Welcome to the TravelPod forums

[Steph]

Hello Fellow Travelers!

My husband and I are "checking out" off our lives here in CA. We are lookign to spend a few years traveling and one of our first trips (after Spanish immersion) will be to drive from San Diego (where we live now) through Mexico, and Central & South America. We are looking at several vehicle options (everything from a motorcycle to a Toyota Landcruiser to an Earth Rover, etc., and would love any input you can provide on this.

We are adventurous travelers and have traveled extensively, with the last extended travel being by motorcycle to mostly third world countries. We are avid photographers and love to spend time in nature. Our primary goal when traveling is to learn about the history and culture of a place by meeting and speaking with the locals. We love to try their foods and speak their language! We tend to avoid the major cities unless there are specific sites we want to see, or we need supplies or medical care that is not available elsewhere. We are not really "hostel" types (like our privacy in our room) but also don't require 4 star hotels. Having stayed in everything from places I would not let my mother see to 5 star palaces, we are open to it all!

We are looking for input on places not to miss, things to do, foods to try, etc.

If you have been in these countries and have some info to share, please post here or email me at sstant@egltd.com. Thanks!

[Incrediblelife]

Hey Steph!

When are you leaving? John and I are doing the same thing! We are planning to leave in November. We are probably flying to SD, then heading to Mexico, Central America, South America. John wanted to do it by car, but that idea is in the air right now.

I'm also at the stage of asking/looking around for what to see/do etc - I haven't gotten a route down yet, it'll come once I know what we want to see and do.


Happy Travels!

Jenn

[Caro!]

Once you get down to Colombia let me know, I may be able to help you.
Caro!

[Jessica_CDN]

I'm doing pretty much the same thing, but starting in September - flying into San Diego and then going overland through Mexico (Baja peninsula) and then into central / western Mexico, and south....through the western side of central / south america, then up the east side, over to some Islands and then back up through Mexico on the East.

I'm planning on being gone for about a year....we should try to update this forum regularly, so we know what everyone else is doing and where the best places to visit / stay are!

I've only started planning my itinerary, but I might post some of it as it becomes a bit more firm here...no dates will be included, but some major stops might be interesting!

[Incrediblelife]

Jessica -

Defiitely keep us posted on your route that you take! I too am working on our route, and was thinking of flying to San Diego as well (seems to be the thing to do...) then doing Baja Peninsula, boat (?) over to Mazatlan and do central and southeastern Mexico, then down through Belize, Guatamala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia (how safe - Caro! can you answer this?), ... then it gets kind of up in the air as we want to be in Rio for Carnival. So we need to work out our timing still (how long are you allowing for each place?). I was oringinally thinking of doing down the west coast and up the east in SA, but having to be in Rio at Carnival might through that plan off. For some reason I never really thought of doing west coast all the way down from Mexico onward, and then east coast all the way up. Not sure if we'll have time for that as are leaving home Nov 2006 and we need to be home in April 2007 (we are then heading to Europe) - again, need to work out our timing. I don't want to be racing through the whole trip. We'll definitely have to keep each other posted and meet up occassionally along the road! Send me an email from my site and we can keep each other posted!

So... you getting excited yet? I am!

Jenn

[Caro!]

Jenn,
are you driving through Colombia? Even though our roads are safer than a couple of years ago, not really a good idea or at least I wouldn't do it. If you are flying no worries, the main cities are really safe. Let me know what the plan is so I can guide you.
Caro!
P.s.: who do I put my link to my travelpod on a title like yours?

[Jessica_CDN]

Jenn, sounds great! I'm allocating roughly 1 month for the big countries and 1-2 weeks for the smaller ones, but as I haven't really set my itinerary yet, I imagine that will be quite fluid.

It seems like we really have the same idea! Good call about Rio - I'll have to adapt my plans for that as well. Guess I'll just go over for the party. I'm trying to see as much as I can, particularly by road....so we'll see how that goes.

Caro, I'm a little concerned about the same thing in Columbia - it's the place I want to go the most, but am uncertain of how safe it is, and if there are places that we tourists REALLY cannot go...and how best to approach it....ie. hiring a guide, etc.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[Caro!]

