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South America Travel Articles
Bolivia:
A Geographic Portrait
by: James ChartwellSouth America's primary mountain range, the Andes,
attains one of its widest points in Bolivia. Here the Andes are divided
into two subranges, Cordillera Oriental and Cordillera Occidental. Peaks
in these areas are in excess of 20,000 feet. Between these subranges
lies the Altiplano which contains the highest navigable lake on earth.
Lake Titicaca, which also lies in Peru, is 12,507 feet above sea level.
Climbing
Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador
The climb up the glaciers to the summit of Mount Chimborazo
in Ecuador isn't considered highly technical. Technically, it is mountaineering,
but how hard could it be, considering that I went to 20,600 feet the
first time I used crampons and an ice axe? Okay, I had used them once
for practice, on a sledding hill near my house. I climbed almost forty
feet while people walked by with their sleds, warning their kids to
stay away from me.
Carnival in
Rio de Janeiro
Considered one of the most awe-inspiring and grandiose spectacles in
all the world, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the marvelous city, is a
feast for the eyes as well as the ears. For five days, the 14 samba
schools (escolas de samba) parade through the famous sambadrome in quest
to be the best samba school for that year.
Carnival in
Salvador, Brazil
Deemed by some as the wildest street party on the face
of the planet, Carnival in Salvador, Bahia is the place to be during
those five crazy days in February or March. Different from the more
spectator-oriented Carnival in Rio, Carnival in Salvador puts you in
the middle of the music, the dancing, and the rhythms of the some of
the most energetic bands in the world.
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