OT-Travelling to South America

[Chuck Wintle]

My son has informed me that he intends to travel to South America for 2 months. Does anyone have good advice when going to this part of the world? I gather its NOT north america and expectations should be lowered somewhat but besides that....

[Doug Shepard]

Dont swim with the little fishees with all the sharp teeth:D
Seriously - you might want to PM Jim King who lives down there. He's probably the resident SMC expert.

[Tom Godley]

Always advisable to study up on what shots are recommended in the countries he is going to -- especially if he is going to spend much time outside of the metropolitan areas. The CDC in the USA has a good site. A review of health insurance and emergency procedures is also a good idea.

I never travel -- especially to the "Third World" -- without 14 doses of Cipro.


Also -- its starting to get cold :)

[Norberto Coutinho]

I suggest you and to your son to read this article. I live in Belo Horizonte and if your son came here, I and my family will be happy to help him. Feel free to send me a PM.
Norberto
.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/travel/25brazil.html?pagewanted=1

[Norberto Coutinho]

I suggest you and to your son to read this article. I live in Belo Horizonte and if your son came here, I and my family will be happy to help him. Feel free to send me a PM.
Norberto
.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/10/25...l?pagewanted=1 (http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/travel/25brazil.html?pagewanted=1)

[Bryan Morgan]

My son has informed me that he intends to travel to South America for 2 months. Does anyone have good advice when going to this part of the world? I gather its NOT north america and expectations should be lowered somewhat but besides that....


Have him bring you back some soda. Some of my family goes to Peru from time to time and they bring back this weird soda that looks like Mountain Dew but tastes kind of like Coca Cola... good stuff.

[Van Huskey]

It makes a huge difference where he goes. Going to SA is like going to the Middle East, some places are great and very safe, some places are not remotely safe. The US State Department site has lots of good info on travel abroad and Canada may have the same thing. Get an idea of where he wants to go and people may have more specifics. Plus does he plan to travel alone etc.

[Rich Stewart]

Watch a couple episodes of "Locked Up Abroad" before you go. Just in case you happen to get broke and figure this would be a good way to get some money to go home.

[Christian Castillo]

I travel to Peru yearly, the advice that has served me the best is one that a traveling nurse might cringe at hearing but here goes:

You're most likely going to get sick from eating something no matter how hard you try not to, I eat anything and everything from the get go to get sick asap so I get sick on my own terms. You'll feel horrible and be out for 3 days, but afterward you have built immunity, you can eat wherever you want, and won't have to worry about unexpected illness in the middle of an adventure (huge wrench in your plans), going hungry because you are too afraid to eat in local markets or small restaurants in villages when you find yourself hours away from a large city, or not being able to participate in the full culinary experiences that you see those guys do on the Travel channel ( eating on street corners and other places locals frequent).

I always go through one sickness bout, then I can eat fresh fruit from the most fly infested market and never get ill again. I must add that I am in my early twenties, and if I wasn't young and with the best immune system I will ever have in my life, I would think otherwise if I was much older.

By the way Morgan, does your family bring back Kola Real?