Some things you need to know before you travel to South and Central America and a few tips to make travelling there just that little bit easier...trust me. If only we had known...
If only you knew... now you do!
In South America in particular, the people, buses, and pretty much all transport systems have their own 'time'. So upon arrival just relax, enjoy the South American ways... you will get there but the question of when is not worth asking.
You will at some point think that the bus you are on is going to fall off of the road. Yes, this is the South and Central American phenomenon that is bus driving. It's fast, it's unpredictable, they will stop for EVERYONE and occasionally you will worry for your life. It's best to sleep and never look out of the window, that way you can't see the cliff or how close or fast you are driving past it.
Set menus are great and fantastic value for money but often they include more carbs than you'd usually eat in an entire day...in South America you can eat very cheaply but they love the potatoes, pasta, rice, more potatoes in the form of chips. So just be prepared for a carb overload on arrival. Alternatively you can buy and cook for yourself but in the cheaper countries like Peru and Bolivia, it is perhaps cheaper to eat out than to buy food. Plus, good luck finding an actual supermarket!
In South America we used a lot of night buses, it is just important that you are vigilant with your belongings whilst on the buses and especially at border crossings. NEVER leave your bags unattended. It only takes seconds for someone to take it. We met too many people that had been robbed during their travels and it was always down to those few moments that their bags had been out of their sight. It is not advised to cross borders at night. In Central America, travelling at night is never recommended. There are plenty of organised shuttle buses during the day, there are a little more pricey but they are are safer to use than the local buses.
My Top South & Central America Backpacker Travel Tips...
(You could probably apply these same tips to backpacking in any other country, if you turn the Spanish one into the language of choice and ignore all references to South and Central American countries...should this be one of my tips?)
Anyway...here they are!
1. ALWAYS carry snacks. When the 11 hour bus turns into 16 hours, you will be grateful.
2. Learn some Spanish. Not only as a sign of respect to the lovely locals, but surprisingly, to communicate, because believe it or not there are still places in the world that don't speak English.
3. Pre-book your hostels. Ok not required at all times, but when planning on heading in or through a City, or arriving anywhere at night, it is best to book ahead, it makes your life easier, it helps you to stay safe so you aren't strolling around looking for a hostel at 12am, and some book up very quickly. P.s Booking ahead applies to weekdays too...remember when you are travelling everyday is a Saturday so the 'only busy at weekends' rule has no relevance here.
4. Save money and cook for yourself! Not only does this save you from a bad stomach because you at the cheapest Bolivian set menu you could find, but this can also save you money. So if you have a kitchen at your hostel, why not use it. If you are not keen on cooking, even making sandwiches for lunch, salads and picnic food for dinner can always save you a few pennies. (You are going to love the tins of refried beans in Central...mmm! A yummy staple and great in a wrap!)
2. Learn some Spanish. Not only as a sign of respect to the lovely locals, but surprisingly, to communicate, because believe it or not there are still places in the world that don't speak English.
3. Pre-book your hostels. Ok not required at all times, but when planning on heading in or through a City, or arriving anywhere at night, it is best to book ahead, it makes your life easier, it helps you to stay safe so you aren't strolling around looking for a hostel at 12am, and some book up very quickly. P.s Booking ahead applies to weekdays too...remember when you are travelling everyday is a Saturday so the 'only busy at weekends' rule has no relevance here.
4. Save money and cook for yourself! Not only does this save you from a bad stomach because you at the cheapest Bolivian set menu you could find, but this can also save you money. So if you have a kitchen at your hostel, why not use it. If you are not keen on cooking, even making sandwiches for lunch, salads and picnic food for dinner can always save you a few pennies. (You are going to love the tins of refried beans in Central...mmm! A yummy staple and great in a wrap!)
5. Carry a 'drop wallet' and a hidden wallet. If it ever came to it, it is a good idea to have a body purse/hidden wallet for your passport, larger amounts of cash and credit cards as well as a fake wallet carrying an expired or fake credit card and a small amount of cash. If you are mugged and asked for your money. Give them the drop wallet, and hopefully you will be left with the all important passport, cash and cards nice and close to you hidden under your clothes.
6. Travel with a padlock or two. Make sure your hostel has lockable lockers or boxes for your belongings, when you are sharing a dorm room the last thing you need is to be constantly worrying about 'who' you are sharing with and you can leave your important stuff without a worry.
Despite there being a slightly negative connotation with my above tips and 'need to knows', the countries I visited in South and Central America are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen, the people are some of the most welcoming, helpful and friendly people I have ever have the privilege to meet and quite simply I had the most unbelievable trip. There are dangers to be aware of, we were very lucky that nothing went seriously wrong, but things can happen, so just be aware and careful, find out where not to go at night, read hostel reviews before you book and don't forget to enjoy every moment.
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