Hi, all! It's Erik from SF

[einnocent]

Hi! I'm Erik and I'm planning a trip to Central and South America starting in early-mid 2012 and going on for maybe six months. I've got a prepped KLR650 but no off-road experience and no travel experience outside of US and Europe, so it's going to be an… *adventure*. I'll be going with a friend, a former Peace Corps volunteer who speaks Spanish, so it won't be a total fiasco.

I'm planning the route right now and am mostly interested in go/no-go zones. I'm getting a lot from both sides -- the news and all my friends are saying murder rates are super high in Central America, and forum people like you guys are saying it's all blown out of proportion. I want the facts, which are somewhere in between. After all, the USA is worth touring, but there are places I'd advise people to avoid. The question is just where, and usually this comes down to neighborhoods and blocks, not cities and much less countries.

Also, I'm in the SF Bay Area, so if you want to chat at me about your S.A. experiences, I'll buy you a to hear your advice And I'd also like to hear about must-go zones, of course.

Cheers,
Erik