The swift current of Rio Francés
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The swift current of Rio Francés |
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Further along the narrow trail that meanders through the beech forest, the rapidly flowing Rio Francés hums alongside with sparkling turquoise colour under the gentle morning sun until this huge expanse of cloud comes and engulfs the glorious sunshine.
One feature that most visitors to Patagonia would certainly agree upon is how fickle the weather ther...
As soon as I emerge from the trees and onto this shoulder part of the trail I know my luck was out. ...
The trail to Valle del Frances, or the French valley climbs mostly below the tree line for most of th...
This is an area devoid of much vegatation just before Campamento Británico, or simply British Campsit...
Further up from Campamento Británico with some scrambling is the Mirador for the famed Valle del Fran...
The trail of the "W" Trek is not vey well maintained - there hasn't been much upkeep done since I las...
If trees were like humans, the scene here would fit the description of a carnage - charred remains on...
Another 30 mins'walk or so from here is Refugio Los Cuernos where I would call the day. Valle Badder ...
One of the many streams running down from Monte Almirante Nieto that feeds the turquoise Lago Nordens...
In the distance, Galcier Grey is splited into 3 separate tongues by 2 nunataks before dipping into th...
South America makes up the southern half of the Americas and a large part of Latin America. It's home to the world's longest mountain range, biggest waterfall and largest river -- even these mammoths pale in comparison to the stunning variety of life forms thriving in the rainforest.
To the northwest, off the coast of Ecuador, lie the Galapagos Islands, which are unique for hosting species not found anywhere else on earth. These were the subject of study for Charles Darwin in his theory of evolution, which he himself said will require proof in every single case.
The main languages in South America are Spanish and Portugese, which basically tells you which European countries colonized the place. The South American wars of independence took place over two decades in the early 19th century, led by Simon Bolivar of Venezuela and Jose san Martin of Argentina.
Following liberation from Portugal and Spain, South America took off into its own development, capitalizing on the rich deposits of oil, gold, copper, silver and tango musicians.
Brazil is the largest country in South America and home to one of the world's best parties, Carnaval. Have you heard of samba music? How about bossa nova? Maybe dancing for three days straight?
I can't say enough good things about South America. All the world's continents have amazing secrets and treasures laying in wait for your discovery, but in South America... just have a look at our pictures while you're waiting for online confirmation of your plane tickets to hit your inbox.
Text by Steve Smith.
