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Hotkiss - I just went to 2 Central American countries for 3 weeks. Airfare cost me $562

Posted by Guy (aka lostatlimbo) Jun 2 '09, 15:08

You CAN live very cheaply there (meaning $6-8 per day), but expect to eat the same bland meal every day and stay in run down hostels. $10-15 per day will get you slightly better meals/rooms and a little extra to do fun stuff like guided trips.

if you don't mind all that, then go for it - don't listen to these naysayers. you will meet wonderful people traveling and come out of the experience with a much broader perspective on life.

Responses:

That's what I'm saying. If nothing else, I am very resourceful with money. But I don't want to be completely out of my mind. -- nm - Hotkiss Jun 2, 15:22 8
- Have you considered doing a service vacation down there? - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 15:47 4
  - i agree with this, but it is tough if you only have two weeks -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 15:58 3
    - They're different lengths. -- nm - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 16:01 2
      - many require minimum committments and even if you find one thats 2 weeks, you're stuck with it and don't get to see much else -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 16:05 1
        
        They aren't all that way. You have to look around. I'm trying to give her more options. - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 16:08
- Depending on where you go, you should really look to spend something closer to $500 (w/o airfare) to make it worth your while. - Guy Jun 2, 15:27 2
  - And if you are travelling by yourself, hostels are the best way to go. You get to meet other people. -- nm - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 15:40
  - Don't jump out of a moving car, don't put your head in a blender... -- nm - Guy si Jun 2, 15:39
She would be alright if she went to Belize -- nm - 'lia Jun 2, 15:20 11
- That's what I said!!! -- nm - Mop (236 lbs) Jun 2, 15:24 4
  - when I was younger my SO and I had property in Belize - - 'lia Jun 2, 15:41 3
    - haha. i stayed on a small farm in Sarteneja (northern coast) run by a couple who fit that description. - Guy Jun 2, 15:43
    - Sounds loverly. Changed your mind? -- nm - Mop (236 lbs) Jun 2, 15:43 1
      - No, but dumped the SO and sold the property to investors - -- nm - 'lia Jun 2, 15:49
- Belize is a lot more expensive than most CA countries. its a nice country, but not for those on a tight budget. -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 15:23 5
  - it can be done - it's also a lot safer for a single female - 'lia Jun 2, 15:29 4
    - Blue Hole is ony for divers. if Hotkiss isn't certified thats a huge waste of her time and money - Guy Jun 2, 15:31 3
      - there are 2 blue holes in Belize - the one offshore for divers and the park inland - I'm referring to the park inland -- nm - 'lia Jun 2, 15:34 2
        
        ah, interesting. i'd meant to spend some time in Southern Belize, but I had to skip it. - Guy Jun 2, 15:41 1
        
        next time your there if you have the money I highly recommend the "black hole drop" at this place: - 'lia Jun 2, 16:13
What naysayers? We're offering advice, just like we do whenever anyone brings major life decisions to this board. - Subversive Jun 2, 15:11 30
- and most of the so-called naysayers are very enthusiastic about the travel idea. -- nm - loosiflu with cabin fever Jun 2, 15:13
- not everyone, but a few posters seemed to poo-poo the idea. i mean, Maine? Hawaii? - Guy Jun 2, 15:13 28
  - Screw you jerk-tard. (nm) - musubi Jun 2, 15:58
  - I really question you saying Hawaii isn't a cultural excursion. - Will Hunting Jun 2, 15:42 19
    - There's nothing wrong with wanting to go abroad, but I'd totally disagree with the "homogeneous" description. - musubi Jun 2, 16:02 1
      - Yeah, it's a huuuuge country, even in the continental portion. -- nm - Will Hunting Jun 2, 16:05
    - Hawaii is also on the more expensive side. -- nm - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 15:51 1
      - You can camp on the beach! - psilotum Jun 2, 15:59
    - My understanding was that HK said she wanted to go *abroad*, and then some STers said "why go abroad when things are so nice in the States" -- nm - con_carne Jun 2, 15:50 12
      - I said that. And IMO you can have almost everything in the US, from desert to cows, snow to beaches, skscrapers to tundra. -- nm - marcel Jun 2, 15:55 7
        
        you'd have to go to Alaska to see tundra and thats practically leaving the country. - Guy Jun 2, 16:01 2
        
        Ummm, there is tundra on Mt. Rainier. -- nm - psilotum Jun 2, 16:04 1
        
        that was a Vermy shiv, ruiner (and im pretty sure Marcel didnt mean *that* kind of tundra) -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 16:09
        
