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ADVENTURE PERU; The Vision Seekers
Here's the truth: I have traveled more than 4,000 miles to the middle of the Peruvian Amazon to be ''cured'' by shamans. It's nighttime. The riverboat I'm on plies dark waters, the jungle thick on either side, emitting loud reptilian sounds that drone on like police sirens. I see no lights, no villages anywhere. My companions are Kevin, a pan-flute maker from Canada; Wendy, an acupuncturist and energetic healer from Massachusetts, and her husband, Joe, a burly carpenter who wants nothing to do with us or shamanism, who has said upward of five words so far and who busily reads ''Chomsky on MisEducation'' as the jungle slides by.

The High Road In the Andes
AS we chugged past Piscacucho, conventionally known as Kilómetro 82, we spotted the colorful fauna endemic to the Andes near Cuzco: hikers and their porters, carrying tents, sleeping bags, stoves, long johns, food, water, and everything else required in a four-day trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I turned back to my table and dug into a tasty hunk of alpaca tenderloin. Grilled to perfection, it was drizzled with pink pepper sauce and flanked by crisp baby carrots, turnips, and string beans. The railroad car rattled a bit as a waiter offered to refresh my glass of Tacama Blanco de Blancos, an excellent Peruvian Sauvignon. Why not? It was only 11:30 a.m. I didn't expect to be at Machu Picchu until early afternoon.

Santiago de Chile
Santiago de Chile is a modern metropolis with a shiny face and one of South America's most dynamic economies. At the same time, struggling street vendors board city buses to hawk everything from pins to ice cream, and housemaids ride for hours to scrub floors and change nappies in exclusive suburbs. It's first and foremost a city of commerce, but visitors will find much to enjoy in the city and its surroundings. Less than an hour from the city centre are world-class ski resorts and white-water rafting opportunities, famous beaches and the colorful port city of Valparaíso. Area: 140 sq km Population: 5.5 million Country: Chile & Easter Island Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4 (Mid December to late March) Telephone Area Code: 02 ...

Venezuela Travel
There are the snowcapped peaks of the Andes in the west; steamy Amazonian jungles in the south; the hauntingly beautiful Gran Sabana plateau, with its strange flat-topped mountains, in the east; and miles of white-sand beaches fringed with coconut palms on the Caribbean coast. Warning Political events rarely touch the major tourist destinations, but the incidence of 'express kidnappings' is on the rise in the capital, Caracas. The western region bordering Colombia is rendered dangerous by the presence of Colombian rebels.

Chapada dos Veadeiros Brazil
Chapada dos Veadeiros This spectacular national park is in the highest area of the country's Central West, just over 220km (136mi) north of Brasília. Its high waterfalls, natural swimming pools, dramatic cliffs and oasis-like stands of wine-palms have caused it to become a popular destination for ecotourists. The park's animal life includes maned wolves, banded anteaters, giant armadillos, capybaras, tapirs, rheas, toucans and vultures. Most people stay at the former crystal-mining hamlet of São Jorge nearby, where there is a walking trail to Vale da Luna (Valley of the Moon).

Mexico City Guides
Mexico City's 350 colonias (neighbourhoods) sprawl across the ancient bed of Lago de Texcoco and beyond. The vast urban expanse is daunting at first, but the main areas of interest to visitors are pretty comprehensible. The historic heart of the city, El Zócalo, and its surrounding neighbourhoods are known as the Centro Histórico (Historic Centre) and are full of notable old buildings and interesting museums. Avenida Madero and Avenida Cinco de Mayo link the Zócalo with the Alameda Central park. West of the Alameda, across Paseo de la Reforma, is the Plaza de la República, a fairly quiet, mostly residential area with budget and mid-range hotels. Mexico City's grandest boulevard is Paseo de la Reforma, running across the city's heart, connecting the Alameda to the Zona Rosa and the Bosque de Chapultepec. The Zona Rosa (Pink Zone) pulsates with glitzy shopping, eating, hotels and nightlife; it's bound by Paseo de la Reforma to the north and Avenida Chapultepec to the south. The Wood of Chapultepec, known to gringos as Chapultepec Park, is to the west of the aforementioned districts. It's a big bunch of greenery and lakes, with museums and cultural tidbits to boot.

About Ecuador
The smallest country in the rugged Andean highlands, Ecuador has an array of vibrant indigenous cultures, well-preserved colonial architecture, otherworldly volcanic landscapes and dense rainforest. And all that in a nation no bigger than the US state of Nevada. Touch down in its picture-perfect capital, Quito, and you are no more than a day's drive from a slog through all-swallowing Amazonian jungle, a snow-swept ascent of an active volcano, a sociable haggle with indigenous artesanos or a welcome wallow on a tropical beach. Squint your eyes at a map of the region and Ecuador looks something like a grinning skull, gazing across the Pacific at its lone 'overseas' holding, the blissfully distant Galápagos Islands. Owned by Ecuador since 1832, the far-flung islands are lauded as one of the world's greatest natural history treasures, their unique diversity of plant and animal life providing a living textbook for ecologists and oglers alike. It'll cost you plenty to get out to see them, but when you weigh that against the immense affordability of mainland adventuring and the rarity of the experience, you'll be hard pressed to let your purse strings tie you down ...

Argentina - Facts for traveler
Visas: Nationals of the USA, Canada, most Western European countries, Australia and New Zealand do not need visas to visit Argentina. In theory, upon arrival all non-visa visitors must obtain a free tourist card, good for 90 days and renewable for 90 more. In practice, immigration officials issue these only at major border crossings, such as airports and on the ferries and hydrofoils between Buenos Aires and Uruguay. Although you should not toss your card away, losing it is no major catastrophe; at most exit points, immigration officials will provide an immediate replacement for free. Dependent children travelling without both parents theoretically need a notarised document certifying that both parents agree to the child's travel. Parents may also wish to bring a copy of the custody form; however, there's a good chance they won't be ...

Bolivia - the Tibet of the Americas
Bolivia may be one of the poorest countries in South America, but its cultural wealth, the mindblowing Andean landscapes and the remnants of mysterious ancient civilisations make it a rich and exciting destination for those looking for more than postcards. This landlocked country is practically the Tibet of the Americas - it's the highest and most isolated of the Latin American republics. It is also the most indigenous country on the continent, with more than 50% of the population maintaining traditional values and beliefs.

Guatemala is the Mayan heartland
Despite its turmoil, travellers flock to Guatemala because it offers Central America in concentrated form: its volcanoes are the highest and most active, its Mayan ruins the most impressive, its earthquakes the most devastating and its history of repression decidedly world-class. Guatemala is the Mayan heartland of Central America, though the government has both touted and tortured the Maya - sticking pictures of them on its tourist brochures while sticking guns in their faces. Despite this, indigenous Guatemalan culture is alive and well...

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