Around South America in 90 Days

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Around South Americain 90 Days
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So where is it?
about 14 hours later South America
Sydney
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Whats it look like?

• The blue circles indicate the main areas we are
  travelling to.
• Basic travel order is
• Chile
• Easter Island
• Chile
• Ecuador
• Galapagos
• Ecuador
• Peru
• Bolivia
• Paraguay
• Brazil
• Argentina (Buenos Aires)
• Argentina (Patagonia)
• Chile
• home

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Another Map of South America
From Lonely Planet South America on a
Shoestring
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Overview
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Easter Island 1 Dec 04 4 Dec 04
The first phase of our epic journey is a 4 day
stop on Easter Island. Easter Island is the most
remote populated place on earth, the two nearest
population bases are in Chile or Tahiti. Easter
Island is famous for the large statues that
litter the island. But there are a few
volcanoes and other natural suprises.
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Easter Island Statues
Tongariki ahu line of statues on burial mound
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Easter Island Volcano
Rano Raraku crater
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Galapagos Isles 6 Dec 04 10 Dec 04
After a few hops through Chile Ecuador, we
arrive in the Galapagos where we board a boat for
a 5 day cruise. The Galapagos is a group of
islands off Ecuador situated right on the
equator. It is famous due to the diversity and
abundance of wildlife, and was the inspiration
for Darwins theories of evolution.
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Galapagos Isles 6 Dec 04 10 Dec 04
Giant Tortoise
Marine Iguana
Frigate Bird
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Quito, Ecuador 10 Dec 04 20 Dec 04
We spend a long time in Ecuador, particularly
Quito, mostly because we have a week of intensive
Spanish study. In case you don't know, Spanish
is the official language of most countries in
South America. Brazil is the odd one out
speaking Portuguese. Quito is the capital of
Ecuador, and despite being on the equator, it is
almost 3000m above sea level, so the climate
isnt tropically hot. The city is split into the
Old Town and New Town. The Old Town is very
heavily influenced by the Spanish colonial period.
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Quito, Ecuador 10 Dec 04 20 Dec 04
Some images of Quito
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Gran Aventura 20 Dec 04 03 Feb 05
The Grand Adventure starts in Quito, Ecuador,
and travels across to the Amazon jungle and then
turns southward into the dry Sechura Desert of
Peru that lies sandwiched between the Pacific and
the Andes mountain range. Further south we
explore Lima before we head eastward to Cusco,
heart of the Inca Empire. We'll hike the Inca
Trail to Machu Picchu and stay with an Indian
family on Lake Titicaca before arriving in the
Bolivian capital of La Paz. Next are the
colonial towns of Potosi, Sucre and Santa Cruz
and then it is on to the Brazilian frontier at
Corumba. We visit the Pantanal, one of South
America's most famous aquatic reserves before
turning south to the Iguazu Falls and the
Atlantic Rainforests of the eastern
seaboard. And finally, we arrive at the beaches
of Copacabana and Ipanema in spectacular Rio de
Janeiro. Read on for the detailed description
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Gran Aventura 20 Dec 23 Dec
Day 1 2 meet in Quito, with time to look
around. Day 3/Tue/Mishuali We leave Quito early
in the morning, heading eastward down the
mountains, to our simple lodge on the banks of
the Napo River. Day 4/Wed/The Amazon After
breakfast our local guide joins us and we travel
by canoe along the Arajuno River. See medicinal
plants, the indigenous people from the Amazon
Jungle, and wildlife such as Tapirs, Toucans,
Wild Cats, monkeys, capybaras, and boa
constrictors.
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Gran Aventura 24 Dec 25 Dec
Days 5 6/Thu Fri/ Banos Today we leave the
Amazon and, travelling by local bus, we climb
steeply into the Andes. The town of Banos lies in
one of the most beautiful settings in the
Andes. We have time to explore the town, and
venture off into the surrounding countryside.
There are many optional activities including
mountain bike riding, whitewater rafting and
horseback riding.
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Gran Aventura 26 Dec 28 Dec
Day 7/Sat/Rio Bamba In the afternoon we take the
local bus to the town of Rio Bamba, ready to
board our train on Sunday morning Day
8/Sun/Train to Cuenca Today we take a train
journey through the mountains riding The Devil's
Nose on top of the train! The train ride
finishes in the town of Alausi. We then board a
local bus to Cuenca. Day 9/Mon/Cuenca The
colonial city of Cuenca is the focal point of the
region. Not far from the city are the huge Inca
ruins of Ingapirca.
