This article is written by Prakash Bang.

Breathtaking waterfalls stretching over 3 kms is a unique sight. The delta on the upper Iguazu river breaks the mighty river into over 200 different streams. These streams (large enough to be called rivers in themselves) dance down the cliffs… offering a spectacular sight all along the trails.

Iguazu is a small town north of Buenos Aires. It’s a 90 minute flight. I was lucky to get a window seat. Make it a point to ask for window seat on the right side of the plane whilst flying from Buenos Aires to Iguazu. On a clear day, just before landing, the mighty waterfalls are visible.

For my trip to Argentina, I availed the services of Eurotur, an Argentine Destination Management Company. I was travelling in a group of 5. We had at our disposal the services of a tour guide and a comfortable van. Travelers on their own can avail the services of taxis. They run by meter and are not expensive. Public transport was minimal. We landed at Iguazu airport at 11 in the morning. The airport is between Iguazu town and the National Park. We straightaway headed for the Iguazu National Park to make the most from the day we had with us. The park opens at 8 in the morning and closes at 6 in the evening.

We were at the park in about 20 minutes. It was a beautiful drive through the lush green forest. The heat and the humidity were obvious as soon as we got down from our vehicle. Be sure to carry with you sun screens, hat and water. Of course, you can buy water, soft drinks and snacks at the food kiosks strategically located in the park. Entrance to the National Park is Argentine Peso 80. The Peso symbol is $. At the time of writing US $1 fetched Argentine $3.80. The Argentine currency is quite vulnerable. It might be a good idea not to change the currency at one go.

Amidst a massive rain forest, The Iguazu National Park consumes 65, 000 hectares. About 20% of it is open for the public. Just opposite the river is the Brazilian side of the park that is 3 times larger. I personally think the view from the Argentine side has a slight advantage. The direction of the wind (and the mist it creates) would certainly block some view from the other side. However, the advantage from the Brazilian side is that you could get a helicopter tour of the falls. There’s no such service from the Argentine side.

Essentially there are 3 trails to be followed. The Upper Circuit; The Lower Circuit and the Green Train of The Jungle that takes you to the Devil’s Throat – a highlight of the day, I would say. Put together, this would mean a walk of at least 7 kms. All the trails are well marked and well kept and comfortable to negotiate. On your way out, if you get your pass stamped, that will allow you a free entry to the park the next day to be able to explore more. One day was enough for us.

Generally, all visitors would first flock to the train station. The lines could get long. To avoid the morning rush, we decided to trek the Upper Circuit first. After a km we got our first view of the water falls. Awesome. I could only imagine the day ahead that was to offer hundreds of different viewpoints. As we walked we met with scores of butterflies, different species of birds, webs, raccoons, turtles, monitor lizards and of course vegetation.

After the Upper Circuit, we took the Green Train of The Jungle for its final destination – Garganta del Diablo meaning Devil’s Throat. From the station a 2 km trek took us to a point where the water was falling down with all its might creating mist and rainbows. We were a little a lucky because the catchment area had received a heavy rainfall in the past two days.

We took the train back. At the station, my colleagues opted to take a boat ride that would take them all the way below the falls. The cost for the ride was Argentine $200 per head. A safari van took my friends through the jungle down to the river bed. From there, they boarded their boats and soaked themselves wet under the falls. The look on their faces was of sheer amazement. In the meantime, I decided to walk the Lower Circuit.

While this could be debatable, I personally think that the view from the Lower Circuit was more fascinating. At one point, it gave walkers the opportunity, to drench themselves under one of the waterfalls.

It was 5 in the afternoon when I met with my group from the boat. Our meeting point was scheduled at the lobby of Sheraton Hotel. This is a fantastic property. Every room gets a view of the falls. Not sure of the price though. After some souvenir shopping at the arcade in the park, we headed for the Amerian Iguazu Hotel – located right on the bank of River Iguazu. With my back to the hotel’s swimming pool, Brazil was in the front and Paraguay to my left!

