<p>I like the hole in the wall kinds of places and local hangouts while they like the tourist spots. My friends that are travelling want to go to the mountains
but I want to travel up the coast to small fishing ports and mingle with the
locals and go surfing. Because of these differences I am going to travel Peru by myself…I was at a really small Bagueteria and shared a table with this older Peruvian guy. He talked to me in Spanish for about an hour just chewing my ear off about these wild stories of how I should be careful walking around because he was jumped when he was younger.</p>
<p>The above is an email excerpt from our 19-year old S who just finished a Spanish immersion program in Peru. He plans to come home on July 8th and travel on his own in the meantime. Initially he thought he would team up with one of the other kids in the program who were staying, but his email yesterday indicates that he has changed his mind and plans to go it alone. There was a bunch more, but the second part of the email talks about this warning he got from a local about it being somewhat dangerous. </p>
<p>The good news is that he does appear to have learned a lot more Spanish in this program than I expected. The bad news is that he isnt a planner type. He probably has no concrete idea where he is going, where he will stay, or anything. I think he will be out of email contact now that school is out. So, if he just disappears we might have a hard time finding him. I guess my question is, should I be worried? Is Peru kind of dangerous outside of Lima in nontourist areas? He is a fairly street smart kid, but also a risk taker. Those two traits may balance themselves out more on the risk side.</p>
<p>I assume your son has been there in Peru for the last semester? If that’s the case, I’d be a lot more comfortable than if he just arrived there. I’d be the most concerned in the bigger cities. It sounds like he wants to hang out on the coast—he’ll probably have lots of good stories to tell. It sounds like he’s going to do it, whether you worry or not, so you ought to relax (as much as you can) and look forward to his stories when he returns. Internet cafes have popped up everywhere…hopefully he keeps you somewhat up to do date on where he’s going and what he’s been up to. Ah—to be young (and foolish) again.</p>
<p>He has been there for the summer (about 6 weeks). I was thinking the coast should be safer than the mountains–not sure why. He does always end up with hair raising stories, which thankfully I usually hear after the fact. I will try to just relax about it. That is good advice since worrying won’t change a thing. Most likely lots of little things will happen, but the risk of something major is probably no different than with any of his other activities.</p>
<p>I get similar emails from time to time. Usually, the email has it’s intended effect–it winds mom up–but the reality turns out to be much less risky than was initially outlined in the email. Usually, my anxiety is for naught.</p>
<p>Lima would be my biggest worry but in any town, you have to assume your son will resort to staying in hostels as he travels–where he will meet up with throngs of likeminded 19 to 30 year olds. He may not be travelling with other kids in his program, but, chances are, he will be hanging out with other young Western travellers.</p>
<p>I think he should be ok. He knows the language pretty well, you say, which makes a huge difference. I don’t feel that coastal Peru is especially dangerous for a single American traveler. Any time you travel alone your risks are higher, but you say he has street smarts.