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Gran Aventura 29 Dec 2 Jan 05
Days 1012/TueThu/Sechura Desert to Huanchaco
We catch the bus down to the Peruvian border at
Tumbes where we change over our leaders before
continuing south. We stay overnight in the towns
of Mancora and Chiclayo before arriving at the
fishing and surfing village of Huanchaco. Days
13 14/Fri Sat/Huanchaco Lima Huanchaco
village is famous for its narrow pointed fishing
rafts made of reeds. From Huanchaco we will visit
the magnificent ruins of Chan Chan, the imperial
city of the Chimu Kingdom. We'll also have some
free time to spend at the beach before continuing
on by bus to Lima arriving early evening.
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Gran Aventura 3 Jan 4 Jan
Days 15 16/Sun Mon/Lima Our hotel in Lima is
based in the seaside suburb of Miraflores. Lima
is the capital of Peru During our stay in Lima
well visit the colonial city centre and take in
the many excellent museums that house the
priceless artifacts of the Inca and ancient
coastal civilisations.
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Gran Aventura 5 Jan 6 Jan
Days 17 18/Tue Wed/Cusco On Tuesday morning
we fly to Cusco. We will spend the next two days
exploring this beautiful colonial city. Cusco is
about 3300m above sea level, and is the prelude
to the Inca trail. It is important to aclimatise
to the altitude now before the hike to Machu
Picchu. Famous landmarks include the Plaza de
Armas and the many cathedrals and museums in the
city. Behind the main town are the great Inca
sites of Sacsayhuaman, Quenca and Tambo Machay.
Further on is the beautiful 'Sacred Valley' and
the market town of Pisac.
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Gran Aventura 7 Jan
Day 19/Thu/Inca Trail to Yuncachimpa (13km) We
leave Cusco by bus and travel over the mountains
and down into the Urubamba Valley to the ancient
Inca town of Ollantaytambo where there is time to
gaze upon the massive Inca fortifications before
continuing to Kilometre 82 the starting point of
our trek. Today is a relatively easy hike past
the ancient hill top fort of Huillca Raccay and
the beautiful archaeological site of Llactapata.
Along the way there are stunning views of
snowcapped Veronica Peak (5860m). Our first camp
will be just past the village of Wayllabamba
(3000m).
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Gran Aventura 8 Jan
Day 20/Fri/Inca Trail to Pacaymayo (11km) Today
is the most difficult part of the trek, climbing
to the Warminwanusca (or Dead Woman's) Pass
(4200m). Here the trail changes from dirt to
steps and stone pathways, the true beginning of
the Inca Trail. The descent is steep although not
difficult as we make our way to the valley below
and to our campsite at Pacamayo (3600m).
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Gran Aventura 9 Jan
Day 21/Sat/Inca Trail to Winaywayna (15km) We
climb to the ruins of Runcuracay on our way to
the second pass (4000m). From here it is a
steep descent to the third pass and the ruins
of Sayacmarca where we enter the beautiful
cloudforest, full of orchids, ferns, flowers and
hanging moss. Butterflies flutter across the
trail and the air is pure and clean as we head to
Winaywayna (2450m).
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Gran Aventura 10 Jan
Day 22/Sun/Inca Trail to Machu Picchu return
Cusco (5km) The final leg to Machu Picchu is the
most spectacular of all. We arrive at sunrise at
Inti Punku, the Gateway of the Sun', and through
the rectangular doorway there's a panoramic view
of the Machu Picchu citadel. A short path down
and it's time to explore! If we have plenty of
energy left there is the climb to Huayna Picchu,
the mountain overlooking the site. The climb to
the top takes up to 90mins. In the afternoon we
take the bus down the side of the mountain to the
town of Aguas Calientes where we have time to
relax at the thermal pools before the late train
back to Cusco.
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Gran Aventura 11 Jan 12 Jan
Day 23/Mon/Cusco Our final day in Cusco to relax
or explore. Day 24/Tue/Cusco to Puno After
breakfast we transfer to the bus station where we
join a special tour bus to Puno. On the way we
visit the preInca ruins of Pikillaqta and the
beautiful 17th century cathedral in
Andahuaylillas. We travel over the Le Raya pass
and make our way across the Altiplano to Puno on
the shores of Lake Titicaca.
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Gran Aventura 13 Jan 14 Jan
Day 25/Wed/Lake Titicaca After breakfast we
board a boat and travel across the waters of Lake
Titicaca to the floating reed islands of the Uros
Indians. We make a brief stop here and then
continue on to the beautiful island of Amantani.
We move into family homes for our overnight stay.