The walking had drained us out. We crashed after an early dinner. The next morning we were to board our flight to the end of the world – Ushuaia.

Prakash Bang

http://www.yogoyo.com/argentina-travel-guide/iguazu-falls.htm

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This article has been sourced from Gap Year Escape, a website dedicated to Travel, maintained by Amar

The US is renowned the world over for its awesome road trips. Whether you want to rip up Route 66 on a Harley or cruise the Pacific Coast Highway in an open-top convertible (something I did in a used BMW), there’s something for everyone. However, what happens when you cross the border into Central and South America? Are the roads expansive and the scenery stunning or are they all single-lane dust tracks? Thankfully, it’s the former and here are 5 of the best for you to try in your gap year.

 

Argentina

Quebrada de Cafayate from Ruta 68, Argentina

Argentina has an abundance of breathtaking scenery, particularly the northern highlands, which have some great roads and scenic towns and villages all within a relatively short distance of one another. South of the city of Salta, along Ruta 68, are the imposing Quebrada de Cafayate, a fabulous range of red mountains and rock formations. The scenery shifts again as you enter Argentina’s wine-growing region and then visit the remote, pre-Inca ruins of Quilmes. This road trip is best tackled in an all-terrain vehicle that can comfortably handle the country’s many gravelled, unfinished roads.

Bolivia

The Yungas Road,  also known as Bolivia’s Death Road.

At the heart of the continent lies Bolivia, a country that borders five other South American nations and offers one of the world’s most notorious road trips, known as ‘Death Road’. The 35-mile stretch between La Paz and Coroico quickly ascends into dense rainforest and has some extreme drop-offs and precarious single-lane roads that can be made even more hazardous by rain and fog. Although a truly awesome road it should be treated with extreme caution as it is estimated that between 200 and 300 travellers are killed each year on this road.

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The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Juscelino Kubitschek), also known as the President JK Bridge or just the JK Bridge, is a steel and concrete bridge that crosses Lake Paranoá in Brasília. It links the southern part of the lake, and St. Sebastian Paranoá the Pilot Plan (or the central and original part of the city), through the Monumental Axis. Inaugurated on December 15, 2002, the structure of the bridge has a total length of 1, 200 metres (3, 900 ft), a width of 24 metres (79 ft) and two carriageways with three lanes in each direction, two walkways on the sides for cyclists and pedestrians 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wide, and three spans of 240 metres (790 ft).

It is named for Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, former president of Brazil, who in the late 1950s decided to build Brasília as the new capital of the country. It was designed by architect Alexandre Chan and structural engineer Mário Vila Verde.

The main span structure has four supporting pillars submerged under Lake Paranoá, and the deck weight is supported by three 200-foot-tall (61 m) asymmetrical steel arches that crisscross diagonally. The decks are suspended by steel cables alternating at each side of the deck, interlacing in some kind of twisted plane (parabolic like). The entire structure has a total length of 1, 200 metres (3, 900 ft), and it was completed at a cost of US$56.8 million (R$160 million – Brazilian Reais, current 2003). The bridge has a pedestrian walkway and is accessible to bicyclists and skaters.

The main characteristics of the structure are:
Total length: 1, 200 m
Deck Width: 24 m (three lanes in each direction)
Lateral sideways for pedestrians and bicycles: 1.5 m (on each side)
Rise: 60 m
Clearance: 18 m
Arch span: 240 m for each of 3 spans

Source: Wikipedia

 

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A few hundred people surrounded the cleared dance floor, watching an intertwined couple dance lustfully to the music. The female dancer twirled in a gossamer two-piece outfit of blues and purples that bared her midriff; her wide eyes remained closed as her partner led. At moments during the ever-graceful, ever-charged tango performance, it looked like they were moving as one.Unlike the tango that is packaged for tourists in dinner shows across Buenos Aires, the couple’s four-song performance took place in the main room of the Villa Malcolm recreation centre (Cordoba 5064; 47-72-9796), surrounded by an audience of other tango dancers. Upstairs, out of earshot, teenage boys played on indoor fútbol fields, and near the entryway to the cavernous dance room, staff members served empanadas and classic Argentine milanesas, breaded, fried meat filets, straight from the grill.

