Water is Everything in Arid Iquique, Chile
“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 […]
Snowy Volcano in Northern Patagonia
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.
Jimmy Langman Won’t Douse His Magazine Dream
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, […]
Guyana? Yeah, We´d Love to Go There
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 […]
The Ups and Downs of the Travel Business
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, […]
The Falkland Islands Want You To Come Visit
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 […]
What Would It Take to Pave that Highway?
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. […]
Biting the Hand that Sumptously Feeds Us
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 […]