My childhood was spent in the meadows on the border between Uruguay and Brazil, amongst horses, cows, sheep and rice harvesters. But for my parents’ work and to visit family periodically we would make the trek 420 kilómeters that it takes to get to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Sometimes we would go there and back in one day! Looking back now, seeing how I grew accustomed to the long trips in care must have contributed to the growth of my vocation as a traveler.

With my two sisters we learned how to entertain ourselves: we played “I Spy”, “20 questions” or the “Singing Game”, until I learned how to read and began to use the “down” time to devour books. My father was (and still is) a road trip fanatic travelling all over Uruguay, and that is how I came to know all of the areas with hot springs in the North of Uruguay, the historical city Colonia del Sacramento, the Sierras of Minas with its Penitente waterfall and Fuente del Puma (where we usually stopped to have a pic-nic on our way to the capital) and all of the beaches that we have on the Atlantic Ocean.

Colonia del Sacramento Colonia de Sacaramento, an emblematic cities of Uruguay / Photo: Carina Fossati

 

I had still yet to turn four years old when they took us to the the Triple Frontier (Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil) to visit Iguazú Falls, located some 1,400 kilometers away from Montevideo. We lodged at a reserve on the Argentine side, and one of the few memories that I treasure –there is even a Polaroid photograph to testify– is to have played with a group of peoples from an indigenous community. Uruguay is a country historical waves of Spanish and Italian immigration, and even though we hold a slight genetic inheritance of Charrúa and Chaná (according to an investigation in 2010 it should be 4%), we do not have towns or communities where they have gotten together to preserve their culture, identity, and traditions. That is why getting to know the continent and visit its native peoples has become vital for me to understand the cultural, political, and economic current issues in South America.

In the last decade I continued my travels through the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a region in the North of Argentina bordered by the Andes mountain range that offers an immeasurable variety of browns, greens, ochres, beiges, reds and oranges. I am not exaggerating. In fact, one of its mountains is called “of 7 colors”. The landscape, the flora and the fauna of the altiplano hypnotized me: it was there that I was introduced to the traditional cuisine like locro, the humita, and the tamale. And I learned how to distinguish between an alpaca, a vicuña, and a llama.

On this trip I also visited the Peruvian side of Titicaca– the highest navigable lake in the world– with its small floating islands inhabited by Uros communities and other islands where I was unfamiliar with the languages spoken; like Quechua and Aymara. Additionally, there I was able to observe traditions that contradict international stereotypes. On one of the islands, Amantaní, the women are in charge of shepherding the sheep, and in another, Taquile, the men are the ones you weave. I was enchanted with the “cholitas” (indigenous women), that with their small stature are capable of loading onto their backs bags that are heavier than themselves. Sometimes it is even their own babies that they carry on their back in these heavy bags!

Perú I learned to distinguish between an alpaca, a vicuña, and a llama / Photo: Cari Fossati

 

I was able to confirm why the Peruvian capital, Lima, stands out for its culinary excellence: various gastronomic establishments hold the prestigious ranking of “Latin America’s 50 best Restaurants.” However, at the moment of choosing a destination considering just your palate, my vote is to take it to Colombia with its arepas, patacones, bandeja paisa, and the sweet and refreshing panela water. I feel guilty choosing this country, like a mother of many children who is asked which child is her favorite. But: how can it not be if it has it all? It is the country of Gabriel García Márquez, with pristine beaches, with a city like Cartagena that looks like the set of a romance movie with mountains, jungle and to top it off, inhabitants so happy and friendly that they infect you with their good vibes. I have a degree in communication, but until a few years back in that moment, I had never heard a slogan so appropriate like the one that represented this country: “the risk is that you will want to stay.”

Cartagena de Indias I chose a destination considering just my palate: Colombia / Photo: Cari Fossati

 

Another destination I have been familiar with from a young age i Río de Janeiro. Recently I had the opportunity of returning to this city that despite being located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean it appears to be placed in the middle of the jungle due to its exuberant green that prevails. On top of offering an extense boardwalk along perfect beaches, Río stands out for its cuisine (it has restaurants with Michelin Stars), for its historical region from colonial times, and its incomparable views that are offered by Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain, and among other points of interest. Additionally, if one wants to add to the view with a more relaxed beach a few hours away by car one can visit Buzios, Ilha Belha, and Paraty. ”Beleza!” (this word is a catchphrase frequently used by the cariocas, which are, the inhabitants of Río de Janeiro).