Sthep and Jenn,
Colombia is awesome, but there are several precautions you should take before heading down there, specially if you are driving or traveling by bus. The main cities such as Bogota, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Medellin are beautiful, and pretty safe for tourist. The south of the country is no so safe, and the guerrilla controls several small towns in that area of the country, so traveling by bus is NOT SAFE AT ALL!!!!
Let me know more about your trip, and what you really want to see. I'll be down there in May, and I might be able to arrange some things for you, like a tourist guide or semthing.
Caro!
p.s: chech this town, is 2 hours away from Bogota; it is extremelly beautiful, and a must see if you go to Bogota. http://www.villadeleyva.com

[Incrediblelife]

K, here's a question for you - since we're all starting off in San Diego...

I had asked a travel agent about buying a one way ticket into Mexico, and she said that I'd have to show an onward ticket. Hence why I chose to fly into San Diego, then walk across the not so wonderful border in TJ (Tijuana - been there, done that... I just walked across, no one asked any questions, but then again I didn't have a big pack with me either). So, does anyone know if this "rule" still applies if you walk across? I know it is all based on whether anyone stops me or not... And are there other countries along the way that this will apply for as well? What we probably will do is get an open jaw ticket - fly into San Diego, and out of somewhere in SA... any comments/suggestions? Will that ticket be good enough proof that we don't plan on staying? What are you guys doing?

Jenn

[Jessica_CDN]

I hadn't read that you needed an onward ticket for Mexico. I was warned that it's easy to miss the border crossing so not to go any further into Mexico until you get your visa/passport stamped.

[gringoloco]

OK, I Did this, from Los Angeles to Panama!
First MUST DO. Ya just gotta have all the proper paperwork with you at each and every border crossing. Your registration and pink slip. What I suggest is that you go to the Autoclub and find someway to get multiple originals of your registration. That way you can just hand one over and not worry about it getting "lost". If your vehicle has a bank co-owner, you will be screwed. You must own your vehicle outright. Each border crossing will take from 2 to 4 hours, in and out, so stop the night before you attempt a crossing, get there early, do the paperwork, then go across the no mans land to the next country and do the same thing in reverse. At every crossing there will be a very long line of 18 wheelers and other commercial vehicles. Do not wait in line with them, they are there for days sometimes. Drive past them to a parking lot at the frontera (border) and walk in. Now, every time you come to a crossing, kids and adults will come up to your vehicle and offer their services. If you have language liabilities, if you have a short attention span or get frustrated easily with beauracracy, or want to get thru the process in a mere few hours, hire them. Negotiate the services before hand, or they will surprise you with the cost at the end. They know all the officials, and all the cops. If they help you they can run into an office and get stuff done for you that you can't even begin to figure out on your own. It is their rice bowl. They know what they are doing, they have "connections" and it is part of the culture.

HAVE LOTS OF EMPTY PAGES ON YOUR PASSPORT. Get a new one if yours is close to full. Every country puts a full page "visa" in your passport. The reason for this is so that when you leave the country they know you bought a vehicle in with you, and did not sell it. Mexico required me to pay a deposit of US$250, supposedly repaid when I left, but they guy at the southern border just shrugged and I was out the money.
Be prepared to have your truck inspected by the authorities. Some will just look in the window, others will make you unpack every bag. Be prepared for military to stop you at random points along the road. They were all nice to me, they are looking for drugs and guns, dont have any with you. Always look for and talk only with the officers, they are better educated, some english speaking, and if you treat them with respect they will respect you. Shake their hand, look them in they eye, address them with their miltary rank "Capitan Ovalles" whatever, smile when they smile, tell them how much you love their country. If you try a joke, be sure your language skills are top knotch!

At each border you will need to pay seemingly stupid fees. Just pay them with a kind word, no use arguing.

Do not drive thru Mexico city. They will spot your gringo license plates, pull you over and extort money from you. The people who do it are driving tow trucks and wearing guns. Just stay the hell out of Mexico city, it sucks anyway.

I took a Toyota 4WD pickup. I put two locking aluminum contractors tool boxes in the back for all my stuff. I had an alarm system. I had the boxes bolted to the floor of the pickup. I never got ripped off but my alarm went off twice, luckily the truck was parked right outside my hotel room. Good hint.

No problem with gas. Available most places. I always filled up whenever I was stopped and had two 5 gallon Jerry cans locked to my truck, just in case.
Road conditions vary with the country. Nicaragua and El Salvador are the worst, more potholes than I could believe. Really slows you down.