Argentine milanesas

After the touristy dinner shows conclude each night, the professional tango dancers, some with stage makeup still caked on, migrate to community centres, dance halls and recreational facilities across Buenos Aires to join the masses in any one of multiple milongas or prácticas taking place. The milonga — essentially any place or event where people gather to dance tango — is where the history of the dance meets its future, where the nostalgic sounds of accordions blend with the rejuvenating energy of youth, and where the most seasoned dancers share the dance floor with novices. Milongas bring together a cross-section of all walks of life: local, international, young and old.

A milonga

This underground, nocturnal world of tango offers the purest way for visitors to experience the dance. At its roots, tango is not a choreographed performance. Though most milongas do include an impressive invitational performance from professional dancers mid-way through the evening, the dance floor is open for improvisation the rest of the night.

The vast majority of milonga attendees are serious about learning or perfecting the tango, though no skill level is required to attend. Additionally, most milongas begin the night with a lesson. Non-dancers are welcome to sit at any one of the tables that ring the dance floor, order a bottle of wine and observe the throngs of couples tangoing. As opposed to a dinner show, which costs hundreds of Argentinean pesos, entrance to a milonga ranges between 15 and 30 pesos.

Couples dance the tango at Villa Malcolm’s Monday night milonga in Buenos Aires

“This is the real tango, ” said Gabrielle Stein, a professional tango dancer and guide for Narrative Tango Tours, which takes small groups of no more than six people on private tours to milongas around the city. Stein teaches the groups about the history, culture and social codes of the tango, and shares her own experiences of learning and dancing it.

Narrative Tango Tours often takes visitors to one of the most revered milongas in the city, Milonga Parakultural, which takes place three days a week at the historic dance hall Salón Canning. On a recent Friday night in the lit,  high-ceilinged room, men lined the carved, wooden bar, scouting out their next dance partners. Those who had already paired off filled the dance floor. True to the mixed crowd of a milonga, a man who at first glance appeared too frail to walk was one of most skilful and desired dancers of the night; he was never without a partner.

Club Fulgor, Villa Crespo

Club Fulgor (Loyola 828; 15-4066-5831), in the Villa Crespo neighbourhood, is a small venue compared Villa Malcolm and Salón Canning. The tango practiced at Club Fulgor’s Praktika 8 or Milonga10 on Tuesday and Saturday nights is contemporary, with high kicks and fancy twists, and showier than the more traditional style seen at Salón Canning. On one Tuesday night, a dancer in attendance had competed in the Tango World Cup in August.

Some of the city’s top tango dancers also regularly take to the floor at La Viruta, an unpretentious space below an Armenian cultural centre in the Palermo neighbourhood. The hall hosts tango classes six days a week, with most ending in a práctica, as well as other dance classes, such as salsa.

The milonga La Glorieta

One of the most unexpected milonga spots in Buenos Aires is in a sizable, lit gazebo in the sloping park facing the Belgrano C train station. The free milonga La Glorieta, gets started around 7 pm, much earlier than most other milongas in the city.

Karina Martinez-Carter

23 Nov 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20111121-the-tango-buenos-aires-tourists-never-see

Average Rating: 4.4 out of 5 based on 252 user reviews.

This article is written by Manoj Radhakrishnan, an engineer and a travel photographer & writer based in Pune

