The Bolivian government and protesters reached a 6-point agreement that includes provisions to improve roads and build a new international airport.

Potosi was once the silver capital of South America.  It was said to rival London or Paris in size and splendor.  But Potosi’s fortunes have waned, and there is widespread feeling there that the central government has failed to invest in the region.

In particular, many protesters believe the government has done an inadequate job of developing alternative industries to mining.  Mines continue to be the major employers in the region, but safety standards are low and there are few alternative options for employment.

A new form of income from mining has developed in recent years – mine tours.  Tourists can pay to tour the mines and view the conditions for themselves.  Whether this is education or exploitation is a interesting question.  For a very thoughtful discussion of this issue, check out the Two Backpackers blog entry:

http://www.twobackpackers.com/3586/south-america/ethics-tourism-mines-potosi-bolivia/

For now, the situation in Potosi appears to be stable.  It is unlikely that a strike of similar magnitude will re-occur any time soon.  While travelers should always check local conditions, it seems reasonable that normal travel can resume to Potosi.

Take a deep breath.  The world has changed.  Solo women travelers are no longer bizarre object of pity.  It’s perfectly OK to go to Latin America by yourself, and you will have a great time doing it.  Here are a few tips from the intrepid women of Exito, who have traversed Latin America from top to bottom.

- Trust your instincts.  If something feels off, it probably is.  Remove yourself from the situation so you can think clearly.  People sometimes worry that, by being cautious, they will miss out on some amazing, authentic local experience.  Don’t worry about that.  You will have plenty of authentic local experiences that don’t endanger you.  If it’s something you wouldn’t do at home, don’t do it in another country.  And if it feels bad, it probably is!

- Beaches and alcohol are a dangerous combination.  Most people in Latin America are kind, generous, and respectful.  Some are not, and unfortunately they tend to be drawn to beach scenes.  After a few drinks, your wits and reactions are both slow.  Something as simple as going outside to pee may end horribly.  One Exito employee spent 5 years working with tourists in South America.  She estimates that 95% of the rapes and assaults that she heard of took place at beaches, usually with alcohol involved.  Be careful where you drink and with whom.  Party at your hotel’s bar, so you don’t have to walk home.  Or find a group of other women to go out with, so you can all keep an eye out for each other.  While this is good advice anywhere, it’s especially important in a beach setting.

- Be aware of cultural norms.  These can vary widely from country to country, or even from city to rural areas of the same nation.  Tight skirts and revealing shirts are commonplace in Brazil, but would be quite inappropriate in Bolivia.  Look at the local women.  How are they dressed?  You don’t need to adopt local dress (and honestly, foreigners often look ridiculous in local garb), but check the level of modesty.  Do they generally cover their legs and arms?  If so, do likewise – it will save you a lot of unwanted attention.  While you are looking around, note where you do or do not see women.  If there are no women on a particular street at night, that’s a very good indication that you shouldn’t be there either.

- Be willing to start the conversation.  As a solo woman traveler, you have a unique opportunity to connect with people who would normally never talk to foreigners – elderly women,  mothers with children, young women.   They may assume you are not interested, don’t speak Spanish, or they might just be shy.  Break the ice, and see what happens.  You get a whole different perspective on a place when you learn about it from a 70 year old woman!

- On that note, learn as much Spanish (or Portuguese, in Brazil) as you can.  You don’t have to be fluent to have a great trip, but it’s easy to learn enough to have basic language survival skills.  Be able to shop, ask for directions, get a hotel room, and order food in a restaurant.  Consider doing a quick week (or more, if you have the time) at a language school when you first arrive, just to get yourself up to speed.

- And on the flip side, know when to forget all your Spanish.  When some annoying guy is trying to chat you up, a blank look and an apologetic shrug can do wonders for getting rid of him.

- Ignore, ignore, ignore!  Men in Latin America often will call out to women walking by.  Just ignore it and keep moving.  Yes, it’s annoying, but you aren’t going to change an entire culture single handed.  Avoid making eye contact, keep going, and act as if they don’t exist.

- if that doesn’t work, be willing to make a scene.  If someone is really bothering you, yell at them as loudly as you can, in whatever language comes to mind.  This is not what they want or expect, and on the street they will usually melt quickly away.  If someone gropes you in the subway, grab their hand and bend their fingers backwards until they start screaming.  Then yell at them. Tell him what a pathetic, miserable little twit he is, who can’t even…..ok, ok, you get the picture.  Yeah, it makes a huge scene, but it’s a lot more gratifying than just moving away.

Finally, be your adventurous self!  Revel in the fact that you can do whatever you want, when you want.  You always get to choose the restaurant, and no one will drag you through a museum or ruin that you’d really rather skip.  Enjoy every minute, knowing that you will have great memories and more self-confidence for the rest of your life.

The answer is a qualified yes.  Yes, in general, Mexico remains a safe country for tourists.  Most tourist cities and sites are far from the majority of the carnage.  Yes, it is safe, as long as you take reasonable precautions.  And yes, it is very much worth visiting!

The majority of the violence remains centered along the US border.  Border towns such as Cuidad Juarez should certainly be avoided.  Now might not be a good time to drive to Mexico either, as there are reports of violence along many of the main highways of northern Mexico.

