My American trips

Why Chile? Chile is adorable. I first visited Chile in February 1999 before embarking on my first expedition to Antarctica. In 2013, I stopped over briefly for three days and visited Valparaiso. I returned in 2017 (March 3-18) for a hiking trip to Ojos del Salado. I have come for the fourth time because of … Continue reading »

Why Salvador and Boipeda? Salvador, founded in 1549 by Tome de Sousa, is the capital city of the state of Bahia known for its cuisine, music, architecture, Afro-Brazilian culture and carnival and a perfect end point of my trip to northeast Brazil. Boipeda , a small island (a part of the Cairu Archipelago with an … Continue reading »

I have not heard of Fernando de Noronha (some 350km off the Brazilian coast and 500km from Recife) before I planned this trip. I discover this archipelago, a World Heritage Site, has become a popular destination for the Brazilians. As the Azul air flies there, I have been able to visit this island with my … Continue reading »

Brazil is most famous for its annual carnival in Rio. However, I am more interested in the festivities in the ancient colonial cities of Recife and Olinda known for their cultural heritage, colours and tradition. Frevo representing the main event of the carnivals and an energetic dance with frantic musical rhythms, is an important political … Continue reading »

São Luís (5-9 February 2024) Located on the Saint Louis’ Island in the Saint Mark’s Bay bordering the Atlantic Ocean, São Luís, the only Brazilian state capital founded by France, is the capital and the largest city in the state of Maranhão. Its historic centre dating from the 17th century city, is a World Heritage … Continue reading »

The Amazon River The 6,400km-long River is the world’s largest river by discharge volume of water and longest river system passing through Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Venezuela with Brazil holding by far the largest portion of the River. The headwaters of the Mantaro River in Peru is considered Amazon’s most distant source and the Solimoes … Continue reading »

San Juan (23-24 January) The second destination of my journey is Amazon and northeast Brazil. In order to reach Manaus, I bought a ticket that first flew to San Juan for one night before catching an Avianca flight to Manaus via Bogota. This one-way ticket was only expensive but has given me a bad experience. … Continue reading »

Sperm Whale Watching 15-22 January 202 Why this trip? Mark Carwardine, a British zoologist leads groups to watch wildlife, whales and birds. I first met him on the Wrangle Island expedition in 2019 and joined his grey whale watching expedition in Baja, Mexico in 2020. I am curious about sperm whales and decide to join … Continue reading »

Whale Watching Sailing from San Diego to Los Cabos, Baja California March 1 – 6