Frommer's^® South America, 2nd Edition

by Shawn Blore; Shane Christensen; Alexandra de Vries; Eliot Greenspan; Haas Mroue; Neil E. Schlecht; Kristina Schreck

• ISBN13: 9780764556258
• ISBN10: 0764556258
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-06-01
• Publisher: Frommers

Summary

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go-they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us! Frommer's South America is the premier guide to the continent, with complete coverage of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. You'll get details on Carnaval, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Galápagos, the hang gliding in Rio, the ice cream in Mérida, and much more. Whether you're an archaeology buff, an outdoor adventurer, or a partier in search of a good time, South America presents so many diverse travel options that it'll make your head spin. Frommer's South America will help you plan a memorable trip, starting with our highly opinionated lists of the best experiences the continent has to offer.

Author Biography

A native of California, <b>Shawn Blore</b> (Brazil) has lived and worked in a half dozen countries and traveled in 40 more (but who&#8217;s counting?). Now a resident of Vancouver, Shawn is an award-winning magazine writer and the author of <i>Vancouver: Secrets of the City</i> and co-author of <i>Frommer&#8217;s Brazil</i> and <i>Frommer&#8217;s Portable Rio de Janeiro.</i> <p> To do Argentina right, <b>Shane Christensen</b> (Argentina, Uruguay) moved in with a Porte&#241;o family, committed himself to a rigorous steak-only diet, searched Buenos Aires for the perfect tango partner, and added a rich Argentine accent to his Mexican-learned Spanish. With his nascent Argentine credentials, he roamed the country&#8217;s far corners, finding that no place in South America offers such geographic diversity and cultural distinction. A California native, Shane has written extensively in South America, Western Europe, and the United States for the Berkeley Guides, Fodor&#8217;s, and <i>The Wall Street Journal.</i> <p> <b>Alexandra de Vries</b> (Brazil) made her first journey to Brazil at the ripe old age of 1 month. (Alas, few of her food reviews from that trip survive.) In the years since, Alexandra has returned many times to travel, explore, and live in this amazing country. Alexandra cowrites <i>Frommer&#8217;s Brazil</i> and <i>Frommer&#8217;s Portable Rio de Janeiro</i> about her all-time favorite place to visit. <p> <b>Eliot Greenspan</b> (Venezuela) is a poet, journalist, and travel writer who took his backpack and typewriter the length of Mesoamerica before settling in Costa Rica in 1992. Since then, he has traveled almost ceaselessly around Latin America, writing articles and guidebooks to feed his travel habit. He feels particularly at home in the neotropics&#8212;in its rain and cloud forests, on its rivers, and under its seas. Eliot is the author of <i>Frommer&#8217;s Costa Rica</i> and <i>Frommer&#8217;s Belize</i> and co-author of <i>Frommer&#8217;s Cuba.</i> <p> <b>Haas Mroue</b> (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador) is a freelance travel writer based in the United States. His short stories, poems, and travel pieces have appeared in a variety of publications, including <i>Interiors Magazine,</i> the <i>Michigan Quarterly Review,</i> the <i>Literary Review,</i> National Geographic guides, Fodor&#8217;s, Berlitz, and Britannica.com. He&#8217;s the author of <i>Frommer&#8217;s Memorable Walks in Paris</i> and <i>Frommer&#8217;s Paris from $90 a Day,</i> and is a contributor to <i>Frommer&#8217;s Argentina &amp; Chile, Frommer&#8217;s Gay &amp; Lesbian Europe,</i> and <i>Frommer&#8217;s Europe from $70 a Day.</i> <p> <b>Neil E. Schlecht</b> (Peru) first trekked to Machu Picchu in 1983 as a college student spending his junior year abroad in Quito, Ecuador. The author of a dozen travel guides (including <i>Frommer&#8217;s Peru</i> and <i>Spain For Dummies</i>), as well as articles on art and culture and art catalogue essays, and a photographer, he has lived for extensive periods in Brazil and Spain. He now resides in northwestern Connecticut. <p> <b>Kristina Schreck</b> (Antarctica, Chile, Colombia) has traveled extensively throughout Latin America and has lived and worked in Argentina and Chile for 8 years. She is the former managing editor of <i>Adventure Journal</i> magazine and is co-author of the first edition of <i>Frommer&#8217;s Argentina &amp; Chile.</i> Kristina currently resides in Santiago and the Andes, where she works year-round for Ski Portillo (and although she thinks it is the greatest ski resort in the world, to be fair, she asked an independent, impartial source to edit the Chile skiing coverage in this guide).

