The lack of “quality” beaches is regularly identified by locals and tourists as one of the few absences in Argentina’s otherwise rich and diverse physical geography. While many porteños migrate to the coastal zones of Buenos Aires Province (Mar del Plata, Pinamar, Miramar etc.) during the exceptionally warm summer months of January and February, the majority concede that beaches in the coastal zones of Uruguay and Brazil are far superior. However, if you look hard enough there are a number of spectacular beaches and coves to be found inland, alongside the lakes of northern Patagonia. These don’t necessarily subscribe to the traditional beach resort model but do offer unique locations to lap up the sun and take a dip in the crystal clear waters which flow from the surrounding mountains of the Andes.

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“Last week it was confirmed that Peru Rail will be running the route from Km82 to Machu Picchu Pueblo as normal from April 1st. Work on the train tracks - which suffered serious damage due to heavy rain falls and mudslides during the last week of January this year - will be continuing throughout February and March in order to meet this deadline. However, once the line is open services will be running with a lower capacity than normal – we are expecting train services to transport just 1,000 passengers per day as opposed to the normal 2,500 daily passengers. This reduced capacity is likely to cause some problems due to the already large list of people who were unable to travel to Machu Picchu in February and March and as such have rescheduled their trips for April and May. It is important that clients understand that all services to Machu Picchu during April and May are likely to be very busy and/or fully booked. One solution will be to operate more car tours to Machu Picchu in order to take the pressure off the train services. Priority will be given to those passengers whose tour reservations are already confirmed.
Looking further ahead, we expect train services to be running as normal from Ollantaytambo by May and from Cusco itself by June.”

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When I first came to South America I was consumed with thoughts of Argentina and Buenos Aires. Dubbed the Paris of the south, this city had captured my imagination in more ways than one. From the nightlife to the love of steak, I knew BA was a place that I wanted to live. Upon arrival I thus planned to stay in this city for at least six months before beginning any travels. And as expected, within days I had fallen in love with the Buenos Aires.

Thus when my housemate decided to take a trip up to Peru a month into our stay I was caught a little bit off guard. My initial reaction: why would anyone want to leave a place this great so soon? With time, however, the thought of accompanying her became more and more appealing: I knew, that if I wanted to I could always come back to Buenos Aires. It´s not as if I was moving out of BsAs but rather, I thought of it, as taking a very long vacation. A month after my friend first breached the subject, we were on the road headed to Pisco, Peru.

You might be thinking, why Pisco? (For those of you who are unfamiliar with South American geography: Pisco is a tiny city on the South West Coast of Peru; let´s just say it didn´t exactly make the cut for top ten places to visit in Peru, it claims two pages in SA’s Lonely Planet’s guide). Given our intents to volunteer, however, the lack of tourist attractions in Pisco was not exactly an issue . Indeed, our time was kept busy with the construction of houses for local families. Not only did this experience add some real substance to my travels in SA, but it was incredibly fun as well. If you have the time to do some volunteer work during your stay I highly recommend it.

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Christmas in Cusco - this means Christmas lights, hot chocolate and Paneton all around the city.

During this time of year Cusco is bright and busy, full of small Christmas markets and people getting into the Christmas spirit. Every Sunday morning plazas are filled with locals and people shopping for Peruvian gifts, textiles, incense and candles. But still, no comparison to all the stressed out people running and hysterically looking for Christmas gifts. The Peruvians do really enjoy the Christmas time as a period to meet their beloved friends and family and enjoy the Christmas spirit.

Christmas in Cusco is characterized by the birth of Jesus and this is depicted in the numerous Nacimientos found outside all the churches in town – 3D constructed murals of Nativity scenes with Jesus, Mary and other deciphels. Every church and almost every Cusceno household has one of these, and in the weeks leading up to Christmas, plants and pieces for these murals are sold on the streets and in markets. Most Peruvians are Catholics and churches can be found on almost every block in Cusco. Andeans have a strong religious devotion and Christmas is found to take on elements of traditions of each region of Peru. Further in the Andes festivities often continue for two weeks, until the “arrival of the three wise men”.
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A winter wonderland without the winter

The weeks leading up to Christmas in Buenos Aires bring a set of cultural traditions which many people from the northern hemisphere will find reassuringly (or depressingly, depending on your view) familiar. On the one hand, similarities with the ways in which the Christmas festival is celebrated elsewhere should not be surprising given the particularly strong European influence in Buenos Aires (the origins of which lie in the unprecedented waves of immigration which occurred in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century), as well as the ever-increasing global comercialisation of La Navidad. However, while the decor in the temporary Christmas shops which pop up across the city speak of colder climes, with snowdrops, Christmas trees, icicles, fairy lights and the like, the weather gives the spectacle a wholly different ambience. The start of December brings much warmer and humid weather to the city, encouraging porteños to spend more time outdoors in the plazas, the gardens and terrazas of its countless bars and restaurants. Whilst in colder parts of the world the people tend to hibernate for the harsher winter months, the arrival of Christmas in Buenos Aires brings a summery spirit and positivity. Moreover, this is when the city really comes alive in a cultural sense, hosting numerous national and international music, food/drink, theatre and film festivals. There’s certainly no shortage of things to do in Argentina at this time of year, which can be especially comforting for extranjeros (or foreigners) spending Christmas away from friends and families back home. (www.couchsurfing.org is also a great resource for meeting Argentines and foreigners who are looking to spend Christmas with other people in Buenos Aires; a kind of adopted family Christmas experience!)

