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Popular Off the Beaten Path | Other Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (24) The llama (Lama glama) is a native animal, that was domesticated by local people thousands of years ago. It is very useful: its meat is eatable (and quite good, I can assure you that!), its wool is used to knit several clothes, even its leather, and it was used to charge stuff along the centuries.
Llamas can be found in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, and it is a meek animal, with sweet eyes and a peculiar elegance.
The picture shows a llama at Machu Picchu Sacred City.
La llama (Lama glama) es un animal aut?ctono, que fue domesticado por los nativos hace miles de a?os. Es un animal uy ?til: su cane es comestible (y bastante buena, se los puedo asegurar!), su lana es utilizada para tejer diversas prendas, al igual que su cuero, y fue utilizado como animal de carga durante siglos.
Las llamas pueden encontrarse en Peru, Bolivia, Argentina y Chile, y es un animal manso, con ojos dulces y una elegancia particular.
La foto muestra una llama en la Ciudad Sagrada de Machu Picchu. Leave a Comment
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Elegant, funny, curious... the penguins are very interesting birds, indeed. At Punta Tombo (Argentina) is situated the second biggest penguin place of South America (the first is at Antarctica). During the reproductive season (from August till February), more than 500.000 penguins come to this place.
The penguins of Magallanes (Spheniscus magellanicus) reach 45 cm high and 4 or 5 Kg weight; the males have a bill longer and thicker than the females. The picture shows a male with his elegant black and white suit.
Elegantes, divertidos, curiosos... los pingüinos son aves muy interesantes, sin dudas.En Punta Tombo (Argentina) se encunetra ubicada la segunda pingüinera más grande del continente (la primera está en la Antártida). Durante la época reproductiva (de agosto a febrero), más de 500.000 pingüinos se encuentran en este lugar. Los pingüinos de Magallanes (Spheniscus magellanicus) alcanzan una altura de 45 cm y los 4,5 Kg de peso; los machos tienen un pico más largo y grueso que las hembras. La foto muestra a un macho con su elegante traje blanco y negro. Leave a Comment
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Probably the macaw is one of the first images that comes to the mind of non-Southamerican people when they think of South America; of course, it is just a stereotype. The macaws are native birds that can be found at the North area of South America (and the South area of Central America), and they are just magnificent...
The picture shows the blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) that I found at Mare Island (Salvador da Bahia, Brazil).
Probablemente el guacamayo es una de las primeras im?genes que vienen a la mente de los no-sudamericanos cuando piensan en Sudam?rica; claro est?, se trata de un estereotipo. Los guacamayos son aves nativas que pueden encontrarse en la regi?n norte de Sudam?rica (y en la regi?n sur de Centroam?rica), y son simplemente magn?ficos....
La foto muestra un guacamayo azul-amarillo
(Ara ararauna) que encontr? en Ilha da Mar? (Salvador da Bahia, Brasil). Leave a Comment
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The vedettes of the seas... the magnificent whales! I had my first "whale-meeting" last September, at Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes (Chubut, Argentina) and it was a great experience.
The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) has a lenght of 14 - 18 m and weighs 30 ton; it has not dorsal fin, and the head makes up 25 % of the body. The most distinctive characteristics are the callosities of keratine that it has over its head; some parasites live on these callosities; the whales can be identified by them. When it exhales, a V shaped spout comes out from the blwholes it has over its head.
These whales come to calm waters during their reproductive season; they feed in colder waters; they eat krill (one ton per day), seeping water with their baleens (parallel whalebones) that hang from their upper jaw.
bLas vedettes de los mares... las magníficas ballenas! Tuve mi primer "encuentro" con las ballenas el último septiembre, en Puerto Madryn y Península Valdés (Chubut, Argentina) y fue una experiencia impresionante.
La ballena franca austral (Eubalaena australis) mide 14 - 18 m de longitud y pesa 30 toneladas; no tiene aleta dorsal, y su cabeza ocupa el 25 % de su longitud total. Las caracter?sticas m?s distintivas son las callosidades de queratina que tiene sobre la cabeza; muchos par?sitos viven en dichas callosidades; las ballenas pueden ser identificadas por ellas. Cuando exhala, un chorro en forma de V sale por los espir?culos que tiene sobre la cabeza.
