ARCHIVES: SOUTH AMERICA

THE SACRED VALLEY: Pisca, Peru
From the historic Inca city of Cuzco, my wife, Alexa, and I took a collectivo taxi (a mini van filled with local Peruvians) over the mountains surrounding Cuzco down into the “Sacred Valley” to the village of Pisac. The town is situated in the bottom of the valley created by the Urubamba River. The Sacred Valley is lined with massive mountains on either side of the river, with flat farmland in the bottom of the valley.

THE CITY WITH A STORIED PAST: Cusco, Peru
According to Andean Mythology, Inti the Sun God ordered Manco Qhapac to find “the navel of the earth” (qosco). At the navel, a golden rod could be plunged into the ground until it disappeared. Manco located such a spot – a perfectly flat valley surrounded on all sides by high mountains. He then established Cusco with himself as its first emperor.

HORSING AROUND IN ARGENTINA: Patagonia
‘Andrés, do horses like being ridden?’ I ask Andrés, our guide. We are riding in the Parque National Nahuel Huapi, in Argentine Patagonia, just above Villa la Angostura, and between Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes. ‘I think they’d rather be grazing in a field,” Andreas replies. “But once you decide to ride, you have to play by the rules. Talk to her! Kick her! Use the stick!’

AN ANCIENT CITY THAT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY: Tiwanaku, Bolivia
Isolated on the desolate Bolivian Altiplano, the ancient city of Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) is all that remains of the first great Andean civilization. An enigmatic people occupied this cold, harsh plateau for almost 2,800 years and then mysteriously disappeared around 1200 CE.

CITY OF THE INCAS: Machu Picchu, Peru
As I climb the twisted stone staircase up the mountain, it gives me the view of Machu Picchu that I had seen in countless postcards. This spot is the best-known archaeological site on the entire South American continent. The viewpoint gives me a clear picture of the ruins – allowing me to understand their layout.

CASAPUEBLO: Punta Ballena, Uruguay
Carlos Paez Vilaró, the artist, spent thirty years developing his unique home/hotel/museum/studio from a shack into Casapueblo, the massive, rambling, white-domed creation it is today. As in his paintings, there are no straight lines in this unique cliff-hugging structure.

MAS A TIERRA - ROBINSON CRUSOE ISLAND: The Chiliean Juan Ferandez Archipelago
In 1705 a Scottish sailor Alexander Selkrik was shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. The story of the hardships endured by this mariner inspired the writer Daniel Defoe to write the classic novel Robinson Crusoe, which we are all familiar. In 1966, the Chilean government named the location Robinson Crusoe Island.

WALKING THE BARRIOS OF SANTIAGO: Santiago, Chile
Located in one of the most spectacular settings of any city in the world, Chile is unique. From the lush Plaza de Armas in Santiago Centro with it’s colonial architectural gems, to the high-tech Las Condes financial district with it’s modern skyscrapers, Santiago has much to offer the visitor.

MATE MATES: Socializing Uruguayan Style
I’ve been invited to matear, Uruguayan style. Mate is a national social pastime here. The mate is a calabash: you fill it with a bitter dried leaf called yerba, add boiling water, and sip it through a bombilla – a silver straw. The set of mate, bombilla and yerba are also referred to as mate, and the verb, matear, means to sip it.

ARGENTINA’S ASCENT INTO THE CLOUDS: Salta, Argentina
The eighteenth century Cabildo, built to house the town council, with its two story rows of arches, is characteristic of the hispanic architecture around the Plaza. At more than one thousand kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, Salta is the best preserved colonial city in Argentina.

LA VIRGEN DE LA YEMANJA: Montevideo, Uruguay
Today, 2 February, is the feast of the Virgen de la Yemanya: the patron of fishermen. This evening, after dusk, people will flock to the Rio de la Plata, dressed in white, bringing gifts for her: sweets, clothes, and jewellery - gold chains, necklaces and watches. The gifts will be sent out to sea on paper and cardboard boats, to sink to the bottom, or be washed up on the shore.

NO ORDINARY CHRISTMAS: Bolivia, South America
Magically, as our bus enters the lakeshore city of Puno, the sounds of flutes, drums and bells float across the air. Craning our necks out of the window, we see elaborately costumed dancers twirling to the rhythm of the music. “Puno is the festival capital of Peru!” says our bus driver.

SURROUNDED BY CLOUDS: Machu Picchu, Peru
At the end of the 15th century, the secluded Inca citadel Machu Picchu was a vibrant city still being carved into the Andean peaks flanking the Urubamba River canyon. Machu Picchu fell into disuse, and, quickly enveloped by the robust undergrowth of the jungle, became motionless, frozen in time.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK: Quito, Ecuador
The Iglesia de San Francisco, or Church of Saint Francis, in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador, is one of the oldest churches in South America. Founded in 1535, this massive stone and whitewash construction has witnessed nearly 500 years of history. What might it tell us of all that it has seen?

OFF THE GRINGO TRAIL IN PERU: Sipán, Peru
With the uncovering of over 1000 ceramic pots containing food for the afterlife, archaeologist Walter Alva knew his 1987 discovery near the village of Sipán, Peru was of major importance. I can only imagine his euphoria when under the pots he unearthed a sarcophagus of a king in royal splendour, and deeper digs revealed other kings and priests – the Lords of Sipán.

CHILLIN’ IN CHILE: Exploring the Atacama Desert on a Horse With No Name
I arrived in the Atacama Desert four days ago, and it rained. I’m not joking. It rained. San Pedro de Atacama is one of the driest places on earth. The average humidity is 35%, the skies are clear for 330 days a year, and there is very little rain, which generally falls over about three days in February.

SEÑORA DE CAO: QUEEN, GODDESS, WARRIOR: La Libertad, Peru
I had come to Peru to experience the northern coastal areas for the first time. My travels to the other regions over the years were, in the final analysis, great adventures, but the excitement of discovery was muted by the sense that everything of any consequence had been excavated and housed in museums. The northern coastal areas remained, by contrast, relatively untouched.