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In front of closed doors

Buenos Aires quite rightly holds a reputation for its unrelenting and diverse night life offering countless theatres, clubs, bars and restaurants to keep porteños (people of the port) and visitors occupied. There’s certainly more than enough to do behind the doors of the city’s night-time haunts (for a good resource on keeping up to date with the daily range of events see: www.vuenosairez.com) but there are other more unofficial events taking place on the streets themselves. Indeed, a surprising aspect of life in the city particularly for northern European visitors is the sheer number of people walking the streets after dark. Perhaps most famous amongst these nocturnal activities are when the locals gather in the plazas, seemingly spontaneously, to dance tango and drink mate. Less well publicised and harder to track down are the groups of graffiti artists working their magic on the walls of buildings throughout the city.

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Travelling to more remote locations in Argentina and more widely in Latin America, can provide its fair share of challenges but the experiences awaiting the determined explorer can be extremely rewarding. A significant part of that experience often lies in the journey to such secluded locales and this certainly applies to the tiny town of Iruya, tucked away amongst the Andes in the province of Salta, in the northwest of Argentina.

The only way to get to Iruya without a 4×4 is on the buses operating daily from the town of Humahuaca, some 300km away. The remoteness is partly explained by Iruya’s geographical situation, located on a plateau in the Andes, known as the Altiplano in Spanish or high plain. Iruya itself is carved into a mountainside and sits at a height of 2,780m above sea level. There are other historical reasons which determine the relative levels of connection/disconnection between towns in this part of Argentina. The northwest, such a significant leg of colonial trading links between the silver mines of Potosi in Bolivia and the Atlantic Coast, and subsequent European markets, prioritized more accessible cities such as Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, whilst bypassing hidden pockets of human civilization like Iruya. Most of the smaller settlements situated in the northwest of Argentina consist of villages or towns with relatively undeveloped transport links, and are sheltered between the mountains or near adequate water sources for drinking and irrigation (Iruya itself is located alongside the Iruya River). Of course, Iruya and many of the neighbouring towns and villages dotted within and along the Andes, possess histories which stretch back far earlier to pre-Colombian times, providing that element of mysticism which undoubtedly draws many travelers to the region.

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DOS MANOS takes you to a unique folkloric festival, high up in the Andean Montains, in the small village of Paucartambo, in the south east of Peru.  Paucartambo means: flowered tavern.
During the month of July there are incredible sunrises in this area, well worth a visit.

But there is another reason to visit Paucartambo this month: on July 15th and 16th of July Paucartambo celebrates the festivities of La Virgen del Carmen, or  Mamacha Carmen. There is a great gathering which initiates this big festival on the plaza de Armas with music bands play and different choirs sing in Quechua. This way introducing beautiful choreographies which tell parts of Peru’s history.

On the main day of the celebration there is a big procession to bless all the participants and to scare away the demons. Special dancers called Saijras then show of by doing some acrobatic stunts on roof tops which date back from the Inca and colonial era.

Come  with us and visit these two wonders of the wonderful historic city of Paucartambo with us!! more…

Looking to get away from the hustle bustle of colectivos? Grab a train and head to Tigre, a city about an hour outside of Buenos Aires. While peak season (the middle of summer) is packed, fall and spring are very welcoming. The fact that the train costs less than 3 pesos round trip makes it that much better.

Tigre is usually known as a destination for porteños to get out of the city. It has a great amusement park called Parque de la Costa, great boating (catamarans, canoes, kayaks, other river tours), camping, green space, and great restaurants. These are all the things that I encountered in a relatively short trip there one Saturday afternoon. I’m sure there are many more hidden gems to be uncovered.

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Are you like many others who think that Monday is the most boring night of the week? Well, if you are in Buenos Aires, you will be sorely mistaken. If you head up to Cultural Center Konex Monday nights will become your favorite night of the week. Your week will begin with rhythm, dance and loads of energy.

This is a tribal party where sounds come mostly from the drums and the added elements of dance music. La Bomba de Tiempo is a tropical cocktail with a mix of Indian, Moroccan, Brazilian, Argentinean and African sounds. more…