BootsnAll Travel Network



Archive for the 'south america' Category

« Home

Salt of the Earth

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

The landscapes of Northwest Argentina were beautiful and strange.  The landscapes of Northeast Chile were less beautiful, but more strange.  But neither of these areas compares with Southwest Bolivia.  I just spent the last three days driving from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni, Bolivia and I have seen things that were way stranger than I had ever imagined from the reading I have done and the videos I have seen.  And the strangeness was only eclipsed by the beauty.  Earth has once again proven itself to be beyond the human imagination and comprehension.

[read on]

Espacio – La Frontera Ultima

Wednesday, April 25th, 2007

I went to San Pedro de Atacama for a couple of reasons, but I mainly went because I wanted to see what I believe to be the greatest star show on earth. When I was near Mt Hanang, Tanzania last June witnessing the best stars I had ever seen, I wondered about how much better it would be in Atacama Desert, Chile. Well I can report that San Pedro is an amazing place to see as much of the Universe as possible. I signed up for an evening at a local astronomer´s home where Allen and his wife have five telescopes and put on quite an informational feast. The stars in town are good, but nothing extraordinary. Their home is a few kilometers out and above town where it is very dark and the viewing is more than extraordinary.

[read on]

Mi Nombre Es Rick… Richard… Ricardo

Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
There is one experience that has been consistent in Latin America for me. When I am asked my name, I usually say "Rick" in plain English. I get a funny look. They do not understand. First, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Thar She Blows… On Land

Saturday, April 21st, 2007
Geysers... not whales.  I went to Geyser del Tatio today.  We left at 4:00 AM in order to be there by 6:30 when enough light allows you to enjoy the show.  We were at 4300 meters in an ancient caldera ... [Continue reading this entry]

San Pedro de Atacama

Friday, April 20th, 2007

As I mentioned in the previous post, I took a bus ride from Salta across the great Puna or Altiplano (high plains), Andes and Atacama Desert regions of Argentina and Chile to San Pedro de Atacama and it was a ... [Continue reading this entry]

So What Would You Do?

Friday, April 20th, 2007
Argentina (by the way, I made it to Chile on a long bus ride through amazing Puna and Andes landscapes and we only had one flat tire) calls their fiscal collapse of five years ago ¨The Crisis¨. I heard ... [Continue reading this entry]

Last Six Weeks in Latin America

Thursday, April 19th, 2007
I will be flying back to the California on May 31st.  I am taking American Airlines through Miami.  Can't wait to be greeted warmly by Homeland Security folks there.  Between now and that day I will be in Chile (San ... [Continue reading this entry]

Dipping Back into Land of Inca

Thursday, April 19th, 2007
When I got to Cordoba, Argentina I saw a little bit of a change that got me thinking that I was going to see a progression "Indigen-fication" and "Latin-fication" as I head further north.  As I have said, most of ... [Continue reading this entry]

Moments by Luis Jorge Borges

Tuesday, April 10th, 2007
Considered the best Argentinean writer, I picked up a Borges book Ficciones after reading about him in In Patagaonia and The Old Patagonia Express.  I had never heard of him, but I am learning how much about this world I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Careful Where You Point That Gun… I Mean Camera

Tuesday, April 10th, 2007
I was taking photos around San Martin Plaza in Cordoba on Easter Sunday and I was approched by two policeman. Actually, one was a policewoman. Actually, I do not know if they were police, but they had big guns in ... [Continue reading this entry]