Backpacking Boisterously

I’d like to give a shout out to the US of A for making my trip to Brazil about $120 more expensive.  Following restrictions against Brazilian citizens obtaining visas to enter the US, they responded in kind and now have a visa requirement for anyone wanting to enter Brazil as well.

Getting my visa here in Buenos Aires is going to set me back $120 bones, but at least it’ll be good for the next 5 years.  The life of a world traveler is tough, I tell you!

I’ve been feelin’ a hankering for the beach lately, and it’s high time I got away from the city for a bit.  I’m thinking Brazil is going to be my mission for Christmas this year, since I can’t get home to the states.  I wouldn’t mind spending a bit of vacation on a nice beach somewhere.

 I’ve put together a rough itinerary that’ll include Iguauzu, Rio, Sao Paulo, and Floripa.  I’m thinking I’ll get my fix.  I’ll keep you guys updated soon as I’m about to ship off!

I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of tours.  I’ve always been one to explore at my own pace.  I don’t like being ushered about town with only a limited amount of time to see certain things.  I’d much rather plan my own itinerary, and then spend more of less time depending on my own level of interest at each spot.  That’s why I love the advent of podcast tours.

These babies are usually free, and can be found on local tourism sites or personal sites run by cool peeps.  Just download them and slap them on your iPod, and bam you’ve got your own personal tour guide (minus the fuss of paying for one and being herded around).  I use them extensively in BA to try out places I haven’t been before.  See if you can’t find them where you’re traveling!

After a year or so of having this little guy, aluminum my water bottle has started to show a little character.  There are lots of dings, dents, and scratches all over the thing, and each one tells a different story.

The massive dent near the top came from a particularly heated soccer game, when it was being used for a goal post.  Pick up soccer can get pretty serious down here apparently.  I got yelled at for not defending well enough.

The scratches on the bottom of the water bottle came from a pretty gnarly bike crash while in Buenos Aires, turns out cats love to run right under your wheels if you’re not careful.  And they definitely don’t appreciate having their tails almost run over.  Man I hate cats…

There’s a pretty big ding near the bottom of the bottle that probably saved me from a fractured hip.  I lost my footing hiking and fell, but my water bottle broke my fall on a particularly sharp rock.  Thanks to him, I finished the hike with wounded pride, instead of a wounded hip.

Have any battle stories of your own?

What things inspire you to travel?  My first real taste of long-term travel was right when I graduated high school, going on a two month biking trip in Europe with one of my best friends.  To this day it’s still the most eye-opening trip I’ve ever taken.  It taught me a lot about independence, relying on myself, how to get by on a budget, etc.  It was the perfect primer for my college career.

Now having just graduated in May, my latest inspirations have been two books: Vagabonding by Rolf Potts, and The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.  Both of them argue the merits of long-term travel, as well as reminding people that travel isn’t as expensive as many think.  Anytime I’m feeling down about my decision to come to Buenos Aires, I pick up one of these books and read a chapter or two.  They reinvigorate my wanderlust and remind me why I made the decision in the first place.

What inspires your travel?

Have you ever done long term travel and been overwhelmed by the amount of email from friends and family?  You know you want to answer each one in a thoughtful and timely manner, but it’s just too much when you’re bouncing all over the world.  But here comes blogging with the answer.  Posting once every couple of days and giving everyone the blog address lets them check in on you whenever they want.  It’s a catch-all that allows you to keep everyone updated without writing individual emails all the time.

I keep a personal blog myself for friends and family while I’m down here in South America, and it’s much easier on my time than constant emails.  Try it out!

When I’m in town and have a hostel to crash at, I make sure that I only carry the bare minimum — only my essentials.  Any important documents or credit cards, etc., are kept either in my locker at the hostel or the hostel’s safe.  I make it a point not to look like a target.

You should only ever carry the amount of cash on hand that you’ll need, never carry your debit or credit card with you.  Have your ID and a paper copy of your passport with you, but never the real thing.  I also carry a paper copy of my insurance card.  I make sure to put all of these things in a zippered or hidden pocket so thieves don’t have anything to snatch from me.

If you make yourself useless as a target, they won’t go after you.

Backpacking as a young dude certainly has its perks, but my money definitely isn’t infinite.  Fortunately, there are lots of options even for young broke folk like myself.

You can usually negotiate work for lodging deals at hostels, since many times hostel staff are always walking out to travel themselves.  It’s a very cheap way to secure yourself a bed and a meal.  Just call the hostel or shoot them an email while you’re planning your trip.

You can also make some pit stops to teach English, which is fairly in demand down in South America.  The pay isn’t amazing but if you do a couple of lessons a day while you spend a couple of weeks somewhere you can restock your traveling treasure chest.

There are also lots of volunteer and organic farm programs that’ll give you lodging and a small stipend to do physical labor.  Not the best work, but money is money!

In the end, if it allows you to keep up your travels, then isn’t it always worth it?!

My first big target I’m going to be hitting while I’m down here is Brazil, mostly because I’ve been doing a bit of research on it for the company I work for.  I’ve put together a rough coastal itinerary, and I’m hoping to embark upon it in early December (out of high season!).

I’d start in Buenos Aires, then hit up Iguazu, Florianopolis, Sau Paulo, Rio, and Salvador.  I’ve budgeted about two weeks for the trip, although my schedule is pretty open so I can stay a bit longer if I want to.  I’m looking through activites to hit up in each city right now, so if you have any ideas be sure to let me know!

As a kind of spin-off from my post about traveling solo, I also like to travel outside of peak times.  I’m not a fan of big crowds or tourist prices.  Usually I’ll shoot for a month or two before prime time hits.  If you’re a budget traveler this means cheaper lodging, cheaper airfare / buses, and cheaper food / restaurants.

You might not get perfect weather, but who cares when there are no lines for all the sights you want to see?  Hostels will be begging for business.  It’s great.