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Posts tagged ‘national park’

Top 10 Unmissable Destinations In Chile

If you are planning a trip to Chile, you may find selecting where to go very daunting. Although not very wide, Chile stretches seemingly forever (more than 2500 miles long!) along South America's western flank. Bordered on one side by the Pacific ocean and to the east, the Andes mountains, the north consists of one giant desert and the south full of glaciers and waterfalls, the country screams diversity and contains activities that suit every taste and desire. The National Parks in Chile are numerous and vast and you can only hope to visit them all sometime in your life.

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Photo Essay: Santa Marta And Its Environs

The infectious vallenato music is thumping out from almost every corner. An open-air party bus passes by the palm-lined street and the smell of the Caribbean Sea is heavy in the air. It’s Friday night in Santa Marta and things are starting to get down. Like many other places in Colombia, years ago this scene would have never existed. Drugs and prostitutes ruled the crumbling colonial streets here in the very same places where, today, vendors sell beach chairs and sarongs to tourists passing through.

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Photo essay: Life’s a beach in Tolu & San Bernardo Islands

The driver, if you could call him that, swerved precipitously around yet another car followed by a truck, passing on the right,. Yes, you read that correctly, on the right! He must have been going about 95 mph on a curve! Passing on the right during a curve!! Didn’t he ever see those trucks indicating which side was okay for passing and which wasn’t? Apparently not.

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Photo Essay: Paracas & El Carmen

We traveled north up the Peruvian Pacific coast, first stopping at the Islas Balestas near the town of Paracas, followed by the Afro-Peruvian village of El Carmen which lies in the province of Chincha. Peru has many influences including Italian, Spanish, Japanese and African. Chincha and especially El Carmen are at the center of Afro-Peruvian culture. From native drumming on the cajon (a drum made out of a box) to African-inspired unique dishes, you can feel the rhythm in this dusty yet charming town.

The history of El Carmen dates back many years ago when the Africans first immigrated to Peru and were enslaved to work on local haciendas (farm estates). The culture was born out of that time and has remained strong today. Afro-Peruvian dancing and music, exemplified by festivals like the Verano Negra or the Festival de Danzas Negras (held in February & November, respectively), remain at the core of El Carmen.

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The lastest photos of our trip … All Bolivia & the first part of Peru

Just another quick update.  We put most of our photos from Bolivia & Peru. From BOLIVIA, you will find the photos from Lake Titicaca and La Paz (La Paz, Coroico, Copacabana & Isla del Sol), Central Highland (Cochabamba & Aiquile), the South Central (Sucre, Tarija & Rosilla) & the Southern Altiplano (Our tour to the Salar of Uyuni). And from PERU, you will find the photos from Lima, Cusco & the Sacred Valley (Cusco, Urubamba, The Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu), the South Coast & Arequipa (Arequipa & Colca Canyon) & Lake Titicaca (LLachon).  You can find all the best photos from Laurent on his Flickr gallery (Already available Uruguay, Argentina, Antarctica and Chile), the pictures from Bolivia & Peru will be available in December and January, stay tuned. You can also go and like his Facebook page L.L.P..  So if you are tired of reading, you can just look at the pictures!  Click on the ‘photos’ tab and you can search by place.  Enjoy!!!

Celebrating one year of travel! Some reflections, new plans & our favorite memories

One year ago on October 4, with much trepidation and excitement, Laurent & I landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina with just backpacks strapped to our backs containing everything we would need for the next two years. I had quit my job back in New York, sold my car and many of my possessions and had no idea what the future would hold.

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The last photos of our trip … Goodbye Chile & Hello Bolivia

Just another quick update.  We put most of our photos from the north of Chile, The Norte Chico (Valparaiso, Pisco Elqui …) and the Norte Grande (San Pedro de Atacama, Putre, Parque Nacional Lauca, …). And the first pictures of Bolivia (our 3 weeks in the beautiful Sucre).  You can find all the best photos from Laurent on his Flickr gallery (Already available Uruguay, Argentina, Antarctica and now all Chile). You can also go and like his Facebook page L.L.P..  So if you are tired of reading, you can just look at the pictures!  Click on the ‘photos’ tab and you can search by place.  Enjoy!!!

A fitting farewell to Chile & a crazy hello to Bolivia

If any of you remember, we walked into Chile way back on January 28! Since then, we have had a great love affair with this country. Chile has some of the friendliest, most interesting people. People who are innately curious and who offer much in terms of their culture and of course their food! Let's take a walk down Chilean food memory lane.

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The last photos of our trip … welcome to Chile

Just another quick update.  We put most of our photos from the north of  Chilean Patagonia (South of the Carretera Austral from Villa O’higgins to La Junta) the Sur Chico and Isla Chiloe (North of the Carretera Autral including Villa Vanguardia & Chaiten, The Island of Chiloe, Puerto Montt, The Amazing Cochamo, Valdivia and Pucon). And you can find all the best photos from Laurent on his Flickr gallery (Already available Uruguay, Argentina & Antarctica). You can also go and like his Facebook page L.L.P..  So if you are tired of reading, you can just look at the pictures!  Click on the ‘photos’ tab and you can search by place.  Enjoy!!!

The final chapter of our adventures trekking the circuit in TDP

This is a continuation of my last two posts about trekking the circuit in Torres del Paine. Click here to read part 1 (which is an introduction to the park) and click here to see part 2. Part 3 was the most challenging of the trek but with the greatest challenges, also come the greatest rewards.

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