South America

Beer Helps Ultra-Marathoner Run Around the World

Heineken beer bottle ©Creative Tools Irish ultra-marathon runner Richard Donovan has become the first man on the planet to run seven marathons on seven continents in less than five days–thanks to a bottle of beer. In just four days, 22 hours and three minutes, Donovan completed marathons at the Russian Novo science base in Antarctica, [...]

Ecuador City Seeking Retirees to Live Abroad For a Month

Laguna de Quilotoa, Ecuador © ch.deff The city of Cuenca, Ecuador is hoping to become a new retirement destination and is seeking volunteers for a month-long stay, courtesy of International Living magazine. Applicants must be near retirement age, from the United States or Canada and be willing to relax, explore, shop, try local restaurants, maybe take [...]

Rio Statue Replica Causes Uproar in London

Christ the Redeemer ©David Berkowitz The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms in Rio is seen around the world as a symbol of peace and friendship. But residents of a posh north London neighborhood are up in arms at the possibility of the Brazilian national tourist board erecting a temporary replica on the [...]

The Chilean Town Engulfed by a Volcanic Mudflow [Gallery]

A slurry of mud and rocky debris rushing down a mountain and engulfing everything in its path has to figure as one of nature’s most terrifying natural disaster types. Such phenomena, known as lahars, are frequently triggered by the lava or pyroclastic flows of erupting volcanoes. They often take the path of river valleys, bulldozing [...]

Photo of the Moment: A Train, a Fountain and a Red Balloon, Peru

Ancient Popcorn Found in Peru

Fresh corn © jstr91 Ancient corncobs and husks were discovered recently at the Paredones and Huaca Prieta archaeological sites on Peru’s northern coast. Dolores Piperno, curator of New World archaeology at the National Museum of Natural History, believes the corncobs show evidence of the many ways the Peruvians cooked the corn, including popped, as the snack [...]

Couple Photographs the World “Feet First”

Machu Picchu ©Tom and Verity Robinson Tom and Verity Robinson, both 30, took their first “feet photo” in 2005 on Brighton beach in the UK. Since that photo, the globe-trotting couple has continued to photograph their feet as they traveled the world. They have since travelled through 31 countries taking the shots in places like [...]

Brazilian “Sunball” Heats Up New York

Brazilian Beach ©Rodrigo_Soldon New Yorkers got a taste of Brazil smack in the middle of the Flatiron District. Steps away from Madison Square Garden, Brazil’s tourism office set up a “sunball” in an attempt to draw visitors to the sunny nation. New Yorkers were invited to step into the giant heated snow globe where they [...]

Snakes (almost) on a Plane!

snake ©calebdzahnd Buenos Aires International Airport in Argentina intercepted what could have been a disastrous (or action packed) airplane incident when they detained a Czech man trying to board a plane with almost 250 poisonous snakes and endangered reptiles in his baggage. Karel Abelovsky, 51, was en route to Spain when airport officials made him [...]

US Teen Becomes the Youngest to Climb the World’s Tallest Mountains

Mount Elbrus ©Hombit Today in news that will make you feel like a complete and utter failure who hasn’t done anything with your life, a teenager from California has become the youngest person to successfully climb the highest mountain in each of the world’s seven continents. Instead hanging out at the mall slurping an Orange [...]

Website Offers Globetrotters Virtual Passport Stamps

Passport Pages ©jonrawlinson In an era of open European borders and passports with digital chips the passport stamp is now almost the exception instead of the rule in international travel. Now, a new website and app called Visastamper is offering a virtual passport service to give travelers the souvenir stamps from all of the countries [...]

Photo of the Moment: Holy Light, Venezuela

Rio’s New Museum of Tomorrow

Rio de Janeiro Waterfront © JorgeBRAZIL The waterfront of Rio de Janeiro will soon have a green new addition. The Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow), designed by Santiago Calatrava is part of a 5 billion Brazilian real “Marvelous Port” project that will revitalize Rio’s waterfront district. In addition to the Museum of Tomorrow, Recently [...]

Skipping Machu Picchu: 5 Other Awesome Ruins in Peru

Machu Picchu is like the quarterback of Peru. Essential, appreciated, but always hogging the attention, winning the awards, and getting its face on the posters. You want its autograph, but so does everyone else. One million other people, according to Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism which estimates the number of Machu Picchu visitors will actually [...]

They Draw & Travel: One-of-a-Kind Illustrated Maps

Map in Progress © Magic Madzik Get inspiration for your next trip abroad by studying the amazing illustrated maps on the website They Draw & Travel. The maps on this site aren’t like those found in an atlas, instead each map is one-of-a-kind, highlighting off-the-beaten path sites and activities that are local favorites. A variety [...]

Man Gets Attacked by Monkeys at Brazilian Zoo

Monkey © epsos A man with the sudden urge to get some quality time in with the monkeys at a Brazilian zoo ended up being attacked and having to be treated at the hospital. Monkeys at a Brazilian zoo have attacked and injured a man who swam into their enclosure, saying he wanted to play [...]

Bolivia’s Brackish Hotel de Sal Is Made Entirely from Salt

Hotel de Sal© Valdiney Pimenta If you find ordinary hotels a bit too bland, the Hotel de Sal near Colchani, Bolivia may prove to be a bit more palatable. The entire hotel–from the walls to the toilets–is made from salt. The hotel sits on Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat located in Bolivia. [...]

Photo of the Moment: Road to Nowhere, Brazil

Photo of the Moment: A Quiet Stroll in Valparaiso, Chile

Photo of the Moment: Street Life in Cartagena, Colombia

Piranhas Attack 100 at Brazilian Beach

© Marcelo Jorge Vieira Not the best day at the beach for a big crowd last week in Brazil. Authorities in a state in Brazil’s northeast are scrambling to take the fright and the bite off the beach after piranhas sunk their teeth into about 100 beachgoers, UOL Noticias reported. The problem — rather fearsome [...]

Photo of the Moment: Sunset Over Iguazu Falls, Brazil

A Guide to the World’s Rudest Hand Gestures

Rude Kids ©VMOS When you’re abroad and someone is giving you the thumbs up sign, it may not mean quite what you think it does. Likewise, in Jordan you should avoid inadvertently brushing your nose with your finger—it might lead to some unwanted sexual attention. If you are having trouble translating the international language of [...]

Photo of the Moment: Silence and Stillness, Patagonia

Amazon River on Google Street View

The Amazon © Nao likuza Tired of getting lost on your way to parties in the Amazon? Always turning left at the cow-devouring piranhas when you meant to turn right? Now you’ll have nothing to worry about next time you’re navigating the world’s second longest river, since Google is bringing its famous street view technology [...]

Losing Something in Salvador: How I Recovered After Getting Robbed in Brazil

If you’re going to be pickpocketed or mugged in Brazil, Salvador is likely to be the place. – Lonely Planet (South America on a Shoestring, 2007) Salvador da Bahia is stunning, dipped in more beach than it knows what to do with. Crowded on the southern tip of a peninsula, like water pooling in the [...]

The Coldest Places in the World

Charlotte Pass © flyingpurplemonkeys Summer heat starting to get to you? Crank up the AC, pour yourself an ice cold drink and start planning your vacation to the coldest places on each continent. If you are looking for bone chilling temperatures you might want to pass up Oceania. Australia’s best is a meager -9.4 Fahrenheit [...]