Off-Track Backpacking » South America

World Cup Deception For Italians and French and Celebration for South Americans

Anthony C — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:45:45 +0000

We all know that this World Cup is very unusual, the Italians, 2006 champions and the French, 2006 finalist, are out of the competition. I cannot recall the last time that both the French and the Ialians did not participate to the knockout round of the tournament. With them, joins Greece, and most African teams, except Ghana who have surprisingly passed. But there is good news for the South American teams, who have in majority passed the first phase of the tournament. Teams like Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico are all making their ways to the next round. But it is obviously Paraguay and Uruguay who deserve all of our attention, for they don’t usually make it to the World Cup.

The people in South America are celebrating as if they had already won the cup, and we saw last week, after Chili’s win over Switzerland, the people were going insane in Santiago. I guess they very well deserve to win because they are playing extremely good soccer. Also, it is obvious that the American team this year has very well improved compared to 2006. I think they actually have a chance of going far this year because you can feel that they play as a team and don’t rely on individual skills to win. Whatever happens this year, I truly believe that a South American team will win the cup, and more importantly, deserve to win it. For all the italians and french out there, the European Cup is only two years away, don’t worry.

Attention to All Women Traveling Solo in South America

Tanya — Tue, 25 May 2010 06:39:40 +0000

It’s really not that dangerous, I promise!

Prior to leaving for a 5-month semester in Monterrey, Mexico, people thought I was crazy. “Mexico is so dangerous”, “They’ll kidnap you”, “Don’t go out by yourself”, “Don’t walk alone when it’s dark”, “Don’t go to Chiapas, it’s dangerous”, “Don’t go to Mexico DF, you’ll get mugged” and the list goes on and on and on. And of course, I still went to Mexico. Not only did I go, but I traveled all around Mexico, I walked by myself at night and as you can see, I returned home safe and sound- and with lots of great Mexican memories!

Then prior to leaving on my 3-week trip to Brazil, I went through it again: “You’ll get kidnapped”, “They’ll remove your organs”, “You’ll get lost and get stuck somewhere”… And after many attempts of people trying to discourage me from traveling by myself in Brazil, not only did I go, but I survived. And guess what? I had the time of my life! And looking forward to traveling by myself again this winter.

For all fellow women traveling in South America, it’s all about using your common sense. Whatever rules apply to the boys, apply to the girls. If you don’t wear jewelry, don’t flash your camera, don’t get drunk and act stupid and overall don’t look too much like a tourist, you’ll be more than fine. Whether you’re a man or a woman, you should avoid walking alone in dodgy looking areas or alleys. Follow your instinct, it’s normally right!

Do always be aware of your surroundings. You’re more likely to be followed than a man. Always be on guard when walking around a city or town. If you plan to go out drinking, do make sure you’re not going back to your hostel by yourself. Take the precautions to avoid getting yourself into trouble. The obvious: don’t accept a ride, an offer or anything from a stanger. If you haven’t known the person for more than 5 minutes, you may be taking a big risk.

Do have fun and enjoy! You’ll meet tons of other fellow travelers. People who haven’t traveled much tend to be paranoid about places like South America. It’s really not as dangerous as everyone makes it appear to be. Obviously some countries in South America are unstable and unfortunately have their economic and political problems but most places are safe for tourists to travel to.

Travelling Colombia During A Presidential Election

Anthony C — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:00:02 +0000

Do you ever get annoyed from friends and family members who always discourage your trips by saying: I hear it’s a very dangerous country? or You better watch out I hear they steal organs down there? If that is the case, you are far from being the only one. When travelling Latin America, especially countries such as Colombia, it is important to leave with a clear mind and not think that all these horror stories are generalized. This being said, I personally think that wherever you travel, people will always try to find some bad news or stories to discourage you from going. Is it jealousy? Maybe! My role here is to give you some useful political information when travelling Colombia.

The current Government is relatively stable in Colombia if we compare it to other Latin American countries. The main problem however for those planning a trip in Colombia in 2010 is that a Presidential election will take place in the country on May 30th, 2010.

The Canadian Government is saying that travelers should monitor local news and be aware of the possibility of disruptions in the period leading up to the elections and that public gatherings and areas where demonstrations may occur should be avoided. Don’t be afraid of this statement because it is only normal for a Government website to communicate the possibility of dangers in foreign countries. If you are planning to travel Colombia in that period, do keep in mind that there may be a delay in your scheduling. So this being said I wish you all an exciting and adventurous vacation in Colombia and/or South America. Don’t forget to come back to Off-track backpacking to share the memories with us.