Also along many roads of Argentina you will come across collections of water bottles, spare parts, and even rusted car frames. These are not garbage heaps but offerings to one of Argentina’s most prominent folk saints: Difunta Correa.
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A Gorgeous Road Trip in the Atacama Desert, Chile
The northern tip of Chile, the Atacama Desert and its surroundings, offers a fantastic setting for a road trip, particularly off-road. The Pan American Highway crosses the region from north to south with tarmac roads dissecting the Atacama Desert, the Pampa del Tamarugo and Chile’s Altiplano.
But what better way to experience the overpowering landscapes and to meet Aymara indigenous people in their ancient villages than by leaving the beaten track. Whether you travel by your own vehicle, rent a 4WD or an all-terrain vehicle, enjoy this beautiful road trip.
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile – 5x Landscapes & Ruins the Atacama Desert
The 2000-square-km Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the most arid in the world. Each year thousands of tourists flock to San Pedro de Atacama, from where they set out to explore some of Chile’s surreal landscapes of the Atacama Desert with natural phenomena and ancient settlements.
Here 5 recommended places to visit in the surrounding Atacama Desert, but first let’s get an impression of this colonial town itself.
5 Slow Travel Destinations in Chile – Wild & Empty Landscapes
Chile is a country of extremes. It measures 4300 kilometers from Peru to the Strait of Magellan and averages 177 kilometers from east to west. The country is entirely closed off from its neighbors by the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world and Nevada Ojos del Salado is the world’s highest volcano.
When it comes to open, wide, and overwhelming landscapes, here are 5 of my favorite slow-travel destinations.
Flag Day – Carrying Argentina’s Longest Flag
When you don’t plan much on your travels, you can stumble upon big surprises. Argentinians carrying the country’s longest flag through the streets of Rosario was one of them.
It turns out that Argentina has an official Flag Day!
Slow Travel in Ecuador – 3 Days – 3 Sites
From the Peru-Ecuador border of Huaquillas to Guayaquil it is a couple of hours’ drive; I reckon the distance is some 250 kilometers. I had checked my guidebooks and it seemed that the first part of our travels in Ecuador wouldn’t be the most interesting.
I was wrong.
5 Places to Connect with Wildlife in South America
It may not come close to Africa, but South America is a fantastic continent to see wildlife. Not only can you see animals often and at many different locations, at some places you can touch them, caress them, connect with them (in a responsible way!).
In fact, one of South America’s great travel attractions is wildlife.
Açaí – What is it, Where Does it Grow? Visit an Açaí Market in Brazil.
Every afternoon, boats sail two hours from açaí-palm growing islands in the Amazon River to the açaí market in Santana, to sell the berries that became world-famous after they were claimed to be a superfood.
From a bridge we had a perfect view of the river dwellers’ arrival.
5 Hot Springs in South America for a Soak in Nature
After 2,5 years of Amazon Coen and I are happy to have returned to the colder and drier climate of South America, the Andes Mountains.
We are cold-weather people.
5 Popular Religious Festivals in Bolivia
During our 9-year journey in South America, we visited Bolivia six times. In
Here we will talk about some of our favorites festivals in Bolivia.
Check out These Spectacular Traditional Dances in Bolivia
Many Bolivian festivals are a form of religious celebration, expressing a syncretism of paganism and Catholicism. Folkloric dances and music each have their unique costumes, musical instruments, and rhythms, and the celebrations may last for days on end, often from early morning to late at night.
Here are a couple of the famous dances in Bolivia that are part of such celebrations.
Celebrations and Holidays in Argentina
We thought Rosario was one of Argentina’s most ordinary cities in the country. However, Rosario turns out to honor the celebration of a unique holiday in Argentina, making it a special city indeed. One morning we went for a walk and noticed lots of people were gathering along the sides of the streets. Some parts were fenced off, others weren’t.
It was Flag Dag!
Visiting the Tsugol Monastery in Siberia (Russia)
Why would you drive 250 kilometers to see a monastery? It was one of those moments of looking at our roadmap after having read a mere paragraph in a guidebook and this voice inside my head saying,
“Let’s go!”
Appreciating Modern Architecture in Brasília, Brazil’s Capital
“Why would you want to visit Brasília? It is an ugly city that lacks a soul,” is the most common remark I have heard from Brazilians about their capital. Despite these discouraging words I decided to visit the city for its modern architecture by Oscar Neimeyer and judge for myself.
My verdict: “Brasília is an ugly city that lacks a soul.”
Yet I stayed a midweek and enjoyed every single day. What happened?
Snorkeling with Sharks in the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador)
“Shark!”
I was face down in the water, mesmerized by schools of surgeon fish weaving their way among the rocks, yet the word registered loud and clear.