If you're into extreme sports, get in good with some local dude who can show you a "cenote" (pronounced seh-NOH-teh) to go down in it or at least see it from outside. It's an underground cave with water. If you saw the Earth series or Living Earth, you know what I'm talking about.
¿maricon? im only into X-TREME sports mi chavo! ive swam in cenotes - done alot of traveling throughout mexico and my friends parents lived near progresso, close to merida - used that as a homebase for alot of exploring around the yucatan, which as you know, is cenote-central. i dont know if there are any cenotes in chiapas - theres some caves, so maybe. we are going to palenque to check out those ruins and then a day trip from there to agua azul and misol-ha then to san christobal de las casas and from there into guatemala - most excited about checking out this place called lake atitlan, which is a former volcano that blew up and is now like 1000' deep lake surrounded by other volcanoes.
i have some friends who did the machu pichu thing - i think it was like a 4 day trip where they hiked the trail up to it, camping along the way. they also flew over the nazca lines and took a boat out to the gallapagos, which was like a week long trip. im sure all that stuff was pricey, but if you want i will email and ask which machu pichu trip they took. it was their honeymoon and they spent 10 weeks in s. america, but they like the ne part best - ecuador/peru - so i think you made the right choice.
Yeah, I had originally wanted to do ecuador (galapagos), but i cut that out cause it'll be too expensive, maybe next time. And I believe your friends did the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu. It's like an Incan Trek - I'm skipping the Trail and going straight to machu picchu - ask your friends if you can, but I'm pretty sure that's what they did. If you can, it wouldnt hurt to know what travel agency they used. Thanks!
they actually both said ecuador was their favorite. thats what they did - its a group thing where a couple guides take you up the trail, camping along the way - they supply you w/ camping gear/food/ect - i think it took like 4 days or so. dont think they used a travel agency - booked their own flights and just went on their own once there. personally, ive never used one either - these days, w/ the internets and all the travel books (lets go/lonely planet/ect) you dont really need them anymore.
priceline.com You can buy inclusive packages with flight+hotel and some have food+alcohol included :grin:
I visited Lake Atitlan 6 year ago. Gorgeous place, great hiking, beautiful lake, not very crowded or touristy. I think you'll enjoy.
cool! im going w/ a couple friends who actually went last june and talked it up so much that it made me want to go and then me going made them want to go back. says alot about the place that they are returning after going only a year ago. last time they flew into belize and went to tikal before hitting atitlan - this time we are flying into villahermosa, mexico and going to palenque and san christobal before g-mala. for the other posters, atitlan is a lake w/ like 5 towns on its shores - only 1 town is accessible by road - from there you take a water taxi to the other towns. they stayed in san marcos(?) last time and its supposed to be the most chill, scenic, eco-touristy of them - we are staying there again. what else did you do around there? did you go to chichicastanengo/antigua?
