South America Travelogue

[PeterRS]

Just some photos from a month long trip to South America. In all I visited four countries and wish i had had time to visit more. I particularly loved Cusco, the stopping off point for most people visiting Machu Picchu. There are so many valleys around the city that I would love to explore had I enough cash and was a few years younger! 

Rio with Cocacabana in the background

Colonial architecture in Buenos Aires

The Dutarte Mausoleum where Eva Peron is buried

A small part of the breathtaking iguazu Falls.  When Eleanor Roosevelt visited, she is said to have exclaimed, "Poor Niagara!"

The Andes towering over Santiago

If you fly down from Santiago to Punta Arenas in the far south in the daytime make sure you have a window seat on the left side of the aircraft so that the wonders of the South American Ice Sheet are easily viewed

The Perito Moreno Glacier from the air - allegedly one of the few advancing glaciers in the world

My favourite shop in Punta Arenas in the far south - a chocolate shop!

The amazing Torres de Paine granite mountains

A herd of guanaco native to South America

About to enjoy a gaucho lunch

The huge Perito Moreno Glacier at ground level

The multi-colours of buildings in Lima

The Cathedral in the town square of Cusco with the city's flag similar to the rainbow-coloured gay flag

Finally the sight that everyone comes to see - Machu Picchu

[floridarob]

Did you feel in danger in any of the places, get robbed or beaten?

[Latbear4blk]

1 hour ago, floridarob said:

Did you feel in danger in any of the places, get robbed or beaten?

LMFAO. What's the story behind that question?

[floridarob]

32 minutes ago, Latbear4blk said:

LMFAO. What's the story behind that question?

Is a general consensus that South America is so dangerous compared to Thailand on that part of the board.

[PeterRS]

10 hours ago, floridarob said:

Did you feel in danger in any of the places, get robbed or beaten?

On that long trip I was just an ordinary tourist staying in a variety of guest houses and hotels I had located on the internet. Only one high end hotel to explore the wonderful area around the Torres del Paine mountains, but that cost came along with free gourmet meals, open bar, service of multi-lingual guides and a lot more. It was quite amazing! Travelled everywhere by myself and felt no danger.

Perhaps ironically the only panic moment came as I was preparing to depart from the Iguazu Falls to fly back to Buenos Aires and then the hour's transfer to the international airport for a connecting flight over to Santiago. As I was boarding the plane at the tiny airport, we were suddenly all asked to deplane. We were then stuck in the security area with no refreshments and no information. Turned out a small single seater aircraft had crash landed on the single runway. Although I had allowed about six hours for the transfer, I was using mileage tickets and if I missed the Santiago flight the rest of my trip might be cancelled. Thankfuly the authorities scraped that plane off the runway just in time and I made the Santiago flight with just minutes ro spare.

[msclelovr]

Thanks for posting your report on the trip and your photos @PeterRS

They brought back good memories for me of my various long stays in Latin America. 

[PeterRS]

Just read that the Perito Moreno glacier, for long one that defied the trend of glacial retreat, has now succumbed. Over the last 7 years it has lost 1.92 sq. kms of ice cover and its thickness is decreasing by around 8 meters per year. The glacier had actually continued to advance until 2018 when many would witness its crashing along the rock face in front of it. Sadly no more. It was one of the real highllights of my trip to South America 15 years ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/11/glacier-patagonia-perito-moreno-decline

[Latbear4blk]

3 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Just read that the Perito Moreno glacier, for long one that defied the trend of glacial retreat, has now succumbed.

Now? You are bringing breaking news from 7 years ago.

[PeterRS]

1 hour ago, Latbear4blk said:

Now? You are bringing breaking news from 7 years ago.

I am breaking news that has just appeared in the media.

[Latbear4blk]

2 hours ago, PeterRS said:

I am breaking news that has just appeared in the media.

I've been reading about it for several years, but perhaps it is the relative advantage of being Argentine. 

[PeterRS]

I supose I should not be surprised that the glacier has been retreating. More than 3 decades ago I read in an on-board airline magazine sbout Glacier Bay in Alaska off Juneau. I determined to see it. So on my next trip to New York I stopped off in Seattle for a week's trip up the Inside Passage on a small boat. We saw several glaciers in various fjords and then the well-known Mendenhall Glacier just outside Juneau, but Glacier Bay was the highlight. Only two floating vessels were then allowed in for each 24 hours - one of the large cruise ships and the little boat I was on. We entered the Bay at midniight.

I remember waking up and hearing loud occasional cracking noises. The boat had parked just off the amazing Marjorie Glacier and the cracks were the sound of it moving. Since its discovery 2 centuries earlier, the massive block of ice that covered the entrance to the Bay had retreated around 65 miles with then 17 separate tidewater glaciers coming down as far as the sea. It was clear a larger number had once reached the sea but were now ending up further in the mountains.

It was a fascinating day, seeing not only the glaciers but also a wide variety of sea life including orcas, humpback whales, puffins and a host of others. I have tried without success to check how many tidewater glaciers now remain. I believe it has been reduced to 10 but others may have a more accurate figure.