Hanging in Santiago has its benefits. There’s good food, drink and all the modern conveniences of home. You can even brush teeth and drink with tap water and throw toilet paper into the toilets. When walking cars actually stop and give pedestrians the right of way. But beyond these simple appreciations, Cristian is a veritable […]
I wonder what the weather is like in central Bolivia today. I’ll bet that road from Potosí to Uyuni is washed out and muddy. For it was one year ago today I took my fateful plunge into the mud of Tica Tica – a tiny Altiplano village in Central Bolivia. So today I remember and […]
I had been looking forward to visiting BMW Santiago since I my last visit to a BMW Dealer in Latin America at BMW Guatemala City in October last year (2005). It was time for my 24,000 or 30,000 mile service — I had 26,000 on the bike. While my sprockets weren’t in bad shape, my […]
Happy New Year!!! Ahhhh. With the excitement and celebration of the holidays behind me, I will once again continue my journey. I’ve been gracious and thankful for the hospitality and help of my new friend Cristian in Santiago Chile. Tomorrow I will take Doc into BMW Santiago for its much needed 30k mile service, new […]
For the most part, going into Chile from anywhere in South America, save Brazil perhaps, is a bit of culture shock. It’s more modern, clean and expensive – comparatively. Drivers actually stop for pedestrians at cross walks. Traffic lights are well placed. And in Santiago a modern transportation system includes new gas-powered busses and a […]
Nestled at the foot of the Andes, Mendoza rests in a dry arid desert. In pre-Colombian times the indigenous inhabitants devised a sophisticated irrigation system designed to control the massive runoff from the Andes. This ancient irrigation system is still used today and is responsible for irrigating the acres and acres of vineyards used to […]
Laying out our maps we had a few options that would take us to Mendoza. The main route which would surely allow us to make time at highway speeds also took us out of our way. The net gain might have been insignificant, but we opted for a more remote road that appeared to be […]
Our early start turned out a bit later than we’d planned. But winding our way southbound through Catamarca and into La Rioja the whipping wind and miles and miles of olive trees we found ourselves shy of our destination — Valle de la Luna and Parque Nacional Talampaya. But arriving in the capital city of […]
Bidding casual Cafayate farewell I made my way southeast through the Calchaqui Valley and up over the Sierra Aconouija mountains to Tafi del Valle a tiny fertile oasis. Stopping for a bit at Quilmes – which for better or worse is the national beer – but also is also the site where ruins from the […]
Not much happens in Cafayate in the afternoon. The scorching desert climate in these summer months makes it too hot to do just about anything — except rest, nap or take a dip in the pool. Or maybe just pedal your bicycle. But that’s appeal of Cafayate. It’s barely a dot on the map. And […]
Culture. Cuisine. Connection.
Get updates as Allan travels the world with photos, information on events, presentations, books, and the filming of Allan's new travel television show. Also get information, first access, and discounts on books and other merchandise.