That said, it should be noted that many of Mexico’s most popular tourist sites are in the south, several thousand miles from the US border.  My family and I (including our 2 children) spent a wonderful week in the Yucatan, with no trouble at all.  At this point, tourist areas in southern Mexico can be considered as safe as ever.

Now, having said all that, no place is 100% safe.  In any country, you should always take reasonable precautions.  A few basic guidelines include:

1.  Don’t buy, or use, illegal drugs in Mexico.  The majority of the violence in Mexico is associated with the drug trade.  Stay as far away from it as you can.

2.  Avoid excessive drinking.  Not only are drunks an obvious target for thieves, drinking impairs judgment.  Poor judgment leads to all kinds of trouble.

3.  On that same note, use good judgment.  If you wouldn’t walk down a dark alley, alone, at 3am in the US, why on earth would you do it in Mexico?   Deep inside, you know what’s the smart thing and what’s the dumb thing – listen to what your instincts tell you.

4.  Avoid the area around the US border.   It’s a shame, as these are actually very interesting, diverse cities, but at this point they really are dangerous and should be avoided.

5.  Don’t be ruled by fear.  Take basic good precautions, then relax and have fun!

Just as importantly, Peru Rail has restored train services to Aguas Calientes (or Machu Picchu Town) starting March 29.  Things are not, however, 100% normal.  There are still some things to know.

• During the months of April and May 2010, Peru Rail will run its train service to/from Machu Picchu under partial and limited conditions.

• The train tracks have only been repaired between the town of Piscacucho (also known as “Km 82”; one of the entry points to the Inca Trail) and Machu Picchu (or Aguas Calientes). This means that travelers will only be able to board the train to Machu Picchu at this provisionary station (Piscacucho) and, correspondingly, disembark at this station when returning from Machu Picchu back to Cusco. Rail Peru will operate a permanent bus service, free of charge, between Piscacucho and the original train station located in Ollantaytambo.

• Due to the shorter train track portion available during this time (April/May 2010) Peru Rail is not able to operate all of their wagons, thus limiting their seating capacity in the train service to approximately 30% of its regular capacity.  If you are booked on a tour, check with your tour company – there may be time or date changes required.

• During this time, Peru Rail will strictly enforce a luggage policy of only  1 piece of luggage per passenger (bag or backpack), with a maximum weight of 05kg or 11lbs and maximum dimensions (width + height + length) of 62 inches or 157cm.

Rail Peru continues to work to restore full service to Machu Picchu, Peru’s most famous tourist destination.  We at Exito Travel will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed.

“The citadel is intact and we expect to receive visitors starting April 1,” Perez said.  The ruins were cut off when roads and railways were severely damaged by heavy rain and flooding.

The following are the expected operating dates:

- Cuzco/Puno: should be operating beginning February 22

- Piscaucucho/Machu Picchu: should be operating at the beginning of April (Piscacucho is the departing point of the Inca Trail and is located 50 minutes by van/bus from Ollantaytambo.)

- Ollantaytambo/Machu Picchu: should be operating at the beginning of May

While Machu Picchu is currently inaccessible, Cuzco itself and many sites in the Sacred Valley remain open, accessible, and the most uncrowded they have been in many years.  If you don’t mind missing Machu Picchu itself, now is actually an excellent time to visit Cuzco!

The Latin American honorees are, in alphabetical order, Argentina, Belize, Chile, and Suriname.

Argentina was praised for “a commitment…. towards zero net deforestation, including responsible land management plans and conservation efforts for more than a million hectares of the Atlantic Forest.”   Argentina is also a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets.

Belize was a leader in many categories, including top ranking for human rights, as well as outstanding commitment to ecological preservation. (The report did note that homosexuality remains a crime in Belize, but the law does not seem to be enforced).

Chile won praise for environmental commitment, as well as ranking high in civil liberties for it’s citizens.

Suriname made the list due to “its unspoiled rainforest biodiversity and sincere efforts towards ecotourism and environmental preservation.”

The Ethical Traveler is a project of Earth Island Institute.  The annual list seeks to honor nations which are serious about preserving their natural assets, promoting mindful travel, and building an economy in which local communities reap the benefits of tourist revenue.   This list is compiled based on environmental protection, social welfare, and human rights.

But go where?  Where do you fly in to, where should you leave from, and how to decide what to do in between?

Planning a trip, whether it be for a week or a year, takes some thought and, yes, some planning.   Some.  But not too much.  Organizing the trip of your dreams is a matter of striking the right balance between planning ahead and leaving room for spontaneity.

The first place to start is with your traveling companion.  Different people have different levels of comfort with the planning-versus-spontaneous issue, which can lead to problems when you are abroad.   Have an honest conversation (or two or three) about how comfortable each of you will be with things like arriving in a new town with no hotel reservations.  What seems like a small matter can easily be a huge issue when both of you are tired, hungry, and disoriented.  Make sure you can agree on some balance between planning and leaving things open.

