Something in Bangladesh keeps calling me back. It could be the people, it could be there are no tourists there, or it could be it is simply a great country with so much to offer.
One of my favorite parts of Bangladesh is the over populated trains in which people just hitch a ride on them wherever, whenever and no one can control the chaos. This is true of Dhaka during the beginning of Eid at one of the main stations.
Off to a small village for Eid was a great honor. It was the driver, Mr. Shohag’s village and I got to meet relatives and enjoy watching people divide up their cows and cut the meat to share with other families. It was extremely hot as the government had power shedding going on and electricity was off a lot, but it didn’t stop me from having a blast with people who spoke no English.
Leaving the village and heading into parts unknown proves to have some off the beaten path people and sites. Little known villagers to any traveler were beautiful to witness and even more beautiful than watching people go about their lives:
As we moved near to the Indian border with Bangladesh, the land got a lot more swampier, the people more unaware of any foreigners except what they have seen on TV as well as a lot of community farming which is used to feed entire villages. The people still being Muslim majority were now dotted with communities of Hindus and Christians, proving that religions should and can live together peacefully. Do note that hotels are less frequent in this part and NGO’s are usually the places to stay for the night.
Moving back away from the border, more inland, we passed scenes of people working away, and how the simple life leads to happiness. We watched people fish, people selling their produce on the side of the road and people genuinely trying to help each other out which is what we need to take note of in the developed world.
The next days activity saw us going to another home near the edge of a huge temple. We were able to go to a Hindu Village and walk around while they went about their daily lives. They all wondered why a foreigner with cameras would be in their village. The rest of the day saw me just walking around photographing the way of life…
Yet again the next day saw us passing through beautiful scenery and stumbling on villages upon villages that were tucked away behind rice fields. Again, people just doing normal day activities, providing for themselves and then selling off the rest. One Hindu village we popped into was very beautifully kept together with their mud houses and people running about….
Moving along the road with more great sites, we run across the biggest Mango Market in Asia where around 80 varieties of Mangoes are sold in bulk. People were friendly and stopping into houses to visit with locals was always a breathe of fresh air.
Finally the end of the trip after 9 or 10 days saw me going to an old pottery village that I have visited before to see the most beautiful lady that still works despite being 80 plus and is still as sharp as a tool.
Getting back to the hustle and bustle of Dhaka, the streets were full of color, people were on their way, and I once again re fell in love with this country…
Northern Pakistan drags me in yet again, with its gracious people as well as amazing sites, scenery and food…..
This time, flying into Islamabad and going by road proved to be a bit difficult as a little known NOC by the Ministry of Interior was required (yet noone knew about it), so to SWAT Valley we went, and then driving back to Islamabad to catch a flight to Skardu.
Though we had to skip the Chitral and Kalash Valley because of the NOC and the police not letting us pass, we ended up having a pretty good time as you make your own fun when life throws you curves. Driving back from Mingora to Islamabad and staying the night, we flew to Skardu and got a transport to Gilgit to meet our good friend Manzoor who I respect and admire as a guide and person.
Hunza always holds a place close to my heart as the Altit fort and walk along the windy roads of Karimabad and the valley is just what the doctor ordered if you are feeling blue, the windy streets offer a glimpse of the life of people and you may even meet interesting people who have cats with white sweaters sitting on cars while being photographed. I guess it is not enough that people can influence social media but now their cats…Lets just say, no hope for humanity!!!!
Near Karimabad in Ganish town which was an old fort on the silk road trade route with different cultures coming together at different points in history. It was pretty near walking around this place and seeing the people and all of the history carved into wooden pillars and doors.
Next was onto the main part of the Karakoram highway, passing some magnificent scenery that I never get tired of yet again. The Petroglyphs from times past are always interesting to look at on the side of the road as it shows what life was like eons ago. The old Brick Factory and tower is always a welcome site to photograph. Moving along we hit the great Attabad Lake which was formed some years ago from a landslide and the crystal blue water are breathtaking. I also got a glimpse of the Luxus Hunza hotel which I have stayed at before and it showed just how land degradation and global warming have affected an area. The hotel was cut off by road due to a torrential downpour. The Hussaini Suspension bridge and Passu Cones I will never get tired of, nor will I get tired of the Khunjerab National Park in which you have to travel to in order to hit the Pak-China border at the top. Unfortunately, not a lot of animals out due to the weather, but I love being at the top of that pass and looking at the highest land border and highest ATM in the world!!!!
New Valley’s in the Hunza area is always a welcome site. This valley about a two hour drive from Hunza offered some great views of trekking trails, although the trek up was a difficult one, but the villages were brilliant with dried apricots, goats, and butterflies out everywhere!!
Another new valley I got to photograph was Naltar Valley which is a hidden gem. With the small town and beautiful glacial lakes, it is amazing that these places are not visited more. Roving bands of goats and Sheep dot the area with the occasional herder popping his head out. I loved this place and the calm serene atmosphere it offered…
Next up was the great road through Gilgit to see the Buddha in the rocks as well as a stop to look at where the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas meet. A sunny view let us also see Nanga Parbat in broad daylight!!!!
Skardu area including the famous Shigar Valley which is a stopping point for K2 trekkers is one of my favorite places to visit. This Shia based community is very rural and offer some great landscapes to and from, as well as the people being so humble and friendly in and around the town. On the road back…..the Goats invaded the highway!!!!
Skardu never ceases to amaze me with its beautiful lakes, hidden villages that tourists do not go to, great food namely trout, and views from the fort that look out on a different perspective in the city. Walking through the city is daunting but plenty of photography to be had while searching for old coins and paper money!!!! The sunsets that only Zeus can create were better than average with a colossal amount of colors and shapes in the mountains and clouds.
The North of Pakistan is my favorite place in Pakistan. With majestic mountains, villages, great scenery, and kind people, there is a reason why I go here as much as possible.
Starting off from Islamabad through SWAT valley, the roads and scenery is always very interesting, especially when you get into the Chitral area….
I decided to spend three nights in the Kalash Valley to explore more of this wonderful area. As the people are extremely unique with a culture and religion you will find nowhere else in the world, it is a truly remarkable place. I was able to meet a lot more locals with the help of a guide and get to some new places that I had previously not been to before. The photography of course came out to be amazing like always…
After three wonderful nights in Kalash and plenty of fresh food, it was time to spend a three night drive through some of the roughest roads I have ever been on. Moving past Chitral town and through the Chitral Valley, with a little stomach bug along the way, this was some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. This route was one that I always wanted to do in Pakistan that took us over Shandur Pass through more small villages I can count, and some extremely bumpy roads. However, that is all a part of the adventure..
I had already been to the Hunza Valley before, but there is nothing wrong with seeing it once again as the landscape is out of this world as well as going down the Karakorum Highway all the way to Khunjerab Pass which is the border with China.
Leaving the Hunza area back through Gilgit, it was time to hit a new road which I had never been on before going through some beautiful mountains and valleys and up to Deosai National Park and spending the day going through there and looking at the amazing scenery, finally getting into Skardu to my favorite hotel on the mountain top overlooking the city.
A good day trip into Shigar which is about an hour from Skardu is always good for photography. This small city is a starting point for a lot of people wanting to do treks in the mountains, however the countryside near the city and the surrounding areas has some great photography..
Of course its a must to get street photography of the hustle and bustle of Skardu before you catch a flight. In just one street, there is always so much going on…
This was definitely, my longest trip in the region, but I was able to see so much. The photography makes it all the worthwhile. I hope that before I depart Pakistan when my contract is up, that I will be able to get up here again to just see the sheer beauty that this area has to offer.
The city Ghent which is in the Flemish part of Belgium was a delightful cities with a lot of different streets to walk through. As this was not the tourist season it was pretty much empty with just a few tour groups of people walking around so it made the photography amazing. If you couple that with the soft sunlight and the clouds, it was a photography perfect day. The city is very old as seen by the architecture and canals and a lot of the houses showed just that.
Arles which is a small city in France known for its beautiful streets and Roman Colosseum was very delightful to walk through and photograph. Even though the light was not that good, I still managed to get some good photos in this beautiful little town…
Going from Arles our trail took us all the way to Dijon (which we only stayed in as just about everything was shut up), and through the beautiful mountains and countryside of small towns filled with snow and icy roads….
