Every Sunday afternoon crowds gather at the stadium in El Alto, a growing suburb on the Bolivian altiplano high above La Paz. The crowds consist of a mixture of Indigenous locals and curious tourists and the spectacle that they have …
How Safe is La Paz, Bolivia?
[mks_boxquote align=”right” width=”150″ arrow=”0″]“…a little common sense goes a long way. Always trust your instincts”[/mks_boxquote]I have to admit that I was nervous about coming to South America. South America has a reputation for drugs, robberies, and violence: …
Day 3: Salar de Uyuni – the World’s Largest Salt Flat
Day 3 of our tour took us to the extraordinary Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat which is located 3,656 metres above sea level. A pool of lithium-rich brine lies underneath a salt crust that varies in …
Day Two: A Rocky Tree, Flamingoes and a Salty Hotel
Before reading this you may want to check out the first day of my tour from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile to Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.
On the second day of our tour our dorm was rudely awaken …
Coloured Lagoons, Altitude Sickness and Ricky Gervais
One of the main attractions that I wished to visit on my trip to South America was Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia – which at a staggering 10,600 sq km is the largest Salt Flat in the world. The …
Hostel Cooking: Chicken Skewers and Garlic Potatoes
One of the most appealing things about travelling is the chance to try new food, eat in a different restaurant every night, and never have to do any washing-up, and for a few weeks it’s brilliant.
But then a funny …
Why I Love Santiago
When originally planning our trip through South America we thought of Chile only as a vehicle from which to pass from Argentina to Bolivia. Other than Valparaiso, we didn’t really have any plans to stay in Chile for long—a …
Valparaiso – Queen of all the World’s Coasts
The coastal city of Valparaiso has to be South America’s most unique and fascinating city. Row upon row of brightly-coloured, ramshackle houses cling precariously to near-vertical cliffs, forever looking as if one shake of an earthquake could plunge them into …
The Street Art of Barrio BellaVista, Santiago
The most striking thing about South American cities is the use of the bright paint and exciting street art that adorns delapidated buildings, shacks and street corners, transforming an otherwise dull city into a vibrant colour-splash. Nowhere is this more …
Cooking Empanadas in Mendoza
Most people go to Mendoza for one thing: wine. And as Mendoza is the largest wine producing region in South America, there’s plenty of it to go around. But if you are looking for an exposition on the finer …
Warning: Fake Notes in Buenos Aires
When we first visited Buenos Aires at the start of our trip, Angela, our delightful Airbnb host, warned us against accepting fake bank notes as this is a common problem in Argentina, particularly in Buenos Aires. She told us …
Perito Moreno – Argentina’s Incredible Glacier
What I have found most incredible about spending a month in Argentina is the discovery of how diverse – not to mention huge – this country is. I have seen maps of Argentina, of course, but it is only when …
Whale Watching in Patagonia (video)
While in Patagonia we visited the Peninsula Valdes to try and find some whales. Peninsula Valdes is the location of the famous scene in which Orca whales hurl themselves up the beach in pursuit of baby seals but unfortunately we …
Chocolate and Ash in Beautiful Bariloche
The Cerro Catedral resort is one of Argentina’s premier skiing attractions: the majestic peaks of the Andes attract thousands of avid snow enthusiasts every season, which is hardly surprising given its size. Boasting over 100km of ski runs alongside …
Iguazu Falls Video
If my last post ‘Into the Devil’s Throat‘ didn’t convince you that Iguazu Falls on the Argentine/Brazilian border is well worth a visit, then maybe this video will!
This montage of videos was taken by myself and Nicklas …
Into the Devil’s Throat: Iguazu Falls
“The sound of the river raging among the rocks, and the dashing of the waterfalls around, spoke of a power mighty as Omnipotence—and I ceased to fear, or to bend before any being less almighty than that which had created …
Airbnb Accommodation in Buenos Aires
After a chilly start in Uruguay, we headed across to Argentina in search of warmer climes. Buenos Aires is only one hour across the Rio de la Plata by boat from Colonia del Sacramento, but we had been …
Caminito: Buenos Aires’ Bohemian Barrio
The home of the Tango according to some, La Boca is one of Buenos Aires’ most fascinating neighbourhoods. It is unfortunate then that it is situated in the city’s most dangerous district. Most guidebooks advise tourists visit Caminito, …
Chilling in Colonia Del Sacramento
After our brief time in Montevideo we headed west to the charming former Portuguese colony Colonia Del Sacramento. This historic old town of this city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is well worth a look around. The …
A Shaky Start in South America
Here I am in South America, living the dream. I have dreamed about this trip for decades, saved for years and been planning for months, and finally the day of departure arrived. It is fair to say that my …