RTW: p67b - Santiago, Chile, Elmorado

Chile has quite a lot of adventure sports on offer but I only had a short time there. I decided on a Hike in the Andes up to the glacier El Morado.
7.30am I was picked up by my Chilean Guide and a German girl who played translator for the day. We drove for 3hrs into the Andes and parked around 2500m Altitude. We then began a 4hr hike upto 3050m! Most of the track was still under snow but it was sunny and warm, and in fact the 1st time I got burned this year!
The trek up was actually more interesting than the top and the landscape varied dramatically. The Walk back was half the time at 2hrs and I was well ready for lunch and a rest!

RTW: p66 - Wonders of Brazil, Pantanal

That night we checked out an all South American Rafain show with buffet. It was the first real vegetarian food I’d seen in a while so i ate shitloads! The show was pretty good, dancing, singing, comedy etc.
In the morning we bused into Paraguay for some Tax-free shopping. The bridge was crammed with cars and bikes returning with goods that really didn’t seem any cheaper to us foreigners.
Another night bus onto Bonito, swimming in a natural pool, one Pancho and an the English guy went Cave Diving! Some went snorkeling and the last day rained out.

PANTANAL is a massive wetland area, which in season goes under 5 feet of water or so! Filled with cayman (small alligators), water pigs (like giant gophers), anacondas, lots of bugs, BIG bugs, monkeys etc. It was all about exploring.

We slept in a big room of hammocks and the guys who run the area were our tour guides, they walked around bare foot (even when wet), shirtless, and never seem to have any bug issues. Yet all the Gringos were soaked in DEET and still getting attacked. Must be something in the blood.

At one point we were walking and Continue Reading…