If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
South America is home to some of the world's most luxurious hotels. Whether you want to sit beachside in Rio De Janeiro or soak in views of the Andes ...
In Galápagos, with fear and flight an ocean away, we are privileged to sit and ponder the eyes of the animals for a prolonged period of time. The result is profound and complex, one that left me lying on the ground for minutes in front of an iguana and trying to solve the mysteries of the universe.
In the afternoon, I asked a couple other guides, sure that someone would know someone who'd have, at the very least, a pirate signal on which I could tap into the American psyche for a few blissful hours.
On the east side, there is only volcanic rock and wild surf. Dangerous for swimmers. Great for photographers.
I combed through this dangerous catalogue, and picked out what I think will be the best adventures for 2013 -- and I have personally tested them all, and reported about each on Huffington Post.
Sailors always knew these islands were different -- they were called Las Encantadas, the Enchanted Islands, the name by which Herman Melville knew them.
Jose and I set out as well, though in a fashion more comfortable than Bingham. We take the Inca Rail, which spirals into the valley like the shell of a nautilus.
Locals drink coca tea and chew coca leaves to cure soroche (altitude sickness) but the coca leaf is also held sacred and used in spiritual rites.
At Tongariki stands a line of giant Moai, one crowned with a massive stone headdress. The achievement of donning this fellow's hat might be compared with putting a man on Mars today.
I had begun to see animals in the forest as the locals did. Rather than watching exotic beasts that needed to be preserved, I saw food.
The ultimate travel accessory? More than a hardcase Tumi carry-on or sleek leather passport holder, it's an at-least elementary grasp of your destination's native tongue. From reading menus to asking directions, dealing with local transportation -- and not getting taken for a ride -- familiarizing yourself with the lingua franca might just be the singlemost important thing you can do to improve your travel experience.
For a crash course on Bolivia, start in the one-million-person capital of La Paz, ride the cliffs along the Death Road then land in the jungle town of Corioco.
At a ranch near Santiago, Chile, I spoke with Gonzalo Vial, an accomplished horse whisperer known to form close personal relationships with his horses. One horse grew amorous.
Peru's Christian faith is a spoil of war, but no less genuine for being coerced. Likewise, the Incan culture is mourned despite being obviously extant.
From diving with sharks to jumping out of a plane, I've injected bulks of adrenaline into my open-ended journey around the world.
