Kiskadee at lunch
Birds of Eastern Uruguay
One of our greatest enjoyments is to explore the natural world where we are. That was a big reason for driving along the coastal landscape of eastern Uruguay, with its inland lakes and wetlands (in…
La Paloma beach
Connecting the Dots of the Balnearios
Toward the end of our stay in Uruguay, we drove the whole coast, from Montevideo to Chuy, the edge of Brazil. We discovered surprisingly diverse terrain and vibe along the 250 miles (400 kilometers) of…
Stargazers, the quarry
A Point in Time – Easter Island
In brief: Though once created by volcanic forces, riven by human passions and greed, Easter Island now offers a stunning historical legacy and a Pacific charm. Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, or Isla de Pascua,…
Alteplanico
High and salty at Atacama
Three mountain ranges come together in Chile at the Atacama desert, near the northern border with Argentina and Bolivia (with its Uyuni salt flats). Their meeting has created some extraordinary terrain amid the volcanoes -…
Plaza Constitucion, old town
Relaxed – the pace of Montevideo
In brief: With a seemingly endless sandy beach front, popular neighborhood resources, a charming center, and a relaxed air, Montevideo can be a pleasant place to live. We chose Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, as our…
Sculpture at old bastion del Carmen
The Wild West of Uruguay
Uruguay boasts two very different UNESCO World Heritage sites, both of which we visited during our drive through the west of the country along the Uruguay River - the town of Colonia and a meat…
Plaza Independencia
Montevideo: First Impressions
Our home for the next six months is Montevideo, capital of Uruguay. The country is about the size of Missouri, but with a population of only 3.5 million. Just 1.5 million live in the city…
Famously rainbowed Skogafoss waterfall
Circling Iceland: East – Southeast
Rounding Iceland at say 2 to 4 on its clock face, after enjoying so much along the way, we started to think, yeah, OK, I've seen all the the country has to offer. Not quite.…
Kolugljufur waterfall
Circling Iceland: The North
Here are some of the things we enjoyed around this spectacular country…in three geographical regions. Secondly, the north, which we felt represented Iceland in microcosm and was a good area to explore if you have…
19th c church near Kirkjufell
Circling Iceland: The West
Here are some of the things we enjoyed around this spectacular country…in three geographical regions. First, the west. We drove the complete ring road of Iceland, a roughly 1400 kilometer trip according to Iceland, but…