Tress,
I can´t help you with anything north of Ecuador except Baja and a bit of central Mexico.
Shipping:
Everyone I´ve interviewed or talked to who used Evelyn raved about her service, so I would have to say she is your best option. Strangly, she has not returned any of my emails to her, so I cannot provide any personal input.
Anything to do with shipping requires a lot of patience, so it is best to not be time constrained for that chapter of the trip.
I put up a thread on shipping here that will give you some basics
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11041
Here´s some resources
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18038
Having a good shipping agent is key.
Language:
For Spanish, don´t get too worried about it. I´ve been all over the world with not much more than learning how to say hello, thank you, and "where is the bathroom." I know about 23 words of Spanish and I´ve been able to accomplish everything we´ve needed so far.
I suggest the following as essentials:
- hello
- good morning/afternoon/evening
- thank you
- please
- where is
- what?
- what is the cost
- how do you say X in Spanish
- count to twenty
- know how to say the year
- today
- yesterday
- tomorrow
- week
- month
- year
- truck
- common repair parts (tires, belts, headlights, etc.)
- electricity
- water
- fuel
- I need
- do you have X
- we
- my wife
- child
- boy
- girl
- man
- woman
- with
- without
In my experience, it is more important to understand a country´s customs and values than its language.
Always remember you are a guest. Act like one.
Transactions:
When you go to the Ferreteria (hardware store) or Mercado (market) or SuperMercado (supermarket) and buy something the clerk will ask you "¿Boleto o factura?" You will reply "Boleto." A factura is an official receipt used for tax purposes. A boleto is a regular receipt.
If you purchase with a credit card, the clerk will ask you "¿Quantos cuotas?" (number of cuotas). You will reply "sin cuotas" (without cuotas). Cuotas is the opportunity to spread your purchase over multiple months, in other words, if you buy $100 worth of groceries and asked for quatro cuotas, your credit card statement would show a charge of $25 for each of the next four months.
Although credit cards are ubiquitous in market towns and cities at the retail level, wholesale and business to business commerce is still in the 19th century. If you need to get something shipped in and pay customs duties or purchase something outside of retail channels, you will need to make a deposit into the selling party´s bank account. They will phone/fax/email you their account number and bank name. You will find a branch of that bank, fill out a deposit slip and make a CASH deposit into that account. Make CERTAIN to retain a copy of the deposit receipt.
Countries
Ecuador is denominated in U.S. dollars, so you can restock on U.S. cash here if you need to. Prices are low. You can eat a meal in a restaurant for $2-3. You can buy a nice home for $10-30k. Electricy is 110VAC/60Hz. People are very nice, industrious, the country has a good, focused vibe, it´s on a mission with a purpose.
Peru is less expensive than Ecuador, by just a little. Electricy is 220VAC/50Hz, like every other country south of there. Peru is less developed than Ecuador, and much, much larger. We spent 3 months there and wished we had more time. People are beautiful in every aspect. Very peaceful spirit, especially in the rural areas. Do everything you can to get off the Gringo trail and into the non-tourist areas. When you cross the border from Ecuador you will say goodbye to green until you get down to about Santiago, Chile.
Chile is very, very expensive. This is mitigated somewhat right now by the plumeting value of the Chilean peso. YMMV by the time you get there. When we were there earlier this year, prices were equal to the U.S. or Europe. Chile is one of the least corrupt countries in the world, so no worries there. Most police have college degrees. Governent workers are professional and generaly effecient. You have to wonder how the country would do if they could throw off the suffocating layers of bureacrocy that choke the economy. The glacial pace of retail processes will frustrate you. You will experience things that will make you think you are back in the U.S.S.R. of the 1970s, e.g., stand in one line to get a ticket so you can stand in another line to get your item then stand in another line to pay. Avoid conversations about the War of the Pacific or Argentina (see comment below). Chile is the most light-wave wired country in the world. Internet speeds are lightning fast everywhere, even the most remote village.
Argentina is less expensive than Chile. Pretty affordable. A little ragged around the edges in some respects from their financial collapse, but the country is picking itself up off the mat. Avoid any conversations about the Falklands/Malvinas. Avoid any conversations about Chile (lots of rivalry, most of which you will probably think to be a little silly). Say goodbye to the internet when you enter Argentine Patagonia. You will think you died and went to Internet Hell. Don´t even bother with it when you are in the interior parts of Patagonia, it´s nothing but frustrating. As in an ENTIRE day, cafe opening to closing, to attempt to make a single blog post.
Fuel Prices:
Diesel is about $1 a gallon in Ecuador, gasoline is a little more expensive. Also very cheap in Venezuala. Standard world pricing in other countries, i.e. $4 to $5+ a gallon. Yes, that is correct. North America has enjoyed artifically low fuel prices for many generations.
You can purchase fuel with credit cards just about everywhere except remote towns and a couple of places in interior Patagonia.
Fuel range is an issue in Patagonia, as are fuel shortages. You may need to wait a day or two for the fuel delivery truck to arrive at a station if you have limited range.
ATM:
Available in all market towns and cities. No worries.
Parts and repair:
Available essentially everywhere if you are driving a normal vehicle.
Professionism:
High. South America is not Africa or Central Asia.
Development:
Chile and Argentina are fully developed. Due to the situation and specific warnings by people I know and respect, we did not go to Bolivia yet. I understand it to be the least developed country in SA. The small villages and rural areas of Peru are currently receiving electricity, water and sewer, or have in the last few years. In market towns and cities you will often think you are in Southern California, meaning it looks a lot like home but the signs are in Spanish. Ecuador is more developed than Peru.
Corruption:
We have made so many border crossings down here I could not begin to count them. We have dealt with customs and immigration officials to obtain visa and importation extensions. We have passed through countless police and military checkpoints. We have interacted with hundreds, if not thousands, of police, military and government workers. Out of all of those hundreds to thousands, I had one policeman ask me for some money for "bebidas" (drinks) in a very remote village in highland Peru. I turned him down.
I have interviewed or talked with at least three dozen other overlanders and have yet to hear of any major or systematic corruption, and that includes the shipping and importation of almost every one of those vehicles.
We just passed through a border crossing that is renowned as the worst in this part of the world. All we had was people offering to open an office on a Sunday to process our paperwork, spend hours on the phone tracking down the right people to answer questions, etc. The service was professional, friendly, and, in many respects, over the top and well beyond the call of duty.
Security
No issues for us. None for any of the other overlanders, including two single girls traveling alone on motorcycles.
Don´t leave things out. Never walk away from an unlocked compartment or door.
Don´t be stupid and you will be OK.
Weather:
There are two primary weather windows you will contend with in SA.
1) Winter in Patagonia. January and February are the primary vacation months here, so Patagonia is crowded then. Shoulder months are optimum. You need to be at Puerto Montt´s lattitude by arourd 1 April. Of course, we were late.
2) Rain in the Pantenal, the altiplano of Bolivia and the Andean highlands. These areas are essentially impassible in the rainy season.
Propane:
If you are using Propane/LP/GLP/Gas Propano see this thread:
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15406
Bien Viaje,
Doug