The first day in Arequipa found the five of us – the aussies, the Bedfords and yours truly – opting to go on a masochistic excursion to the Colca canyon, which included waking up at 2 in the morning and ascending 2400m along a bumpy road. My body reacted violently to the sudden elevation change and by the time we reached our breakfast stop, I had managed to get rid of my previous night’s dinner and half of my body fluids in three attempts. The famous coca tea, which I drank by the gallon, managed to convince my body that the world was not coming to an end. The primary reason for all the effort was to make it to the canyon, which by the way is the deepest in the world, by early morning to see the the flight of the andean condors, which by the way is the largest flying bird in the world. The condors rise from the canyon floor with the thermals and we were lucky to see a half a dozen of them that morning. The canyon was completely covered by many pre-inca terraces where cultivation is carried on even today. There were some 11th century stone plans of the terraces showing the major aqueducts which irrigate the region. Needless to add, these plans were fairly accurate even today. We also saw the famous hanging tombs of Choquetica, named so because the people used to hang from top of the cliffs to build them and hence the only way to reach them is also from the top! On the way back, we stopped at the high pass, the Patapampa pass which is at an elevation of 4800m and also at various other points to watch herds of grazing llamas, alpacas and the rarer vicunas. During one of the pit stops, we had a llama entering our van and going for our food pack. When I tried to pull the food away, the llama started using its secret weapon : the spit. In order to save us some washing, we fed the llama all of the sugar puffs that Juliet had bought the previous day. We were later informed by the guide that these puffs were known as the Peruvian viagra. Well, in case there is a sudden explosion of llama population in Peru, you know whom to blame!

Llamas

Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5 based on 207 user reviews.

This article is written by Priyank Thatte. Priyank is a noted travel blogger and his blog  features in a list of India’s best bloggers. He is currently employed at the Ministry of Community and Social Services, Government of Ontario. He is based in Ontario, Canada. He is one of our guest contributors.

Over the course of urbanisation and economic development, cities get transformed and often lose their historic flavour. Few cities in the world have been able to actively preserve and restore their cities back to the historic and architectural splendour from centuries ago that the places were known for. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is one of such cities and has the honour of being awarded a status of “world heritage” city back in 1978, the first time that any city had earned this acclaim.

Sign in Quito’s Grand plaza: “Cultural capital of America, 2011

I am extremely curious about historical sites, architecture and recognitions such as these. So, armed with a list of criteria that UNESCO uses to select heritage sites, I began my  in a UNESCO way.

World Heritage city: Criteria for selection lays down 10 criteria for selecting a UNESCO site. 6 of these criteria relate to cultural capital.

1. “represents a masterpiece of human creative genius”

2. “exhibits an important interchange of human values, over a span of time, or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning, or landscape design”

3. “bears a unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared”

4. “is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history”

5. “is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture, or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change”

6. “is directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance”

Quito’s historic centre, the “Old Quito”

“Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 2, 850 m. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America. The monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and the Church and Jesuit College of La Compañía, with their rich interiors, are pure examples of the ‘Baroque school of Quito’, which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art.”  – Quito, on UNESCO.

1. Monastery of Santo Domingo

The Santo Domingo church was built in the first half of 17th century. The building occupies the eastern side of large Plaza Santo Domingo around which Quito’s public transportation system (Trole bus) winds.

2. Monastery of San Francisco

Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco, colloquially known as El San Francisco was built in 1604. When I was here last month, the facade was being repaired and the building was closed for visits except for a mass at 17:00. I snuck in as people were assembling, just before the ceremony began, and took some pictures.

3. Church and Jesuit College of La Compañía

La Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesús, known colloquially as La Compañia is a Jesuit church in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador. It is one of the best-known churches in Quito because of its interior plaster and wood carvings. The large central nave, which is lavishly decorated with gold leaf, is supposedly one of the best in world. It costs $2 to enter this church and you are not permitted to photograph inside. hmph!

Quito School of Architecture: Fusion of European and Native American concepts

Under the influence of the Spanish rule and the Catholic religion between 1542 and 1824, the Quito school of architecture established its identity as an artform with a combination and adaptation of European and Indigenous (local people of south america) features.

The technique of “Encarnado” (simulation of the colour of human flesh) is the main characteristic of the school. Due to this, I thought that the work looked quite life-like, in comparison to its sister European art in which human bodies were mostly pale and monotonous. In addition, characters depicting stories from the Bible are dark skinned locals, and you can clearly see the inclusion of ancestral indigenous “pagan” customs and iconography such as the use of animals and natural forces.

Church and Plaza Santo Domingo.

