South America - towns and cities
Bellavista and Barrio Brasil |
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You are in for a surprise when coming to Santiago. The city is either surprisingly dull when going to some of the conservative suburbs, or surprisingly attractive when venturing into neighborhoods like Bellavista and Barrio Brasil. Though those areas can seem a bit scruffy in the edge, they boost a down-to-earth bohemian vibe. The streets are either filled with abandoned shops with graffit or arty fashion shores and there are great eateries around every corner, ranging from fancy hip sidewalk cafes to charismatic restaurants.
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A beautiful tiny old colonial town up in the mountains. It is a short day trip from backpacker friendly San Gil, the white water rafting capital of Colombia. Ordinary people actually still inhabit Barichara, and though it has been restored it is not tarted up. The colorful wooden doors, the whitewashed walls and the red tiles roofs makes it an easy target for snappy happy visitors, but the risk of getting run over by local school kids rather than tourist is still higher. A couple of churches, a main square, and a maze of stone-paved streets are the top attractions... well, only attractions. The exact reason to come and spend a lazy day.
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A big ghastly mismatch. Yes, the first impression of Bogota will probably not be pretty, but it is a city that grows on you. The fairly high altitude at 2640m makes the climate like eternal fall, chilled with warm rays of sun. The old quarter, La Candelaria, has heaps to keep you busy during the day, while the surrounding hill will offer great views over the city at sunset, before the bars have to be visit. So while there are not many reasons to come to Bogota in the first place, there are lots of reasons to stay a little bit longer if you do.
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The old walled town of Cartagena must qualify as one of the finest colonial towns in the world. Colorful mansions with giant wooden balconies, a plaza around every other corner, and a wide protective wall all the way around from where you can overview the leafy courtyards and rooftops. But the centro's polished facades with all the tourist shops and a suffocating amount of street vendors will eventually push you into other neighbourhoods like San Diego and Getsemani. But only for the better, because here you get the real deal. Local homes, scrappy buildings, old people in rocking chairs and colorful characters in the streets (some dodgy, yeah even scary). In the evening do as the locals, pick a plaza, buy a beer from the corner shop, and watch life go by.
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In the mountains at 2150m |
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Another charming whitewashed colonial town. The Colombians might even say THE finest colonial village in the whole country. The houses are manicured, while the streets are still cobblestoned just as in colonial times. The main square is huge and strangely oversized compared to the otherwise small town (apparently the square is one of the biggest in South America). Due to the proximity to Bogota, some of the fine old colonial mansions are bought up by city slickers and the yummy selection of pastry shops and pizzerias shows it. Surrounding the town is some very lovely countryside inhabited by traditional highland farmers. A trip around the neighborhood will take you through smaller villagers, hilly farmland, national parks and even dinosaur findings.
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A small settlement on the river bank where Rio Napo and Rio Misahuallí meet. The road does not ends here, but if you want get any further into the jungle a canoe is necessary, which luckily can be hired along with guides. Puerto Misahuallí is not as popular as Tena, the rafting capital of Ecuador 20km away, as a launching place for trips into the Amazon, but it is far more charming. The peace in town is very slow (to the point of boredom) and the most exciting activity is monkey watching at the square. Things to visit in the area include caves, waterfalls and tranquil village life, but don't expect any naked natives, beside the cheeky monkeys.
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Official named San Francisco de Quito |
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Nobody will claim that Quito is pretty, but it does have its charm if you scratch the ugly concrete surface. The city is spread out along the valley at the foot of the Pichincha volcano, which certainly gives you some nice views. The old town (centro historico), which has been an UNESCO heritage site since 1978, has its fair share of colonial buildings and more than a handful of wonderful old churches. Check out the unfinished and rather drape neo-Gothic church, Basilica del Voto Nacional. Instead of having the usual mythical figures, the spires are decorated with Ecuadorean fauna, like Galapagos tortoises and penguins. Quito is not the best place in Ecuador, but neither is it as horrible as its bad reputation.
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Located in pleasant 1620m and surrounded by the Andes mountains, including Venezuela's highest peaks, Merida stands out from the otherwise hot country. Tour operators offer an impressive range of adventure activities spanning from canyoning, rafting and paragliding to multi-days trekking and mountaineering, which will keep any outdoor freak busy for a couple of days. For the calm days there are of course also less adrenalin pumping stuff like day trips to nearby hill villages, mountain lakes and hot springs. If you want some adventure for your taste buds drop by the worlds biggest ice cream shop where 900 flavours (including cheese, beer and garlic) can be mixed. Cool, eh!
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