Cheaper than Jenny Craig?So, two realities…..South America has made me very fat and to top it off, I am very unfit. I have lots and lots of excuses but I will give you just the top five. 1.      No fruits and veggies in South America – only 300 or 3000 kinds of Potatoes. (depends on the tour guide) and bbq'd chicken….lots of delicious bbq'd chicken.2.      Potatoes can be made into French fries.3.      I am an addict.4. ...

Uruguay is weird. Took the high speed ferry first thing in the morning...wow that subway is packed.....ferries to Colonial Uruguay - two speeds, two prices. One hour fast ferry about $80 return, three hour slow ferry about $60. Since I was just going for the day I figured I would spend the extra $20 for the fast boat. Luxurious and oh so smooth. I thought I would be the only one - it is pretty slow season here for tourists and the quick jaunt to Colonial i...

Whooo hoooo I made it! Five years this weekend: well five years a few weeks ago but that was just the opening chapter of the journey and it was so fast and furious and confusing that I hardly can remember much about those first few days in emergency – coded 'FOS' – ‘Full of s***’ and just waiting for the pain to subside and for the big blowout to occur.So many of you were there with me for this chapter of my life – some ver...

Salta Argentina is lovely - doesn't look like any part of South America that I have seen so far - westernized, European looking and completely lacking that 'south America' feel and colorful images. And.....popcorn and candy apples and my favorite food in the whole world - street fries with mayonnaise on every corner. This is the promised land for a junk food junkie like me. With the fry stands they serve giant - 'panchas' - foot long hotdgs...

After the freezing cold of the Jeep trip it was a delightful surprise to descend 2000 meters from the bleak Bolivian border post down into the 'driest desert on earth'...Seems every single desert I go to has this distinction but....yeah, it is dry and hot here in San Pedro de Atacama.The most shocking thing is we definitely are not in Kansas...Bolivia, anymore. First obvious thing....the guy who picked me up at the border - me and two other guys who al...