So, these were some of the principal world heritage sights in Quito and I took a lot of time checking these out. But it was only the tip of an iceberg, there was an entire UNESCO city to discover.

Which UNESCO cities have you visited and what was your experience?

Priyank Thatte

8 Oct 2011

Author bio: Priyank is a world traveller and a travel blogger who was recently backpacking in Ecuador, South America. Checkout his travel blog, join his facebook page and follow him on twitter.

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 276 user reviews.

South America has long captivated travellers with its plethora of natural and cultural wonders. Take a quick inventory of continental highlights, and it is easy to see why — idyllic beaches, snow-covered mountains and tropical rainforests, all of which make a fine backdrop for a memorable holiday.

There is just one catch: this continent is massive. There is simply no way to see it all (unless you have a couple of spare years up your sleeve). So if you have been thinking of going but do not quite know where to begin, here is a quick primer on South America’s top destinations:

Peru and Bolivia


The Plaza de Armas of the city of Cuzco, Peru at night.

One of the many classic South American routes involves bumping around the Andes, visiting the indigenous villages, colonial towns and ancient ruins found amid those staggering mountain peaks. Peru is a great place to start. High in the Andes, you will find enchanting Cuzco, the oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent and a fine base for exploring archaeological treasures like nearby Machu Picchu. Other Peruvian highlights include trekking in the Cordillera Blanca, walking the cobblestone streets of Arequipa, flying over the mystical Nazca Lines and visiting the floating islands in Lake Titicaca.

Reed Islands, Lake Titicaca

At Titicaca, you can continue by boat across to Bolivia, home to enthralling indigenous villages, biologically rich forests, soaring mountains and the bizarre and beautiful salt flats of Salar de Uyuni.

Ecuador

The Quilotoa loop, heart of The Andes, Ecuador

If time is limited and you hope to pack a lot into your itinerary, smallish Ecuador is a good bet. It has the beautiful colonial towns of Quito and Cuenca that are among the best places to study Spanish in South America (notable for inexpensive one-on-one language schools and homestays with local families). The famed Andean mountains are never far, and you can trek through alpine scenery (the four-day Quilotoa loop is popular), mountain bike along rugged mountain roads, bird-watch in cloud forests or arrange horseback rides on the flanks of snow-covered volcanoes (try Cotopaxi National Park). You can also spend a few days in a rainforest lodge in the Amazon. If time and budget allow, tack on a five-day tour of island-hopping in the Galapagos at the end.

Brazil

Pretty Paraty, Brazil

Larger than the continental US, Brazil is the geographic (and economic) giant of South America. It is also Latin America’s priciest country, so plan accordingly. Planted among forest-covered mountains, Rio de Janeiro is a magnificent introduction to Brazil, with a great music scene, alluring beaches and heady festivals. A few hours away, you can explore remote coastline, rainforest-covered islands (such as Ilha Grande) and colonial towns like jewel-box Paraty. With more time, you can add a few internal flights and visit other regions, starting in the northeast in Salvador, a colourful colonial city that is the drumming heart of Afro-Brazilian culture. Other options: thundering Iguazu Falls on the Argentine border; Belem or Manaus, gateways to the Amazon; and architecturally intriguing Brasilia.

Colombia

Parque Nacional Tayrona

If you have not heard by now, Colombia is open for travel and safer than it has been in decades. Bogota, the high mountain capital, is a cultural behemoth with salsa-filled nightclubs, charming cafes and intriguing nearby sights — including a surreal underground salt cathedral, 50km north of the city. For other Colombian hits, try sunning on the Caribbean coast at Taganga or the pristine beaches of nearby Parque Nacional Tayrona; trekking to the Ciudad Perdida (“Lost City”), the largest pre-Colombian town in the Americas; or exploring the photogenic streets of colonial Cartagena and its neighbouring coral-fringed islands.

Argentina and Chile

Patagonia’s beautiful untamed landscape

Anchoring Latin America’s southern extremes, these two countries have vineyards, lively capitals and share the laid-back Lakes District, home to hot springs, picturesque villages and outdoor activities such as hiking, rafting, climbing and skiing. You will find unrivalled adventure in Patagonia: trekking and horse riding against a backdrop of glaciers, petrified forests, snow-covered peaks and other stunning scenery.

