A brief note: Quick thoughts / Post Trip Debrief
Whenever I thought of LATAM previously I would think South America. Central America and the Carribean never really crossed my radar, until I decided to go to Guatemala for Spanish lessons. However, after my brief time there it seems to be a really interesting area and also rich in nature - I would love to explore more countries there! Climate wise Central America also feels much more comfortable to tropical climate me.
As an Asian, in some ways it felt easier to travel LATAM than places like Europe or US. It felt easier to blend in in terms of looks (although yes it is still obvious that I am a tourist), and the food is probably closer to what our palates are used to + rice everywhere. As a Singaporean, I felt welcome to be there - especially places like Colombia and Panama, they don’t get many Singaporeans and people I met seemed happy to have someone visiting from so far away. And as another European traveller pointed out to me, there are some cultural similarities between LATAM and Asia, such as the way we view family.
Practicalities of solo travel? Be ready to go solo and enjoy your own company. Yes, travel is social and there were points when I suddenly found myself hanging out and having a blast with a group of people I had just met. But whether that happens is very much dependent on luck and the environment. Sometimes you don’t find other solo travellers, or sometimes you meet people for an evening but everyone is already moving on the next day - so don’t travel solo expecting to always be doing things with friends. Instead, travel solo to see and experience things, such that you can enjoy the trip whether you experience it alone or with people. And if you make friends along the way and find buddies to see those things with, that’s just icing on the cake.
I felt safe where I travelled. I did do research to know what to look out for, and also took extra precautions by staying in better neighbourhoods and arranging private transport when I was arriving in new countries after dark (which turned out to be pretty often). Going for walking tours on the first day was always useful to figure out the dos / do nots and the areas to walk to. I did not go out for much nightlife alone (other than one night at Dancefree which I had already been to before). I used Ubers while going out a night. While I brought a spare phone, it was thankfully never needed it! Personally I think the internet glamorises spontaneous travel. In this case, especially as it was such a new region, I found planning helped me enjoy, stay safe and appreciate my trip to the fullest. Do what makes you feel comfortable - whatever helps with overcoming the activation energy to get there!
While going through some cities, e.g. Bogota in Colombia, there are some travellers who give comments like “oh this looks just like a part of London, or Australia”, implying that it is not worth their time to be there. But I actually do enjoy these places - I think them helps provide more colour and a better understanding of the country. Yes it is interesting to visit areas where the culture is drastically different or the way of life is different, but I think it is also interesting to go into cities and see the commonalities and differences compared to what things are like back home. And it’s also pretty cool to see how advanced some of these cities, compared to common perception. It definitely goes down to the purpose of travel of course but if you have the opportunity to travel for an extended period I think it is good to get a sense of both.