1) Learn Spanish: seriously. The more Spanish (more properly called Castillano) I've learned over the years, the more friendly the people have been, the more I've been able to do, and yes, the cheaper things have been in markets and shops. I know it's a no brainer, but you would be amazed how many people come here without a lick of Spanish, and often with a refusal to learn. I usually take classes in a Spanish school if I'm somewhere for a long time, and the benefit is massive.
2) stay in a few places long term rather than hopping around a whole bunch: I have a preference to moving as little as possible. Yes, it's exciting to see lots of cool places, but if you only have a month or two on your trip, don't be one of those people who skips around a lot and tries to see everything. First, in many cases it's the actual act of travelling which is expensive. And second, you will never see everything. My goal is quality over quantity. I love making relationships with people, casual hangouts, dinner parties, and having my own place. As I write this, I'm living in a house in Pisaq, Peru, where I've been for almost three weeks. In a two month trip, I'll only have visited three destinations (Iquitos, the area near Santiago, and Pisaq). And the depth of experience has been awesome.
3) if you stay long term, rent a house: often much cheaper than a hostal, and you end up with a kitchen, your own space, and some quiet time. It's been wonderful to have the experience of home while travelling, and the kitchen has meant I've saved money on eating out, while enjoying the comfort food I love. And since I love fermenting, having a home has meant I can enjoy my passion and share it with friends. It also means that you can avoid buying bottled water, and instead buy refills of the large 23 L water containers, and prevent so much plastic from heading to the landfill.
4) speaking of eating, eat lunch in the public markets: public markets in Latin America usually feature produce, household things, and plenty of delicious food. For lunch, you can usually get a full meal (which in Peru is a soup, drink, and a main dish) for about $2. The food is usually delicious, wholesome, and fresh. And, you can meet interesting people and strike up good conversation. I usually find a lunch vendor I like, then eat there almost every day. If you do eat out, the busier the establishment or vendor, the better food and less likely you are to get sick.
5) get out of the major touristy cities: there's nothing I dislike more (well, perhaps there are a few things) than being stuck in the middle of a really touristy city. There's always someone trying to sell you something, it's loud, it's smelly, and most of the shops are geared towards tourists (hostals, travel agencies, money exchanges, cheap souvenirs, and restaurants). It can be expensive, and really draining. Often, there are smaller towns just a short bus trip away which offer cheaper accommodations, more peace and quiet, and still allow one to enjoy the city when they wish.
6) bring a veggie peeler: yep, people think I'm weird, but hear me out! When travelling by bus, there's nothing worse than crappy, packaged snack food. I bring a Leatherman knife and a veggie peeler in order to chop and peel things like cucumber on busses, so I can have avocado and cucumber on tortillas (or whatever else). Often, the peels of veggies and fruits in developing countries are contaminated with parasites and other baddies, so a peeler offers a quick solution. Plus, the locals look at you like you're crazy.
7) bring a bunch of reusable produce bags: everything is in plastic here. Even when I'm buying a pack of batteries and am wearing a backpack, people automatically assume I want it in a plastic bag. Be good to the environment, and bring reusable mesh produce bags. Not only are they cool (the locals often express to me how much they like them), but you'll dramatically reduce your plastic consumption. Thank you, mom, for the amazing and very useful gift!
8) buy your beer in big bottles: small bottles are usually tossed in the garbage, while large bottles have a deposit and will be recycled.
9) be very careful whom you do ceremony with: this tip may not be for everyone, but if you plan to take ceremonial substances while abroad, be very careful with your selection of curanderos or shaman. I see many offerings of various ceremonies, and to be honest a lot of them seem really sketchy. People even offer bottles of ayahuasca to me in the street, which I find really strange and disconcerting. If you are travelling in South America, and are looking for a legit experience with ayahuasca or San Pedro, I suggest checking out the website http://AyaAdvisor.org. There, you will find a directory of centers and curanderos offering ceremony, as well as reviews. If you have had any experiences in this area, please add your feedback and reviews on AyaAdvisor. Others will be grateful!
10) you don't need to book tours to enjoy the scenery: yes, I've been on tours, and have enjoyed myself. But generally, I prefer to make my own way to see the sights, and take my time. Tours are generally much less work than solo planning, but they can be quite rushed, are often quite expensive, and don't allow one to go at their own pace and experience a depth of appreciation. While I took the whole day each to explore the ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisaq, and a whole separate day to enjoy Moray and Salinas, many groups were doing all four in a single day! Cool if you don't have much time, but there's no way you can say you've seen the whole sacred valley in just a few days.
11) say yes to as much as you can: I've found that the few things I regret about my travels are the things I said 'no' to. Sometimes amazing, once in a lifetime experiences are put before you, and you need only say yes. In my case, this had led to exploring landscapes I never would have seen, making amazing friends, and having life changing experiences. Perhaps it'll push you from your comfort zone, but I thoroughly believe that everything is put before you for a reason. Say yes.
12) just go with the flow: you're fortunate enough to be in a foreign country with a completely different culture and way of life. Yes, things might be a little dirty. Yes, the food might be strange. And yes, things are not done the way they are at home. Busses are not usually scheduled, people drive like maniacs, there are sometimes chickens and goats on the bus, there's garbage, dogs and dog shit everywhere, it's loud, toilet paper has to go in a waste basket, you have to be careful with water, the beer often sucks, you often get wrong directions, taxi drivers try to rip you off, the atm runs out of money, and folks constantly try to sell you things. And so much more. Keep a good sense of humor, and just roll with it.
