If Your Compass Could Talk…

If you’ve ever encountered one of these while living in South America (and come on, who hasn’t) then you’ve probably been confused (and come on, who hasn’t) as to how to buy the foods you want even though they’re in Spanish. Basil is Albahaca, Onions are Cebolla and Beer is Cerveza (but come on, who doesn’t know that one?). Howeve, if you’re trying for something a little more complicated you might need some help.

Enter our favorite restaurant/house in Buenos Aires Casa Salt Shaker. These guys put out a book that converts all the foods you need to know to impress your neighbors while cooking. A food English-Spanish dictionary. Check it out!

Sorry to make another post about alcohol, but seriously I used to be a Quilmes hater – and now I love it. Maybe becasue I’m from the Northwest and spoiled rotten with all the delicious microbrews. But enough about them, this post is for Quilmes. Argentina does Quilmes, Mexico is Tecate, Brazil has Skol…

give us your country and your beer and represent!

Argentina and Chile are head to head in becoming the leader in South American wine exports. For years Chile was the foremost wine producer, but in recent years investments in the industry and nods toward Argentina’s amazing Malbec varieties and brought this underdog up to the front of the pack.

Other notable wine producers are Brazil and Uruguay, putting South America on the map for wine fantacts everywhere. I liked this little section on wine in particular…

If you’re traveling with your pet, be careful about new airline rules regarding international travel. As of February 1st, 2009 a lot of the airlines will not let your pet fly in the cabin, but instead they must be shipped as cargo. Additionally, Continental Airlines for instance will not take animals straight from shippers on International flights, so you must go through a third party. It was going to cost around US$800 to ship my little kitty home!

Make your travel plans ahead of time to avoid travel pitfalls like this one.

It’s almost impossible when traveling to not look back. Even when you’re looking forward: planning your next trip, thinking of future endeavors, or on the long overnight bus trip anticipating what’s next to come. But aren’t you always looking back too? Thinking about where you’ve been while at the same time constantly moving forward? It’s the duality of travel. The magic that takes you somewhere while giving meaning to the past.

In living abroad and traveling for over two years it becomes impossible not to become nostalgic about home. And it made me smile to see this pop up, on the world travel stage. Turns out, people are finding my home town a pretty cool place on the travel map…

War Zone turned into Travel Paradise. Upon visiting Tayrona National Park you may not realize that even just a few years ago this zone near Santa Marta was a hub for narcotic trade and civil war confrontations. Remember in 2003 when gunman kinapped eight foreigners? Well, since then the area has cleaned up into what is now a beautiful national park for visitors. While confrontations still exist in the region Tayrona’s 58 square miles is one of the most beautiful corners of South America to visit. It truly has it all! Travel to the park usually takes place through Santa Marta, a small town near the park. We stayed in a great hostel while we were there, that I would highly recommend.

For additional information on how this travel hub has turned a major corner, check out this great article.

This article is from March but it talks about Green Initiatives in South America, specifically in Ecuador, Brazil and Peru. It’s all about the Green Living Project, an intiative that highlights great conservation efforts around the globe. Check it out!

What’s a person to do? First things first, these girls are lovely but what happens when your dorm mates are anything but? It’s happened to all of us. The Snore-er, The Loud One, The Turn On The Light Late Guy, The Couple and… so on. Hostel experiences vary between, amazing to the very worst night sleep of your life and I feel most of us, shoulder the burden and just try and at least rest our eyes. What’s the worst that has happened to you and how far does someone need to go before you actually, (gasp) say something? I’m curiuos about travel etiquette and how you’ve handled your experiences. Let us know… beso!

Guia Oleo, right?

Guia Oleo is our favorite city restaurant guide. Just punch in the price, type of food or nieghborhood and Guia Oleo will tell you exactly what’s to eat and where. The google maps application will help show you the way, and helpful user reviews will let you know if it the food is thumbs up, or thumbs down.

Our latest favorite find? Filo! Filo is an amazing italian restaurant in downtown Buenos Aires. Located on San Martin and Paraguay, the food is ricisimo and the ambiance gorgeous. Enjoy!

The Recoleta Cemetery is a favorite among tourists who visit Buenos Aires. The rows upon rows containing relics of Buenos Aires past, along with the architecture is hard to pass up. Some favorites of our are the crying angels to the sky, and some of the large mausoleums along the back side of the cemetery. Oh, and of course Evita’s grave.

Many people wonder if burials are still conducted in the cemetery. Just this week Argentina’s President Raul Alfonsin was moved into a mausoleum in the Recoleta Cemetery. Alfonsin was president from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989 and died March 31, 2009. Now you can tell your visiting friends when they ask.