^^ We stayed in Antigua for a few nights. It is also an awesome little town. It is picturesque old Latin/Central America village with a great feel, and you are close to various activities. Our trip was as follows, taking about 14 days, as best as I can remember. Houston -> Antigua -> Lake Atitlan -> Chichicastenango -> Back to Antigua -> Flight to Tikal -> Xunantunich -> Lamanai Lodge, Central Belize -> Caye Ambergis -> Houston I honestly can't remember where we stayed on lake Atitlan. It was me and the misses, so we stayed at a little boutique resort type place that was pretty nice. We weren't bar hopping or anything like that - romantic trip with secluded outdoor activities. We spent a day horseback riding around one of the volcanoes - found an American couple that lived across the lake that offered "tours" (in quotations because it wasn't a big tour thing, just the two of us with the husband - the wife stayed at home and baked some goodies and treats ready for our return). And of course a bunch of hiking around the lake. Chichi was cool. A very real feeling town, as opposed to Antigua, which clearly caters to tourism. On the return visit to Antigua (see itinerary above), we also spent a day climbing one of the volcanoes. I can't remember which one? It wasn't that far a drive from Antigua. It was a great excursion. The wife found it a little difficult, but I thought it was fairly easy, though I'll note climbing the "cone" is a grind. It was great at the summit, though. You could look down into the caldera and off in the distance another of the volcanoes was doing some spewing. Tikal was awesome. I minored in Anthropology and took multiple classes on the Mayans - I'm not as interested in them as I once was and was then, but it is still a great place. We stayed 2 nights in one of the on-site "hotels". Not the best accomodations, but it lets you wake up early to go on those great sunrise hikes and really really explore all the sites. I understand some people just cart in for the day, and I'm sure that's okay, but I'm not much of a drive through the park kind of guy. Also, for the Star War geeks out there, climbing Temple IV (I think that's the one) is a must, and very easy to do. Actually met a young British couple there that were in the middle of a year-long low budget trip around the world - nice people, I was jealous of their adventure. All of the Belize portions of the trip were great, too. Did some cave tubing, night-time jungle hikes, Belize zoo, beach feel at Amergis Caye, and a bunch of fishing (both reef and deepwater fishing on the Caye are great, on one trip we caught upwards of 20 very large yellowfin tuna, which put up a surprisingly strong fight - not reeling in a Marlin or anything, but get some great fight, without having to reel in for a long long amount of time, and when it's hitting like that, great fun. caught some other stuff, as well. I remember reeling in a fairly large barracuda). Lamanai Lodge was fun in that the only way to get to it is via a 45 minute river trip. Along the river this is this random old Menonite town, and oddly, we also say a dead horse floating in the river. It was a great trip. Combo of romance, hiking, amazing lake, anthropology, jungle, beach, fishing. All with a very laid back feel.
So my parents (especially my dad), does not really want me to go to South America. They have this silly notion that I will get kidnapped or die. I'm going to go anyway, but to put their minds at ease, do you guys have any ideas of things I can tell them to make them understand that it's safe? Brazil has a pretty high crime rate, but from my limited research, Peru is pretty safe. And obviously there's areas that tourists should avoid, and the tour guides will let me know where not go, I'm sure. If you guys can help me think of specific things to tell them, that would be great. Please spare me the "it's your life, do whatever you want" thing. Also, I am on travbuddy looking for people to meet over there, possibly even split the cost if our schedules work. Thanks!
Almost all countries in South America, if not all, are safer than the US. Enjoy! If South America doesn't work out, I hear Pyonyang, DPRK is pretty nice this time of year. <script src="http://www.vbs.tv/vbs_player.js?width=480&height=270&ec=psN2dnOg2kcCLFdKYWlZX_nV53pQVKk_&st=The%20Vice%20Guide%20to%20Travel&pl=http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
Well yeah youre probably right, but theyre just saying that cause I'm going into the rainforest and stuff, which is true.
I've been to Sao Paulo and Rio in Brazil...if you're smart about things, it's perfectly safe. Never been to the rainforest there, but a friend of mine is currently living in the Amazon. She's still alive and well.
Here is an update for my trip: - Manu I have been in contact with 7-8 different agencies for Manu, and after seeing all their offers, I believe DosManos has the best deal, where it is 770$ for 8D/7N. Anyone heard anything good or bad about this agency? http://www.dosmanosperu.com/dosmanos/tours/manu/english/manu_8d_7n_.php There is a 50% possibility that at least one of my friends may accompany me on at least some of this tour. So here are the questions I have now: - Machu Picchu (No Inca Trail) I will visit this place before or after Manu depending on the dates I am able to book for Manu. Just to be sure, I do not have to use a tour agency for this, right? Simply take the train and go there early in the morning before the tour groups get there? - Lake Titicaca I want to try and spend a few days here, but I don't know if I should use a tour agency for that. Maybe if I use the same tour agency they will give me some sort of package discount? But before I look into that, I want to know if it is even necessary to use a tour agency for this - can I just show up there on my own? - The Pantanal I want this to be at least 2 weeks of my trip, since this is the place where I can see a lot of wildlife. Can anyone recommend any tour agencies for this? From Lake Titicaca, I will have to find a way to somehow arrive here - I am thinking I will do this by plane since bus would take too long, anyone have any idea what airport I would use to depart Lake Titicaca and where I would land near the Pantanal? Or should I bus it? - Iguazu Falls Hopefully I still have time for this. Maybe from the Pantanal it would be a good idea to fly to Rio de Janeiro, since I want to go there anyway. And then from Rio, find a tour agency that'll take me to Iguazu. Or it might be easier to go from Pantanal to Iguazu to Rio and then go home from Rio after spending a few days there. Thanks for your help!