The journey to villages down the middle of France.
When most people think of France, they think of Paris, Marseilles, Dijon, or Bordeaux. But there is a different side to France once you get off the main highways and into the back roads and that is the village part of France.
Driving from Luxembourg to Andorra a friend and myself took the back roads and boy did they impress. Many of these villages had probably been there for hundreds of years but a lot of them were deserted. Whether it was because of the holiday season and people go to the cities or because there is not a lot work around there remains unknown.
I however took the chance over a few days to photograph some of theses places with very few shops open and even fewer people walking around. Sometimes places like these makes me think that maybe there is still a simple life to be lived somewhere out of the hustle and bustle of the cities…..
The country with the highest capital city in Europe located in the Pyrenees Mountains.
Andorra is another micro country in Europe that is beautiful in both the day and the night. However getting in their on Christmas Eve and Spending Christmas Day there was good for photography as there were no people around, however very bad for trying the many cuisines it holds as pretty much everything was shut up.
The country is a tax free haven in Europe where people from all over flock. It is located between Spain and France and has Catalan as its official language. The prices of petrol are extremely cheap compared to the rest of Europe and the whole country is pretty much a big duty free store!!!
While most of the capital city Andorra la Vella is filled with wish shops and restaurants, there are some very beautiful old parts of the city once you get out of the center area.
This place was extremely easy to walk around and photograph with no people around. The city was extremely clean and it was sunny pretty much all throughout the day with cool weather. I believe I must have walked about 12 kilometers covering just about everywhere in the city and got some amazing photos. Other than that there is not much to do there with the exception of some hot springs as well as skiing which I did not have much interest in doing.
A Micro country sandwiched between France, Germany, and Belgium
I really had no expectations for Luxembourg. Driving in from Belgium took a few hours and it was dark a lot of the time as it was the shortest day of the year. However, arriving there I was amazed at how clean everything was. Being around Christmas, the market was in full swing with everything you can imagine to buy to eat.
The streets were pretty busy with holiday goers all around with their families and loved ones. Walking around the city was an adventure as the whole old city was medieval fortifications that are hundreds of years old and the new city had a certain charm to it. Two rivers, the Alzette and the Pétrusse, run through Luxembourg City. Over centuries, the water has made its way here, leaving deep, rocky valleys. It is in these rocky valleys below the city that you can usually get the best photographs.
This country amazed me as it is the only place in the world where public transportation is completely free, even to foreigners. Whether you take the bus, train, or tram, you do not have to pay anything at all which makes it very easy to accidentally jump on the wrong bus or tram and quickly get off to get on the correct one……A country definitely worth visiting…..
My overland journey of 15,000 Kilometers (at least) (9,300 miles) through colonial towns, sea side, pastureland, mountains, Amazon Jungle, Transport Ferry, and the Pantanal….
Living in South America for three years and living right on the border of Brazil means that I was just a hope skip and a jump away from it. However it being such a large country, I wanted to take my time and do as much of it as I could.
The last stop on my Alaska to Ushuaia to Rio trip lasting 8 months took me into Brazil and the first stop I made was Iguazu Falls (did the Argentinian side the day before) and the city of Fox do Iguazu.
Entering here a the border station we were met by a beautiful little burrowing owl that was out watching everyone go by in its little hole in the ground.
The falls and the bird park were amazing as it was easier to see more on this side vs. the Argentinian side as well as getting closer to the falls. With only one walk way, it made it seem more crowded vs. the Argentinian side which had a few different walkways.
A nice movie car museum wrapped up our time in Foz do Iguazu and had some pretty interesting replicas of cars from some of our favorite movies and TV shows…
Paraty was our last stop before Rio de Janeiro. This small colonial town was beautifully laid out with an old cobble street town and beautiful mountains and beaches surrounding it. This would be our last time together for some of the people that I have traveled down from Alaska with over the last 8 months as we all went our separate ways in Rio.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous cities in the world. From its great nightlife, to Christ the Radeemer, to its lovely peaks overlooking some of the most popular beaches, this city has everything to offer. As I am not a big fan of big cities usually, so I just hung out with a very good friend and his wife that I worked with in Cairo and went to the Carnival Parade in the world famous Sambadrome. I did not have a lot of expectations for this, but we did have great floor seats in a box. I did not take my camera as I did not want it to get ruined so I relied on my shitty mobile photos to capture this wonderful memory. I found it to be very colorful and awe inspiring and will be sure to research some of the stories of the different floats and schools!!!! (Some pictures were taken by Ashley Kiss Spannring).
As I am starting a trip headed into northern Brazil and the Amazon over a couple of months, I decided to get some photos form the highway that shows you Rio de Janeiro from afar….
First stop on this exploratory track was the mountain town of Teresopolis. Nestled in the mountains. Known for its national park with waterfalls and trails, it is a good escape from Rio to get out of the heat. I did not find it that exciting as there was mostly a lot of shopping and not a lot of great photography.
We then get to a lovely mountain town called Congonhas as we visited the Basilica do Bom Jesus Matosinhos, a beautiful church with an outdoor stairway displaying sculptures of the prophets, which made for some interesting photos with the moody clouds in the background.
Our next town was the beautiful Ouro Preto which was one of the biggest cities in Latin America in the 18th Century which was due to the gold rush in which gold was sent back to Portugal. This town has some of the best preserved colonial architecture that I have witnessed in the Americas with its baroque architecture and winding cobblestone streets.
From Ouro Preto we went through some beautiful mountainous landscape then hugging the coastline and seeing some beautiful beaches all the way to the quiet beach town of Itauanas which is known for its laid back atmosphere and beautiful sand dunes next that run right into the beach…
As we continue North we hit the lovely small town of Caravelas which was a major Portuguese shipping port as part of its empire. This lovely little colonial town still has the cobblestone streets with houses of all different shapes and sizes.
Going out on the lagoon through mangrove forests, we were able to visit a small village and a school (without children) of people who live on these islands and make their living from the waters around and vegetables they grow…
On a rainy day through some beautiful mountains, we arrived in Pascaol National Park. This beautiful mountainous park has many trails you can hike up and down, however the rain was quite up and down so I decided to stay back and photograph this beautiful snake that I have been trying to identify…
The mountainous way to the coastal city of Puerto Seguro where Cabral first arrived on the Brazilian mainland from Portugal is a beautiful city to walk (albeit hot and humid). The beach is beautiful and this lovely city has a rather slow pace of life…
Itacare is a small town on the coast of Brazil that boasts some excellent seafood. This quiet little town is knowing for its surfing waves and beaches along with the little cobblestone streets. It caters to a lot of backpackers along with people camping out in their vehicles. There was not much to do here except relax and enjoy the heat and humidity…
The City of Salvador is one of the most popular cities in Brazil and for good reason. This is a city where you can find a combination of African and Brazilian food and culture here. It was the first capital of colonial Brazil and one of the first planned cities not only in South America, but in the world as it was established during the Renaissance period. A nice walk around in the Historic Center, was a beautiful sight with all of the architecture and people.
Capoeiria is seen all over Brazil but very much a part of the street culture in Salvador. It is a martial arts/dance that combines acrobatics, music, spirituality, and involves hands on the ground and high kicks.
After a long drive to inland Brazil with some beautiful scenery, we hit the small but beautiful town of Lençóis. The National Park Chapada Diamantina is within a few hours of the town and has many activities including beautiful waterfalls, caves to walk through as well as look out points from the mountains to see miles around in all directions of the cactus laden valley…
The town of Lençóis itself is a beautiful little town with not much to do except walk the cobblestone streets and see the people going about their everyday lives…
The scenery going to our next stop Palmas was extremely interesting and green as this seems to be the breadbasket for soy of Brazil. Palmas in itself was not that interesting but they did have some great food and extremely cold frosty mug beer that made everyday enjoyable….
