More Random Observations on South American Travel
This post is a supplement to WS’s ten observations of Latin travel as we prepare to leave South America.
1. If you find a bathroom with soap, toilet paper, AND papertowels, you are probably not in South America.
2. Always carry toilet paper. See observation #1. Consider hand sanitizer as well.
3. The further south you go, the better the bus and the cheaper the postage.
4. If you want to see the overdubbed collection of Van Damme and Van Diesel movies, ride the bus in South America. They have them all.
5. Carry Ziplock bags, especially the heavy duty freezer bags. No one has them, and if they do a)they will not be freezer and b)the chance of the box being opened because someone just needed one bag is very high.
6. Carry peanut butter if you are a fan. They either do not have it or if they do, it is imported for crazy prices. Who knew Jiff would be so valuable?
7. If you think you have a grasp on the Spanish language, go to Argentina where they will put a hurtin’ on you.
8. Your ipod will die at high altitudes or non-pressurized cabins. Just trust me on this one.
9. No, that is not the Latin “call to prayer” you are hearing, it is a loudspeaker mounted on top of a pickup truck, driving through town, urging you to sell your old refrigerator.
10. If you plan to visit Rio, borrow a bathing suit from your 8 year old niece/nephew. That should be about the right size for the beaches there.
KaraYtravis said:
Ahh Traveling…. We keep checking in on your trip over here and I thought I would write to encourage you two to keep enjoying every minute of it - even the dirt floor, sweaty heat, bare mattress dirty drinking water days. For us there were a few days of exhaustion and regrouping from a wandering life, but here are a few reasons, i hope, to keep your spirits up and keep you going if you ever get worn down.
My alarm goes off every day at 6:15 AM so I can get up in time for work. Sometimes I have to iron my clothes and tuck my shirt in for my business casual work environment. I spend 7-8 hours sitting in a chair, looking at a computer, and sometimes talking on the phone indoors - 5 days a week. A cheap and crappy lunch in Chelsea costs $8. I’m too tired at the end of my day to go out and have fun sometimes. A few beers in a bar over here will send you searching for $20 bills. Every month about 5-10 bills come in the mail that take the same amount of money to pay as a few months on the road.
I’ll stop the rambling there but my point is that I miss traveling and being back working in the US is a tough adjustment so believe me when I say that you are not missing a thing being back in the US workforce. Keep up the great posts and enjoy yourselves every minute!
Gerald said:
Hello wanderers….
Just a comment to your list… number two is funny… I have meet many people carring toilet paper around… in 5 month I never faced an issue with this - but it makes me smile to see so many backpackers stacking up on toilet paper…. but than I might have been lucky… and guys, keep wandering and visit me in Spain…