I'm interested in travelling through Latin America (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile) volunteering for people and living with them along the way but in doing research I keep reading different accounts of the safety in this region. Some say they've hitchhiked from Colombia to Chile and encountered no problems while the Canadian and American government's websites state that one should not travel close to the border of Colombia and Ecuador and Ecuador and Peru for instance.
How safe is South America and will I encounter many problems if I stick to taking buses and generally living with people from this region? Obviously anything can happen but I don't want to get constantly robbed or even kidnapped for no apparent reason. Thank you! (I'm a 20 year old male btw)
>>1073310
Like any less economically sound part of the world, you need to exercise due caution.
But in general, I found Ecuador and Colombia to be filled with as nice a people as you'd meet anywhere, and to not be any more dangerous than anywhere else.
>>1073347
Wise words, thank you!