The tiny village of Taquaruçu is known for its laid back atmosphere and great waterfalls in the vicinity and is just an hours drive from Palmas up in the mountains. Here is a time to relax, do a bit of hiking and enjoy the food that you find in little restaurants after the sun goes down on the main street…
Moving pretty much the geographic center of the country (Palmas and Taquaruçu) we headed north through some beautiful mountain scenery and grasslands where you will find acres upon acres of soy as well as cattle, while passing through some charming small towns that look like they only exist as the highway passes through them…
Belem is known as the gateway to the Amazon River. It is about 100 kilometers from the Atlantic ocean and the humidity and heat really show. It is a charming old town with Ver-o-Peso market which has everything from handicrafts to food to a fish market to fruits and veggies and clothing. Walking down the streets is wonderful as there are so many street vendors and stalls. This city was the first European city that was created on the Amazon River but did not become a part of Brazil until the latter half of the 1700s.
As it was time to leave Belem, we all took a ferry that was in excess of 28 hours west down the Amazon River. The ferry was pretty good size with people sleeping in hammocks and goats bleating every chance they got. It was an interesting time seeing all the huts and people in boats along the river and all its different tributaries and watched how they lived…
After getting off the ferry, we stayed the night in the small town of Macapa and started the long journey through the jungle and the oh so fun red dirty road to the Brazilian border town of Oipoque which is on the border of French Guiana, where we will spend our next few weeks going through French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana before we enter Brazil again in Boa Vista….
Entering Brazil a day early from Guyana, we went straight to Boa Vista which is the capital of the state of Roraima in Brazil. The city is a planned city with a radial plan similar to that of France. There is not much to do in the city but it was nice to get out and look around…
Leaving Boa Vista and headed due south with some camping along the way, we ended up going to a beautiful little lake called crystal lake (was more of a pond). It was indeed crystal clear and it looked like a spring that had been damned up.
Getting into the next major city Manaus was our next stop. This city is the biggest city in the Amazon Region of Brazil and a major hub for exports into Jungle. One side of the city is old built up buildings and the other side starts nothing but jungle….
It was not one of the cleanest cities I have been to nor was it the safest, but the food was great as they have many Venezuelan refugees here and they all have delicious street food carts, bringing me memories from eating street burgers every Friday night in Venezuela for three years. It had some nice street art but with all the traffic was hard to maneuver around. The Amazon Opera House is one of the biggest attractions. I did not get a chance to go in for the tour, but I admired it from the outside…
A little over night excursion out of Manaus was going into the Jungle and staying at a small eco lodge. In order to get to this eco lodge you have to take a taxi from Manaus, then a water ferry to another taxi and finally after an hour drive another water ferry.
The Meeting of Waters (Encontro das Águas) is the confluence between the dark (blackwater) Rio Negro and the pale sandy-colored (whitewater) Amazon River, referred to as the Solimões River in Brazil upriver of this confluence. For 6 km (3.7 mi) the waters of the two rivers run side by side without mixing.
In the jungle, I had a blast photographing different birds, sloths, the sunsets, parrots, and seeing how the locals used to make rubber when Brazil one one of the biggest rubber exporters in the world. The little eco lodge was great with a view overlooking the water and the traditional food was even better….
The more interesting part of the trip was the 5 night and 6 day transport ferry ride down part of the Amazon and then down one of its main tributaries the Madeira River. The boat had two trucks (one was ours) and a bunch of cars that had got sold. There was a small deck area where we put our hammocks to sleep as well as a small eating area. We had a few other people on there with kids that were from Venezuela and other than that it was a very small quarters for five nights in which we did not get off the boat once!!!
The scenery was amazing along the way as there was Amazon Rain Forest and Rivers as far as your eyes can see. The cloud formations whether it be sun or rain was always good to photograph. It was also a chance to look for animals such as Cranes, Herons, Eagles, Falcons, King Fishers, Caiman, Crocodiles, Squirrel Monkeys and the famed Amazon River Dolphins which were always up and down the river but it was hard to spot them until they were gone.
With us going through the rain forest, there were tons of butterflies around with a lot of them landing on the boat, these were some of the best photos I have ever taken of butterflies.
The houses and people were probably the best part of being on the river that long. It was interesting to see how they lived off the land growing bananas, cassava, and other fruits. A lot of them had pigs, cows, goats and chickens and lived in small little homes, usually owning a boat to get around down the river.
As we got off the boat and back onto land, we landed in Porto Vehlo. There is not much to do in this city as it is a port city but it is known for its great meat and fish and restaurants around the city. Unfortunately the city is very spread out so trying to get from place to place is a bit challenging and we were warned by locals of dangers in carrying cameras around.
Leaving Porto Vehlo we had a series of long drive days through a combination of hills and farmland as far as the eye can see. We passed a lot of small towns and a few big cities along the way. We went over 2100 kilometers as we had some trouble getting into Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park due to the size of the truck so we had to back track a bit through Cuiaba and go another direction.
On our way down we stopped at a beautiful eco lodge in the city of Caceres which is one of the gateways to the Northern Pantanal and is a lovely little place. We got to take a boat ride for a couple of hours down the Paraguay river which is rich of birds and wildlife. The highlight for me was seeing a prehensiled- tailed porcupine which was nestled away in a tree, sleeping in the day and coming down at night.
Another highlight was in the morning there were some beautiful black tailed marmosets that were running around the tree near the lodge. While they were very difficult to photograph with their constant jumping and playing, some of them did calm down a little while in order for me to get a good photo or a few…
After leaving Caceres (I could have stayed there for weeks), we went via Cuiaba to the small town of Chapada dos Guimaraes which boasts a beautiful national park with waterfalls and swimming areas with some nice cool water. There was nothing much to do in the town, however being in the NP for a while made it all the better.
A few hours away was the bustling hot city of Cuiaba which is the capital of the state of the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso. The city has many tall buildings which reminds me somewhat of Dubai as many of them were flanked in front of a beautiful blue sky with fluffy clouds. Nearby to where we stayed was the World Cup Stadium that was used for the games as well as the Olympic Gymnastic Stadium.
Next on the road was the beautiful little area of Rio Verde in Mato Grosso. There was not much to do in the town but the pousada and the surrounding area of the 7 waterfalls was beautiful with a lot of birds and a relaxing time next to the river…
The Pantanal has been high on my list to go to for a long time. I pretty much think of it as the Masai Mara or Serengeti of South America. It is the largest wetland and flooded grassland in the world and is in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso in Brazil. It also extends some portions into Paraguay and Bolivia. The landscape as you can imagine is wet but also has a touch of what the Masai Mara looks like in Kenya…
To say I had a blast photographing animals in the Pantanal is an understatement. There were literally animals everywhere, whether you took a boat down a lagoon, walked around, did game drives in the day or night, this place pretty much had it all. The bird life was amazing, including the Macaws and Parakeets whom you could hear all of the time…
The bird life was amazing also as there was so many species from King Fishers to Black Collared Hawks to Herons and Egrets just to name a few. The Greater Rhea’s were also seen here in large numbers walking around….
The Marsh Deer were seen in different areas along the waterways but were often very frightful and would run if a vehicle passed. They usually sit in the swampy areas and eat all the plants that are growing in and around the area
The Caiman here were out in full force around the swampy areas, often looking for an easy meal, feeding on fish and anything that comes close to the water.
But of course what tops it all off was the spotting of jaguars not one but two different nights. These elusive cats are very scared of any loud noises and while you can see them in the day, the night is the best time to find them as they usually run off in a hurry…
Overall the Pananal exceeded my expectations and I can totally see myself returning here to do longer safaris and do parts of the northern area as well as go back to the southern. Seeing the jaguar, gave me excitement just like the first time I saw a leopard, lion, cheetah, and tiger.
Next stop was the small eco tourist town of Bonito. While I did not bother to go into the town at all, I was interested in going to the Recanto Ecologico Rio da Prata. I have heard about this for years as it is a natural spring in the middle of farmland. Pretty much you have to get into a wet suit, drive through a field with cattle everywhere, hike through a jungle, then you get to a spring in which you can snorkel down the river in some of the clearest river water on earth and see different fish that are pretty much not scared of you and will come right up to you. This was an amazing experience as the water was pretty much crystal clear and floating with the fish was amazing….
