Monthly Newsletter - August 2008

Be extra cautious while walking on the streets of South America.  Traffic is known to move at its own velocity and follow its own rules. It may sound elementary, but “Look both ways”

Pack a small duffel bag or backpack in your luggage that you can use for day trips or to make room to expand your luggage if you end up finding more souvenirs than you planned.  Always check baggage weight and size limits set by airlines, rail companies and buses to avoid paying fees or having to leave anything behind.

If you are traveling with a digital camera that has limited capacity on its memory card, there are many internet cafés and photo shops that will transfer these pictures to a CD for you at a low cost. Use a strap for your camera and keep it around your neck or wrist to avoid losing it to a passing grabber or a bumpy boat ride.

Drink bottled water, as tap water is not treated for drinking.  Avoid making a lot of waste.  Buy one big bottle of water for each city to keep at your hotel and refill a smaller bottle to take with you during the day rather than buying several bottles each day.  This is especially important in the rainforest, where there is no place to put the trash, thus it must be shipped back to the cities.  Drinking water will be provided for you at your jungle lodge.

Local currencies are the most widely accepted currencies in South America (with the notable exception of Ecuador, which uses the US dollar as its currency).  Major credit cards (Visa and Mastercard dominate) are widely accepted and US dollars are also widely accepted in Peru (less so in other countries).  Budget your days and do not carry more cash than necessary as a safeguard.  Beware that in Argentina you may be subjected to a daily withdrawal limit on your ATM card.

Carry the name and address of your hotel as well as the name and phone number of your local contact person while you are traveling in any given city so that you have this information available should you get lost or need help.

Let someone at home have a copy of your itinerary with your hotel contact information should they need to reach you in an emergency.  Send them a postcard.

Learn the language.  Locals will appreciate your effort (and reconsider giving you a discount).

Portuguese (Brazil): Hi – Ola
Good Morning – Bom dia
Good Afternoon – Boa tarde
Good Evening – Boa noite
How are you? – Como vai? / Tudo bem?
Please – Por favor
Thank you – Obrigado / Obrigada for women
You’re welcome – De nada
Yes – Sim
No – Não (pronounced like now)

Spanish:  Hi – Hola
Good Morning – Buenos dias
Good Afternoon – Buenas tardes
Good Evening – Buenas Noches
How are you? – Como estás? / Que tal?
Please – Por favor
Thank you – Gracias
You’re welcome – De nada
Yes – Si
No – No

PAST NEWSLETTERS:

• Newsletter July 2008
• Newsletter June 2008
• Newsletter May 2008
• Newsletter April 2008
• Newsletter February 2008
• Newsletter January 2008