We were greeted this morning by our bright and energetic guide, Jose. His enthusiasm and humor were literally infectious, and we soon found ourselves more excited for our Buenos Aires city tour than we ever expected! We visited the most famous barrios, or neighborhoods – Retiro, Palermo, Recoleta, La Boca, and San Telmo. We then went for a walk through the Recoleta Cemetery, the extravagance and architecture of the tombs [...]
Mendoza is the only province in Argentina that still observes a siesta. Actually — scratch that — that celebrates a siesta. Mendocinos take their Spanish heritage very seriously, and they have maintained a four hour break in the school or work day from 12:30 – 4:30 PM every day. In our professional Western working lives, a break this extensive seems absurd, but I have developed a sincere appreciation for this [...]
Another typical morning in Mendoza – out and off to a winery by 9AM! We drove 20 minutes to Lujan de Cuyo, where the Tapiz vineyard is located. This was an entirely different experience from the Familia Zuccardi winery, where Zuccardi reaches 1,000 employees during the harvest, Tapiz maxes out at only 60 workers. Our fabulous guide, Juan, made the Mendoza wine tour both fun and highly informative, expanding our [...]
In its Top 10 Adventure Trips that Give Back, National Geographic Adventure features one of our favorites: Baja Mexico Kayak and Turtle Conservation Trip. Five species of sea turtles are found in the Baja region. All are endangered. This Baja trip supports research on black sea turtles as part of the Grupo Tortuguero program. Grupo Tortuguero is a collection of former poachers who have committed to conservation. Travelers spend 5 [...]
Heading west on Ruta 7, we drove out of the pampas and vineyards of Mendoza and into the mountains. We passed the last vineyard and then entered a stunning red, orange and yellow limestone canyon. The Rio Mendoza, nearly completely dry at this time of year, snakes it’s way through the narrow valley. We first stopped to see the “Arenas Amarillos”, or Yellow Sands, a strange deposit of Bentonite, the [...]
As of March 6, 2013 the US Embassy has officially lifted their Peru travel alert that was announced in mid-February. You can read embassy’s complete statement online. The period of the February travel alert passed without incident. As always, our travelers’ safety and well-being is our top priority. Adventure Life guests traveling to Peru are accompanied by a reputable local guide and vehicle with professional driver on main routes. We [...]
Our first day on our Mendoza tour has been nothing short of perfect – we cooked a meal in a busy Argentine kitchen, toured the largest family winery in the country, mailed 3 cases of wine back to the US and ate more meat than I feel comfortable admitting. There is a surprising abundance of trees, flowering bushes, tall grasses and expansive lush laws covering the city and roadways. But [...]
Today’s the day! South America adventure take 2. There are five flights between Missoula and our first destination – Mendoza, Argentina. This is the second time my Mom and I have attempted this Argentina & Uruguay trip. Last year, we made it as far as Los Angeles, where I burst an eardrum on the final domestic flight. But never fear! We’re back at it with enough decongestants to fill a [...]