Estas ballenas vienen a aguas calmas durante el per?odo reproductor; se alimentan en aguas m?s fr?as; comen krill (una tonelada por d?a), filtrando el agua con sus barbas, placas c?rneas que cuelgan del maxilar superior. Leave a Comment
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South America has several species of sea turtles; I took this picture at Praia do Forte (Bahia, Brazil) where there is one of the stations of Tamar Project (an organization which cares for the marine turtles of Brazil). Some ot the turtles at Tamar are Eretmochelys imbricata, Caretta caretta, Lepidochelys olivacea and Chelonia mydas.
Sudamérica tiene varias especies de tortugas marinas; saqué esta foto en Praia do Forte (Bahia, Brasil) en una de las estaciones de cría del Proyecto Tamar (una organización que preserva las tortugas marinas de Brasil). Algunas de las tortugas de Tamar son Eretmochelys imbricata, Caretta caretta, Lepidochelys olivacea y Chelonia mydas. Leave a Comment
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The Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) is the biggest seal of the world; the adult males have a lenght of 6m and weigh 3 or 4 tons, and develop a proboscis when are 6 or 8 years old; the adult females are smaller (3 m, 1 ton) and do not have the proboscis.
I visited the only continental station for southern elephant seals at Punta Delgada (Peninsula Valdés, Argentina).
El elefante marino (Mirounga leonina) es la foca m?s grande del mundo; los machos adultos tienen una longitud de 6 m y pesan 3 ? 4 toneladas, y desarrollan una proboscis cuando tienen de 6 a 8 a?os de edad; las hembras son m?s peque?as (3 m, 1 tonelada) y no tienen proboscis.
Visité el único apostadero continental de elefantes marinos en Punta Delgada (Península Valdés, Argentina). Leave a Comment
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The sloth (Choleopus hoffmani, Barypus variegatus) is another native animal, which has lazy habits... Usually lives at the trees, hung like a hammock!
The sloths live at the rain forest, but I found this one at a square in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia).
El perezoso (Choleopus hoffmani, Barypus variegatus) es otro animal de la fauna nativa, que presenta hábitos perezosos... Habitualmente vive en las ramas de los árboles colgado como una hamaca!
Los perezosos viven en la selva húmeda, pero yo encontré este ejemplar en una plaza de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia). Leave a Comment
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I took a trip initiated in Santa Marta, Colombia for a 6 day trek to the Lost City ( la cuidad perdida) remnants of a city dating 500 B.C. of the Tryrona Indians discovered only in 1976. I have to say it was harder than I expected! It’s three days up, and three days down. The first day I fought so hard to make it through the day! The next day, I found when it was really hard on me, I would stop, breath deep, and ask those beautiful mountains and jungles for her energy, and it worked! I kept a better pace and felt great. But alas, after I reached the city, I was pooped! Then a torrential rain came and I prayed to get off that mountain in one piece. I had a feeling I'd slip, fall and break something... Now if I was an animal, I would be a Hawk. The morning of day 4, I saw a beautiful helicopter land on the largest terrace, (built as the foundation of the largest home in the lost city). The guide knew I was going to have a rough time of it going down, so he secured me a spot on that copter (a Huey, probably purchased from good ol’ U.S. of A.) Thank you Great Spirit! I waved good bye to 22 other trekkers! (I did miss them and made great friends from all over the world!!) But it would have been very hard for me to make it down...
Now, here is my TIP--
I purchased my trip through Over Alestur Tours in the Rodadero, and I was the only trekker to pay 600,000 pesos. But every one who went direct to Turcol, the planners, payed only 440,000 pesos. Also, the whole country is required to take a yellow fever vaccine because of a recent epidemic. But we as tourist (though I’m Colombian who’s lived in the U.S. all my life) are not required. I didn't. But had I known, I would have taken it. It’s 10 days after the shot is administered for effectiveness.
Have fun in Santa Marta, the oldest European city in South America, and home to the highest coastal mountain range in the world.
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This island unto itself is somewhat off the beaten path. Searching for info prior to going was limited. But this was for me part of its charm. Leave a Comment
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at the beautiful Rio Tigre in Uruguay, can be reached by boat from Buenos Aires or from Rio Grande do Sul City of Quarai or Urugaiana on a very idylic river cruise.
Carmelo is know for its Nandu Nurseries and lovely setting at the River, a quite Town to set back and relax.
the Nandu is the smalles species from the Family of Oistiches and Emus, the fightles birds. the Male looks after the offspring, while Mum goes of for more exiting times. Leave a Comment
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on January 4, 2004
on September 11, 2006
on September 8, 2002
on August 26, 2006