        And sometimes it's nice to go someplace where you are a foreigner. -- nm - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 15:56 3
        
        *finger to nose* I think that's the experience HK is after -- nm - con_carne Jun 2, 16:02
        
        which is kinda hard in a country that borders only to two other countries - marcel Jun 2, 16:01
        
        I guess it's safe to tell the locals you're an American now. -- nm - Dr.Vermin Jun 2, 15:59
      - There were a few people who said there's a ton of experiences in the US (given her list of places) - Will Hunting Jun 2, 15:53 3
        
        And it can be tougher to backpack in the US too. - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 15:55 2
        
        It's true, stuff is just far apart here -- nm - con_carne Jun 2, 16:06
        
        generally more expensive as well -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 15:59
    - its all relative. I'm sure it depends on which island you go to as well. - Guy Jun 2, 15:45 1
      - I think you're missing the entire tenor of the entire discussion. -- nm - Will Hunting Jun 2, 15:46
  - Hey Guy we think you SHOULD go to Mexico. I will toss in 10 cents toward your ransom payment -- nm - Redmond in Sin City Jun 2, 15:27 1
    - i want to. half the people i met in Guatemala said they much preferred Mexico. - Guy Jun 2, 15:32
  - Well, given proper preparation, they could be. But not as much as Portugal, Greece, or Australia. -- nm - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:15 4
    - "Australia and back on $750" would be a great book title. -- nm - Subversive Jun 2, 15:15 3
      - for a fiction novel, maybe. its impossible to fly to Oz cheaply unless you live in Indonesia (or maybe Antartica) - Guy Jun 2, 15:33 1
        
        well, no one said you had to fly. -- nm - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:34
      - It would take a lot more than a week, that's for sure. :) -- nm - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:33
I think she *can* do it, but shouldn't count on it. One thing goes wrong, there goes your budget. -- nm - loosiflu with cabin fever Jun 2, 15:10 18
- of course you need to have back up resources if you get robbed. - Guy Jun 2, 15:15 11
  - don't forget she's female traveling alone, which means she can't rough it quite as much. -- nm - loosiflu with cabin fever Jun 2, 15:17 10
    - i dont' know Hotkiss, so i dont know what shes capable of, but while i realize it is more difficult/dangerous for a female - Guy Jun 2, 15:19 9
      - it IS different. Take Tunisia, girls are being harassed there. Sometimes even when they're with a man. I would not want her to go there all alone. -- nm - marcel Jun 2, 15:47 4
        
        i wasn't aware Tunisia was on her shortlist. :) -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 16:12
        
        You've got to pick your places and even whn you do you have to pick your places. - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 15:50 2
        
        i'm not talking crime. you can't pick say "i'm not going there, there's a serial killer" - marcel Jun 2, 16:09 1
        
        Not what I was meaning. Danger is everywhere, you've just got to gauge what you can handle and take precautions to keep yourself safe. - the liioulu with not done rings Jun 2, 16:12
      - It depends, really, on where you are, what you're doing, and how much experience you have. -- nm - loosiflu with cabin fever Jun 2, 15:20 3
        
        HK has no experience. But, it seems she wants to rough it. That's a way to get experience, I guess. -- nm - con_carne Jun 2, 15:46
        
        ... and whether you know Krav Maga or Muay Thai ... or both ... :) -- nm - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:39
        
        agreed. but also - what your threshold/mindset is for enjoying yourself in different settings -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 15:35
- ... and without insurance, there goes your arm or leg ... -- nm - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:11 5
  - Speaking of legs in foreign lands, I have a good friend who got in a motorcycle accident in Croatia. - Dr.Vermin Jun 2, 15:20 4
    - I'll remember this when I need heart surgery. What's that story I just heard on This Week in Tech? - Mop (236 lbs) Jun 2, 15:40 1
      - Honestly, doctors should have stats like sports players that people haggle over. - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:48
    - Nice! :) - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:35
    - shocking! :) -- nm - Guy Jun 2, 15:34
nay! nay! nay! I say, nay! ... but then again, I am a total chickenshit party pooper when it comes to stuff like that. :) -- nm - Beryllium Jun 2, 15:09
We're never going to see Hotkiss again. -- nm - Mop (236 lbs) Jun 2, 15:09 2
- Now, now. That's what we said when she moved in with Dawson. -- nm - mara Jun 2, 15:15 1
  - I'm not so sure that's not Jack posing as Hotkiss. - Mop (236 lbs) Jun 2, 15:31

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Hotkiss - I just went to 2 Central American countries for 3 weeks. Airfare cost me $562

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