this will be my first time in south america.
im going for 2 months.... starting in buenos aires and probably flying back to toronto from lima in peru (although i havent bought my ticket yet)
the itinary is still open as i have no plans, but probably go through la paz and titicaca as well as machu pichu.
but before heading that way, i want to go somewhere in brazil (round trip from BA by bus) still not sure where in brazil but not anywhere far in (probably close to the border)
i need some advice:
-which vaccines should i get?
-is the brazil detour a good idea? or should i start there instead?
-i have a 80 litre pack... is it too big?
-should i bring a sleeping bag?
also, is there a trvel-time map of south america so as to give me an idea as to how long it will take to get from one city to the next?
thanx!!!
Only bring a sleeping bag if you plan to do a lot of hiking/camping. Otherwise it'll just be extra weight. On a 2 months trip you can probably do without it. An 80 litre bag is more than enough, everyone who comes to SA brings far too much, you can buy any extra things you need here very cheaply. Foz de Iguaza is the obvious choice for a short trip to Brazil - though the falls are better on Argentinian side.
Reply to this Why a round trip into Brazil and back to BA? You can go Rio, then take a bus route across Mato Grosso do Sul to Corumba, cross to Bolivia there, and get a train to Santa Cruz then other land transportation up the mountains (via Cochabamba) to La Paz.
Note on travel times: Lonely Planet has bus times for most major city-to-city destinations (bus between Rio and BA, 46 hours).
KST
Reply to this barrygahan, is Foz de Iguazu a good place to get a proper taste of Brazilian culture? or is it too close to argentina and uruguay therefore a bit mixed...
and KST, that route seems good but do u think it might be a bit to much time spent on bus?
since i only have 2 months to spare, i have to unfortunately try to keep a shorter route.
how many days do u figure ill be on the bus in the route u suggested (roughly)?
Reply to this No, I don't think it's a great place to experience Brazilian culture. However, if you do go to Iguaza Falls, it's worth spending one day on Brazil side for the views.
Reply to this Rio to Santa Cruz would probably be 3-4 days. I've found Brazilian long-distance bus travel usually pleasant -- lots of meal stops and you meet plenty of people -- the major method of land travel for the 3/4 of the population that can't afford to fly. I did a big chunk of this many years ago -- although then there were passenger trains across that part of Brazil. But I flew from the Bolivian border to Santa Cruz as the train was temporarily out of order.
It would be a shame to not get to Rio on your first trip to South America.
Boa Viagem,
KST
Reply to this Hi Ted,
As for vaccines, make an appointment at a travel clinic and take along a list of the countries you will be visiting. The clinic can then advise you on which vaccines are necessary.
An 80 litre pack sounds too big for a 2 month trip. I am on a 12 month trip and have a 65 litre pack. But you can always not pack it fully I guess, and that does leave a lot of room for souvenirs!
I would have thought that starting in Brazil would make more sense (say Rio), then working your way down to Buenos Aires. That way you can brush up on some Portuguese before you go and then once in Argentina get out your Spanish phrase book for the rest of the trip!
Happy travels,
Ruth
Reply to this well i got my shots today...
yellow fever, typhoid and hep A.
still not sure if im gonna get the malaria pills.... heard weird things about them.
but thanx to everyone 😊 for the advice.
im starting to think maybe i should start in brazil as KST ans Ruth suggested.
my onle concern is that i dont want to spend one out my two months on a bus
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