Adventure Capitalist

Europeans will often mock Americans for their limited knowledge of the world outside the US, taking simpletons thinking Paris is the capital of “Europe” as the prime example. Well, I’m afraid I’ve been humbled by my time in Argentina, meeting people who know a great deal more than me about the continent and the ins and outs of it.

There are a lot of little things, misconceptions and prejudice that us europeans hold about South America. To point out a few things I’ve learned from people who are either from around here or have been around the continent:

Colombia - mostly safe these days
Most westerners will believe that Colombia is a drugrunners paradise, where you will be abducted by militias if you step outside the security controls at Bogota airport. Not so, both Colombians and people who have traveled there have told me otherwise.

Yes, there are still dodgy areas, steer clear of the jungles and rural areas. But if you stay in places like Bogota, Medellin or any of the major cities along the Caribbean coast, you’ll be safe. Apparently Medellin and Cartagena in particular are worth seeing. Also, the fact that living is cheap, and Colombians are some of the most beautiful people on the planet won’t detract from your stay.

Peru and Cusco
All things from both travelers and Peruvians alike point to the fact that the capital of Peru, Lima, is a dirty shithole where you’ll easily get robbed by locals and taxi drivers alike.

Cusco, the launchpad for the Inca-trail and Machu Picchu is a different matter though: this is supposedly party-central in Peru, and well worth staying in for at least a couple of weeks. I had no idea about this until I heard about it. The other observation is that the best time to visit the area is during their winter (northern hemisphere summer), the summer is wet and easily gets washed out. Also, bring your sunscreen, the area has the strongest UV exposure in the world.

Buenos Aires - corrupt, dangerous, but oh so lovely
Finally, the city where I have spent most of my time in, and that I can speak from experience about (everything else is hearsay). I’ve been told that Buenos Aires is more dangerous than Bogota these days, street crime is rife and I’ve met a good portion of tourists who have been robbed.

Living in southeast London, I’m not sure it’s any worse than my own neighbourhood, but I think caution and common sense are two good companions to bring: avoid dark side streets, walk confidently, don’t stop for people hassling you, and avoid looking like a lost tourist even if you are.

The politics of Argentina in general are corrupt from what I hear. Buenos Aires itself is much like a subtropical Paris in decline - it is unavoidable to see the marks of subsequent economical crises in the city and the resulting decline, but the “Porteno’s” (locals) are proud and seem to be in denial about the state of affairs.

Despite all its downsides, it is a city that is easy to fall in love with, it has soul and is easily my favourite city in the world right now. The food is the best I’ve had, the people are beautiful and friendly and the city literally never sleeps, except for siesta between 5-8pm.