Drive defensively is more than good advice. The truck drivers are madmen.

I took my time, stayed where I liked. Took a real long time, maybe 2 months to get to Costa Rica where I hung out for 4 months. Do not plan on selling your vehicle. The taxes you will pay will diminish your return beyond reason. A great thing to do is donate it to a Hogar. If it is one you want when you are done with the trip, ship it home from the canal zone to Florida or Houston, or, drive back.

Oh, have comfortable seats installed in your vehicle. I spent a lot of money on special seats and it was worth every dollar every kilometer! Do not tempt fate with an expensive stereo system. Something adequate from radioshack will suffice. If you use a CD player, get the kind that is shock proof!

Have fun! Dont let anyone talk you out of going! I know, I heard it all!
Would I do it again??? Yeah, f I was paid to!

[landatrip]

Thank you soooo much for all that info, gringo loco. Very helpful. My boyfriend and i are planning the same trip including a drive to Cancun with a flight over to Cuba. Did you attempt that or have problems with it?

We leave in May, so please do keep this forum going with adventures so we can see how it's going for y'all. We're so nervous. And very excited.

I'm wondering if we'll run out of money. Can someone throw out a ballpark figure? About how much will it cost to make it through mexico, central, and most of south america, shipping our truck both ways through Panama and not skimping on sidetrips?

Thanks again,
laurenne and angel

[travelerbill]

Regarding Mexico, I flew into Mexico City one-way without any hassle. Even got a green light at the baggage check, which kind of sucked because there was an english speaking girl I sat next to on the plane but she got stopped with a red light. I had to step out of the exit and was swept away by the crowd, never seeing her again.

I think her name is Maria and she's from Mexico. If anyone knows her, let me know.

[dill07]

Hi guys,
I hope to leave Ireland this summer, fly to San Francisco, explore California all the way down to San Diego before flying somewhere into Central America to follow the backpacker trail there. Would you guys recommend flying to Panama City and working my way up (I'll need an onward flight ticket to enter the US for 90 days, also I'll be travelling alone)?
Or is there a better start point in Central America?
Cheers!

[gringoloco]

Hi guys,
I hope to leave Ireland this summer, fly to San Francisco, explore California all the way down to San Diego before flying somewhere into Central America to follow the backpacker trail there. Would you guys recommend flying to Panama City and working my way up (I'll need an onward flight ticket to enter the US for 90 days, also I'll be travelling alone)?
Or is there a better start point in Central America?
Cheers!

First, it is cheaper, a lot cheaper, to fly to San Jose, Costa Rica than to Panama City, from anywhere in the U.S. Then, it is really inexpensive to bus from Costa Rica to Panama. The best route is down the Caribe side of CR, to a town called Sixaola on the Panama border. There are many nice little towns for trekkers on the way, I suggest Puerto Viejo, nice beach, inexpensive digs. PV is halfway between Limon and the border. Just pass thru Limon, the city is big, dirty, ridden with Denque Fever and dangerous to boot. But you will need to pass thru it on the bus. If you want more details on the bus lines etc, write back.
One bus line will take you all the way to Changinoula, Panama, which is the jumping off point for Bocas Del Toro, where I live, and a major stop for trekkers and surfers. Many inexpensive hostels. This is a drinking town with a pirate problem, a nice stop in your travels.
I know these two countries quite well, write back if you want more info.
Travel safe!

[lakwiksilva]