I have a bunch of general travel questions - they might be stupid, but I have never done this before: 1. cell phone - how is this going to work? Am I supposed to buy a temp phone when I arrive in Peru? Or will my cell phone work there? How will I call my parents back home? 2. Camera space - I have a 12 MP digital camera that has an SD card (haven't check how much space the SD card holds), I'm sure I'll run out of space... so which alternative do you think would be smarter: a. After the SD card is full, find a computer at a hostel (hopefully they have SD card readers or I will need to bring a USB sd card reader), and then upload the pictures on a private server on the internet and then clear the space on the SD card. b. Buy like 5 SD cards c. ?? 3. Visas I'm reading that an advance visa is not required for American citizens to enter Peru. But when I arrive there, I should check with the embassy or consulate of Peru. So from what I understand, I can simply apply for a visa after I arrive in Peru, but on the other hand, a visa is required for entry into Brazil. Regarding Peru, wouldn't it be easier just to do it in advance while I am still in the United States? So I don't have to waste time going to the embassy? Or is that not even possible? I'm trying to figure out where I can do this ... I'm at http://www.peruvianembassy.us/en.html ... but not seeing anything - if anyone can link me that would be great. Also, according to travel.state.gov, I should register with the nearest U.S. Embassy if I am traveling in Peru - and I can do this through https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ .. I made an account there but when I try to add a trip to Peru, it wants my local address and phone for Peru .. I do not know this yet - am I not supposed to to do this until I arrive at Peru? As for the Brazilian Visa, I am working on that right now, and I should have one before I leave. So I will only need a visa for Peru and Brazil, right? Will I need a visa for Bolivia if I am visiting Lake Titicaca? Will I need a visa for Argentina if I am visiting the Iguazu Falls (both sides)? I am assuming I will, maybe not for Bolivia - but I just want to make sure. Thanks!
***UPDATE***: I have sort of figured out how I will get from place to stay and where I will stay: After landing in Lima, I will stay at the Loki Hostel most likely - I am still looking into transportation for how to get to the Hostel. Also, I am still deciding on whether or not to fly to Cuzco or do train/bus. In Cuzco, I will probably stay at the Loki Hostel as well. For Machu Picchu, I haven't looked into specifically where I will be staying and what train I will be taking. For Lake Titicaca, Dos Manos will provide the transportaiton (75$ for a 3 day tour). I am still unsure of how to get to the Pantanal from Puno, but I am starting to look into that as well. I may even have to go from Juliaca > Lima > Sao Paulo and then bus it to Cuiaba or something. Hopefully this will be easier once I have finally decided on a Pantanal tour agency, so I know exactly where I need to be. (I am still leaning toward the Northern Pantanal). As for the rest of the trip, I haven't looked into it much but I don't think it should be too difficult. Hopefully everything starts coming together soon, because my schoolwork is not going to get any easier! I'm still working on comparing Pantanal agencies - I will post again once I have made some sort of tangible progress. Here's a few random questions: Should I bring my laptop to South America? I assumed that I wouldn't because in case I get robbed or something. I was thinking that I just bring a couple SD cards, and not even bother uploading pictures on to the internet, but rather just bring a couple 8 GB flash drives and upload them on to there, and them empty out the SD cards. How does that sound? So all I will really need to bring is an SD card reader, flash drives, SD cards, and my camera of course. I'm not sure if I will need batteries, my camera has a battery charger where I can just plug it in to an outlet. Will this not work in SA? I'm currently communicating via e-mail with the Brazilian consulate in Chicago in order to obtain a Visa. I cannot apply yet because I am still waiting for my passport in the mail (I had to renew it, it may still be a couple weeks at least). However, one of their other requirements is that they want a print out of the round trip ticket or the flight itinerary or something. However, I do not know which airport or airline I am taking yet, because I