We then went to the biggest sinkhole in South America, aptly named hole of the macaws, it is a breeding ground for the many scarlet macaws that make their noisy home there…
The last part of the trip saw us driving about 1800 kilometers to get back to Rio to finish the trip. . As we drove through corn fields, cow fields, mountains, and the traffic of Sao Paulo back into Rio, it gave me a chance to see the beautiful countryside yet again. Was going to see Christ the Redeemer for my one day in Rio de Janeiro but it was mothers day and everything was crazy busy. This three month trek through Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana capped off a great 11 month over land trek from Alaska down through Canada, through the US and Mexico and Central America and into South America (with a stop off in Antarctica and Easter Island)……
The only English speaking country in South America is also the least visited, but has one of the most awe inspiring waterfalls in the world
Guyana which is bordered by Suriname to the east, Venezuela to the west, and Brazil to the south is the only predominantly speaking English country in South America. The country also has the least amount of tourists based on certain statistics in South America.
In 2015, one of the biggest offshore oil reserves in the world was discovered off the coast of Guyana which has led to prices of goods going up and new buildings popping up all over (mostly in the outskirt of Georgetown). Prices were extremely high for food here and a lot of the stuff at the supermarket was imported from the United States or Europe.
As we entered Guyana by ferry from Suriname, our first stop overnight would be the tiny town on the border of Skeldon. The city is not big at all and has one major street, but was always very busy with markets and people selling stuff.
From Skeldon, it was a few hour journey to the capital of Georgetown, situated on the ocean. Along the way it was of interest to see some of the small towns with the houses built on the stilts
I cant say that Georgetown is the nicest city I have ever been to, with constant traffic and heat, the city was very difficult to navigate through. The market was a highlight, however people were not friendly like they are in most markets and it was very difficult to move through it for photography. The houses were old but with the influx of money, they are building new buildings in different areas…
The highlight of Guyana is of course Kaieteur Falls. Kaieteur Falls is about four and a half times the height of Niagara Falls, on the border between Canada and the United States, and about twice the height of Victoria Falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa.
Pretty much the only way to get there is take an hour plane flight from Georgetown and it is dependent on weather. We were three hours late taking off so we had our trip there cut short but it was still a magnificent sight. We were able to see it from the plane as well as go to different viewing points.
The roads leaving Georgetown headed south were not as bad as I was anticipating but a lot of the road was not tarmac. It was interesting to see the little villages outside of the city with how people live. As we drove down, the land was almost desert like with forests, but soon gave way to a rain forest.
As the road became bleak with any signs of vehicles and we took another early morning ferry crossing, we ended up in Iwokrama National Park and did a canopy walk. I would not say it was one of the better canopy walks I have done, but we were still able to see the rain forest and a few birds that live in it…
A few hours after the rain forest, we came out to what seemed to be a savanna grassland. It looked something out of the Serengeti or Masai Mara, but without the animals. It looked like it had not rained there forever and some of the grassland was turning into dried up grass and bushes, this lasted all the way to the border with Brazil…
Guyana had its charm to it (outside of Georgetown) and with all of its varying landscapes, made for some very good photography. There is not much else to do here and they really have not built up their tourism sector. I would hope in the next few years with the oil they have discovered, that they are able to build up the country better, especially for the people who are less fortunate.
A country known for its Dutch influence but has a multitude of cultures, religions, and food.
Suriname is another one of these South American countries that is rarely visited by tourists each year. Bordered by French Guiana to the East, Guyana to the West and Brazil to the South, this country has a multitude of different cultures. Their official language is Dutch from being colonized by them and all of the street names as well as buildings are in Dutch along with a lot of architecture that you would find in Europe.
There is not a lot from the border of French Guiana to the capital which is Paramaribo. Mostly small villages with light jungle dot the landscape until you get closer to Paramaribo as it opens up with ships everywhere and a huge bridge to get into the city.
Paramaribo itself is an interesting city with different cultures and foods with a lot of European architecture. It is not uncommon for their to be a mosque, synagogue, and different Christian churches within a few blocks of each other and different ethnicity such as Chinese, Indonesian, European, Indian, and African all in the same area.
The city itself has no huge buildings and most of them are renovated from the times of the Dutch or falling into disrepair. It is a great city to photograph in with people moving around all the time despite it being hot and humid. We were lucky enough to be there during the Hindu festival of Holi as well as during Easter weekend which showed a lot of different small festivals. The city has many statues that celebrate famous heroes such as Ghandi or Simon Bolivar or cultural statues that celebrate the different ethnic groups that make up the country.
A great place to go to get away from the city is about 4 hours south on the Surinamese River. You can opt to stay out in the jungle for a few days and just enjoy the wide open spaces. With many river tributaries that make up the river, the land is often divided and you have to use boats to get to many of the villages located on the water as they are not accessible by road.
I stayed in an eco lodge that was on a small island with water on all sides. It was a beautiful up and coming small resort with jungle on all sides and water flowing all around. The days were often hot and humid but it cooled down quite a bit at night as you can hear the sounds of the jungle all around….
The ride out took about an hour and a half because of low water in the river in which we had to navigate through sharp rocks and get out to walk in order for the boat to get pushed through some low rapids. We were able to see the villages on the side of the water and people playing all around…
As there was a jungle to explore with squirrel monkeys running around, I went on a little excursion to walk around and learn about the trees and the plants in this area…
The rest of the time I just sat and photographed birds and lizards as the sun was out and I got some amazing shots of them eating some rotting bananas…
The third largest city in Suriname which is Nieuw Nickerie which only has about 13000 people is situated about an hour from the border of Guyana. It is an interesting little town in which there are houses that have fallen in disrepair but still have people living in them. The main part of the town is very lively as we were there for Easter Sunday and there were many people that came from out of town to join the festivities. Just like Paramaribo, it is not uncommon to find a church, mosque, and Hindu temple very close to one another and the people in this little town were quite friendly and hospitable.
We were supposed to go and stay at Bigi Pan Nature reserve for a couple of days, but because of the extra extra dry season, we could not get in, so we took a trip down the Nickerie River for a couple of hours and saw some beautiful Ibis, Herons, as well as some Howler Monkeys. It was quite difficult for photos as they are burning the fields at this time so there was a lot of smoke which made everything very hazy…
Suriname, which I was not expecting much as a country, really surprised me as the food was great as well as the people. It is a country of so many cultures that are able to get a long despite their differences and this is a country that I could defiantly return to (with a lot of aircon)!!!
A mix of Asian, European, and South American Cultures all rolled up into one, all while using the Euro Currency!!!!
French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana have always been high on my list to travel to as they are three of the least visited countries on the mainland of North and South America. French Guiana is a overseas department of France and the second largest region in France, and is the outermost region of the EU. The country is a part of the EU and thus uses the Euro as everyday prices are extremely expensive as compared to the rest of the continent.
Entering the country from the Brazil border town of Oiapoque which was a pretty easy border crossing, we spent about 2.5 hours going through the highway with jungles covering the landscape until we reached the capital city on the coast of Cayanne.
Entering the city of Cayanne, I had no expectations at all, but low and behold this was a beautiful city (for photography) with old buildings and a mix of French European, South American, Asian(Chinese and Vietnamese) and African culture which is evident in the food and the people. The people were friendly all over the town and just went about doing their everyday jobs for life despite very little tourism ever coming into the country.
The Cemetery in the central part of town was another great site that I wanted to visit. The tombstones reflected that of Christian combined with different other ethnicity. I noticed a lot of Chinese and Vietnamese names on a lot of the tombstones and the whole place was relatively quiet.
The highlight of the city was of course the market which is only put on three days a week and I was lucky enough to be there on one of them. They have everything from meats to vegetables and fruits as well as fresh fish and a plethora of crafts you can buy in just a short walk. People were extremely friendly here. The market has probably been going on for at least 100 years if not more. The Vietnamese Pho at the market was to die for as I could have eaten ten more bowls as it was just as good as the ones I had in Vietnam!!!
One of the things that French Guiana is famous for is that it is the home of the Guinea Space Center or European Spaceport. Because of its proximity to the equator, it is used to launch a lot of satellites for the European Space Agency. This has three different launch pads that all are used to send anything up into space. It was amazing walking around here and looking at everything.
French Guiana is also known for its dense jungles in which you can do jungle hikes in different areas. This little one I did was going across some paths for about 4 kilometers up to a lookout point.
