Why do family members and in-laws back home think we're rich ?

[HAL 9000 96]

To be honest the food is reason enough to go anywhere in Suramerica for me. Obviously there's the family reasons for Colombia... Argentina has one particular family member we want to visit but since it would be a seminary visit we wouldn't be able to stick around his neck of the woods that much... bummer eeyy! I guess we'd have to explore towards Patagonia.

So... did ya like them Salten~as???? It was a daily thing for me in Cochabamba.

[bora bora 1]

To be honest the food is reason enough to go anywhere in Suramerica for me. Obviously there's the family reasons for Colombia... Argentina has one particular family member we want to visit but since it would be a seminary visit we wouldn't be able to stick around his neck of the woods that much... bummer eeyy! I guess we'd have to explore towards Patagonia.

So... did ya like them Salten~as???? It was a daily thing for me in Cochabamba.

That's where I lived, and YES, I LOVE them and couldn't get enough. I dream about them now....

[HAL 9000 96]

What was the name of the place... yellow building right on the blvd... El Forastero or something like that?

Damn they were GOOD

[athena_ny 1]

I spent $2000 in Colombia in 2½ months and we used that mainly to pay bills, groceries, medical stuff, etc., so it does go a long way. We also took the bus and the metro everywhere unless it was cheaper to take a cab. We travelled by bus instead of taking a plane, so that helped out a lot and the trips we made were out of this mind gorgeous. Cold showers galore but then again when it's so hot they feel pretty good, lunch was like $4US for two people, going to a river for a swim was free and again, gorgeous scenery. Colombia is really cheap and a total blast.

Diana

Think of it this way... cold showers = refreshing on a hot sticky day. Good. Then a glass of jugo de lulo and we're all set.

In 3 months in Colombia I spent about $3000 for all the aforementioned bills... plus an engagement ring

And we managed a tour package to Providencia over a long weekend in there, by plane with all costs except the rental scooter we got on the island.

I had a trauma involving an ice bath when I was a kid...so cold showers were taken with only one body part under the water at a time. *shudder*

[athena_ny 1]

Wow, $1200 in 2 weeks? I must have been living like a Peruvian when I was there...

Eh, we wound up paying for a lot of meals, which was from the kindness of our hearts, not because anyone asked.

Also: two plane tickets to Cusco, and the almost 200 dollars it cost me to get up there and into Machu Picchu as I'm not a citizen. AND, I had 150 dollars left over when I got home. Wait, no...220. So 300+200+220=720 ... okay so if we hadn't traveled to Cusco, it would have only cost me about 500.

So considering that, I think I did pretty well

My husband had his own money, but in two nights he bought three bottles of whiskey (about 120 dollars) ... he likes to spend spend spend when he thinks he has money, like his brother. For real though, it was fun, so I don't care.

[athena_ny 1]

Abosolutely bora bora... I prefer the (nongringo) backpacker style. That in itself is enough to bring the costs down. Bolivia was very inexpensive and Colombia... well, they're on an upswing with tourism now.

We stayed with family... and the only backpackers I saw were gringos? And there were a lot of them in Cusco...

The flight attendants with Avianca were so fing rude to me because I was American (saying #### in Spanish thinking I did not understand), which put a bad taste in my mouth about Colombia. I hear it is beautiful though...

Maybe we can get some insider info on Peru 'cause I do remember it being a bit expensive compared to Colombia and Bolivia.

I've never been to Colombia but I know that Bolivia was pretty inexpensive.

I was just surprised that athena spent that much money in Peru since it's a lot cheaper than Brazil and I never spent that much money in Brazil.

But that's just me...I think I'm a simple person (as is my husband), and we don't go the tourist route.

We didn't go to the tourist route either ... stayed with family and ate at cheap restaurants, etc. But I broke it down in another post, so it was really only about 500. 1200 was what I had saved (oops)

[HAL 9000 96]

No offense... but...

When you are in a foreign country that uses a language other than the one you speak, it may be polite to try to speak it... it will help you loads anywhere you go. Even trying.

But yes... Avianca for what its worth does kind of have an air of many American airline companies when it comes to flight attendants and customer service even though I don't have any complaints other than the price of airfare. And that's a little avoidable using AeroRepublica whenever I fly inside Colombia.

[athena_ny 1]

No offense... but...

When you are in a foreign country that uses a language other than the one you speak, it may be polite to try to speak it... it will help you loads anywhere you go. Even trying.

But yes... Avianca for what its worth does kind of have an air of many American airline companies when it comes to flight attendants and customer service even though I don't have any complaints other than the price of airfare. And that's a little avoidable using AeroRepublica whenever I fly inside Colombia.

You don't offend me, because I do speak it. Not fabulously well when I'm sober, but I'm definitely understandable (and even smart enough to correct my errors if I realize I made one ).

And I told her where to shove it when she told me they were sending me back to Miami. That was the one that was super rude, it was when we were boarding for Lima. So it wasn't an "I didn't speak the language" thing, but a "I looked like I didn't speak the language so she thought she could get away with being rude without me understanding" thing. Blah.

[panamania79 2]

To be honest the food is reason enough to go anywhere in Suramerica for me. Obviously there's the family reasons for Colombia... Argentina has one particular family member we want to visit but since it would be a seminary visit we wouldn't be able to stick around his neck of the woods that much... bummer eeyy! I guess we'd have to explore towards Patagonia.

So... did ya like them Salten~as???? It was a daily thing for me in Cochabamba.

Wow,they sell them at the Bolivian bakery here.They're okay,but NOTHING beats the Colombian bakeries.

