First Stop: South America

The capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego is an interesting (for lack of a better word) city. With a population of about 60,000 Ushuaia is considered the southernmost city in the world and it may be no surprise that you reach the city through the End of the World Train (Tren del Fin del Mundo). You can, however, reach Ushuaia by plane as well. If you would like to stop at the southernmost city in the world, you will find plenty to do. Tierra del Fuego National park is also reached via the End of the World Train. The city museum offers great insight into the cultures that Ushuaia has hosted over the years. Including information on the prison settlement that it once was. Thats right. Ushuaia was once a natural prison for criminals during the early part of the 20th century as it is naturally impossible to escape. Ushuaia is bordered by the Martial mountain range and the Beagle channel. Tourists can also go skiing in the nearby mountains, and hikers can trek down to the Martial glacier. If you’re a wildlife buff, penguines and orcas frequent the channel.

Usually overlooked for its more popular neighbors, Buenos Aires and Rio, travelers are missing out on Uruguay. Not only is Montevideo a popular location for even the Argentine and Brazilian locals, it offers amazing opportunities for tourists. But, Montevideo isn’t the only city in Uruguay worth exploring. Paysandu, though small, is a great town deserving of a few more tourists. Especially during Easter. While most travelers to South America are busy recovering from Carnival, Paysandu is preparing their own celebration. The beer festival in Paysandu is a rare chance to praise beer in the Southern Hemisphere. Music shows of tango, folk, and rock play at the summer theater while guests enjoy the promised beer. Norteña is a beer made especially for this festival.

Welcome one, welcome all to one of the greatest rally’s on the planet. Dakar 2009 is held in South America this year. Rather than the usual route through Europe and Africa, Dakar is skirting around the Andes offering new adventures for rookie drivers. This year there is over 6000 km of open track but no one will guess the winner until the very end. The track begins in Buenos Aires and heads through Valparaiso, Chile in a thrilling round trip through the Southern Cone. The finish date is scheduled for January 18th in Buenos Aires.

About a 17 hour bus ride from Rio is maybe one of the coolest and most perfect beach locations in Brazil. It is also one of the most safest and beautiful places in the whole of Brazil. Florianopolis has became the gateway for some of the greatest beaches in Brazil through Ihla do Santa Catarina. The northern part of this island can be quite busy and crowded. However, the southern section boasts a large amount of Argentine tourists because of its relative remoteness and great hiking and trekking opportunities. The whole island boasts some of the best surfing in Brazil and is also known for its great nightlife with crazy clubs and friendly people. Finally, if travelers want to experience Carnival but don´t want to be overwhelmed, Florianopolis has a great but mild Carnival.

Some great music has come from the Southern Hemisphere even if North American’s never noticed. Most of these famous singers sprung from the height of the Tango era. Adriana Varela is one such singer. She is most noted for her inflections of “fraseo.” Alberto Castillo is an orchestra singer from Uruguay who sang to the steps of dancers. Angel Vargas was known for his heavenly voice. Azucena Maizani was the first female to sing Tango all the way back in the ’20’s. Edmundo Rivero is the voice known to sing in Lunfardo, adding the country side to the city slick music in Buenos Aires. Julio Sosa was one of the most famous tango singers after Carlos Gardel and found most of his success during the 60’s. All these singers are great classics in Argentina. Buy a CD and enjoy the sounds of the past.

Uyuni by all accounts is the middle of nowhere, Bolivia. Created as solely a railroad junction Uyuni was mostly ignored until the discovery of the Salar. The reason why travelers have posted this small Bolivian town as a necessary stop is because of the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the world. Travelers can get to the salt flats from Potosi by bus but many routes are availble to reach the twelve thousand square kilometers of flats. Tour groups take visitors into the heart of the salt flats to catch the entire beauty. Travelers can choose to take a day tour into the flats or spend up to four days wondering around and exploring the salt flats’ natural beauty. It’s also worth it to explore further south as to catch a bit of the lagoons and gysers near the Chilean border. Not only are the salt flats amazing, but there is plenty more to do in the small town. Train graveyards are a curious wonder for tourists.

The Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, or MST is a landless workers’ movement in Brazil that started around 1985. The MST insists its existance is to battle unjust land appropriation with new land reforms for Brazil. It’s main argument lies in the Brazilian constitution that states that land should be used with a “larger, social function” in mind. To fight this, the MST finds land that it deems is not living up to its constitutional standards, which includes the adequate usage of natural resources and the exploitation (while preserving the environment) of land for the well being of its owners and workers. The MST will then occupy this land and protest. While the land is occupied the MST also follows a legal plan which expropriates the land and gives titles to the workers. At the same time, the current owners fight to keep their land. This may seem a bit outrageous until you consider the distribution of land in Brazil. About half the land in Brazil is owned by 1.6% of the population, the lucky landowners. All arable land in Brazil is claimed by only 3% of the population. Because of this, the MST is the largest socially organized movement in South America with around 1.5 million MST members. Find more information about the MST on www.mstbrazil.org/.

In Argentina and parts of Uruguay, the locals share more than just mate. At the end of the 19th century, after Domingo Faustino Sarmiento wrote his great literary work called Facundo that invited Europeans to join the Argentine community, Lunfardo was born. Lunfardo is a Spanish argot. Meaning that it is a way of speaking, though not slang, that utilizes words that are not Spanish. However, many of these words have become very popular and have wound up as part of the daily Spanish of those living around Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The development of Lunfardo occured because of the arrival of European immigrants specifically thought to be derrived from Italian immigrants. Many others believed that the Lunfardo words originiated in jails and were only spoken by prisoners. Today, the words are unintelligible to other Spanish speakers around the world. Lunfardo is mainly used in Tango lyrics to supplement the usage of words that allude to sex, drugs and other criminal activity that characterizes the Tango. An example of Lunfardo is the word for girl: amina. Laburar means “to work” and is directly derrived from the Italian word “lavorare,” of the same meaning.

Not too far from our beloved Southern city, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata is about 400 km south of BA. Mar del Plata resides on the Atlantic coast and is known for its sea lion colonies. In the summer, there are a plethora of events to partake in. The Fiesta Nacional del Mar is a festival that opens summer by the coronation of a sea queen. The Mar del Plata international film festival is one of the best in South America. Furthermore, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Natural Science are some of the top museums to visit. The Casino of Mar del Plata is also famous and worthy of a visit. Lastly, the summer season brings in more than 50 theatrical performaces each year. There are two daily trains from Constitution to Mar del Plata.

You may wonder why South America is know as the meat culture of the world. There are many answers to this question. The first answer is Argentina. Beef in Argentina is among the best in the world. Many enthusiasts argue that this is because the cattle are grass fed rather than grain fed as in most countries. This allows for a more natural production of meat from so argued “healthier” cattle. Meat eaters alike tend to agree that the beef in Argentina is more tender and jucier, making for an all around better steak. The popular way to cook beef in Argentina is on a parilla, or grill, in the popular asado (BBQ) style over charcoal. Here are some beef cuts that you should know: Ojo de bife (rib eye), bife de lomo (filet mignon), matabre (flank steak), and bife de chorizo (sort of like serloin). Don’t forget the chimi churri, a great salsa served with your beef. You wont regret it. Buen Provecho!