Roosh, I'm getting some laughs from your books and have some questions. I thought a second title to A dead bat in Paraguay should have been " I went to south America but should have gone to SE Asia instead."
I also visited ecuador and central america, as well as thailand. I did enjoy ecuador more then you did. Part of that was I did the outdoor activities like mountain climbing and visiting the Galapagos that you didn't like. I wanted to visit the rain forest there but didn't make it.
I'd say that people should thoroughly research countries before they visit and make sure they are down with the vibe, people and activities of the place. If people arent digging a certain land its best to bail for the next one.
The sickest I got was in costa rica but it could have happened anywhere.
Lonely Planet's thorntree internet forum is a great place to ask questions of people recently in country or recently there and isnt as politically correct as printed guidebooks.
As your experiences showed, many big cities should be avoided or visited with caution because they are dirty dangerous places. I felt that way about San Jose Costa Rica. I had a healthy dose of paranoia when travelling and avoided being robbed. My money was inaccessibly hidden and I was always in flight or fight mode. Guatemala city is known as dangerous but I was OK with lots of common sense.
Ive yet to visit Rio, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, anywhere in Columbia or Nairobi, all places with dicey reputations. Comments?
I haven't read your Columbia or Brazil books yet, looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
When I was in Quito Ecaudor's new town I was extremely vigilant because of all the tales of robberies. I stayed in the old town. Never had a problem in Ecuador. I did notice that the cab drivers were clueless on direction and I had to give them directions in broken Spanish.
I'm curious what your impression of Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia will be when you go. Have you been there yet? Most travelers Ive met have loved them. You can easily write a book on SE Asia.
I also visited ecuador and central america, as well as thailand. I did enjoy ecuador more then you did. Part of that was I did the outdoor activities like mountain climbing and visiting the Galapagos that you didn't like. I wanted to visit the rain forest there but didn't make it.
I'd say that people should thoroughly research countries before they visit and make sure they are down with the vibe, people and activities of the place. If people arent digging a certain land its best to bail for the next one.
The sickest I got was in costa rica but it could have happened anywhere.
Lonely Planet's thorntree internet forum is a great place to ask questions of people recently in country or recently there and isnt as politically correct as printed guidebooks.
As your experiences showed, many big cities should be avoided or visited with caution because they are dirty dangerous places. I felt that way about San Jose Costa Rica. I had a healthy dose of paranoia when travelling and avoided being robbed. My money was inaccessibly hidden and I was always in flight or fight mode. Guatemala city is known as dangerous but I was OK with lots of common sense.
Ive yet to visit Rio, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, anywhere in Columbia or Nairobi, all places with dicey reputations. Comments?
I haven't read your Columbia or Brazil books yet, looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
When I was in Quito Ecaudor's new town I was extremely vigilant because of all the tales of robberies. I stayed in the old town. Never had a problem in Ecuador. I did notice that the cab drivers were clueless on direction and I had to give them directions in broken Spanish.
I'm curious what your impression of Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia will be when you go. Have you been there yet? Most travelers Ive met have loved them. You can easily write a book on SE Asia.