Category: South America

Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Armação dos Búzios or Búzios is a city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, located 169 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro; it is a peninsula of 8 km long, surrounded by islands, with more than 20 beaches. Búzios was a small fishing port but it became a very touristic place because there are beautiful beaches different from each other as Buzios receives sea currents from the equator and from the South Pole, so it brings tepid and cold waters. The best known beaches are Geribá, João Fernandes, Ferradura, Ossos, Olho de Boi (reserved for naturism) among others. On the main street, Ruas das Pedras, we find a statue of Brigitte Bardot cause she popularized this place in the 60. There is even a street named Orla Bardot. There are many artists workshops, boutique hotels, numerous shops, cafes and sophisticated restaurants. Buzios is also known as the St. Tropez of Brazil for the Brazilian jet set and tourists from worldwide who prefer it.

Tips

As it is a favorite place of tourists from across the world, you will find no problem with the languages because Spanish, French and English are quite common as of course the local language (Portuguese). There is a French colony and another Argentinian one who are regular residents in the city.
You can stay in small charming hotels ‘pousadas’ or rent an apartment or house according to your preference.

Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina

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Mendoza is a city in Argentina. It is the capital of the province of Mendoza, the fourth largest urban area of the country . It is located at the foot of the Andes, closer from Chile than from Buenos Aires. Best known for its vineyards all around but also because it’s a stopover for all sports in the Andes (ski, climbing, trekking…).
The city of Mendoza is located in one of the most beautiful oasis created by man. The 500 km of irrigation canals  that traverse the city give life to thick woods and beautiful green areas. The city is the administrative, commercial and cultural  centre of the province. Mendoza offers various forms of recreation: cinemas, theatres, museums, art galleries, discos and a dynamic trade. You will also find a large number of cafés, pubs, tea–rooms, and excellent restaurants serving from  the typical Argentinian meat to the most  sophisticated dishes of the international cuisine.
 
 
Tips
 
Mendoza has one of the best combinations of areas, vineyards, stately and sunny landscapes. This is the heart of the Argentinian viticulture. In Mendoza, Luján and Maipú are the regions which have a lot of wineries who develop the best Malbec  in the world, they offer a range of activities to know the local viticulture, tasting the famous wines and visiting its manufacturers, all accompanied by an excellent regional and international cuisine.
Don’t miss the thermal baths, not far from Mendoza, several hotels offer pools in stone that capture natural springs of warm waters between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius,  relaxation guaranteed.

Temple of the Sun, Cuzco, Peru

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The Temple of the Sun or Coricancha (surrounded in gold in quechua), was the most sacred place of the Empire of the Incas. It’s from Coricancha that the system of Ceques shone, consisting of forty-one imaginary lines, along which there were three – hundred – twenty – eight huacas (buildings), positioned on one side and other of theTahuantinsuyu (the name that the incas gave to their empire, meaning ‘the land of the four quarters’). This particular organization allowed a total control of the empire from Cuzco. It’s exactly at Cuzco that we find substantial remains of this building which was the scene of important ceremonies of the Inca : marriages, sacred, funerals. It is there that their mummies were preserved, sitting on golden thrones. Its great walls of stone, in Inca’s style, measuring 140 m long and 135 m wide; were richly decorated. Spanish chroniclers have abundantly described its fabulous treasures, until they have melted or disappeared; the edge of the temple, the walls painted in blue, was adorned with a huge gold cornice, altars, doors, statues, were decorated with plates of gold and silver, sometimes inlaid with precious stones reflecting the light of the dayduring the day and at night with the torches. The sactuaire door was adorned with gold and silver patterns. Above the altar, there was a large gold disc representing the sun; for its strategic position, the rays of the rising sun beat on it and did it shine. At he arrival of the Spaniards, the golden plates covering the walls were torn and the mummies of the ancient Incas desecrated. The only things that remained standing were the foundations that, shortly after, served as basis for the construction of the Church and the convent of Santo Domingo.

Tips

Cuzco is located at 3,400 metres of altitude so consider that during the night it’s cold but in the day, especially from April to October, there’a lot of sunshine so you should be careful not to get ill cause of the hot temperatures. Sunglasses and solar protector are suitable.