13) stay away from illegal drugs: while it can be tempting to enjoy various illegal substances while abroad, remember that you're not in your home country. In most places in the world, illegal drugs can land you in a heap of trouble. I'm aware of a few stories about dealers and police working together in order to extract heavy bribes from tourists, and other stories of people facing extremely serious charges and stiff jail time. If you're going to use drugs anyways, be extremely careful and discreet, and be very mindful of whom you buy from.
14) have as much fun as possible: you're on vacation! Laugh, love, learn, and linger. Be silly, stretch beyond your comfort zone, make friends, stay up late drinking, take time to smell the roses (or datura), sleep in, walk slowly, stare into space, read books and swing in hammocks, make music, and try to be as authentic a person as you can. Travel will change you, and almost always for the better. Take time to really be yourself.
4) speaking of eating, eat lunch in the public markets: public markets in Latin America usually feature produce, household things, and plenty of delicious food. For lunch, you can usually get a full meal (which in Peru is a soup, drink, and a main dish) for about $2. The food is usually delicious, wholesome, and fresh. And, you can meet interesting people and strike up good conversation. I usually find a lunch vendor I like, then eat there almost every day. If you do eat out, the busier the establishment or vendor, the better food and less likely you are to get sick.
5) get out of the major touristy cities: there's nothing I dislike more (well, perhaps there are a few things) than being stuck in the middle of a really touristy city. There's always someone trying to sell you something, it's loud, it's smelly, and most of the shops are geared towards tourists (hostals, travel agencies, money exchanges, cheap souvenirs, and restaurants). It can be expensive, and really draining. Often, there are smaller towns just a short bus trip away which offer cheaper accommodations, more peace and quiet, and still allow one to enjoy the city when they wish.
6) bring a veggie peeler: yep, people think I'm weird, but hear me out! When travelling by bus, there's nothing worse than crappy, packaged snack food. I bring a Leatherman knife and a veggie peeler in order to chop and peel things like cucumber on busses, so I can have avocado and cucumber on tortillas (or whatever else). Often, the peels of veggies and fruits in developing countries are contaminated with parasites and other baddies, so a peeler offers a quick solution. Plus, the locals look at you like you're crazy.
7) bring a bunch of reusable produce bags: everything is in plastic here. Even when I'm buying a pack of batteries and am wearing a backpack, people automatically assume I want it in a plastic bag. Be good to the environment, and bring reusable mesh produce bags. Not only are they cool (the locals often express to me how much they like them), but you'll dramatically reduce your plastic consumption. Thank you, mom, for the amazing and very useful gift!
8) buy your beer in big bottles: small bottles are usually tossed in the garbage, while large bottles have a deposit and will be recycled.
9) be very careful whom you do ceremony with: this tip may not be for everyone, but if you plan to take ceremonial substances while abroad, be very careful with your selection of curanderos or shaman. I see many offerings of various ceremonies, and to be honest a lot of them seem really sketchy. People even offer bottles of ayahuasca to me in the street, which I find really strange and disconcerting. If you are travelling in South America, and are looking for a legit experience with ayahuasca or San Pedro, I suggest checking out the website http://AyaAdvisor.org. There, you will find a directory of centers and curanderos offering ceremony, as well as reviews. If you have had any experiences in this area, please add your feedback and reviews on AyaAdvisor. Others will be grateful!
10) you don't need to book tours to enjoy the scenery: yes, I've been on tours, and have enjoyed myself. But generally, I prefer to make my own way to see the sights, and take my time. Tours are generally much less work than solo planning, but they can be quite rushed, are often quite expensive, and don't allow one to go at their own pace and experience a depth of appreciation. While I took the whole day each to explore the ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisaq, and a whole separate day to enjoy Moray and Salinas, many groups were doing all four in a single day! Cool if you don't have much time, but there's no way you can say you've seen the whole sacred valley in just a few days.
11) say yes to as much as you can: I've found that the few things I regret about my travels are the things I said 'no' to. Sometimes amazing, once in a lifetime experiences are put before you, and you need only say yes. In my case, this had led to exploring landscapes I never would have seen, making amazing friends, and having life changing experiences. Perhaps it'll push you from your comfort zone, but I thoroughly believe that everything is put before you for a reason. Say yes.
12) just go with the flow: you're fortunate enough to be in a foreign country with a completely different culture and way of life. Yes, things might be a little dirty. Yes, the food might be strange. And yes, things are not done the way they are at home. Busses are not usually scheduled, people drive like maniacs, there are sometimes chickens and goats on the bus, there's garbage, dogs and dog shit everywhere, it's loud, toilet paper has to go in a waste basket, you have to be careful with water, the beer often sucks, you often get wrong directions, taxi drivers try to rip you off, the atm runs out of money, and folks constantly try to sell you things. And so much more. Keep a good sense of humor, and just roll with it.
13) stay away from illegal drugs: while it can be tempting to enjoy various illegal substances while abroad, remember that you're not in your home country. In most places in the world, illegal drugs can land you in a heap of trouble. I'm aware of a few stories about dealers and police working together in order to extract heavy bribes from tourists, and other stories of people facing extremely serious charges and stiff jail time. If you're going to use drugs anyways, be extremely careful and discreet, and be very mindful of whom you buy from.
14) have as much fun as possible: you're on vacation! Laugh, love, learn, and linger. Be silly, stretch beyond your comfort zone, make friends, stay up late drinking, take time to smell the roses (or datura), sleep in, walk slowly, stare into space, read books and swing in hammocks, make music, and try to be as authentic a person as you can. Travel will change you, and almost always for the better. Take time to really be yourself.
Nice post, Nagdeo. Keep it up! From Shenzhen.. B
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