Table of Contents

List of Maps	p. vii
What's New in South America	p. 1
The Best of South America	p. 10
The Most Unforgettable Travel Experiences	p. 10
The Best Small Towns & Villages	p. 12
The Best Outdoor Adventures	p. 14
The Most Intriguing Historical Sites	p. 16
The Best Museums	p. 17
The Best of Sensuous South America	p. 18
The Best Festivals & Celebrations	p. 20
The Best Hotels	p. 21
The Best Local Dining Experiences	p. 23
The Best Markets	p. 24
The Best of South America Online	p. 26
Introducing South America	p. 27
South America Past & Present	p. 27
A South American Cultural Primer	p. 41
Doing Business in South America	p. 46
Planning Your Trip to South America	p. 48
Entry Requirements at a Glance	p. 48
Customs	p. 50
Money	p. 51
South American Currency Conversions	p. 53
When to Go	p. 54
South America Calendar of Events	p. 54
Packing Tips	p. 56
Travel Insurance	p. 57
Health & Safety	p. 58
Specialized Travel Resources	p. 60
Planning Your Trip Online	p. 63
Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource	p. 64
The 21st-Century Traveler	p. 65
Online Traveler's Toolbox	p. 67
Getting There	p. 67
Escorted Tours, Package Deals & Special Interest Vacations	p. 71
Getting Around	p. 72
The Active Vacation Planner	p. 73
Recommended Reading	p. 74
Argentina	p. 78
The Regions in Brief	p. 78
Planning Your Trip to Argentina	p. 81
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 82
Fast Facts: Argentina	p. 87
Buenos Aires	p. 89
Evita Peron: Woman, Wife, Icon	p. 97
Tango: Lessons in the Dance of Seduction & Despair	p. 118
Puerto Iguazu & Iguazu Falls	p. 122
Behind the Falls & into the Iguazu Jungle	p. 125
Mendoza	p. 128
The Argentine Lake District	p. 135
Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego	p. 151
Bolivia	p. 167
The Regions in Brief	p. 167
Planning Your Trip to Bolivia	p. 168
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 170
Fast Facts: Bolivia	p. 176
La Paz	p. 178
Lake Titicaca	p. 196
Sucre	p. 204
Potosi	p. 212
Cochabamba	p. 219
Santa Cruz de la Sierra	p. 225
Brazil	p. 231
The Regions in Brief	p. 231
Planning Your Trip to Brazil	p. 236
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 237
Fast Facts: Brazil	p. 246
Rio de Janeiro	p. 250
Rio's Avenida Gourmet	p. 282
Sao Paulo	p. 290
Brasilia	p. 307
Salvador	p. 315
Candomble	p. 322
Bahian Food Glossary	p. 329
Recife & Olinda	p. 335
Natal	p. 346
Fortaleza	p. 354
The Amazon: Manaus	p. 360
Amazonian Cuisine	p. 366
The Pantanal	p. 370
Iguacu Falls	p. 377
Chile	p. 383
The Regions in Brief	p. 384
Planning Your Trip to Chile	p. 386
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 387
Fast Facts: Chile	p. 393
Santiago	p. 395
Around Santiago & the Central Valley	p. 416
The Desert North	p. 434
The Chilean Lake District	p. 441
Patagonia	p. 464
Cruising from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, Argentina	p. 468
Ecuador	p. 482
The Regions in Brief	p. 483
Planning Your Trip to Ecuador	p. 484
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 486
Fast Facts: Ecuador	p. 493
Quito	p. 495
Otavalo & Imbabura Province	p. 520
El Oriente	p. 526
Cuenca	p. 528
Guayaquil	p. 539
If You're Short on Time	p. 542
An Alternative to the Galapagos	p. 546
The Galapagos Islands	p. 548
Organizing a Last-Minute Trip to the Galapagos	p. 550
Peru	p. 559
The Regions in Brief	p. 560
Off the Beaten Path	p. 562
Planning Your Trip to Peru	p. 563
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 563
Fast Facts: Peru	p. 572
Lima	p. 576
All That Glitters Ain't Necessarily Gold	p. 584
Cusco	p. 594
Cusco's Boleto Turistico	p. 599
The Magic of Inca Stones: A Walking Tour	p. 600
Cusco's Quintas	p. 612
The Sacred Valley of the Incas	p. 616
Extreme Sacred Valley	p. 621
New Inca Trail Regulations	p. 632
The Southern Amazon: Manu & Tambopata	p. 634
Puno & Lake Titicaca	p. 637
Arequipa	p. 646
House Tour: Arequipa's Other Colonial Mansions	p. 651
Iquitos & the Northern Amazon	p. 659
Uruguay	p. 669
The Regions in Brief	p. 669
Planning Your Trip to Uruguay	p. 669
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 670
Fast Facts: Uruguay	p. 672
Montevideo	p. 673
A Side Trip to Colonia del Sacramento	p. 681
Punta del Este	p. 682
Venezuela	p. 687
The Regions in Brief	p. 687
Planning Your Trip to Venezuela	p. 690
Telephone Dialing Info at a Glance	p. 691
Fast Facts: Venezuela	p. 698
Caracas	p. 700
Simon Bolivar, El Libertador	p. 704
Isla de Margarita	p. 715
Los Roques National Park	p. 727
Merida, the Andes & Los Llanos	p. 733
Canaima, Angel Falls & the Gran Sabana	p. 744
Difficult Destinations: Antarctica & Colombia	p. 751
Antarctica	p. 751
Colombia	p. 757
Useful Terms & Phrases	p. 764
Spanish Terms & Phrases	p. 764
Portuguese Useful Terms & Phrases	p. 768
Index	p. 773
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