One of the main attractions is a day trip (or overnight if you wish) to the Salvation Islands. These three islands which were used by France in the 1800’s for prisoners are about an hour away from the mainland by catamaran or boat. Devils Island of course is the most famous of the islands as it was where Alfred Dreyfus was incarcerated for sometime. His trial and went down in history as the Dreyfus Affair which was a major point in French and world history.
While you cannot visit Devils Island because landing of the boats is too difficult, you can visit Île Royale and Saint-Joseph Island. Saint-Joseph Island is a beautiful Island with a prison on it as well as Agoti’s and turtles swimming around the banks. It is filled with palm trees, ruins, and coconuts as far as the eyes can see.
Île Royale was the main island of the Salvation Islands and is where most of the officers lived with their families and a few prison inmates. The main draw to the island was all of the old buildings as well as all the monkeys that seem to hang around in the trees and watch people go by…
Overall I was very surprised by French Guiana as it had such a mix of cultures and food that it should be an appealing place for all travelers to visit.
After going in and out of Argentina from Chile a few times and also being here 13 years ago, I am always excited to go back. As I flew to Ushuaia in November to do the Antarctica, Falklands, and South Georgia trip, I used that time to photograph parts of the town that I did not get before. Ushuaia is an interesting city and with being here four times, I have seen it go through many changes….
After the Antarctica trip I flew up to Santiago to do the Carretera Austral with the truck as well as Chilean Patagonia, however we did have a week where we crossed into Argentina to some very desolate and beautiful lands with amazing canyons and colorful clouds as the sun went down…..
We then went to the isolated UNESCO site the Cave of Hands. This site shows a perfect example of early hunter/gatherer groups between 7,300 BC and 700 AD. The artwork decorates the interior of the cave and the surrounding cliff faces. It can be divided by three categories: people, the animals they ate, and the human hands. It was interesting walking around here as these are some of the oldest rock art in the western world and have been very well preserved through the ages. Pinturas Canyon runs through here where these hunter/gatherers lived in an otherwise desolate place.
As we travel more down a most desolate valley, we start running into different scenery with glacial lakes as well as rivers that transverse the land. Everything starts to turn green with snowcap mountains as we are reaching El Chalten with some magnificent spiraling mountains…
El Chalten is a very small town that caters to tourist with a lot of restaurants and small shops. It still has its charm to it as some of the buildings are interesting shapes and colors and an old abandoned hotel that is half finished shows a different unique side to the town. As I walked around photographing different areas of the town, I noticed how much it has changed since I was here in 2011…
The other side of El Chalten is some of the best hiking that Argentina has to offer and is a beautiful place. Mt Fitz Roy sits at the top of one of the most iconic mountains in the world as you can see it from miles away. It is the inspiration for the clothing brand Patagonia and is a must see if you are here. The hike is beautiful as it is a few hour round trip if you move fast enough and you will be greeted with a beautiful lake with the mountains mirrored against it.
After we left El Chalten after a few wonderful days, we traveled by road through some barren wasteland but opening up to some beautiful glacial water. On our way to El Calafate we stopped at a small hotel that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stayed at during their time in South America. I had stopped here 12 years prior and a lot of the memorabilia is a kickback to the Old West of the United States and is an interesting stop…
El Calafate has grown since I was last here in 2011. While the streets remained the same, it seems like a lot more restaurants and bars have opened up to cater to all the people going through there. It just happened by chance that was not planned that I was there during New Years 2024 and was also there during New Years 2011 in the exact same hostel (coincidence coincidence). The town is still very beautiful with some nice buildings and also off the beaten trek streets where most of the people live.
The main attraction in this area is of course the Perito Moreno Glacier. As most of the largest glaciers in the world are located near the poles, this one makes it extremely attractive for people to visit. As I was here before, I noticed the retreat of the glacier as well as many small icebergs floating about. A walk along the boardwalk as well as a lovely boat ride in the lagoon will give you some amazing photos and a sense of how big this glacier is. It is always nice to see pieces of it fall off into the ocean with the loud boom and splash….The skies were very dark today which made for some amazing photos!!!
Now as we head back into Chile for 4 days (see Chilean Post), and then back into Argentina to Ushuaia which is the End of the World, we will now make our journey due North now after going South since June on our way to the Patagonian Wilderness of Argentina on our way to Rio……
Patagonia going up from Ushuaia on the Argentinian East looks a bit like a desolate desert in a lot of places until you hit the ocean. A lot of the scenery reminds me of my hometown El Paso with hills and desert shrubs. It is not until you get around the Colorado River headed up to BA that you reach the Pampas area and it starts turning into farmland with cows and more crop type vegetation….such as sunflowers!!!!
In the middle of Argentina there is a UNESCO site called the Valdes Peninsula. I did a full day trip around this wonderful place out of Puerto Madyrn in Argentina. Here you can find plenty of wildlife including Elephant Seals, Sea Lions, Magellenic Penguins and plenty of bird species such as gulls and Albatross. If you are lucky you may even see some Patagonian Armadillos scurrying around!!!
Buenos Aires was the first big city we have been in for a month with so many choices on what to do and what to see, it was a welcome sight.
As I had been here before I knew somewhat of what to do and went back to some old and new places.
The first stop was the Tigre River Delta (Parana Delta)which is about 45 minutes outside of Buenos Aires. Here the local people (and a lot of small guesthouses) sit on rivers and are kept up quite remarkably. Seeing people go about their everyday lives and water taxis. This delta area is among one of the bigger in the world at over 5000 kilometers and is one of the only major deltas in the world that does not empty into a sea.
We then headed into the old neighborhood of La Boca. I had been here years before and noticed the change of more gentrification from the old buildings that lined the streets. Of course this neighborhood is made famous by the Boca Juniors football team which is one if not the most popular team in Argentina with a huge fan base. I decided to go along the back roads to see what seemed to be an ever disappearing side of Boca which are the old houses.
Walking from Boca we stumbled upon a neighborhood that is popular for its cobble stoned streets called San Telmo. It looks like much of it has gone upscale with still some small quaint buildings in it. It was a far cry from Boca which had a lot more of a rustic and old feel to it. I imagine 40 years ago this would have been a much different neighborhood, but it is still popular for its cafe’s and bars especially in the old mercado.
Seeing as I have been in Recoleta Cemetery before and knew what to expect, I decided to shoot it in two ways. Black and White and also Color!!!! This cemetery made famous by Evita Peron being buried their along with other important people in Argentinean history, is one of my favorite cemeteries to photograph along with Pere Lechaise in Paris. After a nice day of rain and some moody clouds and sun, the photos which is Recoleta from my eye came out pretty good…
Another great neighborhood to hit for bars and cafes as well as street art is the Palermo neighborhood. This up and coming area boasts some of the better street art down alleys that you can find in Buenos Aires.
Finding more photographs in the city, I stopped by an old market called Flea Market Las Pulgas which had some very good street art around the outside of the building as well as antiques and wood making inside. It was very interesting to walk around and just take everything in.
As I head into Uruguay for a week and then back into the hot and humid part of Argenting in the Ibera Wetlands, it made me realize how vast and huge this country is from Tierra Del Fuego, all the way up north…..
Finally the Argentina side of Iguazu Falls was somewhat interesting as it was hard to get a good shot of the falls with a lot of blockage from trees…but this is one of the best waterfalls in the world and lived up to its expectations…
Finally to close off being in and out of Argentina six times on this trip, with borders will Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil, I got to see the famous Black Capuchin Monkeys that were on a jungle trail…
Argentina was everything it was built up to be. From Patagonia to the end of the world in Ushuaia, to Buenos Aires, and to Iguazu Falls, this country has everything and anything a person who travels would want. The food is great, the scenery is better, and the people are always available for a helping hand. Being here so many times in different trips has given me a perspective like no other and surely I should come back again…
Taking the Ferry from BA to Uruguay, was something I had done before as it is the easiest way to get into Uruguay. Landing in Colonia del Sacramento after only a 1 hour and 15 minute ride was well worth the money.
