Best of Patagonia Argentina
March 30, 2010 by JoelC2009 · 10 Comments
To know where to go and what to see depends on your interests and to what degree you are willing to search deep for something out of the ordinary that you may find intriguing. If you have only a short time each year to take a vacation, love to trek and crave to get away to a destination which will capture the essence of the region at large you should consult the insight of a local and the feedback of one that has done the journey you contemplate.
Patagonia is one of those destinations that is a vast territory spanning the Pampa and the Andes mountains of two countries, Argentina and Chile. To get to know it well requires repeat visits and abundant time few may have. So if you wish to sample Patagonia Argentina , where should you go?
All guidebooks to Patagonia note two national parks not to miss, Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy. While one can hike in the southernmost reaches of Tierra del Fuego as well, the central Patagonia lures most of the visitors and these two parks should definitely be at the top of anyone’s list.
Most of us shop for airfares and settle for the lowest in price, but the ultimate logistics of your Patagonia travel should be determined by where you plan to visit though at first look political boundaries may suggest otherwise.
While certain parts of Patagonia are easily accessed via either capital city, Buenos Aires or Santiago de Chile, other parts of Patagonia may be more cumbersome to reach if coming from the wrong direction.
Torres del Paine constitutes one of those magnificent destinations which although politically in Chile is easier to visit from Argentina via El Calafate north of the national park and thus should be included in your trip to Patagonia Argentina. If plan to visit Torres del Paine via Santiago the main access point for the park is Puerto Natales south of the park and an easy drive from Punta Arenas, Chile’s major airport in Patagonia.
Undeniably rivaling Torres del Paine, the most popular destination in Patagonia Argentina is the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares dominated by the Fitz Roy massif. The park’s gateway is the town of El Chalten, easy bus ride some four hours away from El Calafate. To make the best of your trip to this part of South America you should include both parks in your itinerary.
In sheer count the most visited and certainly one of the stunning parts of the Argentine Andes is its Lakes District which spans both sides of the border. San Carlos de Bariloche is the main alpine resort of Argentina and a fashionable and sophisticated town in all respects it is.
If you come to Patagonia to trek and plan to visit Bariloche you should not miss a trek in the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, the oldest of Argentina’s national parks. A trek to do here is a one through a magnificent region of granite spires and alpine lakes, the Nahuel Huapi Traverse. The trailhead for the trek is the Villa Catedral ski village and the terminus five days later is Puente Lopez.
Anywhere in the Lakes District crossing from Argentina to Chile and vice versa is tempting as well as rewarding. Though the bus journey between the two countries is sunning in its own right, a grand Andean traverse to do is a wonderful trek starting in Argentina that follows the spine of the Andes over Paseo de las Nubes with fantastic panorama of Monte Tronador to the west, then crosses the frontier over Paseo de Perez Rosales and finally descends to Peulla in Chile.
There are certainly more than enough options for trips and hikes elsewhere in Patagonia Argentina, and plenty to consider in the same region in Chile, but focusing on Fitz Roy and the Lakes District out of Bariloche is a great place to start.
African-American memorabilia
September 9, 2009 by JoelC2009 · 5 Comments
The history of the US of A contains immigration of many races. It already started tens of thousands of years ago, when prehistoric Asian hunter-gatherers crossed the dry land that would later become the Bering Sea, and eventually spread out over the whole continent of North and South America. Their descendents would later become known as American Indians. Then the Europeans came, occupying the whole continent in no time at all.
Almost immediately the most disturbing part of American history started: the ages of slavery. In our days it’s hard to understand the reasoning of this era, but we are still confronted with it, in different ways. The presence of the African culture in the US is very prominent nowadays: the nation has come a long way, even to the extend that at the moment I write this, a Black American is running for president! Yes, African-American history in the United States has changed (tremendously|for the good}, which definitely restores ones faith in mankind.
Nevertheless there are still many remains of the era of slavery and discrimination. Presently many of those have become collectable parts of African-American history. Under the general lable Black Americana those items are often collected. Often by Black Americans who want to preserve part of their personal history in the form of African-American memorabilia, but also by other ethnicities who perceive them als valuable tokens of a time that was much different from our own, and that should not be forgotten.
Among these Black Americana or memorabilia are household objects like kitchen utensils, but also originals or replicas of objects from the slavery period itself. Many books about this era can be found, and indeed should be read. Black Americana is a subject that reminds us all of how life should not be, and by keeping this reminder in view we contribute to greater consciousness of African-American history.
Cutting Costs On International Travel
September 9, 2009 by JoelC2009 · 5 Comments
Prices for flights, hotel bookings and international car hire vary a lot from one period of the year to another, and in this incredibly fast moving world of traveling, learning the best tips brings maximum profit for businesses and rewarding alternatives for holiday makers.
Be careful about the cheap travel packages you choose since you could be paying more for the flight to the destination than for the whole stay there. Those tourists who prefer discount international flights should know that airfares vary depending on the internal regulations of airlines and are not given any explanation. Alternate routes and combinations of two flights are often cheaper than a direct one.
Another thing to consider is the cost of the travel insurance. It’s always a good idea to have it but be sure to compare the plans to make certain you get the coverage you need at the best cost. Plenty of info on cheap international travel insurance is widely available on the Internet and you can learn loads of useful things to help you maximize the money efficiency and the safety of the vacation.
Another way to keep the travel packages cheap is never to overlook important details like the travel food. Many restaurants in various parts of the world make huge profits on the account of tourists without people realizing it, therefore, it is time people paid more attention to local food they could have during international vacations. For local specialties, costs are a lot smaller and the food is absolutely great!
Flexibility allows one to get really good deals on international travel packages. Let’s say that you choose to travel to South America. If you request a vacation to Rio de Janeiro, you will notice that this is more expensive than a random tourist destination in Brazil. Some less known and little crowded resorts could offer you a lot more than a very popular but highly expensive ones.
Acai Berry Juice And Some Other Forms of Acai
March 16, 2009 by JoelC2009 · 9 Comments
Looking for acai berries? Well, you won’t find any fresh berries at your local supermarket because the berries lose their potency about a day after they’re picked. However, you don’t have to move to South America to get acai berries. There are a number of products that contain all the nutrients the acai berry does. The first and the most expensive are to purchase frozen acai berries. You’ll be able to experience the taste of the actual acai berry while using it in a variety of ways. You can make it into a topping, eat the berries by themselves, and serve it with almost any meal.
If you don’t want to find frozen berries (and they can be hard – or indeed impossible – to find), you can buy acai berry juice or puree. The puree makes a great drink for those on the go, and it contains many of the great acai berry benefits. Some form of acai berry puree can be found in just about any store.
Your third option is to purchase a pill or powdered product that contains acai berry extract. Taking pills isn’t quite as tasty as eating frozen berries or drinking juice, but it is a way of adding acai berries to your diet fairly easily.
Whichever way you choose you are sure to find that acai provides a wholesome and natural addition to your diet. A natural addition that is entirely welcome. People rave about acai berry for a reason: it’s one of the best things that could happen to mankind.