[bora bora 1]

To be honest the food is reason enough to go anywhere in Suramerica for me. Obviously there's the family reasons for Colombia... Argentina has one particular family member we want to visit but since it would be a seminary visit we wouldn't be able to stick around his neck of the woods that much... bummer eeyy! I guess we'd have to explore towards Patagonia.

So... did ya like them Salten~as???? It was a daily thing for me in Cochabamba.

Wow,they sell them at the Bolivian bakery here.They're okay,but NOTHING beats the Colombian bakeries.

Oh I WISH we had a Bolivian bakery here! There is one Peruvian restaurant that I know about - and plan on returning to. Who knew the only day they'd be closed would be Wednesday?

Anyway....I gotta decide where to go this summer - this thread is making me want to travel even more than I already did. My hubby doesn't want to go anywhere though, not yet, he wants to establish himself more here, so I'll go w/ a friend or my sister.

[HAL 9000 96]

No offense... but...

When you are in a foreign country that uses a language other than the one you speak, it may be polite to try to speak it... it will help you loads anywhere you go. Even trying.

But yes... Avianca for what its worth does kind of have an air of many American airline companies when it comes to flight attendants and customer service even though I don't have any complaints other than the price of airfare. And that's a little avoidable using AeroRepublica whenever I fly inside Colombia.

You don't offend me, because I do speak it. Not fabulously well when I'm sober, but I'm definitely understandable (and even smart enough to correct my errors if I realize I made one ).

And I told her where to shove it when she told me they were sending me back to Miami. That was the one that was super rude, it was when we were boarding for Lima. So it wasn't an "I didn't speak the language" thing, but a "I looked like I didn't speak the language so she thought she could get away with being rude without me understanding" thing. Blah.

Holy cow!

That's a case for a good letter to Avianca Customer Service in Miami... written in Spanish no less

Last time I went through that kind of experience I got 1/2 a free trip in miles.

To be honest the food is reason enough to go anywhere in Suramerica for me. Obviously there's the family reasons for Colombia... Argentina has one particular family member we want to visit but since it would be a seminary visit we wouldn't be able to stick around his neck of the woods that much... bummer eeyy! I guess we'd have to explore towards Patagonia.

So... did ya like them Salten~as???? It was a daily thing for me in Cochabamba.

Wow,they sell them at the Bolivian bakery here.They're okay,but NOTHING beats the Colombian bakeries.

Oh I WISH we had a Bolivian bakery here! There is one Peruvian restaurant that I know about - and plan on returning to. Who knew the only day they'd be closed would be Wednesday?

Anyway....I gotta decide where to go this summer - this thread is making me want to travel even more than I already did. My hubby doesn't want to go anywhere though, not yet, he wants to establish himself more here, so I'll go w/ a friend or my sister.

I know in Miami there's a Peruvian restaurant that makes Salteñas for those that ask... I can't remember the location...

[bora bora 1]

No offense... but...

When you are in a foreign country that uses a language other than the one you speak, it may be polite to try to speak it... it will help you loads anywhere you go. Even trying.

But yes... Avianca for what its worth does kind of have an air of many American airline companies when it comes to flight attendants and customer service even though I don't have any complaints other than the price of airfare. And that's a little avoidable using AeroRepublica whenever I fly inside Colombia.

You don't offend me, because I do speak it. Not fabulously well when I'm sober, but I'm definitely understandable (and even smart enough to correct my errors if I realize I made one ).

And I told her where to shove it when she told me they were sending me back to Miami. That was the one that was super rude, it was when we were boarding for Lima. So it wasn't an "I didn't speak the language" thing, but a "I looked like I didn't speak the language so she thought she could get away with being rude without me understanding" thing. Blah.

Holy cow!

That's a case for a good letter to Avianca Customer Service in Miami... written in Spanish no less

Last time I went through that kind of experience I got 1/2 a free trip in miles.

To be honest the food is reason enough to go anywhere in Suramerica for me. Obviously there's the family reasons for Colombia... Argentina has one particular family member we want to visit but since it would be a seminary visit we wouldn't be able to stick around his neck of the woods that much... bummer eeyy! I guess we'd have to explore towards Patagonia.

So... did ya like them Salten~as???? It was a daily thing for me in Cochabamba.

Wow,they sell them at the Bolivian bakery here.They're okay,but NOTHING beats the Colombian bakeries.

Oh I WISH we had a Bolivian bakery here! There is one Peruvian restaurant that I know about - and plan on returning to. Who knew the only day they'd be closed would be Wednesday?

Anyway....I gotta decide where to go this summer - this thread is making me want to travel even more than I already did. My hubby doesn't want to go anywhere though, not yet, he wants to establish himself more here, so I'll go w/ a friend or my sister.

I know in Miami there's a Peruvian restaurant that makes Salteñas for those that ask... I can't remember the location...

Now I'm hungry...

[HAL 9000 96]

I'm pretty sure its in the South Miami/Sweetwater area

Bon Appetit!

[panamania79 2]

I'm pretty sure its in the South Miami/Sweetwater area

Bon Appetit!

All I can say is that I wish I was in Miami right now,this snow is annoying me.

[Eric-Pris 1,604]

Luckily, I haven't experienced any of this, except for my some diabetic testing supplies for my fiancee's mom, because they are very expensive in Costa Rica. She offered to re-imburse me but I declined. But I have a strange feeling that once we get married it will start... but I pretty much told my fiancee it is not going to be a regular thing. This is one thing I will not put up with. I am marrying my fiancee not her whole family. Luckily, we will live in the US, so they can't move in with us, which is what they would've wanted to do had we chosen to live there.