and if you HAVE to go out in a T-shirt... make sure it has a maple leaf or something on it.

Get hep immunizations before you go... my Brother in Law just had to have a liver transplant because he was careless on a trip to Latin America... and didn't realize he even HAD hepatitis for 14 years....

 

[dong20]

They use to be and might still be very cheap.

Quite a variance in prices I found. In South America I found Argentina the most expensive, Ecuador the cheapest. In Central America it was less clear cut though I recall Honduras being pretty economical. There are only a couple of countries in the Americas I've not visited at least once, Belize and Suriname - the former following a change of plan, the latter through lack of time. I'll get to them, eventually. The last time I was in the 'region' was two or three years back - Santiago de Chile and Mexico City.

You are absolutely right when you say you should freelance and experience the local culture. I'm basically recommending frommer's to save a buck or 2 and places to stay and eat and to keep you somewhat safe. You don't know how lucky you are nothing happen in those hellholes.

I didn't start out that way of course! I had my guide book packed in my backpack the first time, it was almost my 'Bible' for the first few weeks but eventually I came to rely on (and trust) it less (after about three months I threw it away in frustration after having been led on one too many wild goose chases for that cheap hotel, great eatery or hidden gem) and eventually rely primarily on my own judgement. It let me down on occasion, but no harm was done and I felt quite liberated truth be told.

Since then I've read up and taken a few notes beforehand and rarely again travelled with a guide book. Increasingly it's unnecessary as almost everywhere one can get online for info, should the need arise.

Well... if you find yourself getting brushed up against, or hugged... you might just be getting your pocket picked.

To foil pickpockets...Keep your wallet in your FRONT pants pocket and wear fairly fitting pants ( it is nearly impossible to pick a front pants pocket in a fitted pair of jeans) , or in a shirt front pocket that BUTTONS DOWN.

There are some very skilful dippers out there and some sharp blades. But there are limits to what they can achieve and of course one can protect against. I'd just add, wherever possible don't carry with you more than you need for that day, or can afford to lose. That's not always possible of course but remember they can't steal what you don't have. 'Touchwood' I've never been dipped but I know plenty who have and I've intercepted one or two attempts, ironically in my home country, go figure!!

Bottom line, take some basic, sensible precautions such as Phil mentioned above, but also trust your instincts, relax and have a great time. If you adopt a overtly defensive attitude people will react accordingly and you'll likely draw far more attention. Above all, don't make it easy for them, remember thieves want easy marks - try to avoid the 'dumb tourist' with the map open in the street, walk like you belong there and that you know exactly where you're going, even when you don't and the thieves will likely find another, easier target.

Food hints... like widenine says... but also.. don't EVER take ice in any drink, don't eat salads or take lettuce or tomato on your food not eat any other foods that may have only been rinsed... rather than cooked.

I'd add that avoiding local dairy products is a good tip. That's sage advice indeed, and advice I always try to follow ... for about a day!

If one spends enough time in countries where such risks are endemic one must accept the 'inevitable', or suffer a very restricted diet. I always ate in places that the locals did, rarely if ever the 'touristy' places, for a number of reasons, not least was the inability of a local eatery to afford the loss of business from an outbreak of poisoning their regulars. Tourist restaurants have comparatively little 'repeat' business. As for eating street food - like so many things travel related, it's a judgement.

Essentially, I've taken the approach that I'd rather get 'ill' sooner and develop immunity to the local 'stomach fauna' than live in a state of pseudo food paranoia. It depends on the duration and cause of the trip of course but over 20 years of travel and 70 or so countries later I've had perhaps a week or so in total of 'dodgy food' related time-outs and only once did it preclude me from any semblance of 'normality' and that was in January of this year - a very unpleasant 48 Hrs caused by some bad mushrooms I suspect. Dumb thing is I had my suspicions about them at the time but I was leaving the next day ... got sick 36 hrs later back home!

Truth be told, my digestive system gives me more trouble here at home, than it ever has while travelling, all those darned additives and chemical crap probably! I spent months in India and ate whatever came my way and never got sick for a second. I'm just lucky perhaps.

Don't drink water from any source... stick to fermented, filtered and canned drinks. Remember... alcohol was mankind's first effective water treatment system...

Yes, alcohol works ... :smile:

I rarely drink tap water (even at home) anyway so that's business as usual for me. There is of course a risk from simply toothbrushing and so on, but unless the water is bad, and I mean really bad and one had open sores it's a slim one, in my experience at least.

To avoid being stamped as a Gringo... DO NOT WEAR knit shirts and shorts everydamn place you go... do not walk into cathedrals in shorts or flip flops.

