I'm super excited to be heading to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile's Patagonia region in January. It's a real holiday - though I'm sure a few of my armchair readers might think that trekking for 8 - 10 days in conditions that can include gale force winds, rain and possible snow doesn't sound like much fun. However the mountains in Paine are like no other place on the planet - and they've been…
The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy trek in eastern Colombia is an exceptional trek and one that should be near the top of your hiking list if you love world-class hikes. The trek wasn’t what John and I had in mind when we bought our airline tickets on points. But after considerable research, a six day trek looked like a great way to see this little known part of Colombia. Back in 1988 when the Lonely…
You're in for a treat when you sign up with World Expeditions to do Peru's spectacular Alpamayo Circuit. I did the Alpamayo trip self-supported years ago and still look back at my time in these stunning mountains with wonder. The incredible landscape on this trip will stir your soul. What makes the Alpamayo trip different than say one in Europe or North America? The Cordillera Blanca (meaning white mountains) boasts an unspoiled landscape that is literally…
What can you do in Mendoza, Argentina - a city of 115,000 people? Plenty as it turns out especially with its premiere location in an area of plains and foothills east of Aconcagua - the highest mountain in South America. With the Andes as a backdrop and a sunny climate with low rainfall, it's no wonder Mendoza draws visitors from around the world. They come for the wine and the food but there's loads of…
A few years ago Brazil played host to the World Cup Soccer Tournament. Soccer is one of the few sports I actually enjoy watching live or on TV and it was the impetus for learning more about the country. Although I have yet to visit Brazil, I now know a little bit more about the country. I hope you enjoy this list of 30 fun and interesting facts about Brazil. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world.…
The first thing we did on arriving in Bogota was to visit the Museo del Oro - the world's largest gold museum and one of the highlights of Colombia with over half a million people visiting yearly.Interestingly only about 15% of its collection containing roughly 50,000 pieces is on display. And what a display it is. Even if you're not normally a museum person this one is worth visiting. It's likely to be one of…
You would think I'd know better by now. But apparently I'm a slow learner. It's not as though I haven't already done three long bus rides in South America - including one that was 16 hours long. But those bus rides were in Chile and Argentina - where the buses have leather seats like a business class seat on an airplane. They recline. They're roomy. And they allow you to see outside. Not so -…
A Bogota bike tour is the best way to discover the capital of Colombia. Join a bilingual guide for a bike tour that shows off the real Bogotá that most tourists never see. John and I did a five hour Bogota bike tour a few days into our Colombia visit. I had heard that Bogota was particularly well set up for bikes - with literally hundreds of kilometres of mixed use bike paths. I'd also…
I'm just back from hiking in the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy range of mountains in eastern Colombia. I don't think hiking in high mountains is the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Colombia. It certainly wasn't what John and I originally planned to do when we bought our airline tickets. But after considerable research a six day trek looked like a great way to see this little known part of the country.…
The city of Salta in northern Argentina has beckoned for years. Through the travel grapevine I'd heard it was a must visit city. It wasn't what I expected. Salta is a medium-sized city. It's absolutely lovely around the town square. And the bird's eye view from the top of the Teleferico is beautiful. But it's noisy. Traffic is bad and the fumes from the cars aren't pleasant. Crossing the street is an exercise in timing.…