Jun 15, 2019

I know exactly where you're standing from this view too, so dope

 

Jun 2, 2019

Something I just remembered that was really cool that I went to was this huge hot springs place...it's been almost 15 years so I can't remember if it was at a resort or what but it had tons and tons of pools and I believe some of the pools were man-made and some were natural but they all used "natural" hot springs water if that makes sense. I just remember it was pouring down rain while we were there so it was a really cool experience. I'm sure there's a bunch of hot springs spots in CR but I'll try to figure out what it was called.

Also visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve...I think that's where I went ziplining.

We also stayed at this cool hotel that was on some Ewok village type s--- where the rooms were built into trees.

I actually think I have my journal somewhere that we had to write in every day to get school credit so I'll look through that to see if I wrote down any names of places.

Things to avoid: getting alcohol poisoning on the plane ride back. My friends and I bought a bottle of "estrella" vodka (I like to think it translates as "one star") for something like 2000 colones which was under $5 at the time. We were all 15 and had no idea how to drink so my friend overdid it and puked the whole plane ride back the next day.

 

Jun 2, 2019

@Big Cuntry I'm gonna use this thread because I seen some good things in here.

So I'm going to Cost Rica for 3 weeks later this year. I've seen people itt mention being in Central America so gonna tag a few; can u give me recommendations (must see/avoid) things , if you've been there?

@WPG @Papa Alpha Andy @Worm

 

May 18, 2019

Teotihuacan is legit the most breathtaking place I've ever been. I don't use that word lightly, I always roll my eyes when people say some trash cathedral or something is "breathtaking" or "left them in awe" or whatever but climbing and sitting on top of all those pyramids is one of the coolest things I've ever done in my life. You can climb basically everything so make sure you get a chance to climb up one of the smaller ones without a bunch of people on it and take time to just sit for a few minutes and look around.

La Condesa is a super dope neighborhood. Make sure you eat lots of al pastor tacos while you're there!

 

Apr 18, 2019

I was only in Mexico but I found it really easy to meet people at hostels to hang out with/go on day trips/etc. And you end up seeing some of the same people at other hostels too.

@YNW Squiddy I went to KC for a day last summer and I actually liked it quite a bit shouts out @JFK

The freeways are absolutely f----- though. s--- went to exit 2Z and s---. Why you got 26 exit 2s???

 

Mar 21, 2019

I didn't drink the water at all (even brushed my teeth with filtered water usually), though I'm sure I ate some street food that was washed with it. Both airbnbs I stayed at in Mexico City provided 20L jugs of filtered water which was dope. I also took a probiotic the entire time I was there, not sure if that helped at all. I somehow managed to not get sick at all other than being regular hungover/minor stomach issues. No puking/s--- your guts out Montezuma's revenge.

I was alone for most of the time in Mexico City so I didn't really do much late night drinking. Only time I did was when I returned for a few days before I left and stayed at a hostel but it had a cool rooftop area so we didn't really go out late, just drank up there. I'd say as long as you're with a group and not going to any dangerous neighborhoods you should be fine. I'd really only be worried about being out alone at night, but obviously practice any caution you would when traveling to a big unfamiliar city/foreign country. Outside the touristy area Cancun honestly is prob more dangerous to tourists than Mexico City is (unless you're in a super bad area of course, but then it's a toss up). I stayed in a neighborhood called La Condesa which I never felt unsafe in though there's a neighborhood called Doctores close by that people told me to stay out of at night.

The experience is immensely different than Cancun/any other touristy part of Mexico so hopefully your friends will realize that pretty quickly. Barely anyone speaks english fluently (the only extended English convos I had were at my hostel/an English bookstore), but almost everyone is super friendly and works with your s-----y Spanish as long as you try. I was out late drinking in other cities/non-touristy areas (in a group) and it didn't feel any different than being out late in Seattle or New York or Austin or any other city the US. Just know the places you should stay out of, stay in a group, and don't be a moron. Also use uber instead of the taxis if you need to get somewhere bc the taxis will rip you off.

Obviously there are places in Mexico that are super dangerous but I think overall it gets a bad rap for being more dangerous than it is (at least the places a tourist would go). When I was in Playa Del Carmen apparently I was staying in its most dangerous neighborhood and I had no idea until a local told me...but I'm also a 6'3''/210 lb male so I'm sure there are much easier targets than me.

 

Feb 3, 2019

Nope, never been!

 

Feb 2, 2019

Mos def, I did a lot of work bumming around the USA as a freelancer and it was cool to be able to take those trips but on the days I even had to work a couple hours it barely felt like a vacation you know—cuz that work is always looming in the back of your mind. Which is why I ultimately decided to take a clean break and spend some of my savings which was soooo worth it.

I think I wanna move back to an office job too cuz as you said it gets really lonely/boring/depressing after awhile (I swear it was starting to make me a social moron too)...my tentative plan right now is not sign a lease until the fall because I have friends' places I can bounce around for awhile (obvs will pay some rent $$$ if I end up staying more than a couple weeks, I just don't wanna be tied down somewhere with a lease) cuz I'm meeting some friends in Aruba in july and I figure while I'm already that far south I should hit Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and some other countries in south america.

But yeah I'm hoping to find a job where I wfh two days a week and go in three days a week like my old job cuz that was the perfect balance. Either that or find some different and more varied freelance/contract work that involves more of going into offices and meeting with clients and such sometimes. I like people to be hands-off when I'm working most of the time, but check-ins and working alongside people is cool too. It's all about balance.

 

Feb 2, 2019

lol that's the plan. I'm between apartments right now so I'm staying at my mom's place to take care of her dog while she's out of town then I'll probably stay here for a couple weeks and bounce to NY/Austin/LA and stay with friends while I work and figure out where tf I'm moving next.

Though you work from home a lot right? Dude who was staying at my hostel in Mexico City told me he works remotely (he lives 50 miles outside the bay area and supposed to commute at least one day a week but his boss works from an office in madison wisconsin or some s--- so he just stopped coming in at all unless he has a reason to) and his boss and coworkers had no idea he was working from mexico city. He said every 3-6 mo or so he'll go down south to latin america for a week or so and doesn't tell anyone cuz it's easy to be "at work" during the right hours with with the maximum of a three hour time change lol.

 

Feb 2, 2019

tbh a couple grand saved from ur 40k salary allows you to modestly ball in mexico for a p long time

 

Feb 2, 2019

btw @ChadCunt my buds are moving to new zealand in a month so I'll probably be visiting them in the next 18 months or so which I'ma make into a trip to AUS as well, see you there @Ordinary Joel @Jakey @SHUDEYE and whoever tf else lives down undah

 

Jan 10, 2019

@Sav Stanfield so would you recommend staying in Merida and Palenque? I’m making a vague plan to make my way back to CDMX. Did you check out any other coastal cities like Campeche or Cuidad del Carmen? Any recommendations in Oaxaca/Chipas/Tobasco?

Really all I have planned so far is heading to Valladolid to see Chichén Itzá lol. Found a nice looking hostel there that has a good rep for being social so I’m hyped for that.

 

Dec 19, 2018

my buddy travels a ton and just got back from tulum a couple weeks ago... says it's easily one of his favorite places he's ever been. enjoyyy

 

Dec 2, 2018

Have fun @Big Cuntry !