When I was last in Salvador, I loved that time just before dusk, when the Bahian ladies, dressed all in white (like in the photo on the Salvador Guide page), would set up their little make-shift kitchens on the street corners and sell hot Acarajé to passers by... They are particularly tasty with fresh shrimp and home-made chili !
One of the most beautiful journeys on Earth must be the journey between Puerto Varas and San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina, crossing the crystalline lakes, beneath stunning cone volcanoes.It is a long day and can be busy at certain times of year, but it is a unique and memorable trip right through the heart of the Andes.
Torres del Paine is a fantasy landscape, with awesome glaciers and mountain formations straight from a Tolkien book.Don’t miss the opportunity to spend a few days exploring the area and doing a bit of walking. There are several good lodges in the National Park, as well as South America’s first Luxury Camp.
The food, the markets and the mescal are some of my highlights of this stunning colonial city.Dare you swallow the maggot at the bottom of the mescal bottle?
Few foreigners seem to make it to Veracruz, with it being quite a distance away from Mexico's more popular attractions, but those who do come here find it an enchanting Mexican city.Strolling along the Malecon at dusk with most of the Veracruz towns-folk is a delight, and eating out in one of the many music-filled squares truly memorable.
Monteverde is a great place to spend a few days.Set in the lush cloud forests of the highlands, there seems no end of activities to fill your time here. If you fancy a canopy view of the area, try the Sky Walk. Should you be tempted by that, that with an additional adrenaline-kick, then zoom along the tree-top the zip-lines - the longest of which is a staggering 750 meters long, with one mighty drop below!For more grounded satisfaction, the Monteverde National Park has amazing trails ... and if you're lucky a chance of seeing Central Americas most spectacular bird - the flamboyantly colourful quetzal.
I have been lucky enough to return to Chile's Southern Patagonia several times, often tagged onto a visit to Argentine Patagonia and it never fails to impress!
It was an early 2am start and a long drive from Arequipa to get to Cruz del Condor for dawn... driving along bumpy roads, ice formed from the condensation inside the windows of our bus.As morning came, the Andes began to appear with a glorious Technicolor glow. We saw local life wake up around us, herds of alpaca and vicuna... then reaching the edge of Colca Canyon itself, were able to gaze upon Condors swirling on the thermals right next to us...
Arequipa is one of my favorite places in Peru. It's a gorgeous colonial city with friendly people and some great places to visit - don't miss Santa Catalina Convent or the mummified body of Juanita.Wherever you are in town, the clear skies ensure a clear view of El Misti volcano by day and breath-taking stars by night.
I took this excursion at a last minute, crammed into my few remaining hours in Guatemala... and what a trip!A great hike with a simply mind-blowing finale: to stand metres away from molten lave pouring down the volcano was just incredible.
