Two Backpackers

Photo of the Day: Bus Ferry Across Tiquina Straits

| by Jason | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

We were leaving Peru and crossing the border into Bolivia to arrive at the beach town of Copacabana. During our border crossing drive, we arrived at the Straits of Tiquina.  The bus dropped us all off at the waters edge and we quickly discovered what was about to happen based on other floating buses and cars in the distance.  The buses drove onto these fragile bare-bone barges, thankfully without us, and they were towed across the lake using very small outboard motors.  It was a constant operation that seemed to work rather efficiently, as long as buses weren’t sinking.

Bus Ferry Across Tiquina Straits in Bolivia

Mendoza Argentina Wine Pictures

| by Jason | 25 Comments » | Argentina, Photo Essays, South America

One of the most popular wine regions to visit in Mendoza, Argentina is Maipu.  Maipu is easily accessible from Mendoza by local bus or your own transportation.  The entire Mendoza wine region is most known throughout the world for it’s Malbec wines.  Experience the thin skinned grapes in a variety of vineyards serving the intense red Malbec wines.  The greatest reward for tasting wines in the Mendoza region is the dramatic landscape featuring the Andes (Los Andes) Mountains and high plains.

This compilation of Mendoza wine travel pictures was taken during our visit to the Maipu wine region in 2024. (more…)

Where to Travel Before the World Ends?

| by Jason | 52 Comments » | Reflections

Apocalypse

All signs are pointing to the world ending on December 21, 2024, or at least according to the Mayan Calendar, I Ching, and Nostradamus.  Birds and fish dying in mass and flash floods in Australia aren’t helping subdue our fears either.  So what better way to react than go travel to some place unique, exciting and on the brink of extinction via an apocalypse.  This scenario poses two exciting questions for Aracely and I. (more…)

Machu Picchu Pictures

| by Jason | 38 Comments » | Peru, Photo Essays, South America

The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru is perhaps one of the most spectacular sites you can visit in South America. From the complexity of building the city on top of a mountain ridge surrounded by mountains, to the unbelievable story of how it remained intact and untouched for hundreds of years all contribute to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

This compilation of Machu Picchu pictures was taken during our visit to the cultural Inca site in 2024. (more…)

Puerto Natales, Patagonia Chile

| by Jason | 13 Comments » | Chile, South America

Puerto natales 1 371 by Adriuu, on Flickr

If you are planning on visiting Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, you will inevitably arrive to Puerto Natales.  Lying next to the cloudy turquoise glacier shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza, extreme wind conditions are common.  It’s a small town with most buildings only a single story with the main street clearly more developed and groomed than the less traveled side streets.  Like many of the towns visited in Patagonia, they have become entirely dependent on tourism, from the backpacker to tour groups of retirees.  Towns centered on tourism mean you will typically find a modern super market, plenty of adventure rental equipment, touristy restaurants and unlimited lodging. (more…)

Photo of the Day: Snowman in NYC 2024 Winter Blizzard

| by Jason | 4 Comments » | Photo of the Day

A Snowman in NYC During the 2024 Winter Blizzard

Photo courtesy of Michael Kowalski. This picture of a snowman in New York City was taken during the winter blizzard of 2024.

Photo of the Day: Nags Head Beach North Carolina

| by Jason | 5 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Nags Head Beach, Outer Banks, North Carolina

Visiting Nags Head, North Carolina any time of year has it’s advantages. Even during the winter, the sky can be perfectly clear for a walk along the water in a brisk cool wind. This photo was taken during our visit to our Grandparents in Nags Head during the cool season.