Some Notes on S.A. from a backpacking perspective-
-when doing sand boarding/buggies (and you have contacts) wear your glasses or sunglasses…the sand makes it hell. This can sortve apply for the beach as well, though, taking your glasses on and off when you want to go into the water is a bitch.
-Bring caribeaners if you have any. They are useful for attaching your shoes or other items to your bag. Bringing some locks of various sizes is nice too for lockers or zippers.
-Take into account purchases and other items that might take up room in your bag…don’t pack your bag to the max before the trip. Allow yourself some flexibility while traveling.
-Do some research on your gear. Make sure you have solid backpacks, bags, clothing, shoes, and other things for the trip. I have my main backpack (46L) and a regular backpack for a carry on (with buses)…I carry all my clothes/shoes/climbing stuff in my big bag and my passport/netbook/books in my smaller. I think having the extra bag is very beneficial.
-Learn some Spanish. Learn the basic verbs and some basic vocabulary before coming down. My sample size is tiny (Peru), but I imagine that knowing some will help a ton.
-This much should be obvious but putting your most used things at the top of the bag helps alot. I put my athletic shorts, toiletries, and shoes at the top (or put my shoes in the caribeaner outside).
-Buy ziplock bags, preferably the ones that have the locking zipper at the top. These help a ton with regards to toiletries or other items.
-Don’t worry about locking in all information about future destinations right away (before the trip). You learn much more from word of mouth in the hostels or locals…they will give you advice on where to go and what to do/how much time you should commit/etc.
-Try to dive into as many of the cultural events as possible. Try the national dish(es), go to the local sporting events, do some of the touristy things. I hope to both see a futbol (or soccer) match as well as try to see some brazilian jujitsu while in Brazil (watching a grappling tourney would be cool). I attempted to dance salsa while in peru and failed horribly. I’m probably still missing quite a few things in Peru and I’m going to regret it when I leave.
-Take into account all the extra exercise you will probably do. While you will (most likely) lose weight, it’s important to take into account the extra calories your body is using (and to not forget to eat). And as I’m typing this I’ve skipped lunch and will have a late dinner after an exhausting day….fml. So eat well and eat plenty (and obviously mix your diet well).
-The internet typically blows for internet poker. While it’s probably pretty decent maybe 80% of the time, there will be instances in which it just cuts off completely, rebounding when the disconnect protection has run its course.
-Don’t be an idiot and leave your belongings loose…always be alert and keep an eye on your shit. What I like to do while walking is move my arm back and forth, gently slapping my wallet each time. Having a money belt can be useful too.
-With that said, I generally keep my stuff pretty loose while in the hostel. Maybe I’m a bit too trusting, and I do use lockers to hide valuables. In my experience with hostels (in a general sense), most of the people are pretty trust worthy (or at least seem so) and I haven’t really been too scared of my stuff being stolen. By the end this opinion might change though.
-Not all toilets are going to have toilet paper…it’s just a fact. So either bring your own toilet paper (I like to bring my bag with me to most all bathrooms where toilet paper factor is unknown) OR do what I like to do- get your own wipes. People hand out loose leaflets of paper all the time, usually for promotion of a business. In Thailand, my roomies and I would always collect these leaflets and just use them for TP. I know it sounds kindve gross but it is smaller than a toilet paper and leaflets can be attained anywhere. So yeah…be prepared.
That’s all for now…I’m sure there will be many more notes such as these throughout the trip (as I continue to think and experience more stuff).