Regis St Louis

9 Nov 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20111107-a-beginners-guide-to-south-america

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 160 user reviews.

I have always felt an affinity with wild animals and they, likewise, seem inordinately attracted to me. On a visit to the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York this summer, a black racer snake crawled across my foot. On safari in the Serengeti of Africa we encountered a lion sleeping with his head hidden behind a rock. I politely asked him to sit up for a photo. My guide’s snigger turned to amazement when the lion sat up regally and looked directly at me. After snapping a few photos I thanked the huge male and he laid back down.

Of all my wildlife encounters around the world, none have been more astounding than those with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. Sea lions have a reputation as curious animals who often investigate divers. Last year in Mexico a family of sea lions checked me out from a respectful distance as I snorkeled in the cold blue waters off the coast of La Paz, Mexico. But in the Galapagos, these sleek brown animals collected by the hundreds on beaches and lay across trails, completely indifferent to humans. On land it was usually not a problem to maintain the six foot distance required between man and animal, though at times our diversions took us through boulder fields and prickly vegetation. In the water, however, it was another story.

One day my sister and I snorkeled around a point and swam into a cove surrounded by submerged rocks where a lone sea lion frolicked. He torpedoed back and forth and swam circles around us, inching ever closer. We twisted and turned, trying to keep him in view, but he was just too fast for us. I popped to the surface and yelled for the rest of our group to join us. Instead of being threatened by our larger numbers, the sea lion seemed energized. Time and again he broke the surface for air and nose-dived to the bottom. Playfully, he began exhaling as he raced around us, encasing us in a cylinder of bubbles that began as giant oval pockets and broke into a million swirling, iridescent pinpoints that slowly rose to the surface. Though I don’t have an underwater camera, one of my fellow writers did and he very graciously allowed me to show the above video.

Later that week, rather than snorkel or kayak, I opted for a trip to a gorgeous white sand beach on Chinese Hat. After a swim in the crystalline turquoise waters I settled down on my towel and was soon fast asleep. A shout from our naturalist, Ceci Guerrero, woke me up. “Bobbie, get up. Don’t touch, just look.” (with three Barbaras on the trip, I had been dubbed Bobbie). Two young female sea lions were waddling up the sand toward me. Curious, one of them touched my thigh with its nose while the other went around my back side. I turned to follow the antics of the one at my rear, unaware of what was happening at the shore, until Guerrero yelled again. “Watch out Bobbie! Look behind you.” A giant bull had chased away a young male and herded these two young females onto the beach, intending to add them to his harem. Sensing that I was a new threat, he rose from the ocean and headed toward me. The ensuing series of photos taken by Ceci show what happened better than I can put into words.

Throughout the eight days of our cruise, sea lions were the most precocious, delightful animals of all the species we encountered. They are so cute that I yearned to reach out and touch one, but of course that is prohibited. I asked our other naturalist, Yvonne Mortola, if she’d ever felt their fur. “Only a dead one, ” she replied. As much as she would like to stroke a live sea lion, she believes doing so would be the beginning of the end.

Despite the fact that Mortola can’t touch the animals in the Galapagos, she has a unique relationship with them. One day I thought she asked me to turn around so she could take my picture. When I complied she laughed, “I was talking to the lava lizard.” The lizard willingly turned around on its rock and posed for a photo. I was delighted to learn that I am not the only crazy person who thinks she can communicate with animals.

Barbara Weibel

24 Oct 2011

http://holeinthedonut.com/2011/10/24/galapagos-islands-ecuador-sea-lions/

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 based on 203 user reviews.

