Latin America: Best of

Upon crossing the border from Colombia to Ecuador, and unless I´m forgetting an island somewhere, I´ve now set foot in each spanish-speaking, Latin American country that´s not Cuba. This has taken almost ten years, dozens of flights and probably a hundred bus trips. With all the wisdom of my experience (sabelotodo soy!), I´ve decided to award to my favorite countries the elite prize of my pompous esteem:

Best country to visit as an American: Panama
Between Bocas del Toro and San Blas, if you´ve got a couple weeks of vacation and a thousand dollars, Panama is your destination. It´s cheap to fly to, dolarized, cheap to stay in. The country feels safe. The beer is good. You have to love beaches to make this trip, and honestly I don´t, but I found enough in Panama City to make it worthwhile to me.

Best county to be from: Colombia
Some travellers get tricked into thinking that the places that they pass through offer simpler, dreamier lives than the ones in Europe and the States that we flee from. One some level it´s true- subsistence farmers in Peru do have simpler lives, with fewer strings attached. The difference, however, is that no one is choosing that life. So what I´m about to describe should be taken with a pound of salt.

To be a mototaxista in Medellin, to fly through those anarchistic intersections with no helmet and some fumes in your tank, to pick up a stranger and get that person home, to park your moto for a few minutes and drink a coca-cola, then to get back on and roam the city like a wolf-person detached from humanity´s laws and fears and hopes and conventions- this is the life, if I had the heart to choose it, that I would choose for myself. I would drink with my friends under the genitals of the Botero statues in Parque Berrio and find a date with braces.

Maybe this slice of Colombia doesn´t appeal to you, but I would challenge you to live a bad life in Cartagena or Bogota. Between the phsyical beauty of the country, it's universities and libraries, cycling culture and sophisticated infrastructure, and its arts and letters, Colombia´s heart seems very full indeed.

Most boring country: Chile
It´s probably not right to fault a country for being developed and offering its residents and opportunity for good living. Chile is the anti-Colombia. You need a job? Great, go to the copper factory and get one, drink some decent wine, eat a bunch of pork and die. For all the development, the arts are still missing. Honestly Chile would do well to turn itself over to Argentina and let the porteños ruin its economy and make something interesting out of it.

Best country to live as an expat: Argentina

Tango, steak, wine, film, arts. All at a very week exchange against European and American monies. There might not be a better country in the world to expatriate to. Logically, I think Argentina is a very difficult place to be from. Argentina´s legacy of political instability is totally circular and there´s no reason to think it will ever change. People are incredibly educated but few people have jobs that use their skills. As an expat, it's always a treat when your taxi driver has a doctorate in philosophy. I´m sure it's much less thrilling for the philotaxista.

Best country to be a Peace Corps volunteer: Ecuador
Haha! Take that, Peru. This is what you get for making me sick within a day of my glorious return. I´m not sure if the Peace Corps Ecuador offices are sited in Quito, but if so, I might be serious about this choice. Quito is a marvelous city, with both its colonial and indigenous identities intact. To spend two years working in the Andes on a development project, I´ve heard, is a remarkable thing to do with your life. Moreso if you have access to the culture and riches of Quito. And if you don´t ever have to go to Lima, ever, for anything at all.

Lima aside, Peru is wonderful. My Andes, Huandoy and Huascaran, break my heart with their beauty, and I keep coming back to them. Maccu Picchu isn´t so bad either, and getting to visit as a volunteer, for a week´s vacation, is decent consolation for dealing with Lima now and again. In time I will forgive you, Peru, but don´t you ever tempt me again with your sketchy huevo de cordoniz served with a dressing of parasite water.

Best city to visit for 24 hours: Mexico City
Just enough time to see the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Palacio del gobierno, el Zocalo and the Diego Rivera museum. Totally navigable by public transit, and in a state of travel-induced mania, totally possible to see in a day´s time.

Best country to visit for 2 hours: El Salvador
Oh snap! I just did!

This is fun. The comments section would be a great place to leave comments about particular places =) Till soon, dd.