Getting Around the Southern End The cruise sounds like pretty good value for money Bob and Linda. The distances are pretty decent in this part of the world. 2,000 kms from Santiago to Punta Arenas, a day in a bus from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia. I think though that it would all depend on the time of the year and the weather. If you could see it all it would be magic. If it was rough it could be uncomfortable.
Bariloche Thanks for that. Bariloche sounds good. It is a fair way up. We will go to El Calafate today and probably then up to Bariloche in 3 days. Might fly. We also want to get to Puerto Madryn. It is a big country eh?
Lakes District Don't skip the lakes district. It's really beautiful. I think you'd like it. It's not too cold here in Bariloche, warmer than Puerto Varas.
Getting around the southern end of South America Thanks for the advice about traveling via bus or plane in Peru. I was planning a separate trip to the southern countries of South America and was considering flying into Santiago and renting a car to see the wineries and other sights in the area. Then I was going to join a two week cruise (costing about $1650 per person) from Valparaiso to Punta Arenas, the Chilean Fjords, Ushuaia, Cape Horn, Falkland Islands, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Rio, spending a few days in Brazil after the cruise. I would be curious as to whether you think that this is a good way to see these areas after you have taken both plane and bus.
Airfares vs Buses Hello Bob. The flight from Lima to Cuzco cost about $216 for 2 of us. A bus would have been less than half that but then it would have been a very long ride. I will PM you with a link to a site we have been using.
Cost of airfare I am planning to visit Peru in October or November 2011 and plan to fly into and out of Lima, and visitng Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Pichu, Puno and Lake Titicaca, and Arequipa. What is the relative cost of flying vs the bus between these places? I and my wife are not much into overnight 20 hour bus rides so need to calculate the cost/benefit, which includes not only the comfort but also time spent. At some point I also want to visit the rest of South America (after Australia and New Zealand) so am following your blog closely as you continue.
Hats and Flowers David
Hope you picked up a knitted hat to match my Ecuardorian effort...
Do tell Pat her photo was of an Osteopermum. Bad news for (Northern) Oz is it requires water, well drained soil, and cloudy weather to get the 'whirlygig' effect... ideal for Blighty; I assume we stole them from South America. In my old garden I grew plants with white petals and purple reverses - an extraordinary sight.
Looking forward to Peru tales - do throw in some stories from the locals you meet if you can, those are my favourite.
Happy Easter; after forty days without meat, I cant wait.
Alex
amazing photos compadre Hi, spent some time from Leticia to Manaus a few years ago but it was mostly raining, managed to see sloaths, macaws and a tigrillo but nothing like you witnessed. Very impresses, where did you arrange your jungle tour from ?
I must admit you have to go to amazon if in south america. did you come across and spider or howler monkeys ?
Sure looks safe and peaceful. I have a friend who just visited Bogota and Cartagena. Your photos sure make us feel confident about visiting these places. Nice blog. Thanks for sharing this.
My goodness, Are you saying that fox have a tendency to blow things way out of proportion to the point of bordering on outright lies................never, Columbia is a very special place, great blog and enjoy the rest of your trip.
Lovely photos I just returned from 2 weeks in Colombia and found it safer than Memphis, TN ( where I live). I travel with another older woman and we felt perfectly safe walking to Plaza Boliva in Cartagena everynight to sit and watch the locals enjoy the park. If you are still there try the Las Vitrola restaurant- fantastic. In Bogota try 'Bore'- it is also quite good and the cafe at the Museo del Oro is fantastic. Carolyn ( blogger name 'gunga)
Loyal Reader (...One Post At a Time) I didn't realize that all this time "maccas" referred to McDonald's! These are the things I've learned from reading your travel posts ;D
No, but really, your travel blog has been amazing so far. I know this is an old post, but I'm following from the earliest (so I don't even know what adventures you two have recently gone on!). I'm planning to read all of them, so it'll take a while before my comments become relevant, haha.
Canon Wandering Enjoy it - until it disappears one day. They should make a tie point for them. Be prepared to bet that Wales is still beautiful. What's a bit of wind?
I maybe that person I have a Canon camera that the cover fits, so maybe it knew it was going to be traded and wanted to stay in Wales!!!!
Your photo's are just great, so amazing to think you can improve on them Pat. Just made and eaten some pasties. Peter is smiling and I'm off to play badminton to get rid of the calories!!!! Cheers from Windy Wales
Lost Something We did wonder where that one went. Not an issue though. Pat was convinced to trade in that lens a few weeks later. Replaced by a single lens that does everything. They are easy to lose so no doubt there will be a Canon person around you sometime who is cursing having lost one and you can make them happy.
We talked to a few people who had children who were recently 15 and they were still quivering with the cost. One, whose daughter was to be 15 in a few months reckoned he would be broke now until she married.
Lost anything?? We do not find cleaning out cars an enjoyable task & never save it for a Sunday morning!! However, if we did then Peter may have found what appears to be one of your Cannon camera lens covers under a seat, presumably from our trip around Llangollen. Have you missed it. Is there anywhere we can send it? Let us know. Thanks for e mail that let us know you were safe and still on the road. Thoroughly enjoyed reading all the recent blogs. Cuba rang a lot of bells. The birthday celebrations in particular. On one occasion a group, Mum daughter, dresser, photographers x2 brought a basket of pidgeons to send into the air for photgraphic enhancement of the occasion. A clapper was used to send them into the air and grain to encourage them to land on the area around and on the daughter!!
Enjoy and good luck xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As a Mexican myself, I recommend traveling to Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, or Yucatan to the Chitzen Itza, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Felicity- Costa Alegre Deals
Nice one Mate. Great blog. Thank you for the trip down memory lane, as I enjoyed this trip in 2009. Baracoa was my favorite. Did you make it to Vinales? I loved the casa particulares too and enjoyed their food more than the restaurants or paladors had to offer.
Our travels over the years have often sought out those places that we haven't yet experienced. We have loved chasing new places, but there is a change underway. We continue to enjoy experiencing other cultures along with their food, beverages, history and ways of life but now, having a little more freedom, we will also make more effort to seek out out such things as music events and festivals, particular natural attractions that we have missed and places where we can better appreciate the history of a place and its people.
The attraction of the road less travelled and the place less visit... full info
Slowfeet
Slowfeet
Getting Around the Southern End
The cruise sounds like pretty good value for money Bob and Linda. The distances are pretty decent in this part of the world. 2,000 kms from Santiago to Punta Arenas, a day in a bus from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia. I think though that it would all depend on the time of the year and the weather. If you could see it all it would be magic. If it was rough it could be uncomfortable.