tales of wander
sightseeing
Patagonia: Ushuaia
Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, which is an island that marks the southernmost tip of South America before Antarctica. For this reason, it is often referred to as “El fin del mundo” (the end of the world). In truth, I’ve heard there’s dispute over which country (Chile or Argentina) actually lays claim … Continue reading
Uruguay and the trouble with Chile…
Though I like Buenos Aires a great deal as a digital nomad destination, a city of three million people begins to wear on a person after a fashion—particularly someone like me, who loves a certain amount of urban life, but who needs the great outdoors and easy access to peace, quiet, and nature. I prefer … Continue reading
Stormy weather…
As I’ve already mentioned, it’s spring here—which is mostly warm, sunny and beautiful—but on some days, there are thunderstorms that remind me of the ones I experienced growing up in my hometown. In Portland (where I currently live), the rain is incessant and without purpose—long weeks and months of it at a time, lacking sound … Continue reading
It’s all about the little things…
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve had a rough start to this trip, health-wise. However, things are starting to look up: my cold is finally gone (Longest. Cold. EVER.) and now all that remains is a raging case of allergies, courtesy of all the springtime pollinators—such as the Platano tree, which is busy … Continue reading
Vitis vinifera…
Life in Chile has been chugging along at a leisurely pace, with me working during the week and thoroughly enjoying my weekends. Recently, I had a welcome bit of excitement in an otherwise mundane work week when I discovered my boss was in town. He knew I was working abroad, but didn’t know where, and … Continue reading
Of hiccups and new routines…
As I’ve often said, travel—with all of its new discoveries and exciting adventures—is also a challenge. While we were in Valparaiso about to go on a day trip to explore Casablanca Valley wines, I discovered that I left my ATM card in San Esteban at the last ATM we used. I was distracted while using … Continue reading
Feeling the Dieciocho vibe…
After all the activity of the ski portion of our trip, I was ready to relax a bit, and Valparaiso is perfectly suited for slowing down and taking things in. Valparaiso, a port city, is considered the “cultural capitol” of Chile for good reason. It’s made up of a flat part along the port, then … Continue reading
The mountains are calling…
Up until now, I’ve used my weekends to play tourist, eagerly leaving the big, cacophonous city to encounter something quieter and more laid back. “Cacophony” in a large South American city is not like what you’d hear in a similarly sized city back home. Here, it’s the multilayered din of grid-locked cars honking because they … Continue reading
The Salar de Uyuni
To take full advantage of my recent three-day weekend, I took a double-decker overnight bus to Uyuni, which is in the southwest corner of Bolivia. Uyuni itself is a small, sleepy sort of town, most known for being the gateway to the Salar de Uyuni (“salar” meaning “salt flat”), which is the world’s largest salt … Continue reading
Trekking to the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida)
The Lost City, or Ciudad Perdida, is an ancient city in the Sierra Nevadas that is believed to have been built 650 years before Machu Picchu (around 800 CE) by the Tairona, the ancient ancestors of the area’s current tribes: the Kogis, the Wiwa, and the Arhuacas. It was “found” again in 1972 when treasure … Continue reading
tales of wander 