The facilities on Amantani are quite basic. Many
homes have no power and the bathroom and toilet
facilities are not the best! During our time on
Amantani we will have time to explore the
island. Day 26/Thu/Amantani to Puno We have
breakfast with our Indian host family and then
board our boat and travel to Taquile Island
before returning to Puno.
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Gran Aventura 15 Jan 17 Jan
Day 27/Fri/Puno to La Paz Our bus to La Paz
follows the shore of Lake Titicaca to the
lakeside town of Copacabana in Bolivia. We stop
for a short visit and lunch, before continuing on
to La Paz. Days 28 29/SatSun/La Paz La Paz,
the highest city in the world, lies nestled in a
steep canyon on the Altiplano. Mount Illimani
towers over the city. We have time to wander the
cobblestone streets and alleyways of this
charming city, explore the colourful markets and
relax in the trendy cafés. On Sunday evening we
take the overnight bus to Potosi.
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Gran Aventura 18 Jan
Day 30/Mon/Potosi Potosi, situated at 4,070
metres, is dominated by the immense Cerro Rico
Mountain. In its heyday it was considered the
richest silver mine in the world. Potosi was
founded in 1545, following the discovery of
silver in Cerro Rico. Evidence of Potosi's rich
colonial past is still to be seen in the form of
its grand colonial architecture, narrow streets
and ornate churches. We enjoy a guided tour of
the city, visiting many of its highlights
including the San Lorenzo church, the Cobija
Arch, the main square and its Cathedral, the
Jesuit Tower and the museum of La Casa de la
Moneda. We do our own thing in the afternoon.
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Gran Aventura 19 Jan 20 Jan
Days 31 32/Tue Wed/Sucre This morning we
drive to the beautiful colonial city of Sucre,
the official capital of Bolivia. The road
descends more than 1,000 metres to the temperate
valleys of Chuquisacra. Small rivers, cactus
fields, fruit and vegetable fields, gentle local
people and their mud huts dominate the valleys.
Sucre is a pleasant city set in a valley
surrounded by low mountains, and has retained the
flavour of its colonial heritage in its churches,
museums and ancient mansions. On arrival we
transfer to our colonial guesthouse, and then
enjoy a guided tour of Old Sucre Wednesday is
free.
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Gran Aventura 21 Jan 22 Jan
Days 33 34/Thu Fri/Santa Cruz On Thursday
morning we transfer to the airport for the flight
to Santa Cruz, the second largest city in Bolivia
and the starting point for our train journey to
the Brazilian frontier. Founded in 1561, Santa
Cruz originally lay 220 kilometres east of its
present location. Towards the end of the 16th
century, however, the city was proving to be
vulnerable to Indians so it was moved to its
present location. This cosmopolitan city has
retained the flavour of its past, with its wide
streets, frontier architecture and small town
atmosphere. Friday is for exploring the main
plaza and the huge cathedral and colonial
buildings before boarding the overnight train to
Puerto Suarez bordering Brazil.
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Gran Aventura 23 Jan 24 Jan
Days 35 36/Sat Sun/Corumba and the
Pantanal This morning we arrive in Puerto Suarez
where we take taxis to the border to meet our
Brazilian leader. After clearing immigration, we
board a van to our lodge at Passo do Lontra in
the heart of the vast wetlands of the Pantanal.
The Pantanal is a huge aquatic reserve, home to
some 650 species of birds, 230 varieties of fish
and a huge variety of other exotic wildlife. Our
activities here include horseback riding through
the wetlands a forest walk and a boat ride on
the Miranda and Red Rivers. We expect to see a
variety of wildlife including caiman, capybara,
jabiru stork, giant otter, toucan, blue macaw and
marsh deer. Well even go piranha fishing.
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Gran Aventura 25 Jan 26 Jan
Days 37 38/Mon Tue/Bonito We depart around
midday for the fourhour van ride that will bring
us to the beautiful town of Bonito, surrounded by
caves, rivers and forests. We have plenty of time
to relax and soak up the atmosphere of this
pristine area, and take advantage of some of the
great optional activities available including
rappelling, snorkelling, cave exploring, ranch
visits and waterfall treks.
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Gran Aventura 27 Jan 28 Jan
Days 39 40/Wed Thu/Iguazu A long day's drive
brings us to Foz do Iguacu, the small Brazilian
city on the border with Argentina. Twenty metres
higher than the Niagara Falls, the Iguazu falls
are without doubt one of the most impressive sets
of waterfalls in the world. The water cascades
over the edge of a 2.5 kilometre wide plateau in
275 separate falls. On Thursday morning, we'll
visit the Brazilian side of the falls where there
are fantastic panoramic views. If time permits,
well travel to the Argentinean side of the falls
or perhaps the massive Itaipu Dam, the World's
largest single power generation plant. In the
evening we return to Foz do Iguacu where we board
the overnight bus to Curitiba.
