My Last Day in South America

On my last day in South America, I wake up to the calm sound of rain falling atop the metal roof.  Two days before I was tanning on a cushioned lounge chair along the water of Mancora Beach, Peru my mind dizzied, almost drunk, on sun and relaxation. But now I am in Quito, Ecuador on a rainy morning and my mind is dizzying from the prospect of leaving this great continent.

As the rain taps, I work to fall back asleep,... [Read more]

Sandboarding Epiphany in Chile

Sitting at the top of a sand dune, with board attached to my feet, wind and sand pelting my face, looking out at the alien terrain reminiscent of Star Wars, is when I finally realized how damn lucky I am.  Maybe it was the altitude or maybe it was the exhaustion from trudging up the steep sand, but something finally jostled me and opened my eyes. 

Here I am sand-boarding in the San Pedro de Atacama in the Northern... [Read more]

The Grandness of Valparaiso

I was once lured to read Isabel Allende’s novel Daughter of Fortune upon recommendation, but never got more than forty pages in. Though I stopped reading, I still remember the magical description of a bustling port city at the turn of the 20th century. Allende’s  heroine runs about a city built along hills and terraces that look out onto the sea, and from her description I knew Valparaiso was a city... [Read more]

Crossing the Andes

I was in Mendoza, a desert in the west of Argentina that is now wine country, taking tours of vineyards and wineries and tasting the local Malbecs (Argentine wine). I was having a lovely time, but all I could do was stare off into the distance to the jagged Andes that ran to the west. 

There they were, the second highest mountain range in the world and so close. And to think just west of the mountains was Chile.... [Read more]

Sustainable Tourism with GAP (video podcast)

Maryl visits with Marie Ann of GAP Adventures at the Los Angeles Times Adventurers Travel Expo help on February 10-11. Marie Ann gives travelers options to over 1000 trip options worldwide. The refitted 18th Century boat trips visiting exotic locales does sound great, I guess that’s why it won an award. Produced by Wayfarer Digital for In The Know Traveler.Like all of our videos, quicktime 7.0 or better is required... [Read more]

Vote for the New 7 Wonders

In what could be the largest vote ever, the world will soon choose the New Seven Wonders of the World to stand alongside the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World. In January, the New7Wonders committee, chaired by Dr. Federico Mayor, selected 21 finalists out of the 77 nominated sites. You can have a say in the selection of the final seven by casting your vote. From anywhere in the world, call +423 663 90 02 99 and use the... [Read more]

The Island of Poetry, Isla Negra

Mark Twain wrote in Innocents Abroad that there are places in the world where we can find “nothing to remind... [Read more]