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.
Sightseeing
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.
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?
Three Tips for Your Visit to Manaus (Brazil)
We arrived in Manaus with a list of places I wanted to visit, but Providence ruled differently. In the past I might have had a fit. I had made a list, damn it, and we were going to stick to it. We had to visit Manaus properly.
After all, wasn’t that why we were here?
Visiting the 4th Tunnel in the Demilitarized Zone – Going Underground in South Korea
In the 1960s-1980s, North Korea dug tunnels under the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) into South Korea in an attempt to surprise attack their neighbors from underground. Depending on the size of the tunnel it could funnel 10,000-30,000 soldiers an hour and some are big enough for vehicles as well.
Unfortunately for North Korea, the tunnels were discovered.
The Peace Dam, Peace Park & A World Peace Bell Made of Cartridges (South Korea)
On the northern side of South Korea is the Peace Dam and next to it are a Peace Park and a World Peace Park.
What’s this ‘peace stuff’ all about?
Watching a Soccer Game in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracaña Stadium, Brazil
One of the most unexpected sites I ever did in our 16-year journey was visiting a soccer stadium and actually watching a soccer game. Traveling is full of surprises, and here I stood in what ‘everybody’ considered to be the most famous stadium in the world:
The Maracaña Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Joining a Jain Pilgrimage to the Palitana Temples in Gujarat (India)
“Don’t wear leather items like shoes or a belt.”
“Wear clean and ironed clothes. Adinath will see this and you will receive more energy for walking.”
“Chant ‘Adinath-Adinath’ at every step, which will give more energy too.”
Touring the Itaipu Dam in Paraguay
I read some facts and figures about the Itaipu Dam that simply boggled my mind and, truth be told, I couldn’t wrap my head around such numbers.
Searching for the White Rat in the Karni Mata Temple of Deshnok (India)
Can you imagine walking among thousands of rats without freaking out? I couldn’t, but I did anyway.
There is no other option when visiting the Karni Mata Temple where rats are sacred.