The wild flamingos of the newly created Ansenuza National Park in Cordoba, Argentina need our help. Despite living in a protected habitat, these striking birds are in peril.
Angie Drake
Angie is a freelance writer and photographer who can't get enough of South America. The lesser-known the destination, the more she wants to visit. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon and dreams of her next trip to Ecuador.
The Imminent Threat of Cotopaxi Updated 2022
Since Cotopaxi is once again threatening to erupt, we are updating this article, which we originally published in 2015. When Cotopaxi spewed mild amounts of lahar and spat ash clouds into the sky in 2015, the government began evacuating folks and it caused panic....
Where Do You Start in Cusco, Peru?
Our two-week vacation to Peru and Bolivia started as a pipe dream months before our actual trip. But even then, as avid readers of National Geographic (thanks, Grandpa!), we understood that Cusco would be our first step into exploring the Andean nation of Peru. When I...
Arriving at the Huaorani Lodge
Arriving at the jungle lodge in the territory of the Huaorani is an experience in itself. It's necessary to travel with three modes of transportation, land based car or bus from Quito to Shell, air travel in a small prop airplane from Shell to a small community in the...
Visiting Apaika and Our Huaorani Hosts
While visiting the Huaorani Lodge in Pastaza, we were invited to spend an afternoon in Apaika, a small village where the Huaorani still practice a traditional way of life. Upon our arrival, we immediately noticed two children playing in the river by a makeshift dock,...
Useful Bird Guides For Your Trip To Ecuador
Looking for the perfect bird identification book for your next trip to Ecuador? Depending on your level of interest, I recommend different birds guides for you to consider. Most of these books are available for purchase in the United States. However, if you would...
A Guide to Local Festivals in Ecuador
Local festivals in Ecuador are the heart and soul of many communities. They are found in the highest Andean towns and the smallest jungle enclaves, in tiny fishing villages and large cities like Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil. Many are well advertised and openly invite...
Dark Caverns, Rushing Cascades, and more at Las Cascadas Yanayacu
Hiking Las Cascadas Yanayacu became a transformational experience that I hadn't planned for. Those are the best kind I knew I had made a mistake with my first step into the river. My hiking boots immediately cried "We're not waterproof!" Wet socks would be my hiking...
The Wild Cuyabeno in Pictures – An Immersive Photo Essay
The Cuyabeno: A Photo Essay Let me introduce the Cuyabeno in pictures. In four short days, we were able to merely scratch the surface of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, an incredibly diverse habitat with nine different ecosystems. To read the captions, hover your mouse...
Are You a United-Statesian?
Like most citizens of the United States, I call myself American all the time. It wasn't until I moved to Argentina that I learned how egocentric this single word can sound to Central and South Americans, especially when speaking in Spanish. Imagine a conversation that...
