While most people will check the weather for the first city of their trip, it is a good idea to chec

Backpacking South America is a worthwhile adventure my wifes carribean cruise pics I recommend everyone to have at least once in their lives. Before I arrived on the continent, I was unsure of what to expect. To help prepare you before you go, here are some things I wish I had known before I left for my trip.
The exchange rates vary considerably from country to country in South America. For example, while travelers can spend a lot of time in Bolivia and Peru , stretching their dollar very far, popular tourist cities in Brazil , Chile and the Galapagos Islands can be expensive. If you re on a budget, look up which cities are the most affordable beforehand. my wifes carribean cruise pics For example, I noticed in Argentina that the farther south I went basically the farther my wifes carribean cruise pics into Patagonia the
Moreover, don t always think roughing it will save you money. Making use of the shelters on the W circuit in Torres del Paine and camping your way through the Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu are quite expensive. In fact, one night in a refugio in Torres del Paine will cost about $40 to $60 and that only includes the mattress. Camping in the park is free if you bring your own gear; however, this can be tricky as the hike is difficult at times and you will have to carry your own
equipment. my wifes carribean cruise pics Moreover, to trek with a good company for the Inca Trail will cost about $500 to $650 for the trek.Likewise, bring a mix of US cash, debit cards, credit cards and foreign currency my wifes carribean cruise pics with you. It is not uncommon my wifes carribean cruise pics in smaller towns for ATMs to run out of cash, so it s good to be prepared. Additionally, make sure to tell your bank and credit card company you re leaving the country beforehand. If you don t, you may find yourself with a frozen account.
While most people will check the weather for the first city of their trip, it is a good idea to check for each area when traveling in South America. For example, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, you may be able to walk around in shorts and tank top, while heading to Bariloche in the same country may require a hat and coat. Furthermore, don t think that because it is a certain my wifes carribean cruise pics season in the country the weather will match that season in your home country. Autumn in Patagonia or Brazil is a lot different than autumn in New York .
Traveling to South America, you will have many opportunities for extraordinary landscape and nature shots. Even if you don t have a DSLR camera, I would recommend taking a photography course, or at least getting familiar with your camera s features and how to properly use them. You may also want to practice my wifes carribean cruise pics at a park in your hometown at different times of day and night, to figure out what the best settings are.
In many places in South America, you will be surrounded at all times of day by delicious cakes, cookies, pastrys and candies. I especially noticed this in Brazil, where it is not uncommon to eat sweets for breakfast. In fact, at all of the Brazilian hostels I stayed in, treats like chocolate cake with sprinkles and chocolate sandwich cookies were served in the morning.
While there are many preconceived notions that exist on what South American food is like, each country, and even the different cities within a country, has their own local specialties. For example, Argentine empanadas my wifes carribean cruise pics are delicious ; however, their ingredients differ from city to city. Additionally, in Brazil eating a ai is more than just a treat, it s a cultural experience . Ceviche in Peru, cuy in Ecuador, seafood stews in Chile, giant steaks and matte tea in Argentina, barbeque in Brazil these are just some of the delicious options waiting for you on your backpacking my wifes carribean cruise pics adventure.
Not only do the countries of South America feature unique and appetizing foods, many are also known for their national drinks. In Brazil, you must try the caipirinha, a strong cocktail made with cacha a, sugar and lime. Moreover, Argentina is world-renowned for its Malbec wine, while the Pisco Sour, created using pisco and lemon juice, is typical of Peru and Chile. In Colombia, make sure to try aguardiente, or firewater, which is made from sugar cane molasses converted into alcohol. The proof is usually 60%, and many times sugar is added to make the drink sweeter.
Bus transportation in South America is very good. While the popular bus routes usually take hours, the drives are very comfortable and scenic. Beautiful my wifes carribean cruise pics desert, mountain and lake landscapes that would be missed by taking an airplane can be photographed from your bus window. Another great thing about bus travel is you can usually travel overnight, saving you money on accommodation and allowing you to not waste an entire my wifes carribean cruise pics day traveling. Moreover, food, beverages and sometimes even champagne my wifes carribean cruise pics and wine are usually my wifes carribean cruise pics included in your ticket price. One tip: spring for a cama bus. This will allow you to recline your seat far back. Doing this, along with pulling down the leg rest in front of you, will allow you to almost feel like you re sleeping in a bed.
