South America

MrJones

Has anyone here travelled through South America alone?
Im considering doing it. Im a bloke so obviously would be a bit easier.
Thoughts and comments greatly appreciated.

PunyHuman

What do you want to know?

MrJones

i want to know has anyone backpacked thru SA alone? and if so have they any advice,tip to pass on..

PunyHuman

MrJones wrote:

i want to know has anyone backpacked thru SA alone?

Do you really

But seriously, I spent a couple of months there last year mostly on my own... what to tell you? Get ready for endless bus journeys. Bring an inflatable neck rest and ear plugs for the endless bus journeys. Learn some Spanish so you can talk to locals and understand the Steven Seagal movies on the endless bus journeys. If you're vegetarian, forget about the whole continent. Visit Iguazu. Try not to look too much like a gringo (loud shirt+shorts+sandals+roaring drunkenly).

I don't know where you want to go, so I can't give you any more specific information than this, which is why I was asking you what you wanted to know.

MrJones

thats the thing. i have no spanish.
maybe i should hold off for a year and learn some spanish.
i want to visit argentina,peru,mexico city,brazil and bolivia in no particular order.
would 6 months be enough to do all this or would i need more?

mise_me_fein_V2

they speak portuguesse in Brazil

MrJones

i know this.
by and large though spanish is the predominant language of SA.
for instance mexico and argentina and peru.
having spanish in mexico city wud be some buzz.

PunyHuman

I can't say if six months would be enough time, or too much, but it's more than a month per country which is a pretty good time framework. Depends on what you want to do and see in each place, really.

And you'd be surprised how quickly you pick up basic Spanish (or Castillian, to be more precise) when you have no other choice.

fons trompenaar

I'm going there for about 8 months in a few weeks, starting in Peru, going on my own too, not too concerned really will see how it pans out...

Puny - did you have spanish before you went or just pick it up on the way, or did you take a language class over there? Was half thinking of doing this, I did a beginners spanish class & one of those linguaphone things but I'm fairly clueless.

Also, did you take ALL the recommended vaccines before you went or just yellow ferver & malaria ?

cheers

PunyHuman

I didn't know any Spanish before I went - just picked up some essentials along the way. The Lonely Planet Latin American Spanish phrasebook came in very handy.

I got quite a few vaccinations - typhoid, tetanus, cholera, polio booster, hepatitis and yellow fever as far as I remember, and a load of doxycycline for malaria. But then I was travelling in Asia on the same trip.

fons trompenaar

Did you have visa or mastercard over there? I hear visa atm's is a lot eaier to come across??

Also I assume a cirrus BOI card is ok to use?

PunyHuman

My visa card worked in every ATM I used in S America, as far as I remember. As long as you've charged up the card with some cash you don't pay an advance fee, although visa modify the foreign exchange rate a few points in their favour so they make money off the deal. In my opinion, the handiness factor makes up for any extra charges. The only downside is that you have to mind your card like your passport.

Although I don't know how many compliant ATMs you'd find in the less industrialised northern countries like Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador etc... I didn't go there myself.

And I also don't know about cirrus or plus but I'm sure you'd get that info in the LP or RG.

Kfitz

PunyHuman wrote:

My visa card worked in every ATM I used in S America, as far as I remember. As long as you've charged up the card with some cash you don't pay an advance fee, although visa modify the foreign exchange rate a few points in their favour so they make money off the deal. In my opinion, the handiness factor makes up for any extra charges. The only downside is that you have to mind your card like your passport.

Although I don't know how many compliant ATMs you'd find in the less industrialised northern countries like Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador etc... I didn't go there myself.

And I also don't know about cirrus or plus but I'm sure you'd get that info in the LP or RG.

While on the subject of valuables. Whats the story with IPODs and digital cameras? I wouldn't intend on having them on Public view or anything but would these objects be targets for pickpockets? I read elsewhere that they are mainly interested in cell phones

littlesurfer

i travelled through sa last year. argentina, chile, bolivia and peru. I was with another female friend though. But as far as language, don't worry i was pretty fluent in about two months. My friend actually kept travelling for a few months after i went home and she had no problems...she was even in the dodgy parts of brazil.

Anyway as for ipods etc, id pick up so cheap versions and bring those too. we had things like that stolen. I'd be careful of your stuff and leave expensive camera, mp3s etc at home!

bleary

Did this a couple of years ago on my own it was hard enough going as a girl but would recommend you look at booking a week or two in a spanish school when you arrive its great to get over the flight in a place you feel comfortable and safe -also its a good way of meeting other people travelling in SA and even a week of classes left me fairly confident with taxis , hotels etc .you could look at Quito in ecuador for this or Bolivia for the cheaper places to stay Its worth it.I brought a ccard both mastercard and Visa Also carried a cirrus card -definitely some people had problems getting money out in peru but cant remember which one gave problems.