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The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira

I have been in most of the cathedrals in South America partly because they are usually one ‘of the places to visit’ but mostly because they provide a fascinating mixture of Catholicism, paganism, local culture and no small measure of skilled artisanship. However, I have to report that the most unusual of all of the […]

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Bogota’s graffiti

Colombia is attempting to change its negative reputation with cultural and artistic activities and events that will match not only its South American neighbours but many European countries too. Nowhere is this more evident than in the street art which adorns Bogotá’s walls, and which gives unfettered creativity to the capital’s graffiti artists. James Suenson-Taylor, […]

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Carnival time

Our trip to Rio did not get off to the best of starts. Some idiot failed to set the alarm properly and we were rudely awoken by a call from reception informing us that the taxi was waiting. The idiot had set his mobile to ring at the pick up time and he was duly […]

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Valparaiso, the city of hills

We arrived in Valparaiso after a 14 hour bus journey (we lost 2 hours through a tyre problem). No matter; it was SUNNY and WARM – no more waterproofs! After a pleasant breakfast at our hostal we went out to explore the town. Valparaiso consists of a beautiful, natural deep water harbour guarded on all […]

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Adrenaline junky heaven

We have arrived in Pucon in the north of southern Chile close to the border with Argentina (actually all of Chile is close to the border with Argentina but this is but a rocket propelled grenade away). Pucon has arrived on the global map as a Mecca for adventure sports and has been described as […]

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Time for another boat trip

We arrive in Puerto Natales a small port in the south where we are to pick up the ferry that threads its way through the Chilean fjordlands up to Puerto Montt, 4 days away. We had been given a free night at a local hotel by the ferry company as part of our package. This […]

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National Park Torres del Paine: no. 1 in S. America

We get whisked away at 6.30 in the morning to our next destination, Parque National Torres del Paine. Still in Patagonia but on the Chilean side, it is reputed to be ‘trekker’s heaven’ and South America’s finest national park. Soaring vertically more than 2,000m above the Patagonian steppe, the three granite pillars of Torres del […]

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