My daughter has spent a few months in Peru, both on the coast and the highlands, during summers in college.The only time she felt unsafe was in some of the less savory parts of Lima, although she wasn’t alone. The unnerving part about the roads less traveled is the lack of contact. Is he able to get in touch with you if he has any problems?</p>
<p>I understand. I sent my son off backpacking to Europe this summer, thinking Paris, Rome, etc. But no, he also has to be off the beaten path and go where his friends haven’t. Our last e-mail was from Slovenia and he was on his way to Croatia and who knows where else. He does find internet access in most places, but a nerve-wracking week just went by with no word. Next time he is taking a cell, no matter what the cost or trouble.</p>
<p>But hey, when I was about that age, I found myself in a very unsettled Afghanistan, so I don’t have much room to talk.</p>
<p>My best advice is to caution him, cross your fingers, and be proud.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see if he gets in touch. He called on Father’s Day (not sure how he paid for that) and should be able to use an Internet cafe if he feels inspired but we may not hear from him again until he shows up at the airport here in Virginia. He has a credit card, so we can track his movements that way if necessary. All expenses are his. We just paid for tuition and airfare, so he will be trying to live very frugally. He does not have a cell phone and didn’t even want a camera. I think he might have a disposable one but not sure since I don’t supervise his packing anymore. He is blond, so will not blend in. </p>
<p>He had four years of Spanish in high school but couldn’t say or understand anything when we took a family trip to Spain recently. However, he seems to be talking and understanding pretty fluently now from his reports. It was a 3-1 student/instructor ratio and he has been sociable with his host family and locals, playing soccer, going to discotechs, and surfing (brought his wet suit since it is winter in Peru). I have no idea what he does with his passport when in the water. Getting stuff stolen is probably the biggest risk.</p>
<p>He has traveled alot with other kids (soccer mostly), including some other big cities like Rio, Rome, and NYC, but never 100% on his own. I also traveled to wierd places at his age, like Mauritania, Egypt, and Panama so he comes by his sense of adventure honestly. But, knowing all the stupid mistakes I made is what makes me nervous now. Preironic, it sounds like your son is on a really great adventure, too! I guess taking risks and making mistakes is all part of growing up.</p>
<p>Probably paranoid of me but one thing I’d worry about is a kid traveling alone and somehow innocently being caught up in carrying drugs or other contraband as an un-knowing “favor” to someone who supposedly didn’t have room in his or her bags–that conversation the OP mentioned with the older friendly traveler caught my attention in a not entirely good way. (Maybe I shouldn’t have read the second Bridget Jones book, but it is still something to think about and warn about.)</p>
<p>He sounds like a great traveller, Analyst. You did a good job teaching him how to get around the planet!</p>
<p>My oldest son buys basketballs when he travels. Then he stands on the edge of a street game until he’s invited to play. He’s played in some pretty dodgy neighborhoods around the globe–with some highly ‘diverse’ groups of players. Let’s put it this way, I don’t forward those emails to his grandparents.</p>
<p>Sounds like your son will make friends with soccer.</p>
<p>I think in many of these situations, not knowing is for the best. My mother still doesn’t know the situations that I got myself into traveling, only that I came home okay with some interesting stories. As my son matures, I find myself wanting only the sanitized version of his escapades. That way he gets his freedom and I keep my sanity.</p>
<p>My son traveled mostly overland, age 20, from Santiago, Chile up through Bolivia and Peru to Equador en route to a semester abroad. Spanish probably on par with your son, though he now feels fluent after almost 6 months in S America. He was fine, had a wonderful time, though was more interested in mountains than coast. At least in Ecuador, there were internet cafes all over, cheap phone call cafes. I visited, and was floored by the kindness and friendliness of the people everywhere. Your son sounds as if he has the traits that make for great traveling and story telling. Hope he enjoys writing!</p>
<p>Post or PM me an update-my daughter is doing a gap year in Peru, starting in August, and I’m quite curious about impressions and details.</p>
<p>S finally checked in with a brief email today and seems to be figuring things out OK. If he has made it this far, he should be fine the rest of the trip and I can now officially relax. Thanks for everybody’s support earlier.</p>
<p>“The hostals I’ve been staying at are miserable but only cost about 7 dollars a night. I’ve made some small mistakes but nothing bad has happened to me yet. On Saturday night I came back to the hostal sort of late and the front door was locked and noone was around on the street. I was pretty scared then but luckily someone came to the door and let me in…I really wish I had a book. It is sort of cool being by yourself because you do exactly what you want to do. There is no compromising, I have total freedom.”</p>
<p>A friend of my son’s just spent about a month travelling through Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. My son met him for about 10 days in Ecuador. He just told me one day “I’m landing in Ecuador. He’ll be in Bolivia. I’ll land and head south”. They had an absolutely wonderful time, spent the nights in hostels and encountered no problems whatsoever. I was thrilled that they were adventurous enough to do it.</p>