Basics - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 38

W zonalatina.com/Zlmusic Excellent directory of regional music
links and information, covering everything from Mariachi and
Sertaneja to Shakira.
W planeta.com Excellent selection of online ecotravel and
ecotourism resources for South America.
W roughguides.com Travel articles, apps and guides covering the
whole of South America.
W saexplorers.org The website of the South American Explorers
Club, a non-profit organization with the latest research, travel and
adventure information.

TIME ZONES
Most of South America is spread across
only two time zones, with the outlying
islands spread across five:
GMT-6: Galápagos Islands and Easter Island
GMT-5: Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
GMT-4.5: Venezuela (a new time zone
created by former president Chávez in 2007)
GMT-4: Chile, Bolivia, Guyana, Paraguay,
western Brazil and the Falklands
GMT-3: Argentina, Uruguay, French
Guiana, Suriname and most of Brazil
GMT-2: Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) and
South Georgia

Travellers with disabilities
South America is not the friendliest of destinations
for travellers with disabilities and many places are
downright inaccessible. The more modern the
society, the more likely you are to find services for
physically challenged travellers - this means that
while Bolivia and Paraguay are pretty impenetrable,
much of inhabited Chile and Argentina, as well as
several cities in Brazil, is more accessible. Unfortu-
nately, though, you may need to compromise over
destination - big hotels in major cities that are very
much on the tourist trail are much more likely to
have facilities to cater to your needs than idyllic
cabañas in the middle of nowhere. You might be
limited as regards mobility, too, as local buses will
probably prove di cult and you might need to
settle for taxi services or internal flights. In any case,
check with one of the agencies below before
planning anything.
Access Travel UK T 01942 888 844, W access-travel.co.uk. Small
tour operator that can arrange flights, transfers and
accommodation. Personally checks out places and can guarantee
accommodation standards in many countries - for places they do
not cover, they can arrange flight-only deals.
Directions Unlimited US & Canada T 1 800 533 5343,
W www.empressusa.com. Tour operator specializing in custom
tours for people with disabilities.
National Disability Services (NDS) Australia T 02 6283 3200,
W nds.org.au. Can supply lists of travel agencies and tour operators
for people with disabilities.

tourist o ce, they are much thinner on the ground
in countries like Paraguay and the Guianas. You
should make the most of any operational of ce you
find there. Fortunately, there is a lot of information
about South America on the internet that will help
you plan your trip and answer questions about
history, language and current events. We've listed
websites wherever pertinent throughout the guide;
the following is a general list of places to begin
your research.

SOUTH AMERICA ON THE INTERNET
W 2backpackers.com Quirky blog from a travel-addicted couple
who have journeyed extensively across South America (and pretty
much everywhere else).
W buenosairesherald.com English-language newspaper,
updated weekly.
W clarin.com The largest Spanish-language daily newspaper on
the continent, printed in Buenos Aires.
W cotal.org.ar Confederation of Latin American Tourist
Organizations.
W lapress.org Non-profit news organization based in Lima,
producing independent news and analysis.
W latinnews.com Real-time news feed with major stories from
all over South America in English.

YOUTH AND STUDENT DISCOUNTS
Various o cial and quasi-o cial youth/student ID cards are available and are worth the effort
to obtain: they soon pay for themselves in savings. Full-time students are eligible for the
International Student ID Card (ISIC; W isiccard.com), which entitles the bearer (any student
no matter their age) to special air, rail and bus fares and discounts at museums, theatres and
other attractions. For Americans, there's also a health benefit, providing up to US$300,000 in
emergency medical, plus a 24hr hotline ( T 1 800 353 1972) to call in.
You have to be 26 or younger to qualify for the International Youth Travel Card, which carries
the same benefits. Teachers qualify for the International Teacher Card, offering similar discounts.
All these cards are available from student travel specialists including STA (see p.31).