My Thoughts on Latin America

It surprised me how easy it was to travel in Latin America, buses going to all places, all the time and frequently. Usually costing between $1-2 per hour travelled, and when it came to switching buses, the next bus was there waiting for you. Sometimes they were not the most comfortable of buses or roads to ride on, but you got their without fail, even if the bus broke down, which happened rarely.

People
My overall feeling of the people and the continent for that matter was one of warmth. Although the people are poor, they are rich in heart. i felt that throughout my travels in Latin America and it was proven to my time and again on buses, boats, roadside cafes and bars. I would be sitting there on a bus and then suddenly a local teacher would begin chatting me, in Spanish! I think the only place where i did not feel this warmth was in Dangriga Belize. They weren't to keen on me and i don't think it was anything personal, more like the colour of my skin and their history (ex-British colony now overrun by Americans). Aside, all the other people were very friendly and despite what the negative propaganda says, Colombia was one of the cleanest, modern and friendliest countries of them all.

It became clear to me the American's had a hand in most of the recent histories in Central America. For example i learnt that 95% of the banana plantations in Honduras are actually owned by the US, not the locals. There are other examples, regards this 'interfering' but i found less so in South America, aside from in Colombia, where the US like to earn $500Mil PA for their gun sales, for the supposed war on Cocaine.



Culture
I loved the strong indigenous cultures i interacted with and was extremely happy to see these peoples and their cultures still very much in place today. I was happily surprised at how pervasive they were. I know i am fortunate to experience this first hand. They are not like us Westerners. They are from another place, another custom and value system. Both the Mayans of Gutemala and the Inca's of Peru and Bolivia seemed to be very proud of their ancestral past and it was shown in their dress, dance, sacred sites (Tikal, Machu Picchu, Coban) and knowledge of natural medicines of rain forests. The local Shamans knowledge of the medicinal purposes of plants, flowers and trees in the rain forest was so in-depth, simply amazing. I am glad to say i came across two projects, one in Ecuador, one in Peru, whereby the shamans along with the help of the village elders and their governments, are now i the process of formally documenting their knowledge of the medicinal plants before the older generations die, and the knowledge received from their ancestors, dies with them.



Nature
The landscape sometimes left me speechless, which i think is the best way. Be silent, behold and admire. Just immerse yourself with the nature and enjoy. No thought, just wonder! The magical volcano lakes of Guatemala was my first great natural experience (see video), then the Primary tropical rain forests of Isla Omepete in Nicaragua (see video) to the jungles of Ecuador and Bolivia to the amazing Salt Flats of Bolivia (see video) and the pure sun drenched San Blas islands of Panama (see video). Of course i cannot forget to mention the Andes. Snow capped colossal mountains towering 6500m high, second only to the Himalayas. Now place for people prone to altitude sickness. Being a nature a lover i tried to get a good balance of beach, forest, mountains and anything in between whilst visiting the colonial towns and experiencing the different cultures. On that note, i found all the capital cities to be awful, dangerous, polluted with ugly buildings, bar La Paz, where i had a good time going down The World's most Dangerous road on a mountain bike and visiting San Pedro prison. What a place! In fact i only enjoyed the Colonial towns such as Antigua, Cartegena, Leon and Granada. They were vibrant towns filled with colourful, beautiful architecture. As for the Capitals, absolutely nothing compared to London, Paris or Madrid.



Food
I must be honest though, i did not like the food much. Throughout the entire continent you get served Beans, Rice, Platano (fried banana) and some meat, fried! No herbs. No spices. No sauces. Dry as the Kalahari desert. I had no choice so i had to get on with it, but i lost my beer belly in the first three weeks, due to diarrhea. Lets call it acclimatising. The only food i really enjoyed was the soups. Flavoursome, wholesome and full of vitamins and goodness. In my mind there is definitely room for a 'Culinary school of Cuisine'. They have good earth, great climate and rain, most of the fruits and veggies you can think of, they just don't have a clue how use herbs and cook. Oh well. They seem to eat it, even if it is greasier than a lorries engine and it shows. I was surprised at the number of poor overweight people. It reminded me of Brazil. Sad but true. Poor diet and now exercise. Oh well.

Music

Music is absolutely verywhere, buses, houses, streets, everywhere, so much so i don't think they like silence... Music is part of their soul, living in their hearts and under their skin. I observed this best in the bars and clubs of Colombia. The hot throbbing of bodies so close and yet so in tune with each other when they dance. Beautiful to watch. My advice to anyone thinking of visiting Latin America, have some Spanish classes before you go and some there if needed but also do take up a few salsa classes, it makes a big difference on the dance floor.

Hostels

The majority of hostel were good and more importantly they had dorms with communal kitchens, communal lounges and bars. It made it easier to meet other travellers. I am not a big fan of guest houses, everyone in their own rooms.

Overall i loved Latin America and i do look forward to visiting the rest of the Continent someday soon. I would definitely advise anyone who wanted a real cultural, warm and exciting experience to visit and would be happy to offer any help or information i can give.

That's all for now Friends, so onwards and upwards to New Zealand.