Closely resembling San Francisco, Valparaiso, a city on the coast of Chile, is rich in history (and full of backpackers). Once Chile’s most popular port city, Valparaiso’s wealth grew with the California gold rush, and the city expanded around the surrounding hills. Each hill (cerro) is lined by steep and narrow streets, though funiculars (ascensors)…

So I love a great thick grass fed steak with a glass of Argentinean Malbec or Chilean Cabernet more than almost anyone I know. I also salivate over Peruvian chicken or lamb grilled al carbon (grilled over charcoal). During our travels I have even been tempted by and have enjoyed alapaca, llama, caiman alligator, and…

One of my goals for this gap year was to read the right books at the right moments. Whenever I travel, I promise myself I’ll read the classic tome of my destination, but rarely do I really get farther than buying and lugging it along. This time is different. I’ve read Darwin in the Galapagos,…

Argentina and Chile lie, spooning each other, with the great Andes mountains between them. We’ve crossed these mountains twice by bus – in 8 hour stretches, climbing as high as 4800 meters before descending. We can easily tell the vicuña from the llamas, and we are learning to enjoy blaring dubbed movies on the bus….