Trip Highlights

10th Anniversary Highlight Photos!


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Posted by on January 29th, 2014

In honor of our 10th Anniversary, we wanted to share a small collection of some our favorite photos from over the years.  Maybe they’ll give you some ideas for future trips.  Click on any photo to see a larger version.  Enjoy!

Active Rio: Adventurous Options in Tijuca National Park


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Posted by on January 13th, 2014

Rio de Janeiro is celebrated for its beaches, and travelers often focus on them when planning their trips.  The names Copacabana and Ipanema conjure up images of bronzed bodies, skimpy bikinis, and relaxing on the sand.  It is true that Rio’s South Zone is blessed with miles of coastline, but the city is also surrounded… Read Full Post

Tucker Islets – A Taste of Galapagos in Patagonia


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Posted by on January 6th, 2014

One of my favorite spots in the Galapagos Islands is Punta Vicente Roca.  At the northern end of the Bolivar Channel, a calm passage between the western islands of Isabela and Fernandina, Punta Vicente Roca’s volcanic coastline is home to a plethora of unique and photogenic birds, including Galapagos Penguins, Blue-Footed Boobies, and Flightless Cormorants…. Read Full Post

5 Reasons to make Valparaiso a part of your Chile trip


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Posted by on December 30th, 2013

When I first came to Chile about 10 years ago, I was excited for my first trip out to the Central Coast.  I had heard about Valparaiso (or Valpo, as it’s affectionately called in Chile) and was anxious to get out of Santiago, where I’d been for my first 3 months in the country.  To… Read Full Post

Recap of IGTOA’s 2013 Galapagos Guide Training Course


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Posted by on December 20th, 2013

During the week of November 18-22 I had the good fortune to attend the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association’s Five Star Guiding in Five Days course at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora. The course was led by Sam Ham, who is a renowned guide training expert, and Tom O’Brien, a highly experienced and knowledgeable… Read Full Post

Pro Mujer: Changing Lives Through Microloans


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Posted by on December 20th, 2013

Microfinance has proven to be a powerful engine of change in the fight against global poverty.  The idea is that with a small loan for use as startup capital, individuals who have no collateral and are considered “not credit-worthy” by traditional financial institutions will be able to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. … Read Full Post

Latin American Music as a force for political change


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Posted by on December 4th, 2013

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog that looked at a few of the musical genres which define a very musical continent, but this week I’m going to focus specifically on two genres which have wrought social and political change. Both music and political instability are ubiquitous in South America, so it goes… Read Full Post

Environmentalism in Patagonia


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Chile - Tierra Patagonia - Walking Trails

Posted by on November 28th, 2013

A few years ago, bumping along an unpaved road in Argentine Patagonia, I found myself reflecting on just how different this desolate grassland was from my urban home in Oakland, California.  We passed a gaucho trotting along on his horse, hours from any sign of civilization, and I wondered about his lifestyle.  Was his way of… Read Full Post

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