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[color=#6600CC]
If you are going through Brazil give yourself plenty of time. There is a reason why there are two main languages in South America to know (that being variations of Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese). When you enter Brazil don't try to speak spanish (it's just an insult to them). It's best to learn them both (unless you are going to avoid Brazil-which is hard to do-it makes up alot of South America)
I lived there for 10 months with my husbands family in a small town called Perus, meaning Turkey (lol) in the state of Sao Paulo.We lived about 20 minutes by train outside of downtown Sao paulo so we went there quite frequently. Unlike Mexico City you want to go through the city of Sao Paulo. They have one of the most beautiful catholic cathedrals called the Cathedral da Se in downtown Sao paulo. They have their own little Tokyo called Liberdade Neighborhood. there is an avenue similar to Madison Ave in New York called Paulista Avenue. That avenue also contains one of their more prestigious Art Museums-The Sao Paulo Museum of Art. As far as going into the city. Find a good hotel with good car lot security and leave the car. Sao Paulo the city is like New York except much bigger-everything should be done via the train, the bus, or their subway; Which is by the way one of the newest, largest and nicest subways i've ever been on-clean cars inside and out and very smooth ride. Being in the city-the better you blend the better off you are(but you probably already know that when travelling through a foreign country you don't go "looking" like a tourist) I'm nearly 6 ft tall, fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes and spoke no portuguese at first-I couldn't help but stick out like a sore thumb. But, if you don't have any of these limitations you've got a head start. Going in with a tan(not orange though) and dying your hair brown or black wouldn't be such a bad idea either. Reason being the predominant type of person in Sao Paulo is light brown to dark brown skin, black or brown hair and under 6 ft tall.
There is an awesome town 10 minutes by train outside of Sao Paulo city called Lapa. Almost all their city streets are covered with street vendors (so much you barely see the storefronts of the buildings) and they offer anything your heart could imagine as far as knock offs or pirated merchandise goes. I know it's frowned down upon here in the US but most people can't afford full store price items and DVD's but buy the pirated or burned copies-bootlegged merchandise runs their economy. Every booth is willing to haggle and there is something interesting everywhere you turn.
As a fun tip if you stay somewhere in the city you need to be careful if you are asking for a hotel or a motel. If you tell someone you are looking for a hotel they will direct you to a place where you can have a nice bed, bathroom and a normal room like you are used to here. If you ask for a Motel they will direct you to a place that charges by the hour (but is WAY nicer than a hotel). But if you arrive at Midnight or after they will give you a normal non hourly rate for the whole night as long as you are out by ten. These things are better than hotels-most are individual little condos equal to penthouse suites. Jacuzzis, pools, full size sunroofs, and a 24 hour room service where your order goes directly to your room via a dumbwaiter-No one disturbs you, plus they are all soundproof. If you stay in Sao Paulo City this is one of the more fun things you can do-seriously.
Helpful tip-Do not touch the shower heads while they are on. 99% of showers are electrically flash heated in Sao Paulo meaning that if you want cold water check the shower head before you turn on the water to see if it's turned to cold. If you want hot water same thing. If you try to adjust the showerhead while it's on you will be electrocuted. It only took me once to learn this rule.
Well, I have tons more bits of information, helpful hints, and facts being a foreginer who lived there for awhile so if you want to know more info about Brazil please don't hesitate to ask. Have fun guys.

[trekamerica]

I have just finished a like expedition...see my blog:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/trek...ica/1/tpod.html
I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS YOU ASK ME. The routing is pretty much on the PanAmericanHighway, as should be adjusted according to what type of vehicle you choose. I would highly recommend to go in a small motorhome or camper, there are so many places you can visit that way! the triplog is also a real advantage to have, available from adventuretrek. Let me know what you decide and before you go, I also plan on going later this year.

Hello Fellow Travelers!

My husband and I are "checking out" off our lives here in CA. We are lookign to spend a few years traveling and one of our first trips (after Spanish immersion) will be to drive from San Diego (where we live now) through Mexico, and Central & South America. We are looking at several vehicle options (everything from a motorcycle to a Toyota Landcruiser to an Earth Rover, etc., and would love any input you can provide on this.

We are adventurous travelers and have traveled extensively, with the last extended travel being by motorcycle to mostly third world countries. We are avid photographers and love to spend time in nature. Our primary goal when traveling is to learn about the history and culture of a place by meeting and speaking with the locals. We love to try their foods and speak their language! We tend to avoid the major cities unless there are specific sites we want to see, or we need supplies or medical care that is not available elsewhere. We are not really "hostel" types (like our privacy in our room) but also don't require 4 star hotels. Having stayed in everything from places I would not let my mother see to 5 star palaces, we are open to it all!

We are looking for input on places not to miss, things to do, foods to try, etc.

If you have been in these countries and have some info to share, please post here or email me at sstant@egltd.com. Thanks!

[trekamerica]

I have just finished a like expedition...see my blog:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/trek...ica/1/tpod.html
I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS YOU ASK ME. The routing is pretty much on the PanAmericanHighway, as should be adjusted according to what type of vehicle you choose. I would highly recommend to go in a small motorhome or camper, there are so many places you can visit that way! the triplog is also a real advantage to have, available from adventuretrek. Let me know what you decide and before you go, I also plan on going later this year.