With such convenient bus transportation, keeping a loose itinerary is easy. You can arrive in a city, peruse the different bus routes my wifes carribean cruise pics and then figure out where you want to go. I d also advise talking to other travelers in your hostel to get recommendations. For example, when I arrived in Bariloche, Argentina, I immediately went and booked a bus ticket to El Calafate, simply based on the fact that I had read this is what you were supposed to do in Patagonia. After talking to other backpackers in my hostel, however, I realized I was skipping over El Chalten, a hotspot for my favorite activity, hiking. If I had waited to book my ticket, I could have stopped there first and then moved on to El Calafate.
That being said, you should plan out any big hikes in advance. For example, if you want to trek the Inca Trail in Peru, you re going to need to book it months in advance if you want to ensure you have a spot. Moreover, doing the W circuit in Torres del Paine, my wifes carribean cruise pics or even a shorter version of it, requires some beforehand planning. Will you camp, stay in a refugio, or book a nearby hotel? Are the refugios open when you re going? If it s high season, they may even be booked up. Where will you store your pack? Will you trek with it? I d also recommend checking the weather, as this windy park can be difficult to trek in stormy weather.
Like I mentioned above, the weather in South America is very different from city to city, even if you re still in the same country. Additionally, while certain places may be hot during the day, such as desert areas, they can be freezing at night. It is also worth mentioning that the buses tend to be very hot or cold, depending on what the weather is outside. For instance, when taking an overnight my wifes carribean cruise pics bus from S o Paulo to Foz do Igua u in Brazil, I wore a tracksuit, figuring I would be warm enough if there was air conditioning. I ended up shivering all night long from the Artic temperatures of the bus. What was really funny was when looking around, I noticed everyone including the bus drivers had gloves and scarves on and were wrapping their coats around their heads. Despite this, the air conditioner was never touched.
While I believe this is a good idea no matter where you travel to, I especially recommend it for South America. In most places, it is really easy to meet locals, as they are very friendly. For example, when flying from Miami , Florida , to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, I sat next to a Brazilian girl on the plane. By the time we landed, I had made a new friend, was being brought to her house to meet her mom and was given a grand tour of the city. Likewise, at a bar in Buenos Aires, a local overheard me speaking my wifes carribean cruise pics English and was excited to practice his own as well as tell me all about the city s history and must-see sites. I also noticed many people my wifes carribean cruise pics in South America tend to backpack around their own countries, so you ll be able to meet a lot of natives in your hostel. Even though South America is often thought of as one culture, each country, and even each city, is very interesting and unique. For example, not all of Brazil eats the same exact foods or dances the same way. It depends my wifes carribean cruise pics what city you re in.
No matter what thrills my wifes carribean cruise pics you, you ll find it in South America. Surfing Rio de Janeiro s beautiful beaches, hiking glaciers or ancient ruins, hang gliding over picturesque Patagonia, trekking the Andes or Amazon and scuba diving the clear waters of Paraty these are just a few of your options. If you think about it, simply backpacking South America is an adventure in itself, as you never know whom you ll meet, what cultural discoveries you ll make or where you ll end up the next day. When I was in Paraty , Brazil, there was one night I felt particularly tired and lazy. Despite that, I went to the beach bar across the street my wifes carribean cruise pics from my hostel for a caipirinha, just to feel social. I ended up hanging out with locals all night, learning how to forr dance and going to the town s signature nightclub, Paraty 33. It ended up being one of my most memorable nights of the trip.
I don t care if you re in your hometown, you should always be alert. Bad things happen everywhere, not just when you re traveling. That being said, there are certain cities and areas within cities that you need to be extra vigilant in. When arriving at a hostel, I always make sure to ask the staff to circle the areas on my map that are more dangerous. For example, when in Buenos Aires, the hostel staff told my friends and I to be very careful when walking around in the southeast part of the city near La Boca. Not listening, a friend of mine not only went and walked around the area alone, but also made it obvious he was carrying a camera and stored it in his backpack where it was completely out of his sight. It wasn t surprising my wifes carribean cruise pics to me that by the time he returned to the hostel, his camera had been stolen. Moreover, on a bus ride in Bolivia, where you should always be on high alert, one traveler my wifes carribean cruise pics fell asleep with her DSLR camera sitting in her lap. Luckily her boyfriend was awake, because one local actually reached over to s