If you need a break from the crowded city-life of Buenos Aires, a traditional ESTANCIA is where you need to go. I went to estancia La Cina Cina, near the little and picturesque town San Antonio de Areco. I went with three friends for an overnight from Sunday till Monday.

What we found at de estancia was peace, quietness, silence, a different landscape and some more quietness. Free use of the swimming pool was included as well as optional horseback riding, biking and a gaucho show on Sunday.

We got a warm welcome from Manuel, whom is, we thought, the landlord. He told us also what the best places in San Antonio are to have snacks, dinner and lunch (and he was right about it!).

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picinas de lares

Last weekend some friends of mine invited me over to visit the thermal baths of Lares. It is a small city about 5 hours away from Cusco and I had heard people talking about it but I did not know what to expect. The baths are famous for their healing powers. We left with a few people on Saturday afternoon and had lunch in Calca, a small rural town in the sacred valley and also known as the Inca capital of the Sacred Valley. The ride went great so far and the landscapes were really enjoyable. One of the things I liked most is that you see a glimpse of the real Peruvian life in the rural areas. From the way they built there houses to the typical costumes they have on. Unfortunately you also see the poverty and it becomes clear that the campesinos (that is how the farmers are called here) do not get much support from the government. After having passed the sacred valley we began, what ultimately seemed to me like endless, the climb towards Lares, one hairpin bend after another. We were beginning to enter the highlands and it became more and more dark and cloudier. It was great to see the alpacas in their natural surroundings though and out of nowhere shepherds would appear with their herd of sheep or alpacas. When we finally reached the thermal baths in Lares it was already dark. We put up our tents and we entered the waters.

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It is not difficult to understand why so many honeymooners choose Iguazu as their destination: a visit of these 2,7 kilometers wide (!) waterfalls provoke such intense emotions, that nothing beats sharing the experience with your loved one.  So, when we were planning our honeymoon to South America, we decided this spot could not be missed. And we would not regret it…

From Buenos Aires we took the plane to Iguazu, Argentina, from where we were taken to our wonderful hotel, right at the Three Borders Landmark, where the Iguazu and Panama rivers merge. Impressive views guaranteed!

To fully experience Iguazu and its national park, you need two days: one to visit the Argentinean side and one (actually half a day) to visit the Brazilian side.  We started off at the Argentinean side. 80% of the waterfalls (there are 275 in total) are located here. The  National Park here is amazing and rough. Here, you really “feel” the waterfalls, as many tracks lead you right above, beneath and along the falls. The “Green Trail”, a walk through the forest, the “Lower Circuit”, the path that leads you into the heart of the falls and the “Upper Circuit”, a walk through the upper falls area, are all truly wonderful.

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