Tag: America

Atacama, a different planet

On By Carmen BIn America, Chile3 Comments

The Atacama desert, in the north of Chile, is a inhospitable region. At more than 4,000 meters over sea level, temperatures range from -15 to +25ºC in a same day. But also offers some of the most amazing landscapes in the world, and all sorts of outdoors activities. I reached San Pedro de Atacama after yet another long bus ride, connecting in the mining (and rather depressing) city of Antofagasta. San Pedro is a cool village with no functioning ATMs, constant power outages and serious water problems… and crowded with backpackers.

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“History is ours, and people make history”

On By Carmen BIn America, Chile2 Comments

Salvador Allende’s last words before being killed in the Palacio de la Moneda still manage to give me chills. Santiago de Chile’s downtown exudes history, but it is also terribly polluted and overly americanized. As I walked around the Plaza de Armas, Catedral, Cerro Santa Lucia and Mercado Central,and saw all these stressed people, I couldn’t but feel nostalgia of Buenos Aires.

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Destination guide – Argentina

On By Carmen BIn America, Argentina, Destination Guides6 Comments

MUST DO:

  • Perito Moreno, Los Glaciares National Park
  • Iguazu Falls
  • Spotting sea mammals in Peninsula Valdes
  • Buenos Aires
  • Chatting with Argentinians
  • Eating a lot of delicious, cheap beef

NICE TO HAVE:

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Skiing and hiking in Bariloche

On By Carmen BIn America, Argentina3 Comments

San Carlos de Bariloche was my last stop in Argentina, reached via another long bus ride from El Calafate. It’s a really nice town, specialized in chocolate and posh people. It was weird to see how wealthy Argentinians live, knowing how the rest of the country is doing. Bariloche is renown for skiing, mainly in Cerro Catedral, the largest ski center in Latin America. I went up for a day, but the weather wasn’t on my side. I still managed to have some fun, before being forced to descend back-country when the lifts closed due to a storm. And I made some local friends, so I felt more or less safe all the time.

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Perito Moreno and other perfect glaciers

On By Carmen BIn America, Argentina6 Comments

In Calafate I reached the climax of my 3 month South America trip: the Argentinian glaciers, with Perito Moreno as the crown jewel. The pictures can’t do justice to the perfection of the view, nor capture the cracking sound of the ice. You’ll have to trust me: it’s absolutely fascinating. Or better yet, come over to experience it for yourselves.

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Ushuaia, cold days at the end of the world

On By Carmen BIn America, Argentina4 Comments

This week, it was freezing cold, as you would expect when you explore Patagonia in the middle of winter. I spent a couple of days in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Leaving aside the fame of it’s location, and the fact that they abuse the expression “the end of the world x”, the town is really charming and peaceful, and a perfect center for nature excursions.

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Whales, sea lions and more in Peninsula Valdes

On By Carmen BIn America, Argentina1 Comment

From Buenos Aires, we took a long (~18 hrs) but comfortable bus to Peninsula Valdes. The bus stopped in Puerto Madryn, the nearest city, and from there we took a taxi to Puerto Piramides, the small town on the actual peninsula. Peninsula Valdes is the most important natural reserve of Argentina, famous for the abundance of sea mammals. I’d recommend staying in Puerto Piramides; it’s a quite charming town, and you can easily organize any activity directly here.

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Chatting with Argentinians in Buenos Aires and Misiones

On By Carmen BIn America, Argentina4 Comments

In the Lonely Planet guides, there is a section at the beginning called “The Best”. In the Argentina one, it puts the Argentinians at the top of the list, and rightfully so. I’ve spent the last week travelling by bus from Iguazu to Buenos Aires, visiting numerous places, and chatting with truly pleasant and interesting people.

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Destination guide – Brazil

On By Carmen BIn America, Brazil, Destination Guides11 Comments

MUST DO:

  • Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Copacabana, Ipanema
  • Salvador de Bahia: historic Pelourinho
  • Lencois Maranheses
  • Taking an Amazon river and rainforest tour
  • Iguazu Falls
  • Eating salgados and drinking sucos

NICE TO HAVE:

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From Brasilia to Iguazu, extreme contrast

On By Carmen BIn America, Argentina, Brazil4 Comments

Before finalizing my tour of Brazil in Iguazu, I spent 24 hours in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Enough to hate it, though also to recommend it to everyone. The urban planning is impressive, and the architecture really cool, it’s surely a one of a kind city. But it’s also a city without a soul. There is no historical downtown, walking to places is mission impossible, locals and visitors (mostly business ones) seem bitter…

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