South America Blog
About this blog
Wayne Bernhardson is the author of Moon Handbooks to Buenos Aires, Chile, Argentina, and Patagonia. Here he shares his vast knowledge of South America and its people.
Recent Posts
- The Papal Cumbia
- The Uruguayan Sacraments: Tango & Mate
- Taxing the Tourist: Argentina's AFIP Aims Low
- Fortress Falklands: A Book Review
- Pope Argentinus I, The Musical: Ragtime Meets Tango
- Credit Where Credit Is Undue?
- ¿Adios Hugo?
- When "No" Is A Positive
- Chile and Its "Crazies"
- The Oscars: A Post Mortem, So to Speak
- Sacrificing the Atacama? A Chilean View of Dakar
- Chilean Oscar Faceoff? "No" v. "Kon-Tiki"
- Friday Digest: Southern Cone Nuggets
- Dancing in the Mud? The Andean Aftermath
- Floods & Mud: Summer Storms Hit the Andes
Friday Digest: Southern Cone Nuggets
Today’s entry will cover a diversity of items, both in California and the Southern Cone itself. To start with, I will be attending tomorrow’s Bay Area Adventure and Travel Show where, from my point of view, the most intriguing presence is the Falkland Islands Tourist Board (pictured above is Stanley's Jetty Centre, where the FITB greets cruise ship passengers). I have yet to meet Tony Mason, the Board’s new general manager, and hope to be able to relay some new insights on the Islands after speaking with him. Tentatively, I will be returning to the Islands later this year or early next, in the course of updating Moon Handbooks Patagonia.
Patagonia Photo Contest more >>
Dancing in the Mud? The Andean Aftermath
There’s dancing in the streets of Buenos Aires today, just as there is in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro – it’s Fat Tuesday, and Carnaval celebrations are in full swing. It’s not the spectacle in the Argentine capital that it is in Brazil or Louisiana, but neighborhood murgas (troupes) still kick up their heels. So do those in Gualeguaychú, the acknowledged capital of Argentine Carnaval, and in Uruguay (whose Museo del Carnaval in Montevideo is well worth a visit). more >>
Floods & Mud: Summer Storms Hit the Andes
In the early 1980s, I hitched a lift on a flatbed truck from the Chilean mining town of Calama to San Pedro de Atacama and, about halfway there, we found ourselves in near whiteout conditions – in the arid Atacama desert, not just rain, but snow. Fortunately, I arrived safely but now, whenever I think of what is probably the world’s driest climate, that still comes to mind. more >>
Welcome to Argentina? The Visa/Reciprocity Update
Several times I’ve written about the so-called “reciprocity fees” that Argentina and Chile collect from travelers with passports from countries that charge visa fees for Argentines and Chileans – most notably the United States, Canada, and Australia, but also Mexico in the case of Chile. In the case of US citizens, both countries now charge US$160 for the privilege of entering their territory. For Argentina, Australians pay US$100 (single entry), while Canadians pay US$75 (single entry, valid for multiple visits over three months) or US$150 (valid for five years). more >>
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