Blogs

Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic Penguins on Tour

11/16/2014

Visitors who depart from South America on Antarctica tours will have the most opportunities to observe Emperor Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and Adelie penguins if they choose an itinerary that travels to the Weddell Sea, the islands off the Antarctica Peninsula and along the peninsula itself. After arriving at their breeding grounds at the end of October, Chinstraps are laying eggs about the time that Emperor colonies are beginning to head back out to sea with their new brood.

The National Parks of the Central Andes

11/16/2014

San Guillermo National Park
Other wildlife in the park that you might see on your Argentina tours includes the puma, red fox, small lizard species and the Andean condor. The vegetation of the park's puna region and central Andes is bush steppe with typical Andean flowers. The park contains remnants of the Inca Trail.

The Quilombos of Brazil

11/16/2014

One quilombo was developed on the Trombetas River, a tributary of the Amazon, at Pancada Falls, a treacherous waterway that the slaves could navigate but their hunters could not. Another was built at Bacabal, on the fluvial island of Marajo that separates the mouths of the Amazon and Para rivers, making a perfect setting for a quilombo. On the coast, rather than inland where most of the other quilombos were established, Bacabal was nonetheless equally inaccessible.

Chile in Film

11/16/2014

Many people prepare for their travel to Chile by reading guidebooks or the nation’s literature. For those who prefer to learn about the country before the start of their Chile tours by watching films, here are some suggestions.

Galapagos Island Whale Watching

11/16/2014

Many baleen whale species pass through the waters of the Galapagos Islands from time to time, including blue, sei, humpbacks and southern minkes. Of the baleens, Bryde’s whales are the most likely species that visitors will see during their travel to the Galapagos Islands. Humpbacks stop by in June during their winter migration. Orcas, short-finned pilot whales and smaller toothed species such as the bottlenose and common dolphins are also frequent visitors.

Whales on Tour in Panama

11/16/2014

The largest whale species inhabit the waters on Panama’s Pacific coast. Humpbacks may be seen close to Panama City around Taboga- Island and further out in the Gulf of Panama off the islands of the Archipelago de las Perlas, making easy day-trips from the capital. Most people who want to see humpbacks during their travel to Panama head to the Azuero Peninsula in the center of the country.

The Northern Highlands

11/16/2014

Terrain and Weather

In northern Peru, the Andes divide into three ranges, the Cordillera Occidental, near the coast, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera Oriental, splitting into more ranges, most predominantly, the Cordillera Blanca where Peru’s highest peak, 22,205-ft Mt. Huascaran is found, and the Cordillera Negra. On the west, the region is comprised of these towering peaks of the Andean ranges, fertile valleys, verdant highlands, grassland slopes and plateaus, called punas, and deep canyons.

Wines of Uruguay

11/16/2014

Uruguay contains twenty-one viticultural districts. Three-quarters of Uruguay’s wine production is in reds, almost forty percent of which is Tannat, a grape brought here by Basque immigrants. The hearty Tannat is to Uruguay as Malbec is to Argentina, a grape that can fully ripen on the vine and is the country’s best-known wine. Though Uruguay is home to some three hundred wineries, many family-owned, few export. Besides Tannat, most of Uruguay’s other export reds are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Some prefer the tannic-tasting Tannat in blends with other varieties.

Chilean Flamingos

11/15/2014

The Chilean flamingo is the largest of Chile’s three species of flamingos, just slightly bigger than the Andean flamingo, reaching an adult weight of about seven pounds and a height of less than five feet. Its body is pink with shading transitioning to a darker pink on the hindquarters. Its gray legs have pink at what we wrongly believe to be the knee joint which is actually the ankle. The bill is black as are the under-feathers, noticeable when the bird flies.

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