Lodging in Mendoza ranges from very basic to high end hotels such as the Grand Hyatt and the Sheraton. Pricing is typically more expensive closer to the center of town and near the Plaza del Armas. Lodging is really quite spread out throughout the city and there no specific 'hotel' district. Aires de Montana is a destination spa located in the Andes about an hour from Mendoza. Lodging is also available on site - elevation is 1800 … [Read more...]
Mendoza, Argentina – Transportation
Bus - The bus station is located about 15 to 20 minutes from the Plaza del Armas (the center of town). As with most bus stations, train terminals or airports be careful of your bags and belongings. These are typically high crime areas. We met a fellow traveler who was hanging around at the bus station when she was approached by a local - he pretended to ask her directions and she put her bag down to help him and when she looked back down, he and … [Read more...]
Greetings from Peru!!
Arrived in Lima and rested all day which was good. Saw the catacombs underground in the 16th century St Francis of Assisi Monastery. Many skulls staring upwards with individual bones all separated and arranged nicely in neat orderly piles. Took bus overnight to C. Huayash - the pass was about 14,000 feet which we hit at 1am. I was in bad shape by then - arrived at 6am into town and immediately found hostel and crashed. For 2 days was … [Read more...]
Planning Your First South America Vacation
South America presents a beautiful world with a wide range of unique landscapes. Choosing a place to visit is quite difficult with highlights like Machu Picchu, the Perito Moreno Glacier, regions like Patagonia, Pantanal and Amazon and cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. This article is written to serve as an introduction to some of the best places to visit in South America and how to combine the best highlights in one trip. Each … [Read more...]
AFS Peaks of Patagonia & Chilean Vineyards
Dramatic landscapes provided us a continual Kodak moment throughout. It is late spring in the region and the weather was cooperative with a lot of sunshine. This however is a land where the unexpected is the norm, so we came prepared for occasional wind and rain. After a rest at the lovely Hotel Neruda and a city tour in Santiago, we flew south to Punta Arenas. There we transferred 2 hours by coach to Puerto Natales at the Patagonia steppe. We … [Read more...]
Huaraz, Peru – Day Trips & Activities
As the gateway to this part of the Andes, most travelers will make travel arrangements through a variety of tour operators headquartered in Huaraz. It is helpful to communicate with agencies in advance of your trip - but we have found that trips can often be arranged last minute. Regardless, shop around, services and prices vary between each company. We have been to or participated in the following area activities. Read on! Bike Riding A … [Read more...]
Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb
9/1/2000 - Friday After traveling for three days and undergoing quite an ordeal getting from San Luis Obispo to Nairobi, Kenya, I finally arrive in the Nairobi airport at 7:50 pm. After going through Customs and gratefully retrieving my backpack and suitcase from the baggage claim area, I was overjoyed to see John Bragg there to greet me. We had some very long big hugs of relief to have made it to Nairobi safely and in time before the rest of … [Read more...]
Argentina Yours Truly
Although I have made it a relentless point in my life to take advantage of every free moment (and buck or two) I've had in my vertiginous existence to discover a new place in the world, nothing has impressed me more than Argentina. The idea of visiting this far-away country had been in the back of my head for a few years, but somehow I always ended up in another spot (usually a hidden beach in Mexico or the South China sea). That was until 2003, … [Read more...]
Peru Expedition Part 1 6/20/01 – 7/15/01
Wed. 6/20/01 My sister Patty drove me to the San Luis Obispo airport, as she has done on many previous trips; and I left SLO at 10:36 am, arriving in LAX at 11:45 am. There I joined several other fellow climbers and trekkers (including my son Kevin and his friend Deborah) who had arrived from other cities. Leaving LAX at 2:10 pm, we arrived in Lima, Peru at 12:40 am on 6/21 after an 8.5 hour flight and adjusted our watches for the 2-hour time … [Read more...]
Huaraz, Peru – Ishinca Trek
During several attempts to climb Ishinca & Toclaraju Dave used Enrique Expeditions, based in Huaraz - as well as a number of guides who for the most part spoke primarily Spanish with only a few words of English. Spanish was the primary language we used when climbing. Guides Francisco and Julio have both been guiding in the mountains for many years - each man has significant experience climbing. Julio has reached the summit of Huascaran (the … [Read more...]
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