Colonia del Sacramento is an old Spanish town like I have seen before in many of the cities of central and South America and this one was in better shape that a lot of them as it caters mostly to tourists as prices start to get more expensive. The old town is a UNESCO site as it is in very good condition with old cobble stone streets and old houses and shops that line the streets and the whole cite has a hint of a European Atmosphere to it with cafe’s and shops.
People going about doing their everyday things was something I was looking for her and managed to get a few photos of just this.
The rest of the Colonia was pretty much standard with old broken down classic cars and some houses in disrepair, while others were in very good shape and seem to have been renovated. The plaza had a beautiful fountain and the surrounding areas full of little pieces of street art.
Montevideo the capital city is an interesting city with a mix of cultures and buildings. In some areas you will find beautiful colonial buildings that are kept up, while in other places you will find dilapidated buildings that are perhaps more than a hundred years old boarded up and falling apart. Still next to everything you will find new condos and buildings that they have started putting in around the center of the city.
The street art in this area was amazing. They seem to have something on just about every other corner and it is often just like street art of past cities, very colorful or has a meaning to it. A few hours walk around and you can find just about everything in this small capital city.
Chile is one of the most developed countries in South America. I have been here before traveling to Easter Island Twice and down south by plane once to Coyhaique for a few days. I wanted to see the landscapes all the way from Santiago South as we weave in and out of Chile and Argentina over a few weeks to see the impressive and ever changing landscape. First Stop- Santiago
Santiago
After rejoining the truck I had been on after two months from Alaska (being in Easter Island, Bolivia, Paraguay and Antarctica Trip). I flew in here to get ready to head down south….
Santiago is a bustling city but for the most part very clean and a lot of up and coming neighborhoods. One of the neighborhoods I went to is not a place that many tourists go to and it is somewhat off the beaten path. I was told not go to there several times and was even warned four times around the neighborhood, however I found the people to be nice and genuine. The people went about their daily lives selling items on the streets while many old buildings had great street art on them….
Some other photos from around Santiago’s main area of Bella Vista and Providencia…
Pucon
Next stop after an overnight bus was the small town of Pucon, known for its beautiful scenery, thermal baths and volcano hiking. I went to some of the sites, but primarily just walked around to check out parts of the small town
As we drive south, we hit what would be the beginning of Patagonia in Chile and the Carretera Austral which is one of the most beautiful highways in the world with the scenery being some of the best. This area is very isolated and most of the towns are extremely small bringing back memories of Swiss looking farmlands that sprawl as far as the eye can see…..
As a drive through Port Montt which is the beginning of the Carretera Austral and Patagonia, I notice the ever changing scenery….
After staying the night in a small farm near Hornopiren, we boarded what was to become the first of two ferry rides for the day that took us through some remarkable scenery and scenery that seemed to get more beautiful..
Futaleufu is widely considered as being one of the best white water rafting places in the worlds. The isolated roads we drove along took us on the outskirts of a small town with streets lined with old houses and a central square. I chose not to do the white water rafting and instead walked around the town to see the back streets and meet some of the people…..
Leaving Futaleufu on the same road we came in took us to some amazing scenery with some of the most pristine water you have ever seen. Going through some crystal clear water as well as rolling mountains took us to the small town on the edge of the fjords of Puyhuapi.
The main site in this area besides the fjords (with the dolphins swimming next to our camp was of course the Hanging Glacier of Queulat National Park. The glacier and the water around it was pristine with beautiful waterfalls and fast moving rivers…
After we left this beautiful area of the Hanging Glacier, the scenery we ran into was unbelievable on the road to Coyhaique. I previously visited this place in 2012 when I flew down after Easter Island to spend a few days here seeing the sites and horseback riding (Coyhaique area). We only spent the night there as we had to get on the next day to Rio Tranquilo.
Heading down to Rio Tranquilo saw some stunning snow covered mountains along with rolling pastures for the sheep and cows to graze, followed by lakes of fresh blue glacial water as we made our way to this tiny town…
The main activity to do in Rio Tranquilo is the boating or kayaking around the crystal blue waters to the Marble Caves. As I have done this on a previous trip, I decided to walk around this quaint and lovely town and photograph the area including the mountains that surround it…
As we stepped into Argentina for about a week through New Years, to go to the Cave of Hands (very isolated), El Chalten and El Calafate with the famous Perito Moreno Glacier, we would have one more stop in Chile at the famous Torres del Paine National Park which is world renowned for hiking and scenery. Although the weather was very unstable while we were there as the blue skies would show itself only a few times, the scenery in this area was unbelievable…..as was the small town of Puerto Natales that had some amazing scenery in itself…
As we exited Chile close to the Argentinian border to Ushuaia we had one more great glimpse of wildlife here as our little campsite was visited by two Patagonian Grey Foxes hunting for food…
Overall the time in Chile was excellent, I have always wanted to travel the Carretera Austral and do the Chilean Patagonian right and that is by overland. The scenery did not disappoint and the drive days were amazing. Couple that with my two times I have been to Easter Island (Rapa Nui), and mainland Chile a few times 12 years apart, I am satisfied with all I have seen and would love to do this again…..
Where Penguins reign supreme, seals and whales are the kings, and the birds fly around in teams….
It has been a dream of mine to visit Antarctica along with the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and I have finally accomplished that. Being that these places have very fragile ecosystems and a lot of the animals and birds found here exist nowhere else on earth, make it a very intriguing place to visit. Aboard the ship Ocean Endeavor for almost three weeks, gave me a chance to these hard to visit places that many people will never get to go to.
The Trip looked something like this:
Leaving out of Ushuaia, this trip was meant to go to Antarctica first, then followed by South Georgia, then the Falkland Islands. However, because of weather conditions and the Avian Bird Flu, we reversed our course first starting out in the Falklands which is a British Overseas Territory. We then headed down to South Georgia Island, which is another British Overseas Territory, and finally to Antarctica!!!
To get from one place to another, you must have a few days at sea, however on board the boat there are enough classes to keep you busy about the history of all these places we will visit and information about the flora and fauna we will see along the way. One that that kept me busy on the boat was photographing all the birds that spend most of their lives flying out in the ocean. With great sunlight I was able to get some interesting pictures of some of the Albatrosses, Petrels, and Prions among other birds while out on the wide-open ocean.
Of course from the boat, on days at sea, you can get some amazing photographs of glaciers, mountains, the crushing waves and different landscapes seen nowhere else on earth. Included in this was the famed biggest iceberg in the world which broke off from Antarctica after being trapped in Antarctica since 1986. The famed iceberg A23a is about 4000 square kilometers, roughly three times the size of NYC.
Like mentioned before the Falkland Islands are a British Overseas territory that Argentina also claims this territory naming it Islas Malvinas (but that is for another history lesson). Most of the people on the island are of British descent and a few other nationalities. The islands are extremely beautiful with different wildlife in all of them. We had a total of three days around the islands going on shore for most of them with a chance to see a variety of birds, a few different penguin species and some beautiful landscapes.
Port Stanley is the biggest town on the islands with just about over 3500 people. A walk along the town with a beautiful cemetery, restaurant bars, beautiful houses, and old church gives you a sense that this place is calm and serene. I had a chance to walk all the way to the west part of town then back to the east and saw pretty much everything as I also read the history along the way. This would also mark the only town that I would see on my trip.
Our first look at the beautiful wildlife on the Falklands was the West Falkland area of Grave Cove. Grave Cove has some graves of some old whalers but the most magnificent aspect of this place is the landscape and animals. With one of the biggest Gentoo Penguin colonies on the islands, you cant help but see all of the breeding pairs together, or walking around, or just going for a swim. The sun was pretty much perfect here so the photography is amazing. With Skewers and Hawks looking to have an easy meal out of Penguin eggs, it was quite an interesting sight to watch. There were ducks all over the Falklands and most of them had just given birth to ducklings, so that was always a nice surprise to see!!!
West Point island was our afternoon stop and is located in the NW point of the Falkland Islands. Here after a short hike you can find the beautiful Black Browned Albatross amongst some of the other bird species. As they nest in the Tussac Grass on the edge of cliffs, you can see them flying near and far with their slow motion landings. In and around them you will find the quite angry looking Rock Hopper Penguins which nestle themselves in between the Albatross areas.
