Native American Indians.
Spain, Portugal, Germany, England, French and African.
Brazil has hosted both the World Cup and the Summer Olympics. Peru has Machu Picchu. Columbia has some of the world’s best coffee, Patagonia has the ultimate in nature. The list goes on forever.
There is so much culture to experience in South America! Our only journey there so far has been to Argentina, but the other countries offer their own flavor of how they live life and how we can enjoy our journies there.
The Fun
There’s virtually unlimited fun in South America. A lot of what we at JMO like – history, hiking, and wine tasting. There’s also celebrations and sports. Great cities that are calling, some like Rio de Janeiro, with open arms.
History is deep.
Easter Island off the coast of Chile. The Incan ruins.
Physical activities are basically unlimited.
With the Andes Mountains stretching the length of the continent, there’s hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, canyoning and snow boarding. If you travel up into the Andes Mountains to visit an abandoned Incan mining camp like we did, you can combine a bit of hiking and history. Then there’s Patagonia, where some of the best nature in the world exists.
The rivers and coast offer kayaking, kite surfing, scuba diving, and even fishing for piranhas.
When it comes to wine, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay have garnered a worldwide reputation. Wine tasting is plentiful in their respective regions, and wine is not expensive at all. Wine tours are available or you can set up your own. Even some of their best wine is much cheaper than wine in the US.
Brazil is home to the world’s largest river and a massive rain forest.
The Practical
One important item we discovered, is Argentina didn’t require a visa or and entrance fee. BUT…they required a “Reciprocity Fee” when we went. It cost us $150 and it’s good for 10 years. They’ve since rescinded that requirement.
From what we experienced, getting around is fairly easy. Taxi drivers will take you anywhere, and it’s pretty cheap. Our bed and breakfast host called a taxi that took four of us approximately 19 kilometers (12 miles) for $14 US, including a $3 US tip. Not too bad.
Security can be an issue in some countries. Always check the state department for travel advisories. Keep in mind though, there are some places where the country has an overall advisory, but it is still safe to go to tourist destinations. Just as important to know? Any time we go to another country, it’s at our own risk.
There’s still many primitive areas begging to be explored. Some are better with a paid guide, others are ok to traverse on your own. It’s imperative to do your research ahead of time.