Almost to a one, the people I met who had been robbed had, IMO practically painted a target on their heads. I'd little sympathy for them.

Wear collared shirts that fit well and if you HAVE to go out in a T-shirt... make sure it has a maple leaf or something on it.

I've never understood the need to 'advertise' one's nationality in such a way, it always seemed vaguely offensive to me. The only indication of my nationality I carry is my passport and I would never display a flag, UGH!

Get hep immunizations before you go... my Brother in Law just had to have a liver transplant because he was careless on a trip to Latin America... and didn't realize he even HAD hepatitis for 14 years....

Yes, and in plenty of time for them to kick in. 14 years ... wow, that's a long time!

The food is great, the music is wonderful and the women are beautiful. Enjoy, I always do.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Mexico is part of north american. { you can cross over from texas to california } Then below mexico is central america { panama etc } and below central america is latin america { brazil etc. }.

Actually, breeze, Latin America includes all the countries south of the United States, including Mexico and Central America.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Almost to a one, the people I met who had been robbed had, IMO practically painted a target on their heads. I'd little sympathy for them.

I didn't mean avoiding being stamped for purposes of robbery... I meant for avoidance of the general enmity shown toward americans all over the world today...
Ugly Americanism is a real thing...
The greatest compliment my wife and I got when traveling in Europe was that NO ONE ever took us for Americans.. Italians, French... but never for Americans...

IT made things a lot nicer everywhere we went.

I've never understood the need to 'advertise' one's nationality in such a way, it always seemed vaguely offensive to me. The only indication of my nationality I carry is my passport and I would never display a flag, UGH!

I was suggesting it as a way to adevettise a FALSE nationality... that is... NOT be taken for a US citizen..


Except in China... In Mainland China, staple your US passport to your forehead if you want to be mobbed by the most gorgeous Chinese women you ever saw.

Of course... they are mostly interested in how you might change their life... than in you.

 

[dong20]

I didn't mean avoiding being stamped for purposes of robbery... I meant for avoidance of the general enmity shown toward americans all over the world today...
Ugly Americanism is a real thing...
The greatest compliment my wife and I got when traveling in Europe was that NO ONE ever took us for Americans.. Italians, French... but never for Americans...

IT made things a lot nicer everywhere we went.

I was suggesting it as a way to adevettise a FALSE nationality... that is... NOT be taken for a US citizen..

I didn't mean it with that in mind either, I'm not sure what lead you to that conclusion from what I wrote. I well understood the 'maple' reference, it's an old trick. No, my view was exactly as I stated it, that so openly flying one's flag (especially if it's actually someone else's) while in another nation seems somewhat rude, to me at least. If one wants to know the nationality of a visitor it's simple enough to ask, and I've never felt the need to advertise my own. I find it can help avoid ... premature stereotyping.

Except in China... In Mainland China, staple your US passport to your forehead if you want to be mobbed by the most gorgeous Chinese women you ever saw.

Of course... they are mostly interested in how you might change their life... than in you.

I'm sure that's true, however with comparatively few (but notable) exceptions, I've not found the Chinese women I've met especially attractive, physically or personally.

 

[breeze]

I didn't mean it with that in mind either, I'm not sure what lead you to that conclusion from what I wrote. I well understood the 'maple' reference, it's an old trick. No, my view was exactly as I stated it, that so openly flying one's flag (especially if it's actually someone else's) while in another nation seems somewhat rude, to me at least. If one wants to know the nationality of a visitor it's simple enough to ask, and I've never felt the need to advertise my own. I find it can help avoid ... premature stereotyping.



I'm sure that's true, however with comparatively few (but notable) exceptions, I've not found the Chinese women I've met especially attractive, physically or personally.

I think the most beautiful or attractive female in show business right now is brook lee { she may not be chinese } of pacific fusion a show based in san francisco. She was Miss Hawaii , then Miss USA and finally Miss Universe. And if you can check out that woman from Bones in hollywood magazine { halle berry cover }. She wears her hair differently and shows off her long sexy legs. That show doesn't do her justice. She's old hollywood. { grace , sophia etc. }

 

[chochocho]

If you do go to central America, just be really, really careful you don't bring home one of these big fellas. They're NOT uncommon.

In any event, you should know the symptoms because most doctors in the US aren't familiar with them and may simply treat it as a site irritation.

I appreciate this information, I was not aware of this. Thanks!

 

[chochocho]

breeze - Thanks for information. Very good advice.

 

[chochocho]

phil - thanks for the reply. very helpful ideas.

 

[!!nakedtarzan]

Hola amigo

Have a safe trip !!

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