The next stop in the Falklands was Carcass Island. This island was interesting because of the fact we got to see the Magellanic Penguins for the first time. Besides seeing one lone one moving around, I was also able to get some beautiful photos of ducks on the other side of the island after a long walk through the some very annoying Tussac Grass, I reached the other side and were able to see a plethora of different birds including ducks eating from the shore in the sand as well as the Oyster Catcher which is a very bizarre but interesting looking bird. Of course we had the nesting loud Gentoo Penguin colonies all over the island!!!
Our last wildlife stop in the Falkland Islands would be no other than the Famous Saunders Island. This Island is the fourth biggest and also serves as a sheep farm. This would be the first time we are introduced to the famous King Penguins with their offspring which look like fluffy kiwi fruits. This was in my opinion the most magnificent scenery in the Falkland Islands with the penguins on the beach covered up by the windy sand blowing at them!!! Here we also saw the Gentoo Penguins protecting their nests from the scavenger birds as well as the angry looking Magellanic Penguins high on the slopes of the mountains. The pictures indeed here tell a magnificent story of survival!!!
In order to get to the South Georgia Islands, we had to spend three days at sea in some rough waters (not as rough as it usually is), however it made it fun walking around on the ship. Editing photos and going to photo classes and lectures over animals is how the days at sea were usually spent!!!!
South Georgia
At the start of the trip, we were unaware if we would even be able to get into South Georgia because of the Avian Bird Flu and the shutting down of different landing sites to see the animals. We were hoping for the worst and got welcome news when at certain sites, we would be able to land and see the magnificent animals that roam this beautiful landscape!!!!!
Before we got off, we were able to sit on the boat and just watch penguins do their thing and jump out of water. Trying to capture this was no easy task, however I was able to get some pretty good shots of these little guys going for a morning swim….
Our first stop was Fortuna Bay. This bay is teeming with wildlife with beautiful rugged snow cap mountains. This was probably one of the best places on the trip for different wildlife including the King Penguin, the Fur Seal, Elephant Seal (Jabba the Slugs), Giant Petrels, Brown Skua’s and Tern Birds. As we departed from the boat the rain really started coming down which would in turn be our worst weather of the trip, however the rain soon turned to snow as it made for some beautiful photos, but a very wet camera. Some of the shots here were amazing and the only thing that would make this experience better would to stay on the land for a whole day more!!!! Pictures here are worth 1000 words!!!!
I had the option to take a Shackleton Route over the mountain to Stromness Whaling station but decided against it and instead got my camera gear together for a great afternoon excursion at the bay. As we were not allowed to go on land because of the Fur Seals trying to attack the hikers, we instead took zodiac cruises around the bay and saw some of the best wildlife there is to see. Cruising around the bay we were able to see a very lazy fur seal on top of an iceberg just looking at us, birds flying around everywhere, Elephant Seals lazing away in the day only getting up to give you a smile, and a very rare light brown fur seal on the land. Overall this was a great zodiac ride to look at everything going on without getting too close to the animals. With the way the fur seals acted, I would rather stay away from them!!!!!!
Grytviken is pretty much the only outpost (with a post office) on the island. It is where the British Antarctic Survey runs out of and is a sparsely populated place during the summer months with even less during the winter months. Besides so many animals everywhere, as well as the remnants of an old whaling station, you can have a great look at Ernest Shackleton’s Grave which is across the bay from the station. With so many Fur Seals and Elephant seals around here, it makes it a wonderful place for photography.
As we tried to get to Cooper Bay in the afternoon to see some Macaroni Penguins, the waters were just so rough that it was impossible to land, so we got to see the Penguins from a distance and as we drove off a rainbow appeared going right into an iceberg.
We instead went to Gold Harbour and took a Zodiac cruise around the Harbour. With the Fur Seals and Elephant Seals moving about, the King Penguins moved about the beach with their young in an effort to get some sun. The landscape here was amazing as the backdrop was a giant glacier that is melting giving way to a lovely waterfall.
As we left South Georgia we started to take the three day Scotia sea route to Antarctica. It was pretty much an easy crossing with seeing many birds and icebergs along the way (see above with worlds biggest iceberg). Now it was time for the LAST CONTINENT!!!!!
Antarctica
Getting into Antarctica has always been a dream of mine and finally this dream was coming true. As we arrived to the peninsula, the rugged mountains of South Georgia and the Falklands were a distant memory and now we come to snow and icebergs just about everywhere.
Mikkelson Harbour was our first stop. With beautiful hills covered by penguin prints and penguin colonies dotting this landmass, it is no wonder that people did not want to leave. It was fun hiking up to the top and watching the penguins have fun along the way. As we stepped on our Zodiac Cruise we were greeted with a beautiful splashing tail of a Humpback Whale and I was able to squeeze off some beautiful shots of this magnificent animals.
What was just as impressive as the wildlife in this area is the landscape, with the rolling mountains of snow and the icebergs everywhere, it made for a photographers dream!!!!
Cierva Cove is a stunning cove thats in Hughes Bay, along the west coast of Graham Land, Antarctica. This would be one of my favorite places in Antarctica for scenery and icebergs as we saw so many different shapes on our Zodiac drives around here:
The two penguin types around Cierra Cove are Adelie which make up more of the population and Gentoo which I only saw a few. The landscape of the penguin trails were amazing here as was seeing them swim. I even witnessed a Gentoo swimming with a bunch of Adelies!!!
Our next place was Danco Island which has a massive population of Gentoo Penguins that seemed to be in mating season. Watching them play in the water along with sliding down their penguin highways and photographing this made it a very nice destination.
Of course besides the wildlife here, the landscape is absolutely stunning along with all of the ice in the water broken off from icebergs, made this a really special area…
Our afternoon trip took us to nearby Useful Island. This is a granite island with a fair amount of snowfall. At the top we were able to find a nice rookery of Chinstrap Penguins which is the first of these we have seen. They seemed to be very noisy and always screaming at each other. On other parts of this small island you can find the Gentoo Penguins sometimes sliding across the ice and into the water and you can never forget the random Weddell Seal who always looks up at passing people with a beautiful cat face…
Of course when in the Antarctic you must do a Polar Plunge to join the club. I had done the plunge in the Arctic in June in northern Alaska and now it was time for me to go full circle. I think this was a bit more cold….
Our very last day on the continent would have some great landscape photos yet again with some beautiful Gentoo Penguins doing what they like to do, sit on their eggs, eat ice, mate, and make a lot of noise. This is where I was able to relax and sit with one of the rookeries for a while and see what was going on as a lot of Skuas flying around, trying to get the eggs of the penguins.
Our last afternoon on this wonderful continent at Cuverville Island saw me seeing the lovely Gentoo Penguins again, this time I go to see one chase the other during a fight which I was able to snap off some great photos!!!
The rest of the photography was beautiful as the penguins were going about their business mating and falling into the sea as well as a lone Adelie Penguin just sitting on the iceberg looking around. The highlight for me was on our Zodiac Cruise we found a Weddell Seal on an iceberg and as it yawned it gave us a nasty look that meant we probably woke it up!!!
As we left the peninsula on our two day trip back to the mainland of Argentina in Ushuaia, we were greeted by a family of Orcas or Killer Whales. While it was almost dark and they were a long distance away, I managed to squeeze off a few not so good shots
Would I say Antarctica is as good as I expected? I would say a heck of a lot better with so much scenery and wildlife, it keeps you guessing what will happen next. South Georgia and The Falkland Islands were also right up there because of the scenery in that area with the animals and all three places complimented each other perfectly. The price I paid was worth it and I contemplated going back again to spend more time…only time will tell…
One of the least visited countries in South America has some great history, birding, and Asado!!!
Paraguay is a country that is not often visited on the list of countries in South America, compared to Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. However it does offer a wide range of activities from the historic center of Asuncion to the many birding and wildlife activities among the Rio Paraguay as well as the Chaco region.
First off, just like its neighbors of Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, grilling or Asado is king here. It is not uncommon to go into a supermarket to find some of the best cuts of meat for more than half the price you will find in USA, UK, or Europe. It is also not uncommon to go into a steak restaurant and order twice as much food as you would in the above countries and pay three times less of the price.
