South America

Tucker Islets – A Taste of Galapagos in Patagonia

Posted by on January 6th, 2014

One of my favorite spots in the Galapagos Islands is Punta Vicente Roca.  At the northern end of the Bolivar Channel, a calm passage between the western islands of Isabela and Fernandina, Punta Vicente Roca’s volcanic coastline is home to a plethora of unique and photogenic birds, including Galapagos Penguins, Blue-Footed Boobies, and Flightless Cormorants…. Read Full Post

Recap of IGTOA’s 2013 Galapagos Guide Training Course

Posted by on December 20th, 2013

During the week of November 18-22 I had the good fortune to attend the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association’s Five Star Guiding in Five Days course at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora. The course was led by Sam Ham, who is a renowned guide training expert, and Tom O’Brien, a highly experienced and knowledgeable… Read Full Post

Pro Mujer: Changing Lives Through Microloans

Posted by on December 20th, 2013

Microfinance has proven to be a powerful engine of change in the fight against global poverty.  The idea is that with a small loan for use as startup capital, individuals who have no collateral and are considered “not credit-worthy” by traditional financial institutions will be able to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. … Read Full Post

Environmentalism in Patagonia

Chile - Tierra Patagonia - Walking Trails

Posted by on November 28th, 2013

A few years ago, bumping along an unpaved road in Argentine Patagonia, I found myself reflecting on just how different this desolate grassland was from my urban home in Oakland, California.  We passed a gaucho trotting along on his horse, hours from any sign of civilization, and I wondered about his lifestyle.  Was his way of… Read Full Post

Cape Horn: The Southern Tip of South America

Posted by on November 18th, 2013

What is it about the geographic extremes of the earth that appeal to us so much as human beings?  Several years ago, while teaching and traveling in India, I visited one of these extreme sites: Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India, where the the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean converge. … Read Full Post

Zen Birding in South America – Macaws in Peru

Posted by on June 26th, 2013

While preparing for a recent trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest in Ecuador, one of the most bird species-rich areas of the world, with over 450 species of birds, I stumbled across a book by David M. White and Susan M. Guyette entitled Zen Birding which reminded me of my experiences with macaws in Peru. … Read Full Post

Film review: “Even The Rain” (2010)

Posted by on May 4th, 2013

Even the Rain is at once a deeply political message and a gripping tale. It tells the story of a Spanish and Mexican film crew who are trying to make a movie about the truth behind Columbus’ arrival in the new world; the ugly truth about Spanish exploitation of the Indians. The irony of the… Read Full Post

Understanding South America through its History of War

Posted by on April 14th, 2013

It pays to know at least a little bit about the history of a place before you visit it, and wars are a good place to start. They shape fortunes and borders but they also form memories and national grudges. Here are three post-independence wars in South America that are still important today. Falklands War… Read Full Post

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