In March 2006 I took a 5-day trip to the island of Isla Gorgona. It is now a national park and its coral reefs and tropical treasures are protected from fishing interests and other exploitation. The snorkeling was excellent and I saw sea turtles, sharks, sting rays and many colorful tropical fish. I will never forget this isolated and unique place. [View Full Entry]

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After 6 days in the capital of Quito it was off to the southern colonial city of Cuenca. Cuenca is the old northern headquarters of the Inca empire. So the city has an interesting mix of indigenous people, mestizo and some spaniards. It is quite a relaxing place and although the people don't welcome you from the first glance the Cuencanos are actually quite nice people. Have a look at some of the sights. [View Full Entry]

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After over 2 months in Colombia it was culture shock arriving in Quito. SO MANY GRINGOS! It has been 10 years since I was in Quito and the colonial city has been painted ever so beautifully. Quito is a colonial gem and I hope you enjoy some of these photos. [View Full Entry]

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Welcome to Cali land of beautiful women and salsa music culture [View Full Entry]

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South America 2005 Part 2 begins with these photos of Bogota Colombia [View Full Entry]

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After being in the big cities it was time to kick back in the little town of Salento pop. 5,000. [View Full Entry]

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After 5 days in Bogota it was off to the coffee growing region with Manizales as one of the 3 cities in the area. [View Full Entry]

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After a few days in Bariloche it was off to San Martin and Junin de Los Andes. San Martin is about 2 hours north of Bariloche and is another tourist hot spot being so close to the national parks. Junin has a strong indigenous (Mapuche) influence and was especially interesting with the park called "Viachrsti" (Christ´s Path) with its statues and carvings depicting mixtures of Christian struggle combined with Mapuche history. I am fascinated with Viachristi. The sculptures are indeed works of art and the park a gem in Mapuche culture. I have never seen such a mixture of Christ with [View Full Entry]

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Leaving the rugged climes of Southern Patagonia I arrived in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche. This city sits on the banks of Lake Huapi and is very close to National Parks Huapi and Lanin. The architecture is influenced by the Swiss Alps as the area is a booming ski mecca in winter (May to September). I had the chance to catch some intersting festival activities and do alot of catching up on simple kicking back and relaxing at the beach. Hope you enjoy the photos. [View Full Entry]

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I flew on a small two prop airplane from Puerto Natales, Chile to El Calafate, Argentina. I was the only person on the flight. Too bad they didn´t fly over Torres del Paine like I had hoped they would. I guess if I was a pilot I wouldn´t feel too comfortable flying over an area with treacherous winds and thermal updrafts. We instead flew over the Patagonian steppe. [View Full Entry]

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