Marapendi Natural Reserve in Rio de Janeiro is a stunning example of preserved wilderness in the heart of the city! This 665-hectare protected area is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including capivaras, snakes, monkeys, and jacares. The reserve is a haven for wildlife, with species like the capuchin monkey (Sapajus sp.) and… Continue reading Wildlife Encounter in Rio: Experience Marapendi Reserve
Category: South America
San Pedro Prison – A world within a world
San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia - a place that defies understanding, a world within a world where the lines between freedom and confinement blur. As I recount the situation in 2019, I'm left wondering what it would be like to walk through those gates, to breathe the air thick with the scent of… Continue reading San Pedro Prison – A world within a world
Explore Rare Portuguese Literature at This Historic Library
The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a stunning library and cultural institution that houses the largest collection of Portuguese texts outside of Portugal. Founded in 1837 by a group of Portuguese immigrants, the library was established to promote Portuguese culture and literature in Brazil. The current building, designed… Continue reading Explore Rare Portuguese Literature at This Historic Library
Ollantaytambo: A Key Incan Fortress in Peru’s Sacred Valley
The town of Ollantaytambo was established during the Reign of Pachacútec (1418–1471). While there were buildings here before that, the town grew dramatically under the rule of the Incas. At that time, Ollantaytambo was used as a checkpoint to control access to the Sacred Valley. This was also where maize was first domesticated before being… Continue reading Ollantaytambo: A Key Incan Fortress in Peru’s Sacred Valley
Machu Micchu – Sacred temple or military fortress?
When the explorer Hiram Bingham III encountered Machu Picchu in 1911, he was looking for a different city called Vilcabamba. This was a hidden capital to which the Inca had escaped after the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1532. Over time, it became famous as the legendary Lost City of the Inca. Bingham spent most of his life… Continue reading Machu Micchu – Sacred temple or military fortress?
A Night at Casa del Telegrafista: History Uncovered
Traveling across South America in 2019, I visited Bolivia and its iconic attractions. That had to include the Trail of Che which I did my own 'researched' way. In Vallegrande I hired a local driver who happened to have a family in La Higuera. That was very convenient for both of us. I had a… Continue reading A Night at Casa del Telegrafista: History Uncovered
Frog on the border 