I had the luck of touring around the Brazilian giant on different opportunities, for example in 1998 on my high school graduation trip to Florianópolis (a beach city located in the south) and in 2014 to the Northeast of Brazil during the World cup, supporting “the Sky Blues” (as we call the National soccer club of Uruguay) in the matches that they played in Natal and Fortaleza. In the North of Brazil, in addition to their beaches with caribbean temperatures, I felt captivated by the “forró”, a traditional dance with a similar style to salsa or cumbia, that is danced closely with the partner. My best discovery in this area was Jeriocoacoara, a beach at 300 kilometers from Fortaleza, partially hidden between sand dunes, with no signs and no highways that mark the way.

Jericoacoara My best discovery in this area was Jeriocoacoara. Complete relaxation! / Photo: Cari Fossati

 

Another “giant” to visit in South America, who is also a neighbor to Uruguay, is Argentina. Before the internet and globalization, to go to Buenos Aires meant returning with cassette tapes that were still not available in our country, and some brand named clothing that in Uruguay was still beginning to be fashionable (historically the Argentine capital was famous for its trends and its great clothing prices). To go to Buenos Aires also implied visiting themeparks. It was the 80s and they took us to “Italpark”, that does’t exist anymore. Today for the little ones it is the Parque de la Costa, Temaikén (both zoo and animal reserve) or Mundo Marino (sea world) in the coastal region.

When I was 15 I had the opportunity to visit another popular destination in this country: Bariloche. In Uruguay it is customary to offer the birthday girl the option to choose between a trip or a party for her birthday (they make them so sensational they are like weddings!). Undoubtedly, I chose a trip and it was the first time I saw snow. I even skied! Bariloche today still holds its partying reputation, with large clubs and futuristic laser shows, but nearby there are neighboring towns like San Martín de los Andes and Villa la Angostura, better for those who want to enjoy the snow and a peaceful environment accompanied by their significant other or with their family.

Buenos Aires I was going to Buenos Aires in the pre-Internet era. You can find music, name brand clothing, and have fun / Photo: Cari Fossati

 

And if we are talking about giants in South America, another destination that I enjoyed a lot, mostly because I adore the snow, is Chile. It has ski centers like Valle Nevado, La Parva and Colorado-Farellones, so close to the capital city that one can lodge in Santiago and go over for the day. I did this the first time that I went and I decided to take classes with a “boy” (the instructor must of been older twenty, but in Chile they call everyone boy or girl disregarding the age) who explained to me “al tiro”( immediately) various tipos on improving my technical skill. Cachai? (You get it?).

My first time in this country I was only ten years old and as we crossed over the pass through the Andes mountain range I trembled before the outlay of snow capped peaks. Supposedly it was going to be a simple flight through the airport -it was a layover for my flight to Madrid- but fate wanted us not to arrive on time for our connection, gaining an unexpected day in Santiago we took advantage and took a basic city tour to the main tourist spots: the Palace of the Mint, The Santa Lucía Peak -where we watched a reenactment of colonial times- and the sophisticated street of stores Alonso de Córdoba, in the Vitacura neighborhood,

This quick visit was so captivating that I returned to Chile multiple times. Visiting its vineyards and wineries I ended up falling in love with carmenere, probably the most famous grapevine. In the coastal region of the Pacific I discovered the house where Pablo Neruda lived, where the Nobel Prize winner for Literature not only could “write the saddest verses that night”, but treasure tons of unimaginable objects and accumulate love affairs, too. However, none none like “La Chascona” (The Tousled Hair woman”), name with which the romantic Chilean called his late partner, Matilde Urrutia.

Still pending is my visit to the North of Chile with its Atacama desert, a trip I suppose I will take advantage of crossing over to the neighboring Bolivia and to visit the surreal landscapes of the Uyuni Salt Flats. Nor have I had the fortune to visit the South of this country, famous for its National Park Torres del Paine, those geometric peaks that look like a scene from some part of “Lord of the Rings.”

Chile I adore the snow and the multiple ski centers nearby Santiago / Photo: Cari Fossati

 

I am still waiting to cross the Andes mountain range to visit the most important spots in the Argentinean south: Ushuaia, Calafate, and the Perito Moreno Glacier. Paradoxically, despite that since childhood my family instilled in me a curiosity for traveling around our region, as an adult I recently internalized the passion for Latin America after having gone around Europe, the United States and even having lived in New Zealand with the Working Holiday Visa program. Could it be that since it is nearby, that the majority of people from our region believe that we can visit it further down the road because we think there will always be time? Whatever the reason, the landscapes, the climates, the flavors, and the customs of each corner in South America are so diverse that the only way to take them in, is starting as soon as we can.

Written by: Carina Fossati, journalist and author of the blog Hills to Heels