The next thing to do is to think hard about what you really want to see.  When you dream of this trip, what is it that comes to mind first and foremost?  I generally advise that each person choose one or two things that they absolutely must see or do while in South America.   Then build your whole trip around those few items.   If everyone gets to see their top thing, everyone will be happy.  Anything else is gravy.

Once you have your must-see list, consider each item.  Do any of them have to be planned in advance, such as the Inca Trail?  To hike the Inca Trail, you must have a permit issued in your name.  Permits sell out well in advance, sometimes as far as 6 months in advance for peak trekking time.  If your itinerary includes doing the Inca Trail, I highly recommend you set up this part of your trip first.  You can then plan the rest of your trip around this less-flexible item.

The same goes for anything with a time constraint on it.   For example, if your dream trip includes Carnaval in Rio, well, you know where you need to be when Carnaval rolls around.  Plug that into the plan first, then build the rest around it

Next, consider geography.  I am constantly surprised by the number of people who call up wanting to fly in to Peru, then go to Venezuela, then to Chile, then to Brazil.  All those hops around South America are going to take either time or money or both.   It will maximize both your time and money to try to travel in a logical direction.  Try to go from north to south, or south to north, instead of jumping all over.

Remember, you can fly in to one city and back out of another.   This is called doing an open jaw.  While an open-jaw ticket may be more expensive up-front, it usually pays off by saving you the cost of backtracking.  For example, a ticket to Caracas is significantly cheaper than a ticket to Buenos Aires.  But if you fly in to Caracas, and travel all the way down to Buenos Aires, but then have to get back to Caracas in order to catch your flight home…well, getting all the way back is going to take a great deal of time, money, or both.   In the long run, it would have been much cheaper to buy a ticket with a return from Buenos Aires.

When considering geography, don’t forget that the seasons are different in the southern hemisphere.  In many places (Peru and Ecuador, for example), they don’t really have summer and winter – they have wet and dry seasons.  If you are planning to hike the Inca Trail, the wet season may be a lot less fun than the dry season.  In deep South America, the seasons are reversed – their winter is our summer.   A visit to Patagonia during our summer would be cold, snowy, and rather unpleasant.  So once again, think about the weather when planning your general itinerary.  Make sure you are in each area at a time when it will be enjoyable.

So, after boiling all your ideas down to a few key places, and taking time and geography into consideration, you have a general plan for your trip.   Your next step really depends on the length of your adventure.

If you are doing a very short trip (say, two weeks), it pays to do more research and plan ahead.   Face it, if you only have 2 days in Cuzco, you probably don’t want to spend 4 hours walking around finding a hotel.  Make more reservations in advance, and plan out your itinerary in more detail.  That way, you can maximize the time you have to see and do things, instead of spending your time on housekeeping details.  Your Exito agent can help you with hotel reservations, train reservations, day tours, and internal flights.

For a longer trip, however, you probably will want to leave things looser.  You may decide you love Riobamba and want to spend a week there, instead of heading on to Cuenca as you had assumed.  Keep the big picture of your trip in mind, so that you don’t miss the important stuff, but leave the details to sort out later, when you are in South America.  You can still make reservations a day or so ahead, when you know where you will really be and what you really want.

Finally, whether you have planned down to the last detail, or have left things very open, be aware that Latin America may have surprises in store for you.  This is not Switzerland – things don’t always run on time, or even run at all.  Roads wash out, buses go on strike, airports are mysteriously closed.  Take a deep breath, remember that this is part of what makes Latin America the wonderful, crazy place it is, and accept it as part of the adventure.   And remember, your Exito agent has email!

Knowing the we were eager to get home, the guides from our trip made an executive decision. We were told to pick up our luggage and return to the boat. The captain cruised at maximum speed to get us to the San Cristobal airport. Some of the passengers clung to the top deck, green and seasick from the choppy ride and a few enjoyed the adventure. As the boat pulled up to dock, the flight took off without us. Despite their best effort it just wasn’t time for us to leave. Since flights were unable to leave after dark and it was already dusk we were brought to a hotel. Luckily the guides didn’t have any issues finding accommodations for 35. The staff was so hospitable and we enjoyed a delicious meal paired with an endless supply of red wine.

The following afternoon another flight arrived to take us to Guayaquil to meet our connecting flights. My fellow travelers were angry, to say the least. Many were already due back at work and yelled at the tour company guides, the airline staff, and family members. Unfortunately, some of these outwardly angry people were members of my family and I could not help but be embarrassed. My husband and I are tried to take a different approach and enjoyed our “extra” days away.

We took a step back and looked at the situation. There was another group embarking on the boat that dropped us off. They would be missing two full days of their trip. Granted, they would receive a discount on their trip but I would much rather see two more days of the Galapagos then receive a discount. We were not able to get back to work and school on the days that we had planned. This was rather inconvenient and somewhat costly, but I am so grateful that I was able to enjoy the Galapagos Islands and all of their beauty for the full week. After traveling extensively in Central and South America, I have realized that traveling is not always smooth process. There is always something that goes wrong, but the outcome may depend on the traveler’s response to the situation. Hopefully you too will have the opportunity to visit the Galapagos, but remember to have flexibility in your return date, just in case! Happy Travels!