This article is written by Manoj Radhakrishnan, an engineer and a travel photographer & writer based in Pune

On our last morning in Cusco, the group formally split and after a tearful farewell, four of us – Bedfords, Mike and yours truly – found ourselves heading towards Puerto Maldonado to spend a few days in the Amazon jungle. Puerto was built during the heights of gold rush and thanks to the mining, this place has the highest mercury poisoning in the world. A three hour boat ride from the airport took us to our destination, Explorers Inn, situated in the middle of the Tambopata Wildlife Reserve. We were welcomed by hot sticky weather, a battalion of butterflies and an army of mosquitos. Explorers Inn is a fantastic place for naturalists who stay here collecting vast quantities of data for their research. Our guide was one such naturalist, Nicole, who had an excellent knowledge of the jungle.

A macaw at The Tambopata Wildlife Reserve

One of the best places to watch bird life in the jungle are the clay licks (or clay mounds) found along the rivers. Once in every two/three days lots of birds, especially the parrots, come to these mounds to feed on the clay. They do this either to neutralise their acidic diet or to remove toxins from their body or to get some vital minerals – the exact reason is still unknown. The howler monkeys (they sound like 50 pressure cookers) ensure that entire forest wakes up by 5 in the morning, which infact gave us enough time to get into the hide to watch the parrots feed on clay – an absolutely unique sight, I must admit. Another place to watch the parrots feed are the Amasisi trees which can be recognised by their bright red flowers – one of the favourite foods for the parrots and the macaws. The bark of this tree is used extensively for treating eye infections.

We spent rest of the morning visiting the local village, popularly knows as the infernos. These infernos were created when the Andean people, attracted by its greenery, came down to the jungle to pursue agriculture. What they did not realise is that,   for all its greenery, the jungle has one of the poorest soils in the world. It is the constant decaying top layer which provides the much needed nutrients to sustain the jungle. Clearing the jungle for cultivation stops this process and thereby makes the land useless for the future. In fact a piece of land takes about 20 years to recover from a year of cultivation! The disappointment of the initial settlers when they learnt this fact is reflected in the name : the infernos. Despite this fact, there are a few papaya and banana plantations which support the people in these villages. Among the things we ate, my favourites were the cocona, a tomato like fruit, and the chocolate – for the first time in my life, I was seeing chocolates grow on trees! The wild cats in the jungle are always in grave danger from these village people. If any of the cats poses any threat to the livestock, its days are numbered. One of the locals working in the village hospital showed us a freshly killed ocelot’s skin. It was a sad sight especially when we know that the naturalists on the other side of the river are spending months following their footsteps trying their best to study these nocturnal creatures.

An Ocelot kitten resting on a tree

The poor quality by of the soil combined with the struggle for the sunlight have created some unique adaptations amongst the plants/trees in the jungle, the best example of which is the tree known as the walking palm. The tree is capable of sending new roots towards regions rich in nutrients and severing the old ones, thereby actually “walking” to the food rich locations. A typical walking palm walks upto 40cms in its life time. The strangler fig, in order to maximise the sunlight it receives, starts its growth top down from the top branches of a host tree. When the fig becomes self supporting, it kills the host tree by cutting off its sunlight. The trees such as the capirone sheds its bark continuously to get rid of the climbers so that they can photosynthesise through their trunk. There are also trees like the tangorona tree which achieves their goal by hosting a certain species of ants called the fire ants. These ants feed on the nearby vegetation and ensure that no other tree can grow in the vicinity of their host!

A Black Caiman wading through a jungle lake

After dinner time was usually spent looking for tarantulas and caimans. The caiman search was done under bright moonlight using an additional searchlight. Although we did manage to spot a few, we all enjoyed the boat ride more than the search. During one of the days, we also had a futile search for the giant Amazonian otters in the biggest lake of the area, Cocacocha. Although we did not see the otters, we were happy to see a few hoatzins, the national bird of Guyana and also the only bird that has a foregut for fermentation – like a cow, and a few pretty Amazonian butterflies which were flying around us to feed on the salts from our sweat. Tambopata was also the place where I discovered the bird watcher in me. Free afternoons with all the jungle sounds brainwashed me into believing that I can also start recognising the calls of the birds just like the locals and the naturalists. Well, with about 1000 different species and with birds such as cecique, which can imitate 100 other birds, my goal wasn’t easy to achieve. In the end I am happy that I could recognise the few obvious ones like the screaming peehaws – which spents 85% of its life calling for its mate – and the macaws.