Hello Fellow Travelers!

My husband and I are "checking out" off our lives here in CA. We are lookign to spend a few years traveling and one of our first trips (after Spanish immersion) will be to drive from San Diego (where we live now) through Mexico, and Central & South America. We are looking at several vehicle options (everything from a motorcycle to a Toyota Landcruiser to an Earth Rover, etc., and would love any input you can provide on this.

We are adventurous travelers and have traveled extensively, with the last extended travel being by motorcycle to mostly third world countries. We are avid photographers and love to spend time in nature. Our primary goal when traveling is to learn about the history and culture of a place by meeting and speaking with the locals. We love to try their foods and speak their language! We tend to avoid the major cities unless there are specific sites we want to see, or we need supplies or medical care that is not available elsewhere. We are not really "hostel" types (like our privacy in our room) but also don't require 4 star hotels. Having stayed in everything from places I would not let my mother see to 5 star palaces, we are open to it all!

We are looking for input on places not to miss, things to do, foods to try, etc.

If you have been in these countries and have some info to share, please post here or email me at sstant@egltd.com. Thanks!

[trekamerica]

I have just finished a like expedition...see my blog:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/trek...ica/1/tpod.html
I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS YOU ASK ME. The routing is pretty much on the PanAmericanHighway, as should be adjusted according to what type of vehicle you choose. I would highly recommend to go in a small motorhome or camper, there are so many places you can visit that way! the triplog is also a real advantage to have, available from adventuretrek. Let me know what you decide and before you go, I also plan on going later this year.

Hello Fellow Travelers!

My husband and I are "checking out" off our lives here in CA. We are lookign to spend a few years traveling and one of our first trips (after Spanish immersion) will be to drive from San Diego (where we live now) through Mexico, and Central & South America. We are looking at several vehicle options (everything from a motorcycle to a Toyota Landcruiser to an Earth Rover, etc., and would love any input you can provide on this.

We are adventurous travelers and have traveled extensively, with the last extended travel being by motorcycle to mostly third world countries. We are avid photographers and love to spend time in nature. Our primary goal when traveling is to learn about the history and culture of a place by meeting and speaking with the locals. We love to try their foods and speak their language! We tend to avoid the major cities unless there are specific sites we want to see, or we need supplies or medical care that is not available elsewhere. We are not really "hostel" types (like our privacy in our room) but also don't require 4 star hotels. Having stayed in everything from places I would not let my mother see to 5 star palaces, we are open to it all!

We are looking for input on places not to miss, things to do, foods to try, etc.

If you have been in these countries and have some info to share, please post here or email me at sstant@egltd.com. Thanks!

[trekamerica]

I have just finished a like expedition...see my blog:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/trek...ica/1/tpod.html
I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS YOU ASK ME. The routing is pretty much on the PanAmericanHighway, as should be adjusted according to what type of vehicle you choose. I would highly recommend to go in a small motorhome or camper, there are so many places you can visit that way! the triplog is also a real advantage to have, available from adventuretrek. Let me know what you decide and before you go, I also plan on going later this year.

Hello Fellow Travelers!

My husband and I are "checking out" off our lives here in CA. We are lookign to spend a few years traveling and one of our first trips (after Spanish immersion) will be to drive from San Diego (where we live now) through Mexico, and Central & South America. We are looking at several vehicle options (everything from a motorcycle to a Toyota Landcruiser to an Earth Rover, etc., and would love any input you can provide on this.

We are adventurous travelers and have traveled extensively, with the last extended travel being by motorcycle to mostly third world countries. We are avid photographers and love to spend time in nature. Our primary goal when traveling is to learn about the history and culture of a place by meeting and speaking with the locals. We love to try their foods and speak their language! We tend to avoid the major cities unless there are specific sites we want to see, or we need supplies or medical care that is not available elsewhere. We are not really "hostel" types (like our privacy in our room) but also don't require 4 star hotels. Having stayed in everything from places I would not let my mother see to 5 star palaces, we are open to it all!

We are looking for input on places not to miss, things to do, foods to try, etc.

If you have been in these countries and have some info to share, please post here or email me at sstant@egltd.com. Thanks!