Backpacking in SouthAmerica

South America is a very popular continent to brush up on your Spanish, learn to dance and meet the warming Latin people. Learn Spanish in Bogota, Medellin, Quito, Sucre, Cuzco, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile; are the most popular destinations

I have dedicated this post merely to guide you about traveling in South America, the things you should learn or know before heading to this wonderful continent.

“I think in South America people are very, uh, they have no inhibitions and wear their hearts on their sleeves - what's the word? They're very expressive, demonstrative.” Bernard Sumner

South America is an amazing continent to travel on a budget, however, don't take it for granted, you would be wrong to assume that every country in South America is cheap. The less expensive countries are known as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela (this last one is probably not a good recommendation now unless you know people there) So each country attract a large numbers of budget travelers, followed by Colombia which is more or less mid-priced. Countries like Brazil, Chile and Argentina are relatively more expensive, sometimes approaching Western prices.

This photo of me it's a reminder of the first time I leave my own country with the only feeling of pursuing adventure and new experiences. Crossing the border of Colombia-Ecuador.

From the tropical beaches of the Caribbean to the windswept archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, backpacking South America guarantees a treasure trove of adventures that has fuelled the imagination of travelers for centuries, with dizzying landscapes, legendary cities, and mind-boggling ancient ruins.

Alright so to start up with this guide, I will list 6 subjects I consider extremely important when you decide to travel around South America, so sit and enjoy reading.

Grab some offline games

Traveling through different cities in South America means basically you’ll be taking the bus quite often. There are no real train lines as in Europe or other continents. You can only find these in some big cities. so If you’re doing the typical backpacker trip, be prepared for plenty of overnight bus rides. BUT, this is actually something pretty enjoyable, there's always nice and beautiful scenery to watch out of the window. So prepare some playgrounds, offline games or anything you can use without internet to handle the long hours of traveling on a bus.

Fix your Spanglish

South America or Latin America is a hugely popular destination to improve your Spanish, worth to mention in some countries like Brazil (Portuguese) Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana Spanish is not a language spoken. You have a lot of places where to learn, practice and improve your Spanish skills. Usually, Spanish schools aren't that expensive.

Take care of what you eat

Probably the best part of all South America, you get to have such a variety of dishes to pick up from in every country you go by. However since the food prices tend to be cheaper, there are two things you'd better take care of. First, don't eat too much, usually, a lunch dish or meal comes with lots of rice, soups and local vegetables. We basically eat a lot and if you don't take care of that. Your food intake increase so as your pants. Second, take care of where you eat, since you can always find cheap prices everywhere be selective and think ahead when buying food in the streets, I'm mentioning this because in Peru and Bolivia I tried street food with two times ending up in the toilet throw out all that in a very quick moment. So food can relatively be in good or bad conditions. You lost nothing by asking.

Stay healthy

A potential health risk in South America tends to be more often than European countries or Asian countries so be sure to get health advice before you travel and arrange vaccinations in plenty of time (we’re talking ten weeks or so before you travel). The most common risks are heat stroke, and bites and stings – especially by those pesky mosquitoes, so definitely plan ahead if you’ll be in a malaria zone. Good medical insurance is, of course, essential.

Stay Safe

Traveling in Bus: Theft and pick-pocketing are common throughout South America. so think ahead and don't lose your sleep time perhaps by using pick-pocket proof clothing from retailers like Clever Travel Companion that allows you to keep valuables inside of your clothing

Take Extra Precautions: As a Colombian, being in South America you should always be alert. Especially when you travel across the borders, things can get a bit weird so make sure to check borders before crossing it, ask around and analyze the better path to cross it. Also, there are certain cities and areas within cities that you need to be extra vigilant in. If you go to a new city make sure to ask people in the hostel, or someone you know from that country, where are the dangerous places or the ones I don't need to cross to keep you safe from bad situations

Be prepare to enjoy

I know from what I wrote above this could be a misleading subtitle. But, in fact, you will enjoy more South America in general, than be scared of it. People are friendly, helpful and with an open heart and eager to be sociable. Every country in South America has a unique culture worth exploring. The best way to do this is by interacting with locals. While the bus is a great place to strike up a conversation with locals, you can also use resources like CouchSurfing to find a local host.

South America loves a fiesta, by far the most famous being Carnaval, the legendary flesh-fest (closely associated with Rio), with official celebrations usually taking place on the days before Ash Wednesday and Lent. For something spiritual, head to Inti Raymi, a week-long Inca festival in Cusco, Peru, where thousands of revelers honor the sun god. Down in Argentina, the Feria de Mataderos lets you mingle with gauchos at one of Buenos Aires’ most exhilarating events. Be aware, when planning your movements, that some towns and villages celebrate saints’ days and other local holidays that shut down businesses and make travel difficult.

If you’re traveling across South America, a good rule of thumb is that you’ll need about $1000 or less a month, though this depends greatly on which countries you’ll spend most of your time.

Hope you enjoyed this article. Let me know your thoughts on this on the comment section below.

More post about this city on my personal Instagram

Best Regards,

Jaime S