A Peruvian Pinktoe Tarantula

Although I spent lesser days in the jungle compared to the desert and the mountains, I enjoyed the stay here as much, if not better, than the other two regions. After a few more flight journeys, few more farewell hugs and a few more last suppers, I was back in reality… back in LA. Only the photographs and the occasional email from the east are stopping me from concluding that those 25 days, when the time stood still, was not a dream.

Manoj Radhakrishnan

http://www.travel-notes.org/amazon.html

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 205 user reviews.

The best way to get to the Christ the Redeemer statue is by cog train through the rain forest.

In Rio de Janeiro you will often hear the Tijuca Forest described as the largest jungle in the world, inside a city. It is not really true – Brazilians love superlatives and it is actually difficult to define what would be an “urban forest” – but the Tijuca National Park is big enough to nest amazing paths and hidden natural jewels. And, best of all, it is only a short bus ride away from Rio de Janeiro’s downtown.

“There are more than 90 kilometres of trails in the Tijuca National Park. It’s amazing to feel you’re deep in the jungle inside a metropolis like Rio de Janeiro, ” said park ranger Thiago Haussig. The 39-square-kilometre park is the first highly successful reforestation project in Brazil, started back in the second half of the 19th Century. Coffee farms had caused widespread deforestation and Rio’s water supply was threatened. In 1861 military police major Manuel Archer was given the order to replant the whole forest with the help of six slaves. And amazingly, they planted 100, 000 trees in less than six years.

It took another 100 years for the forest to be officially designated a national park in 1961 and only over the last decade have tracks been clearly marked and reasonably well kept. The park management claims all of them can be explored without guides but they admit that people do go astray with disturbing frequency. “On average, two groups get lost every year. But we have the resources and the expertise to deal with this and people are always found, ” said Mr. Haussig.

The problem is, there are very few sources of information on the tracks in Rio. The NGO Terra Brasil has a decent website with basic information on the most popular tracks, but the maps are small and lack detail. A few years ago the organization published a bilingual guide (in English and Portuguese), Tracking in the Tijuca National Park, with more detailed information on 90 tracks in the park, but it is out of print. Pedro Menezes de Correa’s Trilhas do Rio is another good out-of-print book on hiking in the Tijuca Forest and beyond. You can look for copies of both in the second-hand bookshops in downtown Rio. The Tijuca National Park management is currently drawing up a new map, expected to be in print around July for the commemoration of the park’s 150th anniversary.

Of the more well known routes, a long and locally popular hike is the one up to the Gavea Stone. The trail begins with two hours of a light track until you reach the Carrasqueira, a steep wall of stone crossed with the use of ropes and helmets. “It’s not really that hard and many people don’t even use the safety gear. But we strongly advise people to take these precautions, ” said Gabriel Werneck, owner of the adventure tour operator Rio Hiking. It takes another hour to overcome the Carrasqueira and then an additional 45 minutes to reach the peak. At 834 metres above the sea, the peak has views of Rio that will take away any breath you may have left after the hike up.

Tracks can also be a fresh approach to visiting traditional landmarks of Rio de Janeiro, like Corcovado Mountain. Instead of riding the touristy tram to the famous mountain-top statue of Christ the Reedemer, you can take a walk to the base through the jungle, past refreshing small waterfalls on the way. The trail begins in the beautiful Parque Laje, neighbouring the Botanical Gardens, and continues through the jungle for two hours. It follows the rails of the Corcovado Tramway for the last half hour of ascent where attentiveness is essential to avoid accidents with the trams. Until a few years ago, travellers walking up the trail would bypass the ticket booths to reach the belvedere on the summit of the Corcovado and the statue of the Christ, but stricter controls are now in place and no one gets there for free anymore.

Paulo Cabral

March 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110301-trekking-in-rio

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 279 user reviews.