The only place I’ve been is Peru and I wasn’t all that wild about it….

The only advice I can give is to remember that you may have to pay visa fees that you aren’t used to encountering when traveling in Europe. It costs Americans about $100 to fly into Chile; I don’t know about Canadians.

Sailor, what turned you off about Peru? That’s basically the biggest stop on my S.A. tour so any insights would be appreciated. Also any major differences between solo travel in Europe and South America that I should be aware of? Thanks.

Thanks for the reply. I’ve checked it out before and the only Visa that I need as a Canadian is for Brazil. I think it’s around 70$

No Visa needed for Peru, Chile, and Argentina, which are probably my only other destinations.

Well, I didn’t go solo on that trip which was a huge adjustment for me. Being able to speak Spanish would’ve made the trip much more rewarding.

I just got tired of having to on high alert about safety and security All The Friggin’ Time. I mean, it’s like 100 times higher than traveling anywhere else. If Peru wants any more $$$ out of me, thay’ve got to make it safer. It seemed like you couldn’t trust anyone, and I hate to make those kinds of judgements about people. I realize that other countries an SA may be different, but just about every backpacker we met had something stolen from them or were accosted in some way—see LP Thorntree posts about spraying ketchup and stuff on people. And did you ever read Meredith Blue Eyes account of getting jumped in Puno?

In all the corners of earth I’ve been to, the only mildly bad thing that ever happened to me was in Peru. Near the very end of our trip, on a bus from Lima airport to Pisco, after our taxi driver pointed out some people in downtown Lima about to be pickpocketed, I too became a victim of theft. I had sprained my ankle on the Inca Trail and from flying that morning, my foot and ankle were swollen and thumping. I took of my boots on the bus and they were by my feet underneath the seat in front of me. Well, the sneaky bastard seated in front of me reached under and STOLE my frickin’ boots. Brand New North Face Goretex boots that I had otten an incredible deal on ($40 at Sierra Trading Post) and were comfortable from Day 1. At least we had already hiked the Trail and the boots didn’t have any sentimental value. A pocketknife went missing on that trip too, I believe from a nice hotel in Cusco. That knife had a helluva lot of sentimental value.

Also, MP and the Inca Trail didn’t really live up to the hype for me. It was OK, but not The Fabulouse Experience One Must Have. I nearly started a riot on Thorntree when I voiced my true feelings. My trip to Peru was the first time EVER that I didn’t come home and absolutely rave about of place. It wasn’t great, it didn’t suck, it was just OK.

I’ve heard that Chile and Argentina are a little more tourist friendly.

I wish you and others a great time in SA, though.

Thanks for the info Sailor. I really do like to hear the good and the bad, so that nothing goes unexpected. I never realized that Peru was soo bad, but I did hear that Argentina etc was much cheaper and friendlier.

Ok it took me some searching but I finally found Meredith’s Puno story:

quote: Over all, I think the poor safety situation detracted from my enjoyment of the trip. There are very developed backpacker’s ghettos in all the major tourist cities. These places are safe because hotel and restaurant owners pay for extra security. However, as I discovered, once you walk out of these places, the safety situation changes dramatically. In Puno, I was walking down a busy well-lit street when 4 guys jumped me, dragged me into an alley and tried to choke me and steal my possessions. I was lucky that they freaked out when I fought back (decide for yourself whether that was brave or stupid — for me it was instinct), so I didn’t lose anything. You hear horror stories no matter where you travel, but they are true for South America.

HOWEVER, Bolivia is a huge exception to this. Although it is one of the poorest countries in the world, its violent crime rate is similar to the United States. The people are so kind and friendly, and so eager to talk to foreigners who can speak even a little Spanish.

It’s not exactly good to hear but still basically along the lines of what I was expecting. The only thing I’m weary about really is getting off the bus into a new city. In Europe I basically just walk around and try to find a place to stay, and it seems this is probably a bad idea in SA since a big backpack is about as obvious as you can get.

Also from "Although it is one of the poorest countries in the world, its violent crime rate is similar to the United States" doesn’t exactly seem like a positive.