The pantomimed characiture of a man holding his eyes open proved to be an omen. Our bus driver was showing me what would happen tonight as I lay in a bunk bed with two snoring roommates after chewing on three coca leaves earlier in the evening. It was a sleepless, […]
“What time is it?” Sony asked with a yawn, as we sat finishing dinner last night beneath a thatched partial roof at the El Tercer Ojito, or “The Third Eye,” in Iquique. Twelve-thirty, I answered, and to that Cristina Burchard, proprietor, told us that here, parties begin about now. She […]
This plane ride ranked up there with my all time amazing flights. Being able to swoop down and see all of this beautiful countryside from the air in this small 22 seater with huge windows was amazing.
At the big closing party, I ran into an earnest young man named Jimmy Langman who lives in Puerto Varas and makes his living as a writer. He’s got a dream, and he won’t let go of it. I am guilty of pouring lots of cold water on his idea, […]
My head is exploding with fascinating stories and data about so many places in South America. There is nothing I like better than to visit with people and in a short span, have them share with you what they love about the places they live. My last appointment was with […]
I’m exhausted from a day of chatting, listening, learning, agreeing, and schmoozing…all with a head cold caught from days in a van where people were sneezing. I felt so bad that I had shaken hands with people that later I switched to a Michelle-Barack fist bump, or an elbow touch, […]
On the bus over to Travel Mart, I met a woman from the Falkland Islands. She told me that she has lived there for more than 20 years, and despite spending time in the UK, she wouldn´t trade living down there for anything. I asked her about the legacy of […]
At the big cocktail party opening for Travel Mart Latin America here in Frutillar, Chile, I met a man named Jose Koechlin Von Stein. We recognized him from when we saw him last night at the Cliffs Preserve, they were the only guests besides our large contingent of grumpy journalists. […]
We were dropped off at our luxury villa tonight, and taken for a quick tour of the sumptous property at the 8000-acre Cliffs Preserve. We saw the outdoor wood-fired hot tub, were amazed by the luxurious huge bedrooms, and dazzled by the ocean views, which in the morning would lie […]
I’m digesting a fancy dinner at a fantastic place. It’s called The Cliffs Preserve, and it’s on Chile’s Pacific coast, an 8000-acre property that caters to the ultra rich. The rate for the villas here is $1200 per person per night, with a three-night minimum. The jaded travel trade writers […]
We spent most of today aboard a 35′ yacht, cruising among the towering wooded cliffs of th Comau fjord. Nobody goes in these mountains that are so inaccessible due to the high cliffs. We came upon a massive colony of sea lions who bellowed and barked, snapping at each other […]
We drove out of the small lakeside town of Puerto Varas to an elegant boutique hotel called Casa Molino. We were greeted warmly by Angela, who owns the property with her husband Albert. We walked through the glass fronted back wall which looks over the lake, and in the distance […]