The Paraguay River pretty much runs through the country and the biggest city on this river is Asuncion. I took a full day excursion as I have heard the birding and wildlife is good along the river. I was extremely impressed with so many different species of birds. I also learned some of their names in Spanish which was quite interesting. Among some of the species I saw were Egrets, Long Necked Heron, Cormorant, three types of Kingfishers including the Amazon Kingfisher, American wood stork, Black headed vulture, Blue Egret, Osprey, Pink Spoonbills, lapwings, and Tiger Egret among many others. As I like to photograph Kingfishers as they are on the move a lot, it is always a challenge, especially photographing birds in with the sun in a bad position. An added bonus to this was an old church from the 1860s that was built for the then president of Paraguay. It had fallen into disrepair but looks like there is efforts underway to restore it.
An added bonus to all the birding was near the late afternoon we ran into a family of Howler Monkeys that were feasting up on the trees from the banks of the river. With the males being more dark than the females and babies, these guys were hard to photograph, but luckily they were interested in the boat and kept looking down. If only the sun was in a good direction, their features could become more clear. However it was nice to watch them hang around in the trees going about their everyday life and them being just as much interested in me as I was of them.
Asuncion has a lot to offer and tourism is not a big thing here. With an up and coming district with restaurants and bars on every corner, to the historic center with new buildings popping up next to old buildings, this city is great for photography. It is not as bustling as other South American cities, but offers a good glimpse into a relaxed lifestyle. Mercado 4 was a bustling market where you can pretty much find anything your heart desires and more!!!! I did do a historical tour to learn about the fascinating history after Spanish colonization up until the present and saw some very interesting sites from where the government operates to different monuments scattered about the historic center.
Overall I was extremely surprised by this country and there is a lot more to visit here. It may be one of the best kept secrets in South America and I believe within a few years the tourism will start picking up, so people can travel around this incredible place!!!
Bolivia has always fascinated me since I was a kid. It is a diverse landlocked country bordered by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay Chile, and Peru aptly named a Plurinational state because of its many ethnicity and spoken languages.
It is indeed a land of extremes as you have the jungles that are a part of the Bolivian Amazon in the north east and south east which is hot and humid and filled with birds and wildlife and flora. In the southwest you have the high and dry desert of Potosi Department which has one of the most spectacular land forms in the world and has the biggest salt flat in Uyuni. In the north west you have the highest capital in the world in La Paz which is at an elevation of 3700 meters or 12000 feet above sea level. Just above La Paz you have the newest city in the world called El Alto which is where the airport is and is about 4100 meters or 1300 feet. In fact, parts of Bolivia are so high up that they have 3 of the 8 highest cities in the world.
As I spent a long time traveling this great country, I have divided it into three sections with great photos from each:
Two of the highest elevation cities in the world that never stop going!!!!
These two cities (some of the highest in the world) are a melting pot of great food, great people, and great scenery. I stayed ten days in this area in order to get out and walk around and photograph people doing their everyday life. While they used to be one city, El Alto little by little became its own entity and now arguably outnumbers La Paz in people, but that is unverified. I would have to rank La Paz as one of my top ten cities in the world as the photography is amazing and the street food all over is some of the best I have had.
One of the best places to stay which I spent ten nights in is Patio de Piedra Hotel Boutique. It is a great mix of what an old villa looked like in the city and has been renovated to turn it into a hotel with ten rooms and some of the most beautiful furniture. The staff is great as Hernan was always there to help me out and get me to and from the airport and the food in the restaurant is extremely good.
El Alto
The best way to get up there is of course the cable car. With 11 different lines all named by color, I believe this is the best way to see both La Paz and El Alto. Of course the most interesting thing to see in El Alto is the Chollets. These colorful buildings are usually used for different events- weddings, quinceaneras, work parties, holiday parties, etc. Although some of them actually have units of people living in them. Some of them have themes while some of them are very plain. I expect in the next 20 years a lot of these buildings will be extremely colorful.
Another popular excursion you will find around El Alto is Chollita wrestling. These females clad in bright clothes with huge skirts is definitely fun to watch. Very similar to Lucha Libre wrestling in Mexico, the ref is always the heel which usually take the side of the female heel. With my seats above the ring I was able to get some really good photos!!!
The city cemetery has been around a long time. As I was there before Dia De Los Muertos, I saw the beautiful street art by different artists being painted next to the tombs. They combine many Christian ideas with ideas they had before Spain arrived which makes for very interesting stories. Some of the graves are very intrinsic while others are very plain. It was interesting seeing people there to go to relatives or friends graves and while most of them were not grieving, they were instead celebrating. This was one of the most interesting cemeteries I have been to ranking it up there with Recoleta in Buenos Aires and Pere Lechaise in Paris.
Even though the witches market in La Paz in the city center is the popular place to go for tourists, the good one is up in El Alto which gets very few tourists. Here a lot of people go to get rid of bad omens by these medicine people who have all kinds of herbs and/or liquids at their disposal, they have been known to perform miracles on different people and often have a lot of visitors. I got to get my fortune read and we will see if any of it comes true…
The city of La Paz is a thriving, bustling, and colorful city. You can walk every which direction and always have something to look at. From the old churches, to the narrow streets, this city has it all.
The people of La Paz seems to be always on the go as the streets are always busy and people are always jumping into mini busses going to work or to meet friends. Other people you can see sit around from their street stalls selling stuff and others just sitting in front of the church while children run around…
Finally, just a couple of hours out of La Paz is the mysterious civilization of Tinawaku. This civilization predates the Incas by a few hundred years and was probably at its height around 1200-1000 years ago. Here you can find decorated ceramics, a system of buildings and mysterious monolithic structures. The subterranean temple has some mysterious heads of people and/or aliens (some peoples theories) around. If you walk around the site of the Puma Punku, you may find some cut stones. Due to the complexity of the stonework many have theorized the existence of aliens. I noticed some of the cuts were very precise, but this is just a theory.
These two cities which are next to each other was some of the best mix of culture and food and photography I have had in a long time. I will be sure to come back here as there is so much more to explore around the city and it will always be bustling…
I have said that I will never see a desert more beautiful than in Namibia in my life, however I think that Namibia has some competition. If you want to see the biggest salt flat in the world, Lakes with three different species of flamingos shuffling their beaks for food, colorful mountains with alpacas, llamas, and vicunas running around them, beautiful sunrises and sunsets peaking over the vast land, rolling valleys with little streams, and hot springs that steam all hours of the day and a beautiful red lake, then you need to visit this place. It was also used in the filming Star Wars Episode 8- The Last Jedi as the planet Crait.
Of course when going here, you must do the obligatory photos with other people that show different depths of field and doing different crazy things…
The train graveyard was interesting to see as it used to be used as a cargo train across this vast desert, however with it being so close to the town, it is often overrun with tourists all the time, but I was still able to get some interesting photos…
Besides the beautiful salt flats I got a surprise Which was seeing my first culpeo which is an Andean fox most closely related to a wolf or Jackal. Another very interesting animal up on the altiplano was vizcacha which is an animal that resembles a long tailed rabbit.
I may have got the best photos of llamas, alpacas and Vicunas due to the great sun and backdrops in the area. A lot of them were wild but some were out to feed from local farms. They were decorated with beautiful colored ribbons and were always interested to see humans, some of them scared, others very relaxed..
One of the most beautiful parts of this land is the lakes that dot the landscape, most of them not freshwater and are instead salt water with different other minerals in them to give them either a red glow or make the water very reflective. With three of the worlds six Flamingo species found here- Chilean, Andean and James, they often feed on the plankton in the water and you can find them there going about their everyday business. With these three species, I have now witnessed out in the wild all of the worlds flamingo species!!!
Like I have mentioned, the landscape here was very diverse and you can notice in the rock formations and the scenery that it changes every hour. Parts of it looked like my hometown of El Paso, while other parts were very barren, while other parts were extremely colorful. If you want to see beautiful smoking geysers at sunrise, steamy pools with hot springs, as well as beautiful reflective pools with majestic mountains ahead of them, then this place is for you!!!
The photography in this place is wonderful, which is why I wanted to spend more time there and do the three day circuit again, the photography in this area is amazing and I did not get bored one day here as there was always something to see!!!! This is a place I will definitely come back to as there are more places to explore!!!