am going to go there after Peru... I do not even know the exact dates, and probably won't know the exact dates until well into June when I am on my way to Lake Titicaca. So how am I supposed to provide this information? I asked them and their response was "We do ask that you provide flight itinerary/plans of entry and exit from Brazil." I replied back reiterating the fact that I will not have that available and explained my situation, and they have yet to reply. I wonder how strict this? Can I not give them estimates? \It's pretty ridiculous. **Medical/Hygiene Help** I need some medical help - I'm not expecting anyone to give me some professional medical advice, but just opinion based on personal experience, or links to some information. Anyways, so I needed a Yellow Fever vaccination in order to get into Brazil. Before I could do this, I was told that I need to make an appointment for a travel consultation in order to get my Yellow Card (sort of like a passport for medical history I believe). The consultation was with a registered nurse, and it was free through my school. It lasted almost 3 hours! I thought it would be a waste of time but it was pretty informative. However, it is always nice to have a second opinion, so please let me know if you have any thoughts on what she is recommending below. The nurse recommended a lot of different things based on where I am going: -Yellow Fever Shot ($90) (done) -Swine Flu Shot ($0) (done) -Typhoid Shot (49$) -Seasonal Flu Shot (20$) -Hepatitis A Shot ($3) (this is recommended even if I am not traveling, so I will definitely get this done) -TB test to see if I need a shot -Tetanus vaccination (I don't think she mentioned this, and I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I'm reading that I should have this before going into Manu) -Cipro - I think this is some sort of anti-diarrhea antibiotic drug that I should take if I happen to get really sick and have diarrhea and vomitting. She also recommended bringing some Pepto or Imodium. -Malaria Medication - She is recommending I take malarial medication. She was unsure about the Malarial risk in the Pantanal, but she said that there is risk in Iguazu, but I'm not sure she knew what was she talking about as she did not seem very confident with regards to malaria. She is using some program/website called Travel Medicine Advisor to make her recommendations. She recommended taking Malarome or Lariam for malaria medication. This is the main thing that I am unsure about, can anyone help me out with this? Based on Google searches, I'm reading that there is about a .1% risk for malaria and Leishmaniasis in Manu, and there is almost no risk in the Pantanal or Iguazu either. Obviously these aren't medical documents where I'm getting this information from, but rather from tourists who have had personal experiences with this, and also from tour agencies. Tourists are saying that the malaria tablets will just make you feel sick and ruin the trip, and there is no point. I should just stick to DEET mosquito repellant (30-50%?), as that will simultaneously protect me from Dengue Fever as well. As for rabies, as long as I am sleeping with mosquito nets I should be fine, I don't think there is really a need to look into pre-exposure vaccinations for this, right? I'm assuming the mosquito nets will be provided? -She also recommended that I make sure that my medical insurance company is covering me when traveling abroad - to make sure that their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expences such as medical evacuation. This is what most travelers do, right? I'm going to call my health insurer soon. -She also recommended drinking only bottled or boiled water. Will I have to buy a case load of bottled water over there? Where will I get this? She gave me a sheet with all of these tips, they even go as far to say as use bottled water to brush my teeth. Also, never drink unpasteurized milk - that makes sense. She also said to bring some electrolyte powder patches (i.e. Gatorade) to put in your water because your body will need electrolytes even more in that part of the world.. I forget what her justification was exactly, something about the proper minerals not being in their food I believe. Please post if you have any input on any of this! Thanks!
For the camera, I would buy extra SD cards. Dont hope that you will have access to a decent computer down there. Safer just to buy extra and not worry about looking at them until you get back. Unless you plan on taking a laptop.
