McAfee’s Third World Travel Guide

I spent 9 months backpacking from Guatemala to Buenos Aires. There are thousands of people who do this sort of thing every year, and you'll meet lots of expats. In fact, until you hit Colombia, you probably can get by without knowing much Spanish. Personally, I would just skip this article, buy the Lonely Planet and live a little. Some places that I'd recommend seeing:<p><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Antigua_Guatemala" rel="nofollow">http://wikitravel.org/en/Antigua_Guatemala</a><p><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Juan_del_Sur" rel="nofollow">http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Juan_del_Sur</a><p><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Tayrona_National_Park" rel="nofollow">http://wikitravel.org/en/Tayrona_National_Park</a><p><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Cusco" rel="nofollow">http://wikitravel.org/en/Cusco</a> -- You hang out here when going to Machu Picchu<p>If I were going today, I'd probably stop in Santiago a see what's going on with StartUp Chile: <a href="http://startupchile.org/" rel="nofollow">http://startupchile.org/</a>

I've been to 93 countries. All continents. Places travellers would normally not contemplate visiting. All independently. I've _never_ had to bribe someone. In all the years of doing this, I've had an official try to shake me down maybe 5 times.<p>I think McAfee's advice is way off.

I find reading articles like this exhausting. I've got to imagine being a criminal/sketchball while on the road in whatever country you're in is equally exhausting.<p>Is it not just possible to travel abroad, carry proper documentation, a bit of cash, and enjoy yourself? Does every situation really require constant vigilance to knowing when to run or not, how to make eye-contact, when to make excuses, etc.?<p>Perhaps I'm superbly naive. And perhaps I've just not seen enough of the world, but I've gotten along just fine without having to resort to cloak-and-dagger behavior everywhere I go. Sure, checkpoints happen in some places. If you're pulled over, you should have a legit passport and a few dollars if you're asked to pay. But only if you're asked.<p>I feel like some people ask for trouble wherever they go. McAfee seems like one of those people.<p>Am I nuts?

Most of this irrelevant if your a tourist, I've backpacked through 40+ countries and have only a few times needed to provide any 'documentation'. However the word is needed, you can take the initiative and get away with things your not supposed to do, like bringing alcohol into Columbia's national parks, or bumping long ticket lines!<p>Where the OP is completely accurate is doing any business (illicit or not). I have much family in India, who own several large businesses and level of corruption needed just to run the company is insane. After a certain size, you pretty much need to be a little socialite, keeping several dozen relationships well greased. It's completely pervasive and everybody knows about it - to western eyes it's insane.

It may just be that I don't have McAfee's cajones, but much of his advice herein seems like a surefire way to, at best, end up locked up in some South or Central American prison for the rest of your life; at worst, end up face down in some ditch someplace.

"If your contraband is drugs, offer them a small hit while talking. It re-enforces, subconsciously, the idea that the dope is your possession and that they are partaking due entirely to your good will. If you are transporting sex slaves, then I must say first that I cannot possibly condone your chosen occupation, but -offering each one of the policemen a taste of the goods may well seal the deal without any additional cash thrown in."<p>--<p>What a piece of shit.

I spent a month across the Yucatan in Mexico, Belize and around Costa Rica 5 weeks ago, I didn't experience anything like this at all, I sense an element of desperation, anger and blatant bullshit amongst this post.<p>Belize was a really warm welcoming country, I've travelled every continent and its up there in my top 5, so to read this is so contrary to my image of a wonderful country.

Is there anyone who has lived in one of these South American areas like Belize for a long time able to confirm any of this system of paying bribes to police officers at traffic stops?<p>Also, is his statement about police 'planting drugs' just so much self serving nonsense, or has anyone ever had a police officer actually do that?<p>The entire essay sounds somewhat specious to me...

Do this if you want to be an abrasive dipshit who the host community rejects. This guy is a colonialist-tourist, not a traveller. You can feel his contempt for the people and the lands he is "visiting" seething through.

&#62; As all of my close friends know, I have not always been a teetotalling, drug fighting citizen.<p>He's pretending he wasn't talking about plugging MDPV on bluelight.ru recently?

Without giving a second thought to whether or not the events described are commonplace I thought the article gave some great insights into the psychology involved if/when you get shaken down, both for you and the officers.

I have lived in Mexico for the past year and a half and have just moved to Guatemala. During my time here I have driven my Mexican plated car across Mexico three times, across Belize once, and Guatemala twice.<p>Depending on the area you can either go a whole day driving without being stopped or be pulled over ten times in an afternoon.<p>Paying bribes has mostly been for things I have done wrong: no seatbelt, no insurance (Belize), not having my license on me etc...<p>When I first moved to Central America I hated the idea of paying bribes. I hated the idea of such obvious corruption. Now, if I'm in the wrong, I welcome having the ability to pay a small amount of money to avoid what would be a certain large fine and possibly having my car towed and impounded in my own country (Canada)<p>I have had yelling matches with Mexican border guards at the Belizean border demand an exit fee which doesn't exist and take my passport, threatening to not return it if I don't pay. The majority of tourists that cross the border just pay the $20 without questioning it.<p>I've had an M16 shoved into my body and surrounded by a group of cartel members with threats of cutting out my tongue. (Which turned out to be their way of playing a joke to scare me, before cooking my girlfriend and I dinner and getting us drunk, sitting around on a beach at night while they balanced automatic rifles on their laps.<p>I've spent an hour on the side of a desolate highway at 2 in the morning in Belize, smoking cigarettes and working out a bribe with drunk police who pulled us over for not having insurance in their country (we crossed over the border at 8 at night and their insurance office at the border closed at 7 and we tried to make it across the country overnight). We ended up talking them down from $400usd to $20 to hire their services for a police escort to Orange Walk, and helping us find a hotel to stay in until we could purchase insurance in the morning.<p>The majority of people visiting these countries will never have a negative experience. If you decide to spend any time living in one of these countries like John, then you will most likely, eventually, run into some sketchy situations.

Flashing bogus press credentials is not cool. It makes it that much harder for actual members of the press to do their job when there are fake reporters running around working on self-serving fake stories.

There is a very simple rule to travelling in unsafe places: don't attract attention to yourself. McAfee failed that rule from the second he set foot in Belize.

The domain was registered 11/16<p>No one is, even in the slightest, is doubting the validity of this blog?

Absolutely fascinating. Very helpful advice that you wouldn't read in a mainstream travel guide. Unfortunately corruption is everywhere and knowing how to respond and knowing the local customs is very important if you wish to keep your skin.<p>Johns tale grows more epic every day and I am really looking forward to the comic/graphic novel. McAfee is a true adventurer and I hope the injustice of his ordeal is broug to light.

Maybe this guy has just done way too much coke.<p>For a better travel guide, see <a href="http://www.artoftravel.net/" rel="nofollow">http://www.artoftravel.net/</a>

Love this, someone needs to make a movie about this guy.

What is the deal with Taiwanese sex slaves? Why the special mention?

Reading this and trying to decide if Brazil is third world.

After reading this thread I don't see what value there is in South America or SE Asia that can't bettered by a big screen TV and some National Geographic and Food Channel and BBC DVDs