Below the heat and subtropical savannas that spread out across millions of acres of the sub-Amazonian Brazilian interior is the Serra Gaúcha. "Serra" is a Latin American subtropical forest. The Gaúcho is the Latin American …
South America
Gramado, Brazil: A South American Anomaly
The Galápagos: Wildlife Aplenty
Six hundred miles west of continental Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the Galápagos Islands contain birds, fish, reptiles and mammals not found anywhere else in the world. One in four animal species is endemic – …
October 12, 2011
Orinoco Delta, Venezuela
An intricate labyrinth, the waters of the Orinoco Delta weave through the jungle on their way to the Atlantic Ocean. The Orinoco branches off into over 60 waterways and 40 rivers in the delta, meandering …
September 1, 2011
Buzzing on Starbucks in Rio
Warning: the following may make you feel the full weight of the modern guy/gal's addiction to well-produced, low-cost goods consumed en masse. (Yes, Starbucks.) Our last night of holiday travel, we were in Ipanema and …
July 21, 2011
Baños, Ecuador: A Piece of Heaven
If you enjoy a warm, relaxing bath, I know a travel destination that just might appeal to you. Most international visitors to Ecuador are in a hurry to get to either the Galapagos Islands or …
May 31, 2011
(Mis)Adventures in Colombia and Peru
After finishing my second year of law school in San Diego, I decided that I needed a little adventure in my life. I planned my classes so that all my finals were done by December …
May 31, 2011
Finding Magic: Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brazil
When I was a young San Diego grom, long weekenders meant the following: My dad piled me, my brothers and some friends into our VW van and we camped and surfed in San Clemente. Despite …
May 8, 2011
Lima, Cusco and Macchu Pichu
My first trip to Peru was amazing. We spent the first night near Lima, at a friend’s house close to the beach in the La Perla area. We walked to the beach and ate barbecued …
April 8, 2011
Paraty, Brazil
Paraty (pada-chee), a town on the southeast coast of Rio state, is like a top-shelf drink — from the aged, distilled waterfront of Brazil’s colonial history, to the calm, primal ecological beauty of the coastal …
March 26, 2011
Learning From a Clown in Montevideo
It’s 10 o’clock at night in the Ciudad Vieja neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. Three of us are gathered around a bench on the city’s main walking street, Peatonal Sarandí, but no one is wandering past …
March 15, 2011
La Paz, Bolivia: At the Top of the World
In the fast-moving modern times of the travel business, how does one decide between, say, the Bahamas or Singapore? One brochure boasts luxury in Honolulu and another calls you to Paris. One hotel has a …
March 6, 2011
Splashing Out at Iguaçu Falls, Brazil
After several months of lodging in hostels throughout Brazil, we (my wife and I) decided to let our cash cascade into the Hotel das Cataratas Iguassu — a beautiful, if somewhat corporate, upscale resort with …
January 31, 2011
An Illumination in Quimbaya, Colombia
On December 8, 1854, Papa Pío IX established the dogma of the immaculate conception of Mary. Granted, the publication of a dogma is not very sexy, but for Colombians, the doctrine represents the kindling of …
December 23, 2010
Life on the Rocks: Salvador, Brazil
“Thirty percent of Brazilians live in favelas,” says Michael David Lynch, proprietor of Albergue Pedras da Sereia in Salvador, speaking of neighborhoods like the one he moved to 25 years ago. Basically, favelas are built …
November 20, 2010
Lima, Peru
With 9.2 million people, Lima is the fifth-largest city in Latin America behind Mexico City, Rio de Janiero, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires. The municipality of Lima, Peru, has 43 separate districts, each with its …
October 23, 2010