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Gran Aventura 29 Jan
Day 41/Fri/Atlantic Rainforest We arrive into
Curitiba in the early morning. We leave excess
luggage in storage then board the train for an
incredible ride across the Atlantic rainforest to
Marumbi State Park station. The "Serra Verde
Express" is one of Brazil's most famous train
rides. Beautiful rainforests, rivers and superb
mountain scenery make for an exciting and
spectacular journey along this magnificent old
railway line that has linked Curitiba to
Paranagua since 1885. At Marumbi Station we
begin an easy 3hour trek along the Rainforest
Trail to Rochedinho Peak and Marumbinistas
Waterfall and from there we walk two hours down
to our lodge located on the edge of the
Rainforest.
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Gran Aventura 30-31 Jan
Days 42 43/Sat Sun/Paranagua Honey
Island We head into Morretes to discover the
charm of this small historical town before
descending to the coast to Paranagua. Here we
board a boat, exploring some of the islands and
wildlife that make up the Superagui National
Park. Honey Island will be our home for two
nights. This beautiful island is a great place to
relax, swim, fish, party or just laze around on
sensational sandy beaches. During our stay you
will have time to visit the historical fortress
area plus the Enchanted Grotto and the views from
the lighthouse are amazing.
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Gran Aventura 1 Feb
Day 44/Mon/Honey Island Bus to Rio de Janeiro
We have the morning free before boarding the
boat back to Paranagua and the local bus on to
Curitiba. Here we collect our stored luggage and
join the overnight coach service bound for
magnificent Rio de Janeiro.
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Gran Aventura 2 Feb 3 Feb
Days 45 46/Tue Wed/ Rio de Janeiro Nothing
quite equals the excitement and setting of Rio.
Known as cidade maravilhosa' (the marvellous
city), Rio is truly a feast to the senses. A
Portuguese navigator discovered Rio in 1502. The
bay was mistaken for a river, and hence named Rio
de Janeiro. During our stay we will visit the
statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado and
all the other major sites. The beaches of
Copacabana and Ipanema, the Sugarloaf Mountain
and the sound of samba all combine to make a
colourful and unforgettable end to our adventure.
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Gran Aventura 4 Feb 8 Feb
Day 47/Thu/Rio de Janeiro The Gran Aventura
comes to an end after breakfast. But wait
theres still more!! While this tour ends,
another adventure begins. For the next few days,
we stay in Rio during the mayhem which is
Carnivale!
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Recovery! 9 Feb 10 Feb
Buzios - Called the Saint Tropez of Brazil, is
170 km north of Rio (about 2hrs drive) and our
recovery destination after the long journey
across the continent. Oh and the hectic days of
Carnival! The landscape is reminscent of
Southern France in the spring, beautiful hills,
green meadows and an abundance of flowers or so
the tourist blurb says ?
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Dont Know Yet! 11 Feb 16 Feb
After our days of rest in Buzios, we catch the
bus back to Rio, then have 6 days to make our
next organised accommodation in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. No idea what well do?
?
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Buenos Aires, Argentina! 17 Feb 19 Feb
More European than South American in flavour,
Buenos Aires' heart boasts bustling streets,
grand avenues, old-time cafes and stylish
restaurants. The locals are renowned for their
flair and cockiness, even in times of adversity.
It's a city of tragedy and elation a vibrant,
cosmopolitan capital.
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Patagonian Highlights! 20 Feb 5 Mar
The southern region of Argentina and Chile offers
travellers some of the most spectacular scenery
on the South American continent. The Patagonian
Andes consist of towering granite peaks, pristine
lakes and massive glaciers whose advances
interrupt the haunting silence of an unspoilt and
untamed land. The town of El Chalten lies at the
base of the Fitzroy Massif and is our base for
some great day hikes to Fitzroy base camp, Laguna
de los Tres and magnificent Cerro Torre towering
above the surrounding peaks. The sight and sound
of the Moreno Glacier as it makes its slow and
torturous advance from the mountains to the sea
across a fivekilometre front will leave an
unforgettable impression. Across the border in
Chile we have some great day treks through the
Paine National Park with its magnificent wildlife
and the incredible "Towers of Paine" that thrust
skyward over 3000 metres above the Patagonian
steppe. Finally, at the tip of the continent, is
the world's southernmost city Ushuaia, on the
island of Tierra del Fuego. Here we explore the
Beagle Channel by boat, with the rare opportunity
of viewing the many species of subAntarctic
birds, seals and sea lions that inhabit this most
remote of regions. Our final stop is the great
metropolis of Buenos Aires, over 3,300 kilometres
to the north.
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Patagonian Highlights! 20 Feb 22 Feb
DAYS 1 2/BUENOS AIRES The group explores the
city and outskirts. DAY 3/EL CALAFATE EL
CHALTEN We fly to El Calafate then travel to the
town of El Chalten at the foot of Fitzroy
Massif.
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Patagonian Highlights! 23 Feb 24 Feb
DAYS 4 5/FITZROY CAMP MT. PLIGUE TUMBADO El
Chalten is our base for three days of trekking in
the Glaciers National Park where the Fitzroy
Massif (3,375m) towers above the surrounding
peaks. Our trek today leads us to the beautiful
Laguna de los Tres and the Fitzroy base camp. The
following day we have a full day trek to Mount
Pligue Tumbado where there are fantastic views
over the whole Fitzroy Massif.
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Patagonian Highlights! 25 Feb 26 Feb
DAY 6/CERRO TORRE BASE CAMP EL CALAFATE Today
we trek to the base camp of wellknown Cerro
Torre (3102m). In the late afternoon we travel by
local bus to the town of El Calafate situated on
the southern shore of Argentino Lake. DAY
7/MORENO GLACIER UNESCO declared the Glaciers
National Park a World Heritage Site in 1981. 13
glaciers descend and flow into the Viedma and
Argentino Lakes to form the Patagonian
Continental Ice Field. During our visit to the
park we will witness the most impressive of the
glaciers, the Perito Moreno Glacier, which
descends to the surface of the water across a
fivekilometre frontage and reaches a height of
sixty metres. The vivid hues of the ice floes and
the dull roar of huge chunks of ice breaking away
from the glacier, is unforgettable.
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Patagonian Highlights! 27 Feb 28 Feb
DAYS 8 9/PAINE NATIONAL PARK TORRES DEL
PAINE A full morning's drive takes us across the
border to one of the most spectacular national
parks in Chile, Torres del Paine National Park.
A UNESCO declared world biosphere reserve it is
a unique combination of huge, craggy mountains
including the famous Cuernos del Paine (Paine
Horns), glaciers, waterfalls and lakes, plant and
animal species. There are excellent chances to
spot guanacos, rheas, Andean condors, Chilean
flamingos and many other birds and animals. The
Towers of Paine (Torres del Paine) rise over
3000 metres above the Patagonian steppe. A full
day trek, takes us to the base of these amazing
towers. We return in the evenings to our lodge
located in the National Park.
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Patagonian Highlights! 1 Mar 2 Mar
DAY 10/PAINE NATIONAL PARK TO PUERTO
NATALES Today we have a full day visiting the
different areas of this beautiful national park.
Short walks will lead us to the Waterfall Salto
Grande and the iceberg landscape of the Grey
Lake. In the late afternoon we transfer to Puerto
Natales, a picturesque fishing village on the
shores of the Pacific Ocean. DAY 11/PUERTO
NATALES TO EL CALAFATE Today we take the local
bus to El Calafate. There will be free time this
afternoon to explore the town or your tour guide
will suggest optional activities such as bike
riding or a birdwatching walk to Nimes Lagoon.
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Patagonian Highlights! 3 Mar 5 Mar
DAYS 12 13/USHUAIA THE BEAGLE CHANNEL A short
flight brings us to the Argentinean town of
Ushuaia on the island at the end of the world,
Tierra del Fuego. This scenic flight takes us
high over the Andes, the snowcapped peaks of
Tierra del Feugo and the Magellan Strait. The
following day we join an excursion to the Tierra
del Fuego National Park and in the afternoon we
explore the Beagle Channel. A catamaran trip will
give us a chance to explore the tiny islands and
rookeries in the Channel, where subantactic
wildlife such as seals, sea lions, dolphins and
cormorants provide us with a great opportunity
for some close range photography. DAYS 14/BUENOS
AIRES Return to Buenos Aires and the end of this
leg.
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Santiago Snapshot 5 Mar 6 Mar
Were almost home now. But one more stopover in
Santiago, Chile. Resting on an inland plain,
with the Andes glimmering in the distance,
Santiago, the capital of Chile, is the fifth
largest city in South America. Santiago is a city
that seems destined for growth. The Mapuche
destroyed it in 1541, only six months after Pedro
de Valdivia founded it, but soon the Spanish were
back and building it up again. Today, it is one
of the most modern cities on the continent, home
to nearly 5 million inhabitants--over a third of
all Chileans.  The city is one of the largest in
South America and Chile's center of commerce.
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The Long Flight Home 7 Mar 9 Mar